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“Good morning, Queen Nanosounds. A wonderful day, is it not?”
Nano paused for a moment at the intonation of her new title, still adjusting to its use by the people of the kingdom — no, it was her kingdom now. She turned to smile at her former tutor and current advisor, a foreign knight by the name of Xephos Ceisiwr o Ser, dipping her head ever so slightly in acknowledgment. He had been advisor to her mother up until the moment she passed, having finally succumbed to the illness that had plagued her side of the family tree for ages; if there was anyone Nano believed she could trust to help her, it was him.
“And to you, Sir Xephos.” She cringed a bit at the way the title stuck in her throat, adding, “Actually, do you mind if I just call you Xephos instead? I’d rather not be overly formal if it can be helped.” Xephos bowed to her, speaking once he had straightened.
“Although it would be a breach of etiquette in public, Your Majesty, I have no objections to it.” His blue eyes were friendly even as he slipped in another lesson of court etiquette. Even though he was no longer strictly her tutor, Xephos had yet to drop his habit of weaving teachings into conversations between them.
Nano waved her hand at the use of his formal manner of addressing her, even as a smile found its way onto her face. “And none of that ‘Your Majesty’ when we’re not in public either. It still gives me chills to be addressed that way. I’m no different than the next noble woman, apart from my title.” She stopped herself from giving an indignant huff and crossing her arms, years of lessons telling her it would be unseemly to do so; instead she settled for a heavy sigh. “What am I doing here, Xephos? I’m a queen at not even twenty, when it should still be my mother ruling this kingdom.”
“Chin up, milady. If there is anyone who I would trust to run a kingdom at nineteen, it would be you.” She cast a grateful look his way at the reassurance, even as he continued to speak. “You are not alone in this venture, and you have a very valuable skill at your disposal, with your magic. Your mother would be proud of the way you have conducted yourself since her untimely passing.”
“I suppose she would be,” Nano muttered to herself, resuming her steady pace down the hallway. Xephos fell into step a pace behind her and to her side, his formal robes creating a light swish as he moved. Her own dress was not a fancy one, not today at least; she had opted instead for a rather plain fabric dyed a pale yellow, the color accenting her chestnut brown eyes and slightly darker hair. The only accessory she had chosen to wear was the hair pin that her mother had given her when she had turned sixteen, the metal meticulously crafted to evoke the image of a flower with a small purple stone set in its center.
At the moment, Nano and Xephos were on their way to meet with Lomadia, captain of the Queen’s Guard, and a woman of high merit in her own right. Nano had heard stories of Lomadia of Owl’s Keep since she had been appointed as head of her mother’s personal guard, including the rumors that she had a rare form of Wild Magic under her command. She supposed she could find out on her own if the rumors were true, though she would rather the truth come to light of Lomadia’s own volition as opposed to any magical prying. Regardless, the lady knight was not one to mess with, having taken down many a challenger who had wrongly decided a woman wasn’t fit to be captain of a guard company.
The slightly mismatched pair — the tall Xephos with dark hair, tanned skin, and blue eyes accompanying the smaller queen — entered the meeting room, a smaller area set just off of the main hearing area. It was a military room by design, with a large, sturdy table partnered with matching chairs being the main attraction of the room apart from the maps covering every free space on the walls.
Xephos pulled out a chair for his queen, who voiced her thanks as she took her seat. He placed himself standing just behind her chair and off a pace or three to her side, settling himself into a relaxed yet attentive posture while they waited. Only a moment passed before another door across the room opened, signaling the approach of another.
“Good morning, Your Majesty. Apologies for making you wait.” The familiar voice of Lomadia preceded the arrival of her body through the door, her somewhat broad shoulders and decidedly sturdy build commanding a different sort of attention and respect than a queen did, but a sense of respect nonetheless. Her dark blonde hair was pulled back in a tight braid, revealing a scar that ran from her ear and across her jaw. Her bright blue eyes scanned the room in a way that suggested nothing could escape her notice. She was dressed in the standard tunic and breeches of knights off-duty, the fabric colored to match the tan and blue crest of Owl’s Keep.
“No, not at all, Captain Lomadia. Please, take a seat,” Nano replied, inclining her head toward one of the seats along the edge of the table. Lomadia bowed once before taking the offered spot, a polite smile on her face as she did so. Now that she was closer, Nano could see other small scars adorning her hands and arms, battle scars from her years of service and training.
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Lomadia said as she adjusted the sword hanging at her hip, moving her gaze to fix her sharp eyes on Xephos for a moment before shifting her attention back to the queen.
“Just - just ‘milady’ is fine, when we’re not in public,” Nano corrected quickly, earning a raised brow and the beginnings of a real smile from Lomadia. She took a breath to steady herself as her thoughts raced through a million questions that she wanted to ask and things she wanted to say, angling herself to face lady knight in front of her. “You requested my presence to discuss something, Captain?” she prompted, catching and holding Lomadia’s gaze as she waited for a response.
“Of course.” Lomadia pulled out a folded handful of paper from a pouch at her hip, smoothing the piece out on the table before Nano as she continued. “As you know, Your Ma - pardon, milady, the captain of the Queen’s Guard is responsible not only for the organization of the company’s current members, but also for selecting potential knights to fill open spots.” She paused for a moment to point at what appeared to be a list of names, tapping her finger against the creased parchment. “As the company stands now, these are the names of those who have potential to serve as part of your personal guard, if you find it to your liking.”
Nano pulled the list toward her with a curious look, dragging the rumpled paper across the table as Lomadia pulled away to lean back and cross her arms. Her brown eyes moved slowly down the list of names, picking out a good handful of family names that she recognized — Khaz Modan was a clan of miners from the south who had sworn allegiance in her grandmother’s time as queen; Owl’s Keep would, of course, be one of Lomadia’s siblings; the Silverspring name belonged to an old line of mages, as did the name of Vallon; and Welborn had been providing the kingdom with distinguished knights for as long as the royal family could remember — the other half ones she had simply heard in passing. She nodded at the list, handing it over to Xephos to look over quickly; one could never be too safe in checking those who would be guarding the last in the line of Flux.
“So you picked those who are on the list, Lomadia?” Nano inquired while her advisor considered the family names presented to them. She turned her brown eyes to rest on the lady knight, true interest coloring her expression. Lomadia sat straighter in her chair, a note of pride in her voice as she spoke.
“They are the ones who showed the most potential during their first weeks of training, and all of them were willing to serve as part of your personal guard when I asked them. Each of these knights are skilled in basic weaponry and fighting, and I expect nothing short of their best now that they’ll be personally serving the queen. Of course, if it pleases you, milady.” The last part was almost an afterthought, tacked on at the end of her proud spiel about her knights. Nano couldn’t help but grin at that, warmed by the enthusiasm and faith that Lomadia had in the knights meant to protect her.
“I can find no fault in these candidates, Captain Lomadia,” Xephos’ voice broke in, handing the list back to the queen, who in turn handed the parchment back to Lomadia. “If they are pleasing to you, milady, then I see no reason why these knights may not serve in your personal guard.” Nano glanced over her shoulder to see her advisor’s expression, finding nothing of any concern there. A thought crossed her mind, urging her to take a closer look at Lomadia and her outward intentions. She trusted the sharp eye and even sharper standards of the lady knight as well as her loyalty, but it could never hurt to be too sure when meeting someone who would be a potential part of her inner circle.
“You’re sure of these knights then, Captain? Of their abilities and their loyalty?” As she questioned Lomadia, Nano called to the purple magic that slept within her, a birthright that she carried from far back in her lineage. She collected just enough power to serve her purpose, directing it only to her right eye as she angled her head for her hair to fall just in front of it. A purple sheen glazed over her iris for a moment, settling in a ring at the edge of her pupil as she observed the lady knight in front of her.
“As sure as anyone can be, milady. I have seen no reason to question their loyalty, and they have all shown me time and again what skill they possess.” The most Nano could detect was a flash of honey-colored power — a curiosity she was unable to investigate further without drawing on more of her magic — as Lomadia replied, head held high as she leveled her gaze with the queen. Her gift of Sight was a useful one to have as a member of the royal family, and it was one that she had spent many hours practicing as she grew up. Of course it wasn’t always perfect, particularly if the person she was trying to See was skilled in their own magic; still, any help was better than none at all with a kingdom to run at such a young age. In this case, it had revealed to the best of her knowledge that the lady knight was being as honest as she believed she was.
Nano nodded to Lomadia, letting the purple magic settle within her again as she acknowledged the lady knight’s words. “Then I will do the same and be sure of your judgement,” she conceded with a smile, one that Lomadia returned immediately. “Is there anything else you’d like to discuss with me, Captain?” Lomadia paused for a moment, considering something before replying to her queen.
“If you have time, milady, and if you so desire, I could arrange for you to meet your personal guard later today. Perhaps, if it suits you, a few hours before your evening meal?” Nano considered the offer for a moment, making a mental check of her schedule and if she had anything else planned for her day. Unable to think of anything that would be of conflict, she turned her gaze to the lady knight once more, smiling gratefully at the woman as she replied.
“That would be wonderful, Captain. I look forward to being introduced. We’ll meet again later.” Lomadia recognized a dismissal when she received one, nodding once as she gathered up the list to return to her pouch and prepared herself to stand. Nano did the same, resettling her dress as she smoothed the slight wrinkles that had appeared while they sat. She waited as Lomadia bowed and exited the way she had come in, the door swinging shut with a creak and a solid noise as it settled in its doorframe. Nano glanced over her shoulder at Xephos, who had shifted his blue eyes to look at the floor at his feet as he attempted to hide the small smile on his face. “Something to add, Xephos?” she inquired with a raised brow and what she hoped was a regal manner.
“Nothing, milady,” her advisor lied tactfully, meeting her gaze with laughing eyes. “I was just thinking.”
“Oh?” Now she turned to face him fully, an open expression of interest on her face as she prodded for further explanation from the man.
“You remind me very much of your mother, milady, if I may say so myself. There is much for you to learn, as there is for all of us, but you have a natural gift of a leader. You will be a good queen, even at the age of nineteen.” With that he turned to leave the room with a bow, pausing only for a moment in the doorway to add, “I have no doubts that you will make your mother proud, milady. I will see you this afternoon.”
Nano was left to stare after her advisor, flattered by his open compliment. The warm feeling was replaced by the sudden weight of responsibility settling onto her shoulders for what was far from the first time since she had been granted her new title. Even now, she could hardly believe that she had been officially crowned as queen a few days ago, the necessary ceremony having taken place the designated week after her mother’s funeral, as was dictated by tradition and respect for the dead. Although she had been trained and schooled her entire life in order to take over the throne for her mother, she thought she’d at least have more time to shadow her mother on court days and throughout her daily schedule; yet here she was, thrown into the thick of things and expected to keep her footing as the waves of royal responsibility rushed to pull her along with them.
She shook her head once to clear it, pushing away the hints of uncertainty that were creeping up on her mind as she stood in the room alone. Nano forced herself to keep her chin up, even as her eyes burned at the thought of her deceased mother and she had to blink away the tears furiously before they could fall. As much as she missed her mother — and even her long-dead father who had been killed in battle when she was barely a year old — she would be no good to herself and her kingdom if she allowed herself to be an emotional mess.
Pushing in her chair at the table and leaving the small room, Nano found herself padding down the hallway toward her bedchamber, her feet choosing a path before her mind could even make her own thoughts aware of where she was heading. She made a point to nod and smile at all of the servants and other nobility who had yet to leave after her crowning that she passed in the hallway, keeping her pace quick to deter them from stopping her for a conversation. As much as she had appearances to keep up, there was no need for her to stop and talk with every single person who passed her way, at least not today.
Arriving at her rooms, Nano entered and quickly shut the door behind her, moving over to the larger chest at the foot of her bed. Flipping the sturdy latch keeping it closed, she opened the box and reached inside, pulling out a tunic and breeches, checking to make sure the underclothes she typically kept folded up inside her tunics were in their proper place. Reassured that she had what she needed, Nano moved to the corner of the room, slipping behind the screen that had been set up in order to allow her some privacy as she dressed. She changed quickly, ridding herself of the plain dress she wore in favor of the standard outfit of a knight in training. The only mark distinguishing her clothing from that of a typical knight was the purple trim marking the hem of her tunic, a thin line of color on the otherwise off-white fabric.
Kicking off the flat shoes she had been wearing with her dress, Nano pulled on socks and the sturdier boots that rested nearby, the leather just worn enough to be comfortable on her feet while still serving their purpose. She laced them up easily, pulling the ends of her breeches over the top of her boots once she was finished. Standing, she gathered up her dress and carefully lay it out on her bed, intending to wear it once more later that night when she ate dinner. She approached the simple vanity area that she used, the only real thing of note besides the jewelry she had inherited from her mother and as a member of the royal family being the mirror she used. Now she required its assistance to extract the pin from her hair, mindful of the way it liked to cling to any strands that she didn’t specifically work to detach it from. She placed it gently on the wooden table in front of her as she reached for her comb, running it once through her hair before she attempted to tie it back.
Nano used a braiding trick that her mother had taught her as a younger girl to keep her bangs from falling into her face, twisting the rest of it into a simple coiled bun. Turning her head to the side to catch her reflection in the mirror, she nodded in satisfaction as she surveyed her work and found it to her liking. As silly as it may have seemed to some others, she took pride in being able to take care of herself however she could, even in ways that were as simple as tying back her own hair in a sensible fashion. She smiled to herself as she recalled the confusion of her hand maid when she’d first expressed her desire to take care of her everyday clothing and hair, the lack of understanding slowly transforming into a simple acknowledgment of her request to be independent when she could. Mila was a kind woman, in her early thirties as far as Nano could tell, and as faithful of a hand maid that anyone could ask for, even if she didn’t always immediately understand the reasoning behind her queen’s wishes.
Satisfied with her clothing and hair Nano left her room, stride purposeful as she walked down the hallway to one of the servant’s stairwells nearby. She’d made a habit of using the servant stairwells when she wasn’t dressed to fit the role of what others expected from someone of her status, especially when she was wearing clothes in the style meant for any knight, squire, or page. It apparently “wasn’t fitting” for a member of royalty to run around at her age in clothes that the lower nobility wore, according to some of the high-nosed nobles who had been visiting in the past when she was a few years younger; Nano simply scoffed at them and brushed off the pointed remarks, not even bothering to give them a second thought. It was worth it to earn the respect of those who worked in the armory and the knights she had trained with in the past, as well as the skills that came from her work.
Passing a handful of servants as she went — all of whom she paused to greet before continuing down the stairs — Nano made her way down to the ground floor of the castle, pushing the wooden door open to step out into the courtyard. A flash of color appeared at the corner of her vision, barreling into her with a surprised yelp before she could even properly step away from the door. She stumbled away from the other person, doing everything she could to not lose her footing and failing as she hit the ground. The person who had run into her staggered backwards to regain their footing, and as she looked up she saw a completely flustered and apologetic look on his face.
“Oh cr- I’m so sorry! Are you alright, milady?” He rushed forward immediately, helping her to her feet with an outstretched hand and a steady grip on her arm when she didn’t immediately push herself up in a moment of surprise at the title he used to address her; either he let the formality slip in the excitement of the moment, or he didn’t recognize who she was in her current outfit. Once she was standing she realized just how tall the stranger was, built only slightly less sturdy and broad than she had expected from the force he’d run into her with; she barely came up to his shoulder, even with the slight lift that her boots gave her in terms of height. He was dressed in clothing similar to hers, though noticeably a bit more worn out and decorated with a silvery-grey and blue trim on the tunic instead. “I didn’t hurt you did I? I’m sorry, I’m so clumsy and I didn’t realize there was a servants’ door here and —“ He stopped himself, swallowing hard with a sheepish look on his face before he continued with his spluttered apologies.
Despite his clearly flustered demeanor at the moment, she decided he had the air of a knight, though something about his mannerisms suggested there was more to his history than just training to fight in a war; he had the slightly frantic movements of someone who practiced a science of some sort, though it could have just been his embarrassment after literally running into a stranger. The dirty blond hair covering his head was messy and matched in color to the nearly-invisible stubble across his chin and jaw, the former a trait she guessed was part of its natural state and not a result of their sudden collision. His eyes were a blue the color of a well-crafted mythril sword, a mixture of silver and blue that suggested at least a hint of magic in him, if not more than that. She brushed herself off with a shake of her head and a polite smile, waving a hand as he continued to stammer apologies.
“It’s really alright, I’m perfectly fine,” she assured him, resisting the urge to smile even more as time continued to pass without a look of recognition crossing his features. Not that she minded at all. “You must be new here, to not know where the servants’ doors are. I take it you’re one of the new knights in service here sir…?” She had meant it as a question to ask for his name, but an expression of mild panic appeared on his face as he seemed to remember something.
“I’m so very sorry, milady, because I would absolutely love to talk to you, I really would! But I’m actually running a tad late for a meeting that my captain called us to less than an hour ago, and she won’t be very happy if I don’t get there soon.” Nano’s interest piqued at the mention of a female captain calling knights for a meeting; she was fairly sure that it was Lomadia that the knight was referring to, meaning he was likely one of people she had chosen as part of the Queen’s Guard. “I really do apologize, but I need to leave. Have a good day, milady, please be safe!”
Without another word he turned to run off once more, managing to narrowly dodge the edge of a water trough meant for horses coming off the nearby jousting range before he turned the corner and disappeared from her sight. Nano couldn’t contain the grin on her face as she watched him go, suppressing the urge to laugh outright at the man she had just met. It was nice to know that she could still have a relatively normal interaction with someone, so long as they didn’t recognize her as the newly-crowned queen; it was something she hadn’t realized how much she had missed until just now. Shaking her head good-naturedly, she turned to continue on her way to her original goal, glancing up at the sun that sat overhead and heated the air to a bearably warm temperature.
Nano arrived at the armory a few moments later, stepping into the slightly darker and much warmer building; the only light in the main room came from the lone window set over the glowing forge and anvil, hatch opened to let out smoke from the flames that served as the source of the extra heat. A man emerged from a back room as Nano surveyed the familiar sight of weaponry scattered in a semblance of chaotic organization, a broad grin appearing on his face when he recognized the queen in her common clothes.
“G’morning, m’lady,” he called to her, wiping his hands on the apron he wore and swiping a bit of sweat from his brow. “What can I do fer ye today?” Maxwell was the head blacksmith and master of the armory, an older man who still had the wiry muscles of a well-trained knight due to working the forges day in and day out. His hair was starting to grey and thin, the stubble a peppered color against his tanned skin.
“Actually, it’s afternoon, Maxwell, just to let you know,” she laughed, earning another semi-toothless grin from the man. It registered in her mind that she would be missing lunch at this rate, but she pushed that thought away; missing a meal every so often wouldn’t hurt her, after all. “But that’s just a detail that we can ignore. I was wondering if I could borrow the recurve bow I was using the other day again, with a quiver of arrows.”
Maxwell gave a little whistle, chuckling to himself as he commented, “Yer a dedicated one, aren’t ye, Yer Majesty? Surprised ye haven’t got yer own recurve bow yet.” He disappeared into the room he had been in earlier, stepping back out once more after a moment with a strung bow and a quiver of arrows in hand. “‘ere ye are, Yer Majesty. One recurve and a quiv’r of arrows fer ye. Just a warnin’, the range’ll pro’ly fill up in a few hours. I think Cap’n Lomadia has ‘er knights trainin’ wi’ rings today.” He inclined his head toward the lineup of bows and quivers near the door, all of varying sizes. Above them hung a bunch of wooden rings, made with a variety of wood types from heavier woods to lighter ones.
“Do you think the Captain could spare a few for me today?” Nano asked with a smile, turning back to Maxwell as he chuckled again.
“I put some fer ye in th’ quiv’r, Yer Majesty.” He looked rather pleased with himself as the queen burst out laughing, leaning over the low counter to peck him on the cheek. She took the offered bow and arrows as she stepped back, smiling in thanks.
“You’re a wonderful person, Maxwell,” she grinned, slinging the quiver over her shoulder as she headed for the door. “Thank you!” He raised a hand in farewell as she left, a gesture she returned over her shoulder with the bow in hand.
Nano took the long way around to the archery range in order to avoid any prying eyes or nosy nobles who enjoyed wandering through the gardens near the main training area, particularly the younger girls who went to eye up the male pages and squires as they worked. Even some of the younger males started showing up to watch the smaller number of female knights-in-training; though, to the credit of the decree passed in her mother’s earlier years, that number was higher than it’s former zero.
Finding the range still empty when she arrived, Nano hopped over the low fence instead of walking to the gate, vaulting herself over it in a well-practiced movement. More often than she liked to admit, Nano had been forced to flee quickly in her younger days when she saw her tutors coming for her when she decided to cut lessons in arithmetic and history in favor of learning how to defend herself. Now she only hid from the new responsibilities that being the queen brought to rest on her shoulders, a decision she felt she was entitled to make when she had the time to spare. Granted, her days were nowhere near as busy as they could be, considering the land was in a time of relative peace; apart from the seasonal raiders and pirates that would be sweeping the coastlines in later spring and through summer, there were no real threats to her kingdom at the moment.
Yet Nano had heard rumors of a dangerous pair coming from somewhere in the north-east, stories telling different tales each time they were mentioned in taverns and inns throughout the kingdom. Sometimes, it would be tales of a lesser fox-god and his master, terrorizing towns far from the lands that she knew and called home; other times it would be a tale of an immortal and some sort of abomination that may have once been human. And rumors or not, they were troubling to hear, especially for a newly-crowned queen with not even a season under her belt.
She shook her head, clearing the thoughts of politics and rumors from her head, placing her recurve bow down carefully to reach into the quiver for the rings Maxwell had promised her. Nano placed them on the side, wanting to warm up with regular targets before moving on to the hanging rings. She re-shouldered the quiver strap, ensuring the leather was settled comfortably and the arrows were positioned at the an angle where she could grab them without much twisting as she shot. She filed away a reminder to practice shooting from a mount moving faster than walking pace, a task she didn’t feel she had time to tackle today. Instead she prepared herself to shoot, securing a flexible piece of leather to her left forearm and pulling on an archer’s glove; both had been resting within the quiver that Maxwell had given her, the closest to her size he could find without specifically having new ones sized to fit her.
Settling into a relaxed position, Nano planted her feet in an archer’s stationary shooting stance, set up as far away from the targets across the range as the fence would allow her. She pulled an arrow from her quiver and notched it in a single, fluid motion, drawing the string back as she leveled her aim at one of the circular targets in front of her. Nano took a moment to breathe, feeling the slight strain in her arm as she held her draw, and was glad for the leather gloves preventing the bowstring from digging into her fingers. With a controlled breath out she let the arrow fly, keeping her bow arm up until the solid thwump of the arrow burying itself in the packed straw reached her ears. Her first shot fell a bit shy of the center mark, the shaft of the arrow disappearing into the area near the edge of the first and second painted band. She scowled at herself, quickly drawing another arrow and letting it fly. This one flew exactly where she meant it to, hitting within the center ring with a satisfying noise.
Nano continued shooting until her quiver ran dry, prompting her to fetch arrows from the targets she had been aiming for; of the fifteen she had shot, all but a few of them had hit within a spread hand’s width of each other, being her first arrow and a lazy shot that broke the pattern. Her next round of arrows was aimed at one of the human-shaped bundles of straw, similar to the reinforced practice dummies used for weapons training in all ways except their uses. This particular set had been clothed in hardened leather armor and a loose-fitting tunic, replicating the typical clothing of a common soldier. She took a walking approach to her firing this time, strafing side to side with measured steps as she made her shots. Although none of them missed her target — which was substantially less area to hit than her previous choice — several flew a bit wide of their mark, hitting the arms and shoulders of the target dummy instead of the chest, neck, or head. Even with those mis-aimed shots, however, the collection of arrows riddling the target would have proved fatal to a normal human, and even most immortals who took a similar humanoid form.
The routine she followed involved moving in different directions and at varying paces as she shot, hours upon hours of practice and just a hint of natural aptitude for archery leaving all of her arrows to at least hit the target she aimed at, if not land where she meant them to. She upped the challenge for herself by hanging the three wooden rings in front of circular targets, tying them with a length of twine to hang from the wooden posts she could extend over the tops of the targets. The different weights of the woods used to form the rings meant that some would move more than others, especially when it was windy out. The practice had originated with the jousters running through paces with their lances on horseback, but had since been adapted to use with archery as well. The particular rings that Maxwell had picked out for Nano ranged from the heaviest to the lightest weights, with one that fell in the middle range; just the assortment that she would have chosen for herself.
She set up a handful of steps closer to the rings to start with, carefully tracking their movement in the very slight breeze that had made it’s appearance a while ago as she was shooting. Starting with the heaviest wood, she leveled her bow arm at the ring, which barely moved as it hung in the air. She notched an arrow and pulled it back to a full draw-length, pausing for a second before she let go of the bowstring. The arrow flew straight through the center of the ring, stopped only by the backing of the circular targets that she had positioned the wood in front of. Allowing herself a grin of triumph, she moved down the line to the other two, circling back to the beginning and retrieving arrows each time she ran out of arrows in her quiver.
The pattern repeated for a while, with Nano changing things up every few times she went to collect arrows by moving her aim back to her previous targets, or alternating between the ones she had set up. She continued her method of moving as she shot, practicing her breath control and keeping herself calm and focused as she moved about. Another several empty quivers and only three misses of the wooden rings later — all of those times had been shots at the lightest ring, much to her irritation — she decided that it was about time for her to finish, and to set up her last run of the archery range before she left.
She pulled down the wooden rings from where they hung, spreading them out along the circular targets so that each was at least three targets away from the next. She collected her arrows and dropped about half of them carefully along the course she planned to run, roll, and shoot her way through; it was her challenge to herself, as a way of bettering her skills and doing something a bit more realistic to fighting, if a bit extreme. Much to her chagrin, she had yet to make a perfect run of the setup she had created for herself, though that didn’t stop her from trying each time she was able to slip away for some practice.
Nano settled the rest of the arrows in her quiver apart from one, which she notched and kept resting on her bow as she set herself in her starting position facing away from the targets and on her knees. Closing her eyes, she took a few deep breaths to slow her heart rate and concentrate herself, the feeling of calm intensity flowing over her as she let the rest of the world around her fall away from her notice. She allowed herself one more breath… two more… three breaths before she began.
On the third exhale she snapped her eyes open, whipping her bow up and drawing the arrow back as she turned, letting it fly at the first target to land with a satisfying thwump. She switched her position to shoot on one knee instead of two next, mindful of how she had to tilt her bow slightly in order for it to not hit the ground or her raised knee as she shot at the second target she had chosen. Pausing just long enough to ensure her arrow flew straight, she grabbed at the arrow near her as she turned, pushing herself to her feet in one fluid motion. She took another shot at her first target and one soon after with another arrow from her quiver at the second target. She took a running start toward the second arrow she had laid out for herself, bending to pick it up and notch it before taking a long shot at the first target she had hit. Two more arrows from her quiver embedded themselves in the nearest circular target, followed by a third that she snatched up from in front of the lightest wooden ring, ignoring that particular shot for the time being.
Nano turned to take a diving roll toward the next position she would shoot from, careful with how she positioned the bow as she did so. She plucked the next arrow off the ground as she came up on one knee, turning slightly to aim it at the heaviest wooden ring that she had positioned two targets away. There was no stopping the thrill that shot through her when the arrow went through the hollow center, though she forced her focus back to on the rest of the course. With six arrows left — three in her quiver and three laid out on the ground — she had two rings and four long shots to hit before she could let her concentration slip, and she wasn’t about to let a moment of celebration ruin all of her hard work. She was back on her feet in a heartbeat, taking a shot from her quiver at the nearby target dummy before running to the next arrow on the ground. Another arrow flew from her bow as she moved past the dummy she had just shot, finding its home buried somewhere in its non-living chest before she dropped to one knee so another arrow could follow its lead. Her next shot was notched and drawn by the time its predecessor had hit its mark, and she let it loose in the direction of the second lightest ring of wood as she pushed herself to her feet, only letting her gaze linger long enough to ensure it passed through the empty space in the middle of the ring. The last arrow from her quiver flew ahead of her to hit the furthest circular target as she sprinted to the final one she had laid out, mentally preparing herself for her hardest shot.
She took a longer stride to bring her close enough to the ground to scoop up the arrow as she passed it, using her next step as a pivot point to face the direction she had started from. The last wooden ring, made of the lightest wood, hung in the air in front of the furthest target, just barely bobbing as the breeze swirled around her face. She notched the arrow and pulled it back to a full draw, taking only the smallest pause to aim before she let it fly across the archery range. Her bow arm stayed extended as she held her breath, the suspense as her last arrow sang across the open air and filling her with unspent energy. The thwump of her arrow hitting home as it passed through the open ring reached her ears a nanosecond after she saw it with her own eyes, and she resisted the overwhelming urge to let out a shout in celebration.
“Holy gods,” Nano heard someone whisper behind her, startling her into whirling around with a squeak of surprise. At some point during her self-imposed challenge, Lomadia’s group of knights had gathered with their Captain, presumably watching her make the run of the course as they waited their turn to use the archery range. The one who had spoken was the flustered male from earlier, his striking blue eyes fixed on her and oblivious to the glare of the lady knight to his side.
“C-Captain Lomadia,” she stammered in greeting with a nod, still recovering from the shock of having so many people appear out of seemingly nowhere.
“Your Majesty,” Lomadia replied with a smile, a flash of respect clear in her steady gaze as she gave a slight bow. “Pardon our interruption, but we had planned on using the range for training today. I believe that there will be extra motivation to improve, after witnessing your shooting.”
Nano dipped her head in apology, still respectful to her elders even if her title put her in a position of power over them. She did her best to hide a laugh as the expression of the knight she had run into caught her eye, his face painted a quite obvious shade of red as he made the connection between the dusty archer in front of him and the title marking her as nobility. “Of course. I’ve had more than enough time here today.” She considered the knights assembled in front of her, gaze sweeping over the group of assorted faces. There were ten people standing before her, one noticeably younger than the others, all with expressions ranging from stoic composure to unchecked awe from the one face she recognized. “Are these the knights you spoke to me about earlier?” Lomadia nodded in affirmation, standing just a bit straighter as she looked down slightly at the queen.
“They are, Your Majesty. If you are not required to be elsewhere, and if it would please you, we could conduct the formalities now instead of later.” Nano gave a dip of her head at the suggestion, not having anywhere to be until later in the afternoon.
“That would be fine with me, Captain. Let me just collect my arrows and the rings.”
“I can have my squire collect them, Your Majesty. Anaya, fetch, please.” Her squire, a girl about Nano’s height with mousy brown hair and a personality to match, ducked her head and quickly went to gather the arrows littered across the range in their intended targets. “Anaya of Fellswood. She is a cousin of my family by marriage. A lot of potential, that girl, as quiet as she is. Packs a mean punch when you get her riled up,” Lomadia explained to Nano, speaking aside in a way that was informal but not disrespectful. “She could have a place in your guard some day, Your Majesty, and the rate she is going.”
Nano smiled as the girl returned at a trot, carefully holding out the arrows and wooden rings while averting her eyes. “Thank you, Anaya.” The girl risked a quick look up to meet the queen’s eyes, their pale hazel color friendly even if her demeanor was rather shy. She went to stand beside her knight again, yellow and cream trim making her as inconspicuous as her personality while still holding the posture of someone at attention. “And who are the others then?” Lomadia lifted her chin at the question, pride showing in her eyes as she cast her gaze over the knights gathered in front of her and her queen. Each of them was dressed in the standard uniform of off-duty knights, tunics bordered with their house colors to mark their family names at a glance from someone knowledgeable in such details.
“Allow me, Your Majesty, to introduce to you a portion of the Queen’s Guard: Honeydew of Khaz Modan —”
“’s an honor, Yer Majesty.” A stocky, muscular knight dressed in the orange and brown of the northern mining clan spoke up, giving a bow to Nano as he did.
“— Skaelor of Livenmark,“ — a chest-salute from the knight dressed in the cerulean and goldenrod of his family — “Myrrah of Welborn,” — a low bow from one of two females in the group, marked with mulberry and indigo — “Ross of Wolf’s Rock,” — a wolfish grin from the knight dressed in saffron and scarlet — “Trott of Valros Cove,” — something about his features reminded Nano of tales she had heard of selkies, only accented by his beige and ivory clothing — “Smiffy of Morowood,” — dark green and navy called little attention to his bright green eyes — “Delsin of Owl’s Keep,” — he had tan and blue trim to match his sister — “Rosalin of Vallon,” — red hair stood out against the emerald and gold of her tunic borders — “and Lalna of Silverspring.”
Lalna managed to stop gawking at Nano long enough to scramble into a bow, his posture formal as he dipped lower than strictly necessary in a non-court setting. “An honor to meet you, Your Majesty.” His mythril-blue eyes met hers for a fleeting moment as he stood straight again, face flushing once more as he no doubt thought of his earlier, quite literal run-in with the queen.
Nano smiled at him and the other knights who were introduced to her in turn, an elegant nod acknowledging each declaration of loyalty or feelings of honor to be in her service. They all seemed to be trustworthy people, with names well enough known to be honorable as she started to match family names to their respective house colors. She inclined her head toward Lomadia, who stepped forward to stand next to her queen in anticipation.
“If I may have your permission, Captain, I would like to observe these knights with my own Sight, and only if they themselves have no objections.” She waited as Lomadia asked the silent question to her charges, noting the general murmur of consent before receiving a nod from the lady knight.
“I have no objections, Your Majesty, and neither do my men and women. You may do as you see fit.” Lomadia took a step back out of courtesy and respect for her superior, standing just off to the side at step behind her queen’s shoulder. Nano nodded gratefully, closing her eyes to concentrate on pulling her magic from within her to be of use. She gathered the power to allow her full Sight for as long as she could hold her concentration and as long as her magic would hold out, an amount that she was sure could be seen visibly to anyone looking closely enough.
The irises of her eyes were completely purple with her magic by the time Nano opened them again, her focus on holding her concentration putting her in a half-aware state as she examined the knights in front of her. Those who she expected to have magic were clearly visible in her Sight — Lalna with his silver-blue energy bright enough to be like lightning across a dark sky, and Rosalin with her warm glow of rose-colored magic that felt comforting upon sight — but to her surprise there was energy around Honeydew as well, sparkling with the semblance of natural crystals set in rocks. She approached him first, steps slow and measured as she drew near.
Blinking, she looked at him closely, seeing that the sparkling magic hovered just on his skin, not originating from inside him as the magic of an inherent mage would. Nano tipped her head to the side, curious. “Honeydew of Khaz Modan, correct?” she inquired, her voice feeling soft and far away as she spoke.
“Yes, Yer Majesty,” he replied easily, apparently not afraid of her unusual eye color as she looked at him.
“You have a magic that sparkles but is not yours,” she stated matter-of-factly, only part of her brain working to form full sentences at the moment and thus ignoring standard etiquette for the moment.
“Yes, Yer Majesty. My people are adept wi’ stone magic, takin’ th’ energy from rocks t’ use as our own.” She nodded as the words slowly swirled into her perception, the explanation making sense and triggering no sense of lies in her Sight. Nano moved on to Rosalin, who stood a few bodies down from the sparkling magic. Her energy was warm and welcoming, putting off the feeling of a healer as opposed to a fighter. Nano’s guessed as much aloud, carefully watching the lady knight as she gave her affirmative response. She nodded before moving on, the striking silver-blue magic drawing her in with its sheer power and her curiousity.
Lalna observed her with the practiced ease of a curious alchemist, but not one who was simply restricted to theoretical practice as most were. His magic was ever-shifting in her Sight, the only things remaining constant being the intensity and color of it. She tried to decipher it as she stood in front of him, tilting her head to one side as she peered at him with an unwavering gaze. He blinked at her in confusion as she leaned in, noting the way the magic trailed behind him as he moved away from her.
“What is your focus?” she asked, blinking slowly at Lalna as the energy around him continued to displace and replace itself in the space around him. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, indecisiveness creasing his brow as he worked through what to say. “Do not bother with half-truths. I simply want to know so that I may understand.” He snapped his mouth shut, pausing for a moment as he seemed to organize his thoughts, before finally replying.
“I was trained by a necromancer, but my focus is in conjuring, Your Majesty.” Lalna cast his eyes away from his queen’s gaze as she took a moment to register his words.
“A necromancer?”
“They were the only person I had access to who could deal with my magic when I was younger. I… had a falling out with them when I rejected their ideals, so I taught myself with academic books from then on.” He forced his eyes back up to meet Nano’s, whose gaze undeterred even in the light of such information. “I may have learned the theory, but I have no intention to ever practice it.”
Lalna held Nano’s gaze for several moments, unflinching as her purples eyes gazed into his. She smiled slowly, drawing back and closing her eyes. When she opened them again they were back to their normal chestnut color, and she shook her head to clear the after-magic fog. She had forgotten how tired it made her to use the full extent of her magic, instead of just smaller amounts of it.
“I apologize for that.” Nano scanned the expressions of those gathered before her with her physical sight, searching for any signs of discomfort or fear in their faces as she continued explaining. “It’s always safer to be sure from the start, as opposed to finding lies further down the road.” All of the knights who stood before her seemed unfazed by their queen’s ability, reacting with nothing more than an extra blink at the purple color of her eyes when she used her Sight. She smiled at them, this time fully aware of her actions and making an effort to be sincere with it; by the grins she got in return from her new personal guard, she felt that she had succeeded in her endeavor.
“Is there anything that you would like to comment on, Your Majesty? Are all of these knights acceptable to you?” Lomadia had come to stand next to her queen once more, her own sharp blue eyes scanning the group. Nano nodded her acknowledgement, allowing her gaze to settle on each knight in turn. The path ended on Lalna, who cast his eyes slightly downward in a picture of deference to her status.
“No, Captain. You’ve made your choices very well; I couldn’t have asked for a better group of individuals.” Lomadia gave a short bow, angling herself toward Nano before turning to face the others completely.
“Stand to attention, then, knights,” she commanded, voice stern and loud as she addressed the group. They obeyed immediately, straightening their postures and settling into a shoulder-width stance that communicated a readiness for action at the slightest indication. Even with no weapons besides the bows in their hands and the quivers slung across their backs, they looked ready to fight tooth and nail at the request of either their captain or their queen.
“Today you are gathered here to begin your service to Her Majesty Queen Nanosounds of Flux, daughter to the late Queen Lydiana of Flux — may she rest in peace — as members of the Queen’s Guard.” Lomadia took a step forward to stand directly in front of her hand-picked group, and Nano took a step back to allow the lady knight to do her part in the formalities. “As knights, you have pledged your loyalty to the crown as a whole, and now has come the time for you to pledge yourselves to your queen. You will guard her with your lives, and be stalwart watchers when you are in her presence. Serve her well, and act with honor as knights of Flux.”
The group chorused their vows to loyalty and service, striking their breast over their hearts to symbolize a promise made on their honor. The grin that grew on her face couldn’t be prevented, a somewhat silly name for her group of guards coming to mind before she could stop herself. Lomadia glanced backward at Nano, raising an eyebrow at the small giggle escaping the queen.
“Forgive me, Captain, I mean no disrespect to you or the Flux Knights.” The nickname slipped out without her intention to let such a thing happen, her hand flying up to cover her mouth as soon as the words left her lips. The corners of Lomadia’s mouth twitched up, a huff of breath leaving her nose in what could only have been a private laugh as she turned back to look at the mismatched group in front of her. Nano followed her gaze, a real smile gracing her expression as the lady knight’s comment reached her ears.
“Flux Knights, indeed.”