It was something I noticed the very first time I saw her. I'm honestly not sure why everyone else didn't see it too. I don't consider myself the smartest guy, and even I could tell... Well, I'll get to that in a sec.

I didn't watch Madeleine's first match in the Champion Tournament. There were so many contestants, and I was still working overtime at the Mansion, trying to clean up the mess left in the wake of Kesti's disappearance. But after the round was over, out of thousands of contestants, Madeleine was the only one anyone was interested in talking about. She was an unbelievably powerful mage; she had downed her opponent with a single spell, before they had even had a chance to cast. But there were no shortage of powerful mages in the Tournament. After I watched her next match, though, I understood the hype.

Madeleine was only 15, but she looked even younger. I've heard that frequent magic use slows down the aging process, but honestly, I think she just hadn't hit puberty yet. She was a tiny little merfolk girl, with round cheeks and round eyes. In the ring, she always radiated confidence. Her wide smile never wavered. Grown adults, twice her size, begged the Tournament officials to reschedule their matches if they were assigned as her opponent. Losing to her was humiliating, and no one expected to win.

It was impossible for me to schedule Guards for the Mansion, because they kept asking to switch their shifts so they could see her matches in person. When you watched the broadcast, you could even see people in the stands getting up and leaving as soon as her match was over. She was bombarded with praise, admiration, and endless questions. No one knew who she was, how she got so strong, or why they'd never heard of her before. She answered them all with grace, compassion, and the same smile.

That smile, though... I recognized it. There are some people who don't feel like they can ever be upset. They're not allowed to be. It's not always for the same reason - maybe there are others who rely on them for support, maybe others have used their emotions against them. Either way, sometimes a person's smile is their defense against a world that's waiting to catch them in a moment of weakness. That was her smile.

Once you were looking for it, there were other signs, too. One time, I caught a glimpse of her before her match started, just outside the entryway into the ring. She was looking up into the waiting crowd. For a brief moment, she hesitated, face slack and shoulders slumped. Then her chest lifted, her chin raised, and she bounded into the ring, smiling. The crowd roared in response. She didn't flinch.

Madeleine won the Tournament, because of course she did. That meant she would be moving into the Governor's Mansion as part of her position as Champion. That also meant I would be working closely with her. As the Mansion Security Supervisor, it is my job to make all its occupants feel safe. Ensuring their physical safety is a big part of that, but there are other reasons a person might not be able to relax.

She walked through the gates of the Governor's Mansion on her first day as Champion, looking for all the world like a ten-year-old on their first day of secondary school. She even had a satchel slung over her shoulder, which could very well have been filled with schoolbooks. It was the only bag she carried.

"Champion Madeleine!" She turned towards me as I strode across the Mansion courtyard to greet her.

"Oh!" Clearly she wasn't used to being addressed as Champion, but after a flicker of initial confusion, she bestowed upon me her signature smile. "Good morning! You're Gideon, the supervisor, right?"

"That's correct!" I returned her smile with my own well-practiced one. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Pleasure to meet you too."

"Please follow me inside. I'm happy to give you a tour of the Mansion and show you your quarters."

"Thank you very much!"

I led her through the Mansion, across the main hall and down every corridor. I'd given that tour many times, so I didn't have to concentrate too hard on it, and I could spend that mental energy on watching her reaction. She was perfectly polite, nodding along without interrupting, giving no indication that she was nervous to upend her entire life and become one of Iryna's most recognizable public figures. Many Guards openly stopped to stare, some rushing to introduce themselves and others shyly whispering to each other behind their hands. She greeted them all kindly and asked every one of them their name.

"This hallway here..." I gingerly opened the door, closing it behind Madeleine as she stepped through. "These are the private residences in the Mansion. No one is allowed beyond that door except the people living here, their invited guests, and me. But I will not enter your room unless given permission."

"Understood."

"Madeleine..." I leaned in closer, lowering my voice, even though I knew that no one could hear us from outside the hall. I tried my best not to tower over her, but she still had to crane her neck to maintain eye contact. "I am here to protect you. If you ever feel in danger, for any reason, no matter how silly, please give me a call. You deserve to feel comfortable in the Mansion, and... you don't have to suffer alone."

And there it was. Her eyes pinched, her lip wobbled, and her breath hitched in her throat. It was gone in an instant, but when she spoke again, her constant cheer was replaced by a softer, more honest warmth.

"...Thanks, Gideon. I'll make sure to take you up on that."