Bryar University of Magic was nothing short of grand. From decorative stone arches and columns to intricate stained-glass windows to lush gardens that bloomed year-round, everything displayed the prestige and superiority of the third best school in the kingdom. However, Niko spent most of her time in the study hall. She wouldn’t pass her midterms by looking at flowers.

She was there today, too, at her usual table in the back. Usually, she went fairly undisturbed, but this time she was interrupted by a voice calling out her name.

“Nikoletta Kalmar?”

Frowning, she looked up from her notes. The speaker was a fellow student, one of those who earned a bit of extra money by delivering messages and running errands. With a sigh, Niko stood and approached the messenger. “Well? What do you want?”

“Your presence is requested at the headmaster’s office,” he replied in a low voice. “There’s someone here to see you.”

A visitor? She hadn’t been expecting anyone. “Who is it?”

“Queen Elaryse.”

Niko laughed, earning her several glares from the hall’s other occupants. The messenger gave her a blank look.

“Oh, you’re serious,” she said, her smile falling. “So you--I’m--oh. Damn.”

“Yeah. Damn. Come on, you don’t want to keep her waiting.” He took off down the hall at a brisk pace, and she scurried after him, combing through her messy black curls with her fingers in a futile attempt to tame them.

He left her outside the heavy wooden doors to the headmaster’s office. Taking a deep breath, Niko raised her hand and knocked.

The headmaster opened the door, and in place of his usual stern expression was a polite smile. “Miss Kalmar! Come in.”

Niko stepped past him, and sure enough, Queen Elaryse, the supreme ruler of Rhodais, sat in one of the uncomfortable chairs, her hands folded serenely in her lap.

After a long moment, Niko remembered to bow. “Your Majesty.”

“That will be all, Clarence,” the queen declared with a dismissive wave. A moment later, the door clicked shut.

Niko raised her eyebrows. “Did you just kick the headmaster out of his own office?”

“I did,” Queen Elaryse said calmly. “What we will be discussing is highly confidential. Here, have a seat.”

Niko didn’t feel like sitting, but it hadn’t really been phrased as a question, so she slid into the other chair.

“I have a proposition for you,” the queen continued. “Do you accept?”

Niko blinked. “Um...accept what?”

“I’m afraid I can’t tell you what you’d be doing. Like I said, it’s confidential. But I can tell you that you will be paid substantially,” the queen assured her.

Niko stared at her. How the hell was she supposed to accept an offer when she didn’t know what it was? But she was living off a student’s salary right now, and the money would be nice. Besides, any sort of job that the queen could offer her was certainly better than whatever she was doing now.

She would be a fool to turn down royalty.

“Alright,” Niko said slowly. “I accept your proposition.”

Queen Elaryse smiled. “Excellent. You’ve made the right decision.”

“So what am I doing?” Niko demanded.

The queen stood and opened up a drawer in the headmaster’s desk. Inside was a collection of carefully labeled folders, and she spoke while she flipped through them. “Rhodais is...not as peaceful as you may think. Things are stirring among the royal court, and there are rumors of rebellion throughout the kingdom. My children, Prince Orion and Princess Gwynnoven, are the only heirs to the throne; as such, I believe they may be a prime target for any future insurgents, so I formed a guard to protect them. I call it the Blade Corps. I’ve kept its existence a secret, because to reveal the need for protection would show weakness that we cannot afford right now.”

“And you want me to join this...Blade Corps,” Niko guessed. “Why me?”

The queen selected a folder from the drawer and tossed it onto the desk. Niko leaned forward and glanced at the label. Kalmar, Nikoletta. Her student records. The queen flipped it open and pointed to one of the documents. “You’re a top student in magical arts and particularly excel in studies of combat magic. You were accepted into the first and second best schools, but you chose Bryar because it was more affordable. This year, you were the winner of Bryar’s annual tournament, making you one of the best young magicians in the country.”

Niko shrugged. “Well, yeah, I guess you could say that.”

The queen reached into her pocket and handed her a small scroll. “The specifics of your assignment are detailed here, but in short, you’re being stationed as the prince’s royal secretary. This will allow you to keep an eye on my son without raising suspicion.”

Breaking the wax seal, Niko unfurled the scroll and scanned over it. “And the prince knows about all this?”

“No,” the queen answered, looking almost guilty. “I believe that it’s safer for my children if they remain unaware of this arrangement. The fewer who know, the better.”

Niko ran her finger over the insignia at the bottom of the page. It was an eagle in flight, like the royal crest, but gripped in the bird’s talons was a sword.

Queen Elaryse held up a silver chain on which dangled a pendant with the same design. “Will you pledge your life to this cause, and swear to protect the royal family at all costs?”

For a while, Niko was silent. This was all happening so fast, and yet...she felt oddly calm. Elaryse was a good queen. She’d always known that. If there was any ruler she was willing to serve, it was her.

“I will,” she said, and Queen Elaryse slipped the chain over Niko’s head.

“Welcome to the Blade Corps, Nikoletta.”