The days inside the palace started to bleed over in one and other. Every day Zeudi got up before the sun rise, to practice her sword fighting. When the sun comes up she needs to eat and get ready for meetings with officials which could take hours. She had told him that once they got married, yes they were still engaged, still he did not know how that happened, but she told him that these meetings would split up. This was something he wasn't looking forward too, but he at least was able to prepare. But he was relieved when those stuck up nobles were ready to call it a day.

"Your highness, are you really serious. Our daughters are too precious for such tasks." One noble said, another next to him started to nod.

"But sir Polissard, you had no problem sending your son to serve in the military. Is he not too good for that." Another noble, whose name escapes him, said in response. This debate was going on for days, and the end was nowhere inside.

"Sir Nereriou, I am the princess of Cidor, the future queen. And I have learned to cook, to sow, basic medicine and now I am learning how to use a sword. The excuse of something being too precious to do something, belongs in the past. All what we need to do now is looking to the future of our kingdom." Zeudi said, and now all nobles started to nod. Finally, they are agreeing with her.

"But sword fighting?" The man piped up. "Why those a woman need to learn how to use a sword?" Idris lowered his head.

"The same reason we men are learning it from an early age. To protect ourselves and those we love." Idris said, he knew that he was not allowed to say anything, but this was going on for long enough. These men were not acting like grown up men, rather they acted like children that didn't get their way. Granted some of them had served in the army and those who did agree with Zeudi. But those peacocks, he now understood the meaning behind that word were driving him nuts. "Sorry, your highness. But I couldn't hold my tongue." He said while bowing his head.

"As future consort I might say you have that right, son." Sir another name he couldn't remember said. "And he is absolutely right, if I had a daughter I would sleep easier if she knew how to defend herself." He stated, then he looked at the man next to him. "Sir Polissard, you have two beautiful daughters."

"You know full well that I have, one is going to marry your son in a couple of days." The man said. Sir o what was his name, nodded and smiled.

"And son, is a lucky guy. But let's say they were attacked on the road and their guard gets killed. Just as what happened with our princess, only this group is not so gentle and wanted to harm her. Would ...."

"I know where you are going, sir Croilenet. And it is rather a low blow, pulling on my heartstrings." Polissard said. But the man motioned to the others at the table.

"But that goes for all of use, all of use have a daughter, niece, cousin, granddaughter. Maybe a daughter-in-law, even are own wives. Would benefit of this, yes we all imaging their lives to be different. But the world is never been safe for those who can not defend themselves and it will never be safe. But we can help those to learn how to defend. Besides what if they learn those extra skills, it also will benefit the greater good. If they learn basic medicine, then your gill be the Witch doctor will drop. That is for sure." Sir Croilenet stated, of course if playing on the heartstrings those not work, talk about their overflowing pouches. As if they needed to be worried about a Witch doctor's bill, but it was not his place to say anything. But he could still judge them, in silence. "But what our princess, and future queen is saying that we need to stop thinking about only ourselves and also look at those who are less fortunate." Idris looked at the man, just when he started to like the guy, he needed to say something like that. The door of the council chamber opened and the maid who showed his man to their quarters entered. Moron was that her name?

"Your highness I am sorry to interrupt, but you requested an update about your father." Moron said, bowing their head. He already thanked her for the interruption, if not for her, he would have killed one of those....

"What is the latest news, Moron?" Zeudi asked, her voice sounded defeated. Which he could totally understand.

"The consort is conscience and requested you." Moron said. "He also asked for mister Gedlear." Idris doubted the latter, but he was not going against anything right now. So long he was able to leave this room. Zeudi stood up from her chair.

"Let's meet again, gentlemen. I wish you all the best." She said, she didn't wait for their good wishes. She jolted towards the door, and he followed her. Fitsum and Sennay were waiting for them at the door. He as captain of the personal guard was the only one allowed in that room. The rest needed to stay outside, Zeudi and he had come to an agreement of three guardsmen at all time. At night there would be two of them standing outside the door of her chamber and one, which was always him, inside. Oh, he only kissed her good night, and then silently watches the room. Sure if anybody would believe that, although they had not consumed their relationship. But all good things take time, that was what he was telling himself. He knew that he loved her and that one day they would be able to take that final step. She sighed in relief when the door of the chamber closed behind them, she didn't bother to tell him that he was out of line. Idris already knew that, but he was not going to apologize for it. He meant what he said and she knew that too. He walked by her side, servants jumped to the side, bowing as they walked past them. This was still something he needed to get used to. They finally reached the chambers of Zeudi's father, he had been in there every day since they got here. But back then the man was fast asleep, healing. Arsema, he finally remembered the name of the old hage, was staying with them until the consort was better. Something the palace witch doctor wasn't too happy about. But there was nothing he could say or do to change that old woman's mind. The doors of the chambers swung open and Zeudi and he entered.

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Idris didn't know what to do so he stayed a few steps behind Zeudi, who was kneeling down.

"Hey dad, how are you feeling?" She asked, the eyes of the man on the bed opened as soon as he heard his daughter's voice. His hand went slowly towards her cheek.

"My beautiful girl, you are finally home. What took you so long?" He said, his voice sounded pretty crisp. Zeudi sighed and started to recap the story of the last couple of months. The man sometimes looked at him when menaced his name. "So Woldu did all of that? I do not want to believe it, but I know that the evidence is there to support your story." The man said, and he sighed. "Your brother still blames you for your mother's death. Which is unfair to you, I knew that your mother was sick. And I have pleaded with her not to go, but she wanted to be there, She wanted to help, and she wanted to do that with you." The man grabbed Zeudi's hand. "I knew once she left the palace that she wouldn't come back, I think she herself knew that as well." Zeudi nodded slowly, Idris saw her shoulders shake. Without a second thought he rushed towards her side and kneeled down next to her, wrapping an arm over her shoulder. "So you are the rogue that stole my daughters' heart?" Idris looked at her father and nodded.

"I believe I am sir. She keeps introducing me as her fiancée, but I still have not figured out when I popped the question." He replied, her father started to smile at first, but then started to laugh. "I hope that her heart is the last thing I will ever steal."

"Well, young man there is one other thing, but that is not a discussion I want to have with you." Her father said, Idris felt his cheeks burn up. O that was indeed another thing, uhm.

"I am sorry for my involvement in all of this, you may find it hard to believe. But me and the rest of my crew knew nothing about what was going on. We figured it out after we already attacked your daughter's men." He said and lowered his head. "But still that those not excuse our actions."

"It indeed those not, but you are paying her back. Your men are currently outside." Her father said.

"Two of them, sir. The rest is sleeping for the night shift or training with your own guard." Idris replied. "One of the men just requested to be on the night shift. His girlfriend, your daughter's new lady royal' is expecting their first child and he wants to take care of her." Zeudi's father looked at her and she shrugged.

"I couldn't trust Armana, after she poisoned you. And I needed a new lady royal, so I picked someone who I could trust. Sennay, the guard in question, is a very loyal. To not only Idris, but also to me and now to his growing family." Zeudi said. Her father nodded and sighed again. "Dad, I think we have been talking for long enough. You need some more rest, before you reign those nobles in." Her father again started to laugh.

"Are they talking in circles again?" He asked.

"That is putting it mildly." Idris replied instead of Zeudi. Her father looked at him and shook cheerful his head. "Yes, I couldn't keep my mouth shout."

"Which is a good thing, in my book. Those nobles, well they just need to listen to what the two of you have to say." Her father said, he then points at Idris. "He might be the captain of your guard, but he is right now also your fiancée. So let him speak during those meetings, he has a brain and mouth, let him use it." She nodded and she started to lean against him. Idris was glad that her father was agreeing with him, at least for now.

"I will think about it dad." She replied, and stood up. "You take some more rest, and as for you." She now looked at him. "I might have a kiss or two for you to steal."

"Hello, I am still awake." Her father said. Idris also stood up and smiled. "Go off you two and enjoy the rest of your day."

********

They rushed towards her chambers, he stopped for a moment.

"Nobody, let me repeat nobody. Not even the two of you is allowed to interupt us." He said, Fitsum and Sennay started to gniffle behind their hands. They knew that what he was asking was an imposible feet. There was always something that would interupt them, but he kept on trying. He closed the door and turned around. She was right behind him jawning. "Zeudi are you alright?" She was also a bit on the bleak side. She nodded at first. "Don't be so stubborn, I can see that you are not." He said, he lay his hands on her shoulders. "There are here no kisses for me to steal. There is here a princess that I will put to bed." She clearly wanted to protest, probably to tell him that she was fine. But he shook his head. "Dammit woman, go to bed and take a nap." He pointed towards the bed, and she went under protest, but she went. It took them half a hour for the first knock to land on the door. He got up from the chair and walked at the door. He opened it, Moron was standing on the otherside. She also looked rather uncomfortable. "What is it, Moron?" He asked calmy, which did not help.

"Sir, the nobles are refusing to leave." She said. He growled, those stuck up nobles are getting on his nerves. But he right now had the blessing from Zeudi's father to speak up, so maybe this is a good thing.

"Thank you, Moron I will handle this." He then looked at Sennay. "Get another men to guard the outside. Fitsum you will keep an eye on our royal pain in the butt, she is not allowed of bed until I say so." Fitsum nodded and sighed.

"But she outranks me, Idris." He said. Idris narrowed his eyes. "And you." He sighed that is true.

"I do not care, she is not allowed out of bed." He snapped. "I am going to deal with some nobles." And he walked away with big strides. The nobles were still where Zeudi and he had left them, he could hear them through the closed off doors. He didn't go for an easy entrance, kicking in the door. All the nobles jumped up.

"Where is the princess?" One of them asked.

"In bed, you lot tired her out." Idris replied, all of the nobles looked to one another. "So why are you all refusing to leave?" The nobles did not answer him. "What is this, did a rogue steal you tongues. I know one thing it was not one of my men. But the princess is not able to attented this meeting, so I will do it for her. As I am her fiencee, and accroding to the Consort that gives me the right to use my voice." Again none of the nobles reacted. "So what is going on with the lot of you, are you still arguing about sword fighting lessons for girls?" Again no reply. "Well let I put it this way, there will come conscription for military service. For both boys and girls, the girls will learn sword fighting there, if you like it or not..."

"You can not do that." One of the nobles jumped out of his seat.

"Sorry to say this, sir Limollac. But he can do this, as the future Consort." Sir Croilenet said. "And I think with this said, our discussion is over and we all should go home." He stood up and started to make his way to the door. "Captain Gedlear, out princess choose well. And I hope she is able to get some rest. She has been working hard the last couple of weeks."

"Thank you, sir Croilenet. I hope so too." Idris said, but his day was not over yet. There were apparently more things that needed Zeudi's, but now his, attention. But he was willing to work as hard as he needed to give Zeudi the time to rest.