Ch 22 - And so at last we graduated

Mother’s face is so beautiful when she smiles like that, and father in his black armor sitting beside her with that proud face really fills my heart.

There is Higg too waving his left hand at me with his lovely smile, oh well all the Royal family for that matter, as Roxy is also graduating today with us, she entered the politics course which is a bit longer than ours by one year.

Speaking of Roxy(err, Princess Roxana), I thought that she would be so mad at me when she found out that I decided to accept her brother’s proposal, but it seems she made peace with it some ago, I didn’t notice but I’m glad. It would have been bad if she hated me for it.

So we are waiting in the auditorium where the graduates are called upon and either receive diplomas or are knighted by the head of the Order of Knights.

They called first Ali as she is the valedictorian of this promotion, and indeed she is a great study. She received the black hood of the Shadow Order and a dagger.

Then they called Azer, since we joined the Royal Academy he’s been always the 2nd place, in eternal competition for the first place (tho always losing) with Ali, and was knighted with clamorous applauses from the hall!

And then the third highest grade will be called to walk to the center.

“Lady Gatriel Decebal, Order of Knights, Leader of her team, today will receive the honor of Knighthood by the hands of our King Garrett Beves Reiyah the Earnest, in honour of her achievements through her career in the Royal Academy!

Being the first time in the history of our kingdom that a team graduates with a completion/defeat ratio of forty eight successful victories and zero defeats, carrying exclusively advanced missions while also defeating the previous record held by a graduate team completion by more than doubling it!!”

Uh? That seems to be quite the big deal! I knew I had accumulated a lot of achievements but I never thought it was never done before let alone that we actually doubled an already existing record!.

I’m nervous uwawa.

I’m wearing my usual dark red armor with my swords on my back, why didn't I wear for today the normal Knight’s attire.

Is my hair all right? Do I smell anywhere? *breath* ok breath in and walk down now me.

“Today is a joyus day as we name thee Lady Knight Gatriel Adelena Decebal, Knight of the proud kingdom of Imil, in this great city named after the kingdom. It’s my heartfelt pleasure to Knight you in person.”

He draws his sword, and places it my left shoulder, then arks over my head and touches my right shoulder and continues.

“Raise my vassal, for your place is not down, but high above”

I stood up in front of the king who was smiling radiantly while looking me straight in the eyes and then he nodded.

Taking that as the cue, I bowed and left to my family, everyone who receives knighthood or their graduation item (Black hoods for the Shadow order, Diplomas for the Politics branch, Knighthood for the knights, Overcoats with hats for the engineers) do once they are done.

And like that the whole graduation ceremony came to an end with a huge roar of applause, cheers and whistles.

Roxy came up to us when we were leaving the auditorium and invited us to the Royal Castle for a party, it seems she invited every one of the students that graduated today.

It’s later tonight so we still have some time to refresh ourselves, change attires, rest and then make our appearance.

It’s been two weeks since our return, learning that Father and Higg returned the same day in the morning, we got awarded a medal of valor for our duty to the kingdom and then we were let go home that day.

A week later Lady Moraea was executed privately deep inside the Order of Knights, as word of a possible plot from a faraway land invading would only cause unrest to the population.

Domenic rented a room in a high class inn, after he presented all proof that he was indeed the ruler of the now called ‘Independent Republic of Bawold’. It took about three days to gather and investigate in the Royal records, but it was done without a hitch.

As for the cover story, Aliyah somehow managed to insert the name of Drue as a family of merchants of low nobility. That information was later found on old records, the family had ‘left the kingdom to explore and learn about the world’.

Domenic named himself ‘Domenic Watkin Drue’, Watkin being the real family ruling Bawold for several centuries past. Which ended up making the whole process of verifying his identity a lot easier.

One night in private he explained that to prepare to search for us in this return, he needed the means to travel, and to do so he needed power.

So he started training his skills on his own from the age of four, at seven when he felt his energy and he started developing, and three years ago he took over the somewhat small city that is located deep inside a forest fronting to the Cobalt Sea.

It’s a hard to believe story for anyone else but him! He is about a year and half older than me this time.

When we spoke about our situation he laughed at the difference in our situations and upbringing and we shared stories of the old old past.

This is the first time I get to be with him ever since that day, Brad had appeared two times, but Dom was never found by me.

It seems he found Brad a couple of times in the past, but has not heard a word of him in this period.

When I told him that I was to marry the prince, he held a complex expression on his face but told me he was happy for me, and used words very much like ali to encourage me to follow my heart.

We will meet tonight at the party in the castle as he was invited by Higg, that jealous fiance of mine wants to get to meet my ‘mysterious lost friend’.

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“Sir Domenic Watkin Drue, lord ruler of the Independent Republic of Bawold, special guest of the first prince of Amil, Lord Knight Higg Armand Reiya, The Gryphon”

I’m not good with this kind of thing, my land is a single isolated city and always this nobility crap gets on my nerves.

Well I’m here because I found that which I was looking for and she asked me to behave. If not for the Heavenly Commander I would still be roaming around aimlessly looking for her, or any of the others for that matter.

I’m glad that Ali was with her and it’s nice to hear that they always end up together now the question is, where is Brad?, I need to go talk with Gat and go check Asteraoth, the old land of the nephilim.

Currently deep under the seas between the eastern and western continents, several times in the past brad told me that the ruins of Asteraoth still remain, and are still somewhat protected from outside interference.

I’ll get to that in time, right now we are not yet ready to do that trip, got to wait until that day comes...

I entered the hall in my most formal attire, which I bought here last week.

Black trousers covered of fine fabric, white socks below the trousers and black leather shoes. A white high collared long sleeve shirt, covered by a long overcoat also long sleeved. Adorned with eight golden buttons from the neck to the waist closing it.

The overcoat has golden lines decorating the front, marking the shoulders, and after uniting in the back of my neck they then fall down in a single line through the middle of my back.

This I’m used to as I’ve been of noble birth in several of my past lives, but well nothing like my combat attire! I’m certain Brad would agree with me on this.

“Welcome to the royal hall of Imil Castle Lord Domenic, thank you for accepting my invitation to tonight’s celebration”

“Thank you for the courtesy of inviting me over! Not just getting to know the future husband of a dear friend, it will also let me feast my eyes with the beautiful flowers of this country.”

This guy is suspicious of me, maybe even jealous? Well Gatriel is indeed a rare beauty even among our people where unearthly beauty is the normal.

But To my eyes, Aliyah is much more beautiful that Gatriel, oh well each to its own right?.

Let’s play along and see what are this man true feelings and then form my image of him based on that.

“That you will indeed my lord, tonight there will be a parade of flowers that will not dissatisfy your eyes that I assure you. Of course my fiancee is off limits ok? Hahaha”

Stupid fuck! As if I ever would lift a finger towards Gat, you think me suicidal?.

I smile and nod as I follow the man who seems to be walking towards the stairs to the second floor.

After taking a seat in a table with an overlook of the whole Royal hall (this is quite the convenient spot), some butlers brought us wine and snacks. We started talking about politics, and most of all Higg asked about my country! ‘Ohh is a city-state’ ‘oh its independent’ ‘such a shame to be surrounded by a dense forest’ ‘oh this oh that’.

As we spoke the crier presented people after people, beautiful ladies and handsome men made entrance, nothing eye catching yet but well it's starting to get lively.

I look at the cast on the prince’s right arm and asked about it.

“So Lord Higg, The Gryphon was it? What happened to your right arm?”

It seems in his last campaign he was lightly injured in combat right at the end of the deployment.

A barbarian (or so he called it) broke his bone with a wooden club but was saved by Gat’s father.

His eyes show a glint of shame but that’s a good sign in my book! It seems they managed to recover whatever the city-of-markets, and even pushed forward securing the stretch between the two kingdoms and returned victorious.

It seems the celebrated is not yet on site, this party was thrown by Higg for his sister Roxana, whom seems to be older than Gat by a year.

Maybe it’s customary for royalty to arrive a bit late to this kind of events?.

While I was thinking about that Gatriel’s family was announced and Higg stood up, it was an absurdly long cry as Ali’s family and Gat’s came together.

I leaned on the handrail to look down more properly and took a look at the hall, this kingdom has money that's for sure.

In the roof, there are several crystal chandeliers shining light down the area. Six tall round columns support the highly painted roof. The walls are covered with paintings of families (probably past royal families).

At the far end across where I am sitting lies a huge three meter tall window-framed open door, that allow access to a great balcony.

The center of the hall is of a sculpted/painted polished stone with a huge carpet that follow the central stairs up, red with golden stripes and some small pattern sawn in a golden thread, a single piece of carpet covers the whole area aside from the centerpiece which exposes the ‘dance area’ I guess.

Several tens of long circular tables are placed all over the carpet with chairs covered in white and red fabric, and maids and butlers are doing rounds offering beverages and food.

The huge hall is of rectangular shape.

To my right are the long central stairs that lead to a huge dark brown wooden door that’s closed, and to my left is the entrance, where Gat and Ali are entering the place.

And then as if on cue, after Gat’s family entered the hall, a crier ran up the long stairs on my right towards the huge wooden door, and announced the Royal family.

“The first prince Higg Armand Reiyah welcomes The Royal family, lead by the King Garrett Beves Reyah the Earnest, followed by the Queen Alote Ancret Reiyah, second princess Amelinne Sophie Reiyah, third princess Roxana Dimia Reiyah and lastly fourth prince Bernard Reiyah“

I stood up impressed when the crier announced the third princess. Thats one really beautiful creature of the mortal races, I would really like to get to meet her more closely.

Thanks for reading my fiction! I hope to get your comments and help from now and in future issues.

Give and Take you know undefined, you help me, I help you! isn't that the main reason why most of us gather here in RRL? to learn from each otner?

Cheers.