“What’s this?” Narine asked, wide-eyed as I tossed the pouch of one hundred jade coins into her open palm. I’d gone first thing this morning to the castle merchant and he’d had a bag of coins all ready for me.
“That is your sister’s wedding payment, and you have the rest of the day off to go deal with your affairs,” I told her, unable to keep the grin off my face.
“How!?” she shrieked, laughing as she opened the bag to peer inside. Tears rolled down her cheeks and she looked up at me.
“I got a job. That’s my first moon’s advance,” I stated.
She shook her head, trying to hand me back the bag. “No, I can’t. It’s too generous. You have your own sister’s wedding to pay for one day.”
I chuckled. “Weddings in Cinder Village cost ten jade coins, and everyone brings a dish of food to share. Trust me, I can afford this.”
She chewed at her lip, shaking her head in amazement. “I… I don’t know what to say. What job did you get? Here in Jade City?”
“I’ve been asked to join the king’s Royal Guard. I start my first practice in an hour, after I pledge loyalty to the king.”
Narine’s brown eyebrows hit her hairline. “The king asked you to join his Royal Guard after all that?”
“I know. Crazy, right?”
She nodded. “I’ll say. Did you hear the news that he’s marrying Joslyn?”
I inclined my head, trying to keep the emotion out of my face.
“I heard he’s desperate for an heir but no one knows why. He grieved over Queen Amelia so hard, no one thought he would remarry so soon, but…” her voice trailed off.
I knew why. But it was my secret with King Valdren. Drae, now that we were on a first-name basis. I respected him enough to keep it private. If people knew that their magic and very livelihood was tied up in him having an heir, it would create a panic across the realm.
“He must have been really taken with Joslyn,” I said.
Narine nodded, and wished me a good day before leaving with her coins.
I left my quarters and made my way outside to the training grounds with pep in my step. I was wearing my mother’s leather armor and I was ready to be a Royal Guard badass like Regina.
I made my way quickly to the great hall, where Regina had asked me to meet her and the king for my loyalty swearing. When I got there, she was waiting outside the door with her hands clasped behind her back.
“Ready?” she asked.
I nodded. I had no idea what this little adventure would involve, but I was prepared to pledge my allegiance to the king and be knighted or whatever into his army.
She opened the large double doors and I glanced up, my breath catching in my throat. Nearly the entire army was here. And it looked like some highborn families too. The Royal Guard stood in perfect rows, facing the aisle that I was now walking up with Regina beside me. I wanted to shrink into myself and die. I hadn’t expected this kind of a crowd. It seemed like a way bigger deal than I had expected. When we reached the front, I gave polite smiles to the highborn families, confused as to why everyone was here for a simple oath of loyalty.
When I reached the raised dais, I looked up at the king, who sat in his high-backed throne. The throne was made of black metal to mimic dragon scales; the design resembled flames that grew up the back and fanned out behind him. He watched me with yellow eyes as I approached him.
Regina bowed her head as we stood before him, so I did the same, my heart hammering in my throat.
What if he lied? What if he was never going to let me be in his guard and he was about to cut my head off?
There was a scraping of metal as he stood up from the throne and approached me. “Much of our history has been hidden by our forefathers, but many of you know that there were once two dragon clans,” the king’s voice bellowed, echoing throughout the hall. “When testing Lady Arwen for magic, we discovered she is a lost member of the Eclipse Dragon clan.”
Gasps and murmurs rang out behind me and I froze, unprepared for his revelation. I hadn’t thought he was going to tell people about me… I suddenly felt naked with my secret displayed for all to hear, but also realized he hadn’t called me a lost queen, he was keeping that to himself.
“She will be a great asset to my army, and I am honored to have her public pledge of loyalty,” he declared.
This felt like a big deal, like a way bigger deal than I had prepared myself for. I was totally going to faint.
“Kneel,” Regina told me in a soft whisper.
I dropped to both knees, head still bowed, and the king descended four steps to the bottom level and approached me.
“Face your king,” Regina said, and I looked up into King Valdren’s endless green eyes. I couldn’t decide which color I liked best, the green or yellow. He was changing them so often with his emotions, I wondered if he even noticed.
“Lady Arwen Novakson of Cinder Mountain.” Lady was a highborn designation. By calling me that, he was telling everyone I had highborn status with a single word.
“Yes, my king?” I gazed into his eyes as he watched me closely. When he looked at me, it was as if he was reading me like a book.
“Do you swear loyalty to me as your king and ruler, for as long as you shall live? To protect me and my family over your very own life?”
“I do,” I said, projecting my voice for all to hear.
The crowd erupted into applause. I went to stand, then the king held out his hands, indicating everyone to quiet.
I stayed where I was.
“And do you swear to never harm me with your magic?” he added.
Hurt rose up inside of me as my throat tightened with emotion. I could tell from the look on Regina’s face that he didn’t ask everyone that, and the fact that he still didn’t fully trust me stung like salt on a wound.
“I do, my king,” I all but growled.
His face relaxed, and the crowd again broke into applause, but I stayed where I kneeled.
“May I rise now? Or would you like to ask me anything else?” I said to him. The people gathered were clapping so loudly that only Regina and the king probably heard me.
He gave me a smirk. “You may rise, my lady.”
I stood, brushing off my knees. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a breast plate fitted with the Royal Guard insignia. The background was black with a gold dragon emblem. The only thing missing was the red that designated a Drayken elite guard, but I planned to move my way up through the ranks over the years and get that too.
“Welcome to the Royal Guard, Arwen.” He handed me the plate, and I couldn’t help the foolish grin that graced my face.
“Good luck with practice,” he told me, and then turned and left the room.
Okay, that was a slightly weird and overdone event for a mere five minutes. The people present didn’t seem to mind that the king had left them, because they all continued to chat among themselves, and the Royal Guard rushed forward to congratulate me.
I smiled and thanked them. Regina leaned into my shoulder to whisper in my ear: “I know you haven’t had an easy time here, and I’m about to become your commanding officer, so I can’t show special treatment.” I nodded and her lips peeled back into a huge smile. “But as a woman, I have to say, I’m damned proud to have you in the guard. It’s a pleasure, Arwen.”
My heart felt light and fluttery. I’d been obsessed with stories of Regina Wayfeather since I was a wee babe. I would pass the tavern and hear the men talk about her and all of the amazing battles she fought in.
“The pleasure is mine, Regina.”
Her face then fell into a cool mask of calm. “You can call me Commander now.”
“Yes, Commander.” I guess that thirty seconds of bonding was all we were going to get. She looked like she was about to put me through Hades.
“Calston!” Regina called someone away from a group of other warriors that he’d been talking to.
A tall man a few winters older than me with broad shoulders and sandy-blond hair approached us. He wore his hair in the same style as the king, the sides shaved and a long braid down the back. The designation of a warrior of high ranking.
He stood at stiff attention before Regina. “Yes, Commander?”
“Can you show Lady Arwen to the armory, and then bring her to the pup training field? I need to get down there.”
Pup training field? That was what they called us?
He nodded to her and she left.
He then turned and faced me. “Lady Arwen.” He bowed.
It was weird to be bowed to and to be called a lady, but I guessed it was protocol now that the king had outed me as a highborn.
“Er, Calston?” I curtsied and he grinned, causing me to be taken aback by his handsomeness. There was a deep dimple in his right cheek.
“You don’t curtsy to me, I’m not a highborn,” he told me. “And now that you are in the king’s Royal Guard, you only have to bow your head to him briefly.”
I swallowed hard, my cheeks reddening. “Noted. I’m not really a highborn either. I mean, I guess by blood, but I grew up in Cinder Village.”
He smiled easily at me, flashing bright white straight teeth. “I’m from a tiny village outside Grim Hollow, and my friends call me Cal.”
“Cal.” I nodded.
He reached out and touched the small of my back, leading me away from the busy crowd and to a side door. After opening the door for me and waiting until I walked through it first, he met me in the silent hallway.
“Be honest,” he asked me as we walked down the corridor and past the library. “How awkward was that for you back there at the ceremony in front of everyone?”
I laughed, instantly liking his realness. “So awkward. Regina didn’t warn me that there would be that many people.”
“She likes to see the new pups squirm.”
“How long will I be called a pup?” I grumbled.
He chuckled. “Until you’ve seen your first battle.”
I puffed my chest up. “I’ve killed a Nightfall warrior while riding on the dragon king’s back.”
He gave me a side look that indicated he was impressed.
“I heard. Wait until you’ve killed a dozen of the enemy in the span of a few minutes. Then we will no longer call you a pup.”
A dozen? The thought made me sick, but I was a member of the Royal Guard now so I’d have to get used to it.
Kill or be killed.
I nodded and he opened a door at the end of the hall, stepping outside. We crossed the courtyard to another building and then stood before two giant iron doors.
“Thad!” Cal pounded on the door and it opened, revealing a short man with a giant belly who was holding five wooden swords.
“Training swords?” Thad asked.
Cal nodded, plucking one of them off of the pile and handing it to me, then taking the others to bring them to the training field.
It was heavier than I expected but not as heavy as the king’s blade. I didn’t want a little weak training sword, especially not after the king said I needed a proper sword and bow and arrow, but I kept my mouth shut.
“Have there ever been any other women in the Royal Guard?” I asked as we walked across the green rolling lawn.
Cal gave me a serious look. “No, lady. Just you and Regina.”
I hoped that wouldn’t be a thing… I wanted to be accepted like any of the rest of them. I was a good hunter, and I was sure I’d make a great fighter given some proper training.
“You must have great power for the king to have asked you into the Royal Guard,” Cal said, and I suddenly grew quiet, holding the sword awkwardly as we continued our trek.
“I guess,” I mumbled.
Cal stopped and faced me, which caused me to stop as well and meet his blue eyes. “The king doesn’t allow women in the Royal Guard unless they are so powerful he fears not having them close.”
I swallowed hard, because it sounded like a warning. “Is Regina powerful, then?” I tried to steer the conversation away from me.
He chuckled. “She’s got the most power out of all of us. She could burn a tall building with one breath if she desired.”
She could breathe fire that large? That was incredible.
“So Eclipse clan?” he asked, looking down at me incredulously. “I thought… I mean, how is that possible?”
I did not want to talk about that. He was sweet and he meant well, but I had to be careful here. “I have no idea.” I shrugged, spotting Regina off in the distance. I waved to her, even though she wasn’t looking at me. “Coming!” I shouted, and took off at a brisk walk.
The king had outed my Eclipse clan lineage because the men might eventually see my blue fire and wings, but they didn’t need to know any more than that.
When I made it to the training field, Regina was barking orders at a few men who stood before her.
Walking up to her, I waved giddily. “Hey, we got the training—”
“You’re late, and you’re moons behind this new rookie squadron,” she barked at me. “Take your sword and pick a partner. You’ll need three practices a day to get in fighting shape. Weak soldiers get killed, and I won’t have that on my watch.”
I gulped. All pretenses of this being a morning bonding with my new squadron were dashed. She wasn’t kidding about not showing me any special treatment.
“Yes, Commander.” I hefted my sword and stood next to some scrawny guy who looked lost.
“Up,” Regina cried, and held her sword before her, straight up to the sky. “Cross right,” she barked, and brought it down and to the right. The other men did as she did, so I quickly got into line and mimicked the motions.
“Cross left.” She brought the sword to the left.
“And down.” She slashed the sword down.
Then we did that five thousand more times. Maybe not that many, but it felt like it. My arms felt like the bones had melted and all that was left was skin and blood. As Regina called an end to practice, they quivered as I tried to hold the sword up.
“Get some food,” Regina called out to the group, but then tipped her head to me, indicating I stay behind.
I walked over to her side and she looked from me to Cal. “Come back after lunch and work with Cal. You’ll need to catch up.”
Cal had been assisting Regina for the entire class and had now apparently been made my tutor. He gave me a smile, and again I was struck by how handsome he was. Maybe not marrying the king, being independent with my own job and salary, was going to be the biggest blessing of all.
Maybe if I told myself that enough times I might even believe it was true.
