C.A. Morley – Author

The King Arrives at the Temple

Watching the Queen’s funeral on television was very moving. Everything was so grand, and everyone did their utmost best. I loved seeing all the pomp and pageantry as I mentioned in last week’s post, “Real Life Is Like Epic Fantasy.” Westminster Abbey and St. George’s Chapel were amazing in their Gothic style and epic in every way.

In my new epic romantic fantasy series, I have a temple scene where King Arlo arrives to receive a word from Riaas the Watcher. He is the antagonist in Wayfinders: The Novice (Book 1). I’ll share a snippet of his grand entrance below:

Temple guards were on duty every day at the entrance, controlling the number of visitors, but on the day of the king’s visit, a tripling of the guard was always needed. Just thinking about the king made Paxton angry. What right did the king have to play at being a god? He was too ambitious and so sure of himself, eager to further his reach. If the king was slower to action, perhaps the upcoming events could be avoided…

King Arlo cut a striking figure, dressed in all his finery, as he stood under the portico at the temple’s grand entrance. He was in his late forties, tall and well-built, with a slight bulge around his middle. His salt and pepper hair gave his age away. Paxton begrudgingly had to admit that the king was handsome. His grandparents were at the entrance to welcome him inside. The king’s garments of crimson red and deep black contrasted against all the temple’s white. Paxton shivered with a dreadful premonition. The king’s red surcoat reminded him of blood, while his grandparents’ white robes reminded him of purity and all that was good in the world.

His grandparents guided the king to the Pool of Blessing beneath the statue of Riaas the Watcher. Even though the king knew the way, tradition and ceremony required the high priest and priestess to accompany him. They glided silently on either side of him, wearing their temple slippers beneath long robes.

The loud clomping of the king and his men’s leather boots made Paxton flinch. Six impressive royal guards had accompanied him inside. They wore dark-grey uniforms with a fabric baldric draped over their shoulders depicting the kings’ heraldic badge of a black snarling long-toothed wolf’s head with yellow eyes against a crimson background.

Wayfinders: The Novice (Book 1) by C.A. Morley

I recently had the pleasure of visiting St. Stephen’s Cathedral (Stephansdom) in Vienna. It was built in the Romanesque and Gothic styles. The photos I’m sharing were taken this past July 2022.