I spent most of the rest of the day with Dur-rele. We went over a lot of what Vang had already taught me. I think mostly for Dur-rele to know how much information I had retained during my trip to Dyniss, but also to get a sense of me as well.

I liked Dur-rele better than Vang. He wasn’t so uptight and actually answered at least some of my questions. Other times, he simply told me that it wasn’t time for me to know yet, which was at least an answer I could appreciate instead of receiving hard and unyielding glares.

We even took time for a long lunch, which wasn’t as fine dining as the morning meal with the Emperor, but it was better than tasteless gruel. Dur-rele even ate in the same room with me, but refused to sit at my table. He insisted that would be highly inappropriate and took up a position at a much smaller table clear across the room.

After a particularly long lecture on the proper way to address Kings and other nobles of the Empire, Dur-rele finally called it a day. He then led me deeper into the palace to find Master Kiev to see what could be done about the locks my dad had placed in my head.

Dur-rele promptly left me in a small sitting area, claiming that he had other business to attend to for the Emperor, and that Kiev would be with me shortly. I didn’t worry about finding my way back to my room when I was done. My guards still stayed glued to me albeit at a respectful distance. I spotted them lingering in the passage way just outside the small room I sat in.

It was like many of the other rooms I’d seen like this strategically placed in the palace. Small sitting areas for people to congregate at their leisure. This one was much further down the tower than I had been since I’d arrived. From the tall glass window I was now looking at, we were almost at ground level. I could clearly see the garden a few stories below, and gave it my rapt attention.

“Excuse my tardiness, Highness. I had something unexpected come up, but you now have my full attention.”

I turned to find a tall man with stark white hair that stood like little spikes all over his head. He did not wear the blue long coats of the guards, nor the white coat of a Caretaker or white robes of the servants. This man was dressed in mud brown with his shiny coat only falling just above his knees What this particular wardrobe represented, I had yet to find out. And I couldn’t help but eye the short hair with a little jealousy.

“You must be Master Kiev.”

The man gave a slight bow, then straightened. “I am, and might I say it is a great pleasure to meet you. The news of your return has been quite the source of conversation these last few weeks.”

I couldn’t but help raise an eyebrow at that. “Is that so?”

Master Kiev waved a hand as if to sweep away any concerns. “Oh, in a good way, I promise. Everyone loves a good piece of gossip, you know.”

I couldn’t help but smile. It was nice to know that not everyone in Ethia was reserved and unsociable, but I also remembered the last person that had shown me kindness, so I stayed cautious, watching for a trick or some hidden agenda. That in itself made me feel disappointment.

It hadn’t even been a full month since discovering I was an Ethian, and already I was putting up walls. That didn’t bode well for my future here. But I decided to cast off such negative thinking. I could be cautious, but still appreciate the openness of this man.

“And what is the gossip saying?” I couldn’t help but ask.

The other man grinned. “That everyone is quite excited to get to know you and how you will react to being back after being gone so long, and even where you’ve been all these years.”

I remembered what the Emperor said about being careful about my interactions with people until I was more fully trained. Though if I was really honest with myself, it might have more to do with what had happened with Chief Hon. So I schooled my face and came up with a generic response, and maybe throwing in a little bit of truth.

“It has been an interesting experience so far, and I look forward to learning more about this amazing place.” I completely skipped over the where I had been part.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Master Kiev nodded. “Indeed. I hope that I can do a small part to make your homecoming as enjoyable as possible. In that order, perhaps we can find a spot in the gardens to do our assessment. I saw you eyeing them. You haven’t actually been out there yet, have you?”

I turned to look back out the window at all the lush greenery. “No, I haven’t had the time. I only just arrived yesterday afternoon. I would very much like to spend some time there. It’s quite beautiful.”

Master Kiev turned and waved a hand to follow him. “Come. I will show you the way, not that I am an expert at navigating the palace. This is only my fifth time here, but the gardens has always been a place I’ve sought out when I have come here.”

I followed the man out of the lounge and around the corner to the corridor I had come down with Dur-rele. Only now we were going the in the opposite direction from which we came.

“Then you don’t live here in the palace?” I asked.

Master Kiev chuckled. “Oh no, I live on a planet called Sora X at the Protectorate College. It’s about three days travel from here by hyperlight. I only come when a Master Mind Bender is required by the Emperor.”

“So I’m guessing that’s not a big requirement since you’ve only been here five times?”

Master Kiev made sure to stay in step beside me, not behind or ahead, while my guards trailed several paces behind us. “No, not since I took on my position at the College.”

“So what sort of College is that exactly?”

“We train and place Protectors.”

That got my attention. “Protectors? So, then you will be the one that will be helping me find a new Protector? Vang said that was going to be something I needed to do soon once I got to Ethia.”

Vang had told me a little about what my relationship to Aragon had been before I had been taken from the Empire. My mom had said something about a blood bond between him and I, and then in our time together Vang had given the name of Protector as Aragon’s actual duty to me, and what that entailed.

From what I gathered, it was a life debt of sorts, and it was something I was still not sure I completely understood, but it did explain dad’s fervent desire to give himself up in my stead. Vang had also informed me in that same conversation I would need a new Protector at some point, which was of course was something I wasn’t thrilled about.

Master Kiev shook his head. “Oh, not me. There are others at the College Admiral Vang will be consorting with for that endeavor. I am simply here on the business of assessing your locks and steps on moving forward to releasing them.”

I paused a moment. “Wait. Vang is looking into my new Protector himself? Doesn’t he have better things to do with his time?”

The other man frowned and I felt a sudden burst of awkwardness coming from Master Kiev. “Forgive me. I think I spoke out of turn.”

“What does that mean?” I pressed.

I wasn’t sure I was going to get an answer, and then the Master sighed as if he had made up his decision about something important, “Well, I suspect you will find out soon anyways. It seems the Emperor has assigned Admiral Vang to personally oversee the selection process of your new Protector.”

I raised an eyebrow. “I’m taking it that’s not normal for an admiral to get involved in selecting a Protector.”

Master Kiev shook his head. “Typically, it’s usually the person seeking the Protector or a close relative that oversees the process. Admiral Vang is the Supreme Commander of the Zahnian Legion. There are many others the Emperor could have assigned that particular task to besides the man in charge of his fleets.”

That hung there in the air for a moment.

Was that why the Emperor had wanted to talk to Vang before me yesterday? I figured it was to get an update about all that happened on the trip to retrieve me. But the Admiral had been in a mood, even worse than usual. Maybe he had known he was going to get a slap on the wrist for what had happened. It would certainly explain his extra dose of sourness.

Master Kiev waited as if I might be able to shed some light on the strange circumstance, but I figured if the man didn’t already know about the events that happened outside of Ethia, I probably shouldn’t be the one to tell him. So I simply nodded and decided to change the subject.

“Since he was a Protector and you work at the College, did you know Aragon Remeer?”

Master Kiev walked by me in quiet contemplation for a few moments. I then noticed the look he shot at my guards trailing behind us. They were definitely close enough to hear our conversation. I decided to take that as a message and changed the subject once again.

“So what happens when the Admiral finds a good match for me?”

Master Kiev looked grateful. “Well, he probably won’t just find one good match. He will pick a few that he feels are capable of doing a decent job in your protection. Then he will leave it to you to make the final choice. That usually requires a visit to the College so that you can meet the candidates face to face, and make your final choice.

“This is a blood bond after all. The last thing anyone wants is to be bonded for life to a person they can’t stand. So the candidates will be assessing you as well. In the end, most bonds are created between a charge and Protector who at the very least have a mutual respect for one another.

“That is how it normally goes. I would suggest seeking out the Admiral and confirming this. Changes might be made to the normal process considering your circumstances.”

“Thanks, I will do that.”

Master Kiev stopped in front of a set of double glass doors, leading out into the garden. He stood to one side and motioned me forward.

“After you, Highness.”