After two weeks of riding, Kard could finally see the capital over the horizon eastward. They had just left a patch of dense forests surrounding the huge city from the west. Here, the king’s road was well kept, but that was not true of everything they had seen. He was worried, he had taken spare horses as a precaution, but even still it took them far longer than he anticipated. Mayhap the capital had been further than he thought, but he figured it was the terrible conditions they witnessed on the way.

Towns and villages plagued with bandits and ducal infighting were all over the west. Only several miles from Comet’s Landing, the capital, did the graveled king’s road turn to paved stone, and the patrols kept the commoners safe. It angered Kard more than he could say, the king’s men had not kept their duty. For he refused to believe his friend and now king, Heinrich, was that uncaring for his people. What they needed was a new captain of the king’s guard, to serve as the realm’s new marshal.

‘I hope I will not have to serve that role, but I will do so if I must. For the sake of those people suffering as well,’ Kard was hopeful that a better man than him would be chosen.

“My lord, we are nearing the Lion’s Gate, do you wish for one of us to send word ahead of our arrival?” the words of his most experienced knight brought him out of his thoughts.

“Yes, the king does not like surprises. And Entsteburg will not welcome us without his say so,” Kard responded, using the city’s name in the old tongue, as decent among high society. He didn’t like the separation it encouraged from the common folk, but it was a courtesy he had to keep, even with his knights.

One of the knights then rode out quickly to the gate, as it towered over them from a distance. Fragments of Kard’s memories aligned as he remembered the visits of his childhood. The tall stone gate was just as grand, decorated with rubies and the marble lion’s which were its namesake. The streets beyond it were beautiful as well, he thought, paved stones on every corner, and every man could have a building of wood so well designed they could tower above a single floor. Bustling markets and the smell of rare spices filled the city square and mercantile district, and the religious quarter had temples and cathedrals far more grand than anywhere else in the Celestial Kingdom of the Landing.

Yet, those fragments of his memory proved to be only partially correct. As he witnessed after he finally passed the gate after his crest being thoroughly examined and a messenger from the king himself. His nose was filled with the smell of human waste and sewage. The city was still bustling, but even here, at the least active gate, Kard remembered it far more busy, and the houses in better repair. It almost looked dreary, in comparison to what he knew.

‘Well, a child’s mind trumps up many things,’ he dismissed his own doubts. It was far more likely that he was wrong than for it to have changed so much.

Kard had to ride carefully in the narrow and uneven cobbles of the foreign quarter, but he steadily headed inward into the spine of the city. He separated from his knights, commanding them to find appropriate lodgings for themselves and the horses with half his gold in hand.

Then, he found himself alone, standing in the middle of the city square's market. Even there, a dim silence had replaced frantic bartering and extravagant market stalls.But the gates to the royal grounds and the castle itself beyond them were just as grand as always. Easily dwarfing the Lighthold's keep with it's smallest watch tower.

It was a circular fortress with hundreds of meters of walled off gardens surrounding it. The inside was made of rings upon rings of walls and defences, each with their own symbolism. But Kard had never cared for the specifics.

At the center was the keep and great hall, where the young heir was brought. It was a building made of gilded stone and marble, with each wooden support and exposed wall being filled with art of the royal family's grand history and their royal colors. Scenes of battle and administration that Kard had been taught about surrounded him as he walked into the large and empty hall. Heinrich was waiting for him on the throne with an expression Kard had never seen on his face before.

Despite what he had seen in and outside the capital, Kard knew Heinrich was not a bad king. He was not much older than Kard himself, and he had known him well in their youth, but since the death of his father and sister during a trip to the east, he had been distant, even to him. Some might even have called him apathetic to the woes of the world, but Kard would never go so far. That was still the same young man he knew.

Yet, his face spoke of a pain and deep sadness the young heir could not grasp. Even the small glimpse he had managed before Heinrich regained his composure and spoke to him was enough to know that.

"Your grace," Kard called out as he entered, kneeling as appropriate for the significance of this meeting.

"Kard!" the king smiled, the expression on his face disappearing in a second. He took a moment to adjust himself, and took off the cloak he was wearing. After revealing his blue hair and red eyes, he called for a scribe.

"It's good to see you, but I hoped the first moment we would have would be more private than a royal report," Kard complained with a laugh, Heinrich was just the same.

"This is an important moment, the new captain of my king's guard and my oldest friend has arrived," Heinrich responded, his tone both serious and friendly.

"My king, are you sure that decision is wise, I'm not even a knight yet," he knew his mind was already made up. But Kard objected nonetheless, as was his duty. For he was far from the most qualified to fill the position left behind.

"Now now, as the captain of my guard it is not your duty to question my decisions," the king's tone was still friendly, but now it was also grim. Not waiting for a response from Kard, a message was dictated to a young man in wide glasses who had just arrived. A scribe, the young heir assumed.

The message itself was to be sent to the Temple of Landing, sending word ahead of the king and Kard's arrival. Yet almost before a messenger had left, Heinrich took him along with a few knights and rode for the temple. Only one thing had been prepared before they left, a crimson and blue cape had been placed on the young heir's shoulders.

As they passed through the city streets, Kard found the time to speak to Heinrich.

"The city seems strangely empty this season," he pointed out to Heinrich as they were riding down the main street.

"Oh? I didn't notice," the king's face was uncaring in turn. Yet not in a cheerful manner, Kard noted. Turning to their escorts, he ordered them to increase their pace. Kard could barely keep up with his now increased pace, so no more was said between them.

When the sun had begun falling westward they arrived at the temple. The streets around it were deserted, with it being in the old part of the city. And the only building not in disrepair was the grand temple itself. Yet, it was also empty, and only one man had been waiting for their arrival.

"Francis," the king greeted the man.

'Francis? Isn't he the most famous scholar among the church's priests? Why is he here?' Kard found himself confused, but it would be impolite to ask the king or Francis himself, so he remained silent.

"Your grace," Francis bowed lightly, and showed them inside, "my two apprentices will take care of the knighting ceremony. They are both highly proficient,' Heinrich accepted this with a nod, but Kard could tell he wasn't pleased.

"Is the son of Jan still one of your apprentices, old man?" the king said, almost like in retribution. Kard wasn't sure who Jan was, but it clearly upset Francis.

"Yes," was all he said, a sullen expression on his face. He left them to wait for the ceremony to begin after his two apprentices arrived. Then Kard was forced to wait alone for some time for the ceremony to be prepared, while the king impatiently walked through the church’s hall and courtyard.

Eventually, the two came back, they were an odd couple, one large and white haired but with a certain spring in his step. But the other, in addition to his black hair and lithe form, looked to be hiding a deeper set of thoughts he refused to share with the world. It felt strange to say so much about them from their looks, but Kard was confident of it.

Kard didn’t know his name, but the black haired one chuckled as he gave his oath and walked away from the king after whispering a single sentence in Kard’s ear.

“I hope you keep to that,” he said.

‘A true knight would never swear to a duty he did not intend to fulfill,’ he wanted to say, but the priest left the room before Kard could speak his mind. The second priest hurried to apologize for him, and after asking for the king’s dismissal and receiving it, as due, he left.

Heinrich waited until the other one had left the room before speaking, “that must have been the son of Jan! To show such disrespect in front of his king, I should throw him in the dungeons for that,” Kard was surprised. He didn’t know the king to be more concerned with disrespect than competency.

“My king, I am sure priest apprentices such as him are busy, after all, they both left in a hurry. He did not seem an unfaithful or unjust man, and his friend apologized greatly in his name. I request that you forgive him, for it is simply my ceremony,” he tread carefully, but Kard felt that his old friend would take his advice.

“Very well, if it did not offend your sensibilities I will not let it offend mine,” his tone was still cold, as if he didn’t truly care.

Not long after, they headed back to the castle, and Heinrich retired to his bed. But not before doing two things. First, he asked Kard to meet him once they were both awake tomorrow. Then, he faced him, with an expression of graveness and sadness that Kard had never seen on him before.

“I’m truly glad you’re back, Kard, it’s been too long since a friendly face has been here,” before he could respond, however, Heinrich had left the room.

But Kard had seen something he could not forget. His friend’s face was no longer the same. What was before him was a far older man than he remembered. And even more aged than he should be, with two small scars above his left brow, and a deep sadness lingering in his features. When the Lightwatcher’s heir took the time to look around the castle, he saw that change reflected there too. Apart from a single maid who was instructed to bring him to his room at his leisure, it was empty of life and quieter than anywhere he had been before. What brightness had once been found among its halls had been extinguished, and almost all signs of life had disappeared now that the king had left. Only silent guards roamed the dark and dreary halls.

None but him remained of the royal family, and Heinrich was not interested in expanding it any longer. His reasons were his own, Kard knew that, but something about all that had happened grew to incessantly bother his mind. Still, he retired to his room minutes later, and sought to clear his mind with sleep.