After some thought, Damon decided to travel around the town -- Lightgard, capital city and namesake of his kingdom. Well, his father's kingdom. Despite now being heir apparent, his actual power was pretty much non-existent. The servants would defer to him, and that was pretty much it.
Still, he decided as he headed down to the gates of the castle keep, it was better than his old life. Just stay away from Wood Elves as much as possible.
Lightgard Castle consisted of a tall central keep, with many tiers and turrets, roofed halls and battlements, surrounded by a spacious courtyard. More buildings, like the stable and various workshops, were built into the outer wall. A drawbridge led across the moat (which was formed by a stream flowing into the River Licht) and into the city proper.
Lightgard, while small by modern Earth's standards, was still a large and prosperous city, with nearly 100,000 inhabitants. And it was far cleaner and more beautiful, without any pollution (magic taking care of such waste as a pre-industrial settlement produced). As Damon stared up in awe at the skyline, the layout of the city began to "come back" to him.
Lightgard Castle was located to the northeast of the city proper, surrounded by a large estate, most of it open to the public. Lightgard itself was divided into the Old City and the New City. The former was further divided into four quarters. The Noble Quarter, where Damon was now, featured the townhouses of the gentry, where they stayed when they had business in the capital, as well as high-end shops and restaurants.
In the northwest, abutting the River Licht, was the Merchants' Quarter, dominated by the Merchants' Guildhall, headquarters of the River Trading League. This was a mix of wealthy and middle-class neighbourhoods, and many shops, with the shore of the river taken up mainly by private docks and marinas.
The southwest was the River Quarter, the port for the city's river-borne trade. It was full of warehouses, inns, and brothels catering to sailors, dockhands and the like. Although a rough-and-ready area, it was generally considered safe and clean.
The southeast was the Artisans' Quarter, a middle and low-class area where different craftsmen lived and worked. Like the River Quarter, it was not as refined as the north side of the city, but was still a beautiful and safe place -- "low-class" in this world not implying ignorance or vice, or even poverty, simply less wealth than the wealthy.
Beyond the southern walls was the New City. Along the Licht south of the River Quarter was the Mill District, with what passed for this world's heavy industry -- mills turned by the river and autofactories animated by magic. And south of the Artisan Quarter was the Foreign District, so named because many non-human but friendly races -- Dwarves, High Elves, Halflings and the like -- had settled there.
At the centre of the city was the Royal Square. Apart from the Guildhall and the royal castle, most of the city's chief buildings were there -- the spiraling towers of the Wizards' Guild; the gothic Cathedral of St. Eirene, seat of the worship of Littena, Goddess of Light and the country's patron deity; and the marble dome of the Great Library of Dreams. The Royal Academy, a rather modest university, the Abbey Theatre and the city's best inn, the Fleur-de-Lune, were also located there. To the south of the Square was the City Park; to the north, a small fortress for the Knights of the Sun, a chivalric order sworn to serve Lightgard and the royal family.
Not really having anything better to do, Damon wandering towards the Square, marveling at the marble and brownstone mansions that towered behind the trees lining the street. The street itself was paved with pale blue cobblestones, and flanked by sidewalks set with bright mosaic patterns behind high curbs and what appeared to be concrete gutters.
It seemed remarkably modern, and Damon recalled that Lightgard was called the City of Wonders. Maybe not all the world was this fancy, but for now he was very impressed. In fact so much so that many people, recognising him as the prince, seemed to be shocked at his apparently unfamiliarity with his home city.
However, apart from a few "Good day, milords" from people who passed him, nobody spoke to him. However, gawking at the gilded façade of a townhouse, Damon ran a grave risk of repeating his faux pas with Yavarond and colliding with someone -- or something.