It was a fresh autumn day. Royals gathered together, engaging in conversation. Nurses worked in the clinic caring for the wounded. Guards stood at their posts, waiting for something thrilling to happen in their unstimulating lives.

Sir John was hollering at another guard to stay awake, as they never slept. This was to prevent break-ins.

However, in his many years of working there, he had never yelled at Zee Octavius.

You see, Zee Octavius had never dozed off while doing their job, and never let any criminal slip past them. They were harsh. They had a tall build, and their  brownish-orange hair was pulled back in a ponytail.

They were amazing at solving crime. Remember this as we continue the book.

The intercom turned on, and the static made some nobles cover their ears.

"Good morning royals and staff! It is time to awaken from your slumber! Christina will have food prepared for you all soon, so please make your way to the dining hall!" The voice said in a cheery tone. 

"Guards! Please be efficient today. We want to prevent any possible break-ins!" John said. The man's voice was so loud, that some of the guards hearing went weak. 

"It's always to prevent break-ins.." One guard mumbled.

"Yes sir." Most responded, as they walked to their posts. 

"Zee, your shift is over, but you're in charge of the patrol for the ball." John said. His voice lowered, but he still spoke in a ridged tone. 

"Yes sir." Zee spoke nonchalantly. They did happen to be a very passionless person. 

Zee strolled through the halls, taking in all of the beautiful architecture. The palace construction had recently finished, so it was nice to not have to hear hammers and drills. 

Zee walked into the sleeping quarters and made their way to their room. They plopped onto their bed and sighed. 

They started to doze off, and eventually fell asleep.

A few hours later it was time for the ball.

Zee gathered all of the night guards, and they set out for the main hall. 

"How come we have to watch nobles dance for 6 hours, and then stay up all night?" A female guard said. "It's like Sir John is trying to rub it in our faces." The guards name was Alice, and she had always wanted to go to a ball. Don't pay much attention to her though, she is not an important character in our story.

"I agree. I get we have to protect them, but shouldn't that be a knight's job?" A male guard said. 

"The point of being a guard is to be the defense, knights are offense." Zee pointed out. "Just do your jobs, it's not that big of a deal." They continued to walk forward.

"Of course that doesn't concern you! You don't understand! Us women want a Prince Charming." Alice said in a dramatic way. 

"I also happen to be female, I just prefer to do my job then to dance for six hours and waste my time." Zee said defending themself. "If you want to go dance, then do it. I could care less." 

"Maybe I will then." Alice said walking towards the dressing rooms.

Zee sighed and opened the door to the ballroom. 

The music in the ballroom was mellow, and you could hear high heels clacking on the ground as women danced. 

"You two on the sides of the stairs, Allen at the east wall and you at the west." Zee continued assigning spots to everyone. Finally, when they finished, they took their place at the top of the stairs. They stood there for a while. About 20 minutes later, Alice walked into the ballroom with a flowy green dress. Zee groaned, knowing that if she got caught, the blame would be put on them.

Alice walked down the stairs and started dancing. Zee closed his eyes for a second, but quickly opened them again when they heard someone walk past them. A suspicious looking figure. They had black hair pulled back into a ponytail, pale skin and a scar over their nose.  They grinned at Zee and made their way down the stairs. 

Never in their life had they felt so intimidated.

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-End-

Completed: 10/30/22