A Dance Of Blades and Hearts

the selection

I was at lunch, the hall was filled with loud noises from the men.

I sat alone till clen joined me like he had been doing since I got here. The noise was coming mainly from a table filled with trainees who couldn't keep their food in their mouths

"oddest day of my life " one of them said, more like yelled since his voice was so loud and their table was the nearest to mine.

"I thought I was the only one "

another man said

"was expecting a real challenge but all I had to do was guard a person to the town hall and back " the man continued.

My ears perked up at that?  Was that the final test for everyone?

"the man" he says with a scoff

"didn't even say a word to me, walked around like he owned the place, didn't even see his face "

the man continued with a frown on his face, everyone gives account of similar tales and meeting a hooded man, I had no idea if it was the same person but the way the first man had described him made me feel like it was.

I looked over at clen who was busy inhaling his food,  I made a face at him and he shrugged trying to grin with his mouth stuffed. 

I rolled my eyes at him and waited till he had chewed it all before I spoke. 

"did you have to guard a man yesterday too? " I asked him,  he nodded

"yeah, the general asked me too. we went to the children's home and back, didn't get to see his face though and he spoke zero words " clen scrunches up his face

"it was so odd " he finished and focused on his food again.

A bell suddenly went off, echoing through the room, today was the final selection and the sound of the bell just signified for everyone to gather on the training grounds, I knew this was it and the next few minutes will determine how my mission here Is going to go.

General song stood infront of the crowd of men, he was older and younger than some of the men but he commanded respect. His gaze was blank as he waited for a few minutes before speaking.

" for the past two weeks, you all have trained diligently to either become an elite or a palace guard.  Not all of you will be selected today " he started, his voice resounding in the quiet space

"the decision was based on your final test, each of you had an encounter with a man yesterday and days prior, each of you had to guard him to his destination and back safely." I was a bundle of nerves, silently hoping my chances weren't screwed.

"each of you did get him back to the barracks safely " he said cooly.

" but that wasn't the purpose of the test". That got surprised looks from everyone and the men began to mumur.

"the test was on your perceptiveness in a seemingly calm situation.  One very important thing you have to know as an elite or a palace guard is that your guard always has to be up, even in seemingly save situations, the security of this nations sovereign is paramount " he said tone serious. 

A frown tugged at my face as I waited for him to go on, most of the men still had on a look of surprise while some were frozen in place, trying to understand what the general was saying.

"each of you were followed by an elite yesterday, back and forth, if that was an assassin and you were the only one stationed with the emperor ..." he said, voice taking on an hard edge

"it might have had disastrous consequences"

"the test isn't easily passed "

his eyes fell on me and I saw the smirk tugging at his lips, my head was still spinning from all he had said

  so what happened yesterday wasn't just in my head?

"kiara was the only one who passed the test, she noticed she was being followed and she acted, quite nicely I must add "

his voice held approval and I silently thanked master revay for making azumi and other warriors sneak up on me and attack for an entire year, I had despised the man for it back then but now I could hug him.

The men turned to me, I saw shock and even amazement in their eyes, some of them scoffed and snickered but I was too relived to care. 

"therefore the following people have been chosen to enter the palace as the kings elite" he continued.  A man also clad in armor came forward.

" kiara is the first to be chosen, for passing the perception test and taking action " general song said and I bowed.  A whooping

" you go girl " erupted from the group of men and I knew it was clen,  I fought to keep the smile off my face

The palace guards and elites were selected, clen was chosen as an elite too. "

you will all move to the palace today and be briefed of your duties, tomorrow, the elites are to meet the emperor "general song finished. 

And I fought the need to shiver as I thought of finally meeting the man.

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Hey y'all, I'm sorry this chapter is so short, I'm not exactly satisfied with it too, but it had to happen, the next chapter will begin with the pov of our protagonist yehhhh, after ten chapters the story is finally picking up 😅