"Your Highness!" A guard from the castle. They bow to me as I sit at the booth. I'm stuck dealing with this. This is one of the reasons I'm here more than anywhere else. Although... Do I really need to have skills cleaning horse shit? They made it clear I should always have someone with me skilled enough to handle certain things.
I keep proving I already have a bunch of those skills already. Getting more of what a crown prince 'doesn't need' is annoying though. I need to go to every class, but my chore list is limited.
At least the chores don't include visiting the castle. "Do you need something from the knight halls?"
"I am bringing a letter. It came by dove." The guard places a sealed letter before me. Telligence... It's to 'red knight'. Must be a request for mission. I pull the lever to call a red knight here. It's their problem. "Is the queen here?" The guard scans the area then tries to peek inside.
I frown. Mom is or was there. She could leave whenever she wants, though. She doesn't need to exit through the main gate. "Daniel?" I look back to see Daniel holding a book. His eyes are on me. "Want to give a tour?"
"Gladly. I'm sick of reading these dusty things." Daniel hands me the book before stepping out of the booth. "I'm Knight Daniel."
"Trainee." The guard scans him.
"Which can make you be aware I am a noble class, so consider that for what it is." Daniel has no trouble taking the guard into the halls.
Austin walks up with a yawn. "I said don't call me without a reason."
"I never call you without a reason." I hand him the letter. Austin wanted to try napping during his shift. But there's always something that goes on that needs him while I'm on shift. I draw in trouble. Why do they put me here?
"Oh. Been waiting for that. Thanks." Austin yawns again while walking off. I hear a curse after the letter is opened. He comes back to me. "Can I?"
I pull back so he can press a few marks. He's calling all red knights. A meeting of that magnitude? Glad to not be involved. "Good?"
"Thanks." Austin offers me a grin before walking off.
Raida walks over to me. She's a five stripe blue. If she's joining me in booth, that means I can't easily call in a red knight. She'll handle most of it. "Did you feel relief when you weren't required to join?" She grins at me. She won't interfere without a reason to. She's just my cover.
"Why does everyone make me take on lead position?" I grunt. I was called in before for their meetings. That's why I know it's a red knight meeting. Before it was because they wanted a better grasp as to how to handle Mom and Father. I was a useless addition, but there was always a chance I could've been useful.
"Your Highness." Raida snickers while settling in the booth. "Any back up I should get to?"
"Nope. I can try to start something, but it's never more than a few seconds before someone-"
A small girl from the capital slowly walks over to the booth. This is what I mean. I eye Raida before focusing on the little girl. "Um..." She looks terrified of being noticed. "I..."
"Are you lost? This is the knights hall."
"No! I know!" She fidgets clasping and unclasping her hands before her. She's very uneasy. "I... Can only boys be knights?"
"Boys and girls cannot be knights. You need to prove yourself before you can join. If you couldn't stand for yourself in court, you cannot join." Fifteen is minimum age for a reason. Before that it's assumed the person is too much of a child to make their own statements.
The girl sinks a little. "Oh."
"But if you're asking if only men can join, the answer is no. The minimum age is fifteen though. So no boys. No girls. Men or women." I look to Raida. "And gender will not stop you from hitting levels."
Raida pulls off her helmet to show off. "I was a girl like you once." She moves out of the booth to kneel next to the girl. "Born in the city. Always wanting more than what my family offered, so I joined the knights. It's been a tough few years now, but I think I've proven a lot. What do you think?"
The little girl lights up. "Really?"
I smile as Raida continues boosting the little girl. Looks like she'll be a future knight. We'll always aim for more knights versus less.
Lucas walks up to the booth. He's a red knight, though. "Raida, I got things here. Austin won't be coming back." He looks to me.
Raida takes the little girl's hand. "Let me bring her back home first. Nothing's pressing."
Lucas moves into the booth and just begins work. Raida isn't a noble yet. She is looking to become one. But there are things we are given knowledge of that most won't until they reach red knight.
"You're taking lead here?" I ask him. Lucas nods. "Daniel is giving a tour to the guard who brought the letter."
"Figures. I wonder if there's close to contract end." Lucas weighs things. "Guards always pass the exam. But most are caught in contracts that deny them escape."
"It was a castle guard."
Lucas raspberries the air. "We're out of luck."
I laugh. Lucas is fun. He's a lot like Hydrangea in the fact he's denying everything of his lorddom for the sake of knighthood. The two look to be a match. Reminds me of how often I saw Hydrangea be set for marriage only for her to give an impossible option in response. "You never know. Maybe they were in the new group."
"Five years? Did he look to be at his five year mark?" Lucas waves it off. "There's a reason the castle guards are set for such long contracts. Too much knowledge is gained. They need to be closed." He looks about. "Do you know where-?"
"This one?" I offer him the book Daniel gave me.
"Yeah. Thanks."
"Daniel was working on that assignment before. Much prefers giving tours."
"And you can't work on anything if people can still see you. That's what you get for hiding in the castle as much as you did." Lucas says.
I laugh. I got out often, but few knew who I was. Now, I'm getting known. My eagle wings make it clear who I am. Only one person needs such a thing.
"Maybe I'll ask if I can bring you around the castle with flyers for the next exam." Lucas rubs his chin. "Yeah. Sounds like a good idea. I can even see if I can set you up with a graduation exam in the city proper."
I shiver. "I would rather you not?" I stare at him. He only offers a massive grin while working.
"The flyers are very reasonable. It can count as your chore time. It would suit us better if everyone knew exactly where you are. What you look like. Etc, etc."
Lucas pauses. "I wonder if I can get you to the July Ball."
"No? I'll be a trainee still."
Lucas waves that off. "I can watch you. Treat it as another chore. Always fun to see how people react to you."
I look at the crowd just beyond the hall. Everyone eyes me. Won't be long before someone comes up to ask questions. I'm known without being known. "Did you agree to covering booth because I was here?"
"Why would you think that?" The tone makes me very much believe he asked to. We really do need a red covering here. Guess Lucas wasn't interested in the meeting. Can't be a Walker problem, then. Telligence sent the letter. The two families are on different sides of the country. And Lucas is only one red stripe. No one would complain if he took over here. Like me he was in the booth since the beginning. Over a decade of handling this thing makes him plenty capable of anything that may happen. "They're deciding who will go on mission. It won't be me. I'm going to join the July Ball. I may even go to the Walker one. There's a few that could have me leaving. I can't join Telligence though. Lord Telligence and I go way back."
I laugh again. Lucas has given some of the stories he had with various houses. The 'go way back' is because of the various interactions between them.
"I hope he joins the July Ball. I can ask him to dance again." Lucas sighs. "He always declines." Lucas is a fun person to be around. I would think he wouldn't've lived through all the missions if he was given truly dangerous ones. But nobles are protected in a way a non noble wouldn't be. He's more likely to get a mission to a ball or for intelligence or as leader. "His wife is a nice dancer. I don't mind that."
"Make me want to join the ball. I only got to watch from a distance."
"I know. I would've asked you to dance if anyone let me. The crown prince though was to be in sight without being reachable." Lucas eyes me. "Hence why the castle guards have five year clauses."
I nod. It really does make sense. I stand up when I see someone make solid eye contact with me. "Can I help you?"