The Paladin (The King Eternal Monarch AU)

Aftermath of an Uprising

Elizabeth walked to her old apartments at nine. It had been such a long day. A day full of overseeing. She oversaw the rounding up of courtiers and guards loyal to uncle Edward. She personally went through all his personal items in the Royal Apartments. He had three boxes of lacquered notebooks locked in an ivory box but she had no time to read them yet.

She also sent home many court ladies, leaving only three that she knew since she was a teenager - Lady Emily Kim, Lady Amelia Ryu and Lady Michelle Pyo. Lady Emily was West's aunt, Lady Amelia was South's cousin and Lady Michelle was an anomaly. Lady Michelle was an unmarried woman but she had come under recommendations from General Lee - James' father many years ago.

Sending courtiers away meant that the Palace would be operating on skeletal staff. She told East that it was better to start again rather than keep those with questionable loyalties.

There was also the constant updates from the royal hospital about the men who fought for her. She felt like she was living on tenterhooks every time East received an update.

She was therefore rather tired and annoyed as the Paladin followed her to her apartments. East walked unobtrusively. She knew he was determined not to let her out of his sight. She stopped on the winding staircase and rounded on him.

"This won't work out. Are you going to guard me in my own bedchamber?"

She glanced at the Paladin who seemed to take his job very seriously. He was not in formal armour, but he was wearing a bullet proof vest. He also had a gun, bullets and a knife in each of his boots.

He had taken such a long time in the armoury after dinner that she had popped her head in to see what he was up to. She was always curious like that.

"Where are you going, all geared up like that?"

Keith's eyes scanned the armoury. As though looking for more weapons that could be concealed in his two-piece suit.

The walls were full of weapons - long swords, broadswords, ring-pommeled swords, double-edged swords, spears and the famous singijeon - the weapon that could fire multiple explosive and incendiary arrows all at once.

In the centre of the armoury were modern weapons. Guns, bullets, magazines, rifles and hand grenades all laid out in a locked steel cabinet.

The armoury was accessible only to Paladins and the King. Keith had his own key. Elizabeth had hers retrieved from the Royal Apartments that morning after leaving the Audience Hall.

Elizabeth knew by just looking that even the ancient weapons were kept pristine. Free from rust and ready to be used whenever the need arose.

There was also caltrops with four points on the floor, which could be dipped in poison. It could be thrown to slow down a besieging army. No matter how it was thrown, one of the sharp points would always face upwards.

Elizabeth knew the names of all the weapons in the armoury. She had visited it many times with her brother because she followed the Crown Prince everywhere he went.

If William studied weapons, she too insisted on studying weapons. When William had a taekwondo instructor, she was beside him too, determined not to be left out to do Princess-y stuff. Also, she enjoyed kicking William's butt. He was stronger, but she was faster.

When William became a scout, so did she. When William was enrolled in the army, she followed in his footsteps two years later. The difference was that she entered the airforce instead of the army as a cadet.

Eomma-mama had despaired at not having a girly daughter. Elizabeth did wear gowns to official events and enjoyed looking the part. But back home in the Palace, she did everything in just a trousers and a T-shirt.