Several long minutes passed. Verya watched as one other woman, and several men strode into the room individually. Each sent by Beleg, and escorted by Arandur. The guard, Arandur, would give a brief summery of how they performed, and then leave. More chairs were brought inside by a butler or maid. Most of the 'winners' were chatting among themselves. It was exciting, to be picked for whatever it was they were competing for. Finally, Arandur brought in one last man, and announced that these were the only ones to perform well enough to enter. The king nodded, and sent the man away. Another guard came up escorting an elderly man by the name Raegbund. He was the head mage and also one of the librarians here at the castle. He walked tall and proud even when his cotton white hair betrayed his true age. Around his shoulder a burlap pouch was hung, in it were several scrolls that seemed to be a little aged. The elder elf stood at the base of the stairs that lead up to the king's chair. With a nod from the royal, Raegbund began to speak. "To those gathered here today. You have been called forth for a single purpose. The king wishes to assign each of his children with a personal guard, one who will do everything in their power to see to it that no harm ever befalls the royal children. You all know of the trouble brewing in the wild lands of the north. We've caught wind of an assassination attempt on the royal family. Your skills with help you with this task." The elder paused his strong speech. He took out one scroll from his sack and opened it. "As you all can see, there are too many of you to assign only one to a royal. Some of you will be put in the reserve guard. Should one of you fall while carrying out your duty, we will have another to take your place. This is a job you will carry out to your death, should any of you wish to leave, do so now." Only a couple stood up, and walked out of the courtroom. While they would have taken a job in the castle, since it was unlikely for them to die while serving as a guard or servant, the idea of being a bodyguard and pincushion didn't sit well with them. For Verya, she sat back in silence. She had already been in a dangerous situation with her prior occupation as a traveling guard for merchants. While that didn't carry the high chance of death, it was still dangerous. Raegbund cleared his throat before he continued. "Now then. I will begin reading off each of your names and talents, as they are recorded in the scrolls of birth. The king will be the one to ultimately decide to whom you are assigned." This portion told the animal forms of each person, as well as their prior occupation, lineage, and magic ability.
The king assigned people as he saw fit. Eventually, Verya's own name was called. "Verya. The clouded leopard, the white swan, and the nurse shark. You have been working as a hired guard to the merchant caravans for the past four years, and before that was a waitress at the Golden Lion Inn. You are the daughter of Turin, one of our most prized archers before his untimely death. You seem to have inherited your ability from your mother's side though. Would you give us a demonstration of this 'shadow bending' as it is written here." Verya had been standing in front of the king, awaiting his word for her to begin. When she gained permission, she bowed at the waist and took a step closer to the shadow cast by a supporting pillar. Her hands pressed down the air in front of her as she gathered her thoughts. With a pulling motion, the light shadow raised off the floor and closer to the woman's body. It wrapped around her, effectively concealing her from view. After a moment, the swirling darkness morphed once more to form the head of a leopard, looking rather frightening. After a few more examples of what she had learned so far, Vanya released the shadow and watched as it once more lay flat against the ground. She bowed once more to the king. "You have done very well, child. I do believe you have the skill to be a guard for one of my children. I shall assign you to my youngest son, Nesteron. I think you will do well with him. And remember, none of my children are to know who their protector is. Only under dire circumstances are you to reveal yourself as their guard. Other than that, you may disguise as any other castle servant as you wish to remain close to them. A new uniform, room, and dinner await you right now. After you have cleaned up, I wish for you to start your job immediately."
Verya was led outside the room by another guard, and shown to a room where new clothes were folded neatly on her bed. Taking these, she was escorted to the women's section of the bath house, and given time to wash and change. When she had finished that, she emerged wearing a starched white tunic embroidered with the royal crest, and silver breaches. Her padded boots were still worn, while the rest of her sweaty clothes had remained inside the bathing area, having been deposited in a large bin meant for dirty clothes. Her wet hair was once more pulled up into a ponytail to keep it out of her face, and off her new clothes. She was led to the kitchens next, specifically a small dining area meant for the guards and other servants to dine. Here she was given a map of the castle layout. The guard marked Nesteron's personal room, as well as a couple of his popular haunts. After that, the guard left, allowing Verya to eat and plan in peace.
