A fairy tale (gay) Christmas

🌹December 15th🌹

Court advisor Zyris Rosen🌹

When things seem wrong, you have to make them right.

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Things are wrong, very wrong.

Every night we are being attacked by more and more enemy soldiers. They are all from our realm, not the enemy, and that is so wrong. Who could possibly be strong enough to get hundreds of men that should be by the front lines, into trying to kill the royals? Whoever it is must be stopped, and I know that.

Amalia has left, Clearblue has left, Jackson has left. Nobody is really here anymore, nobody they would want to kill. But I'm not so sure that the enemy knows this, the most he can know is that one royal isn't here, if he somehow got ahold of the letter I sent to the king. Everybody at court is now a suspect, but then again only the strongest ones are.

It frustrates me and keeps me up at night, that I can't figure out who is behind this. And if there really is a war, why are so many men waisted at this rebel plot to bring the young royals down? There must be a connection somewhere, something that I have missed. Whatever it is, I can't figure it out like this. I can't be here anymore, waiting for him to succeed with his plans.

I have to leave.

I left a letter of absence to Daisy, Mina and the duchess. I was going to leave in secrecy, in the middle of the night. I asked Teno to pack my things and his, and meet me by the stables on the fifteenth of December.

He was hesitant, but he was my trainee, so he didn't get to have a say in any of this. We were going back to the palace, and that's final. In the letter I also adviced the rest of the ones living here to move out, but wait for a more concrete day to do it. Leave one at a time, so that the castle won't suddenly be empty, and the enemy find out that they left. It's for everyone's safety.

Teno meets me at the stables, in the middle of the night. He holds a candle in his right hand, and two bags in his left hand. I untie the horses and make sure that they are ready and well fed, before we jump on them.

"Where are we going sir?"

Teno asked me once it had been an hour since we left. First now did he dare to speak out loud, probably scared of being caught or scolded by me.

"We are going to the palace, I need to find out who is the traitor at court. When we get there you'll probably be signed with the royal knights, or you'll get to become an advisor trainee. It's all up to you"

Teno looked conflicted. He was both scared of having to escape the castle and go back to the palace. Who know what could be in the palace right?

"Isn't there something in between"

I was glad to get a distraction. As I've mentioned my distractions come from teaching.

"Sometimes in life, you have to choose one and leave another, but... your question does have an answer."

He looks at me curiously.

"There are different types of knights. Knights that do field work, and knights that do guard work. If you choose to study both as an advisor, and to a knight, you can become a personal bodyguard to one of the royals. Their jobs are very important."

Teno looks at me with new found interest. Maybe this would be suitable for him.

"But I must warn you, you might already be a good knight, but advisor-ship is much harder to train for"

Although I said some hard words, Teno doesn't look bothered at all. That's good, he seems to be a hard worker and a guy that can reach his dreams no matter what. Those kind of people are often missed at the palace.

"If I chose this path, will you become my teacher sir?"

I make a thinking face.

"Sure, my other scholar is ready soon, so I can take new students into my care. But you must be ready to work hard and long days, and learn a lot in a quick amount of time!"
I lecture. But I know he can do it. I've already trained him for a few days, so I know his skillset.

We continue riding into the darkness of the forest, as night turns into day and enemies might be luring in the forest. Teno shares a few stories from his childhood, and talks about his own home and life. When I asked him about relationships, he only laughed. Apparently he is single, but I'm sure he won't stay that way for long. Nobody stays single in the palace.

"Do tell me how you came to be one of Secils knights?"

Teno sits back in his horse and takes a deep breath, like he was remembering the past.

"I was eight years old..."

"Mother, father!"

"I'm sorry dear, but your sister must be wed off, it's all we can do!"

"But father! I can take a job, it doesn't have to be like this!"

Tenos parents sighed at the young son. Only eight years old and already worrying for his older sister. They clearly raised him right, but too bad it's going to be for nothing...

"And what job would that be? We are very poor son, if I could find a better job I would, but..."

"Knight! I'll become a knight! The older boys at school offered me to see knight Secil yesterday! I'll take the position if sister doesn't have to be married, please!?"

With wide eyes the parents stared at their son.

Two weeks later...

Tenos older sister hugged him in tears. Her brother had to move away because she didn't want to be married off, it was her fault.

"Don't blame yourself sister, this will be good for all of us, we can make money"

His comforting words did not stop his sisters tears from falling down onto the yellow grass below.

"-and so I took the position and Secil trained me for the rest of my childhood"

"Hmm, that's quite impressive. You are very self sacrificing, but you must remember to be a little more cold hearted at court from now on, that way you can afford more for your family and survive the politics"

I continued to lecture even if we were only having a conversation. Teno simply smiled.

"Yes sir"

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