Chapter 40
"How are things going? Will you need to be gone much longer?"
"Not much longer. I miss you too much." Cartrell replied. "Shild has sent some wee folk to come back to the keep with me. Can I send them ahead? They are causing a lot of havoc here. They're not bad but they find everything fascinating. I don't have enough guards to keep up with them."
"I will send Edmon and a few of the guardians to pick them up. I need to set up the guardians anyway and choose the guardians that will be stationed in each realm. I need to recall the guardians that are in the realms so I can meet them. Oh, no. I have been neglecting my duty as the keeper. I don't even know who my guardians are."
"Calm down Lauren. The system of security has not been removed because no one expects you to know everything on the first day. You have recognized something that needs to be worked on, so go on and work on it. You updated the technology and made Ezra update himself and he is much better with his modern upgrades. There have been no problems slipping through the cracks. You are fine."
"Thanks. I just need to have a guide to what I need to do. I mean Evandalyn gave me a lot of guidance but I don't know all the ins and outs of running a keep."
"That's why you have a council. That handsome god consort you picked up needs to be put in place and make sure he gives you a nightly report so you will know what's going on. He will enjoy that. You do need to give them some of your attention you know."
"Yes. but I hardly spent time with you. I'm glad Tom is not pushing for more than friendship and power release."
"Yeah, those power bursts he sends out really do feel good. I didn't know he was dealing with power like that."
"I guess I need to check on him as well. It seems weird to have power just burst out of a person like that. Maybe it has something to do with him being the son of Resheph."
"Maybe. Your dad might be able to help him or give him more details."
"Yes. I might have to contact him but I will talk to Tom first."
"Okay." Cartrell sighed loudly. "I guess I should let you go. Gerald and the baby dragons are probably waiting for you and you need to get some rest. You have just made a very busy day for yourself tomorrow. You will always be in my heart."
"You are such a romantic." Lauren knew she felt deeply for Cartrell. "Oh. I need you to be available tonight. I have a surprise for all of my men."
"Not a problem, but can you send Edmon now to get these earth fairies? They are trying to change the Sahara desert. They don't think it should be so dry."
"Okay." Lauren realized that the design of her family home was not just in her dreams and was ready to share it with all her men. She stayed home from classes and, with the help of her pixies, created a meal for her men and children.
No one but her pixies, men, and children could enter the space, so when Demeatral and MaGayla came looking for her, they couldn't find her. She heard them call for her and came out to the throne room. "Demeatral, Magayla, I'm in the throne room."
"Oh. there you are. We just passed through here and you were not there."
"I know. I heard you. I was in the antechamber with Shirley."
"You weren't in class today and everyone was wondering if you were okay."
"Yeah. you have to let us know when you are going to take a day off." Demeatral stated.
"Yes. You are right. I should have let you and the teachers know. It was just a spur-of-the-moment thing."
"Okay. So everything is okay?"
"Yes. Why don't we go to the cafeteria and I can apologize to everyone at once? The teacher will be there also so I can reach everyone."
"Sure," MaGayla replied.
They walked to the cafeteria and got their plates. Then they took their seats at the center table. Tom, Antonus, and Carlton came and sat with them. "Hey everybody. Can I have your attention?" Everyone became silent and listened up. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was taking a day today. From now on I will let you know. That was very rude of me. I got wrapped up in a project and it slipped my mind.
"It's fine, Lauren," Valentine replied. "But do remember to tell someone so we will know next time."
"I will. I do have something we need to talk about. It's time to update and reorganize my council and the guardians. I realized that I don't even know either group. I already know I am going to put my consort, Carlton, as my chancellor and I need to meet the people that are supposed to be my counsel. And until I meet the rest of the guardians, Edmon and Demeatral will be the only guardians allowed to act in that capacity under my name. So let's get them together quickly so there is no disruption to their duties."
"Very intelligent moves, my lady." Prof. Gavin said. "I am glad you recognized that and you did not have to be told. Very proud."
"Thanks. I need to talk to you, Valentine, Ezra, and Hosesh after lunch if that is okay."
"Certainly." They replied.
She turned to the people at her table and said, "I need all of you with me today also. Davis and Sam, you come too. Kento and Damon, you too. I'm not trying to be weird and nothing is wrong. I just need a smaller crowd to talk to."
"That's fine. We are all here for you. We all know you are trying to work things out still and understand when you pull certain people to talk to, especially when it is your top guards and your men, as you call them." Sari said.
"Yes. We feel no love loss. When you need us, we are here. We are here no matter what." Talya added.
"I hope I am not making anyone feel unwanted or left out."
"Hey, there are a lot of us and one of you. We are just happy to be here to serve when you are in need." Chris stated.
"Okay." Lauren felt better but she knew she was going to have to do better.
Once they left the cafeteria, Lauren and those she requested came to meet in the throne room. "I really need help with this council and guardian setup. Evandalyn didn't give me any guidance in this area."
"That's because she didn't set it up herself. The keeper before her did. Many of these people you will meet soon have been in their positions for a long time. The Chancellor will not like that you are removing or moving him and there will be pushback from all of the others, but this is your realm and they know changes are going to come. You just have to be strong. With your men and us backing you, everything will be fine." Prof. Gavin said. "Gerald does need to come back for these meetings so the council and guardians will see a united front."
"Besides, It is time for some changes," Valentine replied.
"Quite. Some of those old farts need to retire." Hosesh added.
"The council members will be here in an hour. Would you like to meet some of the guardians? They would be the ones Edmon and Demeatral recommend so you won't lose the entire squad at once."
"Yes. That sounds good. I have been so nervous about this." Lauren contacted Gerald and he materialized next to her. "How are you here?"
"I will explain later. There is so much magic in our bonds right now. We really need to sit down as a family and talk about it," Gerald stated.
"Okay. Remind me tonight," Lauren replied.
"What you will realize is that many of the guardians will want to retire and you will be able to move some of your entourage members into their spots. It seems that your core group is in this room, with the exception of a few, so your other members are here to fill in spots as people are moved out. That is how this was arranged by Evandalyn. She knew she would not be here to do this for you or to help you, so you have us." Valentine said.
Edmon and Demeatral brought in the first group of guardians. There were 12 of them of all different species, but mostly elves and fairies. "Why are most of you elves and fairies?"
"It is easiest for us to blend in with the other beings in the other realms and we are less likely to turn or want to become power-hungry. Our peoples are mostly at peace and like how we live."
Because of Edmon's and Demeatral's recommendations, they were accepted and given the pin they needed to continue their jobs.
Edmon took some of the newly re-pinned guardians to pick up the earth fairies.
"The next group we will bring in are those that are ready to retire. They are not expecting much, just a speech rewarding them for the service and these bundles that will allow them to live out the rest of their lives wherever they want in style." Prof. Gavin explained.
"Okay." The group entered and she could see why they were ready to retire. They looked like they had been on the job for a long time. She gave them a short speech of appreciation and their bundles. "If any of you feel you are not ready to retire and would like to come back after a well deserved vacation, you will be welcomed." They all left with smiles on their faces. Again, Lauren noticed that most of them were Elves and Fairies.
"Gerald?" Lauren called in her mind.
"Yes, my love."
"Can you explain to me why most of the guardians are elves and fairies?"
"Because they have their own magic and can withstand most witch, warlock, and devil magic. At one time, guardians were mostly Vampires because, well, they could resist the magics. But they started to have problems with them biting other beings. There was one vampire that tried to turn a whole realm. It was a mess. Prof. Gavin ended up being the last of the vampire guards. It is what is working now and has been working for a while."
"Ok. Thanks. I will consider the past as we develop our future."
"Good idea. I will be listening and give advice if I see you need any. I do like that you are including your core and the professors in this. You are not an island. Let others help you."
"Okay." Lauren's confidence in her decisions had never been stronger. Gerald gave her a hug and Lauren then turned her attention back to the work at hand.
"We should be able to get one more group of guardians in before the council gets here." Demeatral said. Lauren nodded. "These are guardians that have not met the mustard. They have messed up more than they have performed correctly. It is my recommendation that they be let go and given a placement bundle so they can find something else to do that they would be better at. There are only four but they may give you a bit of argument. I also recommend you see them one at a time."
"Okay. Send in the first guardian."
In walked a skinny rockstar-looking guy. His hair was long and oily. He was wearing skinny leather jeans and a studded black jacket. "Ello. My name is Timothy. I am a guardian on the European continent on Earth."
"Hello. Timothy. How do you like being a guardian?"
"It's alright. I'd rather be a musician. You know, capture the hearts of a bunch of fans. I don't think I do well with this job but I can't seem to figure out how to get out of it. I asked some of the old folks but got no answer."
"Well. Today is your lucky day. I can give you a severance package that will allow you to choose where you want to go and give you enough money for a good five years if you spend it wisely. How does that sound?"
"Beautiful. I want to go to England. I already have contacts there that want me as a rocker and I can make it there."
"Perfect. I hope you make something of your new life." Lauren was happy this meeting went so easily.
"Thanks. You're alright."
Next, a shy quiet petite woman came in. "Hi. My name is Asia. I am a guardian in the dark realm and I just can't go back there. I don't want to do this anymore. Please let me leave."
"Who told you that you couldn't leave? Where would you go if you did leave?"
"The chancellor said I could not leave. He told me I had to go back to the dark realm because I am the only one who could go there and survive. I don't want to go back there. I want to go home, back to Larksley."
"Why would you be the only one that can work in the dark realm?"
Asia looked around nervously. Lauren waited patiently for an answer. All of a sudden, Asia began to glow. "You see there is no light in the dark realm and I glow because I am pure light. I went to the dark realm and was captured and sold as a slave. I was made to glow continuously or I was beaten. I never should have left my home. I want to go back but they won't take me back."
"I believe I know of a place you can go if you can't go home. And you don't have to go back to the dark realm. Who were you the guardian of in the dark realm?"
"I don't know. I never made it to their home." She began to cry.
"It's okay. I release you from your duties as a guardian and here is your severance packet. If you know for sure you can't go back to Larksley, I give you permission to stay in the spires until better accommodations can be found."
"Thank you. I would hug you if it wasn't against the rules. Thank you so much." Then she left the throne room.
"Why wouldn't she be allowed back in Larksley?" Lauren asked Chris.
"It's the rule. Once you leave, you can't go back. And no. I can't go back. I don't want to anyway. There is nothing there for me."
Chris, I am going to need to know more about you and Larksley."
"I know. Especially with Tom saying that I am a special unicorn and all these people you keep running into from Larksley." He took a deep breath. "I am a dark unicorn and Larksley is a place of light or glowing beings. I am not an evil unicorn even though that is what I was called all my life. But in certain circumstances, my coat is solid black and I absorb the light around me. When I am in my dark form, everything for miles will turn dark. They tried to outshine my darkness once and it only made things worse, because my dark episode lasted longer. I am a healer and I can cure all poisons so when one of my friends got bit by a snake, I healed him and everyone thought I caused the poisoning in the first place. I am usually up at night when everyone else is asleep. I thought that was a good thing because I would be able to guard at night, but there is no need for guards in Larksley. Because I am a dark unicorn, the elders killed my parents and experimented on me to try to remove the evil or the devil from me. I never want to go back to Larksley."
Lauren walked over to Chris and gave him a tight hug. He started to cry. "You are my dark unicorn now and you never have to go anywhere you don't want to go. Thank you for telling your story. You are more a part of us because you have been willing to share your story." She continued to hold him while he exhausted his tears. "It's okay. Now we are going to go on to the next person, but I want you to come closer to me." He followed her to her throne and sat down at her feet.
The next guardian entered. He seemed to be very confident and had a swagger that reminded her of her students who thought they could pass even though they didn't do their work. "Hello, Lady Lauren. My name is Clarence and I serve in the dwarf realm." He stopped and clicked his heels together when he stopped. Lauren was trying to figure out what species he was.
"Yes. Do you know why you are here?"
"Well. I am here to get pinned so I can continue working as a guardian."
"Tell me about your service."
"I have worked as a guardian for twenty years. I am a legacy. My grandfather and my father were guardians. I have guarded a young dwarf the entire time I have worked as a guardian and nothing has happened to him."
"Interesting." Lauren could tell something was wrong with his story. She decided to discern his truth. Clarence is an aristocrat's son. He has been given everything he ever wanted and when he was told he had to become a guardian, he accepted the post. Then he learned he would have to watch over this nobody dwarf and he decided to shuck his duties and steal jewels from their mines. He sold the jewels on the black market while the dwarf he was supposed to be watching was poisoned and almost died. If his best friend hadn't gotten him to the doctor, he would have died.
Lauren ended the discernment. "Gerald, you saw what I saw?"
"Yes, and he should be happy I am not hurting him right now."
"Okay. That answered my question. So can I arrest him? Do I have a dungeon?"
"You have a great dungeon." Tom answered in her head.
"Yes and absolutely. Tell Demeatral what you want to do and she will make it happen."
After she told Demeatral, she turned and addressed Clarence. "Clarence, you are a disgrace to the guard. You steal from the dwarfs and your charge almost died. Yet you feel that you should continue as a guardian. Arrest him and put him in the dungeon. You will be the first tried once the new justice system is in place. If it takes too long, we will use my personal justice system."
Four spire guards came and carried him to the dungeon. "My father will hear about this. You will have to deal with him."
"You should have just put him in one of your book prisons," Gerald said.
"I think He should be tried first. He will end up in a book prison but I believe the people should not feel like I am a dictator."
"Beauty and brains. You have beauty and brains." Carlton added.
The last guard came in and kneeled in front of Lauren. "Hello my lady. My name is Symon and I am a guard for this realm. I do my best to help my charges but I know I am not made out for this. I should be a bookkeeper or a secretary. I should be able to be in an office working for others. I am not a guardian. Please let me change positions in your court. I don't want to leave, I just want to do something else."
"It's fine Symon. Who told you that you had to stay a guard? The Chancellor. He said I had to be a guard or leave. I told him I had no place to go, but he still tried to make me leave. I want to do right by my charges but I don't have any magic. I am just a human. I am good with numbers and sorting things," He flattened himself on the ground and began to grovel. Lauren couldn't take it.
"Please get up. You don't need to grovel to get released from your position. You are released and you will work for Sir Carlton, the new Chancellor."
Symon smiled brightly and got up from his prone position. "Thank you so much. I will honor you in this position. I promise."
"For now, I need you to join the rest of the guardians that just left." He turned and left the room.
"Okay, so does anyone else think there is something fishy about the chancellor?" MaGayla questioned.
"Yes. We will get to the bottom of this today."
A table was brought into the throne room and chairs were gathered around. Lauren sat on her throne for the first time. "I wonder if I should have a trial by fire to set up my council? Starting things with a clean slate would be the easiest way."
"That might be a good idea. It would do away with favoritism or any other statements that could make you seem worthy to be followed. I mean, Cartrell didn't hesitate to clean his slate." Tom said.
"I would do it a bit differently though. I would test just those already on the board and then hold trials for the open seats afterward." Carlton said. "As it has been pointed out, there are legacies on your board. This means that if you just throw everyone off the board their families will revolt and you will have problems that you could just not have. If you hold testing for the ones already on the board, they will remove themselves if they are out of style, or try to control you, or anything else you don't want in a council member."
Lauren sat quietly for a few minutes. " Carlton, Tom, you both make sense. I'm so happy I have your support. MaGayla, we will use the same tests we used for Cartrell and Ezra, you add a technology test. Let's get everything set up. We have ten minutes.