The Princess's Guard

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You nervous?" I was zoned back into the world by the question the ruggedy man sitting next to me asked. He looked like he was in his late thirties. Experienced, but still strengthy to battle. It was the perfect pick for the guard of a princess. His hair was slightly graying, and he was holding his helmet in his hands.
"Kind of... I don't know how anything will go." i looked onto the road, thinking how Lady Charlotte and Arthur had said goodbye to me. I was handed a little flower, and Arthur had hugged me the first -and last- time in my life, which made me realized how much I had missed human touch ever since I'd left home. However, I had to keep my head up, because I was certainly not going to have any kind of genuine human connection in the palace for a very long time.
"Just do what you're told. It's going to be a small introduction anyway as we're told not to bother the princess so much. They don't really make a commotion out of the arrival of new guards." He sighed. "Not like we're protecting the princess from all threats." He mumbled under his breath sarcastically.

"Keep that flower away from her sight, by the way." He added. "I know your boyfriend gave it to you but the princess might not react well to you bringing a flower from outside into her quarters."

"He's not my boyfriend. We just... grew familiar over time because we were always on duty together." I said silently.

"He was definitely into you though. That flower is hand-picked, I can tell. No guy would go to that far an effort it they weren't into a girl." he smiled a bit.

"Gregory, stop teasing the new kid." Said the man sitting across us in a serious tone. "There's a hard day ahead of her already."

"You're right. Sorry, kiddo. I shouldnt smother you too much." he said loudly. "You're going to have to deal with the princess anyway." he mumbled, making sure I can hear him.

"You're really young, aren't you? How'd you get to such a rank in such a short time? You must be a real hard worker?" Asked the man sitting across us. He looked slightly older than the man next to me, but as strong. He had a short beard connecting to his moustache, and his hair hadn't grayed a bit despite his age.

"I'm twenty-two." I said shyly. "My dad died when I was very young, and since I was the oldest amongst my sisters, I took it upon myself to learn how to protect them. I learned to fight and to use my body as a shield by sparring with the older boys from my town. I also would carry things around a lot since my mom was getting older." Everyone in the vehicle were listening to me. "I signed up for the knights when I was twelve, and got some more serious training there, I guess. I wanted to work for my family and provide for them, and I knew I had to work twice as hard to get somewhere since I'm not a mage. And at the end, I guess it was a result of my work and some higher-ups taking pity on me." I added. Everyone was staring at me with pity and surprise at the same time. "I... don't know why I'm here though. I used to guard the Aberdieu mansion. And even if they're an important family... this is still a huge jump for me."

"I see." said the man sitting across me while nodding. "By the way, I think we have a few minutes until we reach the palace. You should get yourself ready." He added shortly after.

I gripped my bag with my belongings in it, and put the flower in there. "When is the meeting with the princess?" I asked, looking around.

"You're going to have an initial appearance to her after you settle in your quarters and your new armor is provided to you... I think. it's going to be short and sweet, nothing too formal. Just a heads-up for the princess to be able to recognize you." said Gregory, looking at me.

"We are here." announced the carriage driver after a few minutes of silence. "You may now get off the ride." The carriage stopped.

The palace was very fancy, was flashier than the Aberdieu mansion. There were so many noblemen, workers and guards even by the courtyard. It looked very noble and vivacious, like it was a whole city built into one place. I had heard about it before, but seeing it had really blown my mind still.

"This way." A guard there put his hand on my shoulder and lead me down the main hallway. The walls were covered in marble and gold plating, and the floors were squeaky clean despite all the people walking on it. The hallway was very long, and seemed like a never-ending horizon. There were pictures of the important monarchs throughout the years hanged on the walls.

"This is where the guards stay." The knight said. He had brought me to a large area with dining tables, a door going outside and a set of stairs leading upwards. "The quarters are placed outside, but I can show you around here first if you don't mind." he added.

"Sure." I was mesmerized by how big the place was. Back in the mansion I only had a tiny kitchen and a room to stay in, but this place had everything.

"This is the dining space. Our food is brought out here by the servants every day. We also use this space to socialize with each other. You'll probably see people here play chess or cards outside dining hours. Feel free to join them. They're usually really eager to have new players." he leaned in closer. "Don't tell the higher-ups I mentioned this, but lotsa gambling goes on out here too. I suggest you stay out of it. I've seen many knights get sucked into it."

"...and this is the courtyard. We have training grounds and an area for sparring. You aren't allowed to use your swords out here, though. We just have wooden ones set out here to practice." he told me as we stepped out into the garden. "There is also the upper floor, but since you won't be staying there, it's no need mentioning it. Let's move you into your quarters, shall we?"

The man lead me to one of the small buildings set at the garden. When we walked in, There were two other guards at the area. Their eyes quickly turned to me.

"This is Theresa. She will be staying here from now on. She's a guard to the princess, so make sure the trear her well." the guard leading me told them.

"Hey Theresa!" one of the men exclaimed
"I'm Clement, nice to meet ya! It's nice to see someone who isn't an old hag around here." He looked around my age, maybe slightly older. He had pale, almost pink complexion with blond hair. He seemed like quite the extrovert.

"What's wrong with being old?" The other knight said, slightly angry. "You're just mad because we have more experience than you do." She had graying hair with hints of black in it. She was significantly older, maybe in her fourties. Her skin was a vibrant shade of brown. "I'm Edna, by the way. I have worked for the king as a mage-knight back in the day, but now I practice as a healer for the knights. Nice to meet you."

"You will be sharing the main hall of the building with these people, however, you will also have your private space for sleeping and bathroom needs." said the guard.

Afterwards I was lead to my room with my now housemates. It was a biggish room, with a desk with shelves on top of it, a mirror, a bed and a closet. The whole room had a calm aura. the floors were wooden, and there were a few paintings hanged on the walls. There was a window that was pointing towards the plants in the courtyard.

I unpacked my bags and sat on my bed, thinking about what I'd left behind and what was about to come. It felt like life was a passage, and I was just an adventurer walking by...