BOOK TWO

-

THE ROYAL GUARD

--- Elise

The left half of the portal opened with a low, creaky sound, letting Elise and Lady Annette go through.

The throne room was rectangular and vast, way more than anything the girl had seen so far. Windows made of coloured glass lit columns and nooks all along the side marble walls, where rested exquisite statues and tapestries. As her eyes explored her surroundings, the young princess couldn't help but wondering if those sculptures too represented some of her ancestors. She kept walking forward, following her lady-in-waiting from up close, almost fearful of stepping on the huge mosaic that occupied most of the floor.

This place is... Unreal. I thought the temple in Fradot was big, but this? I don't even know where to look.

On the other end of the hall was a half-circle of stairs, leading to a massive throne. Elise lifted her gaze towards that seat, holding her breath. A person was there.

Long strands of hair, grayed by age, partially covered a bearded face. A rich, elaborate golden crown towered above head of that man, who was dressed in the finest brocade. His eyes were bright green, just like the girl's, fixed on her with a mixture of solemnity and sadness. Never, even in her most intimate fantasies, Elise had thought that to be the first image of her father she would ever see.

He looks so strong. So mighty. But at the same time, he...

There was something off in King Sebastian, that much she knew. A powerful ruler like him couldn't have possibly made that face, not on the day of his daughter's long expected return.

"I can only be with you until this point," said Annette, stopping where she was. "This is what I was told. The King requested that I stand by outside."

The princess nodded, continuing her solitary advance. She shivered when she heard the door closing behind her back, echoing across the room, but never once she looked away from her father. Words weren't enough to describe that moment, her racing heart had to suffice. When she finally arrived at the very bottom of the stairs, just a few feet below the throne, she bowed and waited in silence.

King Sebastian made some gestures, and the guards who kept watch from some shady, nearly unnoticeable corners left through hidden side entrances. Then, when it was just the two of them, the man took a long breath and spoke.

"You know who I am?"

"Yes... Father."

Elise didn't call him Your Majesty on purpose, disobeying what Lady Annette had just taught her. It wouldn't have worked any other way for her. Still, much to her surprise, the monarch didn't show any sign that the violation of the protocol had been taken as an offense.

"What did they tell you about me?" he asked.

"They told me you are a strong and just ruler, of untold courage and honour."

His voice was dignified, appealing. Fit for a person of such importance.

"Did they?" The King gave her a smirk, and closed his eyes. "My servants must be even more devoted to me when I'm not around, then."

The man stood up, grabbing a walking stick that lay by his side. It was at that moment that Elise noticed his left leg making some weird metal noises. From the clear unease her father showed while walking, his injury was just as serious as in the stories.

"I know what you think," he continued. "Why did I, a parent, choose to send my own daughter to the other side of the world? Was it out of fear, perhaps? Or maybe just because I didn't know how to protect her? You must have asked yourself these questions before."

"No, My King," quietly lied the girl. "There's no way I would doubt your wise decision."

Sebastian came down the stairs with surprising ease, compared to the struggle he had in standing up from his seat, and arrived right in front of her. He was a little shorter than the carpenter Gardn, in Fradot, but his build left nothing to the imagination about his past war experiences. Elise bowed her head, respectfully, just as her lady-in-waiting had told her to do when the ruler approached.

"Then I must really be a failure of a father," he said, while his expression saddened even more and his eyes became teary. "Because never once in these fourteen years I didn't regret that day... I abandoned you, Elise."

The princess realized too late that she was crying. Her father came closer and embraced her, sobbing as well.

This broken man... Is the mighty king of Cassidia? And I am the cause?

"There's no gift I could give you, Elise... Nothing that could erase the terrible mistake I've done!" went on the King, between the tears. "Asking for your forgiveness is the only thing I can do."

"Father..."

Elise cried and cried, on the shoulder of her long-lost father, until they let go of each other. The man's hands were trembling. That wasn't really how she expected him to be.

"Look at you... How beautiful you have become. You can't understand how much of a miracle it is to see you again after so much time..."

"I knew you... You were still somewhere, father," sighed the girl. "But Dominic wouldn't tell me. It was so frustrating, when he died... I thought I wouldn't ever find out who you were."

The King sat down, on the lowest step, inviting her to take place at his side.

"I can't possibly imagine how much you've been through. But from now on, I'll be here for you. Elise, give me a chance to redeem myself."

She nodded and accepted the seat, but their conversation died there.

Both of us must be unsure of what to say, right now. For me, it's like a dream. For him... I can't really say.

Her father wasn't scary at all. He was a normal human being, just like her. Their green eyes were the same, and the girl also noticed that they had the very same way of getting lost into space. A shame they had been living apart for so long.

"Father," she started. "I came here not because I want to be a princess, but for you. I always knew that my destiny wasn't living in that distant valley, in fact."

"Did you?"

"Yes. Dominic never liked to discuss the future when we were together."

"Such a good man," commented Sebastian.

Without thinking too much about it, Elise began to talk. She told her father everything about her childhood in Fradot and the difficult times she had undergone there. The man was visibly concerned of her well being at first, because he thought that they treated her poorly, but then he relaxed while hearing about the people of the village.

The girl discovered that having a conversation with him was almost effortless, and it became natural in no time. They stood up and walked across the room, sharing moments of the past they hadn't been allowed to spend together.

We really are family. Is this what it means to have a father? And on top of that, what a person he is! I can't wait to introduce him to...

The thought shrank in her mind. How would have he reacted once knowing that she had brought a friend to the palace? If he didn't already know, of course. He was the king.

"You said Dominic said something to you before dying, right?" inquired the monarch.

"Yes. He told me to always protect my people. At first, I thought he meant Fradot, but when ambassador Virgil came I understood the weight of those words. Being here is no joke for me, father. Once I've acclimated, I want to know your Kingdom like the back of my hand."

The King laughed. "Don't worry, Elise. That's-"

He stopped talking, because one of the side doors had just opened. From it entered another man, with a long blue vest, similar to the one Virgil used. He was younger than Sebastian, a little less bulky perhaps, and had a simple stub in place of the long beard of the ruler.

What really captured Elise's attention, anyway, were his bright green eyes.

"Good timing," exclaimed her father. "Elise, this is your uncle Darius, my brother and my most important counselor. I hope you two will get along well."

I... I have an uncle?

"Yes, yes. Happy to see you, niece," said Darius, who looked way more interested in the papers he was bringing along with him. "Brother, there are urgent matters that require your attention."

"What on Earth could be more urgent that my own daughter, Darius?" asked the King. "Not to mention Elise is your blood as well. Aren't you glad to see her, at last?"

"It's the court," whispered the other man. "They are pressuring me for answers and I won't be able to hold them back much longer. They demand the reason behind all this secrecy, the reason why their ruler has spent two hours meeting an unknown guest."

"I already I don't intend to present to them until she's ready. Find a way to delay things. Tell them... That I'm having my leg visited by a priest, or something."

"Brother!" replied Elise's uncle. "You can't hide the princess forever. General Cremont has been absent for nearly a month, and we didn't give the rest of the court any explanation yet. And there's also the matter of the boy who came with her..."

"What boy?" inquired Sebastian. "Elise? Who is he?"

"He's a friend of mine, Father. I was just getting to the point of the story where I mentioned him. He saved my life twice, and fought alone against many enemies!"

The King's expression became overjoyed, like that of a kid.

"Marvelous! Where is this young man?" he exclaimed. "Darius, why didn't you tell me about this? I must meet someone so brave! So, what did he do? What did he do?"

Wait, he... He just lost it, like that? Virgil told me he liked honour and warriors, but...

"I must ask you not to lose time with that one," pointed out his brother. "He... He isn't a noble. The court won't approve you allowing him in your presence."

"What? He saved my daughter!"

"I'm against it, brother. Give him a sack of gold and a sword from the armoury, and let him go."

Just like every time someone talked about Roric in those terms, Elise became furious.

"Why do you speak these words... Uncle?" she asked, momentarily distracted by that unusual word. "Does it matter that he isn't a noble?"

"Calm down, Princess," answered the man, politely. "Your father here admires bravery, as it's widely known, yet... You must understand that this palace isn't exclusively his home. The court is an important part of his rule and he mustn't offend them if he wants them to remain loyal."

"Offend? Loyal? Would something this insignificant destroy years of good rule?"

"No, but... It would create an unfortunate precedent. A lowly, unknown commoner meeting a King would be-"

"Who cares if he is a commoner?" said the girl, raising her voice. "Commoners too can do exceptional things, uncle."

"And exceptional must be the ruler's indifference. Exceptional must be his generosity in the reward, but never must the ruler look down on a mere peasant," replied Darius, like he was holding a lesson. "Keep it in mind, girl, for one day that throne is bound to be yours. And the moment you get too familiar with your people, they will start thinking they can disagree with you."

The princess held back her own reply. Despite the harsh tone and the attitude, that man was actually making a lot of sense. After what had happened in Fradot, she knew that creating divisions inside those who had the power wasn't a smart thing to do. Still, hearing that from someone who was supposed to be in charge of a kingdom wasn't the first thing she expected. She turned to her father, in search of help.

"Enough, Darius," stepped in the King. "I understand your motives, but it's her safety we are talking about. This young man will meet me, in a private room if the court is too offended by his presence. Still, if he really saved Elise's life, you owe him just like I and the rest of this kingdom do. Are we clear, brother?"

Darius looked at him doubtfully, but in the end he nodded.

"If that's your will, brother," he answered, with a bow. "I will tell the rest of the court to shut up and wait, and that an explanation will eventually come, just... Don't make them wait too long."

"Sure. You can go."

The counselor turned towards the girl before leaving, and extended his hand. Elise shook it nervously, but there wasn't any trace of hostility in his grip.

"I'm sorry if my words have passed any kind of boundary, Princess. I will be more cautious in the future."

And with that, he disappeared behind a column and took the way out. Sebastian put one of his big hands over her left shoulder and sighed.

What a pile of-

"Before you ask, Darius is not a bad person. He is just so concerned about the safety of our kingdom that sometimes he forgets about having a heart," he explained. "Don't worry. I'll meet your friend, this..."

"Roric."

"Roric. Roric, right." commented the King. "Now, tell me about him."