Just how the hell did the Imperial Order turn into this?
I grimaced as I looked around the ragtag group of knights scrambling to don their armor. Ever since Padraig was demoted to captain, the order has slowly degenerated into something I could no longer be proud to call myself a part of. I don’t know who the hell thought it was a good idea to make that idiot Keith the new commander, but I doubt that was a choice the emperor himself made.
After all, Lady Scarlet would’ve most certainly intervened through Princess Gwenhwyfar had the emperor himself been mulling over the decision. Her eyes and ears in the imperial palace were second to none, after all.
Which means it had to be an internal decision, huh? I shook my head, sighing as the knights finally finished armoring up. Had this been more than just a drill, we probably would’ve been overrun before they could even prepare to engage the enemy. That said, I was long ready while they were still attempting to affix the straps on their breastplates, so I suppose I could’ve held off an attack on my own while these fools readied themselves.
“Everyone, form up at the courtyard and prepare to escort the princess. She’ll be riding her personal carriage to Avalyne Academy.” I commanded.
“Yes, ma’am!” My soldiers chorused, rushing to the exit before stopping in their tracks just several paces shy of it.
“W-Wait! Uh... Captain Verdia, we don’t know where the courtyard is...” One of my men said, looking at me expectantly. I could only stare back with a cold, hard gaze of pure disappointment. I could barely believe my ears, and had Padraig still been the commander of the order, I might’ve thought this fool was just pulling my leg.
“You... You’ve been here for weeks as Princess Gwenhwyfar’s personal guard, no less! You mean to tell me that you haven’t even memorized the Imperial Academy’s layout!?” I thundered. It was improper of me to shout, especially while we were still inside the Imperial Academy, but I simply couldn’t hold back my rage. Just what the hell were these knights thinking!?
It was not only standard procedure to learn the layout of any structure your charge might be entering, but also something even a squire was taught to do. As imperial knights, my soldiers should have memorized the academy’s entire floor plan even before they arrived. Yet here we were, weeks after being assigned to our posts, and they hadn’t even memorized where the courtyard was!? It was insanity. Pure, unadulterated insanity.
“All of you fall in behind me! You should all be fucking ashamed,” I spoke in a more measured tone as I made my way to the exit ahead of my men. Though I had carefully mastered my anger, my voice still seethed with palpable rage. “Even the orphan who Captain Padraig knighted before leaving the order would have been better prepared than you lot. In fact, I doubt the ten of you together could best her in a duel.”
A few of the knights shot me dark looks while others looked suitably stricken with shame. I’m not sure why Keith thought it would be a good idea to assign fresh graduates of the Imperial Academy as the princess’ guards, but their lack of experience was really showing. After all, they were senior knights only in name at this point.
The clinking of steel echoed through the academy, my boots falling against the marbled floor harder than they should. On our way to the courtyard, we passed several nobles who shot us curious glances, unused to seeing so many imperial knights marching through the halls without the princess at our side. To be completely honest, I wasn’t entirely sure what the purpose of Princess Gwenhwyfar’s visit to Avalyne Academy was in the first place.
Of course, I knew the first semester’s preliminary inspection was the official reason, but there was no need for the princess herself to attend such a rudimentary survey. Such things were better left to lesser nobility and knights. Granted, the princess’ visit to the academy wasn’t something I had been worrying about until now. Originally, I had expected some level of competency from my knights which would make such a visit practically risk-free, but now that I was cursed with the knowledge of their utter lack of ability, a seed of doubt was quickly beginning to sprout in my heart.
“You’re late.” Princess Gwenhwyfar’s voice rang loudly through the courtyard as we arrived. She glowered at me and the knights who slowly fanned out behind me.
Standing by her side was Lady Scarlet, the heiress of House Avimorne and one of the most powerful noblewomen in the empire despite her youth. She regarded me and my men with a shrewd gaze that was none too impressed. I nearly flinched at the overwhelming aura that she directed toward me, and the sound of clattering metal told me that a few knights’ knees even buckled from the sheer force of her personality.
I don’t know what it was about Lady Scarlet, but she’d always been able to emit this sort of overpowering majesty even as a child. Not even the princess could compare, but with the two of them standing side-by-side and staring at us, I doubt my men could last long.
“My apologies, Your Imperial Highness.” I sank to a knee, apologizing on behalf of my knights. Proper protocol dictated that they step forward and apologize for their own mistakes or that they at least follow my example instead of staying awkwardly on their feet, but I suppose that was too much to ask of them.
“Hmph. So long as you understand, Captain Verdia. Now rise before I become even more—”
“Wait.” Lady Scarlet’s voice rang with authority as she interrupted the princess herself. “Does this not strike you as strange, Gwenhwyfar?”
“Does what not strike me as strange?” The princess frowned. “Scarlet, you of all people should know how important this visitation of mine is.”
“That may be so, Gwenhwyfar, but as princess, the nation itself must recognize your authority, else your title means nothing.” Lady Scarlet said as she walked toward me. “Ever since Commander Keith was appointed to his position, the Imperial Order has become unsightly. Look at these fools who dare stand before me, Gwenhwyfar. Do you still not see their folly?”
Princess Gwenhwyfar clicked her tongue in irritation, clearly upset with the further delays her journey was suffering. From the sound of it, it seemed like Lady Scarlet was more than just the princess’ friend. Rather, she seemed more like a tutor than anything else.
“You’re right, Scarlet. I can’t believe I missed that.” The princess turned to the knights behind me, her eyes narrowing as she addressed them with a single command that caused even me to tremble. “Kneel.”
At once, the sound of steel against flagstone rang loudly through the courtyard, all my knights finally collapsing to their knees in apology. That was where they should have been in the first place.
“W-We humbly apologize for interrupting Your Imperial Highness’ journey!” They cried.
“Hmph.” Princess Gwenhwyfar prepared to turn away, but it seemed something in Lady Scarlet’s expression caught her eye. She returned her attention to the knights behind her, crossing her arms haughtily. “And?”
The knights were speechless for a second, and even I was at a loss for what else they needed to apologize for, but the answer quickly came to mind a second later. I was part of it, after all... Unfortunately, I doubt any of these idiots behind me would know the answer seeing as they could barely process proper protocol.
Lady Scarlet sighed, shaking her head. “Look at these fools, Gwenhwyfar. Did you not tell your father that Captain Brennal would be a far better commander?”
Princess Gwenhwyfar pursed her lips, her eyes filling with frustration. She clearly didn’t want to answer such a question, fearing that it might undermine her authority in front of the knights. In response, Lady Scarlet nodded approvingly.
“My apologies, Gwenhwyfar. Perhaps I spoke too much. In any case, that should have been ample time for these imbeciles to understand how they have unfairly embarrassed their captain.” Lady Scarlet said.
“Y-Yes! W-We express great regret in embarrassing Captain Verdia!”
“Finally. You will all be riding alongside the carriage, so I will expect no more mistakes. Is that understood?” The princess glared at the knights, venting out her irritation on them. Still, it was obvious that the delay annoyed her far more than Lady Scarlet’s remark.
“Y-Yes, Your Imperial Highness!”
“All rise and mount up.” Princess Gwenhwyfar commanded. “Captain Verdia. You alone will remain.”
“H-Huh?” I stared at the princess in shock as I rose to my feet. Even if she was punishing me for my failure to arrive in a timely fashion, it would be too much for me to leave the princess to ten inexperienced knights. “Your Imperial Highness, I must protest! We cann—”
“Silence. Do not presume you have any choice in the matter.”
I stared at the princess wide-eyed as she made her way toward the carriage. Of course, I could simply obey my orders and let her ride off to the academy, but my sense of duty and better judgment overpowered the years of etiquette and protocol that had been drilled into me.
“Y-Your Imperial Highness! These knights are young and inexperienced! I apologize for overstepping my bounds, but I cannot rightly entrust your life to them!”
“...So you are saying the imperial knights are incompetent?”
“...Yes. Have me flogged or expelled from the order if you wish, but they are not sufficient to protect you, Your Imperial Highness!”
“And I?” A familiar, gruff-sounding voice came from behind the carriage. The sound of hooves against the stone-paved courtyard rang clearly through the air as a tall and proud knight urged his horse forward into view.
Armed with a massive greatsword strapped to his back and a smaller cavalry longsword on his hip, Captain Brennal sat upon a massive armored warhorse. He peered down at me with a look of amusement in his eyes, smiling faintly. “Am I insufficient as well, Dame Verdia?”
“S-Sir Brennal! But... You...” I could barely even formulate a proper sentence thanks to the abruptness of his appearance. As far as I knew, he should have been at the Imperial Palace’s armory as the new quartermaster. It had been a decision all the other captains protested, but that asshole Keith followed through with it anyway. It had probably been out of jealousy and fear thanks to Brennal’s reputation and ability that had him nominated as the primary candidate to replace Padraig before Keith somehow gained the position out of nowhere.
“I’m not proud of it, but Lady Scarlet and Her Imperial Highness helped me with a few... negotiations, shall we say. I’ll be temporarily taking command of your unit. I hope you don’t mind.”
I shook my head, pleasantly surprised at Sir Brennal’s reassignment to a more fitting post. As an experienced veteran and a captain, he never should have been relegated to the armory in the first place. “No, of course not. They’re yours, Sir Brennal.”
Sir Brennal nodded his thanks. “Then we’ll be off. Stay strong, eh, Dame Verdia? Padraig’s departure hits hard on us all.”
At Sir Brennal’s command, the knights formed up around the princess’ carriage as smoothly as they could. While they did so, the princess flashed me a bone-chilling smile and lowered her voice, whispering in a fashion that only I could hear.
“Thank you for your honesty, Captain Verdia. Please continue making the right choices.”
Before I could even ask her what she meant, Princess Gwenhwyfar boarded her carriage and departed with the knights, leaving me in the dust as I stood stunned, watching them disappear into the horizon.
Snap.
I turned at the sound, finding Lady Scarlet standing directly behind me with her hand fan obscuring the lower portion of her face. Somehow, it made her terrifying beauty even more prominent, and I stumbled backward in surprise.
“Dame Verdia.”
“Y-Yes, Lady Scarlet?”
“I sense a great upheaval in the empire’s future. One that threatens to consume us whole should we not prepare ourselves for this calamity.”
I frowned. “Why are you telling me this, Lady Scarlet?”
“You are someone who still holds righteousness in your heart, Dame Verdia. That is why I would like you to join me. Together, we must bring change to the empire and return it to its former glory.”
“...Did Sir Brennal join you?”
Lady Scarlet nodded. Regardless of what her answer was, I had already made my choice.
“Then I’ll do the same.”
