The drill drives on beneath the sunset haze. Captain Vaelorin barks the cadence, and the remaining soldiers answer with bruised, exact motions that echo Eden's style more than their own.
King Nazareth watches from the dais, satisfied. Queen Araneidan’s gaze stays sharp, measuring every stagger, every recovery, as if counting the kingdom’s new strength by breath alone.
One veteran misses the turn and drops to a knee. Vaelorin snaps the line back into shape before the formation can fracture, forcing the men to hold the brutal pace.
Captain Vaelorin
Again. Eden's measure is not a boast, it is the wall that keeps this realm standing.
The front rank stiffens. Several soldiers lean toward obedience, not from comfort, but from the hard truth that the new standard is already being built into them.
Queen Araneidan
Good. If the guard can endure this, then the kingdom can be defended at this height.
Eden stands at the center of it all, the living yardstick around which the royal guard is being remade.
✓ Quest Accepted
See whether the royal guard can hold Eden's standard
“I am leading them by example. Following through with the drill myself so that the King and Queen can better compare who is able to keep up with me. At the same time I am pushing myself to new limits to try and better my own strength and combat prowess.”
SUCCESS (Superb Melee Weapons, rolled +2)
Princess Eden Siranteos steps into the line and takes the drill from the front. Her halberd whips through the next sequence with brutal precision, each pivot and strike setting a pace the yard must answer.
The soldiers adjust on the instant. Feet stamp cleaner, guards rise faster, and the front rank stops hesitating when Eden shifts her weight.
Captain Vaelorin
There, hold that rhythm. Watch her shoulders, match the turn, breathe on the beat.
Eden drives harder, pushing past the comfort of the routine. Her injured forearm flashes once under the strain, but she does not break cadence.
The guard answers. The line tightens, the awkward gaps vanish, and their motions begin to land together as one body instead of many.
Queen Araneidan
Yes. That is the measure. Keep it.
King Nazareth’s approval stays fixed on the yard. Around Eden, the royal guard holds her standard at last, and the drill runs clean under the sunset glare.
Quest Complete
See whether the royal guard can hold Eden's standard