Troya

  It should have a normal morning like any other.

  The scarlet sun overseeing Gharia and its capital city of Cereza glimpsed over the horizon. Troya sat upon a chair within her office, staring absent-mindedly outside the window. It had become a habit of hers to watch the sun’s ascension from the break of dawn before delving into her work as the head of House Ulster. A quirk that she picked up from her late husband. He used to always remark about the beauty of sunrise, and so when he passed, she decided to continue his tradition on a whim.

  Her lover was a romantic. Troya had no such sensibilities.

  Yet even so, as she watched the scarlet sun’s rise today, she had a strange premonition.

  The door to her study softly creaked open.

  “Lady Troya, I have your tea ready.”

  A fair and dainty maid entered her office. In her hands was a tray carrying a steaming teapot, a set of fine porcelain, and a few snacks to start Troya’s day.

  “Thank you, Ruby,” Troya remarked while her maid readied everything on her office table. A new fragrance permeated the air from the boiling tea being poured into the porcelain cups. Troya soaked in soothing scent, but it did little to assuage the weird feelings she had earlier.

  “Lady Troya, you don’t look so well today,” Ruby said casually, “Should I arrange for anything to make you more comfortable?”

  Was I that obvious?

  Troya carefully prodded her face, wondering if her anxiety had been noticeable. Ruby was still young, but her female sensibilities were already quite developed. She would make a fair lady one day.

  “No need. I was just thinking about Van and his group,” she said, making up a white lie, “Do you remember him?”

  “Yes, he made quite an impression,” Ruby said, squirming slightly in discomfort. The mention of her brother, who she had forgotten due to amnesia, was a sore topic.

  Speaking of which, it’s been a week since I last heard from them.

  Troya frowned. The Saar wasn’t the most pleasant environment to traverse, but Van’s group was composed of talented Exalted which should have made most of the desert’s threats trivial. They also had a guide in Taksh to lead them to the prospective Azurite mines.

  Did something happen?

  She was suddenly snapped out of her thoughts by frantic knocking. Her butler then entered without waiting for her address. Troya raised an eyebrow. His urgency was unusual.

  Her butler stammered as he lowered his head in deference, “M-Milady, I apologize for intruding, but you wouldn’t happen to be expecting guests today at this time, would you?”

  “No, why?”

  “A group bearing a noble flag is at the gates of Cereza,” her butler revealed, his forehead caked in sweat, “They’re displaying the symbol of the royal family.”

  ***

  House Ulster was in an uproar as they scrambled to prepare the estate for the royal family’s unexpected visit. Troya stayed in her office, glancing in a mirror while fruitlessly trying to fix her frantic expression. She was never good at the performative aspects of being a noble. Her late husband tried to train her to conceal her intent behind a mask, but she was never able to maintain the fa?ade for long. She was too earnest. Too straightforward. She hated probing for hidden meanings and playing the nauseating game of deception that every other noble seemed to enjoyed.

  She’d rather just drive a sword into her enemy’s heart if they couldn’t find common ground.

  Perhaps that was a privilege of hers for being born with the constitution and demeanor of a warrior. But it was also a fatal flaw when she found herself away from the battlefield. One that her late husband would have made up for, had he not departed this world so soon. It was in these moments that Troya felt his departure the most.

  A practiced knock on her door gave her an advance warning.

  Her butler soon opened her office to her unexpected guests. Troya rose from her seat, biting on the inside of her lips as she tried not to grimace.

  Of course it had to be the annoying one.

  Aidan von Astraea strolled into the room. He adorned the attire of the royal family, an outfit of purple and gold, suggesting that he was visiting on official terms. He wore an arrogant smile brimming with confidence as his sharp eyes scanned the room. When his gaze landed on her, he bowed.

  An odd gesture, really. The Crown Prince was never supposed to lower his head to their subjects, but Aidan liked to defy the rules of the court without restraint. Convention didn’t apply when everything could be made up with his natural charisma, sharp wits, and the frightening ability to say the right things.

  Troya couldn’t help but detest him.

  “You look stunning as usual this morning, Lady Troya. I sincerely apologize for my sudden intrusion.”

  Then you shouldn’t have intruded. Troya bit her tongue to contain her ire.

  “…Greetings, Your Highness,” she said, lowering her head to show deference, “To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?”

  The Crown Prince fell silent as he meandered around the edges of her office. Probing. Stealing glances at the books and materials in her study. Troya knew the performative gesture was intended to make her nervous. A subtle move to assure who was in the control of this meeting. She felt her hand sweating anyways.

  “I was in the area when a matter of good importance suddenly came to my attention. A matter that you might be intimately familiar with,” Aidan said.

  His arrogant smile widened ever so slightly. A small change, but the effect was chilling. No longer was this a friendly grin, but the visage of a man threatening to bare his fangs.

  “There’s a new Azurite mine in the Saar, isn’t there?”

  Troya felt her heart jump.

  “You knew for awhile now, didn’t you?” Aidan narrowed his eyes. “Why were you sitting on this knowledge?”

  How the hell does he know?

  Her mind immediately shifted to Van and Emil. Could they have revealed the knowledge before they ventured onto their expedition? Or is their lack of contact related to the Crown Prince’s appearance? Aidan feigned a cough, pulling her attention back to him.

  “…I admit, there were rumors of a new Azurite mine that was discovered by the Gharians,” Troya said, resigned to be honest as possible. There was no way she’d be able to conceit a lie in front of the Crown Prince. “I was in the process of verifying the truth.”

  “Is that so?” Aidan inexplicably snapped his fingers. Another person soon entered the office. They were basked in a full suit of argent armor. Their faces shrouded by an ornate helm. Wings sprouted from their back, radiating a divine light. They looked like a messenger from the heavens. There were no weapons in their hands, but they projected the presence of an army nonetheless. Troya found her hands shaking. A rare sight. Her intuition told her that the newcomer was a formidable opponent.

  Aidan’s threat was clear.

  “Tell me everything you know about the current state of the Saar and the Gharians,” he stated with authority, compelling her to speak earnestly.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  Troya had no choice but to oblige. “They’ve separated themselves into three large tribes. From my last update, they seemed to be feuding over something—”

  “Oh, Lady Troya.” Aidan suddenly cut her off with a pitiful gaze. The condescension in his tone was grating and his expression looked like a parent about to scold an unruly child. “You are terribly, terribly behind on your intel. The Gharians are threatening a rebellion on your doorsteps, and yet here you are, still thinking about the Azurite mine.”

  Troya’s stomach roiled. What is he talking about?

  “The Saar is your backyard. You can’t be this clueless about the affairs of your own land. Should I ask father to rise a different noble house to take your place instead if you’re not up for the task?”

  His attitude was breezy, but his voice carried a hint of steel. The armored warrior beside him stood expectantly. Troya snuck a glance at her butler. The old man shook his head once. A warning.

  Biting her lips, she lowered her head. “I affirm my loyalty to the crown. What will you have me do?”

  There was no way out of this situation. Aidan knew that she had deliberately withheld information about the Azurite mine from the royal family. That alone was a crime deserving of capital punishment. The second choice was to fight her way out, but the damage incurred to her house was unacceptable for a battle that she wasn’t confident she could win.

  The other thing left was to submit and pray that she had still use for the Crown Prince.

  “Hahaha!” Aidan tossed his head back in delight. “You’ve no mind for politics, but at least you’re shrewd enough to know when to fight to the death and when to surrender. Most of the fools in this kingdom can’t even tell the difference.”

  He dropped the frivolous attitude, suddenly all business.

  “House Ulster will unilaterally ally with the royal family and break their ties to the noble faction. There’s no need to bind our alliance with blood. Instead, this alliance is how House Ulster will be punished for their belligerence for withholding Azurite information.”

  “I thank you for your magnanimity,” Troya stated, grimacing with relief.

  “Good. Because you have a crisis brewing in the Saar, Lady Troya. And you would have been swept away if I hadn’t showed up to your doorsteps.”

  The next few minutes was spent by Aidan bringing Troya up to speed with the current state of the Saar. After Vigil’s Karni had vanished into Gharia, the Lionheart and Steiger had tried to place spies within the Shiraza and Zal’Khari tribes with marginal success. The Dhazara, which was perceived to be the most amenable to Ardairans, were supposed to be contacted by Van and his group to lay the foundation for future investigations. If Karni was found to not be a member of the Dhazara, then the goal was to plop up the Dhazara as the dominant tribe of the Saar in exchange for their cooperation with finding the Vigil terrorist.

  It was a methodical approach to uncovering the Karni’s whereabouts.

  “Except Van got himself killed by an accidental encounter with Zal’Khari, the Dhazara decided to attack the Azurite mines on their own, and then the Shiraza usurped everything,” Troya summarized what she’s learned, “And Princess Kiniyani is Karni. Who also now has a unified Gharia under her grasp.”

  “She also has access to an unspecified amount of Borealis. The same bomb that destroyed Thanatos and razed Isarelle. She is its creator,” Aidan added.

  Troya sighed. A rebellion was brewing right underneath her nose and she had no idea. What a blunder. I’m seriously not cut out for this.

  Frankly, she should have been cowering in front of the Crown Prince and begging for his aid. The force of a unified Gharia was already daunting to confront, but the threat level was magnified when the enemy possessed Borealis. Troya never witnessed the bomb in action, but rumors of its destructive potential had already spread to Gharia. The speed that the news spread was meaningful. There was no doubt that House Ulster needed assistance against this impending rebellion.

  “House Ulster will offer its full forces. But what will you do about Borealis?” she asked.

  “That is the question, isn’t it?” Aidan remarked, rubbing his chin, “For now, I think we’ll try for a bloodless resolution.”

  Emil

  Karni glared at the letter in her hands. She was surrounded by a cadre of her trusted advisors, including Hisham, Nabil, and several respected elders within the formerly three Gharian tribes. Emil was forced to join the meeting as well for his potential insights as a Steiger Cleaner. After all, the letter in her hands had been signed with the royal insignia.

  “…A bloodless resolution,” Karni murmured, looking up from the letter, “Signed by the Crown Prince of all people. It seems like the royal family is currently in Cereza.”

  A wave of discomfort rippled through the room. Bodies shifted. Faces blanked. The excitement of a rebellion quickly vanished. Emil tried to keep his expression neutral, but on the inside, he was elated. The royal family was here. Finally, there was an opportunity for him and his friends to get out of this mess.

  A monstrous rat suddenly emerged in front of his eyes. Emil barely had time to throw his guard up before the rat barreled into his chest. He crashed into the ground, reeling. Karni was upon him in an instant.

  Squelch!

  The punches rained down, vicious and methodical. The power steadily increased with every swing as the Sand Priestess infused her fists with a small bit of mana. By the time she was done, Emil’s face was a broken mess.

  “I thought I told you not to hide anything from me,” she hissed. Venom dripped from every syllable as she laid bare her accusations.

  “I-I swear, I didn’t know,” he mumbled in between the throbbing pains.

  “Is that so? Would your memory be jogged if I brought your friend’s heads on a stake?” Karni asked before turning to one of the Zal’Khari elders.

  “No!” He reached out to grab her, desperate to stop whatever insanity she was planning. Karni immediately spun around and swung at his head. His brain rattled. Stars clouded his view. Everything was spinning.

  “I’ve only been honest with you. Please. Don’t do anything to them,” he pleaded.

  “Then tell me everything you know about Aidan von Astraea.”

  He took a second to compose his thoughts and for the pain to become manageable.

  “…He’s shrewd. He’s a known charmer in court. Many noble houses back him and want to see him ascend to the throne. I’m not sure if it’s because they think he’ll make a genuinely good ruler or if it’s because he’s promised incentives to those who’ll support him. Probably the latter. If he’s here, then the Lionhearts are likely here as well…”

  Did Karni really think he had been untruthful to her during their interrogations? Or was this methodical violence another calculated move? An act to demonstrate to her advisors that she had a Steiger agent under her firm control? Maybe? Or did she just need an outlet for rage at the royal family’s unexpected arrival? Emil didn’t know anymore. His face was throbbing too much to think. He continued his incoherent train of thought, spewing whatever information that might be helpful.

  I’m weak.

  I’m so damn weak.

  All it took to break him was a bit of duress and a serious threat on his friends. So much so for being a calm and mechanical killing machine. Deep down, he was secretly relieved that he didn’t actually know much. He wasn’t certain he could tell a convincing lie and truly keep sensitive information a secret in this state. Nothing he said so far could seriously compromise the royal family’s position.

  “Does Aidan truly seek a bloodless resolution?”

  “That I don’t know,” Emil muttered, “I can’t claim to understand the Crown Prince’s thoughts. But I don’t think he’s so foolish to attempt a fight without a way to deal with Borealis.”

  “True. It’s barely been two weeks since Isarelle’s destruction. Factoring in the time it takes for news to travel, the royal family would have less than a week to study the aftermath and come up with countermeasures.”

  “Do you think this a ploy to buy time?” Nabil spoke up.

  “It’s possible. The longer we wait to strike, the weaker our position becomes. Although I believe the royal family also faces the same constraint. I can’t imagine they have time to afford when the noble faction is at their necks and with Isarelle needing support.”

  Both sides want a fast and decisive victory, Emil realized.

  “So we’ll meet him with our army,” Karni declared with a conspiratorial grin, “Let’s hear what the Crown Prince of Ardair has to say.”

  ***

  The rendezvous point set by Prince Aidan was located at the midpoint between Cereza and the northern Azurite mine that now served as the unified Gharia’s base. The location was peculiar. It was a rare landmark within the monotonous sands of the Saar. A natural formation composed of four large sand dunes situated at equidistant from each other in all four cardinal directions. It was named the Compass.

  It was an odd place to meet between two armies, Emil thought. He wondered if it was a deliberate choice or simply a whim of the Crown Prince to pick something easily recognizable by Ardairans unfamiliar with the Saar. Besides being distinct, the sand formation did also have some practical use. The sand dune’s height and width formed a natural fortification against projectiles. The center of the dune formation was mostly flat sand, and moving across it was simple.

  Emil and his friends found themselves locked in chains at the rear of the Gharian rebel army. They were being carted in a wagon.

  “You think Karni is going to use us as leverage to negotiate with the Crown Prince?” Liesel asked expectantly. Out of everyone here, she had the most value as a hostage. The royal family could have House Belle incur a debt for saving their scion and use that to cripple the noble faction’s momentum. It was a possible outcome, one that had visible benefits for the royal family. Emil wasn’t so na?ve to think that they were going to be saved just because the Crown Prince was compelled by his righteous sense of justice. Aidan von Astraea was too shrewd and pragmatic.

  “Maybe. They did want a bloodless resolution,” Emil said, “But I wouldn’t get your hopes up.”

  “And why is that?” Anna asked.

  “The Gharians are itching for a fight,” Emil whispered just loud for them to hear, “This rebellion is more than just a fight for their sovereignty and livelihood. It’s a matter of revenge. Vengeance. Karmic retribution. Frankly, it’s a miracle that we’re still alive and in one shape.”

  I wonder if Aidan will realize this.

  The Crown Prince’s mind was an enigma. Still, Emil didn’t peg him to be so foolish as to not consider the possibility of a Gharian ambush. The choice of the rendezvous point might have had that in mind.

  The Gharian army arrived at their position at the northern sand dune.

  The Ardairan army emerged at the southern sand dune.

  The sun blazed overhead at noon.

  Masked by the height of the dunes, it was difficult to assess the full size of each army. Emil felt the feverish energy shuddered through the Gharian ranks. Tension. Nervousness. Excitement. His skin was buzzing with anxiety. The bloodlust in the air was palatable. This was the first time he was amongst an army, and he already detested the feeling.

  The flag of the Ardairan royal family suddenly descended the dune. They moved towards the center.

  “Hisham,” Karni ordered from the vanguard.

  Karni’s right-hand man was chosen as her representative. Accompanied by five other Gharian warriors, the entourage approached the center to join up with the Ardairan side.

  Emil narrowed his eyes, trying to make out who was representing the Crown Prince in this negotiation.

  …Why the hell is she here?

  Cladded in Valkyrie’s argent armor, Aoife led from the front.