“Bah!” Abrecan said. “I would have found a way. Speaking of my wife, what is the latest?”
“Lady Calla is still, let us say, afraid to leave the summer home,” the magistrate said, a smirk playing across his face.
Abrecan nodded in approval. “Good. Just as long as she is away from here. She always demanded I take her places, or complain that I needed to spend more time with her. I swear I couldn’t get anything done with her insipid behavior. I take it the guardians I assigned are keeping a close eye on her?”
“Oh, yes. She will not be bothering you or anyone.”
“The way it should be.” Abrecan smiled. “Now back to business. We must continue planning for the Shoginoc. It seems hard to believe we are only a few weeks away.”
For the next several moments, Caldre outlined how the plans were proceeding.
Abrecan nodded, seeming pleased. Before the magistrate could complete his report, the door opened with a large bang! There stood Daimh, covered in sweat and still holding his wooden sword—though the blade was cracked and splintered.
“Father, we really need to get guardians who won’t break so easily.”
***
Eliana giggled when she saw Rinan’s reaction. “I have to wear that?” he asked.
Seamstress Vashti nodded. “Yes, yes. Everyone at the party will be dressed up. I made this especially for you.”
Rinan looked almost pleadingly at Eliana for help, but she didn’t come to his rescue. “I think you’ll look very dashing. Plus, Vashti spent a lot of time making the costumes, didn’t you?”
The elderly seamstress nodded once again. “Yes, yes. Alana was very specific that she wanted a princess birthday party. It’s a shame the only man we could get to attend was your personal guardian. I would like to have made more prince outfits.”
Patting Rinan on the arm, Eliana said, “Oh, he doesn’t mind. It will be fun.”
She saw him once again eye the heavily embroidered tunic and almost shimmering leggings Vashti had laid out for him. After a moment, he let out a long breath.
***
Checking herself one last time in the mirror, Eliana was satisfied that the princess costume she wore was proper. The irony wasn’t lost on her that she, an actual princess, was dressing up as one for her niece’s birthday party. The outfit wasn’t that different from what she would wear to court, though as is the case with most costumes, the features on her dress were more exaggerated. The fluffy skirt was especially large, and she nearly tripped a couple of times when she wasn’t paying attention.
After running a brush through her long, blonde hair again, she headed for the door. Exiting to the hallway, she found Rinan there, standing at attention. He looked adorable in his outfit. In addition to the fancy tunic and sleek leggings, Vashti had made him a rather flamboyant hat that all but hid his dark hair.
“Princess,” he greeted somewhat stiffly.
“Rinan!” She smiled. “You look positively prince-like.”
He shifted uncomfortably. “I feel like a fool.”
“Ah, remember that this is for Alana. It’s not every day you turn eight. Try to relax and have fun.”
Rinan bowed his head in acknowledgement. “Shall we be off, then?”
Smiling again, Eliana said, “Yes, I think we shall.”
***
Rinan was the hit of the party. Eliana watched in delight as a dozen or so girls fawned over him. Ranging from age five to Eliana’s twenty, each of them wore a dress created in similar princess fashion, though Alana’s dress was even more elaborate, which was only fitting for the birthday girl.
The party started off with several games and activities, one of which was a pretend ball. Rinan had taken time to dance with every young lady, making sure each one felt important when it was her turn.
Once Rinan relaxed, Eliana was amazed at how charming and wonderful he was with the girls, perhaps because there were no other guardians in attendance. On their way to the party, Rinan had been teased mercilessly by any passing guardians, but here, he appeared to be more like himself. He laughed and smiled and even playfully teased the little princesses. Eliana tried to imagine her former personal guardian, Eadward, doing that, and had to laugh at the thought.
Throughout the course of the party, Eliana caught Rinan’s gaze here and there, but once they exchanged smiles, he would quickly turn away.
One of the last activities of the party was a game called Choose or Lose. The rules were fairly simple. Each young lady would pull a slip of paper from a crystal bowl. On each slip was the name of either a district or a town in the kingdom. Once they had all selected, Rinan would draw a slip of paper from another bowl, which would match one of the slips of paper the girls had drawn. Rinan would then randomly choose three girls. If he guessed right and one of them matched him, he would be the victor. If he guessed wrong, things got a bit crazy. At that point, each of the girls would run around the room, trying to avoid being tagged by Rinan. Once he tapped a girl on the shoulder, she would be “out.” The last princess remaining untouched would be the victor.
The first two times, Rinan had guessed correctly, and each of the girls in the hall wanted him to try again until he guessed wrong. On the third time, that is exactly what happened. Once he chose the third girl and was incorrect, each of the girls started running in different directions. Or at least, that was Eliana’s intention. In reality, she spun around, promptly tripped on her fluffy dress, and fell down. Rinan rushed to her side, and reaching down, took her by the hand. He carefully helped her to her feet, his hand holding hers for longer than was needed. They held each other’s gaze for one drawn-out moment. Eliana felt her cheeks flush, and there was an odd tingling in her chest. Rinan seemed to blush as well, then, quickly letting go of her hand, reached out and tapped her on the shoulder.
“Got you,” he said softly.
***
A light knocking on the door took Priest Sherwyn’s attention away from his reading. Looking up from the papers on his desk, he said, “Yes?”
The large wooden door creaked open. The guardian standing there with black hair and stark gray eyes was unmistakable.
“Oh, Royal Guardian Rinan. Please come in.” The priest stood and motioned to a chair next to his own.
After closing the door behind him, Rinan walked in and sat down with his head slightly bowed.
“What can I do for the princess’s personal guardian at this late hour?” Sherwyn asked, sitting down and folding his hands on the desk.
Rinan licked his lips, paused a moment, and then said, “I need to ask for your help.”
“Oh?”
Rinan braced himself. “I’m not sure I’m the right person to be Princess Eliana’s personal guardian.”
“King Kenrik thinks differently.”
Rinan sighed in frustration. “It isn’t that I can’t keep her safe. It’s just…”
The priest didn’t say anything, but let the young man continue when he was ready.
Opening his hands with his palms up, Rinan said, “Spending as much time as I am with the princess seems to be effecting me in ways I don’t think are appropriate.” He continued, “As her personal guardian, I’m supposed to protect her. I think my desire to keep her safe has developed into something more.” He paused again. “I think I’m falling in love with her.”
Sherwyn nodded in acknowledgment. “Rinan, you are not the first guardian to feel this way toward someone he is sworn to protect. Even though royal guardians are forbidden to marry until after retirement, they don’t stop being human while they are in service.”
Rinan sighed. “But she is to be married this summer. And as you said, I’m not allowed to marry. That’s why I came to see you.”
Leaning back in his chair, Sherwyn said, “What would you ask of me?”
“I think it would be best if I resigned as her personal guardian.” Rinan folded his arms. “I would ask that you be the one to tell her.”
Sherwyn stood, then took his c
hair with him and came around the desk to sit next to Rinan. He placed a hand on the young man’s shoulder. “Each year, hundreds of young men compete for the chance to be guardians. It’s a great honor, not only for them, but also for their family and district. Being selected as a royal guardian is even more prestigious. You need to think about this a little while more.”
“I don’t see my feelings for her changing,” Rinan said. “If anything, I can only see them getting stronger the more I am around her. I don’t believe I can perform my duties under these circumstances.”
“The only way to resign as her personal guardian is to resign as a guardian altogether. Are you willing to do that?”
“I…I don’t know. It’s just that, I mean, she is so…” Rinan looked down, his face showing his anguish.
Patting Rinan’s shoulder, Sherwyn said, “Wait until the Shoginoc. See who is chosen and how things unfold. You may find that your sense of duty will override these feelings.”
***
“Oh, my. What happened to you?” Anemone asked.
Eliana turned from the window, her long, blonde hair glistening in the summer sunlight. She was dressed in a white gown with gold and blue embroidery running the length of the sleeves, with more around the waist.
“Happened?”
Anemone walked to the princess and took her hands in her own. “When did that little girl I knew grow up? It’s amazing how much you look like your mother, rest her soul.”
Eliana glanced back out the window at the large, gathering crowd, and sighed. “I may look the part, but I don’t feel it.”
Rubbing her hand along Eliana’s cheek, Anemone said, “What’s this all about?”
“Look out there.” The princess motioned toward the courtyard. “They are all here to see the Shoginoc. Today I’m going to meet the man I’m to marry, and instead of being excited, I feel almost sick.”
“But you’ve been preparing for this day ever since you were a little girl,” Anemone said.
Eliana moved away from the window and sat on the edge of her bed. “I know, but for some reason, it never seemed real until today. When I was younger, it seemed romantic, in a way, to meet my future husband at the Shoginoc. But lately, I’ve found myself dreading this whole experience.”
“And why do you think that is?”
Eliana had given that question a lot of thought recently, and it had kept her up many a night. She knew that having her spouse chosen for her at the Shoginoc was inevitable. In the stories she was told growing up, each Shoginoc was an almost magical experience, where two people who were destined to be together would meet, fall in love on the spot, and then live together in happiness for the rest of their lives. But lately she couldn’t imagine how she could fall in love with a complete stranger. What if the man she was to marry was like Eadward?
A knock on the door prevented any other thought or conversation.
“Yes?” Eliana asked.
Rinan opened the door, dressed in his finest uniform. Standing at attention, he stiffly announced, “It is time to make your entrance, Princess.”
***
Fanfare from the trumpets quieted the large crowd that had gathered in the main hall. All eyes turned to the wide doors at the end of the hall as they slowly opened. The fanfare increased in tempo when King Kenrik, Princess Eliana, and Councilor Philip entered.
The hall was decorated as Eliana had never seen it before. Flowers were hung from the rafters and chandeliers. The banners that hung from long, wooden staffs had all been replaced with newly sewn standards. The crowd was dressed mainly in gold and royal blue to show respect for the king, with the exception of the representatives of the seven districts, four of whom stood prominently in the center of the hall.
Dressed in deep blue and white was the governor of Donigi with his entourage. The district of Lewyol’s group was outfitted in canary yellow and brown, which was a stark contrast to the representatives of Grenoa, in black and orange.
However, it was the district of Erd’s party that caught Eliana’s attention. Their armor was highly polished to show off the silver plating, and their crimson tunics were further embellished with silver-threaded embroidery. While all the groups were very well dressed, it was obvious those from Erd had put the most effort into their appearance.
Next to the thrones on the dais was a long table where the five members of the hierarchy sat—each of them now standing in respect for the royalty. Standing at the front and center of the dais was Priest Sherwyn. It was the responsibility of the castle priest to be the master of ceremonies for the Shoginoc.
The king, princess, and councilor were escorted to their thrones by their personal guardians. The crowd waited for the royalty to be seated, and then followed suit. Rinan took his position to the side and a bit behind the princess’s throne.
Priest Sherwyn waited for the crowd to quiet before he spoke. “Welcome, one and all, to this most important event in our kingdom.”
A round of applause broke out from the crowd. The priest waited for a moment before he continued with the ceremony. “It has been twenty-two years since our dearly departed Queen Lareyna was chosen from the district of Tevoil as the victor in the Shoginoc. Her marriage to King Kenrik followed soon afterward. From that union came our own Princess Eliana.”
Another round of cheers broke out. Priest Sherwyn waited a moment and then continued, “Next month, Princess Eliana will turn twenty-one years of age. Magistrate Seanan will now explain more about the significance of that age, and why we are here today.”
Turning to the magistrates, Priest Sherwyn nodded. Magistrate Seanan referenced the Tome of Laws and quoted from memory, “When the firstborn child of the king and queen reaches the age of twenty-one, he or she shall become the new king or queen. The former king and queen will become councilors to the newly crowned leader of Bariwon. An arranged marriage will be selected by a Shoginoc. In the spirit of the competition that is part of the history of the kingdom, each district will have the chance to participate. Whoever brings to the kingdom the most worth, as decided by the Hierarchy of Magistrates, will be declared the winner.” The aged magistrate closed the book on the table in front of him and sat down.
Priest Sherwyn spoke again. “The governor of each district sponsors someone from that land as a representative if he feels they have enough to offer the kingdom. At this current Shoginoc, four districts have presented themselves for judging.”
Sherwyn motioned to the groups in the center of the hall, and gave the district representatives a moment to bow to the crowd.
“This is how we will proceed. Each district will make a presentation. At the conclusion of the last presentation, the Hierarchy of Magistrates will meet and select the victor,” Sherwyn said. “Lots were drawn, and the district of Lewyol was selected to go first, followed by Donigi, Grenoa, and then Erd. Governor Elric, the floor is yours.”
For the next several minutes, Governor Elric presented a large chest full of exquisite ceramic items that were handcrafted in his home district. Each item was worth a small fortune, and the collection together was impressive indeed. At the end of the presentation, a large man in his mid-twenties was introduced as the suitor from the district of Lewyol. While somewhat handsome, he had large, bushy eyebrows that appeared to have merged in the middle of his forehead. The crowd’s applause quickly faded, eager to see the next presentation.
Donigi’s offering consisted of items from the sea: polished shells, pearls, and various other treasures that were available to the seacoast district. The suitor presented was another young man, appearing to be in his early twenties. While pleasant to look at, his smile displayed front teeth that looked to have cut down trees at some point in time. The crowd made a polite showing of approval, and it was obvious he was an improvement to the previous candidate.
What gave the district of Grenoa distinction was that the governor was also the suitor. The tall and lanky man had recently been appointed from his home district when the previous governor
had died of old age. Because he was unmarried, he was given the chance to be the suitor in the Shoginoc. Grenoa was the district furthest southeast and was mainly desert. Nonetheless, the district put together a fine showing, with polished animal bones inlaid with precious stones being the main theme. The crowd reacted quite favorably.
“And finally, Governor Abrecan from the northern district of Erd,” Priest Sherwyn intoned. “What do you bring to the Shoginoc?”
Abrecan stepped forward from his group, revealing a large chest behind him. He clapped his hands, and two of his entourage opened it. Inside were all manner of silver items, polished and gleaming. People in the hall shifted their positions and craned their necks to get a better look. After pausing a moment to allow the crowd to absorb the offering, Abrecan clapped his hands again. Members of his party came forward, revealing an additional chest full of silver treasures that were even more striking. A collective gasp escaped from the crowd. Traditionally, one chest was presented. An offering of two was unprecedented.
Taking advantage of the moment, Abrecan introduced the suitor from Erd. Daimh was dressed in a similar fashion as those around him, yet he stood out among his peers. His chiseled jaw and high cheekbones were among his many attractive features. His body rippled with muscles bulging under his tunic. Smiling, he displayed a set of brilliant white teeth and a pair of dimples, eliciting oohs and ahs from the young women in the crowd.
Interrupting the crowd’s reaction, Priest Sherwyn spoke up. “It is now time for the hierarchy to decide. Magistrate Seanan, if you would, please.”
The eldest of the hierarchy stood and started walking to the far left of the hallway, followed by the other four members. Sherwyn said, “Magistrate Seanan, we start on the right.”
Seanan stopped. After looking around in a confused manner, he headed to the other side of the hall.
King Kenrik leaned over to Princess Eliana and whispered, “Poor Magistrate Seanan. He’s always had trouble with the difference between left and right.”
The Hidden Sun (Bariwon Chronicles Book 1) Page 3