Chapter 10 - Just a Bodyguard

The three guards lined up infront of her without being ordered and after taking a short moment to gather breath she gave out orders. "There has been an assassination attempt! Post royal guards at the gates and the harbor, everybody with gloves must take them off. Anybody with large catlike scratch marks on both hands or bandages has to come in for questioning. If the bandages or scratches are only one one hand they are dismissed. Send word out now!." The guards saluted. "Yes Madam Tersou!" One of them Jelled and jogged towards the nearby tower.

"There have been four assassins three of them should be in our custody already find out how they got in and send the report to the Porcelain chamber. We will be heading there straight away. Ask the commander to join us there and please inform the queen that I will give her a full report there as well." The guardsmen saluted and only waited a moment before jogging after his college.

She turned towards me. I could clearly see that she did look like she was in her element. She looked back up the hill for a moment before smirking and turning to me. "I think we should take the long way back to the library to gather up your friend and get a full report of the guards there." She said and bowed slightly. "And forgive me rudeness madam Siderim. I am Iona Tersou, personal bodyguard of Furo." She already told me a lot about you. I looked at her confused.

"It seems you already know who I am. But I dont think I remember anybody called Furo?" I said with a careful smile. I wasnt worried if her plan was to harm me she had plenty of opportunity already. She just chuckled and shook her head. "You know, the queen? ."

The walk back took a lot longer than the sprint through the garden. After revealing her employer, the lady did stay quite for most of the way. I could see the huge respect that the royal guards had for her. They proudly saluted to her and move out of the way or open the gates without any questions when she walked past. Meanwhile the castle around us exploded in controlled chaos.

The gates were closed and guard posted. People who had just slipped past were flagged back and angry nobles demanded to be released. However none of the nobles tried to stop us two. In fact most of them didnt seemed to recognize the young lady or myself. At several of the gates guards started to take out paper and asked questions. That however seemed to only anger the nobles more. They only stopped for a moment when one bell after the other in the city started to ring. A ringing that meant only one thing. Close the gates. By now the whole town would know that something had happened.

I shook my head an sighed. "Dont worry this Is not only because of you milady." She suddenly said while we got closer to the large library building. "The Library area is the inner sanctum were even the queen goes with limited guards. So any attack there is well is really bad, an attack that managed to get multiple assassins in " She shook her head. "Thankfully we have multiple surviving attackers that should be able to tell at least how they got in well after some friendly asking ..."

We rounded the corner of the library and had a full view of were the attack took place. However what made her stop was Johanna standing with her sword still drawn but lowered, in a defensive position with three guardsmen all around her and a yelling Sargent behind them. The guardsmen did not approach and seemed to quietly argue with the officer about something but you could feel the tension in the air.

I looked to the bodyguard and she was gone already sprinting towards the group. When I reached the group I could hear the Sargent saying. " ... again you are under arrest for causing a commotion in the Royal Palace!" He stopped and got pale once he noticed the deadly stare the bodyguard gave him. "M..madam TTersou iI am sorry I d..didnt noticed!"

"You didnt noticed hm?" she said with a way to sweat voice. "You were to busy arresting one of the guests of the ROYAL FAMILY IN THEIR OWN DAMN PALACE!" She got louder and louder while the sargent did try to shrink into the ground. "AFTER THEY SURVIVED AN ASSINATION ATTEMPT THAT YOU DIDNT MANAGE TO PREVENT!" I was certain that you could hear her in half of the city..

The other guards tried their best to appear busy with helping and carrying off the three prisoner. While i steeped to Johanna, nodding to her after being certain that she was fine. The Lady was continuing to dress down the Sargent, while Johanna cleaned her sword with a small rag and put it away now relaxing a bit since the three guards had decided that the sergeants order wasnt valid anymore. The three other assassins had been already hauled away when Elaina arrived. She was fully dressed but her hair was just in a wild bun instead of the neat braid she usually had.

She walked up straight towards me and kneeled down. "Forgive me milady I failed you." She said with an utter serious voice. I just shook my head and offered her a hand to stand up. "I am still alive and unharmed my friend." She shook her head widely. "I was supposed to protect you and then one of my own men tried to arrest your friend who protected you instead. I feel so ashamed and I am so sorry milady. You should have been safe here. We will definitely dig deep to find out how they could slip by like this."

The Sargent looked even more crestfallen seeing his superior kneeling partly because of his actions. "Please stand my friend, only a fool would fault you for sleeping after guarding me all night." This time she accepted my help and raised to her feet but before she could say anything else the lady spoke up. "I think we should move this somewhere more private. I am certain Fura will want to talk to you three soon."

Elaina looked even a bit more pale on the mention of the queen but nodded. "Of course madam Tersou." She said and did a bow towards the smaller lady who nodded then walked ahead of us. I bend over to Elaina while we walked and whispered to her. "Why do the guards take commands from her so easily?" The captain smirked. "She is the only reason why the royal couple was able to ascent the throne two years ago. She protected them from traitors in the old guards so now she is basically part of the royal guard only below the commander of the guard himself." She shrugged a bit while she answered me quietly.

Lady Tersou guided us into a small side arm of the palace into a large room with comfortable chairs around a large round table. It had beautiful looking porcelain tiles and figurines on the walls that seemed to tell the story of the kingdom. We apparently were the first ones to arrive and she pointed me to take seat close to the door with Elaina and Johanna next to me. Just then a second set of doors were pushed open and the queen steeped inside. The king was directly behind her. "Are you ok? What happened?" She looked first at her bodyguard then at me relaxing when we all looked unharmed.

"It seems someone disliked violently that I caused for the old duke to land in prison. Violently enough to gather together a group to kill me." I said with a smirk. "They must be desperate to act so quickly. Does anybody know the idea of your ruling?" She shook her head. "Nobody apart from those that were in the room and a few very trusted souls should know about it." She pointed to Johanna who just nodded.

"I can vouch for the dear captain the queen continued. And your other friend marrie is to deeply buried in her current study to have contact with anybody." She pondered it for a moment then shrugged. "I think however to know that you are the reason for his imprisonment" she hesitated for a moment. "Well anybody will halve a brain can deduct that so that might be the reason alone behind it." The door opened and an old man steeped in. He had a short well kept white beard, short white hair and bore a grim look.

He steeped forward and bowed towards the royal couple then turned straight towards the bodyguard. "What is it that I hear? Sending one of my sergeants to the prison for cleaning duty and ringing the alarm bells my dear?" His tone sounded serious but he carried a huge smile. Madam Tersou just laughed and nodded towards him. "I hope I find everybody in good shape?" She nodded again. "Apart from the attackers that is thanks to the capabilities of our two guests." She pointed towards me and Johanna.

He turned towards us then made a bow. "The famous former prisoner and her guard I presume?" He said with a soft smile. His voice was clearly used to yell a lot but his whole mimic didnt carry any ill will. "Commander Gunter Wilhelm von Kurz zu Brücken at your service." He introduced himself with another small bow.

I hesitated I knew that langue from the west a bit but havent heared in many years. "From Short to bridge?" I asked carefully a translation of his last name and he started to laugh loudly. "Very good! Of course, it is confusing until you know that these two are names of a Castle and a Village its the old local humor I think." He shrugged. "But these days I am just the royal Commander of the guards, or Commander Wilhelm so that is what I go by."

"And as such I deeply apologize for our carelessness that allowed for this to happen." I just shook my head. "They used daggers only witch tells me that they did not have much time to plan or prepare. But I guess that you will have a lot of time to question them now." He smiled and nodded. "But one escaped correct?" He looked to the madam Tersou. "Yes a young woman at least it looked like one " We explained in detail everything that happened to the assembled group, the king and queen as well as the commander asked only a few question from time to time but did not seemed to shaken by the whole event.

After an hour we had finally finished explaining everything. And the king rose walking towards Johanna. He did a bow towards her which clearly brought out a panicked look on the usually calm face. "I deeply thank you for preventing a disastrous outcome of todays event. Had you not reacted so quickly even the famed skill of the tribe would have had trouble against four attackers like this." I nodded in agreement.

"You will receive a small reward as well as a badge similar to the one of Madam Tersou." Johanna opend her mouth to say something but the king raised his hand before continuing. "It will allow you to wear your weapons inside the palace unrestricted because you have not only proven that you are quick with your sword. You knew as well how to restrain it when they falsely tried to imprison you." I could see the Commander and the bodyguard both nod in agreement.

"Of course you will not have the command over the royal guards like our dear friend here." Said the queen and rested her hand on Tersous shoulder smiling warm to her. "But in an emergency they will listen to your suggestions in and outside of the palace. So wear it proudly. There are not many who have this but, we like how you behaved so you have earned it. I think we all will feel better when you are armed at the dear future dukes side at all times." She smiled towards me then continued. "Know that the only ones who legally in this realm are allowed to ask you to lay down your arms are present in this room. But of course culturally there might be more that you might chose to oblige."

Johanna nodded clearly still overwhelmed and did chose to stay silent beyond a short murmured "Thank's king." He just nodded padded her shoulder and turned towards me. "For you my dear future duke there is nothing I can offer you that you dont already own so instead I offer my deepest apologies and the promise that when ever your house or you yourself are in trouble. Dont hesitate to ask." The queen nodded and smiled towards her husband.

I took a deep releaxed breath. I hadnt even noticed that I tensed up. "For a moment I thought you would offer me another hand in mirage." I teased then bowed to them while I heared a chuckle go through the room. "Now that you mention it, i think my aunt." The queen started and panic set in. "No please!" She laughed loudly and shook her head.

We separated after a while meanwhile the manhunt went on outside in the town as well as in the castle to find those that had assisted the assassins. But it was unlikely that they found the girl. The city was large full of dark spots and many cellars were nobody ever visited. And if she had help then it was even more unlikely that she was cought. Especially since we both couldnt remember her face that clearly.

From that moment on my days started to blur a bit. I was never left completely alone always having Johanna or Elaina at my side while I walked to the library to learn about the duties of a duke or the bath to relax. In the off time were the reading was to much I spoke with the people around me. I learned from the servants that the king indeed didn't personally own any slaves anymore and those that were owned by the state were released after a certain amount of time. Some of the servants where even former slaves who where doing the same job as before only with more free time, rights and getting actually paid. The kingdom being the center of many important trade routes was rich so it could afford to pay all the palace personal handsomely.

Sadly I couldnt visit the town itself since if I walked around to much someone could make a second attempt or just try and take me hostage. It was unclear how many knew about the reason why the duke was arrested and the attempt to kill me. So until the judgement was done it was better to stay in the safety of the palace. The Assassins did not reveal jet who had send them but time would most likely break them or a deal for their live. Well the two that survived that is. One of them had died one day after the attack. Johanna didnt appear to bothered by that after all they had planned to do the same to us, but I think I noticed her getting a bit more restless.

My aunt and the rest of the delegation would stay as well until the Judgment after that she said they would move on to make some trade deals that the King had suggested to them. It seemed that the tribes had gained more then just one powerful noble in the court.

But I would most likely learn about that later in full details. She did spend a little time in most evenings with me talking about how different family members where doing. I was glad that they were doing ok even through they were heartbroken over my disappearing especially my younger sister. Still even she had mostly moved on. I was a bit sad that I most likely would not be there when she got the message of me being alive and well.

On the third day early in the morning, however I was presented to an old woman named Priar. She was a trusted advisor of the queen mother apparently. And spend most of her day in a room full of books with a large old desk Infront of her that was clearly well organized. She looked up to me peering over her heavy glasses. "So you are going to be the new duke hm?" she said as if that would be a everyday occurrence. "You are a tad different then most." She muttered while mustering me up and down.

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Sorry that the update took so long. The weeks were a bit exhausting ;) Additionally the edit of the action sequence in the aftermath meant that my writing process was a bit slower then normal. However i like the sequens of event way more were you not only learn a bit about the quirks of the royal palace but as well get to know the madam Tersou It should be only a few more chapters until we finally meet the dukes family ^^