The walk to the restaurant took a bit longer than anticipated, as there was a fair bit of work needed to ensure the safety of the Crown Princess, as well as time to clear the aforementioned restaurant and then establish a small cordon around the area to ensure maximum security. Unsurprisingly, the ones tasked with Aelizabeth’s safety were none other than the HouseHold Imperial Guard of the Empire. Dressed in resplendent uniforms of purple and gold, with white lining, and crème coloured pants, with knee-high cavalry boots, each with a pair of golden spurs. Upon their torso, each wore a cuirass bearing the household crest of the Imperial family, and each wore a steel crested cavalry helm, giving off the impression that these men and women were initially some cavalry regiment until their reputation in the past turned them into one of the elite. Well, over two hundred of these men and women now surrounded and occupied the building, with a number of the wait staff from the palace itself working in place of the restaurant’s actual staff. Even the cook had been whisked away and replaced with another, more trusted individual. When Loup and Leonce found out about that little fact, they were a little perplexed as to why they didn’t just have dinner at Hussar Square if they would go this far. They knew why they couldn’t go to the palace, but this all seemed extremely overkill.

“Well!” Aelizabeth sighed with a breath of finality as things were finally done and settled, “That’s done and over, and we can finally get down to enjoying a proper dinner together again.”

As Leonce and Loup sat down at the rather posh table, they couldn’t help but feel out of place. They weren’t dressed for the occasion, they weren’t washed and they were sitting across from one of the most influential people in the Empire. The Crown Princess, the future ruler of the Empire and the one whom so many thought kidnapped. Yet here she was, happy and jubilant, just getting to have dinner with two commoners. The Guards, who all happened to be of noble stock, shot the two dirty glares, with some even shoving past them when they initially entered the building when Aelizabeth had her attention focused elsewhere. In a way, the brothers could understand the cold treatment they were getting. Two commoners, both recently brought in by the future Empress, and both seemingly praised for their skills by her? It left the rest of the social elite feeling scorned.

“Apologies for being blunt here your Highness, but… how did we get this far in? I know you had those papers for us to sign, but I doubt that would’ve given us such prestigious positions in those regiments you slotted us in,” Loup asked, bringing to light the question he had been contemplating.

She smiled as she leaned forward, resting her chin on the back of her propped-up hands, “Technically, it’s all part of your reward.”

“Our reward?” Leonce repeated.

“Mhm! Your reward. You see, there was a bounty on my safe return, and because you two just so happened to be the ones to find me and safely bring me back to the Empire, you were both given that bounty,” She explained.

Loup’s mood soured more when he heard that joining the military was a reward. He didn’t like this, nor want this. He only did it because Leonce wanted it and the benefits promised. Now, now he was finding out there was a reward for the safe return of Aelizabeth. Instead of getting the coin or title from the Imperial family, all they got was a fucking commission in some ‘elite’ regiments. Loup was outraged and could barely contain his anger until Leonce reached out and gave his little brother a reassuring pat.

“I know Loup… I know.”

Taking a breath, Loup visibly calmed and shook off the anger for a moment, not wanting to spark the ire of those guarding the Imperial Princess. But at least his brother knew he wasn’t happy. Leonce meanwhile was both upset and feeling betrayed. This wasn’t a reward in his mind, nor was it anything close to such. Instead, it was just a means for the Royals to get a step up by using the two brothers as pawns. Typically, Leonce was able to let things slide, but her stance on the matter told him she’d never be someone he could trust… not entirely anyways.

But, with their anger somewhat held in, the two brothers could finally focus on the matter at hand: the Princess. She seemed oblivious to the fact that the brothers were angered by what she had just shared, but in reality, she knew, but chose to ignore it, thinking it just another subject to avoid bringing up and seek to instead move past it and smooth it over. How she’d go about doing such was why she called them here. It wasn’t just a simple dinner, but also to discuss with them what she had envisioned for Iron Shield before their deaths at the hands of those soldiers. She was counting on these two brothers, who managed to do what the Iron Shield could not. She needed Knights. Knights she could trust and rely on. While trust was a bit of a stretch given how long she’d known them, she was always a good judge of character, and these two were practically radiating with good. While they might have dispatched those soldiers in the woods in a cold manner, they still remained good and only did so because she was in danger, which was why she saw her Knights in these two men. Before, they were boys. Untested, uncultured, and likely as bright as your average commoner… with better looks, she had to admit while looking at Leonce and Loup. However, after a week with these two brothers, she’d come to learn that they were vastly more intelligent than most nobles and had the skills and abilities that made even veteran adventurers look like complete beginner's.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Saying all that, though, they needed refinement. They were like two diamonds. Rough, unpolished, and cloudy. If she could fix those blemishes, she’d be able to turn these two into the Empire’s most remarkable. But such was too much too soon. For now, she shoved those thoughts aside, leaning forward once more to give boy a warm smile before speaking.

“But that’s not the only reward you’ll be getting. No. Instead, I’ll be giving you both something no commoner has managed to attain in over a century,” She smiled.

“A job protecting a royal?” Loup snorted.

Aelizabeth smiled, “That and more, my dear friend.”

Leonce raised a brow, intrigued where this was going, “Oh? Don’t leave us in suspense now… Your Highness ~”

“I intend to make you both Knights. My Knights.”

There it was. That was something neither of the brothers saw coming. While it was confirmed that Loup was upset with the princess, as was Leonce, the idea of becoming Knights far outshined coin, as a title practically meant as much coin as they wanted… far more than they’d get as adventurers starting with nothing.

“That’s certainly one way to smooth over a bad mood,” Loup notes with some degree of subdued happiness.

Leonce barely contained a smile at his brother’s response, as he was happy to see the mood of his younger brother smooth over some. Though, he still didn’t like the idea she was making them her Knights. Although, the notion of being a Knight sounds damn good. The swagger he’d be able to walk with holding that title.

“As Loup said, that’ll fix some bad blood,” Leonce noted, leaning back against the cushioned chair.

Aelizabeth smiled; her offer worked, but the next problem came in the form of approval. There was little chance her parents would approve of two commoners becoming her Knights, but they owed these two that much. They did save her after all. The latter wasn’t part of her plan, mind you, but it all seemed to work out for the best, and now, with talk of nobles starting their factions within the Empire, she needed as many people as she could trust on her side.

“I’m glad you two approve, but you’ll have to wait a little while longer before your official Knighthood can be conferred upon you, but I can promise you it will come. To ensure no one can challenge you, though, I need you both to get into those regiments I slotted you with. Once you’re in, no one will question you or how you got the title,” She explained.

Before the brothers could respond, Aelizabeth snapped her fingers, prompting a waiter to come out carrying with him three menus which he promptly placed before each of the three. He stood silently a moment longer until given the signal he was dismissed by the Princess.

The trio looked through the menu in a silence before Leonce broke it, “Uh… what is all this?”

Loup nodded in added confusion, “We’ve… we’ve never had stuff like this. What is this?”

Aelizabeth looked at the two for a moment before swiftly recalling their background. When she got into her mindset of a princess she tended to forget the small things like that, and shook her head in apology, “Ah! That’s my fault, sorry! I should’ve taken precautions,” She started, a little embarrassed by her lapse in thinking, “Essentially, each dish on the menu is something you’ll have to get used to seeing. The first two are seafood dishes. Salom and salad, steak with certain unique dips and flavours that can only be found in monsters from the Eastern Continent.”

The two looked a little more confused but shrugged, “I guess I’ll try that one then~” Leonce said.

Loup continued looking down at a few other dishes and saw something about chicken, “I’ll have this then. Some roasted chicken I suppose from what I see on the side.”

Aelizabeth quickly glanced down to ensure it was what Loup was saying and nodded, “Yes, that’s exactly what it is. But… it’s not a chicken, but a type of monster, similar to the steak. After your term in the military, you’ll often get tasked with jobs as adventurers to hunt certain monsters, and this is why. Nobles and Royals alike tend to favour those dangerous creatures as their mean tends to be far more… well… robust, I guess you could say.”

“That much isn’t a surprise to us. We did some similar work back in Oakenhart. Though that was just us gathering some flowers,” Loup replied tersely.

Aelizabeth nodded in response, “Mhm. That much, I know. Plus, you did go on that Goblin extermination mission with Iron Shield and me, but, again, I say this more so you can understand why it is you’ll often be tasked to hunt such beasts.”

Leonce and Loup didn’t care much about the dangers associated with the job as much as they did the reward. They knew what awaited them in the job they had initially selected, but it was the one they were currently fated to join that they weren’t prepared for in any sense of the imagination. It was partly why Loup had been so angered with Leonce when they were initially signing the contract. He, like Leonce, hated the idea of being ordered by others, but they were joining a field that required such. Still, the benefits of what they were doing far outweighed the cons.

But, for now, such matters faded as they made their choice of food, and as the waiter returned at the Princess's word, the trio began to talk more comfortably with one another, similar to how they had done on the journey from Oakenhart. While it wasn’t relatively as informal as it was then, it was enough for Aelizabeth to feel some degree of comfort in knowing the two brothers no longer seemed to distrust her outright. In reality, they still very much did not trust the Princess but were now a little more open to her ideas if it meant getting such lofty rewards. As nice as they were, they were still human and still sought a better life for themselves, and the rewards she promised were more than enough to ensure they got that life. So it was they would work for her loyally as any other soldier in the Imperial Army would their monarch, but they at least were getting more for their service.