To My Dearest Olivia,

While I understand that I have not given you enough time to send your reply to my previous letter, I am writing to you now about a different matter. As you've probably guessed by the fact that one of our knights is handing you this letter personally, the news I bring is dire. How have your correspondences with Lucina Felswore gone?

At the time of writing, I am receiving assistance from the Hellhounds in taking a fort and was able to catch a glimpse of Lady Lucina before she and the other knights went off on their mission, but what I saw shocked me. Lady Lucina's clothes appeared ragged and not fit for a winter campaign which was a surprise as I recall you mentioning sending her winter clothing in a previous letter. It was too late to ask her about this, and for all I knew she might have made up an excuse to not worry me, so I instead visited the Hellhound's courier, a man named Hopper, and inquired about any packages. Hopper told me that during his runs he never received any packages for Lady Lucina. I doubt she would have stayed completely quiet about this in her letters to you, and you've made no mentions of any difficulties while sending your gifts, so this leads me to believe that your packages and letters are being intercepted before delivery. Any packages seem to be taken and I'm guessing your letters are being searched which is why I'm having an Azure Hawk deliver this to you instead of going through the normal procedures.

I have my assumptions on who is doing this, as I'm sure you do as well, but I will not write those thoughts down. However, I believe you should know what is happening here. Be careful going forward, Olivia.

-Richard

***

"…" Olivia's hands shook as she clenched her father's letter in her fists. Her teeth began grinding against each other as her anger started to boil and her mind churned through how long this could have been going on.

"Olivia?" Cassandra asked upon seeing her friend's expression continue to darken after reading the letter. Olivia, Cassandra, and Margaret were enjoying tea by the fire in Olivia's room inside the royal palace. Margaret was here on business with Olivia, and Cassandra was visiting since her father was attending a meeting in the palace since her mother, the Baron, was off fighting in the war. The mood was originally cheerful until the Azure Hawk knight arrived bearing a letter from Olivia's father that he refused to hand over to anyone except Olivia. He had apparently been traveling nonstop for almost an entire week by horseback. "What's wrong?" With a wave of Olivia's hand, all the maids in the room left.

"I knew he was petty," Olivia spat once the maids all left, and she tossed the letter onto the table for Cassandra and Margaret to read, "But even pettiness should have its limits!"

"!?!" Cassandra and Margaret's expressions darkened as they read Richard's letter and Olivia's fingers started to meticulously tap against the wooden arm of her chair. In a hushed voice, since the walls of the royal palace had ears of their own, Cassandra whispered, "Do you think it was His Majesty?"

"No," Olivia flatly answered, not caring who heard her. "I'm sure this is James' doing." After her long campaign around Urldrusk, Olivia's mind felt clearer than ever when it came to how she saw James; he was a spoiled child with too much power. Even though Marcus was the one who declared Lucina a wizard and pressured the Felswores into sending her to war, Olivia now held suspicions that it was James who incited his father into doing so. "Thinking back, there were sometimes long pauses between Lucina's letters. Those times were probably when Lucina tried reaching out to me about the gifts but the letters were intercepted by James' people." She gave an annoyed sigh and rubbed her forehead in frustration. "Even if I'm the crown princess, James is the king's son and the current heir to the throne so I doubt any of the servants would go against him if he asked them to look through my letters. Since Mary also hasn't said anything about this, even now that I'm back, I'm guessing the intercept is happening somewhere outside the palace." Olivia brought her teacup up to her lips but stopped before taking a sip. She looked down at the warm tea she was drinking along with the sweet snacks on a nearby plate to go with it in a cozy room with her friends she would talk the day away with; luxuries that were being actively denied to Lucina who was fighting for her life in a war without even a proper winter coat. Bitterly, Olivia set down the cup as she lost her appetite.

After rereading the letter, Margaret asked, "But, why would His Highness go this far against Lady Lucina?"

"They…have a history," Olivia admitted with a groan more directed at herself than the grudge between Lucina and James.

"Hmph, even still," Cassandra, emboldened by Olivia's blatant disrespect for James, said, "He's the crown prince of our kingdom, so shouldn't he hold himself to a higher standard of elegance? It's rather uncivilized!" Cassandra puffed out her chest as she used the big words she learned at the various gatherings she frequented. "…So, what do we do?" she asked while Margaret adjusted her reading glasses and started going through some work papers she brought. "We're not just going to ignore this…right?" While Cassandra had no personal stake in this, and to work against the Crown Prince's will was dangerous, it still bothered her that someone she considered to be her friend was suffering from such abuse.

"Well said, Cassandra," Olivia replied as a dangerous smile played across her lips and she shot to her feet. "We're not going to ignore this. Wait here for me, I'll be back in a bit."

"Of course, Lady Olivia," Margaret responded, and Cassandra enthusiastically nodded in agreement.

As she hurried through the halls of the palace while Mary tried to keep pace with her, Olivia muttered to herself, "If you wanna play it like this then fine!" Her eyes burned with a renewed conviction as she marched toward the throne room. "I'll show you how I play your shitty games!"

***

"Her Highness Olivia Ordrin greets Urldrusk's Pride, Your Majesty Marcus Arlexton." I made sure to show full reverence as I entered the throne room and greeted the king with a deep curtsy. The king was holding a small meeting in the throne room with a few vassals along with James who was sitting next to his father which meant this would be the perfect time to play my hand!

"Please, Olivia, even if the wedding will only take place once you come of age, I still already consider you family. Raise your head." Luckily, the king likes being shown obedience so my show of a formal greeting in front of his subjects should let me off the hook for practically barging in on a meeting. Plus, this lets him show how 'kind' he is by bestowing me such forgiveness and emphasizing that I will be marrying his son. "What can I do for you, this day?"

"Thank you, Your Majesty." I straightened myself up and gave the king a warm smile to 'return' his affection. But I had to make a convincing argument, so I made my smile droop and put some hesitance in my voice as I spoke, "In truth, this war has been weighing heavily on my mind since I have both family and friends fighting for our kingdom's future. I do not doubt our eventual victory, but as time goes on the fear of hearing news of their deaths…plagues me; especially after facing danger head-on during my campaign around the kingdom." My flowery words seemed to resonate with the gathered nobles who started to give me looks of sympathy and whispers danced among them. I saw a few of them I recognized as being people who normally would have tried to get the king to brush me off, but after saving their territories from bandits and demons they were keeping their mouths shut.

"It is an understandable feeling," the king, sensing the vibe in the room, played along with my words. James was watching me curiously while trying to get a read on what I was doing. "War is never a matter to be thought of lightly, but it is something that can easily enter one's thoughts; especially someone so young." He rubbed his beard and looked at me expectantly. "But I know you are one who works to get through such thoughts, and that you would not carelessly seek such an audience lightly, Olivia. What is on your mind?"

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

"I…would like to personally sponsor one of our brave knight orders who are fighting on the front line!"

"A sponsorship?" The king, and the other nobles, seemed curious enough to let me continue and he cocked an eyebrow at me.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Time to cast the bait. "While the knights of our kingdom are already well prepared for by their lords, war is a costly ordeal beyond the norm. With the fierce fighting they undergo, their equipment gets beaten and battered, their tents get assaulted by the elements, and their rations get stretched as we push further into Peltaira!" I made sure to add that we were 'pushing' to show my belief that we would win the war and further get everyone in my favor. "Receiving a sponsorship of aid from me, a member of the royal family, would only boost their morale as it would show that the rulers of their kingdom stand directly at their back!"

"…Hmm," the king hummed as he seemed interested in my idea. "Certainly, to receive the grace of the royal family is one of the greatest honors a knight could be bestowed."

"If I may, Crown Princess?" one of the nobles who was still against me spoke and I gave him a nod to speak his thoughts since I already knew what he was going to bring up. "To properly reinforce a knight order is a costly ordeal, not to mention the increased logistics cost it would take. While you could cut down on the aid sent to save these costs, that would be like insulting our knights with such minuscule aid, wouldn't it? The kingdom's treasury isn't something you can play with."

"You are correct, Baron," I answered while hiding my annoyance behind a confident smile. "But if you recall, that's why I said I would be the one to personally sponsor this aid. I have plenty of money as both the daughter of Duke Ordrin, and as a business partner with the Trent Merchant group so Urldrusk's treasury would not be touched." This is free positive publicity for the throne, can't you people even see that much!? He had the audacity to glare at me which only made me smile brighter.

The king refocused us by clearing his throat and asked, "Do you have a particular order in mind, Olivia?"

"I would like to sponsor the Hellhounds, Your Majesty."

"What!?" James momentarily lost his composure and stood up from his seat, but a quick glare from the king sent him back down. The whispering nobles were cautious, but I didn't overhear anyone outright stopping me.

"Olivia…" The king adjusted himself on his throne and he narrowed his eyes, but his voice wasn't dismissive as he spoke, "The Hellhounds are a…unique order." Yeah, I already know it's where you send people to die. "They are an unruly lot who the royal family keeps in check to send on our most dangerous missions to allow other orders to obtain victories." And you sent a ten-year-old child there! "Are you sure you're not saying this after being swayed by your emotions?" You're even admitting it!

"…It is as you say, Your Majesty." I need to keep myself in check just a little longer; I shouldn't forget why I'm here. While I hated the route I would be taking to do this, I would make sure to see this aid reach Lucina! I pressed my hand over my heart and confidently looked the king in the eyes as I declared, "However, even without my emotions, I see the Hellhounds as an opportunity to spread the prestige and might of the crown!"

"…Go on." He's thinking about it!

"Fa-" James tried to intervene, but I wouldn't let him!

"As you've rightly said, Your Majesty, the Hellhound knights are directly under the royal family to be controlled due to their nature. But what if we didn't need to 'control' them, and instead have them 'serve' us willingly?" The nobles around me stopped whispering and I had the full attention of the throne room. The pressure I felt from their stares was immense, but I wouldn't let that stop me and I stepped forward in a show of confidence and pressed on, "The Hellhounds are filled with the lessers of our kingdom whom society has abandoned, with their only way forward being to serve Urldrusk as only the downtrodden can. They are the last to receive rearmament and supplies, yet they undergo our most dangerous and vital of missions! I'm sure most Hellhound knights are at their lowest low. They are starving beasts, like their name would suggest. Yet an abandoned, starved beast is one that can be the most easily tamed by being the one that offers a hand in their hour of need! In the name of the royal family, and as the future queen of Urldrusk, I would like to tame that beast for you, Your Majesty!" I took another step toward the throne and I could tell by the look in the king's eyes that I had him hooked as he watched my every move with an almost giddy intent. "Allow me to offer food to the starved beast, a sturdy tent to rest its weary body, and a fresh suit of armor and sharpened blade to hunt and repay the kindness it has received! Allow me to have the Hellhounds fight not out of forced obedience, but out of a desperate loyalty to the crown!"

"…A desperate loyalty?" the king mused to himself as he was getting completely swayed by my honeyed words. Everything was going according to plan as those loyal to the king picked up on his mood and started whispering in favor of my idea which only continued to push the situation in my favor, and the displeased look on James' face made this more than worth it. A wide smile swept across the king's face as he looked back to me and gave his decision, "You truly are a wise woman worthy to one day wear the queen's crown, Olivia." I could see James digging his fingernails into and scratching the gold arm of his throne out of the corner of my eye. "Since you seem to have a plan, go with my blessing and bring the Hellhounds to heel!"

"Her Highness Olivia Ordrin hears you, Your Majesty!" I gave a deep curtsy before turning and walking out of the throne room. While leaving, I heard the gathered nobles start speaking out loud about what I said and none of them seemed to dare bad mouth me since I managed to gain the king's favor.

"Olivia!?" As I walked down the hall, James came out of the throne room just after me and caught up. "What are you doing? The Hellhounds are criminals, and you want to give them such grace!?"

"…" He was completely ignoring the fact that Lucina was forcefully sent to become one of those 'criminals'. I did my best to hide my bitterness but I couldn't stop all of it from leaking through as I replied, "I believe that even those at the bottom can work for the betterment of society as a whole, James. They are still our citizens, and they are also our knights laying down their lives for our kingdom. As their future queen, I won't ignore them."

"Do you really think those lowlifes will fall in line just because you give them some supplies?" James gently held my hands and gave me his fake smile of comfort. "Why not send your sponsorship to your father? I'm sure it would move not only the heart of the Duke but also the hearts of your house's knights to know that you're doing all you can to help them. If you don't, that might cause a rift between you and your family once they learn who you actually sent the supplies to, and I don't want to see your kindness misunderstood. Won't you think it over, for me?" He held both my hands to his body to feel his well-built chest through his shirt. Normally I would have gotten flustered and might have fallen into his words, but the anger I felt from reading my father's letter and the thought of Lucina freezing in the cold without proper clothes kept me focused.

"No, James." I pulled my hands away and matched his gaze. "I publicly offered my support in front of your father and a bunch of nobles so I can't, and won't, take back my words. I was even given His Majesty's blessing." You dare pull these tricks on me, insinuate it will cause a rift in my family, and then try to brush it aside by appealing to my fetish? "My decision to help the Hellhounds is final."

"…" James seemed surprised that I wasn't falling in line like usual and he didn't say anything, so I turned and left him in silence. It felt like he gave up too willingly, but I had more important things to focus on so I paid him no more mind.

***

"Margaret!?" Olivia burst through the door to her room with Mary in tow which caused both Cassandra and Margaret to jump in surprise. She snapped her fingers and Mary brought out fresh parchment and ink, and Olivia began writing a letter to Lucina. "Move up all timetables, I just received the king's endorsement! I want everything on the move by the day's end!"

"At once, Lady Olivia!" Margaret hurriedly gathered her things and rushed out of the room to set things in motion. In truth, during Olivia's time in Sevette and Holst, she had been secretly recruiting blacksmiths and artisans to begin making arms, armor, supplies, and rations to start sending to Lucina and the Hellhounds. It wasn't easy to hide since she knew James had his people embedded into her retinue's ranks during her campaign around Urldrusk, but she managed to gather a small army of tradesmen during the months she helped save their lands without James noticing. Originally the supplies would be trickled down to the Hellhounds via independent caravans to not catch James' attention as Olivia didn't want to butt heads with him directly, but now that she learned what he was doing behind her back Olivia was more than willing to throw her all into this and publicly use the Trent Merchant Company. Even if she still had to worry about how Timothy Braxton might use her supplies, she would make sure her eyes and ears kept vigil over the knight order through the Trent laborers that would be constantly delivering everything. Despite it being winter, the temperature was above freezing which meant the Helker was usable by Trent's fleet of ships to hasten the journey east.

"Cassandra, even if it's not the social season, start fanning rumors that I'm sponsoring knight orders to help our kingdom win this war under the blessing of the king and that Trent is also pledging itself to support our troops!"

"I'll have the masses in the capital singing your and the king's praises by dinner!" Cassandra confidently said and swished her hand through her hair causing her pink springs of hair to bounce excitedly. While it might have been good to only mention Olivia in this rumor to help her reputation reach greater heights, the king wouldn't look kindly on his name not being praised as well since this was being done under his blessing. "Remember to come to my party tomorrow as a thank you~!" Even though she hadn't officially made her debut, Cassandra already held enough influence in high society to host her own 'unofficial' gatherings. Cassandra and her maid quickly left to begin spreading the word at a small local Lady's gathering Cassandra knew was currently happening at a restaurant in the city. Olivia's face was smiling with satisfaction as she excitedly wrote the news to Lucina that she would send with the first shipment of supplies. Since only Trent employees would be handling things, she would start sending her letters through them and ask Lucina to do the same so that James couldn't go through them anymore and they could truly speak freely.

"Ah, Mary, could you also-"

"Your Highness Olivia!?" As Olivia was in the middle of asking Mary for something, an Azure Hawk knight appeared at the door flanked by two maids and a royal knight.

"What's happening?" This man was looked to be in just as bad a condition as the first knight who delivered her father's previous letter.

"I bring urgent news from the front, Your Highness!" The knight knelt down and held out a letter that Olivia recognized as being from her father which meant that this man must have been almost immediately dispatched after the first letter was sent to be able to arrive the same day as the first.

"What could possibly warrant…!?!" As Olivia read the latest letter, she felt her heart sink into the deepest pit of her chest.

"My Lady!?!" Mary rushed to Olivia's side as Olivia's legs gave out from under her after being overcome with horror, and tears started pouring down her face to stain the letter in her shaking hands.