Manfred straightened the collar of his newly bought shirt as he stepped over the threshold of a torchlit entrance to the knights' hall. The sensation of soft fabric caressing his skin as he moved struck him as a somewhat unsettling distraction, but he attempted ignoring it nonetheless. Besides, even more distracting were the unfamiliar dress boots on his feet that fit so much more snugly than the rugged everyday shoes he normally wore.

Upon reaching the High Council chamber and finding it strangely empty, Manfred felt himself incredibly lost, but thankfully a knight stumbled across him shortly. The man informed him that due to the size of the assembly, it had been moved down to the largest of the sparring chambers. Then he offered to guide Manfred there, which he readily accepted.

The two walked down a series of passageways and a couple flights of steps before finally arriving at the warmly-lit sparring chamber. A throng of men and women with sheathed swords on their hips sat in the middle of the room, with their standing counterparts lining the walls. With some difficulty, Manfred threaded his way through the crowd to get a spot closer to the improvised speaking platform on one end of the chamber.

Once he'd reached his desired spot, Manfred raised his gaze to the platform and met Princess Kate's eyes. They exchanged a brief smile, and Kate gave him a thumbs-up after giving his new outfit a once over. With a nod, he moved on and swept his attention over to Tom Holt standing a few paces to the princess' left. Tom stood at an attention stance currently, unmoving and stiffly formal.

A few minutes passed as more attendees filed in, until at last, the last man arrived and the doors were shut. The roar of separate conversations across the chamber died away when Kate cleared her throat and stepped up to the lectern on the edge of her platform.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, valued citizens of Monterayne." Princess Kate addressed her audience with a generous grin, "We are gathered here this night for a very special announcement, the repercussions of which will be transformative to the remainder of your knightly careers. And I believe the changes we shall speak of this night will serve to further bolster Monterayne's stature among the nations."

After a pregnant pause ending in a sigh, Kate continued. "Of course I am not the first to inform you of this fact, but we have very recently endured the loss of two valued men from among your ranks, namely Sir Alden Holt and Sir Juan Feliz. I shall not delve into details on that matter of which you all have likely heard enough to cause your ears to bleed, but I do acknowledge that their passing on from this world was the catalyst for some discussion which led to these changes."

Manfred glanced around at the audience members nearest him when Kate paused again. Nearly all of them leaned forward in suspense, visibly eating up every word that left her mouth with great interest. However, a few leaned against the opposite wall with folded arms and impatient countenances, clearly irritated with the space she left between statements. With a shrug, he returned his own attention to the princess.

"The Knights of the King's Table have served Monterayne well for centuries, and countless men of her number have made good names for themselves, men of renown and worthy of history's highest praise. But even so, it has come to my attention that the method of operating this order has become outdated and inefficient. And in a way, this fact brings me gladness. The march of civilization ideally goes uphill, continually reaching greater and greater heights, and many times, part of that process is shedding old things to make room for something new and better. I believe Monterayne is entering a new era, for better or worse, and her knights must adjust to better serve in these times. So with that, I proclaim the formation of Monterayne's Knights of a New Era!"

A majority of the audience filled Kate's silence with a round of enthusiastic applause, which Manfred was keen to participate in. Upon taking in the lovely sight of the princess relishing in the moment of shared excitement, a wide smile spread across his own lips. Kate glanced down and met his eyes, and once she did, she gave him a toothy grin.

Once the noise had died down, Kate cleared her throat again. "I now introduce you to the man I have hand-selected to lead this new order, Sir Thomas Holt. He will now speak with you all and clarify where the old and new differ."

Kate blew a kiss toward the assembly before stepping aside so Tom could take her place at the lectern. After taking a deep breath and smoothing his beard with his fingers, the veteran knight began his address.

"I once served in the Knights of the King's Table." he stated with an exploratory one-eyed glance at the various heads in the crowd, "In fact, to a great many of you, I am no stranger at all. But my departure was primarily spurred on by corruption in the High Council, which was facilitated by the order's ineffective organization. So, that being said, I'll be pleased to inform you of the redistribution of authority in this new order."

When Tom paused, Manfred took the opportunity to glance about again. A far smaller number of the onlookers appeared as entranced now as they had been when Princess Kate had been speaking, and he couldn't help but wonder if her striking looks and more upbeat personality had something to do with it. The men with crossed arms who lined the walls stared at Tom uninvitingly, some of them bordering on hostility. Manfred raised an eyebrow at the sight.

"As her highness just said," Tom began again, "I have been set in the position of overseeing the Knights of a New Era, an honor held by only one man. The authoritative functions of the old order's High Council are consolidated into this position for greater efficiency. Below me will be an advisory council with whom I will consult frequently to make more informed decisions."

A hand shot up from within the throng, and Tom acknowledged its owner with a nod and a pointing finger. The man who'd raised his hand straightened his jacket and stood taller. "How many in this council?"

"The number will be adjusted on a quarterly basis to maintain a number roughly ten percent of the total sum of active knights at any one time. So according to the latest count, the first council should consist of 31 members."

The inquirer nodded with a grateful smile and returned to his slouching posture.

Tom stretched his back. "Below the advisory council will be the remainder of the knights. And while it's still on my mind, I may as well bring up that the custom of his majesty dining weekly with a number of his knights will be done away with. He can still, of course, voluntarily choose to bestow that honor on any number of men at any time he sees fit, but now that offer can be extended to any member of the knightly order. Not just the High Council."

"It seems we're much more equals in this new system." a nearby knight muttered to himself, "I like that."

It didn't appear Tom had heard the interjection, because he didn't so much as look at the man who had spoken. After clearing his throat, the veteran knight continued. "In my view, the most important change of all will be a standard code of conduct solidified in writing, to which any knight can refer and know where he stands. No more faulty justice where condemnation or acquittal depend on mere opinion."

Another hand exploded into the air, this one belonging to a wiry old man with a bitter mouth. "What's this mean for us?" he asked once Tom granted him permission, "We suddenly have to serve in this new order nobody asked us about?"

"I'm not sure what's so sudden about it." Tom retorted, "But yes, if you wish to continue serving as a knight, you must make the transfer to the new order."

"What if I don't want to?"

"Then I'm afraid retirement is your only option, sir."

The old man threw up his hands and huffed. "Good riddance to me, then, I suppose."

With that, the scrawny old knight stormed off, shoving his way through the crowd on his path to the door with clenched fists. A surprising number of men followed suit, though most exited with far less dramatics. The majority of the defiant men standing against the walls joined the departure, but not before casting dirty glances Tom's way. When all was said and done, about a third of the attendees had weeded themselves out.

After making a wry comment on how "that was unexpected", Tom continued right along, guiding the remaining onlookers through the Monteraynian pledge of allegiance before following that with an oath of dedication to the Knights of a New Era. Then he looked down at Manfred and beckoned him up onto the platform.

Manfred's cheeks heated as he negotiated his way through the throng to reach the improvised platform's steps. He took a deep breath and ascended. Once he'd come close to Tom, he stood at an attention stance before him.

"We have one last matter to attend to before this assembly is adjourned." Tom said to the crowd below, "And that is the induction of this courageous young man, Manfred Rickland. He accompanied her highness Princess Kate on her expedition to Innutuk not long ago, and when their emperor detained them, Manfred held back nothing in his exertion to procure liberation and assist in her escape. For this act of valor, I now consider him worthy of knighthood. Mr. Rickland, please kneel on one knee."

Once Manfred had complied, Tom spoke again. "A great responsibility is about to be laid on your shoulders, Rickland, and one which has crushed many men. You are to become a guardian of many, and shall be power to the powerless. You will be entrusted with the execution of justice or conversely the withholding thereof in favor of mercy. You will be equipped always for war, yet holding to a temperament of peace. And most importantly of all, you are to promote the glory of God wherever you rest the sole of foot. Are you ready to accept this burden?"

Manfred meekly nodded. "Yes, sir, I am ready."

"In that case, unsheathe your sword and hand it to me."

With a trembling hand, Manfred reached for the hilt of his sword and clutched the scabbard with the other. He slid it out carefully and gave his weapon over to Tom, who in turn passed it to Princess Kate. Manfred bowed his head as Kate lightly tapped each of his shoulders in succession with the flat of the blade, finishing with a touch on the head.

"I hereby exercise my authority to declare you, Manfred Rickland, a knight. I now endow you with both the privileges and responsibilities thereof and accept you into the ranks of the Knights of a New Era." Kate recited slowly with a professional demeanor Manfred could tell was only a veil over true joy.

Kate handed Manfred's weapon back over, and after he had returned it to the scabbard, he took her hand and rose to his full height once more. A round of applause erupted from the crowd below, which he acknowledged with a shy grin and a bow. For better or worse, Manfred felt he'd just been granted a new beginning. Though the future was uncertain, knighthood somehow felt powerful.