It doesn't take long for us to arrive at the dining room. Inside, it is much like the hut, but larger. The table is big enough to fit twenty people. The smell of roasted swan and pork makes my stomach rumble, and I curse it. I've never been in the presence of such expensive food, and I'm afraid it will show and embarrass me.

Three people are already seated at the large table. My eyes catch a pair of familiar ones, and I run toward him before I can stop myself.

Arlin stands just in time to receive my embrace.

I squeeze him and let out a breath. "I thought I wasn't going to see you. No one was able to tell me anything."

He smiles and tucks one of my braids behind my ear. "Do you really have such little faith in me?"

I shake my head and step back. Arlin pulls out a chair for me, and I take a seat.

The captain stands at the head of the table and taps a fork against his glass to silence everyone. "I am so glad that you three are here. I expected a few more recruits to succeed, but they didn't impress us. You all did." He smiled and locked eyes with the three of us before continuing. "I assume you've found your way around the palace well, so far? It's rather large and can be intimidating to people who haven't seen anything like it before."

We all nod in agreement.

"The uniforms seem to fit you all nicely." The captain glances at the three of us, who are all more than human. "I'm glad that your advisors were able to find something that would fit you without any major changes. I was worried. Especially with Castien and Arlin being over seven feet tall."

Castien chuckles lightly. "It wouldn't have been a problem. I know that there haven't been many elves passing through here since the beginning of the war. They tend to remain impartial."

"Well, we are in your debt for being willing to help." The captain smiles at one of the servers as she sets a plate of food in front of him.

Arlin and I wait for the captain to start eating before taking a bite of the food. The duck tastes more like venison than I would have expected and reminds me of the steaks father used to make, though less tough.

"So," I say after swallowing my first bite. "I was told that our assignments have been decided already. What are those if I may ask?"

"It's perfectly fine to ask about. Being forward can be a virtue at times." The captain chuckles and sets his fork down. "As you know, you three are the newest members of the palace guard. In fact, I believe you will be our most important assets. Since you are new, people will underestimate you, but your training is already up to par. Nevertheless, you all must be prepared for the dangers that are yet to come."

"The people involved in the threats facing the royal family," - he slides a pile of scrolls toward us - "can kill you just as fast as any illness or injury that could harm you in the badlands. You will be tested at every turn. I can promise you it will not be easy.

"Forgive me, Captain, but I think we're well prepared for death," Castien points out. "I don't think anyone would join the guard if they were afraid of it."

"These letters." I shuffle through the scrolls and stop on one that threatens the life of the prince. It's hard to believe someone can be so confident in their abilities to threaten royalty as protected as ours. "Who wrote them?"

"We don't know. We assume they are a vigilante group that calls themselves the Rupers. No one knows their identities, however." The captain's large ebony lips turn down as he looks at the scrolls. "They're considered among some of the deadliest people in the known world."

"Why threaten the royal family?" Arlin asks while stabbing a piece of broccoli, pushing it back and forth on his plate. "Not every royal family is bad."

"Oh, I don't know," the captain quips. "Maybe to take over the kingdoms one monarchy at a time to control the war?"

No pressure. I rub the leather on my arm self-consciously. The captain seems to think very highly of us, considering there will be many dangers ahead that we can't even begin to fathom. It's nerve-wracking, to say the least.

"Forgive me for asking, but how are you so confident in our abilities?" Castien gestures between the three of us. "I think it is safe to say that none of us have been in battle. We might all be formidable warriors and highly trained in warrior techniques, but there are more seasoned men on the guard. They're already prepared for things such as this."

The captain shakes his head. "You will be trained by the other guards, starting tomorrow. You'll receive training in multiple techniques and fighting styles, so don't worry."

"How long do we have until the first attack?" Training isn't worth much if we don't have enough time to learn any new techniques before the first attack. Arlin taught me standard elven and human fighting techniques, but will that be enough?

"By estimate, at least two days. Our military generals have done their best to make an educated guess based on the message that was sent to them."

My heart kickstarts in my chest. Two days isn't even a fourth of the amount of time we need to learn a new technique. Something like that takes at least two weeks if you're lucky! I'm good at fighting, but not as good as I can be. Not as good as Arlin. If I meet someone as strong as him or stronger, my small amount of knowledge has no chance.

"I know that isn't much time." The captain shifts in his seat. "But we don't have time for complaining. You were selected for a reason. Do not make us regret it."

"Yes, sir," we all say in unison, bowing our heads.

"Good." The captain nods to himself and smiles once more. "Now, I'm sure you all are anxious to hear about your assignments. Castien and Arlin, your assignment is to protect the king and queen. Most importantly, you will be working closely with me to discuss the safety of the king and queen."

"As for you, Sigrid," the captain begins, shifting his attention to me, "I do not want you to think this is a bad assignment, and forgive me for saying this, but your femininity will be your asset here."

I frown and bite my tongue before I can question him. How does being a woman have anything to do with it?

"You will pretend to be a nobleman's daughter courting the prince. You will be with the prince when he goes into public. This will require you to wear many dresses, however, but at night inside the palace you may wear your uniform. At night you will take turns with another guard to watch the door to Kael's quarters."

My frown deepens. Few people outside of the capital have seen the prince, but from what I've heard, he's not always... charming. I doubt he'll take kindly to being guarded by a woman.

"That is all," the captain says. "You may finish your meals, or you can retire to your quarters."

After the news of my assignment, my appetite no longer exists, so I stand up and exit the room, squeezing Arlin's shoulder in a 'good night' gesture as I pass him.

I cross my arms and lean them against the rock banister that overlooks the garden square. "Two days!" I scoff, lowering my head to rest on the inside of my elbows. "It's nearly impossible to learn a new technique in that amount of time."

Footsteps echo behind me, and Castien's voice echoes through the corridor. "Many of the fighting techniques and styles are similar. While I agree that two days is hardly enough time, we should still be able to learn quite a bit within that timeline. Plus, the prince was threatened, and he is the only male heir. If something were to happen to him, the king could easily be overthrown."

I shake my head. "You're right. I'm sorry. I should get to sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a long day."

6. Elven Prisoner Tortured

     I push myself off the banister and drag my feet through the palace corridor, past the busy kitchen and scrambling servants. The sun is now gone from the sky, leaving only the silver light of the moon and staggered wall sconces to illuminate the stone halls.

As I walk past a large, closed door, voices filter through, and I hesitate for a second to peer through a crack in the doorway. Then the sound of something hitting flesh ripples through the air with a sickening crack.

The sound echoes in the empty corridor, and I launch away from the door. My breath catches in my throat, and my blood turns cold. What was that sound?

I step back to the door, careful so that my feet don't make a sound on the marble floor. The door creaks slightly as I try to push it open slightly, and I cringe. Whoever is in there can't hear me or I'll be at the mercy of the king. Only the gods know how that will end.

No one hears me, though, so I peek through the doorway again. Inside, a man is chained with his back to me, and in the dim light I can't make out whether he is human or not. Dark bruises mar his back, and deep wounds ooze blood.

Bile rises to my throat. I haven't seen a beating this brutal since one of the men in my village tried to steal from a guard.

The man's head lolls backward, and long white hair spills over his shoulders. I stifle a gasp and launch myself away. I run to the window and swallow a lungful of air to push the bile back down.

"Sigrid, I assume," someone says behind me as the door creaks open once more.

I jolt upright, my back straightening painfully. "Uh... yes?"

"I have heard much about you. Captain Eddard thinks very highly of you and your brother."

When I turn, the man smiles, and I'm taken off-guard. He's older, but only just hitting the half-life of a human. Crow's feet crinkle at the corners of his brown eyes as he looks at me. He's dressed in semi-formal attire, still much more expensive than most of the clothing I own in the village.

Then, it hits me who this man is.

"King Finn." I bow quickly, tucking my arms behind my back as I snap to attention.

He shakes his head and waves a hand at me. "None of that. Please."

My brows pull together as I relax my posture. "Your highness?"

"You have a bright future ahead of you. Let's not speak of what you saw and that will not change. Understand?" Something dark swirls around in the king's eyes, compelling me to submit to his will.

I nod. "Yes, sir."

He smiles again. "Good. Now run along, now. From what I've heard, you have a long day of training ahead of you."

I nod again, avoiding meeting his eyes. When I imagined meeting the king, this was not what I expected. This man seems... dangerous. Like he's hiding something.

When the king re-enters the room, I turn and sprint away, wanting to get out of that situation as fast as possible. I need to tell Arlin what I saw, but how? I have no clue where the male guards' quarters are, and what if he thinks I'm overreacting? He'll think I'm trying to ruin this for us.

I sigh. Maybe I am overreacting. It's best not to rock the boat.

When I make it to my hut, I throw the door open and collapse onto the bed.