3rd Interlude's Actions

Orren Von Urkseld: Final Years at Oathwatch Academy
 
The Heir Who Became a Shield
In the two years following the failed abduction of the princess and the dark ritual beneath the moss-covered archway, Orren Von Urkseld honed his identity. Not just as a noble heir or a Fatebound knight, but as a quiet force for stability, loyalty, and protection within the volatile crucible of Oathwatch Academy.
 
Shield of the Princess
Orren deepened his commitment to protecting the princess, quietly joining Vaelion’s discreet circle of guardians. With the blessing of her bodyguards, Dame Nyvessa Valehart and Sir Dain Evergard, Orren became a trusted presence. He was not an official guard, but an auxiliary protector who never sought attention, always standing near when needed. This circle was not his alone. Vaelion, Cora, Elowel, and Caelith remained central to this silent duty. Vaelion continued to coordinate movements and identify threats. Cora mastered the art of reading crowds and preempting danger. Elowel applied her insights, detecting intrigues and political shifts. Caelith, ever intuitive and driven by wonder, served as both a watcher and a strategist. They were not called knights, but those who looked closely knew what they were becoming.
 
A Knight’s Path, Sharpened
Orren continued private instruction under Captain Lysara Vexmere, his arms instructor and quiet source of admiration. These meetings refined his form but also shaped his purpose. She challenged not only his technique, but his sense of restraint, his clarity, and the balance between strength and mercy.
He dedicated himself fully to two codes: the Fatebound Oath and the chivalric virtues he had begun shaping for himself. Valor. Duty. Loyalty. Honor. Compassion. These were no longer words to recite. They became choices, habits, and the lens through which he viewed every decision.
The Fatebound sigil remained hidden. It was a secret shared only with those who had proven themselves, and Orren treated that trust as sacred.
He took to heart the headmaster’s charge to find allies. Trust, he learned, was rarer than steel.
 
The Quiet Protector
Outside of battlefields and courtly politics, Orren remained a steady guardian for the overlooked. He made time for younger students, especially those who were isolated or overwhelmed. His size might have intimidated, but his silence invited confidence. Many came to him for comfort, support, or just to feel safe. He asked for nothing in return.
He kept an eye on students in his siblings’ age groups, ensuring they too had companions and support. The Von Urkseld name came to mean more than noble blood. It came to mean refuge.
 
Subtle Bridges
He honored his promise to Cedric Drakemont by being a consistent presence for Brielle. Whether sparring, studying, or simply standing quietly nearby, he was ready when needed and never pushed when he was not.
He also began speaking regularly with Elyndra Vaelthorne. She was a puzzle few dared to solve. But Orren didn’t seek to solve her. He simply listened. Her questions about dragons, about faerie, about the history taught and the truth buried beneath it, all these resonated with him. Without revealing the orb or his oath, he encouraged her inquiries. He offered occasional confirmation, asked questions of his own, and met her veiled fury with silent understanding.
Some truths are spoken aloud. Others are shared only in the space between two people willing to see past masks.
 
Closing Thoughts
By the time Orren’s final year at the Academy came to a close, he had become something different from what he once imagined. Not a knight praised by song or crowned in gold, but a shield raised without glory, a steady hand in a world sliding toward chaos.
And when the time came to choose between comfort and courage, between silence and conviction, Orren Von Urkseld would stand.
Not because someone told him to.
Because he had sworn he would.