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Full Synopsis

The Kingdoms of Britain have been floundering for the past century, ever since Rome abandoned them. Britannia has flourished but they were the most heavily influenced by Roman culture and therefore have been able to retain some semblance of balance and normalcy. Wales is safely nestled to the west of Britannia and often functions as an annex of Britannia, content to let the larger kingdom make the difficult decisions. To the north, Caledonia has embraced the frequent visits from the Scandinavian sailors from the east. To this end, they have fallen back into their pagan ways and the stories that travel south are steeped in superstition. Ireland, while still technically a kingdom, is so isolated that they have regressed to their tribal roots as they fight against the Scandinavian invaders.

27 years ago, the kingdoms destabilized even further with the disappearance of King Arthur and the disbanding of his Knights of the Round Table. Mordred, Arthur’s nephew and a powerful mage, rose to power in Caledonia and started to make waves within the world of politics. Not long after his ascension to the throne, the other kingdoms banded together to put failsafes in place to curb Mordred’s ambition.

For nearly 15 years following the disappearance of King Arthur, tension between the kingdoms was at an all time high, but eventually the Exchange Treaty was ratified. The treaty stated that the kingdoms would form an alliance; if one was attacked, the others were required to come to their aid. It also solidified borders and sent ground rules on how to handle intercontinental or border disputes. Finally, it established a series of contingencies in the form of an exchange of emissaries— or hostages. An embassy was set up in each capital city and those emissaries would serve as incentive to stay within the guidelines written out by the treaty.

Most kingdoms sent a member of their own royal family, along with a series of noblemen and women. Mordred however, refused to send anyone but his bastard son and a small group of low-ranking dignitaries, stating that he needed his lords and ladies so that he could continue the search for King Arthur. Because he agreed to all of the other terms of the treaty, he was allowed to do so.

Since the enactment of the treaty, only one minor battle has required the kingdoms to join together; King Leofric of Britannia called upon the others to answer the call when a large force of Gaulish soldiers tried to take the city of Londinium in 530 AD. Ever since then however, the British Isles have been free of war and strife, and have finally started to regain their footing.

Our story begins with the appointment of Kelsier Blackhart— bastard son of King Mordred— to one of the highest ranks one can achieve without being of nobility; Captain of the Kingsguard. He is being tasked with keeping the royal family of Britannia safe. With strange magics and old superstitions resurfacing all across the kingdoms, this task is made all the more difficult by Britannia’s eldest princess, Lady Evelin.

**NOTE: This story was written by two people in a back and forth POV between the two main characters. Each characters POV is marked.**

Kelsier

Absolute darkness envelops a little boy as he sprints pell-mell through the rippling and curling shadows of a moonless night. From behind him, he can just barely hear the rough breathing of the thing that pursues him. Swirling mist obscures the forest floor and he tries to place his feet as carefully as possible. All the while, the scream echoes in his ears: "Run!"

So run he does, through the darkness, through the terror, towards the unknown. All around him in the black forest, he can sense the shifting of nature. Perhaps the creatures are running with him. Maybe they're fleeing from him. As if sensing his trepidation and fear, the breathing of the hunter following him increases until he realizes it's changed from rapid gasps to a low, rumbling cackle.

Something darts in front of him and he has to slide to a stop. The pebbles sent flying by his skidding feet clatter against something and he looks up in horror at what blocks his escape. Shadowy mist and the darkness of the night almost hide it completely from view but then the fires behind him rage brighter, lighting up the night sky. His purser melts into the shadows as the little boy stares up with horror at the deer skull, its white-boned face devoid of any expression. Claws reach out for him and he screams, already feeling the searing pain of that deadly embrace.

---

Kelsier Blackhart wakes with a start. For a moment, he can't breathe as terror sinks its claws into his chest. He flails, flinching away from the confines of his sheets, which are tangled around him like vines. Then, he hears a soft female voice and his surroundings start to return along with his senses. Sitting up, he stills his limbs and squints against the bright light now streaming in through his only window.

Standing in the door, his best friend and comrade in arms, Murtagh, grins at him. With sudden realization, Kelsier knows that it was Murtagh slamming open his door that woke him from his nightmares. He's endured the claws of that creature's embrace more than once and has never been able to wake himself up. Glaring over at Murtagh, Kelsier runs a hand through his tousled hair and tries to steady his breathing. Movement on his left suddenly draws his attention and he jerks his head around to find two young maids standing by the window.

Both of them avert their gazes to the floor as he looks over at them, pink spots blooming on their cheeks. It's then that he remembers that he went to bed the previous night in nothing but his loose undergarments; damn these flashes of spring heat. Even after a decade of living in the south, Kelsier's blood still runs hot, having been raised in the chill of the northern reaches of the Kingdom of Caledonia.

He surreptitiously moves the blankets to cover more of himself and looks back over at Murtagh to find that Ser Brom has entered the fray now as well. The older knight doesn't spare a glance for the maids, instead focusing his gaze directly on Kelsier. The look he gives him is so stern and fatherly that Kelsier wants to roll his eyes. Brom is not his father, but he acts like he is so frequently that he might as well be. As the bastard son of King Mordred of Caledonia, Kelsier has never really had a father figure; Brom will do well enough.

"You're still asleep?" Brom asks incredulously. The older knight is already fully dressed in his suit of armor, the emblem of the Londinium City Guard emblazoned on the chest plate. His black cape billows behind him as a gust of humid wind disturbs both the cape and Brom's shoulder-length grey hair. From beside him, Murtagh grins and leans against the doorframe. He too is already suited in his City Guard armor and cape.

"Why would I not still be asleep?" Kelsier grumbles, finally relaxing a bit and rubbing his burning eyes.

"Our promotion ceremony is today, boy!" Brom answers, his voice booming in the small room. Kelsier stops eeking the sleep from his eyes and levels a neutral expression at his mentor.

"I know that. What's the problem? I'll get dressed, put on my armor, and be ready to go. And what are they doing here?" Kelsier asks, jerking his chin at the maids, who are still respectfully averting their gazes.

"You're gonna to go lookin' like that?" Murtagh drawls in his heavy northern accent, a smirk lighting up his already bemused expression. Murtagh's fiery red hair just adds to his aura of mischief but Kelsier doesn't even spare him a glance.

"Of course he's not going like that," Brom grumbles at Murtagh before returning his attention to Kelsier and adding, "They're here to help pack up your belongings, since you couldn't be bothered to do it yourself. I told you a hundred times that you needed to get your things ready to move to the palace."

At the mention of moving to the palace, Kelsier glowers again. He hadn't asked for this promotion and doesn't see why he has to move since the position has been all but forced upon him. Sure, command him to don the white cape and protect the royal family, but did they have to take away the one thing that gives him peace? This room isn't much to write home about, but it's been his; a quiet, private space all his own.

Stepping into the room, Brom firmly grasps Kelsier's upper arm and starts to haul him out of bed. As he does so, he drowns out Kelsier's protests, saying, "Come on, lad. You can brood later. For now, we need to get you bathed and suitably ready for the palace."

Kelsier splutters as Brom drags him to his feet. As he finally gains his balance, he puts his hands on his hips and growls, "I don't need to bathe. Seriously, it's going to be in and out. You're making it seem like I just crawled out of a bloody swamp."

"Lad," Brom says flatly, "the king has horses that smell better than you do. Let's go. Murtagh, see to it that these fine young ladies have everything they need in order to move and transport the Lord Commander's scant belongings."

For nearly twenty minutes, Kelsier lets himself be subjected to the embarrassment that always accompanies assisted bathing. He's never enjoyed the service, but it's expected of lords and ladies, and according to Brom, that's what he is now. Well, if he is such a "high lord" now, Kelsier intends to use his so-called power to order his attendants to let him bathe in peace. In no universe does he need some strange, hawk-nosed woman to judge his nakedness.

The moment the woman sits him down and attempts to start grooming his beard, Kelsier nearly loses his mind. As politely as he can, he resolutely tells the woman he'd rather die before letting someone else trim his facial hair. The woman scowls at him but finally relents and holds the mirror for him as he does it himself. For his part, Kelsier doesn't know what is so offending about his beard in the first place, but he trims it nevertheless.

Kelsier is immensely grateful when he can finally put his clothes back on. While the women present in the bathing chamber have always been polite, he knows they cringe at his scars. He can't necessarily blame them; the marks cover a good portion of his body. Half of the reason he constantly wears long sleeves, even in the summer, is to hide them. He's not exactly ashamed of them; they're just difficult to explain.

Once his comfortable underarmor clothes are settled, Kelsier visibly relaxes and pushes his wet black hair off of his forehead. Running his hands through it several times, he hopes that maybe this time it will dry and be reasonably manageable. That has yet to be achieved however; his hair seems to always be an unruly mess, despite his best efforts.

As he finishes smoothing back his hair, Kelsier turns on his heel and strolls toward the stand that displays his City Guard armor. He's just reaching out to start dismantling it when Brom asks, "What are you doing?"

Kelsier slowly turns his head to look at the older knight, an eyebrow raised in confusion. After a second, he slowly replies, "Putting my… armor on?"

"You're not wearing that armor today, lad! Christ Almighty, did you listen to me at all?" Brom says testily, throwing his hands up in the air. The faintest hint of a tiny smile twitches at the corners of Kelsier's mouth; a rare occurrence, but Brom's frustration always makes him chuckle a bit. The emotion is fleeting however as Brom adds, "Did you go get your kingsguard armor fitted?"

A heartbeat of silence passes between them before Kelsier shrugs sheepishly and Brom sighs loudly, ruffling his mustache. A knock on the outer door draws their attention for a moment but before he turns to answer the summons, Brom mutters, "God save the King… Psh. Putting you in charge of security… You little shit."

Kelsier snickers quietly and turns back to the armor stand. He's just about to start lacing up one of his bracers when a series of clanks and clatters distracts him. He glances up towards the door to find several young squires hauling in a set of unfamiliar armor. He groans quietly as he realizes that it's one of the golden suits of armor worn by the Kingsguard.

All in all though, the armor isn't so bad once he's encased in it. While it's been freshly polished, it's not blindingly chromatic. As he peers at himself in the small mirror, he notices the lack of a royal sigil. Tracing his fingers over the blank spot on the chest plate, he vaguely wonders if that's on purpose. Sensing his silent inquiry, one of the squires bows shallowly and quietly says, "Since this armor is not yet fitted to you, Ser, the King did not think it proper to affix a sigil to it. His Majesty also wonders if you would like the griffin of His kingdom or the dragon of Caledonia?"

The squire's voice is light but Kelsier can hear the contempt in it. Does he have any other choice than to accept the griffin, the symbol of his most gracious host? While he is technically here in Britannia as an emissary and diplomat representing Caledonia in accordance with the Exchange Treaty, he's also a bastard child. Accepting the dragon of Caledonia's crest would be presumptuous. If the whisperings are to be believed, the king himself is the one that requested Kelsier's promotion, so it would be disrespectful to refuse the king's own sigil.

Without showing any of his internal feelings on the matter, Kelsier nods gratefully and intones, "The griffin, please. His Majesty has honored me with this choice."

He watches the squire closely and notes the glint of approval in the teenager's eyes. While Kelsier's exterior would suggest otherwise, it's always nice to know that he still knows how to play the game. The room remains silent as the rest of Kelsier's temporary armor is put into place. He eyes each of the squires and attendants carefully, trying to figure out which ones are spies.

Finally, it comes time to make their way to the throne room within the palace. The trip from the upper parts of the city to the royal district is a short one. When they step into the palace entry, they are directed to a small waiting chamber where Murtagh is already seated. They converse quietly about nothing in particular but suddenly, Kelsier is too nervous to sit down. He starts to pace the room, wondering if it's too late for him to politely refuse the position. He can't help but feel that maybe he's getting in too far over his head.

Just as he's about to verbalize this concern to Brom and Murtagh, a sharp knock sounds at the door and a young page steps in. Without a word, he motions that they're ready for them in the great hall and Kelsier chokes on his words. He stares blankly at Brom and Murtagh until his mentor rolls his eyes and motions for him to move. The walk to the great oak doors feels like a strange passage of time for Kelsier but suddenly, he finds himself entering the throne room and strolling down the long hall towards the King of Britannia.

The crowd inside the chamber is small but it's very clearly an official ceremony. Kelsier regains his senses about halfway down the hall and starts glancing at some of the faces in the crowd. He recognizes a few, mostly the faces of lesser lords who fought alongside him in the Battle for Londinium a few years previously. As he stops before the king and queen, Kelsier glances at the bored faces of the king's children. The eldest son, Aelfrid, is familiar to him and he already looks vaguely annoyed. Next to Aelfrid, the king's youngest sons, a pair of twins, fidget restlessly, glancing around the room and clearly itching to cause mayhem. Next to the queen, the princess taps her foot impatiently. From her body language, Kelsier can tell she's about two seconds from crossing her arms and rolling her eyes in annoyance.

Much to his relief however, the ceremony is as he'd said it would be; in and out. After kneeling before the royal family and swearing yet another oath, Kelsier rises to his feet and the white cloak of the Kingsguard is fastened to his shoulders. He keeps his face blank but internally, he's cursing the flashiness of the garment; don't they realize that a white cape will make him a target within a crowd? A target that is probably in the direct proximity of a member of the royal family…

As the ceremony ends, King Leofric approaches him, nodding respectfully. Kelsier bows, as is appropriate, and murmurs, "Your Majesty.”

Waving a hand to silently instruct Kelsier and his two men to resume standing straight, Leofric smiles and says warmly, "Welcome to the Kingsguard, Ser Kelsier. Would you and your men care to take the day and move into your new quarters and then assume your duties on the morrow?"

Kelsier can already feel Murtagh nodding, but he shakes his head and politely replies, "That won't be necessary, Your Majesty. I'd prefer to start right away, get to know the other men, and get a sense of where everyone's strengths are. For now though, I will keep a pair of the senior kingsguard with Your Majesty and the Queen."

Leofric nods his approval, clearly surprised and impressed by Kelsier. After a moment, he says, "It would be remiss of me to fail to mention that your steadfast mannerisms have played a role in your promotion, Ser. After the strange events in Wales, I am less worried about myself and more concerned for my children."

Kelsier doesn't miss the implication about his character, but the king's words about happenings in Wales have him curious. He tilts his head questioningly and Leofric takes a step closer and continues in an undertone, "The Princess Owena was briefly kidnapped, stolen from her bed in the dead of night, if my informants are to be believed. No one knows who took her or why, but she turned up a fortnight after disappearing and hasn't been coherent since. Dark magic, they’re saying."

Taking a step back from Kelsier, Leofric fixes him with a stern and resolute expression and adds in his normal voice, "I would prefer that not to happen here, in Britannia. Can I trust you to make sure it doesn't, Ser Kelsier?"

It takes Kelsier a moment to find his voice again but he eventually swallows and nods sharply before giving another small bow and replying, "Of course, Your Majesty. I will personally go see to their protection, if I may beg your leave?"

Leofric smiles again and inclines his head. Slowly, Kelsier backs away from him a few steps before turning his back and motioning for Brom and Murtagh to follow him. Before he can take more than a few steps, Leofric calls after him, “Lord Commander? I have not seen fit to alarm my children by telling them about the mishap in Wales, though my daughter probably knows about it already. She can be too smart for her own good. Keep your guard up with her, won’t you? She has a will of iron. Even as the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, she'll be the one that gives you a run for your money.”

Kelsier inclines his head, wondering what in the hells that is supposed to mean. Rejoining Brom and Murtagh, they leave the great hall quickly. While he hadn't listened to much of Brom's lecturing about this promotion, Kelsier had taken the time to memorize a map of the castle that had been provided to him. He immediately turns down a side corridor and steps through a secret door that will take him all the way to the east wing of the castle that the king's children occupy. Along the way, he explains the situation to Brom and Murtagh. He gives quiet instructions for Brom to go debrief the other members of the Kingsguard while he and Murtagh introduce themselves to the princes and the princess.

The moment Kelsier steps through the secret entrance into the sitting room of the east wing, he knows that he's just planted his boot in a pool of lantern oil. He whips out an arm to stop Murtagh from stumbling into the same trap and Kelsier carefully casts his gaze throughout the room, heightening his senses a bit. The trail of oil goes off to the side and he can hear snickering beneath the table. Tapping into some of the innate magic he has, Kelsier makes his footsteps virtually silent as he walks over to the table. With a sudden sharp yank, he lifts the tablecloth and comes face to face with the two young princes. One of them holds a lit candle but the giggling stops as they see Kelsier.

"Were you going to light that on fire?" Kelsier asks blandly. Neither of the boys answers or even moves, but Kelsier can see the affirmation in their mischievous eyes. Shaking his head, Kelsier reaches under the table and snatches the candle from the boy's hand. Blowing out the flame, he raises his eyebrows and shakes his head as he sighs and says, "You should try a bucket of water above the door and a pull string next time. Way funnier."

A quiet sniff of laughter reaches Kelsier's heightened hearing and he stands up straight, still holding onto the tablecloth. Immediately, his eyes find the two young women near the small table. His eyes widen a bit; he's not sure if they were there when he first entered the room, but he doesn't remember seeing them. Murtagh comes to stand next to him, grinning down at the twins before also fixing his gaze on the young women.

Kelsier tries not to stare, but the bored princess who had been standing in the throne room is not the same woman that peers at him now. But it's the handmaiden that briefly draws his attention before he remembers himself. Keeping his expression completely blank, he bows to the princess and quietly murmurs, "Your Highness."

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Evelin

An eagle’s call breaks the silence of the early morning. Evelin looks up to see a large golden eagle soaring in tight circles just above the canopy of trees. She watches him closely with a small smile. Stepping forward, farther into the clearing of dew covered grass, she extends a heavily gloved hand before letting out three distinct whistles. Immediately, the eagle's head fixes to her and he dives with impressive speed towards her. Eve can hear the shifting of armor as the guards assigned to her seem uncomfortable with the eagle’s presence. The eagle dips lower and splays his wings before landing practiced ease on Eve’s outstretched arm.

“Good boy, Helios. I’m sure it feels good to stretch out after being in that cage all night,” she says. Opening her gloved hand, Eve offers the eagle a small bit of raw rabbit which he happily snatches up. Leaning in a bit closer to him, she doesn’t bother to drop the volume of her words as she adds, “My shadows over there seem afraid of you. I have no idea why they would be so worried. It’s not like you ripped the helmet off their heads. It was the former Lord Commander's fault that he was in your way of killing that evil rabbit.”

Her smile widens as Helios snaps his beak happily before glaring over at her guards in annoyance. Softly, she says, “Why don’t you take me with you this time? I’m going to have a long day in court and I would like to see how beautiful the sunrise is today before dealing with my mother.”

She looks at Helios and knows that he can see the sadness in her eyes. Extending his wings, he takes off, flying straight at the guards before banking hard and taking to the skies above the trees again. Eve focuses on Helios before closing her eyes and letting out a slow breath before opening them again. However, she is no longer on the ground. Instead, her view is of the gently rising sun above the trees of Britannia. She looks down and sees herself on the ground, eyes closed and arms outstretched. Letting herself enjoy the view from Helios’s eyes for a few moments, she eventually closes her eyes again. Then, she is back on the ground and she lets her arms drop, feeling slightly more heavy than before.

Reaching into her bag, she pulls out a skinned rabbit on a string before making a single high-pitched whistle. Helios drops lower, watching the meal in her hands intently. Eve throws the rabbit as far as she is able before giving another higher-pitched call. The eagle dives, talons extended before grabbing the rabbit just before it hits the ground, already eating happily. Birds do have much simpler lives than that of a princess.

Looking over her shoulder, she can see her handmaiden, Amelia, talking to one of the guards. Eve lets out a long sigh, knowing her time is up. So much for avoiding the new Lord Commander’s ceremony. It isn’t like she’s been to five of them this year already. They haven’t seemed to last very long after the former long-standing Lord Commander was unexpectedly removed from his post. Eve’s stomach tightens uncomfortably at the thought as she turns her attention back to Helios. It’s best if she doesn’t think about that today. Many rumors surrounded the quick departure of Sir Elric but only a select few know the true reason for it. Unfortunately, Eve is one of those people.

Amelia approaches just as Eve extends her arm for Helios again and Eve sighs, “I’m guessing my mother wants me to get ready? Doesn’t trust me to attend this very important ceremony?”

She affixes the lead onto Helios’s leather talon cuff as she speaks. Amelia raises an eyebrow and replies, “And should Her Majesty trust her only daughter to attend without prompting from her handmaiden?”

Eve laughs loudly as she walks back to the falconry nests before adding, “No, I suppose she shouldn’t. Well, let’s get this over with.” 

The whole ceremony is a complete and utter waste of time. Ser Kelsier, or whatever the hell his name is, looks as happy to be there as she is. Her mother, Queen Rowena, keeps giving her sideways glances the entire time. The message is received loud and clear: Don’t embarrass the family more than you already have. Thankfully, the whole affair ends quickly and without any incidents. Her father pulls the new Lord Commander aside right away and Eve has a sneaking suspicion that she knows why.

However, before she could sneak out completely, her brother cuts her off, giving her a sympathetic shrug as he states plainly, “Evelin, Father says that you are supposed to take the twins to the living quarters and wait there until you have a new guard assigned.”

So, Father hasn’t told him yet. That is a bit surprising. Eve just sighs, rubbing the bridge of her nose in defeat. If her father has sent Aelfrid to pass the message, there is no room for discussion on the matter. They start walking to the sitting room, herding the twins with them along the way. The silence between them is awkward and uncomfortable but Eve doesn’t let it show. It hadn’t always been this way between them; that had changed a year ago and things haven’t quite returned to normal yet. She supposes they might never return to joking and having daily conversations. Eve finally breaks the silence, “Do you think this one will last longer than the others?”

Her question is casual, but she is genuinely curious about her brother’s thoughts on the new Lord Commander. Aelfrid considers for a moment before responding quietly, “He’s the bastard of Blackhart, so it’s hard to say. He seems like he’s more capable in combat than the others, so at least we know he can hold his own.”

Eve gives him a sidelong look before adding, “I think a bedpost shows more emotion than he does. Hopefully, he can handle a bit of chaos now and then.”

Aelfrid lets out a frustrated sigh and says, “Will you at least try and not be the cause of another lord commander’s resignation?”

Almost at once, he seems to realize his mistake and gives her an apologetic look. Eve lifts her hand to stop the apology on his tongue and her eyes flit to Godric and Godwin before continuing to look ahead. The twins don’t know about the events that led to Ser Elric’s dismissal and she intends to keep it that way. Quietly, she says, “I know what you meant, Aelfrid. But I don’t know where you get this idea that I instigate chaos. The boys do that for me!”

Godwin turns around to smile goofily up at her as they enter the sitting room and he says, “We learned from the best!”

Eve smiles back, ruffling his hair as Aelfrid simply rolls his eyes and she replies, “Yes, you sure did! Now, if he has any worth as a lord commander, he will use the private entrance to get in. Do with that what you will.”

She indicates a blank space on the wall on the far side of the room. The twins smile and begin their work. Turning back to Aelfrid as he leans against the doorframe, Eve asks, “I suppose father has you with the other riders training this afternoon?”

He nods, standing straight again and giving her a look so similar to their father’s stern expression that she almost laughs out loud. It’s the one Father uses when they are in trouble and he is trying to discipline them. She manages to roll her eyes instead as Aelfrid leaves, shutting the door behind him.

Amelia is in the room too thankfully, and Eve moves to join her. Leaning forward, Amelia whispers so the boys don’t hear, “He is far more handsome than the other lord commanders have been at least.”

Eve snorts, rolling her eyes dramatically as she replies, “He is good looking, sure, but any man wearing that armor is the last person I could ever even consider daydreaming about.”

They continue with idle conversation until Eve’s ears prick up at the sound of voices behind the very wall she had said would be the entrance. She watches with surprise as Ser Kelsier immediately stops the other man from stepping in the trap. She is even more surprised when he doesn’t yell or admonish the boys for their so-called prank and instead gives them pointers. That is very unexpected and Eve isn’t sure how to react to that. She recovers quickly, smiling brightly at Kelsier. Maybe things will be more interesting with him at the helm of the kingsguard.

“Ser Kelsier, was it? Good, I’m glad you’re here. This place is getting a bit too cramped and I’m thinking a day out of the castle grounds would be a great idea,” Eve says, tilting her head and smiling widely at his expression. Testing him might be more fun than she’d originally thought. She walks to the door, stopping before spinning on her heel to raise an eyebrow at him in challenge and adding, “Well? Come on then, let’s get going. There shouldn’t be a problem with that now, right, Lord Commander?”