I closed my eyes and did my best to maintain my composure. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. They will reach us in approximately four day’s time,” Lieutenant Barbatus said. “My scouts estimate the rebel forces number 6,000, if not more.”

“And our forces?”

“We currently have 200 men-at-arms and about 400 members of the city guard. However, I believe we could boost our numbers to a over a thousand if we conscripted some of the civilians. Unfortunately, your father only left a small portion of his forces to defend the city.”

I froze for a moment upon hearing how badly outnumbered we were before slamming my fist into the table in frustration. “That old fool!” I thought vehemently. Pain radiated up my arm from the impact, but my mind was too preoccupied to notice.

“Go and organize the men we have. Assign the available Wild Hunters as commanders, and prepare our defenses. Gaius!”

My reliable servant knocked on the door before entering. “You called, My Lady?”

“Take some soldiers and go tell each noble that their personal forces are being conscripted to defend the city. If they refuse, brand them as traitors and execute them. And make sure you tear any useful information out of their heads before they die.”

“Are you sure, My Lady? I do not believe the nobles would be happy about this.”

“Better to be unhappy than dead,” I snort. “We need every soldier we can get our hands on. Now go.”

“Very well.”

“Do you mind if I ask what you’re planning to do in the meantime?” Lieutenant Barbatus asked.

“I’m going to see Captain Sequor,” I said resignedly. I gestured to two nearby guards. “You and you. Come with me.”

Without a word, the two guards fell into step behind me. Stepping outside, I held up my hand to keep the sun’s blinding rays out of my eyes. The metal gate creaked slightly as the sentries pushed it open, and I strode confidently into the spotlessly clean streets.

Captain Sequor’s manor wasn’t too far, situated only a few streets down from my own. In the distance, I heard the sound of indignant shouts and a loud scuffle. Gaius’s voice echoed from the same direction, and I could only hope that his task was progressing smoothly.

“Hey there, Lady Stratis!” Sequor’s guards greeted cheerfully upon seeing me. Normally, I would have responded in kind, but today was anything but normal.

“I need to see the Captain,” I said solemnly. The guard seemed to notice the serious air around me, and they nodded without another word.

“Venari!” a gruff yet cheerful voice called out. Looking past the gate, I saw Captain Sequor strolling towards us, a bottle of brown liquor in his hands.

“Drinking so early in the day?” I asked with a raised eyebrow. “You really should try to cut down.”

“Bah,” he replied, waving my concerns off. “What’s the point of getting old if you can’t enjoy it, eh?”

His words brought a small smile to my face, but it faded within a moment. “I wanted to speak with you. It is an urgent matter.”

“Yeah, I guessed. You look like someone who’s just seen Necroth,” he said, shaking his head. “Come on in.”

“So, what’s the problem?” he finally asked once we were out of earshot of the guards. Unlike my own residence, Sequor had opted for training grounds instead of a garden. On one end, hay training dummies had been set up, with a rack of wooden swords placed beside them. On the other were archery targets, with some still riddled with steel-tipped arrows.

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“A rebel army is marching towards Ocaephis. Based on the latest reports, there’s at least 6,000 of them.”

“Huh. Alright.”

I raised my eyebrow at him. “You seem awfully unconcerned.”

“You think drinking is a bad habit, but I find that worrying is worse,” he chuckled before taking another swig from his bottle. “Still, that news is a little more depressing than I was expecting.”

“The imbecile known as my father left only a skeleton crew of his military to defend us. Even if we had thrice the number of soldiers, we would still be outnumbered by too large of a margin. Right now, our only hope is to conscript enough soldiers to improve our odds, and hopefully last long enough for loyalist reinforcements to arrive,” I shook my head at the dismal odds.

“Well, it’s not as bad as you make it out to be. You might be an expert at dealing with monsters, but you know little about siege warfare.”

“And you do?”

He snorted at my question. “Girly, I’ve been on both sides of a siege so many times I can’t recall them all. First of all, we have the advantage of a defensible position. Any sane commander would need to outnumber at least 3 to 1.”

“But they do-” I started, but he cut me off with a wag of his finger.

“You didn’t let me finish. There are some things we can do to make it harder for them. Setting traps outside the walls, preparing oil to pour on attackers, and making dummy soldiers to make our defense look stronger are some early preparations you should consider.”

“Even so, I’m not sure that’ll be enough,” I sighed.

“If you truly believe there is no hope, there is one more thing you could do.”

I glared at him before softening my gaze. “No. He’s already helped me enough. And I don’t want to drag him into this war.”

“But is it not your responsibility as Governess to ensure the wellbeing of your subjects? Are you willing to stand before the grieving mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, and say, 'I could have done more, but I chose not to.'?."

“I don't appreciate your attempt to manipulate me.”

“Manipulate? No,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m just making sure you understand the ramifications of your decision. You are no longer a soldier of the Wild Hunter. You are the Governess Stratis of Ocaephis, and your choices will affect all those who rely on you. You know the old saying: "To bear the title is to bear the burden."

His statement shook me deeply, and I took a moment to think. As I was about to reply, I received a telepathic message from Gaius.

“My Lady, there is a situation.”

“What is it?”

“I have received a report that a mob of peasants have gathered outside the gate. It seems they have fled from the nearby villages to seek shelter within the city.”

“So why are you contacting me?”

“Lieutenant Barbatus had decided to close the gates as a precautionary measure. He worries not only that there may be spies within the mob, but also that their presence may incite panic in the populace. Right now, nobody aside from you, the nobles, and the mob knows about the rebels. However, both he and I believe that would quickly change if you allowed them entry.”

“And Barbatus can’t take care of this?”

“It is not within his prerogative to make this decision.”

I thought about what the Captain had said. “Let them in,” I replied with a sigh. “Consequences be damned.”

“Very well, My Lady. I will convey your orders.”

Brushing off dust that had accumulated on my dress, I turned to Captain Sequor. “I’m putting you in charge of the defense. I expect that your experience will prove invaluable. If anyone protests, tell them to find me.”

Captain Sequor makes an exaggerated bow, the liquor in his bottle sloshing around as he did so. “Why thank you m’lady,” he teased. “And by the way, you can stop talking like some sort of uppity aristocrat.”

I chuckled. “Fine, if that’s how you want it.”

“Look, I know you’re busy, but…” he said, opening his arms wide, “You want a hug?”

I stared at him for a moment before I wrapped my arms around him, squeezing tightly. I held onto him for a few seconds before finally letting go. “Thanks for that,” I smiled. “Now go take a bath. You smell like horseshit.”

Captain Sequor sniffed his armpits and waved me off. “Meh, I can still go another day. Tetrus! Please escort our esteemed Governess out.”

A nearby guard jogged over, bowing deeply at the waist. “Of course, sir. Please, follow me, My Lady.”

As I followed him towards the exit, my mind began to wander. “It seems we’ll meet again sooner than expected…”