[POV Liselotte]

  The morning training had ended, but the tension had not faded with the sweat. King William gestured for me to follow him, leading me away from the packed dirt field and the splintered targets. We walked in silence through a corridor lined with statues of ancient monarchs, their stone gazes seeming to judge every step I took.

  At st, we passed through a wrought iron door decorated with floral motifs that I hadn’t noticed before. On the other side, the air changed. It no longer smelled of metal and exertion, but of damp earth, jasmine, and something sweet I couldn’t identify.

  "Come, Lotte. Let’s talk somewhere more private," William said, his voice softening.

  He guided me toward a secluded part of the courtyard, a corner that looked like something straight out of a fairy tale. It was a lush garden, filled with vibrantly colored flowers that shouldn’t have been blooming this time of year, protected by some kind of magical thermal barrier. In the center, under the shade of a weeping willow whose leaves looked like silver threads, there was a white iron table and two matching chairs.

  "This is the royal family’s personal garden," the King expined, gesturing toward a bed of blue roses. "It’s the only pce in the castle where protocol doesn’t enter. My wife, Leah’s mother, takes care of it personally. She says flowers are the only subjects who never lie to her."

  We sat down. The King rested his rge hands on the table, looking at me with an intensity that made me shift in my seat. Despite the beauty of the surroundings, I felt like I was about to receive a burden I wasn’t sure I could carry.

  "Lotte, I’ve been observing you closely. Not just today, but since you returned with Leah from that orc camp three years ago," William began, intercing his fingers. "I know that you, Leah, and Chloé formed an A-Rank adventurer party while you were still at the academy. It’s an impressive achievement for girls your age. But I’ll be honest with you: my instincts tell me that rank is too low for you."

  I swallowed. Under his gaze, I felt as if my secrets about Terra and the blessing of Earth were made of transparent gss.

  "I feel that you have the strength, or at least the immediate potential, to be an S-Rank adventurer. Perhaps one of the strongest this kingdom has ever seen," he continued, leaning forward. "And it is precisely because of that strength that I want to ask you for a favor. A favor I’m not asking as your King, but as a man who fears for what he loves most."

  My nerves skyrocketed. When a King says he has “thought carefully about something,” it usually means my life is about to become three times more complicated. My imagination, fueled by years of tropes and stories Edward remembered from his previous life, started running wild.

  A favor? What kind of favor? I thought, feeling a cold sweat. Is he going to ask me to train some suicide squad? Or worse… he has an older son, right? Is he going to ask me to marry him to secure my loyalty to the throne? I clenched my fists under the table, my mind screaming in protest. No way! If he tries to offer me a political marriage with some unknown prince, I refuse. I absolutely refuse! My heart already belongs to someone, and she has blond hair and eyes of fire. If that prince is some arrogant idiot, I’ll freeze him before he finishes saying “hello.”

  William, unaware of my internal panic spiral, sighed and continued.

  "As you know, Leah has an older brother, my direct heir. He is a brilliant young man, Lotte. His mind is sharp, he’s a natural administrator, and he has the wisdom needed to wear the crown and keep the peace. But… he was born with a weak constitution. He doesn’t have the physical strength or magical talent required to defend himself in a world that is growing darker."

  I rexed my shoulders a bit when he didn’t mention any marriage arrangements, though my curiosity was piqued. A smart but weak prince? Sounds like the type of character who gets assassinated in the first act of a conspiracy.

  "In half a year, as I told you, I will personally lead the siege into demon territory," the King said, his voice returning to steel. "I will lead the troops from the front lines. I’ll leave the affairs of the kingdom and the administration of the capital in my eldest son’s hands. I trust his judgment, but I know perfectly well that the moment I cross the border, my internal and external enemies will sharpen their axes. The Church, the dissident nobles… they will try to strike at the heart of Whirikal while the Lion is away."

  "Your Majesty…" I interrupted, frowning. "If you know it’s that dangerous, why do you have to lead the troops yourself? Whirikal has legendary captains, generals who have lived their lives on the battlefield. Isn’t it safer for the kingdom if the King stays on the throne?"

  William smiled, but it was a sad smile. "This is an essential requirement for victory, Lotte. In a war against demons, morale is everything. As the strongest swordsman in the kingdom, my presence on the battlefield is not just strategic, it is symbolic. If I am not there to face their commanders, my men will hesitate. And hesitation is the crack through which the enemy’s cws enter."

  Silence fell over the garden. A blue rose petal nded on the table.

  "That is why I ask this of you: while I am gone, I want you to stay in the capital. Not as a student, but as the absolute guardian of my family. I ask you to protect my wife and my children with your life. I trust your strength more than any division of the royal guard."

  I was stunned. He wasn’t asking me to go to war and die for him; he was asking me to be the shield of what he valued most. The responsibility was immense, but it was also an honor that filled me with a surge of gratitude.

  "You can rely on me, Your Majesty," I said, my voice regaining its usual firmness. I looked straight into the King’s eyes, letting the chill of my determination cool the air. "I give you my word. As long as I breathe, no one will touch the Queen or her children. I will protect them with all the power that the Earth has granted me."

  William let out a sigh of relief, his shoulders rexing for the first time that morning. "I knew I could count on you. Thank you, Lotte."

  However, his expression suddenly changed. A spark of mischief, almost identical to the one I sometimes saw in Leah, appeared in his eyes. He leaned forward, lowering his voice.

  "By the way, Lotte… I’ve noticed something curious these past few days. I’ve seen how Leah looks at you. And I’ve seen how you try not to look at her too much when you think someone is watching," he said, with a teasing smile that made me want the ground to swallow me whole. "There’s something ‘strange’ in the atmosphere between you two, don’t you think? Like a fire trying not to burn the carpet."

  I felt my face flush so intensely it could have melted the entire garden. My heart started hammering against my ribs. Damn it! Are we that obvious? We’re supposed to be discreet!

  "I-I don’t know what you mean, Your Majesty…" I stammered, averting my gaze toward a bush. "Leah and I are very close, we’ve been through a lot together…"

  The King burst into a loud ugh that startled a couple of birds in the willow. "Don’t bother, girl! My daughter has always been as transparent as spring water, and you’re as bad at lying as I am at cooking. But don’t worry, I won’t interrogate you… yet."

  He grew serious again, though he kept that paternal smile.

  "It’s precisely because of that bond you have that I want to be at ease. During these six months before the war, I will personally train you every day. I will not allow you to protect my family while being merely ‘strong.’ I want you to be invincible. I want that when I’m on the battlefield facing the demons, I can close my eyes at night knowing that in my home there is a warrior who can freeze hell itself if someone tries to cross my door."

  I stayed silent, processing the magnitude of the commitment. Six months under the tutege of the strongest swordsman in Lyre. Six months of pain, effort, and learning.

  "I accept, Your Majesty," I said, this time with a determined smile. "Teach me everything you know. I won’t waste a single second."

  William stood up, recovering his majestic bearing. "Good. Tomorrow we’ll begin with mana control on the bde. And Lotte… try not to let Leah distract you too much at night. You’ll need every gram of energy to survive my lessons."

  I stood up as well, bowing to hide my lingering blush. The family garden, with its peace and beauty, now felt like the starting point of a journey with no return. The King left, leaving me alone beneath the silver willow.

  I looked at my hands. They were ready to hold the sword, to protect Leah, and to face the heroes of the Church if necessary. The siege against the demons was approaching, and I was no longer a loose piece on the board. I was the Lion’s guardian, and for the first time, I truly felt that I had a real pce in this world.