Warriors of Kagolania

Every person who wanted to become influential in the court tried to approach Galaspiael. Kalena watched everyone who he talked to.

The constant focus was the most exhausting in this job. She couldn't concentrate as well as the other guards yet, and she didn't know when to pay less attention and when more.

At the feast, Kalena indeed had to guard the area close to the king, though not as close as she thought. The table at which Galaspiael, the queen and the most important Okiani sat, was set on a small platform, slightly above all the others. She was sitting on the steps, ready to quickly attack a potential killer if needed before he could approach the royal table.

The huge dining room was cut in half, and the other part was arranged like a ballroom. Sumptuous balls were a typical Velikan custom, not so popular in Kagolania. In the palace, there was a small ballroom, not comparable with those from Lin-Si's motherland. Galaspiael, however, wanted everything at the wedding party to be as his wife had wished.

"Kalena!" suddenly someone called from an unspecified place in the room "Oh, there she is! I told you she would be in the silver guard!" it was Nemina.

"Behave!" Her sister came over and nudged her shoulder. "You should bow first."

"What? To her?!"

"No, to him." Mamina curtsied gracefully, and Galaspiael nodded in reply, trying to remain serious.

"Have you seen Jin-si anywhere? We lost her somewhere because she went looking for Seth. And he was gone a few hours ago, it makes no sense to look for him."

"In our opinion, he returned to Madegald because he got bored. But she insisted. Are you going to Velikania today? Who's going to be with you?"

"Why would I go there?" Kalena frowned.

"Master Galaspiael... I mean, His Majesty's going to send you there. Jin said you would be a guest at her palace. But this is a secret and nobody is supposed to know it, that's why she only told us and Seth."

"It's a secret indeed. It wasn't until now that I learned that I would go somewhere. It's hard for me to say who I should take with me. I thought about Zarkin, but I doubt he'd agree"

"You still have time. If anyone asks, we didn't tell you anything!"

*

At the time Kalena talked to them, Galaspiael got bored. He ate some dessert and finally stood up and stretched out his hand to Lin-Si.

"Will my queen honor me with dance today?"

He nearly burst out laughing when she pulled away from him as if he were saying something very shocking.

"Since when you dance?" Lin-Si finally asked, seeing that he wasn't joking.

"I don't like dancing, but I can, so I won't embarrass you." The corners of his mouth twitched slightly. "What's wrong?"

She sighed deeply as if he just interrupted her and stood up.

"If you insist so."

"We'll set a good example," Galaspiael said quietly. "It's not proper to sit stiffly all the time at your wedding."

He wasn't lying, he could dance well indeed. At the previous celebrations, he never moved, so she never knew his skills.

"You're different today," Lin-Si said finally, "I don't know what you're up to."

"Speak quieter or don't," he admonished her, "or else your father will say I badly influence you."

"He told you to make such a mess?"

"Nobody told me to. Would you prefer me to be a tyrant? We will spend a nice couple of years together, we were not to make our lives difficult, that's what I'm trying to do. However, if it doesn't suit you so much, I'll stop. I'll fulfill all your wishes, my lady."

She snorted angrily but came closer as if she wanted to embrace him.

"Do what you want to do now, but you're not coming near me tonight," she whispered.

"I promised you that. I will put my guard in front of the chamber, even if your daddy tells someone to eavesdrop, no one will not go through the corridor in one piece. Also, do you think I'm going to sleep tonight? Soon I will present to the architects a project that I haven't even finished in half. I've wasted enough time, and tomorrow the same will happen. As if one day for the celebrations was not enough!"

For the first time, when she heard his complaint, she smiled.

"Galaspiael, as I knew him, finally returned."

*

When Lin-Si told him she wanted to drink something, Galaspiael began to look for Kalena. He noticed her quickly. She talked to Seth for a while, then said goodbye to him and came over, stumbling over someone's trailing robe.

"I hope you didn't eat anything suspicious, Your Highness."

"I am still alive as you see. Don't talk to me like that when we're just two, okay?" Galaspiael asked. "Come on, we need to talk. There are a lot of things to do."

He led her into the main corridor, then into a smaller one, went down the steep stairs, and went into the chamber, which, like the prince's bedroom, was connected to another one, only much smaller.

"Remember the way here, because this is a secret entrance to a basement in your house," he said, opening another door behind which there was a long and dark tunnel. "I'll come by sometimes, so leave the door open."

"What is the important thing you wanted to talk about?"

Galaspiael became serious.

"There is a man in Velikania who has something I want. A book that my friend once told me about. This is probably the only copy in the world, getting it is very important to us. Thanks to this book, we can get rid of Gyeul, or at least force him to obey us."

"How?"

"There is a fighting technique that can hurt him and it has been thoroughly described there. I honestly admit that I didn't believe it until I accidentally used it myself. However, I need instructions on how to master it. I was slowly losing hope that I could find anything, but I succeeded. If Kagolania gained access to the ocean, I could realize all my plans. You must not disappoint Kalena. You must get this book, even if you would have to kill the owner. Take Zarkin with you, say I will reward him generously. The boy can become the best archer in Kagolania, it's a pity that he would waste his ability to be a thug for rent."

Kalena smiled sourly.

"I should take him so he would kill, not me?"

"I didn't say you have to kill. This is the last resort if the success of the mission will be threatened. Zarkin has proved once that he has no resistance to kill. You haven't take anyone's life yet. Zarkin will be your insurance."

"I will not let you down!" She exclaimed. "I will carry out every order, if necessary..."

"You are not sure," he interrupted her, "and even if you could never kill anyone, there is nothing wrong with that. You can get the book in various ways, this is just one of many."

"I'll get it," Kalena said, placing her hand on her heart. Galaspiael looked over her shoulder.

"We have to go back, otherwise someone will notice that we are gone."

Kalena rubbed her eyes and walked lazily to the exit. She didn't want to go back to the loud and stuffy room. The boy stopped suddenly. When she looked up at him questioningly, he smiled.

"Maybe this is not a good time for such confessions, but I want to tell you that I still love you very much and I still hope that someday you will be able to forget what I did."

"I don't think anything has changed in my heart, I'm sorry." Kalena replied, trying not to make it sound like a cold rejection "Don't hope for the change, you will only hurt yourself unnecessarily."

"I know. But still, let me love you at least a little bit."