Just like when they were newly married and Lucan had his first position, finding their stride was fun and made easier together as they settled in Fog Canyon. Getting to know the area and the people was an adventure in itself. The canyon was enchanting. They were told of a great library that had been built over a lake. It was open to anyone but also served as an academy, not of the nail, but knowledge. The residents were proud to have the military base to protect Hallownest's present and future while the Archive taught the present and preserved the past. Lucan and Duva were also surprised how many times their paths crossed with the sporefolk. Of course they knew the Fungal Caverns were part of Hallownest. The caverns were their own territory before accepting the rule of the Pale King. Though, while Hallownest citizens, they seldom left their ancestral caverns. The boundaries of Fog Canyon brushed those caverns and spores and bugs coexisted.

With a new chapter beginning their thoughts turned back to starting a family. The more they talked about it the more desperate they realized they were for a child to adore. So they tried again. After many more attempts and two dud eggs later their worst fears were realized. Duva laid a fertile egg. The joy was short-lived when it became clear the little life within had faded a few days later. Lucan was in the training yards when Duva found out. A caring neighbor rushed to get him, telling of the sad news. Immediately he dropped everything and went to her. The rest of the day was spent weeping in each others arms.

Was there really no hope? Were a butterfly and beetle truly incompatible to create a fertile and strong egg? To talk about the possibility of failure was one thing. Living it was much harder.

They wanted a family.

He wanted her to be the mother of his children.

She wanted him to be the father of her children.

Adoption was a noble option. But Duva feared being unable to give their chosen child all the love it deserved if she couldn't see beyond it as a reminder of what she couldn't have. Lucan would have preferred to have a child of the two of them as well, but he didn't know how many false alarms and deaths his heart could take. Surely the losses and false starts hit Duva differently, if not harder. Though their dream was to have a family, Lucan decided he would rather be childless than to slowly watch loss and empty hope shadow the light in his beloveds eyes.

For a time at least it was decided they take a break from trying. They took that time to allow their hearts to mourn and recover. Sitting on the lush outcroppings surrounding the Archive they talked. Through the ethereal canyon they danced. Together they got to a better place after the loss.

Some time later the most unexpected and wonderful thing happened.

The Pale King himself passed through the area on business! On his travels he made inspection stops to see for himself the defenders of his kingdom. Royal inspections had been done in the past to make sure standards were being met but not by the king directly. This was a very rare honor indeed.

The king was on a pilgrimage through his lands to further the development of a rapid transportation system he called the Stagway. The stagway was hardly a secret but it did not yet have many completed stations. This expansion would connect all of Hallownest. The trick was the locations of the station hubs and building the tunnels in between.

Unsurprising that a fresh deluge of patriotism followed wherever he went. When the news came the king would be passing through, the city exploded with excitement. Everyone hoped to catch a glimpse of his greatness. The base went absolutely crazy. All soldiers from trainees to seasoned generals went to great lengths to get as much extra practice of their skills and memorizing statutes and protocols just in case. Lucan was not immune to this either. While he was in the minority of bugs who kept their emotions under control, it would be a lie to say Lucan didn't feel like he would burst from excited panic.

The day came. Classes began as normal. Then he arrived.

The Pale King.

The Great Wyrm.

His Eternal Majesty.

Carried by his attendants the pale being inspected each training yard. Honestly it wasn't much of an inspection. So many bugs and sporefolk were in such awe at his grandeur and the supreme weight of his presence they could barely move, much less demonstrate their skills.

Then he came to where Lucan was teaching finesse to his class. They too sputtered praises, dropped to their knees or became indistinguishable from statues. Lucan too was stricken with awe and wonder. At long last he laid eyes on the king he had sworn to serve. Spoken descriptions were as bland as describing a chair. There was just no adequate configuration of words to fully, no, even partially express the power and majesty of the being before them.

Something jolted in Lucan's gut. In the past he had found himself somehow brought to a state of calm and clarity from a place of intense emotion. What happened then was the opposite.

"Snap to, troop! Your king is here to observe your skills to the kingdom! Do not waste his time with statuary! Unless his majesty speaks to you directly you are still under MY command! FALL IN!"

Startled back to their senses the recruits jumped to their feet, bowed deeply to their king, saluted Lucan and took their positions to continue their exercises. Lucan stayed at attention until with a slight wave of his hand the pale king dismissed him.

Lucan had never felt the blood pounding in his ears so hard as he did continuing the lesson. The king of Hallownest was observing the skills of his students and his skills as a teacher. How any of them could accomplish anything with that enormous presence just over their shoulders was a wonder. And the king stayed for such a long time! Or did it only feel that way?

Class ended. The recruits returned their practice weapons, fell into formation, bowed again, speaking praises to the king and waited at attention for Lucan to dismiss them. Lucan caught eyes with the pale one, who dismissed them with a slight nod before his attendants carried him away.

The next class of recruits had not yet seen the king. They questioned Lucan with the excited eagerness of school children. Still in awe and mind blown from the experience, Lucan described as best he could what it was like before beginning the lesson. However it wouldn't be long before they would know for themselves. The king came back! The grandeur of his presence hit just as strongly the second time as it did the first. And his greatness was not backtracking as he prepared to leave. The attendants stopped at the same place as before. At first the recruits did the same as all the others. This time Lucan reigned them in with more grace than before. They zipped into formation, bowed and praised until Lucan called them back to practice. Once again Lucan remained until the king dismissed him with a slight movement of his hand.

So exciting. And confusing. Why did his majesty come by a second time? Was this second observation a good or bad thing? What was being studied a second time? The trainees or him? Suddenly every flaw in their form stood out blatantly.

"You,"

Lucan froze. His eyes widened. That was the voice of the king. How could one describe that sound? Smooth. Direct. Not the deepest voice so why did the sound of one word have the same terrible weight as a tunnel collapsing? Feeling as if his heart would break through his shell from the inside he straightened up, turned and bowed.

"My lord,"

How did he say that without stammering?

"What is your name?"

"Lucan, my king,"

"I understand this course is of your own design."

"Yes, my king,"

He was actually talking with the pale being! Oh how he hoped the king couldn't hear his voice quiver.

"What is it you teach that is lacking in other academies?"

"L-lacking, my lord?"

The lack of a reply implied he was expected to explain.

"My course is still very new, my king. This is only the second base I have taught it. My method focuses on weaving dexterity and grace into combat to train more evasive soldiers."

So many things went through Lucan's mind over the span of two sentences. For one he had never been more grateful his past training included being precise about the most important points when delivering a report. He might have just babbled otherwise. The longer the talked the more numb all his joints felt. The vocal quiver hadn't quit. And the phrasing! My course . The second base I have taught. How arrogant that sounded!

"Grace, you say."

"Yes, my king. My wife is a minstrel and flawless dancer. It was her mastery of dance that inspired me to blend those movements into combat."

The silence of the pale one's contemplation weighed as heavily as his words.

"The combination of art and combat."

"That is correct, my king,"

"It is effective,"

"It has proven so thus far, my king,"

"Show me,"

Lucan was about to select two promising trainees to spar but it became immediately clear that was not what the king meant. One of the four guards broke formation from around the king and stepped forward. Lucan would never be able to fully name the feeling that came with realizing the Pale King wanted him to demonstrate the method described.

The combat was glorious. The strange white warrior never said a word. It fought unlike anyone he had ever crossed nails with before. How long they were locked in the honor of combat was anywhere between a minute and several lifetimes. It ended when the king raised his hand for them to cease. Lucan hadn't even seen the gesture but knew it had happened. Something so mundane sent a pulse of sorts through the room. Is that why the king held himself so still? Even his movements had power?

"I have seen all I need. Carry on."

The guard bowed to Lucan, returned to formation and the king was carried away.

And that was the last of it. After hearing the wonder of the kings voice, silence was absolutely terrifying. Lucan dropped to his knees, supported only by his nail. Never in his life had he felt so honored. The recruits had finally begun to stir again. Hearing the voice of the king had them frozen with awe. Soon all was chaos with running, dancing and shouting of praises. Lucan dismissed them early, knowing full well restoring order in the excited aftermath was impossible.

Numb and overstimulated at the same time Lucan left for home. On the way he was stopped by a very delighted Duva. She hugged him. She kissed him. Her wings never stopped fluttering. She had seen the king as he entered the base and again when he left. All the songs and poems and ballads she'd ever known dedicated to the king were all true and they all came up short now that she had seen him in person. Her heart demanded she sing to be heard across all of Hallownest. Duva explained how the king was now examining the area to see if it would be suitable for the stagway and asked the public not to crowd him. And she just had to know, had he seen the king? Had his class been inspected?

Lucan told her everything. Duva was shocked but her beloved wouldn't make up something like that. Like their neighbors they danced in the streets, hearts alight with the joy of beholding the mighty king with their own eyes. For the couple all that excited energy had to go somewhere. They went home and made love. A few days later Duva laid another dud egg.

But later that same night came a surprise knock at their door. It one of the bases' messenger bugs. He was accompanied by one of the kings' attendants! The messenger apologized for the late hour but promised the report was worth it. The robed attendant announced,

"By order of his supreme highness, The Pale King, Lord of the Eternal Kingdom, stag beetle Lucan is to accept a transfer to the great city of Hallowcrest once this academy year is over. His grand majesty commands all the soldiers under his rule be educated in the school of combat he witnessed today. Further instructions have been left with the council, of which they will brief you come the morning."

The messenger bug applauded excitedly. Neither Lucan or Duva knew what to say. What higher honor could there be for a soldier than to accept an appointment from their king? To have made such an impression, or at least sparked such a curiosity his incredible highness wanted to see more.

Having completed his duty the attendant dismissed himself and left. Immediately after Lucan slumped way-legged in a chair. So proud and delighted for her husband Duva stood at his side with silent tears gliding down her face.

"And that's not all!" The messenger squeaked, about to burst.

"Oh no," Lucan tilted his head back and closed his eyes. "This has been the most wonderful day but I am so overwhelmed."

"After that magnificent news, what more could there be?" Duva asked.

The messenger looked out the door to make sure the attendant was gone. He explained how he had overheard the attendants talking before he was due to escort the one to their door. They were talking about the king asking Lucan questions during the inspection. Those bugs devoted every cell in their bodies and every wisp of their Soul wholly and deeply to the worship and servitude of the pale one. They make it their mission to be so attuned to the kings intentions and desires so that he need not exhaust himself to the multitudes vying for his attention. So they were very surprised when the king spoke to Lucan directly.

"Apparently his majesty has only spoken to high ranking officials, if at all, his entire tour. Most matters go through his attendants." The messenger said.

Lucan was utterly floored.

The following morning the council of base commanders gave the details of Lucan's new assignment. Although in the company of professionals, the energy of the room was indistinguishable from a group of delighted children.

Like in his home town, Lucan would not only teach his method to all the squads of trainees and up but also the officers so they could continue incorporating it into combat training once he moved on. Some adjustments had to be made to the school year so everyone was adequately trained by the deadline the king had given.