“Why, Admiral Ferros, have you come?” The king spoke with dignity and respect, but one could distinguish the slight irritation, most likely from the interruption of his night.

“My liege, I have come to deliver urgent news from the village of Bocterra. My knights and I have begun facing more and more bandits as of late, but that is not what brought us here. My lord, I am afraid that the neighboring kingdom of Kaochol plans to invade soon, and the bandits are simply spies sent in to gather information of our army,” my commanding officer announced in response. As it was my first visit to the capital and my first meeting with the king, I was unsure what proper protocol was, but I knew Ferros was comfortable in these settings, as he was in every setting.

“And what proof do you have of this impending attack, or are you simply following instinct?” though earlier he was disinterested, he now was staring right into the admiral’s eyes, and I knew then that he would help us.

As Ferros explained the evidence as well as the testimonies from more than one of the cowardly bandits, the king glanced at each one of us. Strangely, he looked at me more than once, and I worried that I was doing something wrong in his presence. I was worried that my uncultured beginnings would show through my carefully crafted façade.

King Tennesley glanced my way one last time before he responded, “Yes, I see. We will meet for breakfast and discuss this further. In the meantime, you and your Knights will be given rooms and food.” He stood up from his ornate throne, calling to the elderly man that had opened the door and gesturing to us. The man led us to our rooms, where I was finally able to bathe and eat a full meal before I ventured over to the bed and fell asleep.

We were waiting for the king in the dining hall of the castle when he strode in with all the dignity and grace one would expect from a king. Following him closely was a sharp-faced woman, so different from my beautiful, soft, and kind mother. It was the queen. She was not famous like the king was in our land; she was rude and pompous where he was kind and gentle, causing confusion as to why he chose her to become the next queen.

Breakfast went by quickly and without fuss; we were allowed to talk to the general, who then allowed us to take several battalions with us back to the village. The only odd aspect of the whole meal was how often the king would glance my way, but I tried to remain respectful by averting my eyes and keeping my head bowed. Once our plates were taken away, we were dismissed back to our rooms to ready our packs for the trip back.

Not long after I had arrived at the door to the room I had taken advantage of last night, I received a summons to King Tennesley’s office. Scared, I followed the servant down the hall and up a flight of stairs, into a quieter wing of the castle. I was astonished by the beautiful surroundings, in fact, I was so engrossed in them that I failed to notice when the king walked up to me.

“It is exquisite, isn’t it?”

I was startled, but I was able to not show an ounce of emotion on my face when I said, “Yes Your Highness, it is.”

“I know you are probably wondering why I summoned you, and the answer is simple. I wish for you to stay at the castle and join The Guard here in the south. I have heard great things about your ability as a soldier, and I would like for you begin training with my masters once the threat of Kaochol is eradicated. I will supply you with rooms in the castle for your family if you wish to bring them, and you will receive as much of a stipend as any other of my Guard.” King Tennesley’s offer sounded too good to be true, but I couldn’t say no. He looked at me expectantly, but not as if he already knew my answer.

“Your Highness, that is a generous offer, and I must accept.”

Two months after I had accepted the king’s offer, I was traveling back to the castle, this time, with my mother. She was hesitant for me to accept the offer but I explained everything, and, with some persuasion, I was able to convince her that this was a good decision.

A butler greeted us at the doors and called for more servants to unload the buggy and horses we had been traveling with, while we continued into the castle to the king’s throne room. Unlike the last time I had been in here, not only was the king present, but so was the queen, and she did not seem pleased. It did not take long for the king to explain why.

It did not take long for the king to uproot my entire world.

It did not take long for me to understand why my mother had been so hesitant to return to the capital.

It did not take long for everything to change.