Thief among guards.

Alexia hesitated, her eyes fixed on the horse as if it might bite.

With a deep breath, she swung her leg over the saddle and settled in, her hands gripping the reins tightly.

The horse shifted slightly, and she couldn't help letting out a tiny shriek, her body tensing.

Lucien frowned. Wasn't this boy courage a bit too small? It was just a horse, not a snake.

"You're wasting time. Grab the reins, give it a little lash then nudge its belly with your legs and move."

Alexia nodded, her face set in determination. She followed Lucien's instructions, and the horse began to move slowly, its hooves clomping against the ground.

Her fear gave way to delight, her smile flashing briefly before she remembered Lucien's disapproving gaze.

She turned to him, seeking approval, but his expression remained cold.

"Not bad," he said, his voice neutral. "But you're still too slow."

Alexia's face fell, her eyes fixed on Lucien's retreating back as he spurred his horse forward.

"Show off!" she muttered, her reins slapping against the horse's neck as she struggled to keep up.

Lucien didn't bother to look back, his focus fixed on the horizon but still instinctively slowed down.

As she drew alongside him, he nodded curtly. "You're improving. But don't get cocky."

She ignored him and gazed around, her eyes wide with wonder.

The palace complex stretched over a thousand meters, with a massive palace at the centre, it walls a dazzling white, adorned with intricate gold and precious gems that sparkled like stars in the sunlight.

Smaller palaces surrounded it, yet still impressive in their own light, and in the distance, she saw some kind of training ground or battle arena.

To the side, lush gardens with vibrant flowers and a towering tree sprawled out, at its centre, an artificial pond glimmered like a mirror, it's surface adorned with delicate water lilies and graceful swans.

Servants scurried about tending to different gardens and palaces, royal guards patrolled around, some in groups while some remained lone but one thing was obvious: there wasn't a single female guard or knight in sight. It had kind of became a norm.

For a complete country bumpkin like Alexia, everything felt somewhat... surreal.

As she took in the grandeur, her expression suddenly darkened.

She thought of her own struggles, stealing to survive, facing constant beatings and hunger.

The contrast between the palace's extravagance and the villagers' poverty ignited a fire within her.

She glared at Lucien, her eyes blazing with resentment. How could they indulge in such luxury while the people suffered?

The decorations alone could feed the villagers for years. Yet they preferred hiding behind their precious palace walls while the common people suffered.

The very thought of It was suffocating.

Lucien's eyes narrowed. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, my lord,"

Lucien's eyes lingered on hers, as if searching for something. "There's no need to be nervous,"

Nervous? She was definitely not nervous, it was more like anger and maybe... jealousy, why could this brats have such good lives while she had to suffer?

She became even more determined to steal something valuable from the palace. They might not even notice it.

But of course on the surface she maintained her bright smile, her eyes sparkling with false enthusiasm.

"Thanks for your concern, my lord."

Lucien's gaze never wavered, his eyes boring into hers.

"So, why does a small boy like you want to be a guard?" he asked, his tone laced with skepticism.

"To serve the kingdom under the lead of the third prince and to protect him with my life." She spouted whatever thrash came to her mind, but Lucien's expression remained unreadable.

He stared at her for a long moment, his eyes searching hers.

Then, his gaze snapped back ahead, his voice firm. "So, if you saw an arrow heading for His Highness, what would you do?"

"I'll push his Highness out of the way and take the arrow right in the heart, dying in honor." But inside, she sneered at the absurdity of it all.

Run, of course, she thought. Do I look like I'm ready to die?

Lucien's gaze flicked back to hers, his eyes narrowing. He couldn't help but think that this 'little boy' was too good at spouting nonsense.

He had seen the greed and jealousy in his eyes, but it didn't matter.

Money was no problem for the prince, and Lucien had his own reasons for wanting him by his side. He kind of reminded him of his old self.

He couldn't wait to see what kind of storms, he'll cause inside, for him to appear here, he must have a trick or two up his sleeves either that or he was simply too ignorant. But he was leaning towards the latter.

He turned his gaze back ahead. They had finally arrived at the training ground.

Dismounting his horse, he passed the reins to a man standing at the entrance. Alexia followed suit, mimicking his movements.

With a casual stride, he walked into the training ground, Alexia trailing timidly behind.

As they entered the training ground, Alexia's eyes widened at the sprawling complex before her.

The grounds were a hive of activity, with rows of training dummies and archery targets stretching towards the horizon.

Rows of weapons rack, displayed a collection of swords, spears, daggers, shields and all kinds of weapons, their sharp edges glistening dangerously.

The air was thick with the clang of steel on steel, the scent of sweat and leather hanging heavy over the ground.

To the left, a group of guards sparred in a flurry of movement, their swords flashing in the sunlight.

Nearby, a lone figure practiced archery, their bow singing as they loosed arrow after arrow into a distant target.

Soldiers ran drills, their movements fast and precise.

Ahead, a large arena dominated the grounds, its sandy floor trampled and worn.

The sound of grunting and heavy breathing echoed from within, where pairs of guards engaged in fierce hand-to-hand combat.

Lucien led Alexia through the chaos, his strides long and confident. They passed a cluster of guards gathered around a burly man, his muscles bulging as he demonstrated a complex sword technique.

Nearby, a crowd of younger guards-in-training watched with wide eyes, their faces set in determined expressions.

Lucien strode into the arena, positioning himself at the center.

His sharp gaze swept over the young guards who had arrived for training, noting their varying degrees of attentiveness.

Meanwhile, Alexia had quietly joined the group of younger guards, blending in with the crowd rather than drawing attention to herself.

"Good day to all of you. I'm your training coach, Lucien," his voice boomed across the field, commanding immediate attention.

A wave of murmurs rippled through the trainees.

"Oh my gosh, it's really him."

"Is he famous?"

"Of course! He's the third prince's right-hand knight."

"Really?"

"I've heard his parents were killed and his house burned down when he was only seventeen. He was an orphan picked up by His Highness when the prince first arrived. Trained personally by the prince, and now, five years later, he's one of the richest nobles and the most powerful knight under the prince."

"Wow... I hope I can be just like him."

"You wish! His Highness hasn't picked another guard since then."

"But why is a knight training us? Wasn't it supposed to be a sergeant?"

"I don't know. Didn't you notice we were called earlier than usual? Rumor has it there might be a war coming. Maybe the prince is just being extra careful."

The conversations swirled around Alexia, growing louder as Lucien's identity became known.

She listened intently, her initial assumptions about Lucien being a spoiled noble brat melting away.

His story was far more tragic than hers. Unlike her who had Luke, he had faced his hardships alone.

She glanced at Lucien, now seeing him in a new light. His stern demeanor and formidable skills were products of a harsh past, not arrogance.

She found herself admiring his resilience and strength, understanding that his experiences had shaped him into the knight standing before them.

Lucien scanned the crowd. "I know all of you had come here in hopes of becoming a guard," he paused, his eyes sweeping over the eager faces.

"But not everyone has that privilege. We'll commence a series of hand-to-hand combat since many of you are probably not yet used to swords, but that definitely won't be a problem as..."

A young guard burst through the crowd and whispered urgently in Lucien's ear.

Lucien eyes narrowed as he listened, his expression transformed from calm to shock, then anger, his arms instinctively reaching for the hilt of his sword.

"What! Who dares cause trouble at the palace of demons? Someone is tired of living!" He drew his sword and, with large strides, followed the guard out of the training ground.

"Someone actually dared cause trouble in the palace, and no less in the demon prince's residence."

"He's dead."

The other guards and knights, who had paused their training earlier, quickly resumed their drills.

Not caring one bit about Lucien who just hurried away, or maybe they just trusted his abilities.

In the distance, a young man in his early twenties with brown hair, blue eyes, and a thick muscular build, gripped his sword tightly.

He clenched his fists, gritting his teeth as he glared at a certain young boy with a headwrap.

This was the boy who had stolen something from a store while he was out with the prince.

He had almost caught him but was unfortunately stopped by the prince. Of course it was Alexia.

How dare this thief come to the palace? This was no place for such filth.

He took a few steps towards the boy, then stopped. The prince had prevented him from chasing the thief before, so harming him now without the prince's consent would not end well.

He hesitated, then quickly turned around. He had to find the prince. Only the prince could determine the punishment for this little thief.