When Arlin and I arrive at the palace the next day, the guards at the gate are already expecting us. They lead us through the palace, and I can't help but marvel at the lofty ceilings. I can't tell what the building is made of, but the walls are smooth to the touch and light seems to glint off every surface.

We exit through a door and enter what I assume is the garden. Bushes of all shapes make a circle around a flat platform.

"There are a few other people here. Why is no one talking?" Arlin nudges me and cranes his neck to see over their heads.

A flash of white catches my eye, and I jerk my head in its direction. "Over there."

Pale skin glints in the sunlight as the man's eyes rake over the crowd, before stopping at mine.

Elves haven't set foot in Towen in summers. That this one was invited to become a palace guard and showed up is startling. No one knows what to say.

The captain from yesterday steps forward and gathers everyone's attention. "I know you all just got here, but not all of you will be chosen as new guards. You must duel each other first." A murmur rises from the crowd, and he puts his hands up. "You are not allowed to mortally harm each other, so do not worry. If it happens, expect a punishment."

He looks around the square, and his eyes settle on the elf. "You'll go first." Then he turns to the rest of us. "Is anyone willing to challenge him?"

When no one steps forward, I sigh and step up, pulling my cloak off. My long braids slide down my back as I crack my neck and pick up my staff. This should be easy enough. Arlin is one of the best fighters in the village, and I can hold my ground with him.

Arlin grabs my arm to stop me. "Wait. We don't know how well he fights."

I shrug him off. "I've got this. It's okay. I doubt they'll dismiss me after one fight. You know I'm better than half the others here."

He doesn't seem convinced but lets me go.

The elf raises an arched eyebrow as I approach him, no doubt surprised by my gender, but there's still a calculating glint in his eyes. He's not new to this. But neither of us knows how well the other fights, so only the gods know how this will go.

After a moment of waiting for each other to move, the elf swings his staff towards my feet, and I jump before striking back. He's quick to avoid it. Good instincts, like Arlin.

Another swing comes, this time at my face. I duck out of the way and kick at his shins.

He staggers back a bit, but his surprise fades quickly. He sweeps his staff toward my face, and I duck. A swing at my legs gains purchase, leaving a stinging feeling behind. I wipe sweat from my brow, panting, as my opponent raises his staff again.

He rushes toward me, and I have no chance to prepare before we topple to the ground. Pain sears through my shoulders and I bite my lip against a cry.

He uses his body weight to hold me down. Long white hair falls onto my face as he smiles. I'm caught off-guard by the beauty of it and stay still for a minute. I heard true elves were perfect in every sense of the word, but I didn't realize just how perfect they were until now.

I blink away the fog. I have to get him off me now or risk my chance at becoming a guard. Biting my cheek to focus myself, I bunch my legs up under his chest and push him as hard as I can. As he tumbles backward and manages to flip onto his feet, I jump up and ready my stance once again.

"That's enough!" A guard shouts and raises his hand to stop us. "We've seen all we need to see."

A sigh of relief escapes me before I can fight it. If this went on any longer, I'm not sure how it would have ended. The elf and I bow in respect for each other and back up.

"You two will join the palace guard as recruits. Your assignments will be given to you later. Dismissed." Then the Captain turns to the rest of the men. "Who's next?"

I blink in shock. They're going to let us in, just like that? We barely did anything!

My gaze cuts to Arlin. He's grinning, but I can tell he's worried.

"Am I allowed to wait for my brother?" I ask the captain.

He shakes his head. "There is much to do to get you ready. I'm afraid you don't have the time."

I pinch my lips into a tight line but don't say anything more as I re-enter the palace. I stop to wait for a guide to come. We weren't exactly given directions.

"I've never seen a human with white hair," the elf says, startling me. I turn slowly, and he gestures to my body. "Typically, only elves and the old have white hair. Are you a halfling?"

My brows furrow. Why such personal questions? I barely know this man. I certainly don't owe him any information.

"That was a bit too forward. I apologize." He smiles, revealing teeth just as perfect as him. With sharp facial features, forest-green eyes, and a height almost the same as a short Holrux titan, I can tell he's a high elf. And by the silver heartsrune hanging from his chest, a powerful one. "My name is Castien."

He reaches a hand forward, and I stare at it for a second. When he doesn't return it to his side, I sigh and shake it. "Sigrid. And to answer your question – even though I don't feel inclined to – I am half human, half elf."

He leans back a little and examines me with curious eyes. Despite being tall for a woman, I still have to tilt my head up to look him in the eyes. I hate it.

"You're a great fighter for someone so young," Castien says, nodding his head at me.

"I'm one hundred and fifty. How is that so young? The average lifespan of a human is six hundred." I cross my arms over my chest and step away from him. The fall of his gaze towards my breasts as I do so doesn't go unnoticed, however. With a scoff of disgust, I drop my arms.

Castien shakes his head, returning his gaze to my face. "You're older than I thought, but on the contrary, I'm three hundred and twenty-nine. Elves are immortal, which means you will also be immortal. At this point, you've probably already stopped aging even at the rate of a human."

I swallow and shift my eyes away. I stopped aging forty summers ago. Mother told me that I'm most likely more elf than human, especially since my hair turned white and my heartsrune has a color, unlike Arlin's.

"That's what I thought."

"I'm leaving." I turn on my heel and walk away without waiting to hear if he has anything else to say.

"I'll see you at dinner tonight!" Castien shouts after me.

Gods, help me refrain from hurting him.

6. The guide

"Madam Sigrid?" A young servant appears in the corridor, stopping me. "I'm Elena, and I'll be your guide. Follow me and I can show you to your new quarters."

I hesitate for a moment, but when Elena smiles, I know I can trust her.

She leads me through the corridor and out a door to the side of the palace. A few yards away is a small hut much like mother's shop, but it's only slightly taller than me and has fewer rooms.

"Since you're only the second female we've ever had in the guard, you get your own hut away from the men. Your washing room is also separate." Elena points to a slightly larger building a few feet away.

"Thank you, Elena."

"I'll take my leave, then. Wren will be by later with your uniform." She smiles one last time before turning to walk back to the palace.

Stretching my arms, I push open the door to my hut and sit on the bed. It's hard to relax without knowing whether Arlin is going to meet me inside the palace, or it will be a while before I see him again.

The hut is a lot better than I imagined, with a decent-sized bed and a compartment for clothing. The walls are bare, though, making the inside seem a lot larger than it is. It smells heavily of herbs and blade polish. Whoever lived here before knew their way around the forests around the kingdom.

I sit on the edge of the bed and pull my black heartsrune out of my pocket, where I hid it to ensure that it wouldn't be seen.

A sharp knock echoes through the hut, and I stand quickly to open the door. But instead of seeing my brother's face, I see a woman's. She's slender but athletic and dressed in fashionable jewelry. The gold color contrasts against her dark skin. In her hands are what look like guard's uniforms.

"Hello, Sigrid," the woman says, shifting the clothing in her arms. "I'm Wren. I hope these will fit you." She scans my body with her gaze. Her eyes linger on my legs as if she's mentally measuring them. "The pants might be a bit short, but they should do."

"Thank you, Wren," I say, taking the uniforms from her and setting them in the compartment in the corner of the hut. "Will I be wearing these all the time?"

"Depending on your assignment, other outfits may be needed, but we will deal with that when it comes to it." She peers out the window. "It's getting late. You should get dressed now. Once you are done, I will bring you to dinner with the rest of the new guards."

I grab one of the outfits and head behind the changing screen. "Do you have any news of the names of the other new guards?"

"Not yet. If you wish to know about your brother, you will have to wait until you get to dinner."

I should have known she wouldn't know anything. There are probably multiple advisors in charge of the other guards.

The uniform easily slides over my hips and is comfortable enough, while still managing to look professional. The royal family's crest rests on the fabric over my chest just like it did on the veteran guards' uniforms.

I crouch and kick my leg up. The uniform doesn't restrict my movement at all.

"How does it fit?" Wren asks from the other side of the screen.

"Better than I thought," I respond before stepping out from behind the screen. I glance at my reflection in the glass of the window to check my braids. They're falling out slightly, but I don't have time to fix them. I need to find Arlin. "Should we go, then?"

"Yes. We'll be just in time." She pushes the door open and waits for me to follow her.