Scales and Swords ✓

8: Contemplation

I had been through half a dozen glasses and the tears were still flowing.

"I trusted you!" I pointed accusingly at Philip who sat beside me sipping his beer nonchalantly. "I was the fool for believing! I'm the fool!"

I could feel eyes on me. On a normal day I would've cared, but right now I couldn't care less. My life was completely ruined. It wasn't supposed to go like this, at least not in my mind. My family was gone, I was stuck with an egotistical moron, and now I had lied about being a King's guard. I'd never felt truly lost till that moment, when I was filling my glass with salty tears, in a bar, with no home.

"Are you done yet?" Philip asked.

I glared at him through bloodshot red eyes. "No."

He nodded and went back to sipping bit by bit.

I dropped my head and sobbed into the crook of my arm.

"Oii what the hell is going on here?" a woman's voice said. "I told you not to serve them when they're drunk and crying and about to stab themselves in the gut."

"But-I-I," the bartender muttered."I've only been serving her water! I have nothing to do with her current state. It's just a simple lovers quarrel!"

My head shot up immediately. "I am not his lover." My voice dripped with contempt. "I hardly know the man and now he has ruined my life!"

"Hey we agreed to it! You knew it was inevitable!" Philip argued.

"You said I didn't have to worry! You said to let you do the worrying but you're not the one who has to pay for the consequences!" And the sobbing continued.

"Don't worry alright, I'll be with you all the way." His voice softened but that was not going to woo me.

"If you two don't mind," the woman beside the bartender said. I looked to her, wiping my tears with the back of my hand carelessly. "You don't have to be scared. I know, I was too, but think positively. You'll make it, both of you will. Pregnancy is- "

"What, no ma'am, she's not pregnant," Philip interrupted before I could.

That was enough to shock the tears away completely. "This isn't that kind of problem ma'am, but thank you."

"Tou alright now?" Philip asked me. I nodded. He threw some silvers onto the table, thanked the bartender for the drinks and we left. We found an inn where we stayed for the night. Sleep came quickly, exhaustion was the cause.

~~~

"Alrighty today's agenda is signing you up for the King's Guard Recruitments," Philip said to me the second I opened my door to a knock. I closed the door without his notice, cleaned myself up, and found him in the dining hall.

I sulkily joined him at the table. "Can't you just do some magic spell things and biddi bobibidi boo! Hooray! My parents and siblings are back!"

He grinned and then frowned. "You see I'm not that kind of mage, so no. I don't deal with elemental magic."

"Then what kind of mage are you?"

"The non-elemental kind. I'm what one would call a nature mage. Yeah, something along that line. The plants around the castle yard are under my control. Almost like a florial, except the florial race don't have as much control as I do. It's quite a feminine trait of mine."

I never should've asked.

"Well what about the other plan. The one where we go to a faraway land to find another mage."

"Chief Lau knows the king personally. Damdam island may not seem like it, but they're one of our defenses on the sea. If Chief had new information, especially information that will interest the king like someone claiming to be his guard, Lau would not hesitate to relay. So if you claim such label, it's only a matter of time before people figure out you lied and you will be prosecuted."

"So what I'm just supposed to become one to avoid being jailed?"

"Well once you become a knight you can actually request from Lady Higgins, so that's a plus."

I let that settle in for a moment. "I don't think it's as easy as you make it sound. Even I know I can't just walk into the castle walls, grab a sword and voila I'm a knight now!"

"Of course not. You need documents and a name, years and years of relentless training, money to purchase horses and armor, a brave heart which will allow you to run into battle blazing with passion for your kingdom, and so much more."

"Exactly, I have none of those."

He smirked. "That's why you have me. I already have the money and I'm influential. Pull a few strings and I got you covered. What you need to worry about is passing the King's Guard Recruitment tests."

"What are the chances I fail?"

"Very very very very high." I winced every time he said the word very. "But with my help it's just very high."

"I'm not doing it. I'll fail, and then they'll find out I lied and send me away to be hanged."

"Trust—"

I glared at him. His smile dropped.

"I won't let you down this time."

"This is a losing game but "-- I sighed heavily--"tell me about the tests."

He grinned and leaned forward. "Okay so there are five tests, a test for cognitive ability, combat skills which include weapon wielding and hand to hand combat, fitness and muscular endurance, one for your ethics, and one for special abilities, oh yeah that's a requirement."

"I don't have most of those," I groaned.

"Well we can work on them, I'm sure you have a brain, you can swing a sword, you definitely have the strength, considering you love your family so much as to become a knight you're probably a good person, and well you're immune to fire so, that's a start. Better than nothing." He shrugged. Why was this man so carefree about everything?

I took a moment to think. What other options did I have? Run away maybe, but where would I go, I didn't know anyone except for this narcissistic muscle-head, I didn't have any money, I didn't exactly know how to get around, like do I find a horse or something? I could get a job, but why would I? I didn't have skills and I didn't need cheap labor which would only trap me in a cycle of debt, plus how would money help my situation. I couldn't get married or anything like that, men weren't exactly attracted to me. And I couldn't just die out on the street somewhere, I couldn't die at all, not with my family still stuck in that gem.

"So what do you think?" Philip prompted.

I appreciated his determination but I couldn't promise the same amount in return, at least not with the same amount of doubt. But my options were few to nil.

"I'll do it." I just signed a deal with the devil, didn't I?

"Alright! Let's eat and get out of here." He tucked his napkins into his shirt and rubbed his hands together, grinning wickedly. "Town square awaits."

The answer to my previous question: yes, yes I did.

A/n: sorry I just had to add a scene of someone assuming they were together. Also, y'all know any good indie bands/singers?? I've been listening to banners, the lumineers, Phillip Phillips, uh... Mumford and sons. I need more indie.!!!