Editing Inversions (novel) (section)

===''The Bodyguard''===
The second, interleaved storyline is told by an initially unnamed narrator, remaining unnamed so as to provide a neutral context for the narrative.  The story focuses on DeWar, bodyguard to General UrLeyn, the Prime Protector of the Protectorate of Tassasen.  Protector UrLeyn is the leader of Tassasen, having killed the previous monarch in a revolt; subsequently he eliminated official terms such as "King" and "Empire" within Tassasen.  At the beginning of the story the Protectorate is fast approaching a war with the neighbouring land of Ladenscion, led by barons who initially supported UrLeyn's revolution but now intend to establish themselves as independent.

DeWar is the sometimes-confidant of UrLeyn, but the bodyguard also maintains a friendly, conversational relationship with Perrund, a member of the Tassasen harem.  Perrund was once the Protector's prized [[concubine]], which changed following an assassination attempt on UrLeyn; Perrund shielded the Protector with her body, saving his life at the cost of crippling her left arm.  Though no longer as prized as a concubine, Perrund is highly regarded by UrLeyn, DeWar, and most of Tassasen society.  DeWar in particular finds her easy to confide in, and spends much of his off-time playing board games with her while the two tell each other stories.

DeWar is on high alert as the conflict with Ladenscion approaches, believing that someone within the court may be a traitor.  An attempt is made on UrLeyn's life by an assassin disguised as an ambassador, though DeWar anticipates the threat and kills the man before he can succeed.  Nonetheless, this act only reinforces DeWar's fears of a traitor.

A surprising, unwelcome turn comes when UrLeyn's young son, Lattens, has a seizure and subsequently falls ill.  While the boy slowly recovers, DeWar tells him stories of a "magical land" called Lavishia, a place where "every man was a king, every woman a queen". Eventually the boy recovers, and UrLeyn and his bodyguard depart for the front lines, where the war with Ladenscion is flagging.  However, no sooner are they there than word arrives that Lattens has fallen ill again, prompting a distraught UrLeyn to rush back to the castle.

While DeWar is gone, Perrund tells Lattens a story about a girl named Dawn, who spent most of her life locked in a basement by her cruel family and was eventually rescued by a travelling circus.  When he returns, Perrund tells DeWar about the story, then tells him it was a shadow of the real story: her story.  Rather than her parents locking her in the basement to be cruel, they locked her in to hide her from Imperial soldiers—high-ranking men of the former King's regime.  Rather than being rescued, the soldiers found her, raped her, her mother and her sisters, and then forced her to watch as they murdered her father and brothers.  The soldiers were eventually killed, but Perrund still feels she is now dead inside.  DeWar attempts to in some way comfort her, but she quickly demands he return her to the harem.

Lattens' condition continues to worsen, causing UrLeyn to act more and more erratically, spending less time focusing on the war and more time at his son's bedside.  The Protector goes so far as to bar all visitors to his chambers, and even prohibits DeWar from speaking to him unless he is spoken to.  His only real contact is with Perrund, who spends most nights holding UrLeyn as he cries himself to sleep.  DeWar enlists Perrund's help in focusing UrLeyn on the war, but to no success.

An [[epiphany (feeling)|epiphany]] strikes DeWar when he finds he has drooled on his pillow in his sleep, and he proceeds to Lattens' room.  A guard restrains the boy's nurse while DeWar examines his [[comfort object|security blanket]], finding it has been soaked in an unknown fluid, presumably poison.  Under threat of death the nurse reveals who has been orchestrating the poisoning: Perrund.  DeWar storms into the harem chambers, intent on revealing the conspiracy to UrLeyn, but arrives too late; Perrund has already killed the Protector, and calmly waits for the bodyguard.  Holding her at sword-point, DeWar tearfully demands to know why she conspired against the Protector.  Perrund replies that she did it for revenge, for killing her and her family.  The soldiers who raped her were not the former King's men at all, not even men allied to UrLeyn, but the man himself, as well as his current, closest advisers.  Afterwards she was taken in by men from Haspidus, and recruited as a spy by King Quience directly.  Saving UrLeyn from the assassin was simply to prevent him from dying while he was a strong leader; instead, her orders were to ensure he died in "utter ruin" to put his citizens off the idea of states without a monarch, as UrLeyn had envisaged Tassasen being.

After her confession, Perrund demands DeWar kill her.  He silently refuses, lowering his sword.  Perrund grabs his knife and brings it to her own throat, but it is quickly knocked away by DeWar's blade, which he lowers once more.