16th Clear Glass Moon, 908, Midnight

Countless, careful hours of scraping and etching into the floorboards were finally showing their worth. Though winded from the effort, Luna's escape was nearing its finish. Her shard of metal had dulled from the endless scraping, withering its sharpened point down to a rounded tip. Her determination finally paid off.

She pressed her ear to the door, listening out for her guard. The last few days seemed off to her, though. She had gotten used to Ursula exercising periodically through the night, grunting and panting from an intense workout, but it had been unusually quiet recently. Was someone else taking over the night shift, or was no one keeping an eye on her anymore?

Regardless of the true answer, there wasn't anyone immediately present to interrupt her escape. The sooner she fled, the sooner she can report back to Matthias about her findings. She will make sure to mark the base's location, ensuring none of their trickery can get past the knights again.

She took a deep breath and stood over her escape hatch, one mere kick away from freedom.

There was the issue of getting down. She couldn't determine how high up in the trees she was exactly, and the inhibitor drug was still in her system. She couldn't stretch out her Vine Whips to their furthest length, otherwise climbing down would be effortless. Fortunately, she trained for maneuvering through unusual terrain, so she might be able to climb down normally with some effort.

The real test was getting past the Foresters' nightguard. She was currently weakened, unarmed, and exposed for any number of attacks, whether of the elemental or pointy flying stick variety. They had the advantage of terrain, but stealth may be her only option. The cover of night could give her an advantage. She could camouflage herself with the dirt and hopefully avoid the gazes of those with superior night vision. She will have to stick close to the trees and move swiftly, but quietly.

Under normal circumstances, the main obstacle would be finding her way back to the capital since she didn't know where the base was located. However, only little bits of light showed itself through the shack, thus giving her an indication of where the sun was rising. The sun rises from the east, and light shines from the back side of the shack in the morning. So, if she were to head west based off her current position, she would eventually find the main path to the capital.

It would still take her time to get to the kingdom gate, and she wasn't sure if she can get past the Forester nightguard without raising alarm. She was a high priority prisoner now that she knows Melissa's secret, and she'll be even more high priority with knowledge of their base's location. The entire fort would be swarmed by morning once she returned. If they even suspect she escaped, they'll easily catch her in minutes regardless of the distance she put in.

Luna took a deep breath and sighed. I've gone over the escape plan hundreds of times in my head. I won't get another shot like this. I can do this.

She summoned up as much of her Vine Whips as she can and dug them into the cut circle. She took a deep breath, lifted her foot, and stomped down. The circle gave out in one blow and broke off. She quickly tightened her grip with Vine Whip, wrapping up the cut boards as they came undone. She waited with bated breath as the boards swung helplessly from her vines, waiting for a response.

No alarm or gasp came from either side of the shack. Just as she hoped, no one was taking up the night shift. She got her lucky break.

With a relieved sigh, she reeled the boards into the shack and dumped them into the corner. She checked through the hole, determining the height she was at. It was a huge drop, but there were at least branches to climb down on.

Operation: Escape to Verde is a go. Luna grabbed the edges of the escape hole and lowered herself down to the nearest branch.

"Care for some tea before you leave, Ms. Freia?"

She turned herself around and smiled. "Oh yes, I could use the caffeine—" Her eyes bugged out of her skull. WHAAAAAAAAAT?!

As her brain finally caught up with her, she gawked at the Salandit staring back at her. He was standing upside-down, sticking to the bottom of the platform, with a teacup in his hand right-side up. He took a sip of it, somehow gulping it down despite, again, being upside-down.

He sighed contently after a long sip and smiled at her. "Well, would you care to join me back inside?"

Luna's eye twitched. I hate this guy so much.

Three Years Ago…

"Formation!"

The new recruits stood at attention as the armored Bewear paced before them, staring them down with a suffocating stare they endured.

The Bewear ceased his pacing and turned to face the recruits. "You stand before me as mere zygotes in the art of war. The world as you know is soft. You enter into the service of your kingdom, you will be broken down and reshaped into knights of valor and honor. Your very lives and bodies will be sacrificed for the good of the fine people of your kingdom. Leave now and spare yourselves the humiliation of failure, or stay and show us your commitment to the Verde Kingdom."

"Aye, Sir Kennard!" the recruits exclaimed.

The bulky bear nodded and resumed his pacing. "For the next several months, you will be put through intense training unlike anything you've experienced. Make good on your training. Earn the admiration of your superiors. During your training, you will be scouted by the knights of our domain to be taken in as their squire, including that of the Black Knight himself. Only the strongest are worthy of being accepted under his wing. Work to earn his approval and become a knight equal to his family's legacy."

"Aye, Sir Kennard!"

Kennard stopped and faced the group again. "Today, we will test the limits of your bodies. Firstly, we…" He stopped himself as his eyes landed on a particular oddity among the recruits.

Most of the current recruits were larger and evolved, yet the recruit that caught his eye was a female Snivy proudly standing alongside her peers with a stoic expression. Kennard narrowed his eyes and marched up to the grass snake.

"Recruit, state your name."

Luna tensed up. "Luna Freia, sir!"

"Luna Freia…of House Freia?"

"Aye, Sir Kennard!"

Kennard's brow furrowed. "Is this a jest? What is a lady of a noble house doing here, standing among the kingdom's future defenders?"

"I am here to become a knight of the Verde Kingdom, to serve and protect my people from outside threats, sir!"

Kennard scoffed. "There is no place for women in the service of war."

"I beg to differ, sir! Many of the kingdoms outside our own take in capable women to serve their homes, so I do not see issue with offering my services!"

He shook his head. "The kingdoms that you refer to are outliers to the proper standards of society. The Senbo Kingdom and their noisy contraptions, and dare I speak of the whispers of war raging from the Umbra Clock Kingdom or the state of the Arcania Kingdom. These are not kingdoms to idolize as true warriors, Lady Freia, and it would be best to stay the course of nobility as intended."

Luna's brow creased slightly, and her fingers curled into the brief fist. "With all due respect, Sir Kennard, there is no written law stating I cannot enlist into the service of the Verde Knighthood."

One of the recruits snickered. "Her barbarian mother's influence, no doubt."

"Mate, shush," another recruit said.

"Silence!" The recruits winced from the knight's shout and resumed position. Kennard crossed his arms and glared down at the defiant Snivy. "Have it your way, Lady Freia, but you will be gone in a week."

"I do not plan on it, sir," Luna said.

"Then I look forward to breaking you."

"Aye, Sir Kennard!"

The first two weeks into training, Luna committed to the training alongside her fellow recruits. Despite the Bewear's remarks, she persevered through the exercises each day, managing to keep pace with the others.

At the start of each morning, the recruits would run laps through the capital in formation all while passing bystanders would regale the new battalion in the making. Remarks against Luna would each the Snivy's ears, unsubtle whispers of a noble girl and her unsightly demeanor donning the garb of a trainee instead of the refined restraints of a dress. Some would voice their surprise discovering she wasn't a boy, the mere thought of her marching alongside burly, male Pokémon unthinkable. She pushed those comments aside and focused on her run.

Afterwards, standard training protocol took place in the castle courtyard. The recruits endured a gauntlet of push-ups, obstacle courses including walls and bars, the oppressive heat of the summer sun, and the cyclone of reprimands from Sir Kennard as he oversaw their progress. There were only a few breaks given out through the day before they were dismissed, and each felt shorter than the last.

Each day, Luna would leave the courtyard drench in sap-smelling sweat with limbs made of rubber. Eventually, the soreness in her muscles grew. She would throw herself into bed upon returning home, only to leave first thing at the crack of dawn to continue with training. The recruits were given each Sunday off to rejuvenate, a true blessing for their hard work.

However, over the course of training, Luna started to notice patterns in Sir Kennard's behavior. They started small, almost unnoticeable, as he would bark orders at the recruits while occasionally peppering in compliments on their improvement. The amount of praise increased in increments as training continued on. It didn't dampen the harshness in his voice whenever someone was slacking behind.

For a while, she couldn't pin the odd feeling in her chest, until one day.

The recruits were going through their usual round of exercise, performing push-ups in the courtyard, until Sir Kennard whistled them over. "Attention!"

The recruits jumped to their feet and assumed position. "Aye, Sir Kennard!"

The Bewear crossed his arms. "Today, we will be going into weapon training. We Pokémon have been blessed with amazing abilities, but the potency of these abilities can be enhanced through a medium. We will start instruction on proper sword usage and combat. Join me by the racks, for instruction shall be passed over to Sir Matthias today."

A chorus of gasps sounded from the recruits. "Sir Matthias will be teaching us?"

"Incredible! I heard he wields a sword the size of a mountain!"

"I heard he once struck a man down so hard, the entire kingdom shook."

"I think we would've remembered if that happened—"

"Silence!" Sir Kennard yelled, reeling their attention back in. "Report to Sir Matthias immediately for instruction."

"Aye, Sir Kennard!" The recruits turned and marched themselves forward.

However, as Luna marched along with them, Sir Kennard said, "Lady Freia, halt."

Luna stepped out of formation and saluted him. "Aye, Sir Kennard!"

"You won't be joining in today's lesson."

Her eyes widened. "Excuse me—" She bit her tongue before taking a deep breath. "I-I mean, is there a problem, Sir Kennard?"

"Your performance during training has been lacking. I've marked multiple mistakes in your form and development."

"W-What? But I've been keeping up with the others just fine—"

"Have you, now? I've noted times where you lagged behind some of the other recruits during morning laps. Just recently, you were five seconds slower climbing up the obstacle wall while your peers were able to clear it in record time."

"Sir Kennard, I'm the shortest one here. Surely you've taken that into account—"

He glared down at her. "Am I hearing backtalk, Freia?"

"I…" She clenched her teeth and exhaled a long breath until the tension in her throat eased. "No, Sir Kennard."

He turned his back to her. "You will make ten laps around the capital wall and return here to continue with exercises."

Luna glared. "And when will I be able to participate in sword training, sir?"

"Until you improved."

"Can I get a little more specification—" She closed her mouth after he glared over his shoulder. "…Aye, Sir Kennard."

"Then why are you still standing around? Get moving."

Luna huffed through her nose and started her run out of the courtyard. She glared for a moment over her shoulder, spotting her fellow recruits as they gathered around the Black Knight. A soft growl rumbled inside her throat, the tension inside her chest twisting tighter.

She finally had an answer to that strange feeling she had been experiencing.

Sir Kennard saw her as nothing more than a nuisance.

Basil poured Luna a cup of tea and handed it to her. He smiled at her hesitancy upon picking it up. "It's not poisoned. Trust me, I would've done that a long time ago."

She glared at the tea, swirling it around in its vessel. "Honestly, I'm more worried about coughing up another playing card."

"You have no flair for entertainment. Were you raised to be this much of a killjoy?"

"Do you want a black eye?"

"Ooh, testy." Basil sipped his tea while kicking his feet through the escape hatch sitting between the two. "Isolation has made you quite snappy, or maybe you're just peeved a certain princess managed to outmuscle you."

Luna gripped her teacup between both hands and leaned forward. "Every day, it gets harder and harder imagining that is the princess."

"I wouldn't hold anything against her. She's been having a rough time."

"Tch. A spoiled brat like her?"

"Bold words coming from someone a year younger than her."

Her eyes widened. "How'd you know my age?"

"I didn't. You told me."

"I…" She pouted and chugged back her tea.

Basil sighed. "Ms. Luna, I speak with sincerity that Melissa has been through a lot lately, so I advise you find it in your heart to forgive her the next time you two speak."

"I don't associate with traitors."

"Such bold statements. Perhaps you'll change your tune if I told you what happened, but this isn't my place to speak of such matters. I am many things, but spreading such news like gossip is beneath me, not to mention insensitive."

Luna softened up a bit. "Something bad?"

"There's so much to Virdis very few know, and we were cursed with this knowledge. Do not mistaken us as hooligans, Ms. Luna. Chaos is a byproduct of our actions, but never the intended outcome. If we were the monsters Virdis paints us as, why would we waste our time housing and feeding you when we're currently going through a food crisis?"

"I have been hearing about that, yeah." She shook her head and groaned. "This is ridiculous. To willing join thieves for some pursuit of goodwill is…baffling!"

Basil chuckled. "I partially agree. Lofty ambitions over such a childish dream. What child doesn't dream of world peace? Those who dream big will see their dreams die swifter, and reality will set in like an infection. Some of us don't choose our lives, but we can make our own destinies, and our dear Melissa has carved herself quite the promising destiny."

"I'm sensing a but to your point."

"Sharp mind. However, a childish dream isn't an ignorant dream. It'd be too simple, painfully easy, to give in to hopelessness and accept the flow of events, moving along the currents like a mere leaf. Melissa isn't a leaf. She is a tree, a tree born from this forest. Hardy, strong, and steadfast. Why give in to the law of the world when we can carve our own destinies?"

Luna frowned and stared down at her empty teacup. "I…suppose I can relate."

"Do you have something to get off your chest? I'm a good listener."

She closed her eyes and sighed. "Verde is an old-fashioned kingdom brought up by old-fashion principles adopted from their original homeland. We Pokémon are brought up equal in might, yet societal standards were different. Beliefs were different. Senbo believes in its military might, thus anyone can defend their kingdom, while Umbra Clock has loosened old traditions in recent years. I do not speak as traditions are a great evil, but rather there are some too outdated for the current world."

Basil nodded. "I can relate. The Arcania Kingdom was seen as a realm of heretics. We didn't fit in with the cultured parts of Virdis."

"It's more than that, though." Luna set her teacup aside and leaned back on her hands. "I take after my mother a lot. She married into a noble house, and she struggled to fit in. I've learned a lot from my parents, but I've always followed my mother's beliefs. Verde society says noblewomen should be demure, proper, and a symbol of their house. It's expected of a lady to get married into another noble house to increase their notoriety."

"And you have no interest in such trivialities."

She shook her head. "Maybe one day I'll get married, but I don't want to just because it's expected. I want to study under the ways of Xerneas and life, to take up arms and become a proud soldier to the people, and to help others. It's a simple dream, but one I hold close to my heart." She sighed and looked down the escape hole. "Not a lot of knights had faith in my abilities when I started training."

Basil looked aside. "And thus you push yourself to the limit to prove yourself to your peers."

"An unfortunate habit I've developed. I can't express the times I've gone through sleepless nights over a simple task, plagued by nightmares fueled by an unhealthy amount of coffee."

"You'd get along well with Percival."

Luna glared. "I don't think my instructor had any intention of making me a knight. Over and over, I just did the same exercises with barely any comments on my improvement, if there were any to give. Excuse after excuse in some attempt to make me quit. At some point, I just started doing the bare minimum because it wouldn't have changed his attitude. I was beginning to lose my faith in the Verde knights if that was the standard they upheld. I actually almost considered quitting, but I stuck around because I wanted to make my parents proud."

"You could've just asked them to speak to the instructor about his unfair treatment."

"No, I had to handle it on my own. I couldn't rely on them forever." She looked aside with an awkward smirk. "Plus, I'm pretty sure my mother would've caused a commotion if I told her." She sighed. "I just kept following orders and listening under some false belief I could earn his favor. But yeah, the temptation to quit was getting to me."

"What convinced you otherwise?"

Luna straightened up and stared the Salandit in the eyes. "Just when I was losing hold of my faith, the knight I admired most stepped into my life."

Luna pulled herself over the obstacle wall with her face drenched in sappy sweat. Her muscles burned trying to keep her aloft on the wall. They demanded rest, but she took in a couple breaths before swinging herself around and climbing down. On the way down, she spotted the other recruits continuing with their sword training under Sir Matthias' watchful eye.

"Keep moving, Freia!" Sir Kennard barked from below.

Luna restricted the growl hovering inside her throat. She took another couple breaths and said, "Aye, Sir Kennard." She climbed down the wall and continued running the course.

After she finished a couple laps around the course, Luna was back to doing menial exercises all while Sir Kennard was barely paying attention. The effort she put in diminished little by little, a combination of her withering patience and the growing soreness in her muscles. She could put up with the pain, but no amount of exercise was going to turn Sir Kennard's opinion of her around. He even stopped giving criticism of her training and just kept telling her to run the routine again, even when she was slacking on purpose.

These were the brave knights of the kingdom she would be serving alongside with?

"Ah, Sir Matthias!"

Luna tilted her head up during her push-ups and saw through glistened eyes the Black Knight approaching her tormentor. The air around him radiated from the heat of his armor absorbing the rage, summer sun's rays, yet a Fire-Type like him felt no ill effects to its presence. Luna herself should be benefitting from the sun, but that was from passively absorbing it, not torturous activity.

Matthias crossed his arms and huffed. "A fine batch of recruits you brought me, Sir Kennard. I see some potential."

"Any one of them would make a fine squire for you, Sir Matthias. You won't be disappointed."

"Hmm." He noticed Luna's staring and glared down at her. She turned away from him and continued with her uneven push-ups. "How long has she been doing this?"

Kennard waved it off. "She's just lagging behind the other recruits. Unsurprising, is it?"

"Hmmm…" Matthias crossed his arms. "Recruit."

Luna was halfway down on the floor, struggling to look up at him. "Sir?"

"You're dismissed for today."

"But I—"

"Dismissed. Now."

Luna's arms gave out under her, faceplanting her into the ground. She picked herself up, holding her limp arm, and dragged herself away. She turned back, only getting a stern look from the Infernape. She sighed and carried on her way.

Kennard shook his head. "Bah, who is she fooling? I humored her fantasy long enough, but thinking I would actually accept her into the knighthood is absurd. The battlefield is no place for a woman."

"…" Matthias' brow furrowed. "She persisted through your training just fine."

"She's barely trying anymore. Give her a few more days and she'll give up. Better for all of us."

"You know there are no written laws against women joining the knighthood, right?"

"Do you see any other women lining up to take up the sword? The noble and peasant women would prefer staying home enjoying the luxuries of simple life. Lady Freia is just a girl with big dreams, but no will to be stoked."

"…" Matthias crossed his arms. "Is that your final assessment of her?"

"I suppose so."

"I see." The Infernape turned away and walked back to where the other recruits were. "Here's to hoping a knight sees potential in her skills come selection."

Kennard scoffed. "Don't give her too much hope."

"I don't plan to."

The day of selection arrived. The recruits lined up before the ten knights present before them, waiting in hope of becoming their next squire. Naturally, everyone was hoping to be picked by Sir Matthias, who stood at the end of the line barely paying attention to the proceedings.

Luna stood at the end of her line, slouched over and barely keeping her posture somewhat presentable. She almost considered not showing up for the selection, already determining to herself that none of the knights would bat an eye in her direction. She was prepared to drop out of training after the selection process. She only came to honor the recruits who were amicable in her company.

One by one, a knight would step forward and select among the recruits who would be personally trained under them. There were some knights Luna wasn't as familiar with, but one that caught her attention was Sir Ivone, the Prism Knight. He was a former squire under Sir Matthias, now serving as his equal in all but status.

She watched as he selected a Hawlucha from the group, who nearly broke his composure to cheer. She would've laughed if she wasn't still peeved by her situation. At some point, she decided to close her eyes and wait for the selection to be over, barely paying attention further than she needed to.

"…And finally, Sir Matthias!" she heard Sir Kennard announce. It made her grimace, but she tried not to show it.

Try as she might, though, the Infernape's heavy footsteps penetrated the stony walls surrounding her mind. Every step he took demanded hers and everyone else's attention with purpose, displaying his prominence among the highly skilled knights of Verde. She could hear some recruits taking in deep breaths presumably as the infamous knight passed them.

Luna started to feel nervous as the selection dragged on. The footsteps turned thunderous as they drew nearer, the anticipation of a name being called getting to her. Why with the dramatics? Why couldn't he just say the name now?

Eventually, everything went silent, save for a soft series of gasps from her fellow recruits. What happened?

"…Is this how you present yourself to your teacher? Straighten up, Freia!"

Her eyes snapped open, and her head turned up. To her surprise, the Black Knight towered over her with his incinerating gaze beating down on her. Realizing he was talking to her, Luna scrambled to adjust her posture before saluting him.

"A-Aye, Sir Matthias!" she exclaimed, wincing at her own cracking voice.

"W-What?" Luna loosened up as Sir Kennard ran up to them, looking just as shocked as her. "Sir Matthias, what is the meaning of this?"

Matthias glared over his shoulder. "Is something wrong with my decision, Sir Kennard?"

"I…no, of course not, sir. I just don't understand. This woman—"

"Address her by name, Sir Kennard. She is not a common spoon plucked from the drawer as you seem to act." Matthias turned and faced him. "You stated before that she was having trouble keeping up with the other recruits and wasn't as motivated to train."

"I…suppose I did, yes."

"Then that is your failing, not hers. You are here to represent the stronghold of Verde Kingdom by sparking that will for battle. If a teacher cannot spark passion in their student, then the failing is on the teacher. How blind do you think I was? You whipped the rest of these recruits into shape, yet I find you disregarding Lady Freia's efforts over something as trivial as her gender?"

"I…" Kennard turned away, his face turning flush.

"We will speak of this matter another time, and I expect you to do your job next time by honor, not belief."

Kennard looked like he wanted to argue back, but one hard look from his superior was enough to shut his attempts down. He sighed and bowed his head. "Aye, Sir Matthias."

"Return to your post, and see to it the remaining recruits learn from your mistake."

"Aye, Sir Matthias." Kennard turned and dragged himself back in line with the other knights, avoiding their gazes and snickers.

Matthias shook his head before turning his attention back onto Luna. She stared up at him in awe. "I…thank you, Sir—"

"Silence." Luna tensed up from his rigid tone. "You will hence forth be my squire, and I shall mold you into a knight worthy of serving this kingdom." His glare darkened. "Under my instruction, you will suffer pain unlike anything you ever imagined. Steel your soul for Hell, Luna Freia."

Her eyes widened. The fact his words sparked brief flashbacks of training with her mother didn't bode well for her.

Under the right circumstances, Luna could easily deal with training in the hot sun. In direct fire, however? Not so much. If the Snivy wasn't sweating before, she was now.

Luna was granted time off to rest her body, but she wasn't prepared for the insanity Matthias was going to put her through that required such rejuvenation. He brought her down to a reserved training hall exclusive to him and lit two pits filled with hot coals. She was ordered to stand in the center platform on one foot while holding two buckets of water in each hand.

Matthias took to the other pit and joined alongside her, but with greater ease. His body was still and unmoving while Luna mustered every ounce of concentration in her body to stay upright.

"You will maintain that position for three hours each training day," Matthias said. "Don't fall. I don't plan on catching you."

"A-A-Aye, Sir Matthi—AH!" Her balanced wavered for a second. She flailed on her foot, tipping too far to her right. She used one of her Vine Whips to grab the edge of the platform and right herself up, but the brief exposure near the hot coals caused her vine to burn. "Yow!" She retracted the vine and blew on it.

"Steel your voice and mind, Freia. This is meditation, not the church choir."

"Th-This is meditating?"

"Pathetic. Again!"

Next was sword training, with teacher and squire wielding wooden swords against each other. Luna took hers in both hands while Matthias held his in one. The mock sword was pocket-sized compared to the knight's great sword, yet he wielded it with no disadvantage.

Luna had bruises on her arms and left cheek, plus more under her training garb. Over and over, she tried to break through the knight's stance only to be met with a swift retaliation. She refused to stay on the ground, though, and raised her sword as she charged her teacher again.

Matthias blocked her strikes effortlessly, predicting her movements and judging the force behind the strike. Luna could only get seven strikes in before he struck her across the face and sent her flying across the room. The sword slipped from her hands and clattered on the floor.

"Stop trying to mirror me," he said. "You and I have significantly different builds. An aggressive fighting style won't work against an opponent like me. If you want to leave today, you need to strike me with speed over power. Use your stature and swiftness to your advantage."

Luna picked herself up and grabbed her sword. "R-Right. Aye, sir."

He nodded and raised his sword. "Again!"

"Too slow. Again!"

As part of a knight's duty, they must do whatever they can to secure members of the royal family from oncoming danger. The obstacle course had been converted into a straight path, but with no less difficult obstacles. It consisted of a rope swinging course that dropped into hard gravel, small stepping stones suspended over hot coals, rolling logs that drop her into hot coals AND gravel, and more.

Luna secured a potato sack in the vague shape of the princess under her arm and ran through the course. She easily cleared the rope swing and hopped along the stepping stones with only one close slip-up. She dove under a barbed fence and crawled her away through before dashing out on the other side.

The rolling logs tripped her up last time as any weight placed on them would send her falling forward or backwards. She landed on the first log and steadied her legs until she found her balance. She sighed and continued jumping across them, taking her time with each landing.

She cleared through a few more obstacles until she reached the last: a small hole in a wall. She gave herself a running start and leaped through the hole gracefully. She landed on the other side and rolled to a stop in front of Matthias.

Luna jumped up and laughed. "Yes, nailed it!"

"Pathetic. Again!"

Her eyes widened. "What? But I cleared the course—" She paused and detected smoke behind her. She looked down and saw the potato princess sack's foot had been caught on fire. A warm blush crept over her face. "Oooooh…"

"This isn't about clearing the course. Your mission, first and foremost, is to protect the royal family. Is this the kind of ineptitude I should expect if you were to rescue the princess from mortal danger?"

"N-No, Sir Matthias!"

He stamped the fire out under his foot. "Again!"

"Aye, Sir Matthias!" She turned and ran back to the start of the course.

"And for Arceus' sake, stop dragging the dummy on the ground! That's the princess you're escorting, not a potato sack!"

"But it's a—ugh! Aye, Sir Matthias!"

Sword training commenced again, and Matthias decided to give Luna a handicap by not using a sword.

It was a not a handicap.

"AGH!" Luna missed her swing and left herself open for a hard punch to the stomach. She flew across the training hall and slammed into the wall.

Matthias massaged his knuckles. "Your swing is too wide. Against an opponent like me, you need to keep your guard up. Keep the sword close to you and deliver strikes when you see an opening."

Luna pushed herself up against the wall and dizzily stood up. "Oh Xerneas, I'm going to throw up…"

"No time for resting, Freia. Again!"

She took a deep breath, clenched the sword between her hands, and charged at him. She kept to his instruction and swung her sword in small arcs. Just when he was about to counterattack, she would pull the sword back in time and block his strike. She could feel him holding back with his punches whenever she blocked. She was almost certain he was holding back on the punches that cleanly connected, which spelled disaster for her ribs.

She kept her strikes tight and swift, forcing the Infernape to step out of her reach a few times. He nodded. "Good, keep that defensive stance. Most opponents you'll face won't be able to strike back as hard as me, so learn your opponent's average output and rhythm. If you can match the timing of their strikes, you can throw them off balance and open them to a counterattack. Like this!" He quickened the speed of his punches.

Luna braced her stance and blocked five punches in a row. The last one knocked her back, but she kept her feet planted to the floor. She grinned. "Hey, I'm getting the hang of this—"

One sucker punch later, and she went skipping across the floor again.

"No celebrating in the middle of a fight."

"…Aye, sir. Ugh, yep, I think my ribs are broken…"

The sun was setting over the capital, marking the end of another training session. Matthias sat on the edge of the balcony he was perched on, sipping from his canteen and wiping his brow of sweat. He was out of his armor, wearing only his training garb. There were scars over his arms, peeking through the fur.

He wiped his lips after taking a drink and sighed. "You're dismissed for today, Freia."

Luna stepped out from behind the balcony entrance and approached him. She had bandages around her arms, some under her clothes, and one over her left cheek. "Permission to speak out of term, Sir Matthias?"

"Granted."

She took a deep breath and clasped her hands together. "I…was wondering if maybe we can tone it down with the training."

"…"

"Don't get me wrong, I appreciate you taking me under your wing, but I've been asking around from my peers about their training sessions. I've come to realize their experiences have been less…emotionally scarring, to put it gently. I mean, I don't even want to go over how close some of my bones came to breaking. I'm still surprised my ribs are intact."

"…"

"I'm just hoping I'm not being a burden." She frowned and looked down at her feet. "It's hard to get a good read on you, sir. You always look like you're in a bad mood, and I'd hate to provoke you with my presence…or die during training," she added under her breath.

"…" Matthias took another sip of his canteen before letting out a long sigh. "You want me to go easy on you."

"Um, well…"

The fire monkey set his canteen aside and propped his knee up, resting his arm atop it. "Come sit down for a moment."

Confused, Luna walked up and sat down next to him. She looked down at the castle courtyard and took in the impressive sites of the capital. It was a view unlike anything she witnessed. The people, what few she could spot, were so small and tiny while the capital stood grand and wide with the Forbidden Forest in the background. The setting sun painted the scenery in a soft orange glow akin to a landscape painting.

"Look down at the garden. What do you see?"

Luna snapped out of her sightseeing and followed his instruction. After a few seconds of searching, she spotted a familiar Buneary wandering through the gardens, taking in the arrangement of flora. "The princess."

He nodded. "My family, the Blackfire Clan, swore to the first king of the Verde Kingdom to protect the royal bloodline at all costs. This is an oath passed down through generations, one that is instilled to all new members of the Blackfire Clan upon birth. It is our sacred duty, one we will valiantly give our lives for."

She narrowed her eyes. "I see."

"I asked my father once why we follow this sacred oath, a law bound by words and not divine promise. Were we destined to protect the Penworth family for our entire lives?" He closed his eyes. "My father told me that we are not bound by chains or fate, but by choice. It will always be our choice. We take up the sword because we believe in the power of the Penworth family to help the Verde Kingdom prosper. My father battled and served by honor, and I followed in his footsteps because I, too, believe in our oath."

"Okay…what does this have to do with me? Um, I mean, sir?"

He opened his eyes and glared down at the garden. "The Verde Kingdom's beliefs are flawed and outdated, taken from the customs of the land we immigrated from. We as Pokémon are creatures blessed with unfathomable potential, yet we restrict that potential under the guise of societal standards. Some accept this reality with grace, others defy it. Sir Kennard is a byproduct of those times, thus he is stubbornly fixed on the beliefs he was raised from. We of the Blackfire Clan were raised to value power and strength above all else, for a soldier's body must be completely attuned to the task ahead. Every action we take to defend or take a life must be executed with the full fury of one's might, for it makes the difference between another sunrise or the knell of Yveltal."

"So, in other words—"

"I see no point in society's barriers. All that I do is in service to the crown, nothing more and nothing less." He glared at her. "My training is harsh, unrestrained, and spirit shattering because war is harsh, unrestrained, and spirit shattering. There are monsters in this world that can snap the life out of anyone in a second, and we've dulled half of our subjects' survival instincts because of old customs. If you want to prove a point, you need to exceed expectation."

Luna narrowed her eyes and thought it over. "You were testing my determination."

"I have to be tougher on you, Freia. I have to be harsher on you. People like Kennard don't believe you have what it takes to be a knight. But if you can survive my training and come out of it as a stronger warrior, perhaps the boundaries of outdated traditions will be breached. For the good traditions to stay strong, the weaker ones need to be stamped out for a better future."

"…" Luna folded her arms in her lap. "I see."

"It's your choice at the end of the day. If you feel you can't handle my training, you're free to leave whenever you want. If you're serious about being my squire, though, I will not show mercy. I will be cruel in my judgment, and I will not accept the bare minimum. In war, survival is second to serving your kingdom, and you must be ready to destroy your body so that your people are free to live another day without fear."

"…" Luna closed her eyes and bowed her head. "I wanted to join the knights because my mother inspired me with tales of her mercenary days. I want to be someone who can protect the people and their smiles. I've seen a lot as the daughter of House Freia, those withered by disease and famine, and I want to do my part to ease the burdens of war and crime."

Matthias nodded. "Take tomorrow off. Rest your body. I expect you to be ready next week."

She smiled and nodded firmly at him. "I promise, I will exceed your expectations, Sir Matthias."

"Don't seek my approval, Lady Freia. Seek your own approval. Become the knight you believe you are." He stood up and hopped off the ledge. "Though you are my squire, you are not bound to my will. Follow the path you seek if you truly believe in its destination. I fight to honor my bloodline. What will you fight for?"

Luna slid off the ledge and looked down thoughtfully. "What will I fight for…"

Luna sighed. "I had a lot to thank Sir Matthias for. He was the first to believe in my potential, and I wouldn't have become the knight I am if it weren't for his intervention." She pulled back on her prison rags and showed the faded scars on her arms. "It was a lot of hard work, but I'm proud of the progress I've made. I earned my place as a Verde Knight."

Basil poured himself another cup of tea. "Whatever happened to that Sir Kennard fellow?"

"He was transferred to protect a town in the territory. Matthias thought it would do him some good protecting the commonfolk. I haven't seen him since I was appointed as a squire." She sighed. "For all my grievances with him, I do hope he stayed true to Matthias' words."

He chuckled. "You were something of a wonder in the Verde Kingdom, Ms. Freia. Truly an honor to meet someone with your decorated history."

She shook her head. "Don't flatter me. I've lost my right to be a knight after being bested by you thieves. Twice."

"Your teacher still holds his head high after battling our leader, so don't sell yourself short." He sipped his tea again. "Besides, we're just better than you."

She shot him a deadpan glare. "Want some humble pie with that tea?"

"I'm more of a blueberry pie guy, personally." He set his teacup down. "Though, I admit, I've taken an interest in you since Melissa unwittingly captured you."

"Does my torment amuse you?"

"It's not everyday I get to show off my card tricks to a newcomer, but that's not why. Tell me, Ms. Freia, does this look familiar to you?"

With a clap of his hands, a purple smoke exploded through the shack. Luna covered her mouth and coughed as she tried to fan the air. Once the smoke cleared, her eyes widened upon seeing the sealed scroll in Basil's hands.

"Sir Gerard's information!"

Basil balanced the scroll in his palm. "Sir Gerard Carpenter, former knight of the Verde Kingdom who ended up retiring to the Echo Bell Kingdom about twenty years ago. Now, why would you be investigating this man?"

"Give me that!" She nearly lunged for it until she remembered the gaping hole between them. She caught herself in time and backed off. "The princess purloined that scroll from me back in the Echo Bell Kingdom!"

He snickered. "Sure, let's go with that interpretation of events." He juggled the scroll into the air and caught it by the ends. "May I be offered a guess? Does perhaps your pursuit for Sir Gerard have anything to do with his mission thirty years ago?"

Her eyes widened. "How did you—"

He laughed. "There are some things not known to many, but I am something of an enthusiast when it comes to uncovering the forgotten history of this land. I told you, I'm from the Arcania Kingdom. We're the only ones brave enough to venture into the cursed ruins."

Luna settled down and glared. "Does that mean you know its true history?"

"If I did, I wouldn't have called it forgotten. We are something of a remnant of the Great Kingdom, bits and pieces of the past remembered. Sadly, that only applies to the culture rather than its written history. I'm just as curious as you."

"Why?"

He sighed and, for once, showed off a serious glare. "Of all the history we could keep, there speaks of a…dark history to the Great Kingdom's thriving paradise."

Luna's brow creased. "Dark history?"

"Well, not to the kingdom itself, but the scholars of Arcania have gone over what little historical information was available. It speaks of something within the ruins that was paramount to its eight hundred years of peace. The only information the scholars could gleam was that it was the Great Kingdom's most sacred treasure. The symbol of the royal line's prosperous reign."

"A sacred treasure…" Luna scratched her chin. "Sir Gerard's journal spoke of him going into the heart of the ruins before being attacked. If there really is a treasure of sorts, does that mean the Crownless King is…safeguarding it? Scaring off anyone who comes close?"

"Crownless King, huh?" Basil shrugged. "Again, I only have what the scholars know to go off of. It could be gold and jewels, a symbolic statue, a really good looking portrait of the first ruler, or anything else. It's something so important that they never written its true name in their history, or what little of it was acquired."

She crossed her arms and glared down at the escape hole. "I doubt it's any of that. Ancient artifacts are one thing, but to dedicate thirty years toward safeguarding the ruins? Seems excessive. Why do you want to know what this treasure is?"

Basil looked aside. "Just a curious mind poking around for answers."

"Ugh, now I definitely wish I could talk to Sir Gerard. If anyone may have an inkling of an idea what happened back then, it's him."

Basil smirked. "Well, there is one way."

"Huh?"

"I'm going to level with you. The Foresters are in a bad spot right now, and rumors of a reform are spreading." He leaned back on his hands. "Times are changing, and we need to take every advantage we can if we want to stay ahead. Regardless of your bias against us, we may have a common enemy that the Verde Kingdom isn't aware of."

Luna glared. "What do you mean?"

"I'll cut you a deal. I'll tell you everything I know about our situation, and I'll let you ruminate on your views against us. The times are changing, and I think we can find some answers in those ruins." He smirked. "Course, I can't investigate them, but you may be the only one who can. Sir Gerard would trust a fellow Verde Knight over a thief, after all."

"What exactly are you saying?"

"I'll tell you everything with the stipulation of choice. Stay as our prisoner and rack your brain after I drop enough information on your head to give yourself a stroke." He pressed his fist to his cheek. "Option two, you can walk free as our ally."

Her eyes widened. "Your what?!"

"Yep!"

"I am a knight of the Verde Kingdom! To associate with the likes of you would be—"

Basil raised his hand. "I'm being serious when I tell you there are a lot of people who are in danger. Regardless of your feelings on the matter, your princess is fighting for a better future for everyone, but we can't do that as we are. We're low on allies, and we've been accused of attempted assassination. You know from our history we'd never try something like that, especially against a member of royalty. There's a force lurking in the shadows that the people haven't heard from in years."

"If we stop now, Giles' sacrifice will be in vain. His death led us to uncovering Last Autumn's ploy." Luna recalled the mention of the long-forgotten criminal organization. She spent some time mulling it over since then, and all it did was leave her with more questions. How much did the Foresters know that the Verde Kingdom didn't?

"We need someone with your expertise to give us a leg up," Basil said, breaking her from her thoughts. "Luna Freia, I do not ask you to betray your kingdom for us lowly thieves. I'm asking you to assist us against a greater threat. If there's anything in the ruins that might point us in the right direction, it's that treasure."

"…" Luna closed her eyes for a moment.

"Though you are my squire, you are not bound to my will. Follow the path you seek if you truly believe in its destination. I fight to honor my bloodline. What will you fight for?"

She sighed through her nose and glared at Basil. "You're telling the truth? This isn't a trick?"

He nodded. "You have my word, Lady Freia."

"…" She rolled her shoulders and straightened up. After clearing her throat and shaking off her nerves, she voiced her reply.