Like the description says, this will be a series of one-shots based around Vossler and Ashe, set at various points before, after and during the game. As such, there will be spoilers. To avoid confusion, I put the year in which the piece is set at the top – for those who don't know, the game takes place in 706 Old Valendian (OV).

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Decisions

696 OV, 3 days before Ashe's 9th birthday

King Raminas was at his wits' end.

His daughter was not yet even nine years of age, but he could not ignore the whispers of war, fleeting though they may be. She was his only child, his sole heir – a prime target for any would-be invader. Not that she would be able to comprehend that, of course.

This lack of understanding only made things harder. How was he to convince Ashe, still so young and ignorant of the harsher side of life, that it was imperative she accept the presence of a hitherto unknown person in every aspect of her life?

And so it was that he had summoned his most favoured knight captains before him. Surely, she would accept one of them – it was just a matter of finding the right one.

To the far left stood Rishal. A bangaa, he was a fine warrior and a finer strategist. One Raminas could not afford to lose. Not that he would have been right for Ashe anyway; he had a notoriously sharp tongue. Suppose the young princess would hear one of his more 'colourful' rants… Not Rishal then.

Next up was Lora, a viera of such great age she had served not only Raminas but also his father before him. She was a veritable fountain of wisdom, both on and off the battlefield, though many found her cold demeanour off-putting. His daughter was almost the complete opposite – the two would merely clash.

Arslan stood slightly behind the others; perhaps he knew he would not be selected. The man was not wrong – after giving it some more thought, the King had already decided Arslan would not be the one. He was loyal to the core, there was no denying that, but he was not the most genial of fellows. Hardly the type of man Raminas was willing to expose the young princess to.

That left but two men: Basch fon Ronsenburg and Vossler Azelas. With the rumours of war on the horizon, it would not do to lose either of them, but Ashe must be protected. Raminas sighed in exasperation, closing his eyes for a moment.

The captains shifted nervously as they waited for their liege to speak. None of them knew why they had been summoned, and matters had only been made worse when the king had said he had an important decision to make. Were they to go to war? An uneasy silence filled the air as Raminas opened his eyes once more.

"Step forward, Captain Azelas." The king's echoed through the silence of the throne room. "You are to have the honour of serving as Princess Ashelia's bodyguard during these troubled times. The rest of you are dismissed – return to your stations."

An audible wave of relief passed over the assembled soldiers as they turned to leave the chamber, with only Basch stopping briefly to clap his friend on the shoulder. As instructed, Vossler stepped forward, kneeling before the king. "That I be considered worthy."

Unbeknownst to the knight before him, King Raminas smiled. He had made the right decision, he was sure of it.

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"Decide promptly, but never give your reasons. Your decisions may be right, but your reasons are sure to be wrong."

Lord Mansfield