Another Rya-focused project in the Order of Night and Flame AU. Sequel to this. (Dark Souls reference)
Rya, Princess of the Sun, was walking through her childhood home. Except she was walking not through the halls of the Volcano Manor, she was walking through the empty Prison Town.
After Rennala claimed Mt. Gelmir as part of Liurnia, the first action she took was free everyone in the prison. The Man-Serpents have agreed to not attack people, and in exchange, they are allowed to continue living in Mt. Gelmir.
Rya was allowed to explore the contents of Mt Gelmir, as the Man-Serpents could tell she was a Serpent too.
As she continues roaming the Temple of Eiglay, she discovers a mysterious waygate. Before she can do anything, she's transported.
She finds herself in small cave, with a small path that took her to a large cave, where she sees something she never expected. A large serpent with a face. But what horrified her was what was in front of the serpent.
Tanith. Her adoptive mother. Dead.
Before she could even react, she heard a small gasp. She turned, and saw the cause for the gasping.
Tanith's Crucible Guard. Rya knew him. He was her guard when she went on small walks. He watched over her as she played as a child.
He was a great man. And now she was watching him die. She was crying now, desperate to save him.
"GRANDMOTHER!!" She cried out, knowing that her grandmother was watching over her.
Suddenly, Rennala was right in front of Rya, and without saying anything, the three of them appeared in a small room in the Carian Manor, with the Crucible Knight on a bed.
"We will do the best we can, my grandchild." Rennala said, holding Rya as she sobs.
"I-I can't lose anyone else!" Rya cries. "He was so kind to me as a child!" She says. Rennala nods, and guides Rya out of the room.
Rennala takes off the chest-piece and helmet of the guard, and preforms many treatments on the Knight.
In a week, Rya walks back to the room. Only to see a strange man putting on Crucible Armor.
"G-guard? Is that you?" She asks.
The guard looks at her, and smiles. "Lady Rya! I am so glad you are alive! I thought the Tarnished would have killed you."
Rya was silent. "The Tarnished almost killed you? And killed my mother?" She asked, confused.
The Crucible Knight explained what Tanith was doing, devouring Rykard so he could live on inside of her. Rya felt like she was going to be ill.
Rya could understand why the Tarnished killed her mother, but she felt upset that the Tarnished still did.
"So, what now?" Rya asks the former Crucible Knight.
"My sworn duty was to protect Tanith. I have failed that duty." The guard said. "I will not fail in protecting Tanith's daughter." He said, looking at Rya. "And please, you don't have to call me "Guard," you can call me by my name, Solaire."
That is how Rya gained a guard that was sworn to protect Rya, as well as learning of Rya's purpose as Princess of the Sun.