Gloves set, posture perfect, and eyes forward. Those are the first three rules of the Zindu, the Servers. You could forget everything else, the lifetime of training, the connections made with each client, the favors owed to you by countless nobles and coin-laden merchants, as long as you remembered those three rules. 

Xander did not plan to fail.

“The main hallway leads to the honor hall, and past that.” The woman speaking was Sali, the leader of the guard. Xander kept two paces behind her, one to the side. She towered over him, by nearly two and a half heights. This was beyond the typical height difference a Xin could expect when in the capital, but this was not a typical woman.

She was Galan, closest people to the queen’s own blood. Xander listed their traits to himself: tallest people of the land, in competition for the strongest, irritable when tested, lackluster capacity for the mystic arts, prone to building giant walls. 

“You will not go past the honor hall without strict purpose,” Sali stated as they walked through the busy palace halls, “That is the royal hall, home to the princesses, and finally, her royal majesty.”

“Yes madame,” Xander said.

The halls were filled with servants. All of them were women, the majority were field-folk, born from the lowlands south of the capital. They were the first people to join what would eventually be an empire. They looked at Xander as they passed, looked down to be specific. Even here he was shorter than expected, and his complexion was not… typical.

“On our sides here are the dining rooms, music rooms, viewing rooms, places for guests,” Sali explained with a wide sweep of her arms, “you can travel these freely. Do not cause trouble.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it, madame,” Xander said.

They were nearing the end of the hall, and Sali stopped, “Turn here, and you head toward the guest rooms. Dignitaries and diplomats, visitors of the queen, I expect you on your best behavior.”

She focused on him with those last words, so he merely nodded. His arms met behind his back, and his posture was impeccable. He was the picture of trustworthy.

Sali stood back to her full height, “Good. Here is another set of stairs to below, you know what is down there.”

Service quarters, Xander had already dropped off his luggage. The space was small, but he expected nothing more than a desk to keep his schedule, and a bed to sleep in. It seemed smaller peoples, such as himself, were rarely afforded more.

“Then we come to the honor hall,” Sali said as they continued. Two women stood guard, wearing dress regalia. Their armor covered their upper half, intricate metal plates that glimmered with silver lines in patterns that hinted at the queen’s insignia and the symbol of the galan. Their helmets revealed their faces, and Xander wasn’t afraid to admit they were both attractive women, scarless as well.

As was typical of galan, they also wore long dresses, regardless of the circumstance. Below their armor, a yellow dress plumed out, with a white frill beneath the hemming that threatened to brush the floor. 

“They are worth admiring aren’t they?” Sali said. His eyes had wandered.

Sali stepped to one of the women. It seemed the leader of the guard was tall, even among her own kind. She tapped the woman’s halberd, and smiled when it didn’t waver. She knocked her knuckle against the woman’s chestplate, and the guard did not even flinch.

“We aren’t afraid of mixing beauty and duty,” Sali said as she kneeled in front of the woman and grabbed at the hem of her dress, “We have practiced it for some time, and I can assure you there is no sacrifice in either respect.”

Sali didn’t notice what Xander’s trained eye did. When she grabbed the woman’s hem, the guard’s face contorted. Was it mere embarrassment, or something more? 

Xander put a hand forward, “This isn’t necessary, I’m sure.”

Sali’s glare silenced him. Then she lifted the woman’s dress at the front for Xander to see beneath.

They were both treated to bare legs, and something more, also quite bare.

Sali dropped the hem of the dress, and stood to her full height.

“Royal guard Sendra,” Sali said through her teeth.

“Yes, Guardmaster,” The guard snapped in reply.

“Would you like to explain to me and our guest why you are not in full dress?” 

The other guard smirked, which Xander was thankful escaped Sali’s notice.

“I missed first alarm, Guardmaster.” The woman said, “it will never happen again, Guardmaster.”

Sali’s eyes went to Xander, and then back to the guard, “See that it doesn’t. We will speak again later. Now open the door.”

The guards both struck their halberds against the floor, then turned to grab the large handles of the doorway. They pulled it open to a grand throne room, a carpet leading down rows of candle stands and guards. 

“Walk,” Sali said as she went before him.

A voice boomed over the room as he walked through the door, “Now introducing, Xander of the Zindu of Xin, escorted by the Royal Guardmaster Salimyn of Galan.”

As Xander walked, he saw a rainbow array of dresses fan out at the front of the room. Women of all shapes and sizes, hair colors and styles, temperaments and tones. Then Sali stopped and bowed, before stepping aside. Then Xander only saw one woman, whose radiance he couldn’t pretend to describe.

The Queen, the center of the whole empire, their leader and lady, was seated just before him. She stood, and Xander fell to his knees.

“Xander of the fabled Zindu,” The Queen began. The room was silent beyond her words. “I have been told a thousand times that there are no better people to serve me and mine. I have been told by your own leaders that you are the absolute best among the Zindu. I told them, he is but a little man, how could he be your best? Even a queen must learn to listen to voices of disagreement.”

Xander allowed himself to swallow.

“Look at me,” She said. Xander looked up, and found that the Queen was bent at the waist, looking down at him, “do you understand who I am?”

He nodded, “You are the Queen, our mother, the first and brightest.”

She smiled, and Xander felt his whole body go red hot. It was like a weapon of affection. She was flawless, barely a sign of aging blemished her face, and her hair flowed and shimmered around her shoulders. Then she stood tall, and went back to her chair.

“And hopefully, I am the oldest woman you will ever meet,” She said with a smile on her face. She got comfortable, and then pointed to the women to her left and right. “These are my daughters, who you will learn to know, and to serve.”

Hytians, the queen’s own blood. There were no people more esteemed, and the Queen herself is the only pureblooded Hytian on the mainland. According to some, she is the only one in existence. Older than history, it is said she is eternal, like the empire she built. 

Hytians are, for lack of better words, perfect. It is said the Queen could best any of her own guards in combat, knows more potent magicks than the whole Crimson College, and has read every book in academia. All this was poured into a flowing dress, wearing a glimmering crown.

“My heir apparent, Azel,” the Queen said with a wave. The first woman to her left, similar to the queen besides her brown hair and sour disposition, moved forward and curtsied. “You will excuse me if I don’t introduce you to all of them, I sometimes forget a daughter or two.”

“Mother,” Azel grumbled, both at her being beckoned and at the Queen’s joke.

“Stand,” The Queen said, and Xander did, trying to stand tall, “How old are you, Zindu.”

“Sixty-five, your majesty.”

The Queen turned to Azel, “That is barely a boy, among the Xin, is it not?”

Azel shook her head, “A young man, mother. He is of marrying age, and to their unique views, peak potency.”

The first princess looked at Xander with raised eyebrows, and Xander resisted the urge to shrink out of the room. ‘Peak Potency’, why did she have to say something like that? 

“Oh yes,” The Queen said, “The Xin, my jungle children. Yours do have some strange practices.”

Strange, the Queen found them strange. Even one hundred years, and Xander didn’t expect to hear such words from her majesty. He was not even here a whole day.

“No mother,” Azel corrected, “The Tailin are the jungle children. The Xin are the black isles. Though they have no lack of jungles.”

The Queen frowned, “With the tall towers, and the beautiful paintings of the ocean?”

“Yes, mother.”

The Queen looked back at Xander, “Did you bring me any paintings, Zindu?”

Xander opened his mouth, but at first nothing came out. He coughed, “Yes your majesty. My luggage is full of gifts that High Lady Yanda prepared for you.”

“My goodness,” The Queen whispered, “I haven’t seen Yanda in…”

“She was just a child,” Azel said.

The Queen put two fingers to her lips, and for a moment she seemed lost in thought. Her eyes searched for something in the walls, and a smile curled at the edge of her lips. Then she giggled.

“Yes, and her people were the Xin, and they brought me pictures of their beautiful island that always seemed so dark. Her complexion was browned like yours, and she was just as small if not smaller. She was an intelligent woman, and quite beautiful herself. I remember, Azel, thank you.”

Azel took a step back. Though her eyes didn’t leave Xander. In fact, all of the princesses were watching him. There were supposed to be 20 princesses commonly accounted for, and only 15 were in attendance today. Still, that was more than enough Hytian blood watching him at one time.

“Xander, the Zindu, of Xin,” The Queen said, “You are charged with serving my palace, in whatever capacity is required. Your first responsibility is to my numerable daughters. Do not fail me, though I do not doubt you. I wish to remember your deeds as I do all great people. Now go, listen well to the head maid, and learn your duties. Make your people proud.”

Xander bowed until his head tapped the floor, and then stepped backwards until the Queen’s radiance was no longer immediate.

One of the princesses waved at him. When he looked, she winked at him.

Eyes forward. 

He turned and walked out of the hall, the doors shut behind him.