Gabriel POV:

“So, mind explaining what just happened?” Kelleran

I look at him with an expression of confusion. Why is he acting weird? He’s unusually defensive and obviously trying to play tough, though the act doesn’t work too well with me, after all, I’m trained to pay attention to his cues.

“I am not sure as to what you are referring, milord.” Gabriel

His eyes bug out for a second at the ‘milord.’ Not surprising, I’m trying to be more respectful for the new Queen. It isn’t that I don’t respect him, mostly, it’s more so that I don’t want to push my luck with my new overlord. Hmm, that didn’t come out right, now I sound like a bootlicker. Anyways, I know for a fact that Kelleran could care less about titles and the like, though I’m not so rude as to call him by his first name. He’s still my boss and were not exactly friends, more two individuals with similar goals and similar environments, though we are not friends. I suppose allies is a good word.

“All right, I’ll be direct about it. Did you just kiss my daughter.” Kelleran

He said it more as a statement than as a question, as if he already knew the answer. I, however, understood where this was all coming from immediately. Probably thought that the Queen’s little outburst was born of intimate contact.

“Firstly, no, secondly, we have a problem. Did you know that your mistress was a Primal Beast-Kin?” Gabriel

He looked a little aggravated at the reference to Cecilia’s mother as a mistress, but the fuck do you expect me to say! You never actually clarified the relationship, and you. Were. Married! However, once he realised what I was saying, he paled. A more reasonable reaction, seeing how it implies that we very well may be losing this entire political game simply because someone realizes she’s acting a bit too shamelessly.

And in case you're wondering, it’s not the Erian Beast-Kin I’m worried about, it’s the diplomats. The diplomat that the Beast-Kin Principalities are sending has a nephew with him that is apparently a godlike warrior talent, and is also within the acceptable age range for their right. If the Principalities get to have their way with her majesty, Eria will become a brand new puppet state, or as they call it, principality. And no, we can’t deny the request for the right to be performed because that will spark a revolt in which the Principalities will, yet again, get to interfere. Afterwards, the rest of the world try and swoop in to ‘liberate’ Eria from the Principalities and either fail or win and put on a figurehead who will bankrupt the country for ridiculous trade deals. As long as the nation is stable, they will help protect it. Once that stability is gone, it’s every man for himself.

“This is bad.” Kelleran

“Yup.” Gabriel

He starts brooding, no doubt going over different solutions for the problem.

“Can we seat her near the baron families?” Kelleran

“The North-Kin noblemen will object to it and call into question why she would be sitting with those obviously weaker than her. The Beast-Kin aren’t stupid, they’ll realize it long before the ceremony is over and we can hide her away for the next few weeks.” Gabriel

He just sighs.

“Alright, tell me your worst case solution?” Kelleran

Crap, why do I always have to think these up?

“Hahh~, find her someone applicable the night before the ceremony and let them go at it for a few hours. But we both know that wouldn’t work for a lot of reasons.” Gabriel

She’d most likely get pregnant, hate us for all eternity, and not to mention there aren’t that many people powerful enough to satisfy her instincts, while also young enough to satisfy her instincts. I fit the bill, but having sex for political reasons just doesn’t sit well with me.

“Scratch that, we could have her become infertile, which is infinitely worse.” Gabriel

You have no idea how difficult it is to legitimize an adoption for nobility, especially when that adoptee is supposed to become the heir to the fucking nation. I once had to work on the paperwork for a baron’s adoption, I owed the guy a favor, and had to have way too many oaths sworn and then the paperwork! Argh, I wrote half a books worth just for all the references and research notes for the traditions of that county. A month of my life, wasted, in my opinion.

He sighs but it quickly turns into a groan and nearly becomes a shout. His hands were over his face, exemplifying his anger.

“What's the best option?” Kelleran

That was slightly more difficult to answer. I ponder for a minute before finally giving him my answer.

“Make the ceremony to take place a few days earlier than previously planned and push up our time tables, after that, schedule a hunt as celebration in place of a banquet feast. Physical exertion can stave off the effects of a heat, which I get the feeling the other Primals and North-Kin at the ceremony will be more than thankful for. I’ll also have the underlings go through the archives for just about anything that could stave off a heat’s effect.” Gabriel

He broods for another minute, mulling over my suggestion. This could be risky, we need every minute for training, after all. We are trying to give birth to a noble in just under three weeks, where as most have years to build their facades. Not to mention how likely it is that she die at the end of this little scheme of ours. After a while, he nods and we both head for the door. I open it and usher him through before myself. That little ‘open the gates’ tradition of ours only applies to important events, otherwise it’d be kinda stupid to have your ruler go through every doorway first without checking for traps and the like.

That right there is a recipe for idiocy.

I click my tongue at Vanar, leading him to perk up immediately and start towards me, a lazy expression on his face. Lazy mutt, if it were up to him he’d just sleep all day without doing anything. I decide to try and head over to the base of the tower. It would be a breach of etiquette to go up the tower to her room, but that is the best place to go for a chance at finding her. That or the baths, but that assumption is based on her being part reptilian.

Vanar then snaps his head towards the east for some reason and gives an all too familiar reaction. He’s hearing a commotion, probably smells blood as well.

Shit

*********************************

Cyrus POV:

This has been an extremely tiring past few days. Since I’m one of the only Royal Knights that isn’t tied down with preparing to spread word about Cecilia, it’s kind of hard to create a royal out of nowhere, so I’ve been training as a champion as backup. My training schedule has been ramped up, and I already had a sadistic training instructor. They can’t use people like Grand Ranger Y’sar and Ranger General Y’mar, or even Saran for that matter, because of the age difference. If you are using a champion to challenge your enemy, the champion is not allowed to be too much older than the challenged.

Be too unfair otherwise to bring in some random Wood-Kin blademaster who’s been alive longer than your entire family house. There is a five year allowed difference in age, but this also consigns to the use of a proxy. If no licensed Champion stands within the given age range, you must utilize a willing proxy of the rank of knight.

I am one of the few knights of close enough age, and the best warrior in that group. Most would be rather sore about that, seeing how I’m a spearmen. Throw me in the stockades for all I care, I just don’t like swords.

It never helped me that I’ve been having yet another strange dream, this time of some box shaped assassin hanging around a criminal book. It also didn’t help that I am being forced to look intimidating for the new servants. I mean, why are we intimidating them? No criminal would... be…

WHY THE FUCK ARE THEY HERE!?!

********

Y’sar POV:

Hmm, I’ve got a bad feeling. It’s not a feeling that says “I’m going to die,” but it’s not one I’m all that comfortable with either. Like a, “your allies are about to start killing each other,” feeling.

I should probably stop that.

I am already outside, third ring. The Royal Guard division of the Royal Knights aren’t all that keen on letting us Rangers go into the inner two layers, which I don’t mind all too much. Less area for us to patrol. I take out a coin, a copper sparrow, so let’s say it’s the outer ring. I then flick it upwards into a spin. It drops and I look to where the beak is pointing.

Okay, so, training field of the outer layer. Anything going on in there? There was that first wave of servants due to come in for internship and interview. Wasn’t Loudmouth supposed to be there? Yeah, probably. He was a bandit when he was just a kid if his profile is correct. So chances are he ran into an old associate.

I should probably stop this before it gets too bad. I have long since learned to listen to my instincts, bad things happen when I don’t. After all, I’m not lucky, I just know how what it feels like when I’m unlucky, and do the opposite of that.

I pass by a few of my fellows, they are all rather interesting fellows in their own rights. A few of them are escaped hybrid slaves that my brothers brought back from their homelands. Really, deny a person their ambition long enough and they have it become part of themselves.

That or they break. Met too many of them, think that countess Saran is always avoiding had a few family members that went that way. Really should find out how the hell she turned into a countess. Also gotta find out why Saran avoids her like the plague, I mean, she’s pretty good looking and finding any way to get a lady sweaty and exhausted is time well spent *wink wink* *nudge nudge*

Seriously though, I need to get a proper intelligence network going. We have a Ranger on the throne now, so we don’t have to worry about the spymaster getty antsy about our activities. I mean, the last king had a lot of ties to the Pact, he removed our moniker of vigilantes and rebels, but sometimes he just wasn’t willing to go far enough. Not that Kelleran wasn’t ruthless, but five years isn’t that long to set to work about systematically start removing the corrupt from office. We were made official before then, but the death of his lover sent him over the edge in some regards.

I eventually make it to the training field just as the fresh batch of servants enter in. I trail my eyes all over the place, noting everything. The dummies were taken out, leaving behind little metal holes, meant to hold the dummy in place. Never understood why the mannequins are called dummies. Guess it’s because they can’t call them idiots since the drillmaster will be screaming that at the recruits.

Oh my, that brings back memories of when Cecilia was learning how to fight. She was terrifying to fight, not because she was good with her weapons, but because I was mostly afraid she’d end up killing herself. Kelleran would have killed me.

My eyes lock onto a rather vigilant looking Cyrus, who is at the moment scanning the area with his gaze. Good, I suppose my instincts wasn’t ri--

Cyrus’ face flashes with absolute rage as he hoists his spear into grip that would be better used for stabbing. I start walking out at a brisk pace, erupting from the arched tunnel that led from to the guardhouse from the previous ring. This is one of the only non-gated rings, simply because the guardhouse is surrounding it on all sides. None of Cyrus’ compatriots are paying attention to him, probably because he is their superior officer and most likely trust his judgement.

A good policy, but bad for me.

I follow his gaze, he is moving down into the lower leveled training field. It’s built like that to give the drill instructors a better line of sight on everyone. I finally find who he’s after, a pair of kids wearing dirty, thickly padded clothes. Both have panic in their eyes, which are well hidden with their expressions, but the eyes never lie. So, they have experience with life or death situations, despite their young ages.

That’s bad.

Cyrus’ pace started to quicken and the would-be servants were parting the way for him, there was a look of bloodlust on his face.

That’s worse.

Need to do this in a way that maintains our authority. At the edge of the field, I stop and cup my hands around my mouth to make a shouting stance.

“Cyrus! The Queen is waiting for you! Get over here already!” Y’sar

That snaps him of his focus and he gets a conflicted expression as he snaps his head back and forth between me and his almost victims. Eventually he starts walking towards me and we both head off towards the arched tunnel, not speaking a word. His frustration mounting with every step. Once we step out of earshot he turns and goes to speak. His voice is full of venom and frustration.

“What does the Queen want?” Cyrus

“Oh, nothing really, just for you to stop being a dumbass and attack people in the middle of a crowd. You do realize that if I hadn’t stopped you, Cecilia could very easily lose the trust of the common people.” Y’sar

Realization dawns on him and his face pales. Good, he’s not a buffoon, or obstinate, though that temper of his needs some working. Small side effect of ferocity, people with a bad temper usually only make it to rank five, but they get better at controlling said temper over time.

Otherwise, they don’t make it too far. Their limbs though, those go real far.

A bell starts ringing to the west of us. The bell signifies some form of intruder, meaning there’s someone I have to kill. That or a something, I would prefer a something.

non-Kinnic fighting patterns are more interesting.

Cyrus and I share a glance before we start jogging off in that direction.

I hope the others don’t kill it before I get there!