Apprentice Demigod

1

Grace

Grace fidgeted nervously as she walked through the gates to the city of Redd. The petite housemaid servant girl turned soon-to-be queen's gait was rigid, twitching with every step. She was smaller than her entourage by a head, with a slender build, a modest bust, and narrow hips. Her delicate fingers vibrated with nerves, apprehensive about meeting this Rodrick.

She had always been wary of wizards, though she'd never met one other than Lord Beyron and Miranda. Lord Beyron had always been cordial when she interacted with him, though more often than not, he came across as dismissive. She knew it was due to his nature, but it still rubbed her the wrong way. Miranda had always been friendly to her, but the power the young woman radiated intimidated her fiercely.

"You keep chewing on the inside of your cheek like that, and you'll not have a cheek left for Lord Galen to kiss, dearie," Lairn teased her, winking. The guard woman had a twinkle of mischief in her eyes, and the humor eased Grace's nerves somewhat.

Lairn was a brunette like her, her hair a touch longer and a shade lighter. She was a guard from the capitol that Lord Galen had saved from his battle with the emperor's soldiers when they arrived to try and execute him for killing the emperor's son, King Jasper. Jasper had abducted Galen's two wives, killing them and their unborn children in a jealous rage.

The shortest of her guards, Lairn's authority was uncontested among the six, save for her counterpart, Brittany.

"I can't help it," Grace replied, feeling a gentle hand rest on her left shoulder.

"Can I give you some advice?" Brittany asked.

Brittany was a busty blonde, with piercing gray eyes and a tactless, yet mischievous personality. Where Lairn was a sentry for the emperor's camp, Brittany had been among the group of women Galen had allowed to live on the battlefield itself, all but pining for him to give her a child at the sight of his prowess in battle.

"If it'll help ease my nerves, please," Grace worriedly replied.

"Probably not. In fact, it may come off a bit harsh, but I'm going to say it anyway. You're betrothed to a king, love. Act like it."

Grace shot the guard woman a withering glare.

"Yes! Like that!" Brittany grinned, her teeth shining white through the open-faced helm she wore.

"And how exactly am I supposed to pretend like I'm not being escorted to the gallows when that's precisely how I feel?"

"What are you worried about?" Lairn asked with a dismissive wave toward the guards at the gate.

"I don't know," Grace replied. "Is Rodrick nice? Will he treat me like a child and dismiss my training because he doesn't want to train me? Will he be too busy to train me properly? Will he even be able to train me?"

"Easy, love," Brittany said, trying to soothe the poor girl's nerves. "You're overthinking the whole thing a bit."

"That's easy for you to say," Grace retorted. "You're not the one with rare magical powers assigned to the tutelage of a wizard who may or may not have even heard of said powers."

"Look at it like this," Lairn offered. "Even if he's never heard of the powers you possess, he'll still be able to help you master your control over them. He's a wizard, and so are you. It doesn't matter that he can't perform the same magic you can. It's your focus he'll train you to master."

Grace sighed. "I guess."

"A wizard helped me with my sword training," Brittany offered.

"Really?" Grace asked, surprised. "How?"

"She helped me focus," Brittany said with a shrug. "When I first started training, I was fearful of getting hit. And boy, did I get hit a lot. I couldn't get past the pain and the fear of being struck, so I kept making mistakes that would get me killed in battle. Lady Emily took pity on me and helped me not only master my fear but also look past it to understand that to be afraid of pain is to be afraid to live."

"That makes no sense whatsoever," Grace replied, confused.

"What is pain," Lairn said, "but proof of life? If you feel pain, then you know you're still alive. It's when you feel no pain during battle that you should be worried."

"Wait," Grace said. "I'm not a warrior. I don't understand where you're going with this."

"The point is, it's okay to be afraid," Brittany explained. "But use that fear to fuel your desire to master yourself. Push past the pain and fear to focus on being a better you."

"I'm still confused," Grace said, stopping in the middle of the road and putting her face in her hands. Her six guards stopped with her.

"Think about it this way," Lairn explained. "When was the first time you noticed Lord Galen not as a lord, but as someone you wanted as a lover?"

Grace looked up at her with uncertainty.

"How did you feel at that time?" Brittany asked. "Besides horny as fuck." She grinned.

Grace's nerves were too on edge to laugh as she looked down at the street below. She thought about the first time she had seen Lord Galen as someone she wanted to love.

"I suppose I was a bit afraid. I mean, how could a man like him be interested in a girl like me? Lady Miranda was strong and confident. Matilda always spoke her mind, no matter the consequences. Lady Lucinda is his personal guard and wife, and intimidating with her presence. Priscilla is a gods-damned dragon, for crying out loud, and they're all so fucking beautiful it hurts! They make it look so easy! How could I possibly measure up to them?"

"But you couldn't outwardly show all that, could you?" Lairn asked.

"Heavens no," Grace replied with a gasp, her cheeks heating at the mere thought.

"So, you hid it, bottled it up inside until you felt it was safe to express outwardly," Brittany said. "No matter how many times you saw him, you were always just Grace, the simple housemaid. No more, no less."

"Even though the emotions roiling through your body made you feel like you were going to explode," Lairn added.

"Yes," Grace whispered, her voice barely audible.

"And that's how you act like you're betrothed to a king," Brittany said. "We're not saying it's not okay to be afraid. Just don't show that you're afraid. And when the time comes, use that fear to master not only your own emotions but also the focus you need to control your powers."

Grace stood there for long moments, thinking about what the women had said. She was pulled from her reverie by someone intentionally clearing their throat.

"My lady," one of the other guards said. "It might be best if we move on."

Grace looked up and noticed that the whole street had gone motionless. People stopped and stared, their eyes filled with trepidation as they observed the small contingent of guards and one noblewoman. Well, pretend noblewoman, Grace thought.

Horses attached to carts and wagons fidgeted and stomped their hooves, whickering in what seemed like irritation at having to remain still. Grace's cheeks flushed slightly at the attention she was drawing. She sighed, coming to a decision.

Straightening her back and looking around with purpose, she said, "Right, Gayle. My apologies for the delay."

As they moved on down the street, the people returned to their errands, deliberately ignoring the group.

"Well done," Lairn whispered from Grace's right. "Just keep that up when we arrive at the castle, and you'll be just fine."

"I think I just pissed myself," Grace whispered back.

"Seriously!?!?" Brittany exclaimed, snorting loudly.

"No, you brutish woman," Grace seethed through her teeth. "It was just an expression."

"Ahh, trying to mask your fear with humor," Brittany quipped. "Not bad."

Grace sighed in exasperation. "Is she always like this?" she asked Lairn.

"Not always," Lairn replied with a lighthearted chuckle. "She does sleep."

"Though she snores louder than a dragon's roar," Gayle teased with a giggle from the rear, and the other guards joined in with their teasing laughter.

"Careful, Gayle," Brittany warned. "I'll make a point to bunk with you if you keep it up."

"Gods no," Gayle replied with genuine fear, and the other guards laughed even harder.

"That's what I thought," Brittany said with a triumphant smile, visible even behind the face guard of her helm.

"And Grace," Lairn added, placing a hand on her shoulder. Grace looked over at the guard woman uncertainly. "You are just as beautiful as they are."

Grace snorted. "Thank you for the compliment, Lairn, but you'd have to be blind to think that."

"Hey," Brittany exclaimed with a light-hearted bump to Grace's other shoulder. Gentle as it was, it still nearly sent the petite girl careening into Lairn's side. "Lord Galen chose you."

"Would you be careful?" Grace seethed as she righted herself. Brittany shrugged in apology. "And what's your point?"

"Do you think he'd associate himself with a wife who wasn't beautiful?" Lairn asked.

"Well, no," Grace replied.

"There's your answer, then," Brittany said. "You're beautiful. Believe it. Own it. Love it."

"You're incorrigible," Grace said, glancing at Brittany out of the corner of her eye.

"I know," Brittany grinned, shrugging.

The rest of the trip to the castle was spent in silence. When they arrived, they were announced and immediately ushered into the receiving chamber. To their surprise, they were received by Queen Lillian herself, rather than Rodrick.

Queen Lillian was a beautiful redhead even in common attire, a head and a half taller than Grace. Everybody was taller than Grace. She was regal in every sense of the word, something Grace was not. Lillian had an easy smile, though accepting despite her station. She had been Jasper's second wife and favored among the women of his harem besides the first.

Grace curtseyed, lowering her head before Lillian. The guard women stood in two rows behind Grace. They removed their helms, knelt, and bowed with a fist to their heart before the queen.

Lillian's smile was warm and inviting. "Thank you all," she said. "Rise, and please, there's no need for such formalities in a setting as private as this. Besides," she said, looking pointedly at Grace, "if the rumors are true, we are on our way to becoming equals, are we not?"

"Thank you, Your Highness," Grace said nervously, blushing fiercely. "I would not dare presume."

"Lillian, please," Lillian corrected. "Save the deference for a more formal occasion, if you don't mind."

"As you wish, er, Lillian," Grace replied, blushing at the mere audacity that she address the queen so informally.

Lillian suddenly surprised Grace with a hug. Grace stiffened slightly before awkwardly returning the embrace.

"Tell me," Lillian said as she released the petite woman. "How is Lord Galen?"

"He is well, my la--er, Lillian," Grace stammered. "On his way to Prax."

"I heard he was intending to travel there," Lillian replied. "Though I was never told why. Anyway, we can talk about that later. I've had your rooms prepared if you'd like to see them?"

"Please," Grace said. "It's been a long walk, and I'd much like to rest for a bit before beginning my studies with Master Rodrick."

Lillian smiled at the petite woman. "You'll meet him at dinner. For now, I'll show you to your rooms, and you can relax and freshen up. If you're hungry, I can have a small plate of fruit and cheese sent to your rooms?"

Grace looked back at the guards behind her, and they all nodded slightly. Looking back at Lillian, she said, "That would be wonderful. Thank you."

"If you'll follow me, then," Lillian said, turning toward a door in the rear of the chamber. As they followed along behind the queen, Lillian said, "Lairn and Brittany I am familiar with from the battle with Duke Latham, but the others I am not. Would you like to introduce them now, or at dinner?"

"Dinner?" Gayle asked hesitantly. "Er, my lady, we're content to eat in our apartments, if it pleases you."

"Nonsense," Lillian said with a wave of dismissal over her shoulder. "You'll all dine with me and the ladies tonight. I insist. Tomorrow you can go about whatever business you wish, but I'd very much like to meet you all and get to know you."

"As you wish, my lady," Gayle replied.

"You'll have the entire south wing to yourselves," Lillian explained as they walked. "I've had it prepared for your arrival, though I must admit it's still in the process of being cleaned."

"It will be wonderful, I'm sure," Grace replied.

"Nevertheless, I do apologize for the mess. Jasper had left it in disrepair for his nefarious... research."

"What was he researching?"

"I feared to ask, not only for fear of angering him, but also because I dreaded the nightmares that might come if I ever found out."

"Was he really as horrible as they claim?" Grace asked.

"To me, not so much," Lillian replied. "Though why, I can't say. To the others, however... well..." She trailed off, shuddering slightly.

They entered through an ornate door at the end of a long corridor and stepped into a spacious foyer. Two castle guards stood at attention on either side of a wide staircase that wound its way upward to the right. An identical staircase mirrored it on the left--but this one was broken, with entire sections missing. No one would be ascending that side of the wing anytime soon.

Two more guards were stationed by a large door to the left, while another pair flanked a door to the right. All six guards snapped to attention as Lillian entered the room. Grace noticed that the foyer was slightly dusty, as though it hadn't been cleaned in a couple of days.

As they began to climb the stairs, Lillian spoke again, gesturing to the door on the right. "That way leads to the great hall and court, as well as the dining hall," she explained. Then, she pointed to the adjacent door. "And that way leads to the east wing, the castle courtyard, and the training areas."

The guards behind Grace murmured quietly, their excitement palpable at the mention of the training grounds. Grace smiled and remarked, "It's much bigger than Castle Spellthorn."

"If you ever feel overwhelmed, don't hesitate to ask one of the guards," Lillian said, gesturing to the soldiers in the room. "They'll either point you in the right direction or escort you where you need to go. Though, from what I've heard about your abilities, I doubt you'll need much help."

Grace blushed, a little embarrassed. "Even so, it will take some time for me to acclimate."

"If you don't mind me asking, Your Highness," Brittany interjected after a brief pause, "how many of the castle guards are women?"

"Not at all," Lillian replied warmly. "Nearly all of them. It took some time for the female guards to feel comfortable enough to step forward, but once they did, I took a cue from Lord Galen and assigned the majority of them to the castle guard. Only a handful of men remain, the most notable being Captain Blackstone. He and Captain Ironhart are in charge of the castle guard."

"Ironhart?" Gayle asked. "Seris Ironhart?"

"Indeed," Lillian replied with a nod. "I promoted her immediately, on Roderick's recommendation. I think he's sweet on her, the old fool," she added with a soft giggle. "She's not only learning directly from Captain Blackstone but also sharing his duties--as an equal."

"How has Captain Blackstone taken to having a woman at the same rank as himself?" Grace asked, her curiosity evident.

Lillian sighed. "It took some time, but he's coming around. Honestly, he's had a harder time accepting a woman on the throne than women in the guard."

"We've had our fair share of setbacks too," Lairn remarked. "The men in the guard didn't take kindly to women holding positions of power. Lord Galen practically had to threaten their lives to make them straighten up and at least give us a chance."

"It's been a slow and laborious adjustment," Lillian said, offering a regal smile. "But I truly believe it will benefit us all in the end. Lord Galen has completely turned our world upside down."

"For the better," Grace replied, her smile warm with admiration.

"For the better," Lillian agreed, her tone resolute. "Now, here we are."

The new Queen of Redd gestured to a short corridor lined with four doors--two on each side. The ornate hallway was wide enough for six people to walk abreast and was adorned with rich crimson velvet trimmed in gold. A matching carpet ran its length, inset with intricate golden patterns that gleamed in the sunlight streaming through high windows at the end of the corridor.

Outside each door stood a suit of decorative armor on a pedestal, its polished metal glinting under the light. Each suit was armed with a six-foot-long halberd, its axe blade and spiked tip angled toward the arched ceiling, which soared twenty feet above.

"What's this?" Brittany asked, pointing to the first door on the right.

"A possible crest," Lillian replied, motioning toward the dragon's head. "Each door bears a different design, and I'd hoped to get Lord Galen's opinion on them. He might favor the dragon, but as a precaution, I also had a lion, a falcon, and a ram carved into the other three doors."

"I like the dragon," Lairn said with a twinkle in her eye.

"Which one is mine?" Grace asked hesitantly.

Lillian pointed to the second and last door on the right. The lion's mouth was open in a silent roar, its fangs bared as if ready to devour an enemy.

"Through there," Lillian said. "It's well-protected, and as you can see, your personal guard will remain nearby in case anyone attempts to gain access. Not that anyone would make it this far," she added with a reassuring smile, "but Lord Galen insisted you be guarded at all times, despite my assurances that you are perfectly safe in his castle."

"His castle?" Regina, one of the guards, asked, her brow furrowing.

"Yes," Lillian replied with an easy smile. "He defeated Jasper, so everything that belonged to Jasper now belongs to him."

"And yet you're the ruling queen?" another guard, Sophia, chimed in.

Lillian sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, a flicker of weariness crossing her face. "I've tried to explain to Lord Galen that, by law, upon Jasper's death, all of his wives and concubines became his property. But he refused to accept that. Technically, I am his wife and the rightful queen, but oh, how I wish he would make it official." Her tone carried a quiet longing.

"You... feel cheated?" the last guard, Sarah, asked hesitantly, her voice soft as if unsure whether she should be so bold.

Lillian's lips curved into a tight, bittersweet smile. "That's an astute way of putting it." A faint blush crept up her cheeks. "I want children. Heirs. All of us do. And yet, we're unable to pursue suitable suitors because, legally, we belong to Lord Galen. I'm sure you all know this already, but I confess to feeling some frustration with his stubbornness."

Brittany chuckled wryly. "That's the understatement of the year."

"You're just upset because he won't sleep with you," Gayle teased, a playful smirk on her lips.

"Not true," Brittany shot back. "I'm upset he won't give me a baby. I don't care about being his wife or even a concubine. I just want his child."

"And that is precisely why he won't," Grace interjected, her tone measured. "He's not the sort of man to lay with a woman just to get her pregnant and then have nothing to do with her."

Lairn nodded in agreement. "Exactly. If he fathers a child, he'll want to be involved in some way."

"And he's not the type to keep concubines, either," Lillian added. "He dismissed all of Jasper's concubines, practically forcing them to find other men to marry."

"But not the wives?" Sarah asked, her brow furrowed in curiosity.

"No, darling," Lillian replied gently. "That's my doing. Those of us who were contractually married to Jasper are now, by law, contractually married to Lord Galen."

Grace sighed, her shoulders slumping with exhaustion. "Can we talk about this later?" she asked, her voice tinged with weariness. "My feet are killing me, and I'd like to lie down before dinner."