Chapter Text
“The Captain says I must tolerate your presence, so I do. That doesn’t mean I have any interest in being your wet nurse.”
*
“What do you want now? I have a hundred real soldiers to train. Men who have paid their dues, not some teacher’s pet!”
*
“Spar with me? You’re kidding, right? I’ve got enough problems to deal with, the last thing I need is you crying to the Captain because you broke a nail!”
*
“For someone who is supposed to be learning, you sure are slow on the uptake. No, I don’t want to hear about your achievements. What would they consist of: the time you picked out a new dress?”
*
“It takes more to impress me than knowing who to sleep with to get ahead. Now for the last time, stop bothering me!”
*
Ileena sat on the stone seating in the Palace courtyard, arms folded on the outdoor table. Her head hung low, feeling morose in a way she hadn’t known in some time.
“Hey, little ‘sis, we’ve been looking everywhere for you.”
“Oh!” Startled, Ileena looked up to see Prince Adam and Teela standing there, concerned looks on their faces. The blonde aspirant was suddenly reminded of what happened the last time she sat at this table and someone appeared out of nowhere, claiming to care for her wellbeing. She looked all around, before cautiously asking. “You, uh, you are real, aren’t you? I mean, you’re not evil wizards in disguise, by any chance?”
Teela shot a wink to Adam before walking up to her partner and leaning in for a kiss. As she withdrew, Ileena nodded. “Uh-huh, real enough for me.”
Adam took a seat opposite, while Teela sat next to her girlfriend and put an arm around her shoulders. “‘Lee, what’s the matter?”
Ileena sighed. “It’s Lieutenant Dian. Five days now, I’ve tried to talk to her, make some kind of connection. Five times, she has completely dismissed me and I can tell it’s not because she’s a busy military officer. She clearly has something personal against me.”
“Five times?” Adam tried to let her down gently. “I know persistence is a virtue, Ileena, but not everyone in the Royal Guard has to be your friend.”
She fixed him with a sardonic look. “Some of them wanted to be much more than my friend, Adam, remember? At least, they did until I told that Guardsman from Falcon Company that he should stop trying to flirt with me and go kiss his wife. The wife he didn’t think I knew about.”
Teela smirked. “Have to admit, I’m sorry I wasn’t there to see the look on his face.”
Miserable as she was, even Ileena gave a slight smile at the memory. “I think that helped my standing with some of the Guardsmen. They got the message that I’m not going to put up with that nonsense. But no matter what I try, I can’t get Dian to even hear me out, much less prove myself to her.”
Teela pulled Ileena in closer for a hug. “You know, ‘Lee, Adam might have a point. You’ve proved yourself to a lot of people here, but you’re not going to win them all. Perhaps you just have to let this one go.”
Ileena was adamant, her volume rising. “I can’t let it go, Tee’. I have to show her that I belong here, that I’ve earned this!”
“Is it really that important, Ileena?”
She became ever more animated. “It could mean the difference between life and death, Adam!”
Such a hyperbolic statement left him confused. “Uh, how come?”
“Think about it: what is my purpose here? What are you and Teela and everyone else helping me to achieve?”
“To learn the skills you need to be a commissioned Royal Guard officer.”
“Exactly. Which means that one day, assuming I make it to the position, I will be the one ordered to lead men into battle. How can I expect those Guardsmen to follow me if I can’t win the respect of one officer!?”
Both Teela and Adam were caught off-guard by her passion. For moments, there was silence in the courtyard, until Teela smiled and hugged her partner even tighter. “And that is why you will be a good officer: because you think ahead, you see the big picture.”
The praise did little to lift Ileena’s spirits. “Yet I can’t seem to find a way forward.” She went back to contemplating the tabletop in front of her.
Adam reached over and put a supportive hand on his ‘little sister’s’ shoulder. “Ileena, we all know you deserve to be here. You’ve caught criminals and saved lives. You’ve even turned down rewards when you’ve been offered them. Once Dian knows that, I’m sure you’ll gain her respect.”
“But how to make her listen…” Ileena pondered her dilemma
Adam offered what he thought was a good suggestion. “Maybe you should just offer to do some sparring with her, that usually works. You certainly gave my sister a run for her money. She said you had the most heart of anyone she’s ever trained with.”
Teela was alarmed. “No way!” She cupped her student’s cheek and turned her head to meet the Captain’s gaze. “Ileena, listen to me and listen well: never, ever agree to any kind of sparring situation when you have a personal issue with your opponent. You might go in there thinking you can keep it under control, but I’ve seen friendly competition turn into a real fight, real fast when tempers have flared.”
Adam waved off. “I don’t want Ileena to get hurt.”
Teela spoke sharply. “I don’t want either of them to get hurt, Adam. Dian is incredibly tough, but I’ve seen what Ileena has done to real enemies: don’t be so sure the damage would be one-sided. In any case, an incident like that could get her kicked out of the Palace. So no, nothing physical until this is resolved. Is that understood?”
Both Adam and Ileena nodded. “You don’t have to worry about that, Tee’. I already asked her and she almost laughed in my face.”
Ever the strategist, Teela took a moment to consider a course of action. “I guess it goes back to what I’ve taught you: don’t try to outfight your opponent, outthink her.” She pointed to the inset chessboard on the table. “Like you would here.”
Adam tried another suggestion. “Maybe me and Teela should sit Dian down and tell her about all the brave things you’ve done.”
Ileena looked him in the eye, “With all due respect, Your Highness, that would be the worst option. It has to come from me.”
“But she won’t listen to you…”
The blonde warrior sighed. “Even if she would, if it’s just me telling her what I’ve done, she’ll say I’m making it up. But if Dian hears it from someone senior, she won’t change her opinion, she’ll just keep her mouth shut around her superiors.”
“I see what you mean. That’s quite a conundrum.”
Ileena went back to staring at the black and white chequered pattern that lay before her. After several seconds, she was hit by a moment of clarity. Her eyes widened and she looked up with an elated expression. “I’ve got it!”
“What have you got?”
“I know how to make Dian listen to me and get her to respect me.”
Both Teela and Adam were both eager to learn of their student’s plan. The redhead leaned in, “What do you have in mind, ‘Lee?”
Ileena looked around the table. “I’ll need to ask for your help.”
“Of course, anything you need.”
“And it will involve some - what’s that word? Oh yes, subterfuge.”
Adam suddenly felt uneasy. “Are you sure that’s a good idea, Teela? Sounds like you’re being asked to conspire against one of your own officers.”
Surprisingly, the Captain of the Guard was more favourable. “Depends on what it is, Adam. I might see my way to authorising Ileena’s plan as a security test. If Lieutenant Dian can’t see this coming, how can she anticipate and neutralise an enemy spy trying to infiltrate the Palace?”
“Hmm, you have a point there.”
She then turned to her student. “Of course, I would want to know the full details before I give that authorisation.”
Ileena smiled. “I think you’ll like these details, Tee’. Remember what happened on my first day of training? Where we went afterwards, who we met while we were there…”
Teela’s mind drifted back to a warm memory. “I remember it well.”
“I was thinking we could set it up so Dian gets to have the same experience.”
The redhead nodded. “I think we could arrange that.”
Despite agreeing to be part of this subterfuge, Adam felt like he was being kept in the dark. “Uh, arrange what?”
Teela leaned over and patted his hand. “Don’t worry, Adam. There’s nothing untoward going on, just…some parts of this plan are for ladies only.”
Ileena bowed respectfully. “But I will need to ask for a favour, my Prince.”
“Name it.”
“For this plan to work, I need to involve someone very important. Could you please have a quiet word with my, uh, flight instructor?” She shot him a wink.
He winked back. “Consider it done. But what should I say?”
For the next few minutes, the Crown Prince and the Captain of the Guard listened as Ileena outlined their secret mission.