Ending

We don't stay the night in Telligence. After a meal, we're sent back to the capital. William and Jessica come with me to see the king. To gain her golden eagle eyes and a tracer spell. Everyone will know who she is now. Getting her added to my wing's list is easy enough. It's an expectation now. That didn't mean I had to.

"I'm going back to the knight's hall." Jessica reviews me. "Stay here for now. It'll be busy."

"You're just trying to stop me from seeing your get your emblem." I tap the golden emblem on my chest. She'll be a white knight soon. "We'll work on getting our stripes over the next few years. Aim to have more than me always."

Jessica grins stepping away from me. "I will. Good luck, Thomas. I'll see you tomorrow. We can train together again."

William leans on me as Jessica heads out. "Beloved. Knew it."

I shove him off me and head for my rooms. "I'll need to question if I'm still working on the ball."

"You said when we were kids there is always someone committing acts of treason somewhere in the country. Not that we should worry if a random no body is bad mouthing you." William grins following.

I scratch my cheek. I made that statement because of the traumas I was given. I've gotten kidnapped a lot. "Those who would do serious damage will hold off with the trial going on. Everyone is on their toes. Everyone is looking into things. Nothing will be missed."

"Not going to just join the balls as crown prince then? Ask your beloved to join you?"

"I would much rather we didn't join together." I stare at William. "The more we're together the easier it will be for people to assume things about us."

William grins. "That beloved of yours."

I shove him again. He teleports in front of me denying me the chance to escape. "Knock it off."

"I won't." William reviews me. "I wish I could show you the blushing face you're offering right now. Jessica is missing out."

I need a proper helmet so no one can see anything. "I'm going to my room."

"Aw. I bet your mom would love to see this."

His block means nothing to me. I'm going to ignore the teases. It's time for me to rest. It has been hectic lately.

I am not quick to return to the knights. Which gave Jessica the time needed to gain her stripe. I didn't want to see it. When I walk in, Austin is at the information booth. "I am questioning my mission."

"Report to... Lucas." Austin looks at his forms. "Congrats on your marriage."

I glower. "It's political."

"That's an accurate statement." Austin stands up before I can walk in. "If you're going to be here a while, please request booth duties."

"I don't know if I will be." Is my mission over? Do I need another mission? Will I be set to train for now?

Lucas catches me before I get anywhere. I'll assume a call was made given he met me shortly after I arrived. "So glad you made it. Such high quality work." He scans me. "You are full of mistakes though, so no stripe for the hard work."

I didn't realize that would've been possible. I forgot about it. "Thanks. I'll look forward to learning more before advancing."

Lucas grins at me. "If you weren't you, that would've been a triple stripe for your level. You pulled off true leadership. But... You're you." Lucas tilts his head. "Crown prince holding leadership so young? Who's shocked?"

I chuckle. "My father wasn't quite that skilled."

"Your father had a different childhood. Be mindful of having a strong relationship with your wife and kids in the future. That gives them allowances you did not get."

My father had a kind childhood. Did it make him a weak king? My traumas... I should at least make sure my kids don't have my level of trauma. "I don't mind Jessica."

"Good, good. Would be hard to pick another now. Regret signing?"

"No. She was a good back up during the mission."

Lucas sighs. "Why were you giving an exam?!" Lucas shakes me. "Difficult."

I glance at Lucas. He's difficult. And dangerous. "Where have you been?"

"Ha! Don't blame me. I do everything in my power to not rank up." Lucas waves a finger in the air. "Like lead a treason mission against a house." Lucas glares at me. "And you just murdered him in cold blood?"

I shrug. What else was I supposed to do?

"Mistakes, Your Highness. You'll make me want to retire."

"And become one of my nobles." I grin at him.

"I'm giving up my name. I'll just find some random plot of land to farm." Lucas nods.

"That won't do." I smirk at him. Lucas growls. "Stay as a knight or join my noble ring. Want a house? We just had one open up."

That does not lead to amusement for Lucas. He looks ready to slit my throat. He won't. That's now how he's dangerous. Lucas eventually sighs. "Alright. You win. You are truly the biggest fool in existence."

"Was that the question?" I ask. "I'm pretty sure I'm not."

Lucas shakes me. "Don't put more work on my shoulders. I want an easy life. For now, we want to give a nice showing to our country. And that means you have a new mission."

"Lucky me."

"Remember the exam I gave you?" Lucas asks. I nod. "Well, now you're going country wide. William will join you as you aim to collect as many new knights as possible." He rubs his chin. "We're going to lose quite a few blue ones. We'll need to find missions to get the whites up."

"With Jessica."

Lucas nods patting my back. "You do grasp what the plan is."

I sigh. Training would've been nicer.

"Let's get you your mission folder."

"I'm just going around as the crown prince again."

"And this time, act like it." Lucas pokes me hard in the chest. "Don't seek out some problem that needs fixing. Don't make friends with goblins. Don't try to figure out who did it. Don't even think of finding fault in all the houses." Lucas pulls me closer to him. His eyes thin and the anger is back full force. "Every house acts treasonous at times. Be very wary of your reproach." He lets me go returning to his humor while taking me for my file.

I have a new mission.

It's basically stay under the radar while scouting for the knights. Shouldn't be a tough task.

And it helps to have such a long mission. It is considered successful. Everywhere we went were people open to joining the knights. Being requested by their crowns and have a teleport to the capital made many agree.

We return in late September. It allowed us to miss the bulk of the Telligence investigations.

It also made us miss Ryan's exam.

The tiff from someone I grew close to... I couldn't ignore his family's treason just because we're friends. Our relationship will need to be rebuilt. During the mission, Jessica and I created this weird working relationship where we have a wall between us for anything personal.

It is better that way. We can't make anyone believe we are closer.

As I sit in my bed weighing whether I wish to join the Harvest Mission, I get a message from Raida.

Her new job as head of house isn't easy for her. Within that little message besides her normal venting sits the request: please come.

They do say everyone should join the Harvest Mission at least once. Guess I know my next plans. And I can focus on training until then.