A/N: For those who have already read this chapter, I wanted to note that I made a slight change, nothing that alters the story at all. As I was getting ready for work this morning it occurred to me that I had said it was raining and then they went outside but I made no mention of the rain. That has been amended.
The twenty minute walk to her room was completely uneventful but informative as Myles pointed out important parts of the palace and what Gwen would only refer to as landmarks for her to find her way to her room. She was very certain that it would take weeks for her to figure out the twists, turns, ups, and downs that would be required to get to her rooms. Myles explained that her rooms were in the oldest part of the palace, the original royal wing. She would live in chambers that belonged to the first princess of the Conte line. No one actually lived anywhere near that area of the palace anymore and certainly no business was done in that part of the palace anymore. That alone meant someone wouldn't just happen across her. Anyone coming to her part of the palace would have to have some sort of purpose. She would be on the third floor, to make sure that attacks would not come through the windows. First floor would have enabled easy access to her, second floor slightly more difficult, third floor would be a challenge as it was nearly impossible to sneak a ladder that large around without being noticed by someone.
Finally they arrived to the last doorway in the most quiet hallway Gwen had ever been in. Myles produced a key and let her unlock the door with a hard twist. The door opened and little light orbs lit up the room as the door swung open. Part of her was worried that the orbs wouldn't work if she was alone but she would have to figure that out when she was alone. The first room she entered was what she would call a living room. It held several couches, arm chairs, a fireplace, and a table pushed up against the windows with a few wooden chairs. It was three times the size of the guest room she had spent the day in. To the left was a closed door that she opened to see an exact copy of the guest room she had been in, a servant's quarters or guard's quarters, Myles informed her.
"There's actual panes in these windows," she noted out loud knowing glass windows were expensive and rare. The guest room had two windows, the sitting room was lined with them. In the first two rooms alone there was a fortune of glass. She expected to open the door on the right side of the sitting room and find her bedroom, instead she found a study with a large carved desk, maps all over the walls, more windows, and a bookshelf packed full of books. She wanted to sit at the desk and go through the drawers and see if there was actually more things inside of the desk but she didn't want to appear greedy when the first three rooms were already so much more than she had ever had. The door on the other side of her study led to a short hallway consisting of two more doors. The door against the wall where all of the windows had been, opened to a large stone balcony. The balcony itself had a decorated waist height wall, a stone table with stone benches, and several wicker chairs with lots of open space in between. She didn't go out onto the balcony because she would be tempted to stay outside and stare up at the skies which were far more vibrant without the light pollution of her modern world.
Gwen closed the door and went to open the other door in the hallway which opened to a large bedroom, nearly as large as her sitting room. The largest feature of the bedroom was a king sized, four poster bed complete with curtains. Against one wall there was a large silver vanity with a chair and mirror. The wall with the door was lined with empty shelves, to be filled with her personal possessions she assumed. An armchair sat in one corner against the windows. On either side of the bed there was a door. The first door opened to a fully stocked walk-in closet and dressing room that was complete with pedestal and several full length mirrors. The other door led to a privy complete with actual plumbing.
"Just like they use in the private baths in the bathhouse," Myles told her expecting her to know what that meant.
"Please tell me not by magic," she said softly knowing that Dom, Raoul, and Myles were all listening.
"Yes and no. The tanks that hold and heat the water are magic. The taps are operated by pressure." Myles informed her and she felt a bit of relief that not everything was going to be operated by magic just in case the magic didn't even recognize her.
"You seem fairly concerned about magic," Dom pointed out. At least she had an answer for this one.
"My world doesn't have magic. It's a myth of the ancient times and I am not certain what to make of it." She grinned when Dom just stared at her. All he and the others had known was magic existed. Even if all three of them were Giftless, they wouldn't be able to imagine a world without it. "Like when the immortals suddenly appeared after four hundred years. They aren't all harmful but you still want to know what you are facing." She revealed something she knew she hadn't discussed with Roald but she could always say the gods had given her a brief history of what she was walking into if it was ever questioned.
"These rooms are beautiful. Surely you can inform the King and Queen they are too much for me." She informed Myles. "At the very least you can tell them that I am grateful for the kindnesses they have shown me. I am especially grateful for you sending Roald to keep me company earlier." They made their way back through the bedroom, back through the hallway, back through the study, and into the sitting room.
"Sergeant Domitan will come to you in the morning." Raoul informed her. "It is up to him and you what is decided about your safety. She watched as Dom and Raoul both bowed to her again and went out of the door.
"So you are aware," Myles started when he got to the door. "I did not ask Roald to join you earlier today. He informed me that he was joining you. Just like he stepped around his father's orders that Raoul be the only one making decisions in your safety to request not only the best squad but the most trusted squad to defend you." With that Myles left and Gwen closed the door and locked it. Right away she noted something she would like to change, one lock on the door would not be enough. She wanted a deadbolt, a peephole that allowed her to see who was on the other side, and maybe some extra locks on the other doors leading to her bedroom that allowed her to have a series of barriers between her and whatever might break in. But that would be a concern for the morning when she spoke with Dom about her safety.
Right now her biggest concern was those light orbs. She went to the door of the guest room, seeing darkness under the door, she pushed the door open and instantly the room lit up. She went inside and closed the door. The lights stayed on and she felt relief. She opened the door again and left the room, closing the door behind her and the light coming under the door disappeared. Whatever magic worked the light orbs recognized her at least. If she ever got up the courage to ask a mage how they worked, she would be curious what about her it recognized. But mages seemed to be a bit lengthy with their explanations and she wasn't sure she would understand whatever they were telling her. She knew if she ever made friends with Neal, he would have the answer but she would probably regret asking.
Finding a night shirt in the closet, Gwen pulled it on and climbed into bed thinking it was very likely she would make friends with Neal and all of that group. Dom was in charge of her safety and Roald seemed to have taken an interest in her. Eventually one of them would lead her to that group and she was certain she would like most of them. With that thought in her head, Gwen curled up in her overly large bed feeling how soft the mattress was and the how wonderful the comforter felt, she fell asleep.
The sound of doors opening and multiple male voices made Gwen shoot out of bed. She knew one lock on the door wasn't enough. Dimly she noted the gray light coming through the windows and the sound of rain and questioned what time it was. A soft knock on her door had her looking for absolutely anything she could find as a weapon. There wasn't anything other than the stool in front of her vanity. She picked it up, envisioning throwing it at whoever came to attack her and hopefully disarming them and getting a hold of their weapon. But what if they were skilled unarmed warriors and didn't have weapons. She should hide, should be wearing something other than a night shirt, should have asked for something to defend herself.
"Miss Gwen?" Dom's voice came through the crack in the door. He opened it a little further when she didn't answer and saw her putting the stool back in it's place. "It's just me and my men," he informed her.
"We need some sort of safe word or knock or some sort of code." Gwen decided, sitting down on the stool now that her legs were shaking. She noticed then that she was still wearing just a night shirt and her legs were bare from mid-thigh down. Dom seemed to notice this too and blushed. While in her world she wore skirts this short and it was considered a modest length, she knew here it was highly indecent.
"I'll wait outside while you get cleaned up. No rush," he stepped back into the hall and closed the door behind him and Gwen was left alone again. From behind the door she heard laughter following and could only guess the blush stayed on his cheeks as he returned to his men. Taking his clean up suggestion to heart she ran a bath digging in cupboards to find drying clothes and bottles labeled as hair and body soap and bath scent. The hot water felt good and helped calm her nerves. Clean and dry she searched her closet for underclothes, breeches, and a light shirt. Her hair she brushed out with a silver backed brush from a drawer in her vanity. When she felt ready enough she stepped out into the hallway and made her way into the sitting room where Dom and nine other men were waiting. Dom blushed when he saw her and she heard the laughter start up again.
"You know," she started hoping to make Dom feel somewhat better about seeing her in just her nightshirt. "In my world women wear shorts and skirts that barely cover the vital parts. We go swimming at public beaches wearing something only as covering as underclothes. It doesn't matter. I'm not ashamed of my body. Besides, my knees aren't all that sexy to look at." She tried to make a joke and succeeded when Dom chuckled slightly. "So, please tell me that you have a key and that's how you got in this morning."
"I have a key." Dom replied easily.
"I want more locks." Gwen kept a straight face as she took a place at the table in her sitting room and eyed the tray of pastries.
"You want to keep the Sergeant from seeing you wearing less than a night shirt," one of the men joked and she saw Dom's ears go red.
"Not exactly. I mean, you certainly are handsome Sergeant, but we certainly are not there." She blushed in spite of herself, and poured a cup of water to get herself back under control. "I thought about it last night. I'd like more locks on the main door for one but I'd also like locks on all of the other doors. I want as many locks on the balcony door as I have on the main door. I want barriers that take time to get through. I want weapons in key hidden places that I can get at if needed." She saw understanding dawn on Dom's face. "Whenever they announce my presence I want to be ready with as many layers of protection in these rooms as possible."
Dom signaled to one of his men while Gwen spoke and he set up a portable desk and started writing. Gwen knew she was being paranoid as she suggested the extra locks and weapons built into the structure but part of her guessed that being paranoid would help her here. Unfortunately she couldn't think of any way she would escape if someone did break into her room. She could only delay the inevitable. Eventually the attackers would get to her and do what they wanted.
"Miss Gwen?" Dom's voice broke through her thoughts about what would happen. She realized she must have zoned out and was staring at the pastry in front of her as if it had grown teeth and had threatened to bite her back.
"Please, you can drop the titling. You can call me Gwen. All of you." She looked around the room at the ten men all dressed the same in blue and silver tunics, white shirts, and black breeches. All of them were looking at her with the same look of confusion. "I was just thinking that even if someone does get in here, locks and weapons would only delay them, not defeat them, not turn them away."
"That's where we come in, Miss, I mean Gwen," Dom smiled grimly. "The suite across the way is being modified to be a barracks of sorts for us so we are never too far away. When Roald heard that we told you about the threats, he felt you would feel safer knowing help was close."
"And you're okay with that?" She demanded looking over the men feeling anxious that this would breed resentment in the men.
"My Lady, I mean," one of the men stopped. "Gwen," he started again. "It is our duty to protect you. We cannot do it clear across the palace in our barracks."
"Riley is right." Dom pointed out and gave her the names for the men in the room. Wolset she knew by name only and was happy to put a face to the name. Riley was the other corporal, having replaced Fulcher after they returned from Scanra she gathered. Surprisingly she had never learned the names of any other members of Dom's squad. Besides Wolset, any other names she had learned were men who were now dead from battle. She took the time to learn their names now.
After she was done eating, Dom walked through her suites with her, going over any concerns she had and having one of the men, Emmit, write everything down so that it could be presented to Raoul and then the King to measure if the requests were reasonable. Gwen did not like that the King would be the ending decision in her safety. He did not seem pleased with her being a woman first of all and if he was not pleased, what was to say an attack got through and she died ending his problems. Maybe he would have an attack planned on her. Maybe he would kill a few of his own men to ensure that it appeared to come from an outside source. If she was heartless, she would do something of the sort. But as it was, she could hardly stand the killing of animals. She rarely ate meat and certainly wouldn't eat it if she had seen it in animal form rather than as a chuck of meat.
Once the requests for home security were made, Dom turned his attention to Gwen herself. He asked her quietly if she ever considered armor or carrying a weapon openly and Gwen considered it for a moment. To wear armor told the people she wasn't protected and certainly the Godssent was protected by the gods. She knew it was not true, but the people had to believe it. And now that the thought was in her mind, she knew a squad of men or even half a squad of men following her everywhere wouldn't help her. They were best put to use with the rest of Third Company where ever they went. But she wasn't going to admit it in front of the entire squad. She asked Dom to join her in her inspection of the balcony noting that they had not explored the balcony for possible threats yet due to the rain. Emmit attempted to follow them but Dom turned him back as Gwen went outside.
"Your hints aren't all that subtle," Dom informed her as he came to stand beside her on the balcony. She was looking over the edge at the thirty foot drop to the ground. There was only empty grass below her and then about forty feet back, the Royal Forest started.
"It wasn't meant to be subtle." Gwen informed him. She was surprised Dom followed her so easily out into the rain when she was certain that he would have at least called her back inside to do this conversation in private like her office or bedroom. The slight drizzle wasn't a deterrent to her, in fact it almost felt good to feel the cool drops of water on her skin. "Men, it seems, don't always get subtle hints. And look, you came alone because I was not subtle."
"I will have to tell my men if it is important." Dom said coming to lean on the railing by her.
"It may be important but the less that know would be best. I will not wear armor or carry weapons. I'd like to be taught how to use weapons in case I find myself in need, but to carry one." She closed her eyes not knowing how she would ever take a life. "The Godssent, from what I can gather it stands for, is a hope for most of the people. I may protect my home as I see fit because that is private. But out in public, I have to look like the gods are protecting me. If I walk out of these rooms wearing armor, carrying weapons, and surrounded by a squad of men, I'm going to appear weak. I cannot appear weak."
"So you do not approve of having my squad follow you around even though it was Roald who suggested it?" Dom didn't look offended though she thought he would have the right.
"Not the squad, but I could certainly use a guide. One person to be my companion outside of these rooms. Whoever you chose, I trust your judgement." Gwen turned to face the castle and saw faces peering at her from the windows.
"Even though it may be the death of you?" Dom asked quietly.
"I do not pretend that death does not scare me." Gwen whispered. "It terrifies me. But I it is important that I do things this way. I know that it is right." And she did know that it was right. Dom's large hand found her small one and held it for a moment before he bowed over it and brushed his lips over her finger tips.
"Then I shall dismiss the others and appoint myself as your personal guard."