Page 88 of Knowing Trust

“No one will be assigned to the royal security division of the Guardians. They will try to qualify for it and be the best of the best. They should be to protect the queen just as the Secret Service is to protect the president and government. They will have different assignments just like they do so every commander and captain here will study their structure and hierarchy.

“That is what you will do before we have the discussion of details and specifics. But the head of this division will be Prince Hudson Vogel, my mate and a future prince of Faerie. He has been training in understanding the differences between what he grew up with since he was a baby and how things work here.

“Unfortunately, everyone has been overruling him and pushing him aside like a kid or it’s an honorary position. Hear it from my fucking lips—it’s not a fucking honorary position. I gave it to him because I trust him more than all of you.” I snickered when they couldn’t hide their shock. “I’ve known him longer. I love him, and he is one of the last people I would ever doubt.

“So yeah, it’s him, and if people don’t start respecting that, they’ll lose their rank, jobs, titles, lands—all of it. He and my father will be the ones to choose who is accepted into this designation and their roles. They will work with whichever commander who—”

“I change my answer,” my dad interjected. “I didn’t understand this part as well. I thought this was part of the police. I apologize. I change my answer that I want Iolas the one who does this, not the police.”

I nodded that I heard him. “We can work on that, but a commander will be the advisor and liaison to this head. We like having some accountability and checks and balances better instead of chickens with heads cut off. I’m not even blaming the commanders on this. It’s all hands on deck all the fucking time, but we are not being efficient with that anymore.

“I don’t even remember who to go to for things anymore, and I spend so much time repeating conversations or something I already spoke to someone—enough. Just enough.” I glanced at my dad. “I’m glad you changed your answer because I want Onas in charge of the police department.” I met Onas’s shocked gaze.

“I find that surprising after all I have done, Your Highness,” he hedged.

I licked my dry lips. “I want to make it a civilian position just as I want to make the head of the military. That is the position I’m giving Stefanie just as the humans have in most countries. It’s directly from my cabinet then, and it’s not as confusing with ranks and too many bosses giving orders or—it works. Mostly.”

“Your Highness, I cannot—” Stefanie started to argue.

“You can’t be on active duty, Commander,” I said bluntly. “Your wing cannot be healed and you lost about twenty percent of your magical ability. I don’t care about that part since losing twenty percent of really fucking strong is still crazy compared to most, but it’s the rules and I get it. It means you’re not combat-able.

“Great, okay, there’s tons we all do that has nothing to do with combat anything. And a lot of it needs to be separated better. We need one top commander. From what I’ve learned, that was basically the ancients—though that was super illegal—and really it was supposed to be my dad or Prince Alok. Well, that means Julian right now, and he will be—”

“Tamsin Vale, don’t even joke about that,” Julian whispered, his eyes too wide looking like he might faint.

“He will be the first to say that’s a bad idea,” I said dryly. “I’m not joking. It normally would be you.” I shrugged. “I’m saying we need to do better especially since we’re combining the realms, so I want you to be my education person—advisor cabinet person. Whatever.” I focused back on Stefanie. “You are the right person, injury or not.”

“Many will be upset that you promote the woman who saved your life to be the head of the military, Your Highness,” one of the nobles interjected.

I shrugged. “Let them. Humans do that all of the time. Not specifically for saving their leader but for doing such heroic deeds. They give out medals and Purple Hearts and—we send them downriver.” I stared the man down. “But I stand by what I said. She’s the ultimate trainer. She’s trained and worked with more Guardians than any other commander.

“That’s who should structure the training program. Retraining programs. Maintenance testing programs. How not to get lazy because we will have generations of peace programs. She is the right person to see the big picture and not get bullied by the nobles because she is one which should also make people happy about balance.”

People were quiet for several minutes until a throat cleared. I glanced over when I saw it was Neldor’s… And he wasn’t happy with me.

Yeah, well, I’d brought a lot of this up with him many times and he’d given me the brush-off. I understood it and he… He was too used to the way things were and should be at times.

“You also want Onas to head up the police,” he said after I nodded for him to go ahead. “You’re going to have a lot of trouble having a dark fairy lead the police and military.”

I shrugged. “I don’t see them as dark fairies. I never have. But it’s still balanced to me. I’m a light fairy and big boss. You’re a dark fairy and my right hand. Iolas might be the commander with Hudson and that’s a light fairy.” Again, I shrugged. “It’s not about light and dark to me. It’s resources and who is best for the position, plus I don’t want to take out—”

Neldor winced when I closed my mouth so fast that he apparently knew I bit my tongue. “Oh, this should be good.”

I ran my tongue over my teeth. “I don’t know who put the cranky in your pants, but before you get pissy that I didn’t talk to you about this first, you are part of the problem on this topic. I’ve brought this up with you dozens of times, but you’re stuck in how things ran before. Great. Queens died under how things ran. I want to do better and live.”

“Poking aside—even if valid given we all pushed off your concerns because we were buried—we do need to know your full assessment to understand where your head is at, Your Highness,” one of the other commanders said. “To the outside world—and even some in this room—it would look like you promoted Stefanie for saving you.

“Onas because you don’t want him to try and be a general to rally support for Prince Neldor or he steps out of line. Maybe some would see his talent in interrogations and how often you’ve pushed him to train more, but—we need to see the picture you do. Even if we don’t tell everyone, we need to see it.”

“You don’t actually. You don’t need to do shit besides follow fucking orders, Commander,” I seethed, glad when he nodded, several other people swallowing loudly and doing the same.

However, the request he made wasn’t unfair.

I sighed and glanced around. “Fine, but don’t get pissy with me later, or—you can’t hold this against me. I want the word of all of the commanders.” I waited until they all agreed. “I think we can all agree I’ve had enough time working with you that I know your strengths as you do mine. We’ve been in tough spots—”

“Your Highness, we aren’t people who offend easily,” Onas promised me, sounding a bit amused.

Yeah right. Fucking babies most of the time from what I knew.

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