Reginald Williams was so exhausted he felt he would faint.

For the past two weeks, he had survived on three hours of sleep every four days and a bread every twelve hours. He was paid well by the Royal family, and no one had asked such tiring routine of him, yet he couldn't help but throw himself into his work.

He had wanted desperately to look for some solution to the problem that haunted him even in his insufficient sleep. Princess Anya, the girl he had watched over ever since the Queen's death, was in such grave jeopardy, and nobody could tell Reginald how to protect her.

Now, after having found what he believed was a spark of hope for Navaya, he knocked on the door to the King's personal quarters, and half-heartedly noted that generally, he would have fixed his appearance and his lips would have automatically pulled up at the corners into a smile.

"Come in." A deep voice called from within, and he entered.

As he shut the door behind him, his eyes immediately found that of the King, who was standing beside a window.

The King's room was, by tradition, the largest room for accommodation in the entire castle. It housed a large four-poster bed, a formal table and settee where the King loved to sit and read. The walls were almost completely bare, which was unusual for a King's quarters. The fireplace had an armchair in front of it, right opposite to which was the window where the room's inhabitant stood.

King Emyr smiled at him, and his bright blue eyes glowed with love and happiness. His dark honey colored hair shifted in the breeze from the window. The mischievousness in his face and his green clothing made him look like a garden pixie.

Emyr opened his arms, inviting Reginald in. The latter gratefully accepted the offer, hurrying over to the former to wrap his arms around him and press his face into the former's chest.

Reginald sighed.

All his worries, all his exhaustion slipped away from him, and in that second, he was no longer the Chancellor of Navaya. He was only a 34 year old man, in the embrace of his 35 years old lover.

Yes, they were lovers.

Sometimes Reginald wondered what would happen if Navaians got wind of their love. Firstly, they were both men. And secondly, he was the Chancellor, and Emyr was the King.

Surely, some would disapprove, if not all. He might have to relinquish his position as the Chancellor. He might even have to leave Navaya for good.

He would worry regularly of what the Princess would think. Would she accuse him of replacing her dead mother, the Queen? Worse, would she blame her father for the Queen's death?

But at that moment, he could not bring himself to care.

Emyr's embrace was warm, and Reginald's entire body was sore from regularly being pushed to its limits. He only wanted for someone to come forward and take all his worries away from his head, and there was no one more efficient in doing so than the King.

Reginald sighed again, clinging on to his love, hoping against hope they would never have to reveal themselves to the kingdom.

"Tired?" Emyr's soft voice asked.

Reginald nodded, and a part of him wanted to burst into tears. He knew Emyr would not mind, and that the other would only comfort him, yet he restrained himself.

He had a report to give, and even if it was to his lover, he would not give a lousy report.

He pulled away from the heaven-like embrace, and stood up straight, still quite close to Emyr.

"The new guard for Princess Anya has agreed to most of the working conditions offered by us with little to no negotiation. The situation and Gabriel Santiago's attack has been explained to her. An accordance has been arranged, dating 24th of July, next Thursday, at the Royal Castle. We can test her out then."

Emyr looked at him with such adoration that Reginald felt he would melt. "You've done well, Reggie."

Reginald tried not to succumb to the honey-like voice of his King, even though he knew any such efforts were a waste of his energy. The mere of sound of that voice was sufficient to make him comfortable enough to fall into deep slumber right there, right then.

"You deserve to be tied to a bed and forced to sleep." Emyr said, a smug smile nestled comfortably on his features. "Those pits beneath your eyes could corrode your skull."

Reginald smiled tiredly at him, making the latter grasp the former's wrists.

"And that is exactly what I shall do to you now." The King declared.

Before Reginald's tired brain could fully process this statement, Emyr lifted him with the ease of lifting a child and carried him to the bed. Reginald knew all struggle was futile; his starved muscles were no match against the King's heavily trained ones.

Yet as Emyr set him down among the soft sheets that sunk beneath him, Reginald complained, "I cannot. There is still work left to do. A Colombian representative has been looking to meet one of us, and I need to arrange a date and time for an acquaintance-"

"He can wait for when the King's right hand is in a healthy condition." Emyr cut him off, removing Reginald's shoes, and stripping him of his vest. "For now, ask your assistant to write to him and tell him to hold his horses."

He pushed Reginald down as the other tired to sit up, and threw the bed covers upon him, burying him beneath the satin sheets. He kicked off his own shoes as Reginald watched him, and, throwing off his cloak, vest and shirt, climbed into bed.

If Reginald hadn't been used to the King sleeping half naked, his head definitely would have thought of something inappropriate.

As Emyr slipped his arms around Reginald, the latter finally decided to send his troubles back to the hell they had crawled out of, and buried his head into Emyr's chest once more.

This was home, with Emyr.

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.

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Raven cursed under her breath as the carriage jostled again. The Chancellor had sent one to escort her to the Royal Castle and she wasn't quite used to it.

She had been called for the final stage of her 'interview', as the Chancellor had told her. The Royal family would personally meet her and test her before finalizing, with surety, her appointment.

Raven felt conflicted about that. On one hand, they were the ones who had approached her, and it felt strange to be treated as if she would die for the job. On the other, she felt it made complete sense to at least test her out before they employed her.

Even though it was simply a test, they had asked her to come with all her luggage, indicating that if she didn't make the Royals hate her, she could start working right away.

Now, as the carriage slowed to a stop, Raven pushed open the door, gaining her first look at the Royal Castle.

It was huge and strong, fortresses surrounding it on all four sides, its gardens covered in greenery and fountains at every few meters. The structure was four storeys high and beautifully made, the foyer guarded by soldiers and decorated with expensive marble, and the balconies beneath almost each window were guarded by curved railings. Four towers stood tall at each corner, and the Navaian flag, a sword and a rose crossed against navy blue background, stood tall with pride at the head of the Castle.

As she climbed down the carriage, Raven whistled appreciatively at the sight before her, glad to be back on her feet.

She stretched her limbs, feeling relieved at finally being out of that treacherous vehicle.

Right before her, in front of the entrance to the Castle stood a woman of color with hair cut almost to the roots, her eyes a sparkly green. She looked at least fifteen years older than Raven, and had a scar on her jaw, and held herself with the aura of someone Raven felt she could grow to like.

There was a man on her left, just an inch taller than her, his red beard bushy and his face crinkly like an old piece of parchment. He seemed at least forty years old.

There were both dressed in body armor, swords strapped to their waists.

Raven nodded to them, and they nodded back.

The man said in a gruff voice. "You must be Raven."

She nodded, and he continued. "I'm Lieutenant Theodore Alexandre, an this-" Here, he pointed to the woman beside him. "-is General Naomi Allyss."

General Allyss stepped forward. "I have put great trust in you." She said, and her eyes raked over Raven. "I hope you will not disappoint."

It was a to-the-point and honest remark, and Raven's prediction had already come true.

"Come, now, Naomi." Lieutenant Alexandre said, with an amiable laugh. "Don't pressurize her the first thing. She is only here for a mere test."

"It is pressure only for those who are unable." Raven said, and the General smiled.

"Should we get going then, Raven?" She asked, and the other nodded.

Into the Castle we go. Raven thought.