Page 80 of Vibing Unity

Fair enough.

She showed up with a bunch of women I recognized but weren’t my normal detail. A good mix of light and dark fairies.

I simply raised an eyebrow.

“I’m testing soon to move up rank,” she explained.

“You’re currently top-level sergeant, right?” I hedged, ignoring that the other fairies seemed shocked.

She nodded, her answer probably more for those with us. “I was a second level when we met, but you and your training pushed me harder and harder. Training you for gymnastics gave me the hours to be promoted as well.”

I nodded. The ranks of Guardians mirrored the US military with one very obvious difference… There weren’t generals. Only commanders.

I was the general.

Or really, it was a bit of a mashup when it came to the officer ranks. In order from lowest-ranked to the top they were: second lieutenant, first lieutenant; captain, major, colonel, commander, and senior commander.

And there was only one senior commander. It was the eldest or top rank we normally talked about.

“So you’re trying for second lieutenant?” I checked, not sure how to say what I was worried about when she nodded. Ara preferred people being honest and blunt though, so I decided to just say it. “Are you sure you’re not pushing too hard and fast? Doesn’t it normally take decades to make the jumps you already have?”

“Yes, but I cannot be in your new royal protection Guardians if I’m not an officer,” she explained.

I groaned. “Why don’t people—I didn’t know that. I meant best of the best with like endurance and tests, not officers.”

“They actually coincide a lot, Your Highness,” one woman explained. “That is a huge part of a promotion for us unlike human militaries like you are used to. There are requirements about years of service, but our tests and training are huge. It’s the full-picture resume. Ara’s leading a royal training is a huge mark on her resume.”

I nodded, understanding better. “So you have a list of experience by the time you hit that rank more than they care about the rank.”

“Yes, exactly that,” she said, seeming pleased I understood so fast.

I gestured between them. “So you’re helping them or they’re helping you?”

“Both, Your Highness,” a different woman asked. “We’re lacking—” She sighed when someone snorted. “We’reseverelylacking in experience in the human world. But we’re all second lieutenants and have been helping Ara on what to expect for her test.”

Ara cleared her throat. “I was going to speak to you about having some of them assigned for your detail. You were clear you didn’t want switching up, so now the topic is closed among the higher ranks.”

I sighed. Heavily. “Fairies are so all or nothing. I didn’t want my detail to switch daily with people watching me—okay, I get it, and I’ll talk to Hudson because he’s going to be in charge of that now.” I held up a hand to her. “Just not today. Please. I need—what do you guys wanna eat?”

Ara shrugged. “I’m always up for freaking people out at the conveyor belt sushi places.”

“Perfect.” Then I flinched. “It’s like four in the morning in Japan. We have to wait.”

Ara went to suggest something else but then studied me a moment. “Taco Bell?”

“Just had it,” I grumbled. “Culver’s?”

“Yes. Please,” she groaned.

We ended up picking one in Georgia since it was warmer there and we wanted the flavor of the day. Lemon Berry Layer Cake, which was vanilla frozen custard layered with mixed berries, lemon, and butter cake pieces.

Yeah, just give me barrels of that please.

We ended up even sitting outside, and I snorted when Ara changed the direction of the umbrella so I was better covered.

“Thanks, Mom,” I drawled, swallowing a sigh when the other fairies flinched and stared at me with horror.

“It’s very common to say something like that,” Ara told them quietly after she felt me put up the barrier around our two tables. “The princess is informal on her personal time and you need to learn to adjust. Plus, we act to fit in when in this world. If you flinch every time she says something normal that the humans around us would chuckle at, it will raise red flags.”

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