Chapter 169

Chapter 169

“Miss Roman, you’ve only tightened it three times! More, more!” Lunia was unsympathetic.

“Lunia, I hate you!” Amethyst cried, as the corset was tightened again, eliciting several more screams.

After the corset was fully fastened, Amethyst donned a red shoulder strap bearing a medal made from gold. If I only had a tiara, I’d look like a queen, she thought. The white dress she wore had a double layer of frill and was accentuated by the sash; and the gold medal dazzled in the sun.

Roman and Lunia had certainly done this a few times before and Amethyst had a chance to relax since they were completed early. As they waited for the appointment ceremony to begin, they heard a commotion outside the window. Amethyst peered through the glass. Five men, in the uniforms of knights, were jostling each other as they maneuvered to stand in a line.

Amethyst hadn’t met all the knights, but these certainly looked like the new recruits. “The new knights are here,” she announced.

“I was wondering why they were so loud? They seem to be high in spirits.” Lunia had joined Amethyst at the window. She pointed out a knight with a full head of bright, brown hair brushed back neatly. “Ma’am, that new recruit over there!”

“What about him?” Amethyst asked.

“He’s the one who graduated with honours from the academy this year, but he joined the Order of the Prince instead of the Imperial Knights.”

“If he graduated with honours, he’s probably very skilled. Why is it such news that he joined the Order of the Prince?” Amethyst was curious.

“Most of the graduates from the Academy are the children of nobleman. It’s the highest honour for them to join the Imperial Knights. But, for some reason, he picked the guards of a noble family, specifically the Skad family. It’s not usual and everyone is talking about it.”

“Really? Why did he pick the Skad family?” Amethyst wanted an explanation

“No one knows. His family has a long history of being Imperial Knights, so it was expected that he’d either pick the Imperial Knights or at least the guards for his own family. He won’t give a reason as to why he made this decision.” Lunia continued to watch this new knight as she explained.

“He hasn’t told anyone?” Amethyst wondered. “Maybe he’s just a private person. What is the big deal that he joined the army of the Skad family?”

“The duke only picks knights with the highest level of skill. To tell you the truth, even if you graduated with honours from the Academy, you wouldn’t even come close to meeting the level of the knights here. Hence, there have been no noblemen amongst our forces.

“Ah, so this knight would be the first?”

“That’s correct,” Lunia confirmed.

“So that’s why it’s such a hot topic. The first nobleman knight of the duke’s family.” Amethyst was impressed.

“Yes. He’s the second son of the Marquis Crenson. His name is Barden Crenson,” Lunia confirmed

Barden Crenson? Amethyst thought. Where have I heard that name before? It must just be a common name.

Lunia turned from the window and went back to her instructions for the ceremony. “After greeting the new knights, give them your hand.”

“My hand? Is it for a handshake?” Amethyst really didn’t know what she was doing.

“No. The knights will kiss the back of your hand in loyalty to the household.”

“Do we really have to do that?” Amethyst was not impressed. It had felt strange when the Baron Piamon had kissed her hand before.

“Think of it as a pledge,” Lunia assured her.

“All right.” Amethyst was still unsure.

There was a knock at the door and Alexcent entered the room. Unlike his usual attire, he was wearing a black uniform decorated with gold stripes and the same shoulder strap and medal that Amethyst wore. The sash was adorned with many more medals, weighting it down. Amethyst eyes widened. Alec certainly cleaned up nicely. The suit just accentuated his handsome face, making her speechless.

“You look fabulous!” Amethyst uttered, her heart beating fast.

“Of course, I do,” Alec joked. “Are you ready to go?” He extended his arm for her. He had never offered his arm before. Was it because he saw her lock arms with her father? She entwined her arm with his, and he seemed satisfied.

As they walked, all she could register was the blood thumping through her veins. She felt like a girl in her teens. She must have been flush in the face from her pounding heart.

The ceremony was being held in a training facility. The Chief Commander, Sir Hill, led the formation of knights into the building. Everyone had an air of majesty and courage, in their crisp uniforms and polished swords. They didn’t seem like the same people that had joked around with her while she was learning swordsmanship with them.

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