Basin P.O.V

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 am to meet with the king weekly 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. If anything comes up that I think is significant enough, 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. An elegant room, there have decorated wooden walls, covered in Tapestry. A stone fireplace stands by the west wall. This fireplace is the grandest in the kingdom. Standing at the door, raising my hand to knock. What if he is in the middle of an important meeting, it 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 the king sends me an angry glare. That glare is however fast replaced by a smile. "Basin, 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. "I am happy to answer any question you may have, your grace."

"I was in the midst of discussing how we teach orphans to become royal guards, as you have been ward for multiple kids, you might give a better insight into the process of picking them," King Alfonso says. "Of course Your Highness, all the kids are from the local orphanage, At the end of each summer around 20 wards each pick a new student for Pupillus. It is up to them to pick someone they think has potential. They have to be at least nine 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. "Something there wonders me is why girls are being trained alongside boys, aren't they too fragile to be trustworthy?" Teival ask. "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. There are also 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 woman to be separated, So I can understand what you mean. But I have been told you don't separate training or even sleeping arrangements between genders." I'm not taken aback by the young duke's question. This is one there have been a lot of detest for through time. "That is correct, the kids stay in the same room as their ward, 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."

"What happens to the kids who don't reach the level of expectations there is to become a royal guard?" Teival ask. "When they finish the five years. There are three placement options, where they go depends on how well they do in classes, the best becomes royal guards. The good ones become city guards, 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, and talking with him about 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 there to this day is still growing, 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. 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 Ledadsle 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."

After having asked a few more questions, Duke Teival bid us farewell. "What do you think of him Basin?" King Alfonso asked me after Teival had closed the door. "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 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 where it you came for Basin?" 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 where a break-in at Pupillus." The king'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 where a former guard, she where looking for the files about her past," The king interrupted and yelled "Her! The intruder where a woman." I do feel a jolt of anger over his reaction, the female guards are as cable as the male ones. But I stay quiet, it is stupid to argue with the king over such a comment. Because even though King Alfonso know how well-trained our guards are, it doesn't change how woman 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 dont get taught magic. "Do you know who this person is?" He questioned. No, that is what I want to say. I wanna pretend the deserter who broke in, wasn't the girl I raised. "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, he sounds tired when continuing "Let the guards know not to spend time looking for her. After all, we have a wedding in a few days."

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After bidding the king farewell. I make my way towards Pupillus, but Instead of going the direct patch from the castle through the garden. I chose to head for the gate. The guards at the port greet me as I approach. "Where might I find Harbin?" I ask. Harbin was the last child I was a ward for, he finished training this summer. As he finished, I had plans to retire and leave to be one of the village protectors, that where until Hellvian died. "Checking up on your kid Captain. Unfortunately, he was sent to the watch tower with a message not long ago, I doubt they be back before dawn," The guard named Rune says. "Good thing I did not come for anything important," I reply. Through the gate, I notice someone in uniform come running. It's a girl with light tan skin and light brown hair she stops at the gate gasping for air "Sir..Captain..." Rune interrupts her "Sergeant Alonnie What matter makes you run like this, and where is your companion? " "We found them..the deserters, he is keeping a close eye on them." She gasped for air while relaying the information. "Are you sure it's them?" I ask. "Yes, Harbin recognised her, through the window of the Way inn," Harbin, of course he would recognise her. "Shows us the way!"

We moved quickly through the streets. A group of 4 guards and me, with Harbin waiting on us. We were gonna be six against three. I was sure we could manage, after all, we are trained and carry weapons. I do not know what Weapons Lorelei and the twins have, but I am sure with a life on the run they can't have held up their training. Outside the Way Inn is Harbin slacking against the wall. When he sees us approaching he stands upright. "Captain Basin. The deserters are at the far corner of the inn, conversing with some people." Harbin informed us. "We need to lay a plan. Does anyone know the layout of this place?" I ask. expecting a no. But before anyone can reply, the sound of the inn's door being opened makes us all look in that direction. The three were standing in the open door. An audible gasp came from Lorelei, while Narin exclaimed a profanity "Lorelei Neary Narin you are all under arrest for treason, it would be in your best interest to surrender," the guard named Rune said. Lorelei is sending me an angry clare, her shoulders are tense, her hands tight in a fist, she is not going to come willingly. "Shawty, there is no way out, I kindly ask of you to surrender." I noticed her eyes twitch for a moment. It felt wrong using her nickname in this way, but I hoped the reminder of how close we were, could discourage her from attacking us. Unfortunately, it didn't persuade her mind.

"It seems we have no choice then," Lorelei says in a low voice. She takes one step, two steps, her hand is by her belt, her head held high. Lorelei stops in front of the guard Rune. "Like you, I would much rather not have to do this." With a quick hand motion, she plunges a knife into Rune's neck. A loud cry comes from him, as the knife makes an impact with his skin. Lorelei yanks the knife out and he falls to the ground. My heart is beating so fast that it pains my chest, I need to draw a weapon and take control of the situation. A knife is flung passed my face as I reach for my sword. The direction was from one of the twins. The sound of a female scream is heard over the street, it came from Alonnie as Lorelei threw the bloodied knife into her leg. Harbin ran to her side, her leg dripping with blood. My own blood feels like a cold fire rushing through my body. I was about to launch an attack with my sword in hand when Lorelei and the twins bolted in the opposite direction. Pursuit would be the right thing to do, but in my old age, there was no way I would be able to keep up with them. I had to let them go.

Harbin was comforting the crying Alonnie, they were both sitting on the gravel, the grey stone smeared in her red blood. Rune was completely silent, is he already dead? "What are your orders, sir?" One of the guards asks, wanting guidance as to if we are to follow or let them disappear. Looking at Harbin holding his hands over her wound. "We need to get Alonnie to a healer." I barely finish the sentence when a familiar voice is heard behind me. "Valor stop!" Of all the people in this city, Prince Valor and Princess Zora had just walked out the door from the Way Inn. Both are dressed in old clothes. Have they snuck out, again? "What happened out here?" the prince exclaims. "What in the lord's name are you doing here?" I just about yell. Their presence here is unexpected and inconvenient. "Don't tell our father." Zora started to plead. "Oh, he will hear about this."