"I demand compensation and justice for the criminal actions Princess Gwyn has taken against my men!" An angry voice resounded in the audience hall where the king was meeting with a certain Lord Hound. Beside the rough looking noble was a common soldier covered with bandages, the skin that was visible through the gaps of white were bruised purple.
"As I was told, your soldier was doing excessive and unprovoked violence to a villager when she stepped in to interfere before she was attacked by said soldier." Of course everyone present knew who was right and who was wrong.
"She went in with her sword drawn so of course he would think it was an attack, but not only did she assault him resulting in the severe injuries visible. She also killed the rest of his squad." The soldier in question quietly nodded several times agreeing Lord Hound. Several of the other nobles present also voiced their sympathy for the soldiers, of course it was all an act. Despite Gwyn's rash actions there was no way she would just randomly attack a group or kill them.
The king sighed internally, this was not the first time this has happened; rather it happened quite a bit. Even now on the verge of war they are still intending to drain as much of the royal family's resources as they can.
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As the discussion turned from one of liability and crime to one of compensation Hesn clenched his fist hard. All the nobles present are pretty much confirmed traitors but since they don't have any conclusive evidence they aren't able to do anything about it. If they just took them all out right now that would solve a lot of proble- no it wouldn't. Hesn pushed his emotions down, killing the nobles or otherwise taking a hostile action without the evidence required to back up the act would lead to their men and other nobles to join the attack. There were many that were sitting on the fence watching for an opportunity, those were the ones that were either torn between their allegiance and greed, ones that feared for their lives or the sly ones that reap the rewards while others suffer.
A light tap on his shoulder almost reflexively made Hesn turn his head but he managed to resist. Normally a guard would react to that action with hostility but he knew who the perpetrator was.
"The armies are starting to move." An emotionless feminine voice whispered near his ear, "Their estimated arrival is in four days."
"Good, continue the surveillance." The presence behind Hesn faded, carefully looking around no one in the room had noticed the short exchange. Kaila a ninja and the one in charge of the royal families information network as well as the king's personal body guard, honestly even Hesn doesn't know how she does it. The shadows in the room were few and light yet she always manages to remain undetected, coming and going as she pleases. In fact he had searched the room for secret pathways before but found none, perhaps she had a type of teleportation magic. Four days though... The nobles sure aren't wasting anytime with this.
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Slowly Gwyn took deep breaths in and out, the surrounding completely silent as requested by her. In one of the rooms that were underground it was completely made of stone and surrounded by cold air, but that didn't bother her. Across her legs and on top of her palms laid her sword that she had just finished filling with mana.
"Are you alright?" Gwyn opened her eyes and saw Shea standing there, a tray of tea was in her hands.
"Yeah... This sword is amazing." Ever since Shin left five days ago Gwyn had been constantly filling it with mana and it has yet to be full. Gwyn put the sword down on the ground beside her and accepted a cup of simple tea, unlike the nobles they made do with good quality but cheap leaves.
"It seems they'll be here in four days..." Shea sat down beside Gwyn curling her knees up and hugging them. "I'm not sure we can win... maybe... maybe it'll be better just to surrender."
"Where did all your confidence go?" Gwyn looked down at the cup in her hands. Reports have been constantly coming in and every new one stated that the enemy forces was growing ever bigger. If they just surrendered the casualties would most likely be limited to the royal family, their close allies and any rebels; much less than if they fought. "You know though, we don't have a choice but to fight. A lot of lives may be loss in the process but under their rule a lot more people would suffer and die you know."
"Maybe they wouldn't... They need people in order to keep their fortune and power." Gwyn looked at the insecure Shea in surprise, this may be the first time that Gwyn has ever seen Shea weak and insecure. Ever since they were little she had always been strong and full of confidence, way more than Gwyn.
Gwyn lifted the cup up and drank the tea down in one gulp then got up putting a hand on Shea's head, "It'll be fine, I promise."
"But-"
"You're the one that takes care of the stuff that needs thinking and I'm the one that deals with the tough work remember?" Gwyn put on a face full of confidence although truthfully even she had doubts. The latest report had the enemies at a number of ten thousand compared to the defenders that number barely five thousand and that's not counting any of the people that could betray them at any time. If it was just two to one they could win but they are cut off from all resources here in the city while the enemy could continue replenishing their supplies and forces. They were desperate to get any help they could but maybe Gwyn should have pushed for Shin to stay, if it was him he could easily break any sieges by himself.
"Sister?" Gwyn looked down at Shea who was looking up at her in worry.
"Sorry was just thinking of something, anyways just leave it to me okay? I'll deal with everything and punish all of them." Gwyn lifted the hand that had stayed too long on Shea's headed and picked up her sword. "Let's go, if we stay here too long Caroline and Tarbalt's going to give us a lecture again."
Shea slowly got up, picking up the tray in the process and gave Gwyn a small smile, "You make it sound like I'm being bullied by them."
"If only, you've always been the one of the bullying side ever since you were born." Gwyn took the tray from Shea's hands and started leaving the place, Shea's protests following close behind.
This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
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"How are things going?" Several cloaked figures were meeting in a stone chamber.
"Everything's coming along great, the beasts are on their way too." One of the figures was attended by a small maid, despite the hood everybody could tell who that was.
"The royals should be low on supplies and men right now, Hound managed to leech fifty gold off of them."
"Only fifty gold?"
"Heh, the king haggled hard for that. It would seem that they don't have much more than that."
"What about the fairies and the mysterious group of knights?"
"The fairies aren't going to interfere and the group of knights only number twenty one, even if they are elites they stand no chance."
"I wouldn't be too sure of that." The gathered members looked towards the direction where the new voice came from. A man dressed in the characteristic white of a hunter stood there closing the door behind him.
"What do you mean?" The one who asked the question had an elderly voice and was holding a walking stick... no a staff.
"They stink, I would say they are related to demons or the undead."
"It would be a big scandal if that were true."
"You doubt me?"
"Of course not, but even so we should be sure."
"Kaila here personally heard them talking about it, they seem to be of demonic origin."
"Kaila?" The members of the group became alarmed at that name.
"Yes, come here." The hunter beckoned in the darkness and a petite girl dressed in ninja garb walked out of the darkness and bowed to him tensely.
"All twenty one of them are of demonic origin, I do not know what demons they are but they are not that much strong than a knight. The Princess had their personal guards practice with them in secret and they were about even. Also they still believe that the forces they are facing number only ten thousand."
"Good work Kaila." The hunter made a twisted smile and caressed Kaila from behind, she offered slight amounts of resistance.
"What magic did you work to make her work for you?" The previous alarmed faces were replaced with ones of cruelty and lust.
"Just a little persuasion..." The hunter released Kaila, "Continue your work, and don't forget the most important matter."
"You're letting her go already? Let us have some fun." One of the members made a particularly disgusting face, the maid behind him made an uncomfortable expression.
"There will be time after, for now if she disappears for too long it'll arouse suspicion." The hunter turned away from Kaila and faced the group. "Are your preparations done?"
"No problem here, we have about half of each temple up to the bishops willing to join us." One of the men stated, the glint of a black crescent moon was visible from the gap in his clothes. Another man nodded in agreement, the glint of gold metal was visible.
"All good and ready to go," A high pitched squeaky voice replied along with the clanking of metal armor. "The gates will be open when the time comes."
"We've been ready for a long time already, all the ones who disagree have been... subdued." The old man grinned revealing his crooked teeth that was missing a couple here and there.
"Yeah yeah, all this scheming and stuff is boring." An annoyed voice came from one of the corners of the room where a young mad laid on the ground playing with what appeared to be a skull. "I can't wait to meet the Princess."
The hunter smiled to himself, after planning for years they finally have the capability to get rid of the royal family who had been nothing but a thorn in his side obstructing him from cleansing the land of foul beings. First the humans who were unclean, then the elves and dwarves. After that the world will be for the taking, he delved into his memories and remembered a certain vampire couple he had killed before. The leaders of the group who had naively tried to make peace, he enjoyed the look of despair on their faces as her raped the wife before the husband's eyes before killing her. Oh he would love to see the trashes under his feet again.
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"Blauurgh!!" Kaila was currently in one of the washrooms of the castle heaving into one of the holes that served as a toilet.
"Are you alright miss?" Another ninja was behind her with concern in her voice, Kaila looked up into the fox mask that she was wearing.
"Ye-yeah..." Kaila slide down onto the ground and laid her back against the wall, the people that were there. She could identify most of them... who was the one with the armor though? Not... that she could do anything about it.
"You should stop doing this."
"I can't... I have no choice."
"We can run away, escape!'
"And what will happen to the clan if we do?!?" Kaila lowered the fist that she didn't know she raised, there was no point in getting angry with her subordinate who was only worried about her. "It'll be fine, if we just endure till this is over. Continue with the work, I'll be out in a bit."
"I-Understood." With a bow her subordinate disappeared.
"I'm sorry... your majesty." Kaila stared at the symbol that was etched into her clothes, the symbol of her clan.
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Note: So apologies for disappearing for so long and to clarify though this was not the one I was working on yesterday since I decided to change it up a little after sleeping on it. Celia's chapter is mostly done just needs to actually be written but the next couple of chapters would probably be about the battle rather than Shin (well you know how good I'm at predicting stuff so treat it as a probably instead of will be).
Somewhat spoiler? Not really? Can't tell but putting it in spoiler thing anyways.
Spoiler :
Three, technically four of the chars revealed here are chosen. I wonder if you can guess who they are?
I'm probably going to end up returning to shorter chapters at a faster pace since that fits into my schedule a bit more since I don't always have six to eight hours to binge write.