The sound of repetitive tapping filled the small bed chambers as Percival Moore drummed his fountain pen against his desk. He was seated in the corner of the room beside a narrow window overlooking a paved courtyard. It wasn’t the best view in the castle—the king and queen’s chambers were much nicer, looking out over the beautiful surrounding countryside—but as the head guard of the royal family, it suited his purposes perfectly. He had a clear vantage point of the knights stationed outside the palace as well as the main gate that separated the aristocrats from the outside world.

The gate was monstrous in size, looming high over the courtyard and casting long shadows that served as a constant reminder of its presence to anyone that stood below. It stretched upward to the top of the protective curtain wall and was impossibly heavy. At least four able-bodied men were required to operate the cranks that pulled it open whenever someone begged entrance to the castle, and when it did open, it was quite the sight to see. The giant doors yawned like the gaping maw of a dragon, poised to swallow the horse-drawn carriages and men of the cavalry that were most often granted access to the castle within.

Most of the time, the gate was consistent in its allowance of aristocrats and other peoples of importance, but today, that dragon was going to bring someone quite different into the reclusive land of the royals.

Percy lifted his pen to the corner of his mouth as he stared out the window of his chambers, his crystalline blue eyes fixed on the fateful gate that would soon change his life. Today was the day that the next princess of the country would be arriving, and the reigning king and queen had chosen him to be her personal guard, tutor, and attendant. It was an all-encompassing job that would require his full attention and utmost care, but it was also a chance for him to prove himself as a capable guardian of the future queen.

As the son of the most well-respected head guard in the country’s recent history, he had quite the large shoes to fill. Keeping the princess safe and assisting her in her training would be a fast way to demonstrate his competence, and as such, he intended to approach the duty with fervor. If all went well, he would gain favor with the aristocrats in the castle, and earn high standing with the young woman who had been chosen to succeed the throne. Just the thought of it made him sit up straighter with determination.

Turning back to the blank journal in front of him, Percy tapped his pen against the desk once more before giving a defeated sigh and setting it down beside his inkwell. His father had always encouraged him to keep a thorough diary, saying that it was important to keep a record of one’s thoughts throughout the day, but he was too distracted to focus on something so mundane at the moment. Despite his father’s advice, he had never been one to keep a consistent journal to begin with, and now that his mind was focused on the princess’s arrival, it was almost a guarantee that he wouldn’t get any writing done that morning.

He closed the diary and stood up from the desk, lacing his fingers together to push his arms forward in a long stretch. Taut muscles built from years of physical training loosened pleasantly in response. Letting his arms fall back down to his sides, he glanced out the window once more, this time seeking out the clock tower that was just visible from his chambers. The time was nearing half-past nine in the morning, and the princess was due to arrive at ten. It wouldn’t be long now before she came through the dragon-maw gate, and he was supposed to meet her at the entrance of the castle with the king and queen.

With a mere half-hour left before his summons, he stepped over to the armor that he had laid out on his bed earlier that morning, deciding that it would be best for him to spend his nervous energy on preparing to stand before the royal family properly dressed. So, giving up on the flimsy hope that he would focus well enough to write about anything in his diary that morning, he adorned himself with the protective braces and picked up his sword as he headed out of his room to meet the young woman whom he would soon be serving for what he could only guess would be the rest of his life.

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Percy stood at the top of the marbled steps that led to the entrance of the palace. A half-hour had passed, and the gate would be opening at any minute to admit the new princess to the castle grounds. The doors had yet to even part, but he could already feel a tangle of complex emotions well up inside his chest—excitement at the prospect of taking this opportunity, nervousness at the thought of something going wrong, and above all, curiosity to find out what sort of person this woman would turn out to be.

“She’s here,” the king, who stood directly to his left, spoke up suddenly as the massive wooden doors of the gate began to rumble and groan.

Percy responded with a wordless nod, staring intently at the growing opening as he searched for the carriage that was carting his future queen. It wasn’t long before he spotted it: a well-kept vehicle drawn by two horses that belonged to the king, himself. At the sight of it, he felt his breath catch in his throat, struck with an unexpected bought of nervousness. It was finally happening. The king and queen had chosen their heir, and it was now up to him to make sure she stayed safe and would be prepared to take on the responsibilities of royalty. The importance of his duty weighed heavily on his chest.

“You’re going to love my niece,” this time the queen spoke up from beside her husband. The perceptive woman flashed him a smile, seeming to have caught his anxious expression and mistaken it for nervousness about meeting her relative. “She’s going to need some work to prepare for the throne, but she’s a sweet girl.”

“If she’s anything like her aunt, I’m sure she will be, My Lady,” Percy tipped his head to her in a courteous gesture. Even though the queen hadn’t pegged the real reason behind his unease, he still appreciated how quick she was to offer consoling words.

Soon, the carriage came to a stop at the base of the steps, and he turned towards it again with interest. The footman climbed down and made his way to the passenger door, and Percy held his breath. He was finally going to get his first glimpse of the princess they had all been waiting for.