It was dusk, starlight slowly drifting into sunlight as dawn began creeping above the horizon line. Fabrian watched as the last of the wagons departed down the main road. Cleri walked behind the great caravan as the rearguard. 

Together, Netali, Cleri, Armon, and Fabrian had stayed up talking late into the night. Armon told them about his favorite craft coffee place here in Rotia, where they take pride in the agriculture of the coffee beans—growing and roasting them in small batches for the highest of qualities. Cleri talked about how they liked Honria the best of all cities they'd been to, and they'd even bought a small townhome just off the wharf facing the bay. They said that when the sunlight touched the water, it was like the world was set on fire. Netali spoke of how, like Hail, she'd briefly lived in Agan as a child. But due to the turmoil between the nations of Natalez and Agan, her father had decided to take his family back home to Natalez; and the memory of great golden fields and tall cerulean buildings became nothing but hazy and faint drifts of reality. 

Fabrian had smiled to herself while listening to nothing and everything all at once. She would miss her friends. 

Staring down at her hands, she appraised the polearm in her grasp. Netali's last gift. 

“At the end of the day, it's because none of us trusted you with a blade that you landed in two life or death situations,” Netali admitted sheepishly, before handing a suspiciously spear-shaped parcel wrapped in green satin. “I had this commissioned from the caravan weaponsmith. He took the challenge to heart, as he's always grateful for you and the other guards’ protection.”

Fabrian unwrapped the gift to reveal a silver blade and hearty cherry wood pole. It was a glaive. Not just the practice stave, not a stave with an iron socket of rocks. It was a newly polished blade that glinted in the candle light while Cleri and Armon pushed each other around saying they were the ones who had picked the gift out. 

“Now, you won't have to worry about being at a disadvantage weapon-wise,” Netali said with a pleased glance. “And you will now always have a little something protecting you to remember us by. Until we meet again.”

“Until we meet again,” Fabrian said to the retreating figures of the merchants. She waited until they were completely out of sight before she strapped the glaive onto her back, and picked up her crate of belongings by her feet. 

She walked back to Inkstone, haphazardly making her way through the door without bumping shelves or piles of books with her burdens. Daphis greeted her warmly and offered a place on the table for the crate. Fabrian leaned against the edge of the tabletop. 

“Thanks for all your help,” Fabrian said. “Without you, I wouldn't know what my next move would be.”

“I'm just that great,” Daphis nodded sagely before looking a bit hesitant. “But again, I am sorry, for the way the knights treated you. Had I known that things would've ended that way….”

“It's okay, really.” Fabrian soothed her as she reached for the money pouch on her belt. “This lifestyle more than suits me. Trust, m'kay? Believe it or not, I'm a pretty good soldier—I have no doubt that I'll make quick work of the knighthood.” 

“As long as you're certain…” Daphis trailed off. 

“Believe me, it's rare that I am this certain about things,” Fabrian reassured her. “Now! I picked out a money exchange rate book about the three nations of Honria, Natalez, and Agan yesterday. I'd like that one. I also found a book of Aganian edible and poisonous flora. You set aside both of those for me I think; I'd like to go ahead and purchase them.”

“Well I could never say no to a loyal patron,” Daphis said and beckoned Fabrian to follow her. “Over here to the counter, I made sure to put cute bookmarks in each one. That's why my customers come back, I give them the best complementary reading accessories.” 

“Thanks.” Fabrian pulled out the few ro that the shopkeeper calculated everything up to and placed them in her hands. “I'd love to stay and chat, but I have to drop everything off at the Alestrian where I'm staying. My friend let me know that the Knightage Core will be summoning everyone at high-sun to declare the recruits from the tryout results.”

“Well I won't keep you,” Daphis said. “I await good news.”

“You'll be one of the first I tell.” Fabrian nodded, before running her finger nervously over the leather cover of one of the books. “You wouldn't happen to know if Stella will come by anytime soon? I'll want to tell him as soon as possible too.”

Without warning Daphis burst into a fit of giggles. “I think Stella will be pretty busy today, but knowing him, he's a stubborn bugger. I'm almost certain he'll be the first person you tell the results to, Fabrian.”

“Unless I run into him at the Knightage Core,” Fabrian snorted. “I doubt it. But let me know if you see him swing by?”

“Of course,” Daphis said as she hid her grin behind a dainty hand.

Fabrian rolled her eyes before placing her purchased books into her crate and went back to Hail's home. 

The Alestrian stood proudly almost smack in the middle of the Center, a beautiful ivory building that egregiously stood out among the rest of the blue painted buildings. It wasn't until she was walking up to the doors and weaving in and out of the student populace that Fabrian realized they were all wearing the same white coats as Stella had last night. She wondered if both Stella and Daphis had once been students under one of Hail's mothers. 

Hail greeted Fabrian once she arrived in the domicile portion of the academy, taking the crate and helping Fabrian to her new room. The light catchers on the ceiling sent a kaleidoscope of colors fluttering across the plaster dappled walls. Fabrian unclasped her glaive and rested it against the bed, moving the crate from her bed to the floor. 

“Well… for now… Home sweet home,” Fabrian said. 

“Welcome home,” Hail smiled. “You ready? It's a big to-do when they announce the new knights.”

“Tell me about it.” Fabrian sat on the edge of the bed. “There's all the tiers and then who all is involved, I want to know what I'm getting into.”

Hail nodded and sat beside her. “It's pretty easy to figure out. For the tiers, each one follows how many minimum years you have to be conscripted as a regular knight before you’re eligible to be an officer. So there are five tiers. There are squires—that's the worst possible entry because they must serve knights for an undetermined amount of time. It's up to them and whatever knight who apprentices them to determine when they're ready to take their own oath. Then there are the fourth-tier knights, that's where a former squire would start. They're the lowest grade, least paid, and so on. They must serve at least four years.”

Fabrian winced. “In addition to the years that they served as a squire?”

“That's right,” Hail said. “Then there are the third- and second-tier knights. They do alright for themselves. But what you really want to aim for are the first-tier knights. They're highly respected among the communities here in the Center because they often serve for the academies before they're contracted as officers to serve in fortresses across Agan.”

“So…if they assign me as a fourth-tier knight, then I'll have my work cut out for me?”

“They won't. You cleared their trials with time to spare and with broken records.” Hail huffed. “If they refuse to honor your achievements, then you don't have to take the oath. Reject their offer and we'll look for a guard job in the city together.”

Fabrian hummed softly. “Sounds like a plan.”

Hail stood and made her way to the door. “Meet me in twenty minutes at the front gates of the Alestiran. We'll head to the Knightage Core. Be sure to wear something kind of nice.”

“Why, it's just the results?” Fabrian asked. 

“Yeah, but it's tradition that the King will announce the recruits. It's to show his gratitude to their oath to serve the kingdom.”

Fabrian's eyes widened. She'd meet the barbarian king today?

“Alright, I'll get dressed.”

She tugged on the breezy red tunic that Netali had first given her in exchange for that horrendous ball gown from that first day long ago, and found a clean pair of trousers as well. Opening a small metal box, Fabrian looked at the remaining jewels she’d filched from the nameless queen's belongings. The emerald teardrop earrings that had been on her person along with a few rings. Fabrian hooked the earrings into her earlobes and tied Stella's ribbon around her neck. She braided back her hair as best she could and wrapped the plaits around her head in the style that the nameless queen had originally worn. She slipped into her linen cloak and pulled her riding boots on. Looking in the mirror on the wall opposite of the glass wall, Fabrian gazed at her outfit. The formal style mixed with her own personal touches felt homey, and for the first time in a long time, she felt satisfied with the person in the mirror. 

After a moment of deliberation, Fabrian grabbed her glaive and slipped the belt it was hooked on across her body. Once the weapon clacked against her spine and settled across her back, she went to meet Hail at the front.

They walked quickly to the Knightage Core, realizing how late in the day it was already. It wasn't until they saw the large crowd flocking around the training arena that they realized just how late in the day it'd become. 

In front of the Knightage Core, a temporary pavilion had been erected—the structure made of thin, flexible wood and colorful tapestry overhangs of purples, oranges, and golds. Beads and tassels dangled from the edges of the cloth, the decorations swaying in the breeze. White flowers that looked surprisingly like magnolias and lotuses had been wrapped around the poles of the pavilion, and the podium that had been placed directly with the haven had also been covered until hardly visible with the same flowers.

Fabrian supposed that it was a tradition she didn't quite understand yet…or the king just liked that sort of thing.

“Last call for the participants!” Someone yelled. “If you were a contender, head to the first three rows so we can pick you out easily from the crowd!”

Hail gave Fabrian a light shove. “Head on up. I'll wait for you here.”

Fabrian nodded and waved, before pushing her way through the crowd. As she made her way to the front, the knight from when she had signed in went up to the podium.

“Attention, everyone!” He called, his voice much less exhausted and far more professional than it had been three days ago.

The crowd’s murmuring came to a gradual halt. 

The knight continued. “It is with great enthusiasm and honor, that I welcome our beloved King up to the podium to induct our future Rotia Chapter of the Agan Knightage Core.”

Fabrian was surprised as the joyous uproar that came from the people at that. When she had first arrived in Two Kingdoms Lost in Tears and Sorrow, the crowd had been the cynical and gossiping nobles of Hector's court. But this crowd, full of farmers and bakers and the very much not nobility seemed genuinely ecstatic at the approach of their king. 

The tapestry at the back of the pavilion wavered and parted. 

Fabrian's breath caught in her throat and she felt as if the world was uprooted beneath her feet. 

“Everyone, please pay your respects to the sun and guiding star of Agan,” the knight said. “Our blessed and divinely appointed King, Estellan Obsideras.”

The crowd cheered, more of the pure white magnolias and lotus’ thrown into the air.

Stella stepped out from the tapestry that had been parted, his blond hair combed back and decorated with cobalt and sapphire pins. His amber eyes sharply scanned the crowd, the telltale rouge at the corners of his eyelids only highlighting the intense look. He wore a vibrant emerald tunic with silver embroidery of wings and vines, and a cape of fine sapphire satin draped down his right side, fluttering as he walked. As he approached the podium, the silver and bronze chains that clasped his cape to his tunic shimmered in the light of the high sun. Stella smiled broadly.

Everything made sense to Fabrian at that moment; her head spun wildly as she tried to regain her sense of balance. She had survived up to this moment, preventing the nameless queen's assassination, because she herself had made sure to squash any attempt on the life of Stella, the Barbarian King of Agan.