Guard Duty

I was messing around in a game when I realised that what I was doing made absolutely no sense for anyone to do, much less someone like the character I was controlling. I thought that was actually pretty funny, so I ended up writing this.

I pace the hall for probably the millionth time, something I was told would help with my back problems. Sure, it’s feeling a bit better, but my legs are aching in every possible way, and I’m tired as sin. I amble back to my post and slump down at my post on the end of the staircase leading to the Audience Chamber. I’m almost about to doze off when I hear someone talking to me.

“Are you alright there?”

“Your Highness!”

Standing back up almost immediately, I salute the Crown Princess. She stares back sternly.

“If you can’t stay awake for the entirety of your shift, I advise you tell your superior so they can organise for you to be replaced for the rest of it.”

“I know. I was just jogging around the palace to try and ease by back pains a bit.”

“You managed to get tired out from walking?”

“I’ve been doing it for ten hours straight, Your Highness.”

“...Have you ever considered that you pushing yourself too hard may be the source of your problems?”

“...You may have a point there. I suppose that’s why you’re the Crown princess and I’m th-”

“There is no reason for needless flattery.”

And with that, she walked away. I decide to stay at my post instead of requesting permission to be substituted. It’s bad enough that the Crown Princess herself caught me napping in public, and I don’t need anyone thinking I’m getting soft. Besides, there’s only a couple of hours left in my shift anyway, I’ll be fine!

Realising I’ve been lost in my own thoughts, I look around, making sure nothing happened while I was thinking. I turn to the monument that the staircases circled around to see the Crown Princess swimming in the pool of water in front of the mural. I look to my friend Galdo across the room and while he initially appears to be completely oblivious, I can see that he’s looking at her out of the corner of his eye with the same questioning expression I’m wearing. She eventually gets out, and both of us avoid looking at her completely lest people assume we’re staring at her for other reasons. Finally she climbs up the staircase on her way to the Audience chamber...And then dives back into the pool. She then started examining the mural up close, swimming up to it and running her hand across it. After she's done with that, she then engaged in a lengthy conversation with Galdo. I laugh to myself at how weird that would be. Thankfully for him, his night shift replacement, Galvin, came in, ready to start working. Galdo quickly made up an excuse to leave immediately, which the Crown Princess clearly didn’t buy, but she let him go anyway. As my shift was over too, I follow him and decide to have a go at him.

“So, how’d you enjoy your little chat with the Crown Princess?”

“About as much as you enjoyed being caught slacking off on the job.” He grimaces when he sees how angry he made me.

“Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.”

“Than-”

“She might, though.”

“...Did I ever tell you how I hate you sometimes?”

Present tense is weird.