CHAPTER 16 — draft (novel format)
The first Sunshadow Guard expansion & Queen Naelith growing closer—politically and personally respectful—to Sun King Bao Bao
The palace was unusually quiet for dawn. The torches lining the Sunspire Hall still burned low, their embers flickering like half-awake guardians. Queen Naelith walked with measured steps, her cloak trailing behind her like a sliver of midnight cutting across marble sunlight.
Today would change the shape of Firelonia's defenses forever.
She reached the Sunforge Terrace, where Bao Bao was already waiting. Even in the early light, the Sun King looked carved from flame and stone—broad shoulders, sun sigils glowing faintly across his arms, and his Sun Blade resting against the railing. He wasn't posing. Bao never posed. He simply was.
"You're early," Naelith said.
"So are you," Bao replied without looking away from the horizon. "The captains will assemble soon. Before they do… we need to agree."
She stepped beside him, watching the first rays rise over Firelonia's vast fields. "About the Guard?"
He nodded. "And about what it will become."
Below them, the courtyard bustled with preparation. Young recruits stood in rows, armor barely polished, their faces a mixture of fear and pride. The Sunshadow Guard—once a tiny experimental unit—was about to quadruple in size. Not because of war, but because of something far more dangerous:
Uncertainty.
Reports from the borders. Rumors of masked wanderers in the north. Strange flame anomalies near the western ridge. A feeling—a pressure—building in the world's seams.
Naelith folded her hands behind her. "The Council will resist this. They think expanding the Guard will make us seem aggressive."
"Let them argue," Bao said. "We don't have the luxury of pretending the realm is safe."
She glanced sideways at him. "You've been… different lately. More serious."
"Responsibility does that." His tone wasn't heavy, just honest. "And I trust your instincts. Even when the Council doesn't."
Naelith blinked—surprised, but hiding it well. "You trust me?"
Bao finally turned to her. "You see the threats before anyone else. You're willing to make hard decisions. Firelonia needs that."
It was not flattery. It was… respect. Pure and simple.
Before she could respond, Captain Raynor approached, saluting sharply. "Your Majesties. The first wave is ready for inspection."
Bao lifted the Sun Blade, its golden edge erupting with brief, gentle fire. "Then let's meet the ones who will carry the first shadow of the sun."
The inspection took nearly an hour. The recruits stood straighter when Naelith passed, and steadier when Bao offered a nod of approval. Some were barely older than sixteen, others seasoned warriors pulled from border tribes. All carried the same nervous determination.
When they returned to the terrace, the Council was waiting—already scowling. Elder Minister Vorell stepped forward.
"This expansion is unnecessary," Vorell said. "A display of power will only provoke our neighbors."
Bao rested the Sun Blade against his shoulder. "If they're provoked by our readiness, they were already planning something."
The Council muttered disapproval, but Naelith raised a hand. Silence fell immediately.
"You fear we may look too strong," she said. "I fear we may look unprepared. Which fear is the greater risk? Which would you rather face—neighbors calling us cautious, or Firelonian families burying loved ones?"
The Council stiffened. Vorell opened his mouth—then closed it again.
Naelith rarely spoke so sharply. But today… she needed to.
Bao studied her expression, a faint spark of approval in his eyes. Not romantic. Not sentimental. Simply two leaders understanding each other more than ever.
When the Council finally dispersed, Naelith let out a slow breath. "I don't enjoy speaking to them like that."
"You spoke truth," Bao replied. "Truth doesn't always sound soft."
She allowed herself a small, tired smile. "I suppose you're right."
Bao nodded once. "You usually are."
That surprised her again. She wasn't used to him acknowledging things so plainly.
A breeze moved across the terrace. The recruits below raised their new insignias—half sun, half shadow—catching the light.
Firelonia was changing. Quietly. Carefully. And for the first time, Naelith realized she wasn't changing it alone.
Beside her, Bao Bao looked toward the future with fire in his eyes.
And for the first time, their visions matched.