Knock Knock.
The sharp raps echoed through the heavy oak door, followed by Richilda's monotone voice. "Your Grace, Lady Alruna and her companions have arrived."
Karl's reply was curt. "Good. Send them in."
The door opened, revealing Karl Gustav Gaede seated behind his obsidian desk, his silhouette framed by the sprawling winter vista of Gaede through the floor-to-ceiling window. He wore a tailored black coat, its sharp lines accentuating his rigid posture. His hands were steepled beneath his chin, eyes piercing as shards of ice.
Showman to the bone, I thought bitterly. Even in negotiation, he knew how to command a room.
"Ladies," he said, gesturing to the plush velvet sofa across from him. "Sit."
The air was colder here than in the frost-laced corridors outside—a suffocating, metallic chill that had nothing to do with the season. It was the kind of cold that slithered down your spine, the silence heavy with unspoken threats.
"Are we all present?" Karl's gaze flicked to Richilda, who stood statue-still by the door. She dipped her head once.
"Two reasons compelled me to summon you," Karl began, retrieving a sealed parchment from a drawer. The wax seal bore the crest of the Ingvaeon Royal Family—the Mímameiðr tree. "Let us address the most pressing first."
He held the letter aloft, its gold-leaf edges glinting. "This," he said, "is the finalized agreement between the Gustav family and the Crown regarding Alruna's betrothal to Crown Prince Bowden Eranbald Aureo. Unaltered. Unbroken."
The weight of his words settled over us. Fleda's hand reached for mine. Alruna, fidgeting, became still, defiance momentarily eclipsed by tension. Even Richilda—usually stoic—appeared tense. The room fell silent, filled with anticipation and foreboding as we awaited the pronouncements within, knowing Alruna's life would be changed forever.
The sound of the seal cracking echoed like a bone snapping. My stomach clenched.
After the duel, the exhaustion, the near-death—if he betrays his word now—
"After extensive deliberation," Karl read, his voice devoid of inflection, "the betrothal between Alruna Gustav Gaede and Crown Prince Bowden Eranbald Aureo... will proceed."
Alruna's breath hitched, a choked sound of disbelief and impending rage.
"However!" Karl continued, "the union shall be deferred for three years. During this period, both parties may pursue independent endeavors, free from familial obligations, to ensure the maturity of the alliance."
Alruna shot forward, her hair whipping like a golden banner. "So I can stay with Adele and the others?!"
"Patience," Karl chided, though a smirk tugged at his lips. "There are conditions."
"Now, this brings me to the second reason why I have summoned all of you here today." His eyes locked onto mine. "Adele Ercangaud."
"Y-yes, Your Grace?!"
"There is something you must do for me to approve of Alruna's temporary departure from the Gustav Family."
"...What is it, Your Grace?" I asked, my heart pounding loudly.
"If Alruna is to gallivant as an adventurer, you will enter my employ."
Thud!
Alruna slammed her palms on Karl's desk, rattling an inkwell. "You bastard! You're just hoarding her for yourself!"
Fleda lunged to restrain her. "Alruna, stop!"
Karl raised a hand, unfazed. "Your role," he said, addressing me as if Alruna hadn't spoken, "is to serve as Alruna's personal guardian."
"...Does that mean, she can still be an adventurer as long as I stay with her?"
"Correct. Your duty will be to ensure Alruna's safety during her travels." Karl turned his attention to the stone-faced maid. "However, Alruna's personal security requires not just one, but two guardians. I have decided that the remaining person will be Richilda."
The aforementioned maid stepped forward, her voice flat. "Please take care of me, Lady Adele."
"Y-yes..."
Fleda and I exchanged bewildered glances.
Alruna gaped. "Collaborate? With her!?"
"Richilda only accompanies you for one year." Again, Karl ignored Alruna and looked directly at me. "After that, the responsibility is yours alone. As you are now employed by the Gustav, compensation will be arranged through the Guild Bank—generously, of course."
Naturally, I would be shocked by Karl's sudden decision. But, well, as long as I'm getting paid, I have no complaints.
Alruna spat. "You're just auctioning her."
Karl's smile hardened. "I'm ensuring your safety. A concept you've historically neglected."
"..." Looks like she doesn't have an answer for that.
"...Ah, and one more thing." Karl put the royal letter aside. "Adele, train under Richilda. She will be a great help to you."
"T—train?" I stammered.
"If that is His Lordship's wish, then I will comply," Richilda said, her eyes now on me. "I'm confident in my skills as a swordswoman and an expert in water law. I hope my knowledge can be of use to you."
"...I understand."
Not only being paid, but being trained for free? Not even the temple gives us something as good as this.
"Very well." Karl turned back to his daughter. "So, what will your decision be, Alruna? This is the best opportunity your friends have given you. Don't disappoint me again with your overly childish nature."
"..." Alruna stood still for a moment, before her tense shoulders started to slump. "Everyone, could you leave us alone for a moment? You too, Richilda." She asked, her voice heavy with unspoken thoughts.
We left the room and waited in a separate room, led by Richilda. I was curious about the discussion inside, but I trusted Alruna. I was sure she would make the right decision.
***
"Ah, Alruna!" I called out.
Relief washing over me as Alruna finally emerged from Karl's study after what felt like an eternity. Her expression, however, was surprisingly resolute.
"Well?" Fleda blurted, clutching her sapphire necklace. "How did it go?"
Alruna ignored her, turning to me instead. "I've decided," she paused, taking a deep breath. "I'll accept my duties as the Gustav heir."
My breath caught in my throat.
The girl who once fled from duty is now embracing them?
"For years," she continued, "I resented this role. Being thrust from a concubine's daughter to the family's future matriarch… It suffocated me. The protocols, the politics—it all felt like a cage. So I ran. I rebelled." Her gaze softened. "But meeting you... you, Fleda... It made me realize fleeing solves nothing. You showed me loyalty isn't a shackle."
Thud.
Before I could answer, she dropped to one knee, her head bowed, tears silently streaming down her face.
"By my name, Alruna Gustav Gaede, I swear this oath:" Her voice rang through the room, sharp and clear. "I will no longer shirk my responsibilities. I will rise as the Gustav heir, and I pledge my blade—my life—to Adele Ercangaud. Until death parts us, I will defend her honor, obey her counsel, and stand by her side."
Silence.
Fleda gaped. Richilda's stoic mask flickered. My mind reeled from the unexpected turn of events.
"A-Alruna!" I stammered. "Do you even know what you're saying!? That's a knight's vow to their liege! You're—!"
"I am fully aware of my own words." She rose, dusting her skirts. "After everything you've done—accompanying me on this difficult journey, facing Father, enduring his trials—how could I not swear myself to you?"
"But I helped you to free you, not chain you further! Have you really thought carefully about what your future will be like if you swear such an oath to me?"
"This is freedom." She said, a small, genuine smile gracing her lips for the first time since she left her father's study. "Choosing to walk beside you, even when duty calls me elsewhere. In three years, I'll return to Gaede... but until then?" She gripped my hands, her palms calloused from spear training. "Let me be your shadow. Your ally. Forever."
"Seriously, you idiot..."
"Adele, when I first met you, I didn't expect you to be the savior I had been longing for. You, Fleda, and Manfred are the first friends I've made outside the Gustav estate." Her voice trembled. "You're sometimes strange and silly, but you're always so caring. And Fleda is always worried about you. I even think of Manfred as my little brother. After all you've done, do you think I'd want you to disappear?"
I urged Alruna to reconsider, but she remained steadfast. It made my head spin, but I guess I should accept. Maybe it was for the best.
"...Just now a future queen swore a knight's oath to me." I sighed. "But if that's really what you want, Alruna, then so be it. However, it is quite comforting to have both the queen and the head of the famous House of Gustav as a friend." A wry smile played on my lips.
"Hehe, you definitely won't regret it!" Alruna replied, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
The tension dissolved—until Richilda stepped forward, her voice cutting through the warmth. "Lady Alruna. Do you understand the weight of this oath? The House of Gustav—"
"Will adapt," Alruna snapped. "Or do you challenge my decision?"
"Alruna..." I looked at her with a hint of concern.
If possible, please don't create any more problems with your family...
"..."
Richilda's jaw tightened. For a heartbeat, I feared she'd draw her sword. Instead, she bowed—deep, formal, final. "As the future head, your will is the law. I serve the Gustav lineage, wherever it leads."
Alruna nodded, regal as a queen. "Good."
Grumble...
My stomach suddenly let out a loud growl, betraying my earlier composure.
Fleda grumbled, "Gods, Sis! Must you ruin every solemn moment!?"
"Oops... how embarrassing," I murmured. "All this talking had made me incredibly hungry."
"Pfft...!" Alruna couldn't help but giggle at my conduct. "Ahahaha!"
She laughed for a while, releasing all the weight she had on her shoulders. "Perfect timing. Let's head back to the north palace for lunch."
"Alright!" I quickly rose, my stomach rumbling in anticipation.
As we walked through the labyrinthine hallways, I glanced at Alruna. The girl's back, which once seemed to carry the weight of the world, now stood tall and confident like a general. Yet her grip on my arm betrayed her—too tight, as if fearing I'd vanish.
***