[NOVEL] The True Love Series Vol. 1, Chapter 1

The New Lieutenant of the Guard

Lieutenant Altsomn Stmarken is assigned to command the Guard of the Concubine Pavilion in the service of Granspad Urel-Salem, king of Oriena. But what are his secrets?

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Upon arriving at the Royal Palace, Altsomn carried two secrets: one hidden in his suitcase, the other in his heart and mind. After stepping out of the carriage, suitcase in hand, he approached one of the two guards at the gate, while with his right hand he pulled a document from one of his inside pockets. “Lieutenant Altsomn Stmarken,” he said, extending the document. The red wax seal bearing the insignia of the Royal Military Institute of Science and Research gleamed in the dawn light. “Reporting for command of the Concubine Pavilion Guard by His Majesty’s orders.” Seeing the document, the guard saluted Altsomn and then took the paper. With it in hand, he entered the palace, leaving the new lieutenant with his guard duty partner. The other guard, observing the newcomer, was puzzled. Before him, he understood, stood a new lieutenant of the Royal Guard, an officer trained to defend not only the king, but also his family and key resources of the kingdom. However, what he saw was a young man with refined manners and a calm, almost gentle temperament. When the first guard returned, he wasn't alone. His companion, dressed slightly more conspicuously, greeted Altsomn as he introduced himself. "Welcome, Lieutenant Stmarken, I'm Sergeant Petrilo," he said. "Our captain is expecting you." As they made their way to the captain's office, with the sergeant escorting the lieutenant, Altsomn looked around. It wasn't the first time he'd walked those corridors, and he still remembered what they had been like before. Certainly, some things had changed, though they were small details: bushes, trees, the colors of some walls. Not so much changes in two and a half years. “Captain! Lieutenant Stmarken has come to report his arrival at the palace,” Sergeant Petrilo said upon entering the office, after exchanging salutes. Altsomn saluted the captain as well. “You may leave, Sergeant,” the captain said, taking the lieutenant’s credentials. “Welcome, Lieutenant Stmarken. I am Karlo Kefasa, Captain of the Royal Palace Guard. I will be quite frank: we don’t usually receive bookworms from the Institute of Science, so I expect you to meet our standards. But first, because you are now an officer of our Guard, I must present you to the king.” The captain stood and led Altsomn down a path he actually knew. At the end of it, they both stood before the door to His Majesty King Granspad Urel-Salem’s office. Both guards saluted the officers, and the captain handed them the lieutenant’s document. “His Majesty awaits you,” said one of the guards, the one who had entered the office after checking the documents, as he returned. Just after entering, the captain bowed. Altsomn, fully aware of the reason for this, imitated him. “Your Majesty, I present to you Altsomn Stmarken, the new Lieutenant of the Concubine Pavilion Guard,” said the captain, his torso still bowed. “Welcome, Lieutenant Stmarken,” said King Granspad, his eyes fixed on Altsomn. “What family do you come from?” Between the captain and the lieutenant, one knew exactly the meaning of this question. The other thought he did. “My father is Baron Stmarken, from the western mountains of the nation,” replied Altsomn, focused on simply answering this question. The king let out a very brief, restrained, and almost silent chuckle. “Very well, Lieutenant Stmarken,” he said, his expression then shifting to a more serious and solemn one. “Remember that in the Concubine Pavilion, you are not guarding women, but the order of succession, the future of our kingdom. Do not allow weeds to grow on the stone that our father, King Patrik, carved with blood, sweat, and tears.” At these words, the captain’s face lit up. Years before, before assuming command of the Guard, he, Karlo Kefasa, had served in the troops of the great Patrik Urel, King of Oriena. Those were times when the kingdom constantly faced wars with other nations, and the front lines demanded more men than the guard did. However, more than for his audacity or recklessness, those who followed King Patrik on the battlefield, like Captain Kefasa, admired his composure, his serenity, and his wisdom. Even now, with Oriena under the reign of his son Granspad, King Patrik's legacy remained very much alive in the memory of those who had witnessed his most glorious days and saw the former monarch as a father of the nation. For Altsomn, however, the weight of the king’s words was very different as the king took a ceremonial sword from its place beside the throne. "Lieutenant Stmarken, come forward," said the king, holding the sword. The blade gleamed like a luxurious mirror, and the hilt was adorned with glittering jewels, but the edge was conspicuously absent. Both Altsomn and the captain knew this was more than just a call to take a few steps forward. Therefore, before the ceremony, the captain received Altsomn's sword. Once before the king, the new lieutenant knelt before him and held his own hands at chest level, with his fingers extended forward. The ceremonial sword was cold to the touch, but what did such a minor discomfort matter compared to the true weight this rite carried for a son of Oriena? Altsomn felt this weight as he uttered every word of the oath, even those that seemed least significant. The touch of arms on his shoulders and the crown of his head, though physically light, also weighed upon him like three heavy rocks. "By the power I have received from heaven and the nation, I bestow this power upon you," said the king, handing him his staff of Lieutenant of the Guard. "The ceremony is complete. Honor your family, Lieutenant," said the king, after giving Altsomn one last look and returning to his throne. The captain, having risen again, left with Altsomn to continue their duties for the day. He was a man of few words, but agile and energetic like a young soldier despite the passing years. Upon arriving at their destination, Altsomn recognized the exterior of the Concubine Pavilion, the place now entrusted to him. "Guards, let's go in. Summon the entire guard of the pavilion; this will be quick," the captain told those stationed at the entrance. One of them lingered, glancing sideways at the new lieutenant as much as he could, wondering if he had met him before, without reaching an answer. The other explored the interior of the pavilion's walls, which also served as barracks. “Men of the Concubine Pavilion Guard, I present to you your new Lieutenant, Altsomn Stmarken. I expect you to work with him as any true royal guard does: as one body in the defense of our nation. Because that is what we do! Not just defend a pavilion, but our future! Never forget that! Let no ladies' squabble distract you from that mission,” the captain said loudly to all those gathered. “Now, sergeants, please come with me. The rest of you, to your posts.” The captain, Altsomn, and the sergeants proceeded to an office that, judging by its layout, appeared to have been recently emptied. There were barely enough chairs for everyone present. Altsomn looked around, searching for nooks and crannies and markings on the wall. “Lieutenant Stmarken, from today forward, this will be your office,” the captain said. “It’s not fully furnished yet, but you can request whatever you need for it. I’ve now gathered you here with the sergeants of this pavilion so they can present you with all the relevant information regarding the guard here. If it hasn't been emphasized enough already, I’ll do so again now: protecting this pavilion is protecting the future of our kingdom.” Altsomn took notes on everything the captain and the sergeants told him. At least, that’s how it appeared from the presenters’ perspective. He did note the logistical and routine matters, but included only the aspects that seemed most relevant. He also noted the names of all the concubines and their respective chief ladies-in-waiting, though he had only just finished learning the names of the four high-ranking ones: Shessah, Verina, Ester, and Maa. But what Altsomn paid most attention to was the presentation on the physical spaces of the pavilion. At this point, he not only paid attention to the details and made notes, but he also reproduced the plans shown to him as faithfully as possible. His goal wasn't to have the plans on hand (since he could request them whenever he wanted), but to memorize them through the movement of his hands. After the meeting, his most fervent desire was to explore the underground area of ​​the pavilion. It was as if some hidden place awaited him and his suitcase there. However, the call of duty was urgent, and the captain's instructions were clear: everyone had to prepare for the following day, when Lady Verina's eighteenth birthday would be celebrated in grand style. For the captain and the sergeants, this would be the ultimate test for the bookworm from the Institute of Science, and probably his last day at the Royal Palace. In Altsomn's mind, the birthday party was less dramatic, for he had reasons, in his heart and mind, to believe he knew everything necessary about the pavilion to handle the matter properly. That afternoon, dedicated to preparations, passed without incident. At least without the kind of incidents that are usually reported. “Lieutenant Stmarken,” said a young woman in a simple dress, bowing. “Welcome to the Concubine Pavilion. I am Viola, lady-in-waiting to Lady Alexina. I hope your experience in our pavilion will be very pleasant.” The name “Viola” was not among the notes Altsomn had made. This made sense, since low-ranking concubines, like Lady Alexina, did not have official chief ladies-in-waiting. Nevertheless, he found the woman's courtesy extremely pleasant. “Thank you,” Altsomn replied, then continued with his duties, which required little effort that day. He longed for relatively quiet days like this one, or even less busy ones, for although the sergeants were under his command, he knew that his education was a source of suspicion for them, especially for the more experienced ones. With the birthday party just around the corner, the suitcase and the underground would have to wait. There would be another time for hiding and clinking. During the night, in a vivid dream, the lieutenant found himself sitting in the shade of a tree. Before him, he could see what appeared to be a small figure, with curly hair and a beard that seemed long for his stature, dressed in earth tones and adorned with colorful gemstone rings. This figure smiled gently, his gaze relaxed, looking straight ahead. Upon waking, Altsomn understood that, although he would have to wait, the time was near. These thoughts allowed him to fulfill his duties without internal turmoil during the birthday celebration. Everything seemed in order. Lady Verina shone in a gown that combined shades of gold, white, and wine. Altsomn noticed that the other concubines, while also very elegant, had been careful not to outshine the birthday lady. This gesture of apparent kindness was the perfect disguise for the insidious and passive-aggressive nature of the Concubine Pavilion. Where warm and affectionate greetings were exchanged, ambitions were being woven and further conflicts were being forged. When a friendship or alliance was formed, the seeds for two more enmities were sown. This made Altsomn's post one of the most feared in the Royal Guard, part of the reason why an unknown from the Institute of Science was chosen for the position. Smack! The apparent peace was bound to shatter. At the ninth hour, with the sun still high in the sky, the courtyard erupted into a tumult. The commotion was so great that Altsomn rushed to the scene before any of his subordinates had even informed him. When he arrived, he found Lady Shessah standing with a furrowed brow, her fists clenched, and her breathing somewhat rapid. In front of her, on the ground, lay Viola, the lady-in-waiting who had greeted Altsomn the day before, weeping softly, her face bowed, her hand pressed to her cheek, tears streaming down her face. Seconds later, Lady Verina also appeared on the scene. Although she initially arrived with wide eyes and a slightly open mouth, her brow soon furrowed upon seeing Lady Shessah standing before Viola. “Is that what you wanted? Another scandal?” Lady Verina said, staring intently into Lady Shessah’s eyes. “Do we, the Auxureans, bother you? Is this what this is about? Is that why you’re mistreating Viola at my birthday party?” “Oh, be quiet! You didn’t even see anything. Stay out of this,” Lady Shessah retorted, blushing at the reprimand. “This is my birthday, of course this concerns me,” Lady Verina replied, her gaze still fixed on Lady Shessah. “Ladies! Please, let’s avoid any pointless arguments. If you need to report any incident, my doors are always open, and it would be my honor to help resolve it. But for now, let’s not escalate this matter further. I’ll speak with those involved tomorrow.” Lieutenant Stmarken’s measured voice, accompanied by a tap of his baton on the floor and a bow directed at the quarreling women, was heard by almost everyone present. After a brief exchange among themselves, they obeyed his instruction. However, one woman did the opposite, moving closer to the center of the scene. “Viola! Viola, how are you? This must have been so humiliating. These harpies never tire of belittling us,” the woman said, approaching the still-fallen woman. Her complexion was fair, with green eyes and light brown hair. She looked more mature than the vast majority of the women in the pavilion, but she was far from elderly. “Lady Alexina… I’m fine, I’m just… I’m…” Viola’s reply was cut short by her own sobs. Lady Alexina cradled her head to her chest, then helped her to her feet. By the time they had left together, the rest of the crowd had dispersed. The rest of the afternoon passed without further significant events. The captain, who had witnessed how his subordinate managed much of the scene, returned to his office before nightfall, patiently and unenthusiastically awaiting Lieutenant Stmarken's dramatic downfall, unaware that in doing so, he was paving the way for his true future advancement. On his second night, the lieutenant again saw the small figure in a dream. This time, however, the figure's smile was broad, as if it had won a great prize, and its brown eyes shone brightly. Clearly, the next day awaited with more than just a series of interviews.