In the hallway, Astra was hit with a sudden wave of exhaustion and subconsciously let out a long sigh.

“Are you alright?” Aleron asked her, concerned, but she waved him away.

“I’m tired, but I’m fine. Where are we going now?”

The knight offered her his arm, which she took, and he began to lead her down the corridor. “We’ll save the tour for another time,” he decided, “as I am also rather tired. I’ll take you to the barracks where the soldiers are housed for now. You can use a spare room there until we can move you somewhere more comfortable.”

Perhaps she was more tired than she’d claimed, because Astra merely nodded and said nothing as Aleron gently led her through the winding corridors. Were she a little more alert, she would probably have tried to take note of the palace layout – she had a bad sense of direction, and in this gigantic building it would be easy to get lost.

Everywhere she looked, there was luxury and lavishness and a general sense of opulence that she frankly didn't like very much. Even the candlesticks were gilded in gold; were all fantasy castles like this? She idly thought that Ateole must have a lot of money indeed if they could afford such extravagance. 

 The hallways soon widened, and rather than being lavishly furnished, the walls here were lined with weapon racks and decorative shields, drawing a little more of her interest. Aleron began to explain the inner workings of the palace guard as they made their way through a few armour displays.

“You already know that I am the Captain of the Castle Guard,” he began, and Astra nodded to show him she was listening. “The soldiers in the palace are divided into three tiers, and the Castle Guard is at the bottom. We are in charge of patrolling the castle walls and ensuring the general safety of the city and its people.”

The noirette piped up with a question as she recalled the knights in purple who had been at the palace entrance. “Do you all have different uniforms?”

“That’s correct. The second tier of soldiers are the Crown Prince’s personal men, the Raven Knights. Sir Azela, whom you saw in the study, is their Captain.”

At least she now had a name to match the taciturn face of the silent guard. “And the third?”

“The third tier are his majesty’s personal soldiers. They are a small group of elites, who wear golden armour. They are known simply as the King’s Guard, and their Captain is Sir Orphys.”

So she was right about Ateole's wealth, then, if they could afford to clad their elite knights in gold of all things. at the mention of their Commander, another imposing face popped up in her mind, and she asked, “Was he the man standing behind the king in the audience hall?”

“Yes.”

“He wasn’t wearing gold, though?”

Aleron chuckled as he patted the hand that rested on his arm. “The King's Guard only wear their armour when on official deployment. When Sir Orphys is acting as his majesty’s personal guard, he does not wear his armour so as to have free range of movement.”

“I see…” Astra fell silent again, thinking about palace hierarchies. 

For someone who loved reading fantasy-fiction, it wasn't too hard to follow, and it seemed to be a relatively easy-to-grasp system. The king had his guard, the crown prince had his, and for the people, the Castle Guard which Aleron was in charge of. Simple, yet efficient. She had to applaud their prudence.

Astra pursed her lips, sorting through her thoughts, before she looked back up again to find Aleron watching her out of the corner of his eye. Seeing it as an invitation to voice her thoughts, she said aloud, “The Crown Prince, he struck me as quite – ”

“Aleron, darling!”

A new voice interrupted them, and both Aleron and Astra turned their heads to see a young woman standing at the end of the corridor, her hands clasped to her chest.

There was joy on her face, joy and delight and perhaps even a few tears.

Aleron’s eyes widened. “Syrrah?”

In a whirl of pale gold curls and pink skirts, the young woman came rushing towards him as she threw herself into his arms, forcing Aleron to release Astra to catch her. “Oh, thank goodness you’ve returned safely!” she cried, hugging him tightly as she buried her face in his shoulder.

Syrrah looked exactly the same as he remembered, her long golden hair twisted up into her favourite hairpin, blue-green eyes wide, her thin lips curled into a smile. “Have you been well?” Aleron asked as he gently held her waist in his hands. 

“Never mind me, what of you?” ever the worrier, Syrrah pulled back to cup his face in her hands, inspecting him for any sign of injury. “You’ve been gone for so long… I was so worried! I missed you so!” her touch demanding, she turned him by the shoulder to check the rest of him over until she was satisfied and let him face her once more as she stretched up for a kiss. 

Aleron, never one for public displays of affection and very aware of the discomfort on Astra’s face at this sudden turn of events, gently forestalled her, holding her by the forearms. “It’s wonderful to see you, Syrrah. I missed you, as well.” When she pouted slightly at the rejection, he changed the subject, turning her to face Astra. “Astra, this is Duchess Syrrah Belliaros.”

Though she looked confused, Astra was quick to offer a bow. “I am Astraea Luan,” she said uncertainly.

“Syrrah is my fiancée.”

There was a second or two of silence, and then:

“I’m sorry, your what?”

Inwardly, Aleron winced at the sudden hardening of her tone. He probably should have told Astra of Syrrah’s existence long before now, but with everything that had happened, it had completely slipped his mind. “We were betrothed as children,” he explained, holding Syrrah’s hand and patting it lightly. “I realize this may come as a shock. I apologize for neglecting to tell you sooner.”

Astra’s expression was a study, equal parts confused, shocked, and perhaps even angry. He regretted keeping it a secret from her, as he admitted to himself that perhaps there had been too many things he'd withheld from her before making this trip.

 “That… I…” Looking down at her feet, Astra shook herself, a smile coming back to her face almost instantly. “I see. I’m sorry if I’m acting strange, I’m just surprised.”

“Is she the one you wrote of in your letters?” Still sticking close to Aleron, Syrrah extended a hand to the other girl. “I am Syrrah Belliaros, of the Belliaros Duchy. Thank you so much for looking after my betrothed, Miss Astraea.” 

Letters?

Astra’s brow furrowed a bit further – since when had Aleron been sending his fiancée letters? However, with Syrrah looking at her expectantly, she was quick to respond, gently grasping the other girl’s fingers with her own. “Likewise, milady.” When Syrrah’s smile faltered slightly, Astra hesitated, sensing something was wrong. “Is something wrong, Lady Syrrah?” 

Extricating her fingers from Astra’s grip, and giving Aleron an uncertain look, Syrrah extended her hand once more, this time her fingers slightly flexed; emphasizing the fact that both times she had extended her hand, it had been with her palm facing down. 

Aleron was a little surprised. He hadn’t remembered Syrrah being such a stickler for protocol, especially with other women, but then he recalled that he hadn’t actually told Syrrah the truth about Astra’s origins. In Syrrah’s mind, Astra was merely a girl that Aleron had met on his travels and brought back to the palace – a commoner, in other words. It was only natural that his fiancée would choose to stand on ceremony when in doubt.   

Astra, to her credit, didn’t hesitate at the display of difference in status. As Ateolan protocol demanded, she just took the lady’s hand and brushed her lips over Syrrah’s ring - the gold band with the purple gemstone, her engagement ring. “My apologies, milady,” she said mildly. “I am not originally from this country, so I am unfamiliar with its customs.” 

“No matter,” Syrrah said gaily as she lowered her hand before turning back to Aleron with huge, pleading eyes. “You simply must tell me everything, my love. Your letters were far too short to placate me. I wish to hear of all your adventures!” 

Spotting a chance for the two to perhaps get to know each other better, Aleron made a suggestion. “Shall the three of us take a break for tea, then?” This would give Astra a chance to sit down and rest, but more than that, he hoped the two women, both of whom were important to him, could eventually become friends. 

Syrrah’s smile faded somewhat; turning away from him, she looked at Astra, and Aleron followed her gaze. 

Astra’s expression was… difficult to describe. As he looked, it changed from politely distant to something a little terse; had something upset her? Before he could ask, she spoke cheerfully. “It’s quite alright, Aleron - I think you and your fiancée could use some time alone. It’s been a long time since you’ve seen each other, right? Don’t let me get in your way.” 

“Nonsense.” Aleron refused to let Astra put herself down in this way. “You wouldn’t be getting in our way. We’d love to have your company.” 

Something in her smile changed, in that ironic way that he knew happened when she was upset. “No, that’s quite alright. I would actually like to explore the castle on my own for a bit, assuming you’re alright with it?” 

Aleron hesitated. Something was off here; Astra was acting strange, but a soft tug at his arm made him glance down at the woman at his side.

Syrrah staring at him with barely concealed sadness. He realized then that he was being insensitive, and Astra was trying to gently remind him that he had a duty to uphold to his betrothed. But still, he didn’t like the idea of her wandering around alone, especially since this was her first day. “That… I don’t know if that’s the best idea, Astra, but if you don’t mind waiting in the room over there awhile,” he pointed to a nearby door, which served as a lounge for the nobility, “I will send one of my men to escort you and show you around until I am able to do so myself.” 

“That suits me fine.” As though she couldn’t get inside any sooner, Astra was already striding for the door. “Then, I’ll see you later. Lady Syrrah, it was lovely to meet you.” 

“Likewise.” Syrrah gave her a little smile and wave, and with a last glance over her shoulder Astra slipped inside and disappeared into the lounge. 

Once she was gone, a pouting Syrrah demanded a kiss once more; with no audience to scrutinize them, Aleron obediently indulged her. “Come,” she commanded, slipping her hand into his and tugging lightly. “You must tell me everything!” 

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Author's Note:

So we made it through two chapters ~

I had worried that the story was moving too quickly for readers to understand, but it might also just be my greed to quickly get to the good part ｏ(＞＜；)○

Anyways, so far we've met the Crown Prince (who is absolutely my soft purple boi despite his status), and Syrrah, Aleron's fiancee! I thought for a long time about how Astra might react to knowing that he had one and never told her... she is from Earth, after all, where arranged marriages aren't so common, and especially not at Aleron's young age. 

Anyways, I plan to talk more about the characters and give more insight into their personalities soon ~ look forward to it! 

See you in the next chapter!