“How you want me to live my life a different way; I’m gonna pack all my things, I’m gonna do it, just watch me…” ~I’m Gone, I’m Going, Lesley Roy


“Lar…Skylar…Get up…Skylar…” Slowly, the now twenty year old Skylar swam up to her consciousness.

“What?” She groaned, barely able to make out Bliss’s form above her.

“Get up or you’ll be late,” Bliss shook Skylar again. Skylar rolled over, pulling the blanket over her head.

“Come on…I’m the General’s daughter, who’s going to say anything to me?” Skylar argued.

What she couldn’t argue away was when Bliss grabbed her arm and literally pulled her out of the bed. Skylar fell on the floor in a heap before slowly staggering up to her feet.

“The General’s the one who’ll say something to you. And you know how your father gets,” Bliss pushed Skylar into the bathroom before turning to the closet.

She had never been raised under any false pretense that The General (the nickname had stuck) was her father. He hadn’t wanted much to do with her anyway, so it hadn’t been a big leap for a child to make, although she had found it necessary at age seven, much to the chagrin of Mrs. Brandon, to ask where she had come from. It was also in this peculiar conversation that it was revealed she didn’t remember being thrown from the car.

“Your uniform’s laying out,” Bliss called, smoothing out a gray jumpsuit. Red pieces of armor laid next to it. “Breakfast is ready, and Arthur’s coming over, not like that’s anything new, but try to be decent. Oh, ten minutes!”

Skylar sighed, splashing water on her face. Bliss was flustered, and when Bliss got flustered, she got flighty. When she got flighty, it was anyone’s guess what would happen.

Bliss half-jogged out of the room. “Eight!”
***

Arthur Brandon had not changed much since his childhood. He remained tall and lanky, with a mop of jet-black hair.

“Bliss?” He called through the glass pane of the front door.

“Come on in, it’s unlocked!” She replied, appearing for a moment as nothing more than a blonde whirlwind. He thought he saw a plate of food balanced in one hand, but at the speed she moved, it was impossible to tell.

Arthur calmly let himself into the house, locking the door behind him. It was one of Skylar’s pet peeves, and if she knew Bliss left the door unlocked all day, she would go on a rant about how not only was it unsafe, it was a disgrace to the family of a member of the military…

He’d overheard the lecture a fair number of times.

“Hey, kitchen!” Bliss called, he heard appearing from a door down the hall. Next to the staircase, Arthur could hear Skylar bumping around, trying to get ready in a sleepy haze.

“Coming,” He replied to Bliss. On his way to the second door in the hall, he stopped to examine the table on his left. It held up pictures of the three of them together and apart, all at various ages. It even boasted a photo of his mother, with a live rose in front of it, meticulously cared for by Bliss. Even after seeing it every morning for five years, it still managed to make him smile.

“You look happy today,” Bliss set a plate laden with food down in front of him at the table.

“Glad to see your garden’s coming back to life,” He replied, cutting into a strawberry-covered pancake.

“Don’t be fooled,” Bliss looked sad as she set two more places. “I got the flowers from Mister Reynolds. It’s still heading for winter.”

“I was afraid you were going to say something like that,” He sighed. “Anyway, what’s for lunch?”

“You’ve got a turkey sandwich and water, obviously,” Bliss smiled, as if her previous dark mood had never happened.

“Such a baby, Arthur. Still got Bliss fixing lunch for you,” Skylar slapped Arthur on the head as she sulked into the room, dressed in her uniform, identical to his.

“And Skylar, you have leftover soup you didn’t eat last night,” Bliss snickered, setting down a paper bag beside both of her charges.

“It’s okay, Skye--I’m sure Bliss’ll be willing to change your diaper,” Arthur joined in. Skylar glared at him, flicking a strawberry off her fork. Expertly, he caught it in his mouth. Her first attack having failed, Skylar just kicked him.

Silence settled in as Bliss took her seat, all three of them suddenly engaged in their food. Bliss kept her eyes on Skylar, calculating. Arthur caught the subtle hint and cleared his throat.

“So, Bliss, what are you planning on doing today?” He tried to keep his voice innocent. Regardless, Skylar’s hand tightened around her fork. There were some things they didn’t discuss; what bliss did in her free time was one of those things.

“Oh, the usual. Make dinner, save the world,” Bliss shrugged. She gauged her sister’s reaction.

Skylar’s knuckles turned white and she froze. Her eyes closed. A wind sprang up inside the room, powerful enough to blow the curtains and lift the girls’ hair. Without a word, Skylar jumped up from the table, knocking over her chair in the process. She didn’t stop to pick it up before storming out of the house.

“Well, I think I got a ten out of her today,” Bliss stood up and headed for the sink. Arthur handed her the dirty plates. A lecture from her accomplice was sure to follow.

“They’re recruiting this week,” He started. He knew, to get his point across, he had to talk calmly. Otherwise she got distracted and just started arguing without really knowing what was going on. “Cut her some slack for a while, okay? She knows you have a bigger chance of going now than any other time?”

“Absolutely no promises,” Bliss grumbled. She nearly threw the plate into the soapy water.

“Hey, come on. You’re nineteen. Try to be the bigger person,” When Bliss opened her mouth to protest, he shook his head. “No. I don’t care if she’s older. Just prove to me you’re mature and do something nice for Skylar for once.”

He didn’t have a chance to add any more, as an alarm went off on his watch. Bliss sighed.

“Fine. I’ll be nice to her from now on,” She conceded. Arthur looked shocked--she never agreed with that little persuasion. “Now, you better hurry up. She’s bound to be waiting for you on the porch.”

Bliss half-pushed him towards the front door. He barely had time to grab his lunch from the table before she had propelled him into the hallway and to the front door.

Sure enough, Skylar was propped up against the outside of the house. She straightened up as they came outside, eyes locked on Bliss. Arthur shuffled down to the end of the driveway, pretending to be uninterested in what they said.

“Hey, come on,” Bliss smiled, tilting her head just like she had as a little girl, blue eyes taking up most of her face. “Why do you worry so much about me?” Bliss was well aware of the different answers; someone had tried to kill her as a child, magic was frowned upon and magic was certainly something Bliss possessed…it varied depending on the day.

“Because if something bad happens to you, then I’m short my housewife and me and Arthur starve to death,” Skylar’s heart melted. She knew she was getting played by Bliss’s “innocent act”, but she just couldn’t help it. It had to be the eyes.

“I know that. But you won’t let me worry about you, so why should I let you worry about me?” Bliss smiled. A slight glow came from her skin, enough to make her blonde curls turn translucent.

“Because I’m older,” Skylar blinked and the entire illusion vanished. Bliss was just Bliss again. “Now remember, don’t open the door for strangers, and if you have to use the stove, write it on your hand so you don’t forget it’s on…” Bliss rolled her eyes--it had only been one dishcloth, not the entire house. Skylar laughed and kissed the top of her head. “Alright, I’m off.”

Bliss slipped back inside as Skylar jogged to catch up with Arthur. While they could have driven to the Headquarters, they had always preferred walking. After all, it was only a block away from their house.

“You know, you can’t keep her locked up there forever,” Arthur remarked.

“Want to bet?” Skylar snapped. “It’s worked so far. Besides, she thinks it makes her like a princess from one of those fairy tales.”

Arthur opened the glass door into the building for her. “Yeah, but they were always trapped by an evil witch.”

Skylar hit him.
***

The house seemed friendly enough to the young man. Flowerbeds covered the front lawn, although they appeared to only barely be clinging to life, and he thought he could see dolls in one of the upstairs windows. Friendly and familiar, he realized. Something about that house…

He made his way up the empty driveway to the front door. Even though he expected it to be locked, he tried to handle. Much to his surprise, the door opened. He didn’t hesitate to let himself in.

The entrance hall to the house was bright, with lights all over the place. The smell of something baking filled the air. But that wasn’t what rang a bell, nor was it the overwhelming feeling he was home. He wandered over to a low table against the wall.

Pictures covered every inch of the wood surface. Tri-folds of two blonde girls and a dark-haired boy, individual pictures of the three, and an out of place photo of a grown woman. One picture intrigued him so much he couldn’t control his hand; he had pocketed it, hoping no one would see or miss it. It was a copper frame, holding the image of a smiling blonde teenager, a ring of light around her rendering her hair nearly invisible.

“Can I help you?” He suddenly looked up at the voice, away from the pictures, hand still wrapped around the one in his pocket. The girl who had spoken was clearly the same one he had just swiped.

“Can I help you?’ She repeated. Flour was smeared all over the front of her apron. She must have been cooking something. That was why it smelled so much like homemade cookies. Not like he would have known what those smelled like, anyways.

“U-um. I’m lost. I’m the visiting diplomat from the Rosliv District…” His words trailed off as he realized she wasn’t understanding. Of course she wasn’t. She probably wasn’t allowed to leave her house, let alone the Sanita District. She probably knew nothing of the world. “I’m supposed to be at the palace, but I don’t know where it’s at…”

“Oh, that’s easy!” She smiled, lighting up. Apprehension visibly fled from her as she took his arm and led him back outside to the end of the driveway. “Alright, you want to go left from here and take this street down to the split. Take a left and head for the really tall building in the center--that’s the Police Headquarters, well, more of the army base. Anyway, go straight north from that building and you’ll get to the gates. Ask the guard there for any more directions if you need them.”

“Th-thank you,” He stared, wide-eyed. Why was she so familiar? She smiled, giggled, and skipped back up to the front door. She waved at him and vanished inside.

He shook his head to clear his mind, before trying to follow her instructions, and deal with what was coming back to him. The giggle had triggered all the memories.

So after all those years, she hadn’t outgrown the childish sound.
***

Skylar sighed. This was, perhaps, the hundredth time they had run the drill. She was sick of seeing it. And whoever was in the back row still hadn’t learned to pick up his feet…

It wasn’t the first time she wished that she had taken a job doing paper work like Arthur, instead of being proud and wanting to prove she didn’t need her daddy to arrange everything for her. Not like he would have, anyway.

“Stop!” Skylar barked. “Jenkins, in the back…stop shuffling! I’d love to see you shuffle when you’re getting shot at.” There was light laughter from the other men. Looking dumb was bound to be enough motivation for him to finally get it right.

“Alright then. All of you can thank mister Jenkins because you’ll be doing this--” A bell interrupted Skylar’s order. Some of the men fidgeted, eager for lunch. “All afternoon. Dismissed.”

They scattered. Skylar turned to the table behind her; it was empty of any of the normal supplies one would expect, save for her lunch bag. She began to unhook the bulky armor from her jumpsuit, hoping that it would make her less likely to spill soup all over herself. If she did that again, Bliss would probably kill her.

“Miss Laroue!” Skylar looked up, a lecture waiting on her lips to be delivered to the soldier for his tone. To her surprise, he wasn’t even looking at her. His attention was solely on the room connected to the training hall. She ran through several scenarios, trying not to accept the one she was most afraid of. Perhaps he was trying to draw her into the second room because her father had finally come to say something nice to her…

Unfortunately, her fear appeared before her eyes: Bliss swept into the room with her usual energy, only now she wore a uniform identical to every other soldiers’. Skylar’s mouth went dry. The man seemed oblivious to the breeze that had sprung up in the room, despite a stunning lack of windows.

“Look, even the commander is surprised!” He laughed. Somewhere in her mind, Skylar made a note to report him for insubordination.

“B-Bliss?” Skylar stammered. Bliss smiled. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m part of the Trani Security Force,” Bliss replied, before adding (almost as an afterthought), “ma’am.”

Skylar couldn’t help but stare at her giggling, innocent little sister. It suddenly dawned on her that this had to be exactly how her father felt when she had joined.

“All I can say is it was enchanting to meet you…across the room, your eyes whispered ‘have we met?’” ~Enchanted, Taylor Swift


Many of her men were surprised that Skylar didn’t take the rest of the day off after Bliss’s surprise appearance. They were familiar with the younger sister, considering how many emergency lunch drop-offs she had made over the years, and they were familiar with some of Skylar’s questionable “parenting” actions. They even tried to be friendly when she was thrust into the front row without any warning, attempting to show her the drill. That was quickly abandoned, as Skylar proved to be more than vicious to anyone seen helping Bliss, so the tiny girl (hopelessly out of place wedged between all of the much taller men) was left to drown.

What wasn’t surprising was when the last bell of the day rang and Bliss bolted out of the door. Almost as one, everyone still in the room turned to stare at Skylar. She glared. “Well, what are you all waiting for? What, do you want me to make you stay after for extra credit, kids?”

The men milled about, only pretending to leave. They also pretended not to see Skylar go running out like she was being chased by a wall of fire.

One soldier, Jenkins (the same one Skylar had picked on mercilessly earlier), summed up the situation perfectly: “Little Laroue’s in for it now.”
***

The elevator door opened up onto the ground floor. Bliss didn’t stop running, knowing Skylar couldn’t be far behind on the second elevator. Running home probably wasn’t her best idea, considering how Skylar could easily trap her there, but it was her only option at the moment. There was, of course, always the choice of hiding out at the orphanage, but Skylar was bound to look there…

“You really didn’t think it was going to be that easy, did you?” Arthur laughed, grabbing Bliss. She flailed and pushed him; he just trapped her against his desk. “Sneaking in here past me was one thing, but sneaking out past your sister is an entirely different matter.”

At about that moment, Skylar darted out of the second elevator’s doors. It didn’t take her long to find her sister and Arthur. He stepped to the side and grabbed one of Bliss’s arms, letting Skylar take the other.

“This is police brutality! Or something!” Bliss yelled. Some of the other desk clerks turned to stare, but most didn’t even notice what was going on.

As they steered her out of the door and down the streets towards their house, Arthur only laughed at her again. “Sorry, sweetheart, but it’s not police brutality when you are the police.”
***

Inside the living room, secure at home, Skylar almost threw Bliss into a chair. Arthur sat down on the arm of the couch, nibbling on an apple he’d snatched off of the coffee table. Skylar didn’t even try to calm herself down. Books were blown from the shelf.

“Arthur?” Bliss whimpered, her bottom lip trembling.

“Listen to your sister,” He mumbled through a mouth full of food, immune by this point in his life to her theatrics.

“Bliss. Laroue.” Skylar growled. “What in the name of all that’s holy possessed you today? Did I not give you explicit orders, time and time again, to stay away from the force? You were told, repeatedly, to stay home and keep your nose out of trouble. So would you like to explain to me what just happened?!”

Bliss jumped to her feet, suddenly angry. “You’re not my mother! You have no right to tell me what I can and can’t do! You’re only a year older, and you aren’t even related to me!”

“Sit back down!” Skylar shouted back. For the second time that day, Bliss did not obey. Skylar wasn’t sure how to react. The only thing that came to her mind (short of pushing Bliss back down, which she seriously considered) was to glare down at her.
“Listen to me when I tell you this: it might have been a fun first day, but I can guarantee you, it will be your only day. Believe me, I have enough power to get you discharged immediately and without any questions,” Skylar threatened.

Bliss froze. She couldn’t explain it, but she didn’t want to quit. She didn’t want this ripped from her hands. It didn’t make sense, that it would be such a big deal to her, but it just was. She wasn’t going to lose it. Something was calling her, and this was the ticket to finding out what it was. Tears sprang up in Bliss’s eyes.

“What would daddy think about this?” She tried as a watery last resort, before running past Skylar and up to her room. The sound of the door slamming echoed through the house.

Arthur chucked the apple core into the garbage can and hopped up from his seat. He turned to look at Skylar. She was literally shaking with anger.

“So, would you like to handle this, or should I?” He asked, already knowing the answer. Skylar didn’t bother to respond before she stormed out of the house and slammed the front door behind her. It wasn’t a mystery where that one of Bliss’s tricks had come from. “Guess it’s me, then.”
***

“Bliss?” Arthur lightly knocked on her door. She didn’t answer. “Bliss, I think we need to talk about dinner…”

“Make your own dinner! I already fixed it, so just heat it up in the oven!” She shouted. He could hear the tears through the anger. There was a very distinct feeling that he was being played.

“Okay, but I’m guessing you don’t want to die in a fiery explosion and lose your job on the same day,” He joked. Something hard collided with the opposite side of the door from his head. Huh. Maybe I shouldn’t go in. Her aim’s gotten lots better. “Well, that sounded like it would’ve hurt. What did you just throw at me?”

There was a moment of silence, then a tentative giggle. “My necklace…”

That surprised Arthur. He’d expected her to say a stuffed animal, or even a book. But for Bliss to throw the crystal necklace, considering how she never took it off…was a little bit worrisome. It was her treasure, after all--even if she couldn’t remember the significance of it.

The door handle turned down, and Bliss opened it. He smiled at her. Despite her red-rimmed eyes, she genuinely returned it. She held her necklace in one hand.

“You’re utterly helpless, you know that?” She laughed, working the chain back over her head. Arthur shrugged.

“Guilty as charged,” He teased. “And if you fix me something hot to eat, I’ll talk Skylar out of discharging you.”

She grabbed his hand, leading him back downstairs and into the kitchen.

“I want you to watch what I’m doing, because if I’m going to be working from now on, I won’t always have time to cook beforehand. And really, if I’m allowed to use the stove, it should be cake for you…”
***

Skylar thought she was sneaking back inside. All the lights in the city were off. Everyone was asleep; it was probably well after midnight. The house was dark. She crept towards the stairs, ready to just collapse into bed. Walking around hadn’t helped her figure out what to do with Bliss, but it had made the first rush of anger vanish. Movement in the living room drew her attention, and she changed directions. Ready for anything, she flicked on the light…

“Arthur?” Skylar blinked, surprised. He had a bowl in one hand, a book in the other. He looked up at her as if she were the intruder in his house. “What are you doing here? And how did you get food?”

“Made your sister smile and waiting for you,” Arthur shrugged in reply. “Not respectively, of course.”

“Well, here I am. Go home now,” Skylar ordered. “Wait. Give me your leftovers. I’m starving.”

“Sorry, sweetheart. I kind of sold my soul for this food.” He put the book on the side table and patted the couch beside him. She didn’t move from the doorframe. “Okay, suit yourself. It won’t take long.”

“What did you promise?” Skylar groaned. Selling his soul for food could only mean one thing…

“That I’d talk you out of getting her discharged.”

“I knew it.” Skylar finally took a seat in the armchair that had earlier held Bliss in her interrogation. “You know that’s not going to happen, right?”

Arthur shook his head, suddenly serious. “No, I don’t. Look, I told you: you can’t keep her locked up inside forever. Volunteer work at the orphanage isn’t cutting it, Skylar. She’s a kid, not a puppy. She wants to see the world--or at least the rest of the district besides the Police and Orphanage sectors. And making an enemy out of your food supply hasn’t worked out well historically. That’s why kings and queens drop dead from poison, you know.”

Skylar glared at him. “I’m not letting her stay. I’m not letting her get hurt. And besides, if the General discharges her, I technically didn’t do it.”

Arthur stood up and stretched, heading for the door. He ruffled her hair on the way out, which earned him his third punch of the day. “Just think about it, Skylar. Let me put it so you understand: winning the battle does not mean you’ve won the war.”

The door shut behind him and Skylar dropped her head to her hands. She hated it when he was right. His words echoed in her mind the rest of the night: winning the battle does not mean you’ve won the war.
***

Skylar shifted in her seat in her father’s waiting room, uncomfortable. It wasn’t the first time she’d had to make an appointment to see him, but It was the first time she’d had to wait on Holiday to see him. The secretary--her name tag read Jenna--kept giving her sympathetic looks, as they were probably the only three people on the floor. A buzzer made them both jump.

“You can go in now, sweetie,” Jenna smiled. Skylar pretended not to see it as she glided into the office.

“Sir?” She asked, standing ram-rod straight in the doorframe. He looked up at her over his glasses.

“Come in,” The General waved her towards a chair. She sank into it, but didn’t dare let her back relax. He might be in the role of her boss at the moment, but that wouldn’t stop him from giving her an impromptu lecture about correct posture.

“I presume you received my letter,” Skylar dare let it seem like a question, considering how she could see her signature through the paper he held in his hand. He looked over at it, as if noticing the letter for the first time.

“It seems that while I have received it, I have not had time enough to read it. Please summarize what you’ve requested,” He skimmed over it, keeping his voice casual. Skylar’s heart leapt up into her throat. She didn’t think he’d make her say it.

“It is a request for the dismissal of one of my soldiers,” She began. A half-joke suddenly crossed her mind--she could very easily say two soldiers and fix her shuffling problem. “Bliss Laroue, in the Trani Police Force, currently assigned to the Sanita District.”

That got his full attention. It suddenly occurred to Skylar that he probably didn’t even know Bliss had joined up. He couldn’t be bothered with every piece of paperwork, after all--and that was probably exactly how the younger Laroue had managed to slide through the application process.

“Under what grounds?” The General continued, managing to hold onto his composure. Skylar, on the other hand, was sweating.

“Um…” She stammered. She didn’t have any real grounds, other than Bliss’s childish personality. And she couldn’t even think of the word for that. “She is physically and mentally incapable of performing her duties.”

“Do you have any evidence of your claim?”

Skylar wanted to scream. Presumably, he cared about Bliss as well. Why was he giving her the bureaucratic run-around? “Not yet, sir, but…”

“Well then, I have no choice but to deny your request for the termination of the service of Bliss Laroue, under the grounds that you have no evidence to enforce this request with,” Her father replied. He looked back down at his desk, a clear dismissal. “You may go now.”

Skylar stood up, shaking. For once, she kept a tight hold on her winds; she could not risk tearing apart his office. That would more than likely lead to her termination and not Bliss’s. “Yes, sir.”

She spun on her heel and strode out of the room, keeping her icy mask locked into place. Jenna didn’t spare a kind look this time, probably having heard every word.

Skylar had one last resort. She hadn’t wanted to use it, but he would probably give her less friction than her own father…and she needed to get Bliss out of the main security force for the District. If this option turned out to be a flunk as well…there was always the option of just blowing over the Headquarters with a well-timed tornado. It was starting to seem more and more appealing as she headed for the third floor--Palace Security.
***

“You want me to do what, Skylar?” Mr. Brandon exclaimed, staring at the girl across the desk from him. “That’s absurd.”

“No, it’s not, Chris,” She swallowed down the lump in her throat. If he could call her by her first name, she could return the favor. The head of Palace Security had no rank over her, only age. He wasn’t the man who had acted as a father for her. He was just a co-worker. “I want you to take Bliss from me. I’ll trade you--her for your worst man.”

Now that was an appealing idea to him. She didn’t know what she was asking for with that offer. Surely she couldn’t possibly want both of the Jenkins boys. “And what are you going to do when Bliss gets this news? If, of course, I accept.”

“Well, she’s not going to know that I arranged her transfer,” Skylar shrugged, a sly smirk creeping across her face. She’d won. Of course he had crumbled. After all, he’d already lost his wife; he wouldn’t dare push away Skylar and risk Bliss’s death. “You’re going to keep that a secret from her.”

Mr. Brandon sighed, sinking back into his chair. He wasn’t sure if Skylar had ever lost an argument with anyone besides her father in her entire life. “Fine. I’ll take Bliss on…if you take Thomas Jenkins off my hands. He drags his feet during his rounds through the palace. He’s driving everyone crazy.”

Skylar grimaced. It was steep…but nothing was too high for her to keep Bliss safe. “Yeah. I’m pretty sure that it’s genetic.”
***

The first day of the week came. Bliss, Skylar, and Arthur went through their normal routine in tense silence, with the only major change being Bliss’s outfit. They all set out together for work. Arthur chattered aimlessly to Bliss, having abandoned his attempts to snap Skylar out of her thoughts. Bliss only gave him half-hearted responses, silently panicking about what would happen. If Skylar hadn’t discharged her, then that meant she planned on making every day of Bliss’s career torture.

Hesitant, Bliss slunk in behind Arthur, careful to be the last to enter. However, that did her no favors. Nearly as soon as she was in the lobby, one of the desk clerks had run over.

“Bliss Laroue?” He asked. She nodded, mute. He shoved a piece of paper into her hand and scurried off again. Arthur hovered Bliss’s shoulder, trying to read it. Skylar had continued to the elevator, leaving them both behind.

“‘Laroue--report to the palace gardens for training with Captain Michael Alies at eight. You have been transferred to Palace Security. Brandon.’” Bliss looked at Arthur. He held up his hands.

“That would be my daddy you’re looking for there,” He shrugged. “And I believe you’re going to be late.”

Bliss suddenly checked her watch and took off running. Arthur shook his head. “That was not a good move, Skylar…and it wasn’t what I meant…”
***

Helplessly lost did not even begin to describe Bliss. Directions to the palace gardens would have been nice. A map would have been better, considering how she’d been wandering through the corridors for nearly an hour. Surely whoever Captain Michael Alies was had given up on her coming.

Finally, she found a set of familiar doors. She couldn’t quite remember where they led, but it had to be better than just going in circles. Without a second thought, Bliss pushed into the room…

And immediately regretted it.

King Magre stood with a second man. They both turned to look at her as she froze. Her eyes widened, as did the second man’s.

“You’re the guy who stopped and asked for directions!” Bliss exclaimed. Both of the men laughed.

“So it appears you’ve met Rhys, then?” The King asked. Bliss nodded. “Well then! Rhys, this is Bliss Laroue, one of the daughters of the General of the army, and a very dear person to me.”

Bliss blushed. In truth, she’d only met the King a few times as a young child. She had a vague memory of the General yelling at her for demanding the King pick her up, and of the King laughing him off and obliging. Something about her reminding him of his own daughter, even though she couldn’t remember anything about a princess…

“Nice to finally know your name,” Rhys smiled. Finally having a chance, Bliss took in his appearance. He had porcelain-pale skin much like her own, long brown hair pulled back into a neat ponytail (she needed to learn how to do that), and huge brown eyes.

“And Bliss, this is Rhys,” The King continued. “He’s a visiting diplomat from down in the Rosliv District. He’ll be staying here for several month, working with me.”

“Nice to meet you too,” Bliss stammered. His being a diplomat explained the suit he wore. Another thing occurred to her: why was anyone bothering with introductions? But then again, it wasn’t like she had to be anywhere. She wasn’t doing anything. In fact, it was a little hard to remember why she was even in the palace in the first place.

“Rhys, I think you can take it easy today,” The King said. “Why don’t you and Bliss go down to the gardens? I’m sure she can tell you all about this district. We can deal with the hard stuff tomorrow. Go back out the door, straight down the hall and take a left. The gardens are right there, or they should be.”

Bliss gave an awkward curtsy, with Rhys not fairing any better in his bow. They quickly scurried out of the throne room, shutting the door behind them. Silence ensued as they made their way down the hall.

“Um…I’m sorry for walking in like that…” Rhys tried. Bliss laughed.

“It’s okay. I don’t get that many…well, any…visitors during the day. It was a nice little change,” She smiled. He held the door out into the gardens open for her.

“Oh, o-okay,” He sounded startled. “Um…anyways, yeah. I’m pretty new around here. I’m supposed to be acting as a diplomatic advisor or something…”

“But you don’t know how anything works around here,” Bliss ducked under a branch outside. It smacked her in the back of the head.

“Pretty much, yeah. I…the Rosliv isn’t…culture shock?” He tried, laughing a little bit. A brilliant thought struck Bliss.

“I have an idea. Why don’t you come over to my house for dinner tonight. I mean, you already know where it is,” She elbowed him. “My sister and our friend can help you get adjusted!”

“Are you sure? I mean, I don’t want to be a--” Rhys was suddenly cut off as a man standing in a courtyard came into view. Rhys and Bliss both froze.

“Bliss Laroue?” The second man yelled, walking over. Bliss gulped, looking up. He was dressed in the uniform of the palace guards. Had she done something wrong?

“Y-yes…” She turned to Rhys, and dropped her voice to a whisper. “Come over around six. Just let yourself in again.”

“Bliss Laroue. You were supposed to be here an hour ago,” The second man snapped. “I’m Captain Michael Alies. Obviously you received the message to meet me here.”

Bliss gasped. That was what she was doing in the palace! That was why she was there! Not to talk to that Rhys guy. How would she have even known he was there?

“I’m so sorry, sir!” She was almost pleading with the officer. She had already managed to make both of her commanders angry with her in just two days. Suddenly, she looked around as the rest of her memories came back; Rhys had vanished.

“I’ll forgive you this time,” Michael laughed. She sighed. He wasn’t as angry as he had seemed. “But come on over here. We need to get started.”

Bliss ran to where he directed her, still wondering how Rhys had left without making a single sound.

“I can’t keep up with your turning tables, under your thumb I can’t breathe…” ~Turning Tables, Adele


Bliss stood across from Michael in the courtyard, suddenly aware of how short she was. Or of how tall he was, she really couldn’t tell.

“Okay, first things first: you get to learn how to defend yourself,” Michael announced. “So, let’s get started!”

“Wh-what?” Bliss nearly jumped. That wasn’t what she expected from her first day, especially consider that she’d been late to meet him.

“Well? You sound surprised,” He raised an eyebrow at her. ‘I mean, I’m not giving you a gun your first day or anything…”

Bliss still just stared at him. Wasn’t she supposed to run drills, or get a route around the palace, or do something right away? Maybe that was only how the main military worked…”So, what am I doing again?”

“Self-defense. You get to learn how to punch an attacker. Give me your hand.”

Bliss held up her right hand, keeping her star-shaped birthmark hidden beneath her left sleeve. He took her hand.

“Alright. You’ll break your fingers if you don’t do this properly, and since your sister knows how to do this, I’d rather her not come after me,” He began to fold her fingers until she had formed a fist, considerably different from how she usually did it. Not that she’d thrown a punch before, but she had at least tried to figure out how to seem a little intimidating.

“So, from here, just aim for the jaw or the stomach…” Michael continued his walkthrough, guiding her limbs through every movement. Bliss didn’t even have to think about what she was doing.
***

By the time that the castle bells rang to announce noon, Bliss had a basic handle on how to not break her hand (the state of her attacker was still unknown), how to kick without losing her balance (her aim was still questionable), and how to run (which she was surprisingly good at naturally). They were both more than a little tired when they sat down on one of the benches and began to unpack their lunches.

“It’s nice to have you over here,” Michael finally broke the silence after a while. “Good thing your sister transferred you. I’ve got a good feeling about this.”

Bliss nearly choked on her water. “My sister?!” She spluttered. His green eyes got very, very wide.

“Y-you didn’t know…did you?” He asked slowly. She shook her head. He groaned. “Oh, God…I mean, Commander Brandon told me that…I just assumed you knew about it!”

“No!” Bliss jumped up. “Skylar did this? What…why?!”

Michael pulled her back down the stone bench, shaking his head. “I have no idea. All the Commander told me was that the younger Laroue girl was coming to Palace Security as a transfer, just like her sister asked. He told me to teach you this stuff. That’s it.”

Bliss gulped down the rest of her water and hurled the plastic bottle across the space. It collided with a tree opposite from her with a satisfying crunch. Michael, on the other hand, suddenly found himself regretting his choice to teach her how to fight first before mentioning her transfer. Of course, it had only made logical sense to begin with…

“O-okay. How about we take a break from the defense training and I take you on a tour around the palace?” He laughed, more than a little nervous. The water bottle was pretty well bashed in. Despite the differences between a plastic bottle and a person, he still didn’t want to take his chances and have her “accidentally” hit him in her anger.

“Sure. Whatever,” Bliss snapped, now settling into a pout. Michael took her arm and led her back inside, starting into some kind of rambling spiel about how she would probably have a basic route at first…

She didn’t even bother to pay attention, despite the fact that Michael was perhaps the only person in the world who could match her usually blithe attitude and mood swings.
***

By the time Bliss had gotten home and started dinner, she had found her temper had ebbed away. It had actually vanished rapidly during the tour of the palace, and she had even started to joke along with Michael. It had gradually gotten harder to figure out why she’d gotten so furious; angry was alright, but as furious as she’d become…it was so out of character for her. Of course, that didn’t mean that Skylar was going to get off the hook for what she’d done.

She had just finished setting the table when she heard the front door open. She looked up and called out into the hall, “Skylar, Arthur, Rhys? Is that you?”

“Well, it’s Arthur,” He replied, appearing in the kitchen door. “Who’s Rhys?”

“A diplomat from the palace,” Bliss shrugged, passing Arthur on her way to the front door to check for her other guests. “He’s from down south in the Rosliv District, so I invited him over to help with the culture shock.”

“How philanthropic,” Arthur teased. She stuck her tongue out at him, before opening the door again. Rhys stood there, frozen, his hand raised as if to knock.

“H-hello,” He tried to smile. Bliss took his hand and led him inside, leaving the door wide open. Arthur put on his best desk-clerk smile.

“You must be Rhys,” He shook the other man’s hand. “I’m Arthur Brandon. Bliss here was just telling me all about you. It’s nice to meet you.”

“You as well,” Rhys managed to get some of his composure back. Bliss still held onto his arm, batting her eyes. “Although I’m afraid I haven’t heard much of you.”

“Well? Come on you two! Dinner’s ready!” Bliss giggled, pulling Rhys into the kitchen by his hand and half-pushing him into a seat. Rhys seemed a little surprised, and Arthur raised an eyebrow; as affectionate as Bliss was, she typically didn’t act like that.

Just as Arthur sat down, the door shut a third time. Skylar’s face was nearly priceless as she entered the kitchen and focused on Rhys. Bliss scowled at her behind Rhys’s back; she still hadn’t completely let go of his hand.

“Skylar, this is Rhys. He’s a friend of Bliss’s she met in the palace,” Arthur jumped in, trying to avoid another fight. Silent, Skylar dropped into a chair beside Arthur.

Bliss and Rhys chattered aimlessly, talking about everything from the weather to their hobbies. Arthur watched, captivated by Bliss’s mood change. She was nearly (and it pained him greatly to admit it) flirting. Skylar just stared, sulking. This wasn’t what she’d intended when she’d moved Bliss to the palace. The plan had been to make her miserable, not happy, not friendly. Finally, when Bliss gave an exaggerated giggle and flipped her hair, Skylar found her breaking point.

“Come with me,” She growled. She jumped up and grabbed Bliss’s arm, literally dragging her out of the kitchen and into the living room.

Still in the kitchen, Arthur and Rhys couldn’t make out exactly what the girls were saying, but the shouting clearly marked an argument. Arthur turned red, embarrassed.

“I-I’m sorry…” He stammered. “They usually fight, but I would have expected them to put it off for guests…”

“Oh, no, it’s not a problem,” Rhys smiled. “I have two sisters myself. I know how it is.”

“Yes, well…they’re related to you. You have to sit through their fights…” Arthur sighed. “Bliss is usually such a good hostess, too.”

Rhys looked around, spotting the wall clock. It was nearly seven. “My goodness! It’s gotten late…I have to be going now, if you don’t mind. Would you kindly tell Bliss that I’ll see her tomorrow?”

Arthur nodded, and Rhys hurried out of the house.

Several minutes passed before Bliss and Skylar, both fairly red in the face, returned. The color started to drain from Bliss’s face.

“Where’s Rhys?” She asked. She sounded more than a little distressed that he wasn’t there anymore.

“He left. Said it was getting late and that he’d see you tomorrow at the palace,” Arthur replied. He calmly took a sip of his water as Bliss turned crimson and spun on Skylar.

“You! You scared him off! Why would you do that?! God, I hate you!” Bliss yelled.

“Me?!” Skylar scoffed. “Yes, it’s all my fault! Blame me! Blame me like you’ve done your entire life, because God knows I only do things to hurt you!”

Arthur groaned. They were actually going to start up again. He stood up, starting to walk over to them. He wasn’t sure what Bliss said as he made his way over, but it was enough to cause Skylar to draw back, as if to hit her.

That was his breaking point.

“Stop it, both of you!” He ordered, grabbing Skylar’s wrist as she went to strike Bliss. He pushed Bliss back, restraining her behind his other arm. They glared at him. He just continued his speech.

“Good God. I’m sick of hearing you two like this all the time! You’re both driving me insane. Bliss, Skylar does this stuff because she loves you more than she loves anyone else in the world. And Skylar, she’s just a kid! She’s not a model child, but you aren’t a model sister. You’re both doing the best you can. You love each other too much. That’s why you fight. Even I know it! So just stop, before we all kill each other.”

Bliss and Skylar looked at each other before turning as one to Arthur. He dropped his arms. They both suddenly had forgotten their anger at each other, refocusing on him. He just sat back down, not paying much attention to what they actually said to him--not that he could have understood anyways, since they just spoke over each other.

There is a bright side to this, I suppose, He thought, a little rueful. They’re getting along with each other to yell at me now. That’s got to be a plus. If it keeps them from each other’s throats…