Broken Kingdom

7

I had a shadow follow prince Thomas while I climbed higher in the tree. From the top of it, I could see most of the gardens. They spread far and have intricate designs made from hedges. The flowers in the center of some paths created a pop of color in the otherwise green landscape. When I looked at the wall, I could see as far as the hills. Plains spread out for miles and miles, providing no cover. Any attack on the palace would be visible from miles away. Towards the west, I could start to see the skyline of a city, though it was far away and my view was blocked by one of the palace's many towers.

My shadows started to alarm me. I grinned and listened, focusing on the conversation Thomas was holding with his mother.
"You have no right to demand seeing me, son. Not when I'm in a meeting with General Holden," I hear Haelyn say, clear annoyance in her voice.
"Fine, I want you both to hear this. You brought a Protector within the palace walls? They are not to be trusted," Thomas hisses.
"For once, I agree with the prince." That was Holden. 
"And not only a Protector, the worst there is. I bet you that by now she knows everything there is to know. Don't you realize how dangerous that is?"
"She threatened me, Your Majesty. And she suspects some magical artifacts are stolen, based on five minutes of reading."
"A mere theory can't be that bad," Haelyn countered.
"She was right. I had it checked right away. The Disc of Rhynos was stolen. It took her five minutes."
"It took her less than that to know I can't master my powers yet. Why I spend time in the library all the time." 

A silence followed, both men waiting. I presumed Haelyn had made some sign that got them to stop. "You make excellent points," she starts calmly, "but desperate times call for desperate measures. Thomas, you can't just run off, not with the Silver Night Guards returning. Holden, I think it a good sign she figured out that something was stolen from the vault in the city. You both forget she has an impressive knowledge of magic. Raw magic, powers earned, magical artifacts. From what I know from Nolan, she will get an update every three weeks with all the information he has. She might be able to figure out what is happening."

"I still don't like it. Protectors are not to be trusted. They hold secrets for a living," Holden grumbles.
"And I don't need a bodyguard," Thomas whined.
"So get her to teach you. I bet you she had a harder time with her powers than you, just because of the sheer power of them," Haelyn lectured. There was a soft line of frustration in her voice.
"She already offered it. She wants to return to Aeris."
"Well, if it makes you behave, she can. Use her. There's a reason I asked for her. I could have asked for any other. But all of us have been coddling you too much."
"Yeah, well I noticed," Thomas mumbles. 
"Your Majesty, Eira challenged him on the mat and had him tap out within the minute," Holden explains. 
"Did she challenge anyone else?" Haelyn asks.
"One of my men, who lost too. She is bad news if you ask me. It shouldn't be easy to defeat any of my men, let alone do it almost like he was a bag of sand."

Haelyn went silent. "I have to confess I don't particularly like it either to have Eira here. She hides something, like where her knowledge comes from. But now we know why the Silver Night Guards have been one step ahead the last two months. She might have a way to undo the affects of the disc. Go ask her once you see her. You're dismissed."
"I will, Your Majesty. Good day. Thomas." Doors opened and closed, so Thomas was alone with the Queen. 
"You spend time in the library every day. What are you looking for?" she asks in a very serious tone.
"Information about my powers or anything that's related. Learning how to control them. I haven't been able to find something useful."
"I'd beg to differ. Maybe you need to look at it from a different angle. If Eira already extended her hand to help, take it. Learning from a Protector, especially someone with her experience and knowledge, is an honor very few get."
"How honorable is it when she has an ulterior motive?"
"So she wants to go back to a region she grew up in. You want to get rid of your bodyguard, you might just need her. And who knows, maybe she opens up. Do tell me if she does."