I'm jerked awake by a rough knocking on the carriage door.

I turn my attention to the door, and if it weren't for Eric's memories immediately informing me of who the man staring at me is, I think I would be having a heart attack right about now.

"Hello, Sir Theodore."

As we make eye contact, I definitely catch a glimpse of his iris briefly shifting colors, away from his natural steely gray eyes and towards some strange shade of purple. It's gone as quickly as it came, but at least I'm certain that I didn't imagine it, this time.

The captain of the guard nods to me. "Your Highness - may I open the door?"

"Uh, yeah - sure." I'm a bit confused as to why he's asking if he can open the door - there's a window looking right through, it's not like he's prioritizing my privacy or anything.

"Your Highness…are you certain you wish to keep Dame Alex as your knight escort?"

I cock an eyebrow at him. "Why do you ask?"

"Wouldn't you rather have a more capable knight guarding you?"

I want to tell him to go fuck himself, but that would completely and totally blow my identity. So, I need to come up with a convincing enough lie.

"And take a capable knight away from guarding the Royal Family? Never."

Even though I'm the one that said it, I can't help but be surprised. It seems as though I've inherited more than just memories from Eric - he might have had a bit of a silver tongue, as well. At least, maybe in his prime, he did.

Sir Theodore nods, and for a brief second his iris flashes purple again - but just a tiny bit more vibrant. Still not sure what the fuck is going on there - maybe it has something to do with this world?

"Dame Alex! Report!"

"Yes, Sir!"

I lean over to look out of the door, and my heart skips a beat.

Dame Alex, the first and only woman to be knighted in Beruzia, meets my eyes, and I can't help but stare.

The first thing I notice is her eyes. They're a piercing blue, and they stand in stark contrast to her dark complexion.

Her face is both rounded and rugged - she has a delicately sloping jawline and thin lips that are distinctly feminine, and yet her stout nose and high cheekbones give her eyes a blazing ferocity.

She wears her brown hair in a short pixie cut, and my God does she wear it well.

Speaking of wearing it well, she looks far more natural in her Knight's uniform than Sir Theodore does. The contrasting black and blue stripes on the fabric, and the black hems and collar, compliment her skin tone perfectly.

Not only do the colors look better on her, the fabric does too. On Sir Theodore, the fabric is pulled taught around his pecs, and is frayed in places where his movements stress the seams.

Dame Alex's uniform leaves her room to breathe, while also accentuating her muscular build. Her arms and legs are about as thick as my neck, and her broad shoulders give her an imposing air.

As I take in her remarkable appearance, I notice that her eyes flash a brilliant purple as we make eye contact. I wonder…does this have something to do with the boon I got from Jane? But why is it so unclear?

I continue to watch as she marches over to the carriage. She's carrying her own steamer trunk with one hand, as if it weighs nothing. The scabbard at her hip sways in time with her perfectly synchronous lockstep.

"You are to keep His Highness safe at all times, and act as his escort. You are to regularly send reports on his behavior and progress, once every Sunday. And under no circumstances should you allow him near any kind of drugs or alcohol. This is what has been assigned to you. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Now, kneel and pledge your loyalty to His Highness."

She seems to hesitate for a moment, before turning to face me and going to one knee. I awkwardly leave the carriage to stand in front of her, which seems to surprise both her and Sir Theodore.

"Uh…I've never been pledged to before. What do I…?"

Sir Theodore doesn't say anything, and Dame Alex takes up the lead.

"Your Highness. I pledge to serve you until the day I die, under the light of the sun of King and the moon the Queen."

I flinch. That seems a bit…excessive.

Since it seems as though they're waiting for my response, I try my best to think of what I should say. But neither Eric's memories nor my own hold anything that could be of any use here.

So, I end up saying probably the worst thing I could say.

"Uh…cool. Looking forward to it. Uh, I mean, not the dying part, but like…working with you."

Dame Alex squints in confusion, and Sir Theodore shakes his head. After a moment of incredibly awkward silence, she clears her throat.

"Your Highness…may I rise?"

"Huh? Uh, yeah - sure. And uh…might as well get in, and stuff. Since, you know. We've got to go…and…stuff." Another awkward silence descends, so I clear my throat and clamber into the carriage, clumsily sitting down and trying to disappear into the upholstery.

"Uh…yes, Your Highness." She follows after me, far more effortlessly. She gestures with her trunk to the seat I'm in, and I quickly get up and move to the other side of the carriage so she can stow away her luggage.

"You can just…sit there. It's fine." I sit down in the seat above my own trunk, my heart pounding. I don't think I've ever felt more awkward and out of place in my life.

"Have a safe trip, Your Highness." Sir Theodore closes the door, and after audible another flick of the lead, the carriage smoothly surges into motion. He almost seems to be relieved to escape this social interaction.

I stare out the window, too nervous to say anything to Dame Alex. Honestly, all I want to do is gush over how amazing she is, but that would be a bit inappropriate.

"Your Highness?"

I'm stunned when she breaks the silence. "Hm?" I'm also equally stunned that I've gotten so used to being called Your Highness. I guess that's part of Eric's memories.

"I would like to sincerely thank you for allowing me to have this opportunity. Everyone expected you to request a replacement, which is why I was chosen as your escort in the first place."

That renders me speechless - so, what, it was some kind of power play? I guess men in power enjoy putting down women no matter where you go.

"There is only one request I would like to make, Your Highness."

"What's that?"

"Since we will be seeing each other on a regular basis, I would only ask that you not make your disgust with my appearance readily apparent."

Her words make my heart skip a beat.

"Why would I be disgusted by your appearance?"

She frowns at me, and her eyes briefly flash a less lustrous shade of purple - it's almost as though the color has dimmed. "Because, Your Highness…I look nothing like the beautiful noble women of high society. No man would ever find me attractive."

"Okay, hold up - your self worth shouldn't be defined by whether or not a guy wants to fuck you."

"Y-Your Highness!"

I continue, ignoring her shock. "Do me a favor - roll up your sleeves." She hesitates for a moment, but does just that, exposing her bulging biceps. "Okay, you see that? That's a result of your hard work and dedication - and THAT is beautiful. So what if you don't look like some prissy bitch that drinks fuckin' leaf water and crushes her torso with a corset? Your body is your own, and you should be proud of yourself and your appearance. Don't let unobtainable and unrealistic standards define your goals."

She stares at me, slack-jawed. It's not long before she regains her composure.

"Your Highness…I apologize. I assumed you were trying to put me down by having me list the reasons I have been told that I am hideous."

I feel a pang of sympathy in my chest. "You don't need to apologize! In fact, I'm sorry - I didn't realize that my question would come off that way. I'll do better in the future."

She nods, and yet again, her eyes flash purple - but this time, closer to the vibrant color I saw earlier. "Thank you, Your Highness. I'm relieved that you have a sense of honor, unlike what the rumors would have one believe."

I can't help but cringe a bit at that, as the rumors technically weren't wrong. Despite the anxiety of having to deal with these rumors in the future, I simply can't suppress my curiosity.

"So, uh…what kinds of rumors are there about me?"

"There's the obvious, pertaining to drugs. But there are also rumors about you being generally rude, unapproachable, and disrespectful." I nod, and she continues.

"The royal family has taken strides to ensure that rumors circulating outside of the palace omit these details. The rumors among high society insist that you are sickly, and only recently recovered. But you must be wary - there are some among the nobility that have first-hand accounts of your alleged behavior."

"Alright…well, I don't remember a lot of the past few years, so it'll be hard to figure out who knows…"

We both share a brief sigh. This is going to be rough.

"You should rest, Your Highness. We have quite a ways to go. I will wake you when we arrive."

I nod, and shimmy into the corner of my seat so I can rest my head against the wall. "Okay - thank you."

I close my eyes as I get comfortable. I begin to clear my mind, and slowly drift to sleep.