“What do you mean Tristan hired an assistant? Did you approve this?” Callan, the palace captain of the guard, demanded. He crossed his arms and scowled.

“Yes, I did, Captain.” King Delric laughed. “Contrary to popular belief, I am a responsible ruler! It will free Tristan up to help more frequently in council meetings, and with other things. His assistant can do the paperwork and he can assist me.”

“Is that wise?” Callan asked darkly.

“I trust Tristan. I know you have your problems with the fey folk, but he’s only ever been a staunch ally and advisor.”

Even Callan couldn't deny that Tristan had proved himself to be trustworthy. “We don't know this assistant will be as honorable, though.”

“From what I understand, she’s the daughter of a family friend.”

“So, nepotism, then?” Callan snapped, displeased with the idea that the ambassador had just brought on a friend of his family, probably as a favor.

“Not really. It just means he can vouch for her very, very well.” Delric shook his head, smiling a little. “And give me some credit, Captain! If she doesn't do well, or proves to be untrustworthy, I’ll have him send her away immediately!”

“Fine.” Callan sighed, annoyed. “Given I don’t have any way to check into her background, I guess I’ll have to be satisfied with that.”

“You didn’t have any way to check Tristan’s background, either, when he came here.” Delric pointed out.

“I wasn’t the captain of the guard when Tristan first came here.” Callan rolled his eyes. “I was still just a kid back then.”

“Exactly! You didn’t worry about him when you got the job, you trusted my judgment regarding him, so trust my judgment now!” Delric said firmly, and his sharp blue eyes were determined.

“He’d already proved himself trustworthy by then, so I didn’t have to worry.” the captain muttered, then sighed, “But fine. I’ll bow to your judgment. Just…promise me, sir, the moment she seems off, or causes problems, you’ll send her away.”

“Of course, Callan.” the king smiled benevolently. “I won’t let anyone cause trouble or do anything to harm the kingdom.”

That was true enough. Callan knew that Delric had come down quite hard on his own children a couple of times when their conduct wasn’t befitting of a member of royalty, especially his oldest, Delmond, who had always possessed something of a wandering eye with the ladies.

“I know.” Callan muttered, looking down, “You’re a good ruler, sir. Very responsible, fair, and kind.”

“I don’t know about that, but I do my best.” Delric sighed, then clapped his hands and stood, “Now, we’ve delayed long enough with this matter, I should go and let her be presented to me.”

“Hopefully she won’t use her fey wiles to enchant you.” Callan grumbled.

“If she does, you have my permission to send her away on my behalf! Because the gods know you won’t be letting any fey woman enchant you! You’re too stubborn!” the king laughed.

“I try. It’s my job to be stubborn.” the captain of the guard sighed, following his boss from the small side-chamber they were in.

“It’s not, your job is to protect the palace, which you do an admirable job of, but you’re certainly very good at being stubborn too!” Delric chuckled as he stepped into the great hall.

Callan followed a few paces behind, watching the group who’d gathered in the hall with sharp eyes. He didn’t see anyone he didn’t already recognize, and relaxed a little as Delric took his chair on the raised dais in a large alcove at the end of the long room, opposite from a set of double doors, and at the end of a plush red carpet that led from the entrance. The crimson color contrasted startlingly against the white marble that the entire palace was made of. Light streamed out from the large windows, lighting the richly colored rug aflame in the late afternoon sun.

The captain of the guard took his customary spot near the king’s throne on the dais, leaning against the wall of the alcove, just below one of the gas lamps. The lamps weren’t lit, given the time of day.

Various nobles presented themselves to King Delric, bowing and making nice, brief small talk before moving to the side of the room to allow for the next in line to approach. The nobles had all arrived recently as well, as there was a ball to be held soon, and they’d all been invited to spend a few days in advance with the king.

There was no requirement for them to present themselves, since most were well-known to the king, through long knowledge or indeed direct relation to the royal family, but they did all the same, most wanting to just curry favor with Delric, who was generous to a fault. There was every chance they’d also likely heard the rumors of a new fey person coming to work at the palace, and had wanted to catch a glimpse of this strange newcomer.

Callan had always found that the royal class was just as gossipy as their servants, though their secrets were spoken in fine drawing rooms, in upper-crust accents, with far more implication and innuendo.

Finally, the captain heard tittering, and saw several of the noblewomen nudging and nodding at a woman approaching with Tristan, the fey ambassador. Though they hardly needed to draw the men’s attention, since most had already noticed her. Where Tristan was dark, with dark skin and dark hair and dark eyes, this woman was like sunlight itself.

The fey woman had pale skin, and was tall, taller than Callan, not that the fact was anything to dwell on, given he was quite short.

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She had a slim, willowy figure, and her apparently long, honey blonde hair was braided into a neat coil on the back of her head, with a few soft curls left loose to frame her face. And oh what a face it was.

Upon catching sight of it, Callan bit his tongue to avoid letting the strangled noise that rose in his throat escape him.

He’d heard of the fairness of the high fey, and Tristan was a handsome man, by all accounts, but that had done nothing to prepare the captain for the new assistant’s fairly stunning beauty.

Lips a perfect cupid bow in a dusky rose color, a sweet button nose that turned just up slightly at the end, high, sharp, cheekbones, and alarmingly gorgeous, emerald green eyes that had catlike pupils. They almost seemed to glow in the light that poured in through the windows as they observed the room around her with a calm intelligence.

Callan felt his face grow warm, and looked away, hoping no one else in the court had noticed him blushing. He also felt himself scowl, but that was nothing new, and no one would think anything of it.

Gods, he was really going to have to keep a close eye on this woman! She was entirely too beautiful to not be up to some kind of mischief.

“Your majesty.” Tristan’s voice addressed Delric, drawing Callan’s attention grudgingly back to the matter at hand.

Tristan had bowed upon reaching the base of the dias, but the gorgeous assistant had dropped into a perfect, elegant curtsy, which sent the gathered nobles whispering. Most fey folk bowed, but this woman seemed to already know that it was customary for women to curtsy there in Tern.

Had she done research beforehand in order to make a more favorable impression? What else had she researched before coming there? What was her purpose in choosing to be Tristan’s assistant when she was far too beautiful for such a menial job?

Callan forced the alarm bells ringing in his head to quiet. There was every chance that Tristan had told her that women curtsied in Tern before she’d ever even arrived. It also probably wasn’t super problematic to do research into a country you were going to live and work in, especially if there was a chance that the customs were very different from your own.

Thankfully, Callan would have the opportunity to interrogate this fey woman on her motives for working in the palace of Tern as an assistant later. That was a perk of being the captain of the guard, interrogating anyone who made him suspicious was part of his job.

“Tristan! I see you’ve brought your lovely new assistant to be presented! Thank you for that.” the king nodded approvingly, his expression kind, and blue eyes curious.

“Yes, your majesty. This is Sage. She’s the daughter of a dear friend from my military days.” Tristan motioned at the young woman, who curtsied again.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Sage! Or is it missus?”

“Miss.” She murmured in a soft, pleasant voice. “And the honor is mine, your majesty.”

As she spoke, another round of whispers shot through the room, since her speech revealed a set of glinting white fangs in her mouth. So she wasn’t an elf, like Tristan was.

Tristan had no fey traits that anyone would find unusual, other than his impossible good looks and his gracefully pointed ears, and six-fingered hands, which this Sage woman also had.

Did she have other, more unusual fey features? No wings. No tail. No horns. From what he could see, she seemed to have normal legs, not goat ones, like a faun’s. Well, there were the admittedly breathtaking eyes, of course. But that wasn’t so much alarming as it was enchanting.

Callan idly wondered if her eyes were actually magical, and therefore dangerous, or just so pretty that they had him stunned.

Realizing he was ogling the suspicious fey woman, he tore his eyes away. This really wouldn't do!

Callan took a deep breath, and dug his fingernails into his palms, then turned his attention back to the introductions being made.

“Where are you from, lass?” Delric asked kindly. “The feylands?”

“No, highness. I’m from the outlands. Northeast of here, in an area circled by mountains. It’s a small town, but I have spent some time in the fey palace.”

A country bumpkin, then? But with experience in the fey palace. That seemed odd.

Callan let himself study her clothing for a brief moment. Her clothing, though not fancy, was excellently cut, and well-made of a very fine quality cloth. Was she maybe the daughter of a wealthy fey merchant or farmer, sent to get experience within the palace in hopes her beauty would catch the eye of some member of royalty? Only why’d she accept a position in a human kingdom if that was the goal? And did fey farmers exist? Fey merchants did, Callan knew, but he’d not heard of a fey farmer before, now that he thought about it, though surely they had to exist.

“Oh, I see!” Delric nodded approvingly. “Thus your impeccable manners, I suppose!”

“I’m glad to please you, your majesty.” She murmured, curtsying again.

“What made you want to be Tristan’s assistant here?” the king inquired.

The lovely green eyes blinked, as if she was momentarily taken aback, but to Callan’s surprise, instead of getting defensive, a warm smile filled her expression. “I wanted to be able to help people. I think I can help people here for a while, so I came.”

Callan frowned slightly. Fey folk couldn't lie. Had her statement left any wiggle room for shenanigans? Probably, if he could take a few moments to think about it, anyways, but thinking straight while she was in the room was proving to be more difficult than he’d have imagined.

“Well, I am glad to hear it! We’re glad to have you here.” Delric told her earnestly. “Good luck in your new position!”

“Thank you, highness.” Sage dropped into another perfect curtsy.

Tristan and his new assistant withdrew to the side of the room, but all eyes in the room remained fixed on them.

Now the commoners were allowed into the large hall to speak to Delric. Normally, Callan found this part of his duties pretty interesting. He typically enjoyed hearing Delric’s decisions on matters, since the king was wise, and his rulings were usually very fair. But this time, Callan found it difficult to focus, and felt his eyes drawn constantly to where Tristan and his new assistant stood.

Some of the commoners who had come to air their grievances to the king, or ask advice of him, seemed to be having that same trouble too, and indeed the rest of the nobility stared as well.

Callan watched as some of the noble women approached Sage and Tristan, undoubtedly introducing themselves, wanting to be able to add whatever they could to their gossip. Despite her well-made, fine clothing, and outrageous beauty, she would still be a commoner in their eyes. That said, her status wouldn't stop the men from being interested, and the amount of glazed-over expressions and slack jaws told Callan he wasn’t the only one who’d been somewhat stunned at her appearance.

At least the captain of the guard had the sense not to drool openly. Callan smirked and let himself feel superior. He could sense her pull and attraction, it was impossible not to, but unlike the other buffoons, he wasn’t going to chase after her like some love-sick puppy. He would, instead, get to the bottom of why she was there, and prevent her from causing any trouble for Delric. The last thing the king needed was a beautiful woman running around causing problems.

At the thought, Callan grimaced. What would Delmond do when he set eyes on this stunning beauty? Actually, no, maybe the fool of a Crown Prince would finally meet his match in this gorgeous fey woman. Well, only if she wasn’t the type to be taken in by the promise of a crown, and the idea of having a crown was pretty appealing to most people.