A few hours later, Nina made it to the Nichibotsu Kingdom's royal palace.

Her heart was beating at a million beats per minute. She felt so incredibly nervous... she doesn't think she could handle protecting someone so important. 

But, she had to remind herself that she had no choice. If she backed out, she would most likely get kicked from the army. That was the last thing she wanted.

So, she made it over to the front gates, where she quickly encountered a group of guards. 

"Are you Private Nina Hillman?" One quickly asked, having expected her to arrive. 

"That's me," Nina spoke as she got off of the unicorn she was riding. 

"Great," that same guard responded with a faint smile. "Head on in. Another guard should be inside to walk you over to the throne room, where you will meet Queen Aina," she explained to her. "We will take your unicorn to the royal stables for you," she spoke as another guard took hold of the unicorn. 

"Thank you. It is an honor," Nina bowed her head, all while trying not to seem nervous. 

Nina made her way through the royal gates and toward the massive wooden doors at the front of the palace. When she headed inside, she was almost immediately greeted by another guard. 

"Private Hillman? That's you, right?" The guard asked her, giving her a suspicious look. 

"Yep, I'm Private Hillman," Nina nodded her head. 

"Okay, good," the guard responded. "I shall lead you to the throne room, then."

The guard began to walk off and Nina followed closely behind her.

Nina, who had never been inside the palace before, was amazed by it. Having grown up in poverty, it was always a dream for her to live like royalty. An unreachable dream. 

Everything was so shiny and beautiful. A lot of the palace seemed to be built with quartz, marble, and gold. It made Nina feel like it was unfair. The royals got to live in such a beautiful palace, while unlucky folk like her family had to live in small wooden homes with dirt floors. But, she was lucky enough to get the opportunity to live in the Hinode Kingdom's palace for a few days on the trip, so that part excited her. For once, she would get to live a life of luxury.

"The throne room is behind those golden doors," the guard mentioned after stopping in her tracks, pointing over to the doors. "Good luck," she nodded to Nina before walking off to get back to her own job. 

Nina took a deep breath. She was about to see the queen. The person who has all control over the Nichibotsu Kingdom. 

Her arm was shaky as she reached over and pushed the door open. She opened it slowly and with wide hazel eyes, she spotted Queen Aina herself sitting on a golden throne. 

Nina felt so meek and worthless in the presence of the queen. The queen's gaze was sharp like a knife as she looked over to Nina, almost immediately making Nina fall to her knees. 

"Your majesty," she bowed in front of her as her whole body shaked. "I, Private Nina Hillman, have arrived for my duty."

"Good," Queen Aina couldn't help but smile at her. She could tell Nina was nervous, but she admired how much respect and manners she had towards her. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Private Hillman. Before you head off to meet the princess, I will outline what exactly your duties will be so that you understand them properly. 

"O-Okay," Nina stood up, still unable to meet the queen's gaze. 

"You will be accompanying us on a political trip to the Hinode Kingdom," Queen Aina started to explain. "Your job is to protect Princess Ayaka. Ever since that brutal assassination attempt a few months ago, I have required that a personal