Since his parents left him in front of Sunset Orphanage, Juno's life had consisted of a small villa and garden. Never beyond unless to the nearby farm run by Uncle Smith and his many daughters for fresh milk and vegetables or the nearby forest and hills.
The orphanage was a small red brick building with a sloping roof and several chimneys. The front door was a heavy wooden gate with a brass knocker shaped like a lion's head. The windows were tall and narrow, with wooden shutters that could be opened to let in the cool breeze.
Surrounding the orphanage was lush and green landscapes. The village was nestled between a valley surrounded by rolling hills covered in emerald green grass. The sound of the nearby river was a calming ambience. It snaked its way through the valley and provided fresh water for the village.
In the orphanage, the children played in a bright, airy hallway with a polished wooden floor and a staircase leading up to the second floor. Their cheers were bouncing off the walls—painted a cheerful shade of yellow, with colourful paintings and posters adorning them.
The main room was an ample, open space with several tables and chairs arranged in a semi-circle. The children sat at the tables, often eating a simple meal of bread, meat, and soup. The walls were lined with shelves filled with books and games, and several toys were scattered around the room.
At his age, many boys left the village to join a guild or become miners. Mrs Reeves had urged him to explore the world, but he had everything he could wish for in the village. The many hills and valleys were an adventure on their own.
The small children would join him on his hikes during the summer; their starstruck expressions felt like he was reliving the experience of seeing the grand green fields through them again. The field trips taught them about dangerous plants and let them move their small bodies around.
So, he stayed under the premise of helping out Mrs Reeves, who had grown old and tired through the years.
Deep down, he knew it was because he had nowhere else to call home.
...
Men dressed in maroon uniforms would come by each fortnight and speak to Mrs Reeves for many hours on end; they'd also make the children write and calculate various texts and equations.
Mrs Reeves was a great teacher, but he spent his time studying out of boredom rather than interest. Nevertheless, Juno consistently scored well, proud even if he didn't know exactly why he had to do the tests.
Juno would serve the knights' tea and small cookies after everyone else went to bed; they never spoke in his presence, just observed him with unmoving eyes.
It sent chills down his spine without fail every time, yet, he responded politely to their prodding questions despite the odd feeling he got from them. Two years ago, they stopped visiting, but Juno never asked why, secretly happy that the late-time visitors finally left them to their own devices.
The Nor kingdom was the furthest north among the three on the Iorian continent, surrounded by mountains up north and their neighbouring countries south.
The harsh winters meant that food was sparse, but a good reason for a treaty with the Maritime Empire of Caspia to the east. In exchange for raw metals, they had plenty of crops and fish to last them through the dark and brutal months.
It had improved the general state of the nation, but no one had it better than the upper class, who had gone all out with their flashy gowns and marble statues. Suddenly, they were the wealthiest country on the continent by a small margin.
Many worried that the Southern Empire of Sol would take that as a provocation upon hearing about the treaty, as they had battled many times with Caspia for fishing routes. Similarly, The Kingdom of Nor had gone to war a hundred years ago for the disputed Island Io with Caspia.
The fact that Sol immediately signed a military exchange with the Great Kingdom of Pyla and that they exchanged soldiers and artillery sent the entire continent into a frenzy.
The press went all out, releasing exclusive interviews with generals and royals of all types. But, unfortunately, Juno had to admit some of the articles were inflammatory at best and panic-inducing at worst.
Juno scoffed at the drama; the average life of the majority remained the same even after the economically prosperous time they were in, so this nonsense was only of concern for people with something to lose in wealth.
For what reason did the rich worry? The ones sent to war were always commoners, after all. Commoners didn't get to join the knights or army at all, so they mostly got sent as cannon fodder and to increase the number of soldiers or to carry prestigious knights back.
The Nobels were so anxious that they stopped arranging parties and gatherings, albeit they still lounged in their gold-covered palaces. But they were clutching their assets, waiting for the chaos to settle down.
That lasted for a solid week, as somebody decided to host a tea party the following weekend.
Inflation soared as trade got limited, and people upsold their merchandise from anxiety. Of course, Uncle Smith didn't charge them more when they came over weekly for dairy and eggs, but the rapidly greying hair spoke for itself.
...
Mrs Reeves had started to get summoned more often to the royal palace than ever; suddenly, she'd depart almost every weekend. At first, Juno thought she was working part-time to make ends meet, but her gloomy face indicated something else was going on.
"Juno, I'm heading out tomorrow again. I'll return tonight. Care for the children well." She solemnly said before climbing up the royal carriage, assisted by a knight in a dashing emblem and navy blue uniform.
He didn't look much older than Juno himself.
The children, familiar with Juno being in charge, didn't cause too many problems. They did drag their feet a little with the cleaning, but Juno promptly ended that ordeal by threatening more chores and no hiking.
The night fell, but Juno couldn't go to bed yet, worried about Mrs Reeves's journey and poor health.
She was an old lady with stark white hair who had dedicated her life to serving orphans, but once, she had been the crown princess's lady in waiting.
She was peculiar to the children's grooming and cleanliness.
Last month, a heap of new children had arrived, one as small as a loaf of bread. The village across the lake to their west had been attacked and burned to the ground. Such ordeals had been widespread across the nation these days.
The royal knights were kept busy, surveilling and investigating the capital endlessly. But, unfortunately, the territories near the burnt-down village hadn't gotten the same priority.
Juno's stomach twisted in worry for his mentor and the children that would be left in his care if anything went wrong. But, in his anxiety, he hadn't realized that voices were mumbling outside the entrance.
A heavy knock echoed through the villa that, caused Juno to almost fly out of his chair. Rising In a hurry, he crossed the creaking hardwood floor. He paused for a second to calm his startled heart.
"Juno, open the door." It was Mrs Reeves, thankfully. Juno couldn't help but notice how strained her voice was.
Carefully, he opened the heavy wooden door only to find Mrs Reeves accompanied by two burly royal knights.
They stared at the lean boy with pale skin and big black eyes. His hair fell into his eyes and was unruly compared to their neatly styled hair.
"Mrs Reeves, shall I put on some tea?"
The guards glanced at each other upon hearing the boy's question. Mrs Reeves shook her head and signed.
No one had come in, and the cold air was starting to numb Juno's skin, but he waited patiently for the visitors to step inside on their own accord; hospitality included not being pushy, after all.
"Juno, these men are here to bring you to the royal castle; pack a bag." Mrs Reeves had stated and shoved herself in slightly past the shocked boy.
"What?" Juno whispered to himself, expecting the old lady to break into one of her signature broad smiles. But that never came; instead, he was met with a stoic face. Then, finally, one of the guards cleared his throat and spoke:
"We will wait outside, meet us at the carriage soon. We need to arrive tomorrow morning." Juno whipped his head back to seek an explanation from the woman that raised him, but she gazed outside the window.
Juno gazed out the same window mere minutes ago in anticipation of her safe return. Finally, at least, that had happened; indeed, she had returned safely.
...
The carriage was splendid, with two stallions attached to its golden exterior. Juno felt a little wary at driving in such apparent wealth. Any thief desperate enough would target them, and heaven knew how many young men were desperate these days.
Juno held his tongue the entire trip through the countryside. They stopped once to relieve themselves, but it was a brief break.
The two guards didn't initiate a conversation with him, so he was grateful for the silence he needed to gather his thoughts.
He had been informed about the reason for the trip, and he found it absurd. He was to guard the youngest princess when he had never been in the capital before, a suicide mission if you asked him.
The men had given him a slight look of pity upon his frightened reaction, but they quickly turned to their neutral expressions and slammed the carriage shut. Then, they hopped onto the horses, leaving him to panic alone.
Now that sun was rising, Juno had reached a state of catatonic calm. Although he felt something stirring in his stomach the longer, he had to stare at the mahogany wood of the carriage.
If that was what he was to do, regrettably, that was what he was to do.
He didn't want to die. So, he had to think of what to do for his survival, which was the princess's survival.
Any plan starting to brew in his head came to a halt when he saw the spectacular capital on the horizon.
The Capital Umia was still as dawn edged closer and closer upon them. Its big walls stretched as tall as the clouds, at least to Juno, who had never seen such a large structure before.
An occasional dog would bark, or a merchant would pass by, but it was almost as still as the countryside.
They passed the checkpoint and continued forward until they reached the main road, the heart of the city, which was starting to spring to life.
At the end of the cobblestoned road was the forest separating the Royal Castle from the common folk. It was grand, like everything about the royals, and damp.
The tall pine forest didn't take long to cross before they arrived at a river with a stone bridge.
They passed yet another checkpoint before they came upon another wider cobblestoned path leading up a hill.
There was the Royal Court of Nor.
It ascended above them all on a sturdy hill, with a view stretching passed the protective walls of the capital; it shone blindingly bright even from where Juno was peeking out of his carriage.
It suddenly became too real. Gone was his serene mood; his fate was sealed.
"Let me out!" He banged at the carriage door frenetically, but the guards ignored him as they etched closer to his doom.