Chapter 36 - The Trash Prince’s VisitThe Next Day,Author The heavy wrought-iron gates of the Blackwood estate did not groan as they usually did; they slid open with a smooth, oiled precision that set Prince Julian’s teeth on edge.He sat astride his white stallion, his velvet coat immaculate, his silver-gray eyes scanning the outer perimeter of the villa. Beside him, Silas rode with a tense, rigid posture, while four elite palace guards trailed behind, their gold-plated armor gleaming under the pale Northern sun. Julian had expected to see the usual signs of a crumbling, isolated border territory—cracked masonry, sluggish guards, and the pervasive scent of despair.Instead, he was looking at an active construction site of terrifying efficiency.The main path had been widened and paved with reinforced granite slabs, engineered to withstand heavy military transport. In the distance, the lower sectors—once a collection of rotting wooden huts—were now lined with stone-walled barracks a
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