Queen's Guard

Arianelle, as Sergeant Maelneth, is introduced to Queen Aurei, but will her grandmother see through her disguise?

7.

Queen’s Guard

 

Arianelle awoke early and leaped out of bed, noticing immediately that her long hair was gone.    It was an odd sensation and she found a small hand mirror in the room to confirm it.    The combs had worked, for she now had extremely short hair.   She looked at herself in the mirror, still amazed at the stranger looking back at her.   Pale blue eyes instead of red, a pale, pinkish skin instead of the stark white shade, and colorless lips instead of the blood red color.  

Now her long hair was gone (at least until she used the magic comb again).    She pulled the comb from her hair and ran her fingers through it.    Her hair was as short as her father’s paladin hair style.

Without the length, the light didn’t highlight the silver as much and so she had a milky white tint.

She didn’t spend too long looking at herself, though, and within half an hour she had donned her guardsman armor and exited the room, to find that the ladies in the barracks were just now rising from sleep.

“You’re up early, sergeant,”    Tyru said as she made her cot, “The wake-up bugle won’t sound for another quarter hour.”

“I’m just too anxious to sleep,”   She replied, and it was no lie, for she really wanted to get the ‘introduction’ with Queen Aurei over with as soon as possible.    Arianelle knew her grandmother was a keen observer and she prayed that the Queen wouldn’t see through her disguise immediately.

Just as a bugle began sounding in the courtyard below, announcing the beginning of the day for the guardsmen and servants, a knock came on the barracks door.    Arianelle opened it, not surprised to find Captain Todd standing there.    She saluted and he nodded in response.

“Sergeant, I see you are ready to meet Her Majesty.”

“Yes sir, I’m quite anxious.”

“Well, you are in luck, because Queen Aurei arose early this morning and sent word to me that she would like to meet her new bodyguard as soon as possible, so I came here to see if you’d like to meet Her Majesty before breakfast.”

“Yes sir, I would indeed.”

“Excellent; shall we go then?”

Arianelle said goodbye to the ladies in the barracks and then followed Captain Todd in silence until they were on the empty back stairwell.

“Why did she rise so early, Captain?”   She asked as they walked upstairs.

“It is unusual for her, but I honestly don’t know.   I told her about you yesterday, so she just may be curious to meet you.   Don’t worry; I don’t see how she could have figured anything out.    Your short hair is quite different, too.   I don’t think she’ll see a resemblance to her granddaughter.”

“I hope so; she is very observant, you know.”

“Well, just don’t appear too nervous.    She’ll expect you to be a bit awestruck of meeting with her.     She’ll try her best to get you to relax and see that she is just a common person.    She is not one for pomp and ceremony.”

Arianelle smiled, amused that the orc captain thought he was telling her something she didn’t already know.    But he was just being helpful, so she didn’t say anything.

A few moments later they reached the lowest level of the royal family’s private quarters.    This was the level where they met privately with people.    Arianelle had been all over the palace hundreds of times, but this time when the door opened and they stepped out onto the floor, she felt extremely nervous.

Captain Todd led her down a hallway to the main audience chamber, where dignitaries and guests would be entertained.

Two Guardsmen stood at attention as they approached and Captain Todd knocked on the door.    Arianelle heard her grandmother’s pleasant voice bidding them to enter.    She took a calming breath and followed the orc captain inside.

 

They bowed respectfully as soon as they saw Queen Aurei.    She always amazed Arianelle, for Aurei had such a youthful look to her that she seemed not much older than her granddaughter.    She was dressed in rather plain clothing, not a regal dress or crown, but in simple leather pants and boots and a chainmail tunic.   This was her idea of casual wear and Arianelle smiled slightly, before realizing she should appear more awe-struck and slightly scared, rather than grinning a familiar smile.

So she adapted her best guess on how she would have felt if she was truly who she claimed to be.    She widened her eyes slightly as if in wonderment of the Queen and walked a bit hesitantly as if unsure if she had leave to approach her.    Arianelle was actually rather nervous and hoped that would be conveyed properly.   She hated lying to her grandmother, but it was for her own good.

Captain Todd led her to the Queen, who crossed the room to meet them with a pleasant smile.

“Your Majesty, may I introduce Sergeant Maelneth, who has transferred here from King’s Reach where she served with distinction at the court of Prince Gamel.”

Arianelle bowed low, trying to make her hands tremble just slightly to feign nerves.

Aurei extended her hand to her, “Sergeant Maelneth, it is nice to meet you.    You are to be my bodyguard, I hear?”

Arianelle focused on her voice, for she had not changed how it sounded by magic, so her grandmother might recognize it.    She decided on a rather meek sounding voice, not far from a whisper.

“Your Royal Highness, it is my great honor to serve you.”

 

The Queen smiled brightly, “My, but you are soft-spoken, child!   You seem familiar to me… have we been introduced before?”

Arianelle fought hard to conceal panic, “N-No, Your Majesty… I-I don’t think so.”

Aurei seemed to be scrutinizing her, but kept smiling, as if she was amused at Arianelle’s nervousness, “Well, perhaps I saw you when we were in King’s Reach.    You guarded my daughter-in-law?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”   Arianelle held her breath, terrified that her grandmother would ask a barrage of questions about the place.

Instead, the drow queen only nodded, then turned to Captain Todd, “Thank you, Captain, I find her quite acceptable.     I will chat with her for a brief time before we leave the royal apartments.    You chose well, Captain, I am quite pleased.    You are dismissed to return to your duties.”

A bit of relief crossed the orc’s face, and he bowed deeply, “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Without another word, but with just a slight glance at Arianelle, he turned and fled the room.

Arianelle was more than a bit anxious to be left alone with her perceptive grandmother.

As soon as the door clicked behind the Captain, Aurei turned to her, “Now, Sergeant, I’d like for you to sit and chat with me for a few minutes.   I want you to relax during this time and speak with me informally, for I would like to get to know you and that is very hard with all the royal formalities and etiquette.   When we leave these quarters, however, we will have to resume our respective roles, but for a few minutes, let’s just talk.   Have a seat.”   

She gestured to two chairs a short distance away and Arianelle followed her to them and sat down after the Queen was seated.    She had sat in that same chair, talking to her grandmother many times, but never had she felt nervous about it until this morning.

 

After they had both sat down, Aurei smiled and said, “You know, I have a daughter and a granddaughter that are albinos.   But they have drow albinism, which is different from surface elf albinism, and I have been fascinated for years with those elves that have the disorder... tell me about your life with it.”

Arianelle quickly pondered how a surface elf with the disease would live.    She knew that the sun was their biggest problem and adjusting to brilliant light.

“Your Majesty, I have had no specific problems.    I am very fortunate to not have any eyesight concerns, though bright light does tend to make me suffer somewhat.”

“How is your skill at arms?”

“I was trained quite well, Your Highness, I feel I am capable,”   She answered humbly.

“Captain Todd tells me that you are an orphan.    I was raised by humans, so this is something that I understand.”

Arianelle took a deep breath, preparing a careful reply, “I have often wondered if I could have pleased my parents - whoever they were-  with the choices I have made.    I think that is why I was so eager to serve as a Queen’s Guardsman - I have seen your large family, Your Majesty, and it seems so wonderful to me.   It is good to know that there are extended families that love each other and I am honored to help preserve that with my service.”

The Queen considered this reply for a moment and smiled, “My family is extremely important to me as well, Sergeant Maelneth, and so I think I understand your motivation for your service.”

“Thank you, Your Highness, your safety and your family’s security is my motivation.”

“Then I feel very secure with you as my bodyguard.    Tell me, Sergeant, have you had any breakfast this morning?”

“No, Your Majesty.”

“Well then you must dine with me.”   Aurei clapped her hands and a servant’s head popped out of an adjoining room.

“Elvie, please bring something for the Sergeant and I to eat.”

The servant curtseyed and hurried off to do her mistress’ bidding.

“Your Highness, it is not permitted for Guardsmen to dine with the Royal family,”   Arianelle protested, uneasy that her grandmother seemed so comfortable around her.   If she was really just a transferred guard, why would she be so kind to her?

“Sergeant, one thing you need to understand is that those who rule usually make the rules.   If I say you will have breakfast with me, you will have breakfast with me.”

“Yes, ma’am.”  She bowed her head, fighting off a smile at her grandmother’s stubbornness.

 

A moment later servants brought in fresh baked bread and jams, and aromatic bacon.    Arianelle’s stomach signaled its approval loud enough for the Queen to hear and she giggled, “I take it you approve, Sergeant?”

“It looks simply fantastic, Your Majesty.”

“Then join me and then we’ll begin your assignment.”

“Thank you, Your Highness, you are most gracious.”

“Well, it is also just practical, actually.    You’ll be standing around for hours today as I hear minor petitions for various things.    The King is interviewing several candidates for commanders of several Lances of Cavalry, so the job falls on me alone.    I don’t want you to pass out from hunger, so I thought you should have something to eat before the boredom begins.”

“I am truly, honored, Your Highness.”

“It is my privilege, Sergeant.     Maelneth, will you answer me something completely truthful?”

Arianelle nearly choked on a piece of muffin, but with a gulp, nodded, expecting the worst.

Aurei leaned in closer, her eyes sparkling as if she was about to share a secret, “Maelneth, Captain Todd said you were about 80 years old, but I sense that you are not really that old, are you?   Don’t worry; I won’t tell anyone, I just want the truth.   You won’t be sent away or reassigned.    I’m guessing you are 74 or 75, aren’t you?    Many orphans lie about their age to get jobs, so there is no shame there.    But tell me, and I shall keep your secret.”

Arianelle considered swearing that she was indeed 80, for if she was truthful and her grandmother did the math, she’d be dubious about her back story.    But Aurei’s penetrating red eyes were too much for her.

“Ma’am, I’m 74,”  She whispered, “But I have seen a lot of things and I feel I’m mature enough to serve as your bodyguard.”

Aurei patted her hand, “Child, I am sure you will do a wonderful job.     I just noticed that you seemed to possess that uncertainty of early adolescence and I thought it would take off some of the stress of hiding it from me.   I was your age when I was made Duchess of Westmark.    There is something about elves that have lived amongst the short-lived races that matures us quicker than those who have lived exclusively with elves.”

“We usually mature mentally before our bodies catch up.    For drow, our bodies fill out soon after, but thankfully you surface elves don’t go through the awkwardness of the sudden maturing of your bodies, but only a graceful change.”

Arianelle could only nod; shifting uncomfortably, for fear of that sudden maturing plagued her.   If she went through that in the next month, her charade would certainly fail, for High Elves, the Sylvan folk, and the Faesidhe women did not round out in the same way that drow ladies did.

“Are you alright, Sergeant?”   Aurei asked, sensing Arianelle’s discomfort.

“Yes, Your Majesty, I just fear changing.”

“Really?  Why?”

“Well…”   Arianelle quickly concocted a reason for her statement, “As you said, I look young, and so since I am so young, it was actually rather easy fitting in with the Queen’s Guardsmen in King’s Reach, even though I’m a girl and there are so few females in the Guard.     With my hair short, I just look like a somewhat small elf, and not really much different than some of the shorter elven men.”

“So what are you worried about, Maelneth?”   Aurei asked, as if suspicious of something.

“Well, Ma’am, I.. uh… I don’t know for sure what race my parents were… since I am an orphan…. So I don’t know how I’ll look when I begin to change.     All the various elf races mature at slightly different times, you know.    I fear that when I begin to look more feminine, there will be discrimination against me.”

“There won’t be, Sergeant, because I won’t allow it.      No woman is going to be treated differently than a man due to her sex, or how she looks.   That is something I deeply hate - someone judging someone based on their sex or race.    But don’t worry, child, all the surface elf women are slender and graceful, so you won’t change much… unless you have some hidden drow ancestry.”

Arianelle’s voice caught in her throat, so she didn’t respond but only toyed with spreading orange jam onto a muffin.

For a few moments there was a rather nervous silence, but finally the Queen asked her if she liked the taste of the jam.

“Yes, Your Majesty, it is quite nice.”

“Good, that should sustain you for a while.   Who knows, perhaps this will be a new custom each day - you shall take breakfast with me.”

Arianelle’s eyes widened in panic, “Oh, Your Majesty, I don’t want to upset Captain Todd and make the other guardsmen jealous.”

Aurei arched her eyebrows, “I always get what I want, child, and I find your youthfulness pleasant - you remind me of some of my daughters and granddaughter.   They seldom have time for me after they grew up, and all of them except my youngest daughter have married and moved away, which is why I find this rather nice.      So that is just what we’ll do each day, Sergeant!    You are to report here each morning to have breakfast with me before your shift.”

“But"“

“That is a command, Sergeant.”   Aurei said with mock annoyance, her eyes hinting at her mirth.

“Yes, Your Majesty,”   Arianelle replied with a troubled sigh, “Thank you.”

“We’ll get to know each other quite well, Sergeant, and that is always important if you want to truly protect someone.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Now let’s finish so we can begin holding court.”

The conversation fell silent as they ate and Arianelle struggled with the growing complexity of her role.

 

Reviews

[Elina]

"Aurei clapped her fingers..." This bit doesn't quite make sense to me. Perhaps she is clapping her hands?
"...red eyes was too much for her." This should read "...red eyes were too much..."
"...for High Elves, the Sylvan folk, nor the Faesidhe women rounded out in the same way that drow ladies filled out." Perhaps, instead, something like "...for High Elves, the Sylvan folk, and the Faesidhe women did not round out in the same way that drow ladies did."
"...all the surface elf races women are slender..." This bit is worded a little awkwardly.