Natalie POV

"You're gonna be late!" Bliss called out from the door.

"Yeah yeah I know! Don't need another reminder." I grumbled. I grabbed my bow and quiver of arrows, slipped on my identification tag and darted past Bliss and out of the door.

"Be careful!" she called out

"You know I won't!" I waved as I ran down the roads of the capitol. It was Thursday 9:58 am. I work at the castle as an archer guard every morning from 10 am till 6 pm everyday. However I'm on the other side of town! It'd usually take me 5 minutes just to get there! If I'm late I'll have to pay a fine and I don't have enough money to waste. I only get payed 4 silver coins an hour, not much. The fine is about 15 gold coins. And a single gold is equal to 50 silver coins! I may be terrible at math but even I know that's a lot of money. So I took every short cut possible. Cutting through alleys and dodging carts. The clock tower struck ten just as I arrived at the gate. I was completely out of breath.

"Well good, you're here. Thought you'd be late." Kai said, a higher ranking guard at the front gates.

I deepened my voice to my male counterpart and spoke,"I'll be late when Hell freezes over." I panted.

"Of course it will. You always find a way to beat the clock. Now you know protocol, identification please." he held out his hand as I drew my necklace from the tunic of my uniform. Every ID was different, each a chain with name, birth date, and occupation on it as well. Everyone who worked in the castle had it, you weren't allowed through ghe gates with out it. They moved their spears and let me pass.

I made my way to the armory and grabbed a few extra arrows, then made my way up to my post.

"Hey look at that! Pretty boy is here on time." one of the soliders jeered.

"Are you sure you ain't a lass?" another bellowed and then howled a laugh.

This happened everyday. I played the roll of a man while I wasn't. Some teased for my girlish looks, however I only played off and ignored them.

"You're late Nathaiel." said a dull voice. I looked over to see the commander. Standing tall, arms crossed, and thick, red, curly hair pulled back that contrasted greatly from the white and blue uniforms we wore. And then what I could only imagine of what must've been bread stuck in his beard. He wasn't the friendliest in the morning however his mood did improve throughout the day. That is if I didn't piss him off one way or another.

"Wha- no! I got here before the bell rang!" I protested. He grunted as a response.

"That may be true, but you were late to your post." he said stone faced.

"But I-"

"No buts! Now twenty laps around castle grounds."

"Twenty!?" I gawked.

"Would you like forty?"

"Twenty's good-" I rushed and then bolted down the steps from the tower wall down to the armory. I put my bow on the rack and strung up my sack of arrows too. I kept my belt knife but that was about it. I walked up to the gate mopily.

"Alright Kai open the gate."

"What's wrong? Leaving already?" he smirked.

"Ask his high finery Commander Ruckus...."

"How many laps this time?" Cody, the other guard, asked with a smirk plastered on his face.

"Twenty." I grumbled as the grins they once wore were long gone.

"Twenty!" Cody exclaimed "I swear by Fina's petal he's trying to run you sick!"

"He'll either pass out or throw up halfway through-" Kai rambled to Cody.

"Keep in mind I got off easy today."

"Probably. His mood was fowl." Cody continued. "How many was it before."

"Forty...."

"Yeesh good luck kiddo." he said as he moved his spear.

"QUIT STANDING THERE CADET AND GET TO RUNNING!" the commander screamed.

"That's my que." I groaned as the gates were unlocked.

"Good luck." they said.

"Thanks... I'm gonna need it-"

"NOWWWWW!" he screamed.

I started a steady jog around the castle grounds. But right around my thirteenth lap I felt bile rise in my throat and I stopped for only a moment then continued. My breathing was raspy and my legs felt like lead. I pushed myself until I eventually fell to my knees and vomited greatly into a near by bush. I must've been by the front wall because I heard the commander yell.

"Hey you alright down there cadet?"

I rose to my knees and gave a slight nod.

"How many did you run already?"

"Eighteen!" I lied.

"Come on back you did enough. Break time anyway for ya." then he left the side.

"Yup... Definitely break time... His moods improved." I huffed then turned back around to the gates in a sluggish walk.

"Wow you look terrible." Kai chimed.

"Really... Haven't noticed? Now lemme in."

"Protocol-"

"Screw protocol! I just ran thirteen laps for half my shift. Lemme in!"

"Well it's Nathaniel alright." they moved their spears and I walked to the mess hall and grabbed a quick piece of bread.

I walked to the court yard and climbed a quick oak tree. Memories flooded back to childhood, how I used to climb the oak tree with Finn in the center of our village. Its so odd to believe that that was nine years ago. I finished my food and brought out a small chisel and started carving an arrow head for another arrow. Piece by piece chipped away and I brushed them away the stone. I looked at the clock tower, it was just noon.

"Where is he?" I asked myself. "I thought you'd be here by now."

The servants were abuzz today. All talking about how there is another lord supposed to visit the castle to discuss something about a new trading route.

"Hey you!" a voice called. I pointed to myself questioning if it was me that was being addressed. They nodded. "Yes you in the tree. Get down." I reluctantly jumped down. And put a fist over my heart and knelt. Bowing to a man of great power.

"Hello my Prince."

He gave a slight nod, "Natalie."