B9C6

"We know not why but she is still a month early. We need that time. You, I and the King will be parlaying with her." Ozpin waved a hand and some servants came forward with silvery armour. "Wear this. It is the uniform and heraldry of a member of the King's Royal Guard."

My jaw dropped. "R-Royal Guard-?"

"This isn't a promotion, more necessity. You're the only one who Salem has ever spoken to before and you have a unique relationship with her. If she will speak to anyone, it will be you. However, we cannot march out there a King, a Sage and a Blacksmith. The people will be watching, and we must portray a certain image – one in which the King speaks with our great enemy. The Royal Guard speak with the influence of the King."

Meaning that even if I spoke with her, it would look to the people it was under orders from the King. That would remind everyone our ruler was someone unafraid to deal directly with a monster. That I'd be faking it didn't matter; the King would still be out there. I nodded and stepped toward the servants, letting them help strap the armour in place.

It was fantastically heavy. The plate was solid and covered me from shoulder to toes in thick, silvery metal that glinted in the sunlight. Great pauldrons covered my shoulders and even obscured my vision somewhat if I looked to the left and right. The graves were segmented, and the breastplate extended downward with chainmail hanging from the bottom interwoven with golden badges marking the emblem of Vale. Another was stamped over my heart, while a buckle on each shoulder held up a royal blue cloak that fell and flowed down behind me.

A helmet was offered, full faced, but Ozpin stopped me from putting it on. "Keep it on your belt. Fully arming yourself is reserved for war. It's considered a sign of peace to show your face at times like this."

"Do you think Salem knows that?"

"No. But our people on the walls do."

I surrendered to Ozpin's knowledge and hooked the helmet onto an attachment designed for it. Apart from being heavy, the armour made me feel like a golem. I could move in it, but only because of my frankly ridiculous Strength stat. Most people would have toppled under the strain of it. Perhaps that was the point; that to be a Royal Guard you needed to have such Strength as a minimum. I stooped and picked up Crocea Mors from where I'd laid her, attaching her to my sword belt.