Lait entered the king’s office with heavy steps. The few days since the Rulers took over again had been a seemingly never ending whirlwind of disasters and he hadn’t gotten a proper night’s sleep since. As King Hertar’s aide, he was expected to assist him at all times, and as long as he wasn’t resting, neither was Lait.

Unfortunately for him, the king routinely forwent rest until his work was done, but unlike Lait, you would never know it looking at the king. The way he sat upright at his desk, furiously going through the papers and folders before him without any hints of slowing down or losing concentration inspired Lait. He embodied what the young Ruler hoped to become as well one day. Lait felt a little bit of energy come back to him as he stepped up to his liege’s desk and waited patiently.

It took a solid minute until King Hertar finally found a stopping point. He looked over his writing and nodded, pleased with the results of hours of work. As he leaned back in his chair, his gaze fell on his subordinate.

“You don’t look so good, Lait,” Hertar said.

His posture, the rings under his eyes, and a small yawn showed how exhausted he was, but he hadn’t complained even once.

“I’m fine, Your Majesty.”

He was a model assistant, and Hertar felt sympathy for him.

“Very good. But maybe I’ll allow us a break anyway, since we are mostly caught up.”

A spark of hope returned to Lait’s eyes, seeing a light at the end of the tunnel.

“Unless you’re here with more bad news that is,” Hertar continued.

Prompted to make his report, Lait shot upright and shuffled through the letters in his hands. “Yes! I mean, no... Or maybe?” Is it bad news? Lait wondered with a frown. “First, the merchants once again demanded for a caravan to travel to Cerus this week. Their opinion is that the town will have the resources necessary for us to make it through the next few months, regardless of what state it’s been left in after the beast attack.”

Hertar nodded. “I wrote up a schedule that you can announce after we’re done here. The caravan will leave in two days. Next.”

One out of four, Lait thought happily as he quickly went down the list to the next bullet point.

“The temple notified us that Orthur Syfar’s death will be officially ruled an act of the gods. It says they granted him a ‘peaceful and graceful passing in his sleep’ for his many years of devotion, but that they ‘determined him to no longer be fit to represent their goals.’”

“Hm...” Hertar fell into thought for a moment. “Have they chosen a new High Priest?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. One ‘Molyn Firela’ will take over the mantle. An arch priest.”

Hetar snorted, lightly amusement. “Lilana Firela’s father? It seems we won’t get a break from that family anytime soon. Though I’m surprised the arch priests didn’t choose someone more experienced. Regardless, we will have to wait and see if he will be as troublesome as his predecessors. Continue.”

Lait nodded obediently. “The investigation into Captain Eissen Caroul’s death has been completed. It seems to have been an open-and-shut case. Three Fighters overwhelmed him on his way home, led by Zale Kalen. All three have been apprehended and are awaiting your ruling. They didn’t resist.”

The news were gradually getting more troublesome. But this was how the king liked it. Start on a high note and end with what needed immediate attention after they were done.

“It’s truly a pity,” Hertar said, “but Zale knew exactly what he was doing, and they must be punished accordingly. Schedule an execution for the three of them. Murder and insubordination.”

“Of course, Your Majesty. There is also the matter of assigning a new guard captain.”

A smidge of sadness washed over Hertar. His good friend and former guard captain Lera had never returned from his hunt for Tomar. The only reasonable explanation for it was that he was dead, killed by either the group or the talking beasts. Eissen had been a passable replacement as Lera’s third in command, but now there was no one left to connect Hertar to his friend.

“We lost a lot of good people in the attempt to chase down one boy...”

“Yes, Sire.”

At the time, the other Rulers had questioned Hertar’s decision to follow Tomar, and for a while he had begun to do so as well, the guard shrunken to a size not seen during his time as king. In hindsight, he didn’t regret it though. His instincts had been right. Had they captured the group successfully, or had they been able to make a deal with them, Alarna would’ve gotten control over a very powerful weapon. And it appeared to still be growing.

“We need a captain who can potentially deal with them...” the king mused. “Grym Vance was their chosen captain, but if I recall, he was always very loyal to us, wasn’t he?”

“Yes, I believe you’re right. It’s said that he agreed to follow Lilly and Tomar for a time, after he lost to them in a sparring match. He was able to hold his own though.”

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“Very well,” Hertar said. “Summon him. I will determine if he can be trusted.”

“Understood. There is only one matter remaining then, Your Majesty.” Lait sighed. “Miss Zara Fera is here. Again.”

Every day this woman stood in front of the king’s mansion. Even if no audience was planned, she waited until the king received her. She would remain there for hours if needed, and she wasn’t deterred by threats of violence or prison time by guards.

She’s so troublesome... Lait thought.

“Is that so... I will receive her here,” Hertar said with little to no hesitation.

“H-here?” Lait asked, perplexed over a commoner getting invited into the king’s mansion.

“I’m not walking over to the reception room anymore today,” the king stated plainly. “But I have good news for you. This will be quick.”

“Oh?” Lait’s expression brightened. Was it actually possible that he would get a break? Was Hertar going to put her in her place? Or maybe he had a brilliant idea to retrieve the girl without involving himself with Tomar? “Your Majesty, may I ask, how are you going to handle the situation?”

The arguments between these two always boiled down to the same topic. Zara wanted her sister back, and as Riala’s guardian, she had every right to request that under Alarna law. The king meanwhile claimed that he couldn’t spare the resources to send people after them, though in actuality he just didn’t want to involve himself with Tomar for the time being. Demands from Zara to let her go alone were also shut down for a variety of reasons, and in the end the result was always that nothing could be done.

“Well,” Hertar said contemplatively. “For better or worse, she won’t stop. We can at least use it to our advantage. I will let her search for her sister. The issue is that we cannot trust her to bring her back here, and letting commonors roam the Wildlands is problematic as well. Though I just had an idea.”

He’s thinking of ways to recruit Riala Fera to our side! Lait thought in wonder. Of course. A young girl would want to come home to her big sister. No matter the strenuousness of her character...

“A plan worthy of you, Sire. But how are you going to ensure she will come back?”

Lait waited expectantly, while the king looked him up and down. His liege would certainly come up with a grand idea that would solve this one, last problem, but the words that left Hertar’s mouth next left Lait confused.

“Say, you're not promised to anyone yet, right?”

“Huh? No, Your Majesty! You would naturally be the first to know of any such plans, before even my prospective partner.”

He didn’t understand what this sudden change in topic was about, nor how King Hertar could possibly think that Lait would enter an engagement without consulting him. After all, choosing a partner was no small matter for a Ruler, and it was important to consider the lineage carefully.

“Good. You may send in Zara and send someone else for Grym. Once we’re done with the former, you are dismissed to take care of other things.”

“Yes, Your Majesty...” Lait said and left the office. Conflicting emotions welled up inside him. Happiness about being almost done for the day, confusion about what was going on in the king’s mind, as well as a foreboding itch.

King Hertar ended up being true to his word. The conversation with Zara was a rather short one. But suffice it to say that it did not end up being a short workday for Lait after everything was said and done.

***

Konnor returned home to his girlfriend’s house in high spirits. It had been a good day. First, Captain Eissen was killed, which would allow other, less maniacal Fighters to climb up the ladder. Even more potential candidates were then taken off the board as a natural consequence of their actions, because the three members of the Kalen family—who had done the deed—were thrown into jail. And finally it was discovered that multiple guards who sympathized with the usurpers had disappeared. This included former captain Grym Vance, who would’ve been a hurdle in procuring a favorable position.

There were now very few highly experienced Fighters left who would otherwise always take priority when it came to promotions. Konnor wasn’t necessarily happy about the loss of lifes and the reduction of the town’s forces, but for the first time he began to see a certain value in the short life expectancy that was prevalent among those with his Calling. As long as you managed to stay alive long enough, you would reap the benefits. At the age of twenty-two, and as an active frontline fighter, he would be under consideration for a higher role in the force. He was certain of this. And he looked forward to telling Zara about it. This could be a big step up for her as well in the future.

When he opened the front door with a spring in his step, he suddenly stood face to face with her, who appeared to be on her way out. “Oh! Hey!” he said with a bright smile.

Zara’s eyes widened in surprise. “Hey...” she whispered. She lowered her head slightly, grimacing. It was obvious that something was bothering her.

“What happened? Is everything okay?” Konnor asked.

Zara had hoped to avoid or at least postpone this conversation, but now decided to make it quick instead. “I’m sorry... We can’t be together anymore.”

“Huh?” Konnor was dumbfounded. He was sure that the two were good that morning when he left for work. What could’ve changed since then? He looked down at her and noticed a large bag lying by her feet. “Why? And... are you leaving?”

“Yes. The king allowed me to go get Riala back.”

This made the whole situation even more confusing.

“That’s good news, isn’t it? It seems to me like sending you along with a squad is the best solution. Did you suggest that I come with you?”

“That’s not...” she stammered. “I’m sorry, Konnor. I’ll be going with my fiance.”

Time seemed to slow down around him while Zara continued to briefly explain the king’s demands for allowing her to temporarily leave Alarna. One word kept reverberating in Konnor’s mind. Fiance... fiance... fiance... He didn’t pay proper attention until Zara revealed his name.

“Lait Dana.”

“A... B-but... You’re engaged to a Ruler?”

“I’m really sorry,” she said as she began to weep. “I really like you, but I can’t lose Riala! I just can’t! I need to get her! Good bye, Konnor.” Zara side-stepped him and left the house as quickly as she could.

Konnor stayed back, rooted to the floor, staring at the empty space she had occupied just seconds ago. Two thoughts were fighting for dominance in his mind. The first was sadness over just having lost his girlfriend, who he had believed to be his future bride. The second was that some asshole Ruler stole her, by command of the king.

It took a while for him to recover from the shock alone, but eventually he turned around and left Zara’s house as well. There was only one, new thought on his mind at that point.