The Rogue Guardian

Previously, Part Two

Hah, I bet you thought I forgot about our Royal Thief recap, didn't you? But joke's on you, because I have lots of sugar and no time management! Now, where did we leave off? (I feel like the Grandpa from The Princess Bride. I just need a sick grandson to read to. Or... a bunch of wattpad readers. Hi there.)

Apparently I never wrote down what chapter I ended with so, go me, I'm winging it. After Caer and Morie make up they have another lesson where Caer reveals that he has an incomplete copy of The Book of Guardians made up of historical documents and stuff. They talk about the Choraia convention again, mostly so I can remind you guys that it happened and it's important, and later that day Luca invites Morie to go practice somewhere with him.

They end up practicing more than dueling skills.

Anyway, after a bit of awkwardness, some shippers end up happy and some end up... less happy. Some of you wanted to throw Luca off a bridge personally, I believe? The will be more of that sentiment.

Meanwhile, Morane has more to worry about than boys. The Sage has returned from his trip and refuses to lift her ban from the training yards. Why, my dear readers ask? Haha not telling. Maybe he's just an asshole. That is a distinct possibility.

Next, yet another history lesson! Have you guys figured out my favorite subject yet? Yes, it's made-up history. Caer and Morie talk about Englescroft's hatred of Solangia and fear of the Guardians... and how weird it is that the Englescroft ambassador would be trying to get in touch with Morane when he's supposed to be scared of her. But hey, he's probably harmless, right? Nothing to worry about!

So Morane proceeds to eavesdrop on a conversation between Tobias (the Sage) and Joshua, because that's the kind of person she is. Joshua is worried that Luca courting Morane will bring her into the sphere of politics, which is apparently something he and Tobias have talked about before-- and wanted to never happen. But Tobias thinks Morane could use a romance to keep her distracted from their... plans [insert evil laughter here].

That night, Morane goes to a large meeting of rebels. She learns that Dell is their spymaster, and that she has an informant in the guard. Now wait a minute... like Joshua, who we've learned is not quite the conspicuously honorable man we thought? Did I actually set that up chapters and chapters ago? Yes I did! (Look, it's late and I'm proud of myself, go with it.)

This is also the meeting where Morie first meets Ysmay... and Xalva. Who, strangely enough, makes a comment that almost sounds like he... knows Nemia personally, somehow. Pat me on the back for this foreshadowing.

There's also some more interesting stuff that I won't get into because it has to do with why Wes left the capital, and we'll get to his story soon enough.

Plus at the end of this chapter Morane starts to get sick, which is what leads into the Guardian sleep. Is this also foreshadowing? Glad you asked! In fact it is a very subtle, probably not making any sense foreshadowing. If you were reading very closely, and somehow catching all my messed up references, you might have figured out that this meeting, after Morane left, is when Aiden promised Xalva he could kill Magali. Which would be the kind of life changing event that could trigger the Guardian sleep.

So anyway, Morie gets sick and collapses, and when she wakes up Jaden is there insisting she tell him what all her dreams were about so he can tell her what to tell Tobias. Apparently these are Special Magic Dreams That Reveal The Past And Predict The Future, and we can't have Tobias getting his hands on them, can we?

Next on the agenda is Morie's dinner with Iso and Galatea. But first, a pre-dinner history lesson with Caer! ...That sounds a lot sillier without the context of the full story. But Morane wants to know if there's anything to keep in mind while having a pleasant conversation with the ambassador everyone's terrified of, and it turns out Caer thinks Iso is here to figure out if the new Guardians, her and Nemia, are threats to Englescroft. Hmm.