Being Captain comes with a lot of new expectations, duties and authority. Of all my new responsibilities, the one I fear the most is my highest authority. I have a weekly audience with King Alfonso. These audiences are to discuss the state of the school and the guards. Having the duty to converse with the King, make him aware of potential danger. Even give him recommendations on improvements. This is a high honour. 

A month ago, I was not allowed to speak with the King unless he addressed me first. Now I can demand to speak with the King immediately. This right to speak with the King scares me. Especially today. Each step I take through the castle makes me more anxious. How can I explain the girl I raised, broke in last night?

A young maid lets me know the King is in the great chamber. I've been there before, it's an elegant room, there have decorated wooden walls, covered in Tapestry. A stone fireplace stands by the west wall. I've been told that the fireplace is the grandest in all of the kingdom.

Outside the door, two guards and King Alfonsos' personal attendant await. They were talking quietly, but all stopped when I approached. They are not to speak on duty, but I do not mention it. After all, standing like this all day is tiring. Besides, I have had my fair share of conversations while protecting the castle.

I raise my hand to knock, but hesitate. What if he is in the middle of an important meeting? It would be wrong to disturb him. Take hold of yourself, Basin, you are the Captain. You have the right to interrupt a meeting. My stern knock echoes in the hall. The door gets swung open, and the King stands there. Guilt swallows up in me as King Alfonso sends me an angry glare.

That glare is, however, fast replaced by a smile. "Captain, perfect timing, Teival and I were just discussing the royal guards." Looking past the King into the room, there is Duke Teival indeed sitting on one of the chairs. "It be me an honour to answer any question you may have, your majesty."

"We were in the midst of discussing how we teach orphans to become royal guards, as you have been ward for multiple kids, I assume you can give a better insight into the process of picking them," King Alfonso says.

"Most certainly. All the kids are from the local orphanage. At the end of each summer, around 20 wards each pick a new student for Pupillus, usally five girls and the rest boys. It is up to them to pick someone they think has potential. They have to be around ten years of age and be moderately healthy. Do you have any specific questions, your grace?" It is no secret that the orphanage kids aren't well cared for. It has improved since I was there, but the place is and will always be a place of pain and sorrow.

“But why orphans? In Vouri, they let people volunteer for the position, it's a great honor. Many children of lords join to serve.”

“Vouri, also has a great homeless and criminal problem. Unlike here, as many orphans get trained for a job as protecting the Kingdom. And the rest have a better chance of finding an honest job,” King Alfonso replies. 

"So you are doing them a favour. How noble. My aunt, had the same noble thoughts, but the rebels still murdered her."

"I am well aware of the assassination of Queen Zellendine. I admired what she tried to do, unfortunately, she became Queen too late to do anything that could change what her predecessors had done."

Teival changes the topic. "Another thing that seems strange to me is why girls are being trained alongside boys. Aren't women too fragile to be trustworthy with such an important role as a guard?" Teival asks.

"That opinion is the reason why we also train girls. Men tend to have a low opinion of women, thereby causing them to let down their guard. Many times the girls have also achieved better than their male classmates. There also exist occasions when a woman is better suited to protection. As in some spaces, men can not be permitted to be." I explain.

"My religion does prefer men and women to be separated. So I can understand the need for female guards. But I have been told you do not separate training and they are even allowed to share sleeping rooms."

I'm not taken aback by the young duke's question. This is one there have been a lot of detest throughout time. "That is correct, the kids stay in the same room as their ward. I myself have had five children, two of them being girls. I understand it is unorthodox to have boys and girls share a room. But these kids grow up together, they are like siblings. And as they grow into adults and finish their five-year schooling, we do separate women and men into the bigger sleeping halls."

“But how do you make sure they do not do things they should not?”

“Any physical relationship between guards is prohibited and punished strongly.” But that does not equal it not happen. Over years, I heard guards talk about how hard Abstinence is. Something I never understood, I never had difficulty with it.

"What happens to the kids who do not reach the level of expectations there is to become a royal guard?" 

"When they finish the five years. There are three placement options, where they go depends on how well they do in classes. The best become royal guards. The good ones guard the streets of Mavahofn, the rest are sent to Daingneach, a fortress near our border, and from there they get spread out across different bivouacs." I explain.

"My younger brother is the Marquess and has residency at Daingneach." King Alfonso adds. "I look forward to meeting him at the wedding. We will have lots to discuss regarding the border expansion," Teival says. Confused I ask what expansion he is talking about.

King Alfonso groans. "I keep forgetting how uninformed you are. Hellvian died at a very unfortunate time. Basin, as you may be aware, the capital of Ledasgele was cursed." Teival comes with a short laugh and says "It has been ten years I think everyone knows about the cursed forest by now," He is right about that. The story of the cursed forest is spread far and wide.

"Since almost the entire royal family died with the curse. I now stand as the heir to the crown of a kingdom where more than half the land is covered in this cursed forest. That are still spreading across the land. My cousin, the crown prince of Vouri is second in line after me. Because of this, the King of Vouri has been trying to take the remaining land by force, as he believes he is entitled to it. In this seize attempt he is trying to do, he has put the people of Ledasgele into a vulnerable situation, which lawless people and even worse, the faes pray on. This is why by this wedding, I am selling my crown and kingdom to marry a princess, ensuring my title as a Duke. For the future of my children, and more importantly, the safety of the people left in Ledasgele."

So this is what it is all about. King Alfonso traded his daughter for land, a lot of land. Sounds like an amazing deal. A deal a bit too good in my ears. But it seems the Duke benefits from this. If he lacks the ability to protect his land. Making a deal with an ally who can is wise. And protection is something we are more than capable of giving. 

After asking a few more questions, Duke Teival bid us farewell. "What do you think of him, Captain?" King Alfonso asked me the moment the door was closed. 

"He seems like a polite young man," I reply. Truth be told, he was quite proper, nothing he said raised any reason for distrust. 

"That is what is expected of him, but I have my worries. He could have made a deal with The of Vouri, but for some reason he did not. And I know he must have some communication with his, as he has pointed out multiple things they do differently in that royal family. He had the audacity to tell me I employ to little a staff."

"Little? it's over 200 people, not counting the guards," I reply shocked.

"Apparently, the King of Vouri has over 1000, I do not even know what kind of work 1000 people would be able to do. We already have people just standing around. How many people does a grown man need to help you get dressed? I learn to take care of myself before I learned to read. I bet he has people wiping his ass."

My eyes widen in shock over the King's comment, that was not a sentence I expected from him. But a thing often forgotten is that even though Alfonso was born as the Crown Prince, he was not raised as one.

"On top of that, he keeps questioning our ability to protect the people of Ledasgele. I am glad you came to help me put his mind at ease..." The King stops as if he realised I wasn't supposed to be here. "What was it you came for, Captain?"

I had gotten so caught up in being able to help the King, I had forgotten why I was here in the first place. "Something happened last night. There was a break-in at Pupillus." 

King Alfonso's eyes widened, and then he started rapidly blinking as if trying to process what he just heard. "Who in their right mind would break into Pupillus?" He asked, flabbergasted.

"The intruder was a former guard, she where looking for the files about her past," The King interrupted me to yell, "Her! The intruder was a woman." 

I do feel a jolt of anger over his reaction, the female guards are as capable as the male ones. But I stay quiet, it be stupid to argue with the King over such a comment. Because even though King Alfonso knows how well-trained our guards are, it doesn't change how women are seen as the weaker gender.

"This intruder, I assume she is locked up."

"Unfortunately, no, she escaped using some kind of spell," I explain.

"A spell, how can a former guard cast a spell-?" His shock over this doesn't surprise me. After all, guards don't get taught magic. I too was shocked when she disappeared, only her clothes were left behind

"Do you know who this person is?" He questioned.

No, that is what I want to say. I want to pretend the deserter who broke in wasn't the girl I raised, but I can not say that. "Unfortunately, I do. It was my former foundling, Lorelei. The guards have been informed to be on the lookout for her." I feel nervous, as it's my fault this has happened, and the King will blame me. 

But then he speaks, "She properly already left town.-" He takes a deep breath, sounding tired as he continues, "Let the guards know not to spend time looking for her. After all, we have a wedding in a few days, they need to be on guard for that."