The armor sat comfortably on his frame, and though it bore no insignia of significance, it marked him well enough as just another guard. That was the intention. Asher was the name he had given. Nondescript. Unmemorable. Asher Regess was just a man watching the gate to the inner walls. But Nox Drayven was watching everything.

The morning had passed without alarm, but it seemed something had finally disturbed the peace. He noticed the shift almost before it occurred -- the rigid posture of passing soldiers, the sudden flurry of motion where there had once been routine. The castle's energy had changed. The guards moved faster, spoke in clipped tones, avoided lingering.

He waited for confirmation. A soldier passed too quickly. Nox reached out, stopping him with a gloved hand. “What happened?” he asked.

The man, catching his breath, responded with the kind of fatigue that came from more than just running. “There was an incident at the archery range. Two of our men are down. One might survive, but the other is... uncertain. It wasn’t a training accident. It was an attack.”

Nox’s jaw tightened, but he said nothing. The soldier went on.

“There were two assailants, both in uniform. They turned on the princess. Fired arrows, then charged with blades. Sloppy work, honestly, but it was close.”

The soldier gave a frustrated shake of his head. “She didn’t scream or even try to run. She just stood there and ordered the bodies to be dissected. She frightens me sometimes. Not sure if she’s cold or just not right in the head.”

Without waiting for a reply, the man continued on his way. Nox remained still, but his thoughts coiled inward, precise and analytical. Two men had gotten close enough to the princess to fire arrows and draw blades. In disguise. Within the castle perimeter. Intentional.

It could have been Lord Andreus.

Nox’s master had sent him here for one purpose: infiltrate the palace guard and get close to the princess. His long-term objective was simple: when the order came, he was to kill her. But to do so cleanly, without suspicion, required access, trust, and patience.

Andreus was not above creating chaos to serve his ends. If today’s attack was his doing, it was a calculated push, probably to convince the king that his daughter’s current guard could not be trusted. To force the court to replace them quickly, perhaps with new faces already handpicked. Like Asher. But Nox found himself questioning the attack’s sloppiness. Missed arrows? Rushed timing? If Andreus had orchestrated it, he would not have tolerated failure.

There was another possibility. Someone else wanted her dead. If that was true, it meant Nox had competition.

And interference.

He didn’t like that. His assignments required control. Anything outside his plan introduced uncertainty, and uncertainty led to mistakes. If someone else was targeting Xiomara, his job had just become significantly more complicated. He would speak to Andreus at their next meeting; he could only hope the sly weasel called on him soon. Nox never reached out unless summoned. His master valued discipline and initiative -- but not interruptions.

His thoughts were broken as a procession approached. Nox shifted slightly, settling into the stillness expected of a guard. The king moved at the center, surrounded by advisors and knights, while Xiomara walked beside him, her posture impeccable, her composure unshaken.

As she passed, her gaze swept over him and caught, just for a brief moment. Nox kept his eyes forward, unmoving and unreadable. She gave no outward sign that she remembered the library, and neither did he. But she did remember. He could see it. That was fine. Let her remember him.

After the next changing of the guard, he made his way to the library. The silence there was a balm to the nerves of lesser men. To Nox, it was simply strategic. The library was predictable. And Princess Xiomara was, for now, exactly where he had hoped she would be. She sat surrounded by guards, one close at her side, the rest scattered through the space. Still here, thank the heavens. Nox let a fraction of his tension slip. He approached slowly and positioned himself beside a shelf adjacent to hers, arms folded behind his back as he studied the spines of the books.

“Anatomy?” he said, his voice low but carrying the undertones of someone who was obviously impressed. He moved on to business without delay, however; after all, he hadn't meant to show any interest in her musings. “I’m afraid I left Your Highness without answers to your questions the other day... My father could not read and signed a contract without knowing the details. That ultimately cost him his life. I taught myself using the signs along the roads as well as that contract. And I worked for the bookseller, so I would sneak a few passages here and there.”

Xiomara sank into the chair and started to read. She was vaguely aware of the softness enveloping her encouraging her to relax. Her eyes were fixed unseeing on the pages giving her something to do to appear normal, but it also let her brain relax. Her eyes saw blurs of lines instead of words. She kept trying to read the same page over and over again, while her mind replayed what had just happened over and over.

She had heard guards shouting and looked at them to determine which direction the danger was coming from. Was she insane for having not gone into the castle for safety immediately? How had she not noticed they were a threat sooner? Why had she been so helpless? Couldn't she have managed to shield herself or shoot one of the bastards? A burning nausea heat crept from her stomach up her torso and into her limbs engulfing her in a nervous rage.

She could have died today, and her guards were not out of the woods yet. They could still die from unexpected complications such as infection. How had murderers infiltrated the guard? She doubted they were assassins. It was too sloppy of a job. Who in the world had sent such useless geeks? She did not attribute any skill to them only lack of caution to the ones who were in charge of the guards. How dare someone dress as guards and attack her!

Her mind turned to analyzing her commands after she had gathered her wits. She had immediately gone to desecrating the corpses in revenge, and she had managed to put a positive spin on it to justify it. She had read in history that plenty of civilizations had used execution as a form of entertainment. She was using it as an opportunity to provide academic enrichment, and she did not see how that was worse. Her way meant that more people could live later. Still, she couldn't help but wonder if something was wrong with her. Shouldn't she be crying or something? Just as she began wondering hot tears of anger began to well up in her eyes. She wiped them away quickly and stuffed her feelings away before her guards were pulled from their cycling thoughts and noticed her humanity.

She gently raised her head at his voice when he entered hoping she had wiped away her tears before he could see. She didn't think enough tears had fallen for her eyes to be red and puffy. She realized that even though she had been waiting for him, she had not planned what she wanted to say. Letting on that she was laying in wait in a place she preferred to be seemed unnecessary. She was uncertain if his tone was actually admiring the subject she was studying or if it was sycophantic. She hefted the book so he could see the cover confirming that it was anatomy she was reading. Because of her hesitation to greet him, he made his move instead.

They conversed as if she hadn't indignantly left that night and it was simply a continuation of the conversation. She nodded her head slightly indicating she was listening, surprised that he was offering the information without it solicited a second time. "Resourceful and determined. It is rare that a child learns from their parents." She wasn't sure why he had told her that. Was there a moral to the story? Why had he come to find her? Her brain was starting to go all fuzzy from all of her overthinking and churning emotions.

Her guards eyed the newcomer as he was new to the guard and had entered the room unbidden when he was off duty and approached the princess with a strange familiarity. Xiomara doubted that he was oblivious to the new tension, and she began to feel the weight of a new source of exhaustion as she should be suspicious of all of these men in the room as well. She doubted that they were all trying to murder her, and she also didn't think they were all working together if there were more guards trying to kill her. She couldn't try to guess who would be loyal at which time, so she trusted that she wouldn't die, and she could trust the guards here now. It was too exhausting trying to predict the bringer of her demise.

Even though she didn't think the guards really thought of her as human, especially after today, she had been taught that good leaders check in with those they were leading. It wasn't appropriate having personal conversations with guards, so she wouldn't do that while they were on duty, but the one who could read had started it.

"What is your name? Where are you from?" Those were questions that were generally acceptable as small talk. As she let the conversation ease into a more natural rhythm, she also asked, "How are you feeling after what happened today? Why be a guard? Still studying the moon in your spare time?"

Her tone held a note of reflection when she replied. “Resourceful and determined. It is rare that a child learns from their parents.”

Nox smiled faintly at that, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

“I suppose so…” he said, voice lowering as his gaze drifted toward the rows of dusty tomes on the shelf. “But can it count as initiative when it is brought about by the desperate, carnal instinct to survive?”

His brow furrowed, and his eyes lost focus. For a brief moment, he was somewhere else, smelling smoke and damp earth, watching as a man signed away his land, his blood, and his son’s future to someone who didn’t need a blade to destroy a life. Andreus, hardly having reached the stage of young adult at the time, hadn’t drawn the knife, but he’d carved the boy all the same. Ownership dressed as opportunity.

The silence between them stretched until he blinked and returned to the present. He straightened and offered her a polite nod.

“I apologize for burdening my Lady with such trivial complaints,” he said, his tone smoothing back into propriety. “I am Asher Regess, firstborn of two children from my mother. I hail from Ithell -- it’s hardly on the maps anymore, but it’s not terribly far from Alta, the big merchant city.”

“How are you feeling after what happened today?” she asked. “What is your opinion on what occurred?”

To most observers, it might have looked like he was weighing his words with caution. His lips pressed together, and his gaze drifted briefly to the space behind her, perhaps to a window or a passing guard. But in truth, he wasn’t searching for phrasing; rather, he was deciding how much to tell her.

“I… am intrigued by the blatant stupidity and outright sloppiness displayed by men who dare attempt to assassinate a Princess,” he said finally, keeping his voice neutral. “However, it is rather alarming that they came so close to succeeding.”

That much, at least, was entirely honest. The sloppiness grated against him. Either Andreus had grown reckless, or someone else had taken a bold initiative. Neither possibility sat well.

“Why be a guard?”

He looked at her then, his expression easing ever so slightly.

“I seem to recall Your Majesty practically inviting me to enlist,” he said with a flicker of cheekiness in his tone. Just enough to make her question whether he was being serious, or merely clever. It faded quickly, his voice softening as he answered her last inquiry.

“My lunar studies have taken a change for the moment. I am sure you were already aware, but the Perseids will be visible soon. I’ve always wanted to watch them in person, so I’ve been seeking out the best locations for doing so.”

He turned just slightly to indicate the heavy book she had settled in her lap. “Have your own inquiries shifted, Princess?”

There was an edge of curiosity in the question -- not feigned, but not entirely innocent either. He needed to understand her motives, her routines. If he was to get close enough to kill her when Andreus deemed the time right, he needed to know how her mind worked -- what moved her, frightened her, distracted her. However, the smallest hint of her shed tears had been covered up with impressively quick stoicism, and Nox could tell this job was going to be one to test his people skills.

Nox himself gave nothing away, but in his mind, he half-heartedly cursed Xiomara for ever bringing up the memory of his father's blood-soaked contract or the nights Andreus had drilled obedience into him with blade and word, shaping him into a perfect tool. He was a shadow now, not just watching the princess but circling her in slow, tightening rings, waiting for the master's call to the hound. Through his woe-is-me internal behavior, he felt a twinge of pity for Xiomara. Just another tool for her cousin to be rid of.

“Perhaps not some great initiative, but you were willing to do what had to be done. Your effort, strength, and determination made a difference. Some would give up and ended up dead. You did not.” She shrugged acknowledging that she had no answers. “Often living does not require innovation. It’s just putting one foot in front of the other until life gets better.” She didn’t have the wisdom or brain space to say something more encouraging.

She let a respectful amount of silence go by to let him relive whatever he was thinking about without interruption before she continued the conversation. “I don’t think you thought they were trivial, so I do not think those complaints were trivial.” She almost told him not to apologize for sharing, but decided they were not in such a place where she could comfortably reassure him.

She smiled a little. “A firstborn eh. I expected you to have a more striking name. I’m a little disappointed by Asher.” Perhaps on a different day she would have inserted a playfulness to her tone. Surrounded by guards and as tired as she was; she was filling silence with her chatter. “A few of the guards are from Alta. I believe I have heard some of the older guards mention Ithell. I don’t remember anything that was said about it. Did you go to Alta much? Lord Azrimodus tends to frequent there. It is one of the closer merchant cities for him to sell the produce of his estate, but then, he frequents all of the big cities. I’m surprised he hasn’t managed to marry one of my siblings. He’s distant enough of a cousin where that would be a possibility. My sister Elizabeth lives near Alta. She married a Duke, and they have a nice estate. I have a nephew and niece because of her.”

She was genuinely curious what his thoughts were on the attack. She had already analyzed it and had her own impressions. She spoke through gritted teeth as she felt another wave of emotions threaten to overwhelm her as she spoke about the incident, “Yes, I agree with you. For being able to get so close to me, it was very sloppy work. I don’t think they were professionals. If it weren’t for the fact that they were wearing guard uniforms, it might not have been so worrisome. I don’t appreciate that we’ve gotten so sloppy and lax that it was that easy.” She didn’t add what she assumed everyone had deduced that they must’ve had assistance from the inside.

She tried to decide if being honest about her fury would hurt her. The guards would probably spread what she said rationalizing that she had been speaking to one of their own. She imagined telling him why she had prepared to dissect those bodies immediately instead of hiding or waiting for the captain of the guard and her father. She didn’t know of a way to get back any power in this situation without the help of someone else. She had compromised and made her revenge useful. She kept her feelings about the aftermath to herself. She did not know Asher or really anyone in this room. Once she said something she couldn't take it back, and she now worried that it could make a difference.

She allowed the smallest smirk when he pointed out that she had invited him. “Were you aspiring before I encouraged you or was this a complete career change? Those two men in guard uniforms who tried to kill me weren’t in my personal guard, while James Bradshaw and Evan Teftson put their lives on the line for me today, so I guess there is still a competition on whether you are a better companion than my personal guards,” she reminded him. “New ones will be selected soon. Will you apply for that?” She doubted he had been around long enough to be considered. She wasn’t sure how long those would-be assassins had been guards. Perhaps they had been hired long enough where seniority would not mean anything.

“There might be a book or two on the shelf two down from the moon section that would give information about Perseids. Don’t you just need a place far away from lights with a wide open sky away from the trees? Typically a castle turret or a field or a mountain top would suffice.” She looked down at her book and then up at him with an openly wry smile. “Asher, you really haven’t been around for very long if you don’t know the answer to that question. My interests are always changing whether it be because I am just that fast at finding the answer I was looking for, or I got bored, or it is not useful to me any longer. Messing with dead bodies is taboo, especially human, but if I got to dissect one, it would greatly increase my understanding of human anatomy.”

Her voice rose in pitch, “I could learn how to sew someone shut or what needs to be removed.” Before she said somewhat offhandedly, “I’ll probably get back to the moon eventually. Any chance you want to donate your body to science if something were to…happen.” Her pause had been due to she had been uncertain of what euphemism for death was appropriate in that instance. It was her version of a joke, but she doubted she had delivered it correctly. “I have donated mine. There’s no point in it laying away in state for people to gawk at until it deteriorates.”

The disturbed jerk of her guard standing above her reminded her that she had been too personal, and she had given her guard something else to tally against her. The odd balance she must display to her people. Perhaps it was time for her to retire for her quarters for the night. "Why continue to spend time at the library during your off duty hours?" She almost asked if he was looking for a quick promotion but thought it a little too rude and pointed. Perhaps he was a little concerned for her. She was one of the people he had signed up to protect.

Asher gave a soft laugh, just enough to warm the air without mocking her. “Disappointed, are you? I’ll try to carry the weight of your expectations as best I can,” he said, tone teasing but gentle, inviting the thread of levity she was barely clinging to. “I’m afraid ‘Asher’ was the best my mother could do. She had simpler tastes.”

Her words about Ithell brought something quieter to his expression. “Ithell is small. Quiet. A place you leave if you want to eat more than barley and wishbone stew during the winter.” He glanced to the side, as if the name itself summoned old tastes of that nasty soup. “Yes, I went to Alta often. It was one of the only places nearby where there were real opportunities for work, especially for someone my age who wasn’t afraid of heavy lifting.”

Her mention of Lord Azrimodus -- Andreus -- made his pulse tick slightly faster, though his face showed nothing.

“I’ve seen Lord Azrimodus there before,” he said carefully. “Often, in fact. He’s known well in the trade districts, and he always traveled with interesting company. Nobles, mostly, or people trying to pretend they were.”

He kept his tone steady, but behind his words, Nox’s thoughts twisted. Andreus hadn’t married closer into the royal family, something that had always puzzled Nox. A well-placed union would put him within striking distance of the throne, legally, gracefully. So why hadn’t he? Pride? A hidden plan? Or did Andreus simply enjoy the game too much to settle for a quiet checkmate? If he had married the king’s cousin, or one of his daughters, he wouldn’t need assassins in guard uniforms.

He glanced at Xiomara again. Unless you’re after something more permanent.

Her fury about the attack was palpable beneath her measured words. He heard it in the tightness of her voice, the cold steel under her control.

“Yes,” he agreed with calm conviction. “For being so close to their target, it was sloppy. Sloppy enough to be suspicious. Uniforms should’ve never gotten them that far, not without someone helping them. If this was a test, then someone failed. If it was real, someone’s guarding a traitor.”

She seemed to smirk when he reminded her that she’d practically recruited him herself. “Were you aspiring before I encouraged you, or was this a complete career change?” she asked.

Asher tilted his head thoughtfully. “I’ve always preferred jobs that test me -- ones where I learn the limits of what I can do and then stretch them.” He paused before adding, “It is indeed hard to pass up men demonstrably willing to lay down their lives for their charge… but I’d be happy to try and pass them up.”

His eyes twinkled ever so slightly. “Assuming, of course, that I make the selection.”

When she offered practical advice about the Perseids, he gave a short bow of appreciation. “Thank you for the guidance, Princess. I’ll have to look near the turrets then, or find myself a quiet field far from the torches and walls.”

He listened closely as she returned to the topic of anatomy, clearly in her element. It was oddly endearing, the way she shifted between academic curiosity and casual morbidity like it was the most natural thing in the world. Her tone, always analytical, rose with an edge of mischievous enthusiasm as she posed her final question.

“I could learn how to sew someone shut,” she said brightly, “or what needs to be removed. Any chance you want to donate your body to science if something were to… happen?”

He blinked, then gave a short, genuine laugh, the sound low and slightly rough around the edges, as if it didn’t often get used.

“Perhaps, under the condition that no one looks beneath the belt.” He gave her a mildly sheepish look before adding, “That might’ve been too crude. Pardon my tongue, Princess.”

One of the nearby guards shot him a look of clear disapproval. Nox didn’t return it. He turned instead to Xiomara’s final question.

“Why the library?” he echoed, glancing toward the towering shelves and the warm pools of lamplight. “At first, I was only eager to explore the wealth of knowledge that I could now freely access. Books were rare where I came from, and even rarer for someone like me. I wanted to see if they were worth the reverence others gave them.”

He looked at her fully now, meeting her gaze with just a trace of boldness. “But I will admit that Your Highness intrigues me. And I can most reliably find you here.”

His tone held no flirtation, only the plainspoken truth. He was not a courtier, not a poet, and certainly not foolish enough to imply anything with a room full of guards listening. But it was the first honest bridge he’d built between them, even if he might one day burn it.

Good, he wasn't responding like a sensitive snot without a sense of levity. He understood that she wasn’t trying to personally attack him about his name. “If I find your name too tediously long, Ash will have to suffice. Sometimes you have to keep it short and sweet when you are yelling for assistance.”

Still in filling-the-silence mode, she found herself stating the obvious, “Hm. that isn’t very much food to eat. Not a lot of variety. From the way you are giving context to the connotation of the way you use the word quiet to describe Ithell, I don’t think quiet is good.” She was surprised that he went to Alta often. A lot of commoners she had heard from didn’t travel past their own village. “Did you commute or move to Alta?”

She had mentioned her family members casually doing the normal human thing by demonstrating that she had connections nearby that gave her insight or context on what that area was like. “I’m glad he didn’t marry one of us,” she let slip out without thinking. She chose not to make further commentary on why she did not like him. She did choose to make a face, which included wrinkling her nose, to emphasize her feelings. “Some cousins just aren’t your favorite,” she shrugged to conclude.

She went silent for a moment wondering who had enough influence to have betrayed her. She doubted her parents would do something like this. They could choose someone else to be the heir. She had not demonstrated dangerous amounts of ambition. Her siblings who lived under their parents’ roof or the captain of the guard were potential threats although she had no specific reason to suspect most of them. She didn’t think other family members were around enough to be to blame. She also supposed it could be someone at court, but she doubted they had enough influence on who was hired to be the cause of that threat.

She was more careful after the first time she had been so flippant and it resulted in him being a guard. “Perhaps you will get your chance to surpass them. Not sure how you could though. You're just a newbie and the job has already gotten harder in such a short time. I’m sure you’ll get all of the stretching you signed up for and more. You’ll be so ready to be adaptable after this! It’s a resume booster.”

After she gave advice on where to see the Perseids, she was worried again that she had offended him. Many people found her overflow of information that poured out of her constantly and excitedly as monotonous and braggy.

She felt oddly smug and pleased when she heard his laugh. It was short, but it didn’t feel forced or fake. She snorted quietly at his stipulation. “Oh yes, I’m going to wilt at the mere mention of those parts, just after I was planning on studying the whole body in detail,” she raised an eyebrow. But yeah, she was going to stop there. Her first impression was to explain the uses of getting to look at everything, but she realized that even as unbothered and immodest as she tended to be talking and studying anatomy, she realized she had her limits on who to talk to about it with. “I’ve heard cruder from guards when they weren’t looking,” she looked at the one standing over her pointedly, “You were fine.”

She also didn’t want him thinking that she was mocking his modesty, so she continued, “Fair enough. Nobody really wants all of that exposed, but I figure I either will be in a place where I’ll be too busy to notice or I’ve stopped existing, so hopefully it’ll be useful and interesting. Or I will be so old that I will have already embarrassed myself plenty, and as a public figure people would know about it. At least people wouldn’t line up to see your body,” she reminded him.

She did concede, “Dissecting human bodies isn’t common enough to know how your body would be treated unless you made specific stipulations.” She almost commented that people could be so odd, but then that would include herself, so clearly she knew that. Instead she said, “Wouldn’t it be weird if reincarnation was a thing, and you come back as a squirrel or a worm or something and meet your former body.”

She looked at him a bit cautiously, “I hope I haven’t offended you if you are a believer in reincarnation or anything else. I try to keep an open mind.” A warmth in her stomach was chasing away the quivery nausea that had spread to her limbs. She was feeling a rare connection to a human being, even after she had been attacked. She didn’t look up from her books long enough to connect with others. While she appreciated that she didn’t feel any disgust from Asher, she was going to have to keep an eye on her enthusiasm. She wasn’t sure if it was healthy, and passion likes hers often weirded out those she gushed about her findings to.

“And what do you think of the library? Was it what you were hoping for? Do we have an appropriate collection?” She wasn’t sure what he had been expecting. It was a room with a lot of books, and books were hard to write and just as hard to collect. She appreciated that she felt a ring of truth from what he said.

“But I will admit that Your Highness intrigues me. And I can most reliably find you here.”

She observed him considering his response. "Many who are intrigued wouldn't approach. It's quite audacious of you." She hadn’t figured out why he was so bold as to approach her repeatedly. She doubted her parents would have a positive take on it. “Hmm. While I knew that I could be found most reliably here, I am also accessible here. I may have to rethink that in these current conditions,” she sighed. She didn’t want to visit the library less, but she would also prefer to be assassinated somewhere else if someone was successful. “I certainly don’t want to be killed, but even more importantly I don’t want my blood staining the books!"

She was becoming more aware of the heaviness settling in her body now that she had relaxed and the adrenaline had coursed through her body. "I think it's about time for me to go and rest." She rose and gestured that he could follow her. She found two books on the Perseids and handed them to him. "I don't know if you actually wanted to read about it or if you have time, but don't forget to check out. The librarians get testy, or you can put them back." She walked away from him again and grabbed a few books from the anatomy section. "Stay alert," she waved with her back towards him as she walked away; her entourage moved with her. When she got back to her room, she settled down on her bedroom and tried to read, but soon fell asleep.

Her brow quirked in question, “Me, shouting from the rooftops? Why would I be there?” She could see herself on the castle walls stargazing, but the castle rooftop or an actual rooftop seemed highly unlikely. She acknowledged him, admitting to commuting to the city with eye contact and nodding when appropriate to demonstrate her attention. She skated on past her dislike of her cousin as he did not react greatly to it.

She flicked a gaze at the exhaling guard, while allowing herself another unprincess-like snort in quiet rebellion against her guard’s opinions. Imagining herself reincarnated was an interesting idea! Ash had shown himself to not get easily offended thus far, and she trusted that he was not holding a serial killer size grudge with every half witted word she let spill forth. “Would we recognize ourselves in the next life?”

When he proposed the question what the proper etiquette would be in that situation, she immediately latched onto the question, “Ooh, let me think. What have I learned about etiquette that would be applicable in a situation like that?”After some thought she gave the situation a try, “I think you should probably just back away and leave. I don’t think it is an etiquette situation anymore. You don’t want to become the next item of interest. What do you think of that answer?”

She felt much the same way as him about books. She could not imagine only reading street signs and food labels, and she was grateful she was able to spend so much time in one of the few libraries. She forgot that she took that for granted, and perhaps she would have to spend less time here.

~

Xiomara stormed out of her room with her guards struggling to catch up behind her. They had increased her regular guard to at least four guards at a time close to her side, and they tended to be harder to manoeuvre and in the way than when she had two posted near her. She slowed down when she was in the hallway, and let two of them walk in front of her escorting her to the meeting room where she would find her parents and the final selection of guards.

She entered to find King Lucius and Queen Jocasta sitting in comfortable chairs with matching frowns and drumming feet or fingers impatiently. “Please sit,” they gestured to a seat in between them. “Good morning daughter. How are you?” Jocasta asked. “I am well, mother. I hope you have a capable selection for me. Are we just adding one more to my retinue or did you decide to increase my guard?” She had complained the other night that they didn’t know if they could trust any of her guards, and it seemed like a scary idea to add more who were untested.

“We decided to add four more at this time. We don’t want to add too many new guards at once. There are sixteen guards for you to pick from.” The queen turned toward the men, “Please step forward when your name is announced.” Generally, the royal family did not go to this much personal effort. They would simply trust the captain of the guard, but after the recent close call, they wanted their daughter to feel confident in who she had by her side. The captain of the guard was standing by their seats. He called for a table to be brought forward, and some blank parchment and writing quills. He then handed them the papers with notes about each candidate. When everyone was ready, he called the guards in and announced each of their names:

“Adams, Dan. Anderson, Luke. Ayers, Gerald. Carter, Theodore. Gallagher, Aiden. Lewis, Avery. Martin, John. Miller, Ryan. Phillips, Jack. Regess, Asher. Scott, Alan. Simmons, Nathaniel. Smith, Trenton. Stewart, Timothy. Williams, Andy. Wilson, John.”

Xiomara quirked a brow as she looked to make eye contact with the persistent guard she had told had no chance to this position yet. Her brow smoothed when Lucius explained how the process was going to work, “You will go wait in the hallway, and we’ll call you in randomly. You will give yourself an introduction about who you are and include how long you’ve been a guard and what roles you have played, and then we’ll ask you one question each. So four questions, and then we’ll call in the next one. Let’s start with Timothy Stewart.”

After the guards had left, Timothy began, “My name is Timothy Stewart. I have been a guard for six years. My family were merchants, but I wanted to serve the royal family more closely, so I applied to be a guard. I have tried to become a royal guard for one of the heirs, but this is the first time I’ve been called in for an interview,” he admitted.

Xiomara observed that Timothy was a large man who could probably handle oxen and plow a field quite well if that were his profession. Otherwise he was not particularly distinctive with his brown hair, eyes, and full beard. They asked him questions such as why did he want to be Xiomara’s guard. Had he been recommended to apply or had he done it on his own? Did he have family who were relying on his support? He gave answers, and Xiomara wasn’t impressed by them, but she didn’t expect to be. When he left, her mother shifted the papers they had on Timothy to the next guard and scribbled down some notes. Xiomara had brought her own notebook and scribbled her notes in it.

Doesn’t stand out. Looks very strong.

Her notes were stupid, but she just needed something to prompt her memory. She also tried to draw a quick sketch. When listening to a guard’s introduction, she tried to formulate an interesting question that would reveal more about the candidate. She had been told that they wanted guards that had a zest for life and social connections, which generally meant they were agreeable and better at teamwork. They also did not want guards who had family that depended on them or other commitments, because it made it easier for them to weaken if pressured by a hostile force.

They had gone through about half of them, when Asher Regess was called. “Thank you for your interest Sir Regess.” They waited for him to give his introduction before they asked their questions.

“How will you deal with the boredom of watching the princess and how capable are you at keeping confidential information to yourself?” Jocasta asked.

Lucius questioned, “Do you have any commitments or anyone relying on you that could compete with keeping the princess alive?”

Sir Tucker added his question, “How will you deal with your boss being so much higher ranked than you that if you disobey her she may have your head chopped off in anger? However, the princess has given you a command that puts her in an unsafe position, and Remember, you still have other people to report to such as myself and the king and queen. You could put the whole kingdom at risk if the princess dies.”

Xiomara had been a little distracted through much of the interview process to this point because she was trying to come up with a good question since she had realized that she would get the opportunity later. She focused back in at Sir Tucker’s question and almost glared at him. She didn’t like him saying that she was so petulant she could order her guard to be executed. It seemed a bold question to ask in front of her parents, but perhaps everyone was assuming that she, Xiomara, was less reasonable than them.

Xiomara finally voiced her question, which she didn’t like how unoriginal it was. “Why do you think you are worthy of being my guard? You’ve been a guard for not as long as anyone else we’ve interviewed, and you haven’t had the opportunity to prove your loyalty. What makes you so much more qualified or what qualities do you possess that we should overlook all of that?” While she was inclined to select Asher regardless of how short a duration he had been a guard, she was curious how he had gotten this far in the process. She had wanted to ask a silly situation question, but she had also decided that her parents would be angry with her if she didn’t take it seriously with her questions.

Goodness. There were fifteen other men vying for a position on Xiomara’s personal guard, and yet Andreus had mentioned that several had already been eliminated. Was it really so coveted a position?
Nox pursed his lips, resisting the urge to shake his head as he stood in the torch-lit corridor alongside the rest. He kept his posture straight, arms crossed behind his back, eyes forward, counting silently. Fifteen others, though most didn't know they were already doomed to lose. How many had their applications submitted on their own merit? How many had been slipped forward with silver-greased signatures, with favors or promises offered under the table?

I’m here for a reason, he reminded himself. Even if that reason is someone else's leash around my throat.

The doors opened and closed as one man after another was called in, each disappearing for several minutes. Nox -- Asher -- kept to himself, speaking to no one, eyes half-lidded in a way that gave the illusion of detachment, while inwardly, he was constructing answers with surgical precision.

Ithell-born. No family responsibilities. I sought work. No one waiting for me at home. Andreus made certain of that.
The irony of that fact did not escape him.

Why do you want this role?
Because you offered, Princess. But that won’t win points.
Because I want to be where the danger is sharpest. Closer to her. Closer to the axis of the wheel. That answer might do.

He rolled answers around in his mind like stones, smoothing edges and sharpening points until finally -- “Regess, Asher.”

He moved, fluid and silent, through the door. The weight of three royal gazes fell on him instantly. King Lucius. Queen Jocasta. And Xiomara, bright-eyed and regal, even seated between them, even after nearly dying only days before.

He stopped a precise distance from them and bowed deeply.

“I am Asher Regess, hailing from Ithell, though I spent much of my life commuting to and from Alta for work. Ithell offered peace but little opportunity. Alta had opportunity, but little peace. I’ve been in the guard a short time, but my work before this placed me in similarly dangerous positions, and I’ve long preferred roles that test and expand my limits.”

He straightened just as the Queen’s voice chimed, “How will you deal with the boredom of watching the princess and how capable are you at keeping confidential information to yourself?”

Nox tilted his head as though musing over it.

“I do not find the Princess boring in the slightest, Your Majesty. Her insightful questions and curious interests ought to spark more interest in those around her, not less. If watching her is my duty, then I expect to find it both engaging and challenging—certainly not dull. As for confidentiality—” He allowed the faintest trace of a smile. “—I have never broken an oath of silence. Nor will I. Not for coin, for love, or for any threat; I will take secrets to the grave.”

King Lucius leaned forward. “Do you have any commitments or anyone relying on you that could compete with keeping the princess alive?”

“No, Your Majesty. I have no financial or emotional responsibilities tying me elsewhere. No dependents, no debts. My only duty, should I be chosen, will be to protect and defend the Princess. I will allow no outside entanglements to cloud that purpose.”

Sir Tucker asked next. “How will you deal with your boss being so much higher ranked than you that if you disobey her she may have your head chopped off in anger? However, the princess has given you a command that puts her in an unsafe position... Remember, you still have other people to report to such as myself and the king and queen. You could put the whole kingdom at risk if the princess dies.”

Nox met the man’s eyes evenly.

“Were Her Highness to kill me,” he said, solemn but unfazed, “I would return to answer her inquiries regarding the interactions of a worm with its former self.”

He could feel the tension shift in the room -- several attendees and servants had caught their breath, and Nox didn't dare look at the royalty. They probably think me disturbed, he mused. Let them. But he turned slightly toward Xiomara, softening the blow. "Besides, my impression of the Princess is that such things would be done in the name of science and with permission, anyway.”

He looked back at Sir Tucker.
“Pardon, sir, but a personal guard's first and foremost duty is to the one he serves. I would serve the Princess. I cannot disobey unless she wishes harm upon herself. As the trusted heir to this kingdom, her voice holds weight equal to that of the king and queen’s to her close constituents. I trust Her Highness knows her limits and abilities, and that she trusts her guard to act as a safety net, not an inhibitor.”

He turned at last to Xiomara herself. Her question was not unexpected, but it was pointed. "Why do you think you are worthy of being my guard? You’ve been a guard for not as long as anyone else we’ve interviewed, and you haven’t had the opportunity to prove your loyalty. What makes you so much more qualified or what qualities do you possess that we should overlook all of that?”

Nox’s voice dropped to a lower register. His stance shifted subtly, less rigid, more grounded.

“Your Highness,” he said seriously, “there is not a soul in this kingdom who will come within an inch of laying a hand on you if I am at your side. While your original offer was made in jest, I intend to take it seriously, and I will preserve your life and health until the end of my own.”

It wasn't exactly a lie, as it had become more clear over the last few days that the execution of Andreus’ plan would result in Nox’s own death. It seemed he was burning his own fuse along with the Princess’s, and that Andreus’ prize hound was running his last race. He continued aloud, voice steady, gaze unwavering. “I may not hold much in the way of seniority, but I am an excellent fighter, and I grew up in one of the more unstable places this kingdom has to offer. I know how to look for dangerous individuals and suspect situations before the cards fall. I will ensure that a Queen’s Gambit is never made, that your life is never forfeit for the gains of lesser men.”

Even as he spoke, a petty thread of treason against Lord Azrimodus formed in his mind. He needed a plan that could slowly, quietly, undo Andreus’ web. If Nox was to die in the course of killing the Princess, who was ten thousand times readier for a throne than her cousin, then he would die having set the noose for a fraudulent and pathetic king. A lesser man, indeed.

Xiomara appreciated that Asher found her engaging. As a determined introvert, she didn’t know of anyone who would describe her like that, especially when she had her many siblings to be compared to. She thought his swearing that he would keep her secrets a little overkill. While he may be wanting to make a point that he took that question seriously, Xiomara didn’t imagine they would find anyone applying for this position who would admit to not being able to keep a secret. She believed she could find someone who would admit to being unable to protect her as thoroughly as Asher was asserting he could.

While it was convenient to have a guard without any attachments, attachments could be formed in the future, and she knew that everyone had a breaking point and were unable to keep their emotions completely under control. What if she became someone unworthy of protecting?

“Were Her Highness to kill me I would return to answer her inquiries regarding the interactions of a worm with its former self.”

After his next words she quickly slapped a hand over her mouth before she turned it to a gesture of sagely stroking her chin as if deep in thought. She had to crush the laughter that was wanting to bubble out of her chest at his reference to their recent conversation. Her parents and the captain of the guard stared at him with various quizzical expressions from furrowed brows to blank stares, attention taken away from Xiomara.

When she had her face and breath under control, she nodded approvingly. She managed to solemnly recite a popular saying,“One type of fodder can feed many animals.” If she did execute him, his death would not be pointless. She would have more answers, and he would try to come back and make sure that she didn’t dissect his whole body. Perhaps that could be how she would encourage him to reincarnate and to not go on to the next life.

Xiomara wasn’t sure if she was being sensitive, but she still felt pained by Sir Tucker’s questions. Did Sir Tucker worry about being wrongfully executed? Was the royal family perceived as that vengeful or were they truly that unhinged?

Xiomara often ignored her guards, especially when they wanted to confine her for too long and it greatly decreased her quality of life. It was not unusual for the royal family to face attempted assassinations and other unknown dangers, and they could not stop doing their jobs due to threats. The guards were used to being ignored, and few were bold enough to give her instructions to optimize her safety. While she appreciated that they had an important role, it was inconvenient that she needed them, and she found it easier to ignore them and move how she would if they were not in the way.

Xiomara continued to keep her face carefully neutral while her parents glared at her and the Captain stared at her questioningly. Was that how a guard who had not been a guard for long gotten this far through the candidate selection process? She wanted to glare at Asher for giving her flippantness up. She was supposed to be learning self-control and gravity as the words of a monarch had to be taken seriously, and he was revealing an instance she had kept from her parents’ knowledge.

Ignoring her parents and the unspoken question, she steadily held his gaze, judging from his mannerisms the seriousness of his vow. When she next got the next opportunity, she wanted to dig out of him where he learned to fight. Xiomara realized that they had asked no questions about how he worked in a team. Being a guard was very much about teamwork. One person couldn’t keep their eye on her all of the time. If they did not work as a team, she could end up left unprotected, because they had not coordinated their resources to keep her covered at all times.

While she was thinking of more questions they could ask, the Captain moved the interview forward. “Thank you Sir Regess for applying and taking the time to interview with us.” His haughty eyes and straight posture managing to look down his nose implied that he believed Asher should be thanking them for the honor. “We will contact you soon if you have been selected. You may go to prepare for your next shift.”

They were quite efficient, sending him out and sending the next applicant in. When they finally finished with the interviews, they looked over their notes and made a few gossipy comments about who had impressed them or what had been stupid. Sir Tucker’s brow furrowed when he looked at Princess Xiomara, "I've never had a guard answer so peculiarly, and you replied quite oddly princess.”

“We’ve exchanged a few words.” She tried to keep it vague.
It did not stop her mother from remembering, “You invited him to become one of the guard?”

“Not really mother. It was more of a challenge,” she protested with a wan smile to soften her mother’s mood. “I did not tell him to apply to be my personal guard. He took that step on his own.”

While her mother’s iron stare remained glued to her, the captain continued. “Who has stood out the most positively? Who would you choose?” he asked the royals.

“I like Ryan Miller,” Lucius asserted. He was polite, dedicated, and he was qualified for the job. He’s been a guard for years, and he has no big attachments that could make him a threat.”

Jocasta was still staring at Xiomara as if daring her to speak, so Captain Tucker went next. “Very good choice, your highness. Sir Miller has always done an excellent job when I have worked with him. I’ve enjoyed working with Luke Anderson. He has such a friendly, inviting demeanor that it makes it easy to work with him, and he does an excellent job of not excluding his teammates.

Xiomara finally worked up the gall to speak. “Avery Lewis has a cool name.”

Her mother eyed her further before speaking, “Aiden Gallagher is a legacy guard. He has a family name to uphold along with just being a good guard. I am sure the pressure of it has made him work harder and given him more time to train. He understands what he is undertaking.”

“So, it seems we were all able to narrow it down to one person. Unless the princess has objections, shall these be her guards?” Captain Tucker continued to mediate.

“Actually,” Xiomara declared, “I want Asher Regess to be one of my guards. Sir Miller and Sir Anderson will be adequate as well.” She paused as she considered between Avery Lewis and Aiden Gallagher. “Sir Lewis seemed desperate to prove himself. I want to give him a chance. We can send for Sir Gallagher if one of them burns out in the next week.”

While both of her parents seemed to want to protest their daughter’s choices, they were also trying to give her space to be an adult who made life changing decisions, so that she could one day make decisions for an entire kingdom. “I will send messengers to notify your choices, Your Highness,” Sir Tucker bowed. “I shall take my leave to attend to my duties. I am glad we found suitable candidates, Your Highness.”