The Guard's Code used to be to the common people what the Knight's Code was to the nobility. The full thing was written up somewhere in fancy script and courtly language that the guards had laughed over, but the essence of it, the heart - Every boy could recite that to you. Every guard made it as much a part of themselves as their own bones.
Used to be.
For every guard shall be these things: Loyal to the king,
In King Constans day, the king had been a distant figure. That had made it easier in some ways. It was easier to be loyal to an ideal than a man.
His son, Uther, though, he had been a prince to inspire passion and sacrificial loyalty. It was a point of pride to the guard that when King Constans died and the prince's uncle challenged him for the throne and civil war broke out that every last guard remained faithful.
It was easy those first few years. Easy when Stephen's spell caught the knife before it could hit the king and he was thanked warmly and with a bag of gold. Easy when the king himself spoke over the three they'd lost when Lot had sent assassins. Easy when they stood watchful outside Ygraine's door and she greeted them with a smile that could melt stone.
But that was Before.
And no true guard ever had to ask, "Before what?"
Vigilant in all his magic, mind, and might,
That was how it had read. Originally.
Then there was Arthur.
It wasn't often that the king interfered with the details of how Captain Donovan's men were posted, but Captain Donovan was just relieved that the man had finally emerged from his office. If the king wanted to specify which men were to be duty on that night, he wasn't going to complain.
Samuel was a new father and the schedule shift meant he was pulling a double shift outside the vault door. It was taking all his stubborn will power just to keep his eyes open. He was in no condition to notice that his fellow guard was one of the new men King Uther had hired recently and not a magic user as regulations demanded.
Vick met Marcus in the jail. He raised an eyebrow at his friend. "Since when do you have magic?"
"Funny. I was about to ask the same of you."
"What are we supposed to do if a sorcerer breaks in?" Vick demanded.
Marcus raised an eyebrow. "The cells are empty, mate. Why would anyone break in?"
"Maybe they'll be heading for the vault and get lost. Then what?"
