The Queen strode purposefully into the Princess’s rooms, her personal guard following behind with a tea cart. “Daughter. I've come to speak with you and your… guest." The Queen made a gesture, and the guard began setting a table for tea. Amelie took Samantha's arm, and guided her to a high-backed chair, before seating herself. The Queen sat last, with a nod towards Samantha. "I hope the brisk discussion in the throne room has not put you off too much, dear. Your presence is very much appreciated, it is just the manner in which you were presented that was… politically problematic."

Amelie opened her mouth to speak, but the Queen raised a hand. "Do not misunderstand me, Amelie dear, the Demon Lord is a threat to our people, to all of Europa. But our people are weak, and the King is tired. He has faced defeat on three separate occasions, and that weighs heavily on him."

The guard poured a gently steaming cup of tea for Samantha, who took it gratefully, sipping at the sweet liquid with unabashed bliss. Setting the cup down gently, she beamed at the Queen. "Excellent tea, your Royal Highness. To answer your question, yes, I was a bit surprised by the King's reaction to my presence. I suppose the situation is somewhat… delicate?"

The Queen smiled demurely, patting Samantha's hand. "Oh, it's good that you understand. We just can't afford to fight a war we've already lost over and over. It has gotten so bad, we struggle even to suppress the Wilds, monsters threatening our villages all across the Lowlands. What used to be an opportunity to train our soldiers and militia, has become an endless hole for our severely depleted resources. We have to choose. Let the serfs tend the fields, and risk being killed by monsters and their fields burned, or conscript them to fight back, leaving fields untended. Honestly, we would consider summoning a Hero just for the issue with the monsters, if not for…" The Queen gave Amelie a pointed look. The Princess fidgeted.

Raising an eyebrow, Samantha turned to look between the Queen and Princess. "If not for?" Amelie flushed, looking down at her cup of tea, before her eyes suddenly flashed, meeting the Queen's with a fierce combativeness. "A weaker heir to the throne is no price at all if not paying it means the Kingdom won't bleeding exist!"

The Queen tutted. "Language, dear. We have a guest." Amelie didn't look the least bit chagrined.

"Mother, surely you agree? Austria won't be around for me to rule if we don't do something. Well, I did something."

The Queen patted Amelie's hand. "I'm sure you had your reasons, dear. Let us hope Napoleon will listen to them when he sends an army to investigate why exactly his vassal has risked summoning a Hero, instead of relying on him for aid?"

The Princess's face paled. "He wouldn't dare, we are still a sovereign kingd—" The Queen cut her off sharply. "Aren't you arguing that Napoleon is trying to end our reign? Why wouldn't he dare?"

Taking a second sip of her tea, Samantha interjected. "I don't suppose Napoleon would listen to anything I had to say on the subject? An assurance I had no desire to destroy Franc?"

The Queen raised an eyebrow. "And would you mean those words? Either way, it would mean little. Your power could become considerable, but it is the morale you bring to the nation that is your greatest strength."

Samantha smiled. "And here I thought my greatest strengths were my charming wit and devilish good looks." Amelie looked at Sam, hand to her mouth, aghast, but the Queen merely laughed.

"Indeed. Those may come into play sooner rather than later, I suspect. Amelie here was raised with an eye to draw allies looking to place a relative into our line of succession, but you, a female Hero, that is just as tempting a prospect, perhaps more so, now that my daughter here has squandered her chance."

Setting down her teacup, the Warden raised an eyebrow. "Now, you've mentioned Amelie losing something several times now. Just what might that be, exactly?"

The young Princess flushed, setting her own teacup down with a frustrated huff. "You are not from this world, you wouldn't understand."

Amelie's mother gave her a pointed look. "Well, then explain it to the young lady." The Princess seemed to melt into her seat, unable to meet Samantha's curious gaze.

"Well… you understand that all adults of this world have a Choice, a Class, and that the more we experience, the better we get at our Choice, the stronger we become, yes?"

Sam nodded. "I know that much. My own Class is Warden, though I've got some extra perks from being a Hero."

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

The Princess nodded. "Well, yes. So, the higher level you become in your Class, the more powerful abilities you unlock, the same goes for your Skills. For a farmer, that might mean a better harvest, being able to work longer hours, or having an easier time spotting weeds or diseased crops. Simple things for a simple Choice. But a lord? A queen? Their abilities affect thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of people."

Leaning back in her seat, Samantha tried to imagine how much power such a person could wield. More than her old world. A monarch here was someone actually important, not a mere figure head. They provided more than just a direction for the kingdom to go, but actual, tangible benefits. How much, she didn't yet know, but it was definitely something to consider. Amelie nodded, seeing Sam taking the knowledge in.

"Given the importance of rulers, little is more important to the future of a kingdom than the heir to the throne. They are groomed from birth for their future role, ensuring they are of the highest level and of strong mind and body. And I gave that up. I, the sole heir to the Austrian throne, gave up all my levels to bring you here."

Samantha sat there for several long seconds before asking her next question. "What happens to a country if there aren't any suitable heirs of great enough strength and level?"

The Queen smiled, a weary smile that added ten years to the beautiful woman. "Then, my dear, we must find a suitable candidate elsewhere. And the only other places to find suitable royalty is, well, in the families of other royalty. We would be subsumed by another state, at worst, or at best, our royal line would be extinguished, and the Austrian Kingdom thrown into turmoil as the new ruler struggled to find equilibrium with the lesser lords and dukes of the realm, something even the oldest royal lines have issues with, let alone a new house, fresh from foreign lands. Worse yet, Napoleon would most certainly attempt to force his own candidate upon us, and we might not have the strength to resist."

The room remained quiet for a long time, silence broken only by the occasional sip of tea, or crunch of small confections. Samantha, despite having plenty to consider, did not hesitate to avail herself to the spread before her. Her new body hadn't exactly come with a full stomach, and she was already starting to feel more than a little hungry. Between mouthfuls of crumbling cookies and sweet tea, she considered what the queen had said. Finally, she nodded to herself, meeting the older woman's eyes. "You don't agree with your husband about remaining at peace with Franc, do you?"

This earned her a real frown from the queen, complete with narrowed eyebrows. "Whatever you or I may think, my husband, King Alric, is sovereign of these lands. It is his will that steers this nation, and any loyal subject will obey his wishes, regardless of their own opinions. And he has expressed his desire that you, Samantha, Hero of the Royal Trinity, assist us in defending our borders from the Wilds. As his Queen, I will do my utmost to see that you do so, providing what incentives and arguments I may to sway you."

This time, it was Samantha's turn to frown. "I see. And if I refused?" The Queen's frown flipped around, turning to a Cheshire grin that sent shivers down the Warden's spine.

"My dear Samantha. The Gods never send an unwilling Hero. You wanted to come here. They called you, and you came willingly. I think, regardless of what you may think of my King, you will fight for him, no?" Sam struggled not to squirm in her seat, torn between her desire for adventure, and fighting for a good cause, and a good leader.

She turned to Amelie, who was looking at her with intense curiosity. "It was Amelie who summoned me. She will be the person I fight for. As she is the daughter of your King, naturally I will aid him."

The Queen frowned again, but seemed satisfied. She turned to her daughter. "Well, Amelie, it looks like you have a new responsibility. And I think it is quite fitting. Perhaps spending some time in the Wilds will show you why the King does not wish for war." With that, the Queen rose, Samantha and Amelie following suit. "Daughter. I leave it to you to see that the Hero here is well equipped from the Royal Grenadier Armory, and that she is ready for a trip to the Wilds. Samantha, it has been a pleasure." The two young women bowed as the Queen swept out of the room, her guard following close behind, leaving the teacart behind.

Turning to her new chaperone, Samantha sighed. "Well, that was something."

Amelie giggled, holding a hand to her mouth. "Something, was it? I suppose it was. Well, that was my mother, Queen Elizabeth. But don't use her name, she hates it when people outside the family do that."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "Duly noted. I'll make sure to only ever refer to her as Her Royal Highness, Queen Lizzy." The princess gasped, then her giggles redoubled. It took a moment for Amelie to regain composure, but when she did, the princess was all business.

"Hero Samantha. Please come with me to the Armory, we need to see you properly outfitted, per my father's wishes." Samantha looked down at herself. Five pistols, a saber, and her thick padded jacket, and all made by Gods? What else did she need? She said as much. Amelie only smiled. "The Gods are generous, but they never give the Hero everything they need. We must provide for you as well. It forms a bond of mutual aid from the onset, which is important to have between a Hero and the country they are to protect." Well, Samantha could get behind that. More goodies for her!

The two made their way back out into the palace. Jennifer, the princess's bodyguard, remained at her door, which confused Samantha at first. Why was her personal guard staying behind to guard empty rooms? According to Amelie, someone had to keep track of her visitors. Thinking further, Samantha figured maybe keeping out potential assassins or overly ambitious lordlings from sneaking into her rooms was the main reason, but it was likely impolite to mention such things.

The Royal Grenadier Armory was located on the first floor, on the western wing of the palace, opposite the church, which had been on the eastern wing. The doors to the armory were much smaller than that of the throne room, but still had the same dragon's head hanging above, and ceremonial guards on either side. Amelie approached the door, and the guards blocked her path, but not for long. The dragon scanned the two almost immediately, Samantha feeling something pressing tight all around her, like a latex glove, but all over her body. The dragon spoke, its voice wild and ferocious. "Amelie, Princess of Austria. Samantha, Hero of the Royal Trinity. You are cleared to enter. But be warned, you are watched." Sam nearly laughed, finding the warning of a bodiless head to be more amusing than threatening. The guards parted, pulling the small but stout doors open, struggling with the extra weight from thick steel reinforcement.

Inside was a mix of royal treasury and barracks armory, with weapons and armor lining the walls, but also necklaces and staves, amulets and rings. Everything seemed to be made from precious metals, even the gun barrels shone with a distinctive sheen of polished silver, or sometimes even gold. Long rifles sat next to short barreled carbines, while sabers were stacked side by side with pistols. Shelves sat along the walls of most the of the large room, with what looked like high quality, but standardized equipment stacked in neat piles, while masterwork pieces, items of no clear pattern or design, took centerstage, hanging from custom made plaques detailing their maker, date of origin, and all the materials that went into their creation. Samantha struggled not to dive into the room, inspecting each and every item. Instead, she demured, keeping her arm linked with Amelie as they both slowly stepped into the room.

"Samantha, you mentioned your class was Warden? Did the Gods give you any extra Skills or Boons?" Samantha grinned. Finally, it was time to reveal her TRUE power!