Hazelmere stood in the command tent, her face sour and irritated. Her eyes, which were almost beaming as she was walking into the tent, now gave off a cold, blank stare.

Rowena was right next to her and, although she said nothing, the vexatious smile on her face revealed her enjoyment.

On the other side of the table stood the knight, looking completely disinterested and above all, tired. Not physically but mentally, his slumped posture showed the kind of fatigue reserved only for those who are tired of living.

“I should’ve known,” Hazelmere’s irritated voice broke the awkward silence.

“Known what?” Rowena feigned surprise, much more by instinct than expecting it to actually work.

“I should’ve known there’s a catch.”

Rowena said nothing this time. She just observed Hazelmere’s face, loving the way her eyebrows and ears twitched in harmony.

The knight didn’t say a thing. He rested his hands on the table, leaning in, his face completely disinterested and unaffected by Hazelmere’s all too obvious disapproval.

Hazelmere sighed heavily and finally addressed the knight:

“How did someone as dark-skinned as you become a knight?”

The knight’s expression didn’t change at all. Rowena hurried to answer in his stead.

“Ok, I admit he isn’t what you’d imagine a knight-commander to look like, but he’s here for a good reason.”

Hazelmere faced Rowena, narrowing her eyes: “You told me the fate of our empire depends on this, and then you place some peasant as the military commander! Are you serious! You couldn’t find anyone better?”

“But that’s exactly the point!” Rowena wasn’t backing down, despite the all too obvious aggression Hazelmere displayed, “Well … ok, you have a point there, he was born as a peasant, but that only shows he’s the right person for the job.”

“Really?” Hazelmere backed away in disgust, “You didn’t even bother to find someone from a reputable family known for generations of capable knights? First of all, how will the other knights act when they learn he is to be their superior? Do you honestly expect the noble knights to obey his orders? Aren’t they supposed to be proud?”

“Listen to me!” The moment Hazelmere backed away, Rowena switched to the offensive, “Our Empire is a meritocratic society! Yes, the blood is important, one’s house is crucial, but the most important of all is that the people achieve results! This guy, while dark-skinned as tree bark, has delivered consistent results! And that’s the most important thing here, making sure the summoning is a success!”

“Are you honestly telling me that this guy is the best knight we have?”

“No, he isn’t the best knight, but he’s our best legion-commander. There are knights much more capable than him, but his unit has the most impressive combat record in the empire! He didn’t become a knight because he was groomed to be one since he was born, he got the title as a recognition of his achievements! Ok, I admit, his knight-commander title is actually a sham since he isn’t commanding any knights. He’s commanding a legion of light infantry, and yet, it’s performing better than any knight legion is!”

That finally drew the words out of the knight’s mouth: “That’s only because the knights don’t fight the war. They just parade around, looking pretty.”

“But this guy,” Rowena pointed the finger at the dark-skinned knight, “has seen a lot of combat. He started his career as a regular foot soldier. He worked hard, advancing through the ranks, and now he has the title of a knight-commander. There’s not a single soldier in the empire who has more combat experience than him! And trust me, that’s the kind of person you’ll want by your side when exploring the unknown, alien world. As professionals, it’s our duty to leave nothing to chance. Even if that will inconvenience us somehow!”

“Except creating a portal to the unknown, alien world,” Hazelmere sneered, “that’s something we’ll gladly take chances with!”

Rowena stared quietly at Hazelmere for a few moments before answering in a calm voice:

“Professionals leave nothing to chance if they can help it.”

“Listen, lady archmage,” the knight spoke in a commanding manner, which only agitated Hazelmere even further, “I’ve no intention of getting in your way. I’ll let you do your job in peace, and all I’m asking in return is for you to let me do mine. And I’m fine with you questioning my capabilities because, frankly, I’m also questioning yours.”

“Excuse me?” Hazelmere’s ears went straight up.

“I have a habit of questioning the abilities of those who place more importance on someone’s background than their record.”

“Are you honestly telling me that someone who spent his life as a peasant is more qualified for the job than someone who has trained his whole life?” Hazelmere got an extremely irritable, smug look on her face.

That didn’t faze the knight at all. Instead, he threw his hands in surrender.

“I have no intention of proving you wrong, that’s not why I’m here. No matter how much you hate it, you’re stuck with me. And, unfortunately, I’m also stuck with you. I don’t care what you think, I just hope you have enough common sense to put our differences aside when it matters.”

Hazelmere raised her nose high up: “I am not petty. I am just concerned about our success if we have resorted to putting someone like you in charge of anything. But, as long as you stay out of my and other mage’s way, I think we will be fine.”

The knight turned around to leave the tent: “If you ever need me, I’ll be in the military district. I have no intention of leaving it unless absolutely necessary. Don’t want to spook the rest of your mages.”

“Sounds good to me!”

The knight left without any farewells.

As soon as he did, Rowena put her arm around Hazelmere’s neck, leaning into her:

“Ok, he’s not the looker …”

“Not at all!”

“But that’s completely unimportant. I know, all of this sounds like some fairy tale. We’re going on an adventure into the unknown, opening a portal to an alien world where all kinds of dangers await! A pretty mage and a dashing knight lead the way for the other plebs to follow, fighting together and gradually getting closer to each other.”

“Shut up! There was no need to lead me on like that!”

“Tsk, tsk … I know our age isn’t that different, but your naivety is impressive. We aren’t here to have a good time, we’re here to do our jobs.”

“Well, excuse me, you oh-so-wise sage!” Hazelmere raised her voice as she disentangled herself from Rowena’s embrace, “I’m so, so sorry for not being wise enough to try and make a fool out of someone every chance I get!”

“You’re missing the point,” Rowena’s face didn’t have a single hint of hostility, “I respect you, a lot. Your title demands respect since no fool can ever attain it. I’m just worried you’re too trustful of others and are also a hopeless romantic. If we had assigned an ideal knight to you, you’d be dancing to his tune in no time. We need you to be in charge, no matter what. We know you won’t let the other mages get in your way, you proved that much, but your lack of self-control when it comes to the opposite sex is worrying.”

Hazelmere crossed her arms, her mouth agape in disbelief.

“Really?”

“Yeah, really.”

“Do you have any idea? Do you have any idea just what kind of self-control it takes to become an archmage?”

“Yeah, I know. And I’m worried you may be tired of it, tired of always being in control of your emotions.”

“Listen, Rowena, and listen well,” Hazelmere showed Rowena her most serious face, “as you have pointed it out yourself, a fool can never become an archmage! There are times when having fun can’t hurt, and there are times when being focused makes all the difference between life and death! Do you honestly think I would get this far if I wasn’t aware of that?”

“No, of course not.”

“Then what’s your damn problem? Ok, I admit, I was hoping for some romance with a dashing knight-commander. Yes, I am a romantic, and I love such stories. But do you honestly think I would forbid all other mages to engage in carnal relations while I am gorging myself? Sex isn’t necessarily a part of the romance, you know? I can wait until the summoning is done!”

Rowena raised an eyebrow: “To be perfectly honest, I can’t trust you completely. You became the royal archmage only recently, so I know very little about you. It never hurts to have additional safety measures when in doubt. Besides, him being dark-skinned is just a convenient benefit. He and his legion are here because they are the most distinguished legion in our army.”

“Then why haven’t I ever heard about him or his legion?”

“Because no one is interested in hearing the stories about some peasants, there’s nothing romantic about it. Would you be interested in hearing a story about two peasants rolling in the hay? It’s the same thing with the warriors. No one is interested in some random peasants fighting battles! Everyone wants to hear a story about some lost prince in full-plate armor slaying a dragon with a magical sword.”

Then, she gave Hazelmere a suggestive look: “But … a story about a high-born lady and a filthy peasant who get to know each other better …”

That caused a myriad of grimaces to show up on Hazelmere’s face in quick succession, each and every one of them filled with disgust. When her emotions finally settled, she pointed her finger towards the exit:

“Piss off!”

Rowena turned around and walked out of the tent with a satisfied smile on her face. But, in the next moment, she poked her head back in.

“Oh, yeah! I almost forgot!”

“What!”

“Since you never bothered to ask, his name is Heartwell. I thought you might need to know that.”

“Just the peasant-commander will do. I have no intention of getting to know him.”

“Oh, well,” Rowena shrugged, but her shoulders were on the other side of the curtain, “your choice.”

And with that, she left.