It had been about three weeks since Jakob had left for war when Maude and Jaspar were summoned to the palace again for a strategy meeting with the king.
Gathered around the map was the same people who had been there for the first strategy meeting. All of them looked worse for wear, including Maude.
Things are really not going well, Maude thought. The faces of everyone in this room show that.
The pins on the map had changed positions. They were closer to the border of the empire than they had been. Still, though. It was clear that Aulbert had been pushed back recently.
“Thank you all for coming today,” the king said, standing at the head of the table. “It’s unfortunate that we are meeting again under these circumstances, but I am grateful that it has been longer than I expected.” The king smiled and nodded at Maude. “Unfortunately, the empire has finally began to pivot their strategies, and so our last strategies are no longer working. Our men are once again going into a meat grinder, more than anything else.”
Maude swallowed hard, thinking of Jakob. Has he already been ground up? She wondered. Helena would be absolutely crushed. A lump was starting to grow in her throat. This is so bad.
“I wanted to bring us back together again to give you all an update and see if there is anything else we can do, or if we have any other tricks up our sleeves.” This time, he nodded at Melissa’s father, Baron Wright. “So first off, I would love it if you would give an update on the thunder tube construction reversal,” he stated.
Baron Wright looked ill, and shook his head. “We’ve made some more progress, but we very well could still be several weeks or months away from fully being able to build our own thunder tubes in Aulbert. It’s hard to say at this point, your highness,” he said.
The king looked grim. “I see,” he said. “I was so hopeful that Lady Holloway’s strategies would have bought us enough time, but alas, I suppose that is not the case.”
“My deepest apologies, your highness,” Baron Wright said with a bow. “The chemical makeup of the powder that shoots the iron balls out of the thunder tube is much more complicated than we expected, and it’s quite difficult to isolate each of the chemicals in its makeup.”
The king lifted up his right hand and shook his head. “There’s no need to apologize, Baron Wright. I’m sure your team is doing everything they can.”
Baron Wright pursed his lips and nodded. “Of course they are, your highness,” he said.
The room fell silent, and Maude couldn’t help but squirm. She looked at Prince Erich, whose face was sullen, and Jaspar, next to her, whose face was darker than anyone else’s in the room.
We all know what this could very well mean, Maude thought. If we can’t come up with anything else, then Aulbert has pretty much lost the war.
“Well then,” the king said, finally breaking the silence. “In light of that, I am curious. Has anyone come up with any unique and potentially doable strategies since the last time we met?”
The room fell silent again, with the king looking at each one of them. When Maude met his eyes, she felt as though he had looked at her the longest out of anyone in the room.
But I don’t have anything this go around, she thought. And last time was just beginner’s luck.
Maude looked over at Baron Wright. He was chewing on his fingernails, looking anxious. Prince Erich just looked defeated. Rather than preparing to ascend the throne, he was preparing for the death of his home, his country, and himself. Jaspar just looked frustrated. After fighting for so long and being so successful early on, he’d probably thought that they would win the war.
It seems like it’s going to be extremely difficult for Aulbert to come back from this and turn the war around, Maude thought. It doesn’t seem like a simple strategy will be anything more than a temporary cork hole plug on a sinking ship.
She looked around the room, and thought that it was possible that the other strategists were having the same thoughts as well.
After several minutes of the miserable silence, the king sighed, as if he was giving into Aulbert’s unfortunate fate. He nodded his head sharply, as if he was acknowledging the situation they were in. “So be it,” he said. “So this is the end.”
Maude swallowed hard, feeling her stomach twisting into knots, and the lump in her throat growing even larger.
“Even if we had come up with an incredible strategy,” the king continued, “Most of the upcoming battles are going to be difficult to win anyway. The empire seems to be wanting to wrap this up quickly. They are sending their absolute, most elite people to the battlefront,” the king stated. “The emperor is supposed to show, along with Duke Holloway and his son.”
Father? Maude wondered, her ears perking up at the mention of her father and Callum. And the emperor? Something is fishy about this. I would have never thought that the emperor would come to fight in battle for pretty much any reason. My father certainly wouldn’t be coming or bringing Callum anywhere close to the battlefront unless he had a good reason for it.
Maude looked around the room. No one was looking at her, even though she was Duke Holloway’s daughter.
Do I say anything? She asked herself.
“We have reason to believe this information is quite accurate, as we receive the message from our spy in the empire who is closest to the emperor. So it seems as though they are hoping that an end is in sight.” The king sighed again.
He looked around the room again. “If we don’t have anything else that could possibly stave off our loss, then it’s time,” he stated. “I will publish the recommendation for the citizens in the safe places to evacuate, starting tomorrow.” He shook his head. “The people deserve to know that their government is no longer able to protect them.”
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Maude’s mouth tasted sour, and the lump in her throat was making it hard for her to swallow. Her stomach rolled around inside of her, inducing a strong sense of nausea.
The evacuation order time has finally come, she thought. It’s nearly time for Jaspar and I to say our final goodbyes.
~
“We need to talk,” Jaspar told Maude after an impossibly silent carriage ride home from the palace. “Meet me in my study,” he said, nodding at her.
Of course we need to talk, Maude thought. It’s the end of our relationship we’re talking about here. I’d be foolish to think it was anything but that.
She nodded back at him and went to her room. Even if it only provided her with solace for only five minutes, she needed some kind of respite.
In her room, she switched to her slippers, the very same slippers that Jaspar had given her to wear a short nine months ago.
It’s almost been a year since I came to Rosenberg, she thought, her mouth tasting salty from swallowing her tears. And this feels more like home than Holloway ever did.
She sighed, sitting on the bed. I guess not only does the evacuation order mean the end of Jaspar’s and my relationship, but it also means I need to decide what to bring with me. She did a once over glance around the room. Over her stay in Aulbert, she had collected many dresses, shoes, hair accessories and jewelry. It seems like such a shame for them to be destroyed or taken by the empire, she thought. But I know I can’t take everything with me.
Her eyes landed on the wood grain box that held a sword that showed Jaspar’s love for her. I’m definitely bringing that, she thought.
She laid back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. For so long, she thought, I didn’t think this day would ever come. I thought that Aulbert was going to win the war, guaranteed.
Maude thought about all of the people she met in Aulbert. Jakob, Helena, Melissa, Cristyne, Jaspar, and frankly, even Fronica Von Wickten. She thought about each person’s face in her mind. I’ve taken them all for granted. I’ve taken this whole experience in Aulbert for granted.
She sighed and shook her head at herself. Well, she thought, there’s not a whole lot I can do about it now. It’s over. Whether I want it to be over or not.
She stood up, sliding her feet further into the slippers. She slipped out of her bedroom and started the familiar walk to Jaspar’s office. This could very well be the last time that I make this trek to his office, she thought, sadly. It never seemed like it was going to end.
She felt tears threatening to crest over the edge of her eyes, and wiped them away before they had a chance to fall. I had my chance to try to fight in the war to stay, but I chose not to do that, she thought. As much as I want things to stay the same, I am the one who is choosing to leave. I don’t deserve to feel so badly about it.
She sighed again and rounded the corner to see Jaspar standing at the entrance to his office looking pale. She picked up her walking pace, her heart sinking in her chest. Oh God, she thought, what is it now?
Upon her arrival, she touched Jaspar’s shoulder gently. He was holding a piece of parchment in his hands, and Helena was standing in the doorway to the study, tears free falling down her face.
Maude felt her stomach twist and drop. Tell me it isn’t so, she thought.
“What happened?” she asked the two of them, the words barely making it out of her throat. Her voice came out almost whisper like. She knew that there was only one reason why Jaspar and Helena would be upset together.
Neither of them responded. “I asked, what happened?” Maude tried to say more firmly, but it barely came out as a squeak.
Helena just shook her head. It can’t be, Maude thought. It hasn’t even been that long since he left.
Still, Jaspar did not respond. She looked over at the parchment in his hand. This must be the reason why they’re both upset, she thought. She gently tugged it from Jaspar’s hand.
To the wife of Jakob Gunther–
Helena Gunther–
It is with the upmost respect that we are writing to you under such sorrowful circumstances. Unfortunately, your husband, Jakob Gunther has passed away in the line of duty. Upon ending the war, you will receive his remains, a medal, and a certificate of your husband’s contribution to the effort.
With mournful gratitude,
Commander Larson
Maude swallowed hard. Tears spilled over her eyes, she couldn’t stop them this time. She looked over at Jaspar and noticed that sobs had taken over his body. He was shaking, and he only seemed to be able to stand still because he was leaning so heavily on the door.
“This can’t be true,” Maude heard Helena softly say. Maude met her eyes. “Lady Maude,” she said. “I’m pregnant with his baby!” Helena’s voice crackled as she got louder. “How am I supposed to raise his child alone? What about the support my mother and my siblings need?” She fell onto her knees in the doorway.
For the first time in a long time, Maude was at a complete loss for words. There was no “right” thing to say in this situation. All of the possible things she could say would hurt Helena in one way or another.
The mixture of emotions swirled in Maude at Helena’s announcement. She felt overjoyed for the woman for being with child, fearful for the future, knowing that the evacuation order was going to come tomorrow, and woven through it all, the sorrow and grief she felt over Jakob’s death.
“How could this happen to me?” Helena cried angrily from the floor. “He hasn’t even been gone a month!” Her fists hit the ground, and Maude noticed that they were already bloody and bruised. It was not the first time that Helena had hit something since she had read the letter.
“You,” she said, looking up and pointing at Jaspar. “You should have told the king that the war was a loss!” Helena yelled at the still sobbing Jaspar. “You should have told him to pull out of the war sooner and surrender! Then Jakob wouldn’t have had to die!”
Maude saw Jaspar swallow hard, tears still free flowing down his face.
“And you!” Helena said, pointing at Maude. “Don’t even get me started,” she huffed. “If you weren’t such a pacifistic coward, maybe this war would have been long over! You could single-handedly protect all of Aulbert, but you choose not to because you’re against violence?” Helena scoffed at her. “If you were so against violence, you’d have put an end to this war sooner rather than later so that less people had to suffer!” Helena was breathing heavily. She stood up and roughly took the piece of parchment from Maude’s hands. “I can’t even be with the two of you right now,” Helena said, pushing between the two of them, causing Maude to stumble a bit. “You disgust me,” Helena said venomously behind Maude. “What’s the point of being a sword saint if you help no one with your gift?”
Maude felt Helena’s words deep in her heart as Helena stormed off. They weren’t the first time Maude had heard the words, and she doubted that they would be the last.
Maude’s tears fell more freely than they already had. Jaspar grabbed her hand gently and smiled weakly at her. “Come,” he said. “Let’s sit.” He gently led her over to the couch; the one that so much of their relationship had happened on. Maude found herself crying even harder.
If only I wasn’t this way, she thought.
“I’m sure she didn’t mean those words wholeheartedly,” Jaspar said, patting Maude’s back. The gesture was comforting, but it wasn’t enough; the damage had already been done.
“She’s…she’s right though,” Maude managed between her sobs.
Could I truly be hurting more people by doing nothing? Maude thought. There’s no way that’s true, right?
The idea that Jakob no longer existed in the world had already overwhelmed her, but Helena’s words had opened up another wound inside of her. Maude felt as though she was bleeding out everywhere.
“Do you mind if I ask you the story about how you got your powers?” Jaspar asked softly next to her. “It’s something I’ve always been curious about since you are so against violence.”
Maude let out a breathy sigh from the tears, her hair clinging to her face from the wetness. “O-of course,” she said. “It happened when my father and Zara had a ball at the Holloway manor when I was twelve…”