Chapter Thirteen
“My first official task as King’s Defender will be to appoint you as guard master,” I said, shaking Viggo’s hand. “We’ll see each other again soon.”
“You might want to read your official job description before you start dismissing and hiring staff members,” Viggo said with a smirk.
I released his hand. “I’ll put in a good word. You should’ve been chosen as well. I have to do something to get you working on the royal hill or I’ll be plagued with guilt forever. What will you do until then?”
“Return home,” he said. “But I won’t be a burden to my family. I’ll find some work in the city.”
I embraced Bryn one last time. “Continue to excel in your schooling. I’ll see you working on the royal hill too someday.”
“And what an honor it will be to work with my friends.” Bryn’s smile was soft when we released each other. “Take care of yourself, Asta.”
I bowed my head. “Until we meet again.”
We took turns leaving the alley. Samir cast annoyed glances at the mystic store and the setting sun in turn. I scurried out while he was glaring at the sun and walked across the street as casually as possible.
“Where are your herbs?” he asked, leaping from the carriage.
“After I gathered what I needed, I realized I didn’t have enough money. I’ll come back another time when I’ve earned more.”
Samir helped me up and hurried back to his seat. “What a waste! Now we must speed you to the royal hill and pray we arrive in time for dinner!”
My stomach gurgled. “Yes, dinner sounds wonderful.”
The chauffeur spurred on the horses and they accelerated, throwing me back into my seat. “The king can’t be kept waiting. It’s the first thing I learned when I started this job.”
I blinked. “I’m to dine with the king?”
He wrenched the reins to the side, causing the horses to turn a corner at a reckless speed. “Of course! As his Defender, you must go with him everywhere. An enemy could be lurking around any corner. One foreign attacker was found hiding in His Majesty’s personal washroom.”
Unease twisted my stomach. What exactly is this job going to demand of me?
Samir glanced at my face and groaned. “If you’re going to be sick, lean out the side. This is an expensive carriage. Honestly, my lady, weren’t you told anything at the academy?”
I scowled at him. “I wasn’t given the details of a Defender’s assignment. I didn’t even know I was a candidate until two months ago.”
He yanked the reins back and shook a fist in the air when we were caught behind a slow carriage. He grumbled curses and threw an arm out to the side to indicate he wanted to pass the person in front of us. When he had the opportunity, he spurred the horses onward and we swung around the slow driver.
“As His Majesty’s bodyguard, you work closely with the other Defenders and the guard master, who is in charge of us guards. We are at your disposal but the king’s safety is mainly a Defender’s priority. You memorize the designs of the hilltop and any other building the king is going to be in during the week. When the king is home, you search every nook and cranny periodically, read the guard patrol progress reports, investigate every guest who comes in or any member of staff who leaves, and stay at the king’s elbow when it’s your turn.”
We raced through a bumpy section of the road. Samir’s voice bounced along with us. “Before the king goes a-anywhere, you must scout the lo-ca-tion at least three days prior to his arrival and make note of a-any suspicious characters or act-ivi-ties. You communicate with the guard m-master concerning the position of the king’s esc-corts, make escape plans for His Majesty, and discuss everyth-thing that could possibly go wrong. You should never b-be surprised. A good Defend-der is always prepared.”
“And you know this because of your vast experience in the area?” I said.
My chauffeur shrugged as we progressed to smoother ground. “That’s what all the other Defenders do.”
“When do I sleep? When do I eat? When do I have a moment to myself?”
“When you’re not on duty. The king has four other Defenders who trade shifts throughout the week. Their names are Hemming, Lennart, Finley, and Gabor. You have the authority to commandeer us guards while your fellow Defenders are off duty if you require assistance of any kind, but you must go through Master Philo first. He is the guard master on the hilltop.”
We exited the city and approached a hill made of rock and grass. The royal grounds were encircled by a white stone wall. Another wall was built around the base of the hill with guard towers and a gatehouse. My escort fished a piece of string out of the front of his shirt, which had a thin silver plate with golden lettering hanging off the end. He showed the plate to the man at the gate when we were close enough. The guard pulled on the lever to allow us passage, and the portcullis slowly slid upward.
“In time, you will be given your own,” Samir said, tucking the plaque away. “The documentation plaque has an oily outer layer that glimmers in the light. Those without one will not be granted access. There are no exceptions.”
I watched the guards patrolling the wall while we waited. They all had rust-colored eyes. They were heavily armed and dressed in the same armor as Samir. A moat had been dug around this wall, but instead of being inhabited by formidable sea creatures like the moats in all the fairytales I’d read, it was filled with tar and oil.
So that it can be lit with fire in the event of an attack, I realized.
At last, the portcullis had risen high enough for us to pass. We galloped up the winding dirt road to the royal grounds. There was a guard tower on the corner of every other turn. I stopped counting after a time. I couldn’t decide whether to be exasperated or impressed by the security. This hill was the greenest thing I’d seen since arriving on Holger. The grasses were tall on either side of the road. It smelled so fresh. I took deep, greedy breaths and savored the drop in temperature. When I poked my head out of the carriage, I could see over the city and to the end of the island. The enormous fishing vessels looked like toys from this distance. The sea swayed ever so gently across the horizon, reflecting the dying rays of the sun.
Once we arrived at the second stone wall, the gates were opened for us. Each gate was as wide as five men and as tall as eight. I stared, open mouthed, as we passed through. Despite this being the crest of the hill, it wasn’t entirely flat. Grand steps led to the upper ward where the finest and largest buildings stood.
Samir hastily parked the carriage beside a handful of identical ones and the monster of a vehicle General Halvar and I had taken to the Dotharr’s Academy when I first arrived on the island. On the other side of the last stagecoach were two stables, and beside that a barn. I could hear the clucking of chickens, the grunting of cows, the snorting of pigs, the squawking of geese, and the gentle whinnying of horses.
Across the ward, servants bustled in and out of a three-story building. From the limited views through the open windows, I gathered it was their sleeping quarters. I assumed the identical building next to it was where the off-duty guards slept. As I climbed down from the carriage, the gates were opened once again and two more carriages flew in.
I caught Samir’s eye as he unloaded my purchases from the back of our carriage. “My escorts, I presume?”
His arms were heavily laden with parcels of shoes and bags of men’s clothing, but he reached for the final shopping bag in the storage compartment. “Yes, and not a minute too soon. All these carriages have to be checked in before nightfall.”