"Twenty," Ben replied with a charming smile. "Every part of this path overlaps with others and with everyone's routes they get covered at least every ten minutes or so." There were many more duties for a royal guard than simply walking this path all day every day but keeping a tight security on the palace was particularly important.

Ben didn't know Alden though he knew his family name quite well. It was a little strange that Alden had seemed so sheltered in his youth but who was Ben to question it? He was here now and had clearly proven himself more than capable as all of the royal guards were hand picked by the Captain Commander himself. To top it off he seemed, thusfar, like good company and it had been an enjoyable day as he went through much of the training.

"Early on you'll be with a partner until you get the hang of it and then it's mostly just one person on each patrol path. There are only eighteen royal guards and obviously not all are on duty all at once so we have to pick and choose what tasks are most important each day. The paths change throughout the day depending on where the members of the royal family are and if Queen Iliana or Princess Ophelia and their children happen to be in town. It's easiest to protect them by staying relatively close and there is always a guard either with them or at least outside the door of whatever room they happen to be in at the time."

Ben was more than happy to answer all of his questions. He was a jovial sort of guy who was usually all smiles and good times. Though he was, of course, very dependable as a guard, he was not nearly as stiff and unapproachable as many of them could be. If he could do the same value of work and enjoy it while you were doing it then what was the harm in that?

"Of course, we'll go over them many times until we're sure you've got them down. Luckily, they aren't too complicated," he added with a little wink. "Each week your schedule will be posted and on it lists which routes are yours for the day and when. Sometimes they change of course based on different events so it's wise to check it at the beginning of your shift just in case there have been changes. If something truly unexpected happens then you'll hear about any further updates from superiors as needed."

Ben was rather enjoying the day with Alden. Though thusfar they had only talked about the job, he hoped to get to know the man on a more personal level. It certainly made working together easier. Or at least he thought so. They walked along the path so Alden could get a good feel for it as the new recruit asked questions.

Ben smiled and nodded. It was one of his favorite parts about the job actually. "Most of the time to Lorendale," he explained and grinned as he remembered a particularly fun secret rendezvous during a very memorable visit. "Though when you go you're typically on duty for most or all of the time so you don't get to explore much." Unfortunately, but that was the job. "I've also seen Arynn Frey, Coheed, and Cambria, before the latter two were adopted by Nevermere. I was sent to accompany Lady Prowze, the ambassador." Yeah, he had been pretty proud of that one and it had brought him and Norah closer as well.

"The only place I have yet to see is Dresmond," he added with a bit of a dreamy tone. He would love to cross that one off his bucket list...though preferably not in a war-type situation.

Yes, he was pretty proud of the fact that he'd been able to travel so much. It was part of the reason he had continued to be so enthusiastic about his role as a royal guard. Sure, it got a little boring sometimes, but the highlights of the job made the rest so worth it. He chuckled a little at Alden's question. "My sister calls me Benny and I've always hated it. I prefer Ben, but I'll try not to hold it against you if 'Benny' sticks," he lightly teased, giving the man a wink. Of course he had noticed the man's unique and stunning features. He was definitely something he was enjoying looking at but he was keeping those opinions at bay as best he could.

"Lorendale," he answered the first question. "Honestly I've spent more time there than the other kingdoms. It's the most like Nevermere, only it's sunny and the people are..." he let his lips curl up into a sparkling grin, "very, very friendly." Yes, he'd had a good time in Lorendale. It had been snuck in quickly at a party when his absence wouldn't be missed for at least a little while and he'd naughtily taken advantage of that. It had been worth it. It was still one of his favorite memories.