Three times a week, early in the morning, the courtyard by the barracks of the Royal Guard would become full with soldiers, ready to hone their skills for the next few hours under the supervision of their commander.

This was one of the first changes made by Valeria once she took over the position. Her predecessor wasn’t very passionate about his job, so the discipline and proficiency of the troops left a lot to be desired.

The first year of her being the Commander was difficult. Before she was able to train and command them efficiently, she had to earn their respect. It didn’t come easy, and at a certain point the troops were one step away from instigating a coup against her, but at the end of the day she was able to prove herself in front of them. Ever since, her men were willing to follow her to the ends of the world.

Valeria was walking among the soldiers, correcting their techniques and giving pointers, when one of them called out to her.

— So… Commander… We couldn’t help but notice that lately you’ve been accompanied by a lot of pretty ladies…

Valeria stopped to see where the conversation was going.

— Mhm, mhm… There’s Princess Oriana, Queen Hester, the Archon’s daughter and now there’s also the Dragon Princess — counted another guard.
— And Kyra! Don’t forget Kyra! — yelled someone from a further group.
— You idiot! Kyra is Commander’s sister. What are you even implying?! — A loud thud followed, suggesting that the guard who mentioned Valeria’s sister, was met with a painful reprimand.
— I’m not suggesting anything, you imbecile! I’m just saying she is an attractive woman!

Valeria sighed and rubbed her forehead, feeling a headache incoming. She appreciated that the men and women under her command never lacked discipline when on duty, but she wished that would continue during their training too.

— And what about it? — she asked.

Maybe, just maybe, there is actually a valid reason for this question.

— Well… We were wondering when, maybe… you know, we could be assigned to protect some pretty ladies, too. It’s not fair that only you get to be spoiled.

Mhm. There isn’t.

Valeria furrowed her eyebrows and straightened her back. A sign that whatever she was about to say was to be taken to heart.

— Listen to me carefully. Being a Royal Guard isn’t something you can treat lightly. Your job is to make sure that everyone that lives in this Palace and sits on the throne is safe at any given moment. The moment you make a pledge to the crown, you accept the fact that at some point, you will be the only thing between the people in this building and death. I am accompanying Princess Oriana and Princess Lin Xuelan because it’s my job and duty. I have no personal gains from it. It isn’t something you should seek either. Now, stop wasting time on pointless gossip and get back to your training.

The soldiers gave a unified “Yes, Commander!” and immediately went back to their mock-battles.

Valeria also resumed her inspection, but just as she was about to make another loop, she heard a familiar voice calling out to her.

— Commander, I heard that the Royal Guard had their training, and so I came here to watch. — Lin Xuelan was walking across the courtyard, making every single guard in the vicinity freeze in awe. — I hope you don’t mind?
— I don’t mind, but I don’t think it’s something that Your Imperial Majesty will find interesting. — Valeria couldn’t imagine what someone like Lin Xuelan could find interesting in a bunch of people working out and sparring for hours.

The Dragon Princess showed her one of her signature charming smiles. However, it didn’t have the effect on the Commander she was expecting, as she seemed completely unfazed by her.

The same couldn’t be said about her troops. As at least half of them were frozen with a love-struck expression, while the others were brought down to their knees.

— You could say I am something of a fencing enthusiast, so I couldn’t pass the opportunity to see the famous Commander of the Golden Palace in action. I also brought some pastries. I made sure they are all savory, since you don’t like sweets, Commander. I hope this will suit your tastes.

As soon as Xuelan finished talking, the entire courtyard became awkwardly silent.

— So… what were you saying about those personal benefits, Commander? — said someone in the crowd.
Valeria had a feeling that this is something she would hear for a while.

She couldn’t pick a worse time…

The training ended shortly before noon. During her time there, Lin Xuelan did whatever she could to get a reply from the Commander that didn’t consist of only one or two syllables. The best she could achieve was a full sentence.

This was the first time she failed at making someone talk. Normally, it was enough to smile and flutter her eyelashes to get someone smitten enough to tell her their entire life’s story. Valeria on the other hand was completely immune to Xuelan’s charms. She even hugged her arm and laughed in the sweetest way she ever did! Surely, that would be enough to move even a heart of stone?!

Just who is that woman?!

If she were to be completely honest, she didn’t care about the Commander fancying her. She wasn’t really interested in her in the first place. There was someone else, who caught Xuelan’s attention and she wasn’t the type to chase after multiple people at the same time. The only reason she was doing any of this, was to get the information her father needed.

She wanted to confirm whether or not the Commander was also the missing princess as fast as possible and go back to her own pursuits.

That’s not to say that her pride wasn’t hurt.

Xuelan slumped under the weight of her task. It seemed to be more difficult than she assumed.

One way or another I’ll find out the truth. You can’t be on your guard all the time.