Unauwen Capital

Unauwen Capital is the destination toward which Tiuri and Piak travel with Edwinem’s message, and the place where their dangerous journey becomes a matter of state. First glimpsed beyond a forest and a hill, the capital is presented as a city of shining towers and open approaches; within it, Tiuri faces King Unauwen, and later the king addresses the assembled court about the message and the death of Edwinem. The friends’ eventual departure gives the city a second significance: it is not only the goal they have reached, but a place they must leave behind.

Approach and First Sight

At first light, after thanking the farmer and his wife, the friends set out again. The weather is clear, the sun is shining, and a strong west wind accompanies them. Their route initially crosses country like that of the previous day, then passes through a wood and climbs a hill. From there they see the capital ahead. The reveal follows the movement of the journey: the city comes into view only after the road has carried them through the landscape and up to a vantage point.

The sight is dominated by towers, described as white and silvery in the sun. Tiuri and Piak rein in their horses and stare silently for a while. Their destination, long approached through danger and travel, is now plainly before them. The pause gives the first view a weight beyond simple recognition: they have arrived within sight of the goal, though the road into the city is still long.

Form and Setting

Unauwen Capital stands on low hills and appears broad, light, and open rather than grey and enclosed. It has low walls and many gates, as well as steps and towers topped with golden weather vanes. The description emphasizes the city’s extent and its multiple approaches: many roads lead toward it, including the broad road the friends are using. As they continue, side roads join their route and other travelers become visible, also heading for the capital. Its scale is therefore conveyed not just by its towers, but by the network of roads and gates that connect it to the surrounding country.

A shining river flows in from the south and disappears into the city; the friends take it to be the White River. To the north, reddish hills rise beyond the city, followed by more distant hills that resemble rainbows and fade into the mist. The view combines the built landscape with a sequence of natural features, giving the capital a distinct setting between river and hills. The image of the distant, rainbow-like ridges also recalls the story’s recurring rainbow imagery, while remaining part of the travelers’ observed landscape.

The Royal Audience

Inside the capital, Tiuri enters a small white-and-blue room lined on both sides with columns and comes face to face with King Unauwen. Tiuri’s legs tremble as he crosses the threshold alone; Piak has urged him onward but does not accompany him. The king rises to receive the messenger. His white hair and beard, long white robe, and narrow gold band present a restrained appearance, yet his bearing and face convey unmistakable authority. He reminds Tiuri of Menaures, especially in the eyes, linking the ruler’s presence in the scene to the hermit Tiuri has encountered on the journey.

The audience expands from this private meeting into a public one. At a later gathering in the palace’s largest hall, Tiuri and Piak are permitted to stand among knights, nobles, counselors, and wise men. King Unauwen appears in full regalia, wearing white and purple and carrying a crown and staff. Many knights wear shining helmets, white shields, and rainbow-colored cloaks. Tirillo, still dressed in his jester’s cap and bells, stands out among them, with a glittering ring on his finger. The variety of figures and dress makes the hall a visible assembly of the realm’s authority, while the friends feel small among its powerful attendees.

The king tells the gathering that two young men have brought news of Edwinem’s death after traveling from the Kingdom of Dagonaut through many dangers. He explains that Tiuri also brought the contents of a letter Edwinem gave him before dying. The letter came from Eviellan, whose ruler did not want it read. King Unauwen connects this evidence with the supposed peace overture and Edwinem’s flight from Eviellan, followed by his death at the hands of the Red Riders. He concludes that Eviellan did not truly seek peace. The capital thus becomes the place where a message carried privately by Tiuri is brought before the political community it concerns.

Departure and Afterimage

The morning after their time in the capital, Tiuri and Piak take leave of the king and the acquaintances they have made there. They ride toward the rising sun beneath a sky colored purple, pink, red, and gold, but their attention repeatedly turns back to the city. They continue looking until it disappears from view; only then do they urge their horses to greater speed. The delay makes departure an event in its own right: leaving is measured by how long the city remains visible behind them.

Piak says that he wants to be home soon, and Tiuri shares the feeling. Even as they ride faster, longing for what they regard as the world’s most beautiful city sometimes returns. Their departure therefore does not erase the impression made by the capital. Unauwen Capital has served as the destination of the mission and the setting for its public consequence, but it also remains in memory as a place the travelers are reluctant to lose from sight.