It was a beautiful sight, the rising sun over the Sidonian Empire’s Capital city. From Sidonia’s view, perched on a balcony on the high levels of the Rolaign, she could see the entirety of the pulchritudinous of the city that existed solely because of her. In prior years, it had tickled her ego, knowing that without her, her country, her people, none of it would be able to exist. Of course, this feeling had been ripped away time and time again; she had seen her children perish over and over again in her long life; wiped away under the fires of her failures.
Though certainly Sidonia did not think of her existence as life. She had long ago died, and had lost this concept of life. She was merely an entity rather, as she had no predestined end or purpose. She’d made one for herself as best she could, but the lives of her children flashing by her as she stood constant; there was a certain melancholy she felt in it.
“My Lady, you haven’t touched your tea, are you well?”
She was sitting at a small table at the balcony with one other. Lord Capifilla. Among the fist full of Lords she had serving her, Capifilla was certainly an interesting one. He was under the wing of Lord Beranz, but time and time again had proved useful in his independence and skill with the battlefield. With only a few thousand men, he could accomplish great things. Capifilla forces were renowned for their toughness, even among the rest of the Sidonian military, which boasted the highest quality troops in the world. The rest of Sidonia looked on with respect at the small, no name Lord Capifilla, even though he was not talked about much and was not what one would call esteemed. He had bright gray hair, that had a splash of cyan across it in the form a single tress. His clothes were white with cyan accents, reflecting the color scheme for the rest of his house.
“I’m just waiting for it cool down is all.”
Sidonia smiled at Lord Capifilla. Capifilla frowned.
“My Lady, your tea is probably freezing by now.”
She nodded.
“Yes, I’m well aware. I suppose I’m just bored of hot tea.”
Sidonia had long done such things as purposely make food or drink less desirable. It was simply just because she was bored with their taste. It’s not that her cooks were bad or prepared the same meals over and over, quite the opposite; but after eating every food that had ever graced the planet, for eons over, she was in quite the predicament.
“…I see. If you’d like, I will go on an expedition to find leaves worthy of you, My Lady.”
She smiled bitterly at Capifilla. This. This was her bane.
“There’s no need. I’m sure that even if you did procure tea from land’s afar, I’d have probably already drank it somewhere before.”
She smiled guilty.
“I see.”
Capifilla murmured. She noticed a hint of pity in his voice. She noticed many such things of her children. Her long existence had brought with it eons of sights and experiences. At this point, she could read the face of someone who didn’t have a head like an open book. Not that she needed to read her children like that, her Influence granted with it a certain omniscience over her children.
A long period of silence passed between the two of them as the sun rose higher into the sky. In truth, she had really called Capifilla to her just because she wanted someone to talk to. Her personal servants had long since gone brain dead from being so close in proximity to her for too long. The Influence had its downsides.
Sidonia took a deep breath, wishing to whisk away Capifilla before the man suffered the same fate; the constant withering of her children’s minds with her proximity, it was a devilish thing.
“Lord Capifilla, you may leave now. I hope you are satisfied with the extra ship I have endowed to you.”
He rose out of the white seat, only to kneel with his hand on his heart before her. Capifilla was a genius in amphibious operations, with his small fleet of half a dozen ships, he could wreak havoc, landing behind enemy lines with his army only retreat to the sea once he’d been pinned down.
“Very, my Lady. I cannot begin to express my gratitude.”
No, my children really can’t express it, can’t they?
Sidonia smiled bitterly to herself, as she bobbed her head at Capifilla as he took his leave. It wasn’t a few moments that passed until servants entered to clean the table. Sidonia was about to stand as well, when her heart suddenly jumped in warmth.
“Hiya~!”
Right near Sidonia, Apophria had appeared within a blink. Sidonia smiled smugly at her.
“I see you finally made it back. How did it go?”
Sidonia asked, the warmth of friendship filling her. Apophria, Serendipity as Sidonia called her, was her one true friend; plain and simple. She was the only one who had even a sliver of understanding of Sidonia, and that was far more than the rest of the world combined.
“Just fine in fact. I was able to set up that speech you wanted.” Serendipity smiled deviously. “It’s perfect. It’s right in the open, public as can be, just as you asked. It’s scheduled months from now.”
Sidonia nodded.
“Good. The speech needs to be as exposed as possible. It’s where I think it is, right?”
Serendipity nodded.
“Halaruth Capital, at the base of their citadel. He’ll be there.”
Perfect.
The two of them stood there for a moment, staring out at the city, which was coming to life in the face of the morning. Sidonia cherished the presence of her friend, the one Nekomata who seemed to not be affected by the Influence.
“You know, if you don’t want me to leave, then you shouldn’t be sending me away every all the time.” Serendipity turned to Sidonia with a quip that poked at her heart.
“Mm…I can’t not have you in the field. You’re too valuable to sit idle. We have a lot of work to do if we want to survive the coming war.”
Serendipity nodded. She was about to open her mouth when her head suddenly shot up, as if sensing something.
“It looks like you’ve got a visitor. It’s Ardinand. Lackadaisical isn’t with him.”
With that, Serendipity disappeared into thin air. Sidonia sighed, and stood. She headed back inside to the Rolaign, to her large dome. The huge room was dark as it usually was, with the small tea table sitting in the middle as it normally did. Sidonia walked through the room, her steps echoing from the emptiness of the chamber. Reaching the middle of the room, she sat down at her seat, and her vision locked onto the large door from whenst her children reported to her.
Almost immediately, the door opened. In walked Ardinand Li Arquis, with two members of the 56th trailing at either side of him. He walked through the large room, his footsteps echoing through the silence as Sidonia stared at him. He was extremely nervous; Sidonia could tell as much, even though his face would seem steeled to any normal observer.
He reached table and kneeled with his hand on his heart.
“My Lady. I have returned from Andestine.”
Sidonia stared for a moment, smiling at Ardinand in silence. She squinted for a second.
“…So it would seem.”
She said with a smile. Sidonia got a certain sadistic pleasure from doing such things like scaring her children. Really, Sidonia could do anything, and they’d still be wholeheartedly loyal to her due to the influence.
Ardinand looked up, and with a swallow, began,
“The mission was an overall success. The technicians followed your words to the letter, and were able to the disable the ‘I Se Bay Em.’”
Ardinand’s tongue twisted with the foreign acronym. It was certainly and odd sound to Sidonia, to hear such an old term be used by a child of her’s.
“During the battle however, Lackadaisical was captured, and over half the 56th was lost. These two by my side are the only ones that can still stand. The technicians are unharmed, as you instructed, My Lady.”
Sidonia bitterly cursed herself, staring at the 56th members that could barely kneel up straight from their wounds. Wounds, that had been caused because of her orders.
Something was interesting about Ardinand’s report, however.
“Lackadaisical was captured? Surely you must be joking.”
Sidonia almost spat, extremely confused as to why one of her best children was ‘captured’. Ardinand shuddered.
“He…he was surrounded…I told him to use his Epensen-”
Sidonia’s face suddenly twisted into disgust, and deep rage filled her.
“Opensen.”
She said simply.
“H-his Opensen!...he couldn’t use it…”
Ardinand stammered. For whatever reason, her children still called it Epensen on occasion, she had specifically mandated them to never speak that word, but it was still in ingrained in them it seemed.
That bastard-!
Sidonia grinded her teeth together, her eyes twitching when she thought of him.
Interpreting Sidonia’s angry facial expression to be directed at himself, Ardinand physically shrank away, along with the other two 56th.
“What do you mean he couldn’t use it?”
Sidonia’s rage subsided quickly. She had been angry over that word more times than there were Nekomata alive, she wouldn’t waste her time even thinking about it.
“I-I don’t know-!”
Ardinand was evidently terrified. Sidonia was indifferent to his fear, instead unpacking the idea of why Lackadaisical couldn’t have used a biological function of his in her head.
“All I know is that he was beaten and then, that he didn’t try to escape with me…”
“Oh.”
Sidonia suddenly said, breaking the tense atmosphere like shattering glass.
“He was just using himself as a decoy so that you could get away.”
Ardinand looked up eyes, his eyes wide in surprise.
Dunces. The both of them. One is so stupid as to sacrifice himself, and the other so dense not realize what the other had done.
She couldn’t exactly be mad at her children. Though, she felt a sour taste on her tongue from the actions of Lackadaisical. She couldn’t very well have the number one proclaimed fighter being captured, that was for sure.
“Tell me, what kind of forces did Andestine send?”
Ardinand swallowed.
“Three hundred Silver knights. Thirty Gold Knights, and three Platinum Knights. There were also four summoner pairs. Jeremiah was with them.”
Sidonia hummed with understanding. She could see the entire battle play out in her mind now, her eons of experience easily piecing together the general gist of what happened.
“I understand. The enemy was responding with reserves that were meant to be obliterated, whoever conducted the attack knew what they were doing to keep the battle quiet. Since they need to keep it quiet to avoid panic, I’d imagine they can’t let loose news of them capturing Lackadaisical, people would wonder just how such a famed Nekomata was captured in the first place. He’s either been executed, or is deep in Andestine cover.”
Ardinand shakily nodded.
“Either way, those odds that you faced were not overwhelming. You have failed me, miserably. Not only have one of my elite units been decimated, but I have lost a rook of mine. Lackadaisical was either beaten so hard into the ground that that he lost a few braincells, or he was outplayed to the worst degree. Perhaps both. He will suffer punishment for his poor performance if he does ever return.”
Ardinand at this point was shivering, scared sick of Sidonia’s malignant tone, one of pure disgust. The two 56th, despite being known for their steeled discipline, were in the same state, she could almost hear the shake of their armor.
“And you Ardinand…” He jumped, looking up at Sidonia shakily, sweat plain on his face. “You will be given the worst punishment I can think of.”
His eyes shot wide and he gulped a knot of anxiousness down his throat.
“Lackadaisical of this moment is exempt from his holdings. His first-place rank is revoked. You, Ardinand, are taking his place. I hope you can wipe away his failings.”
Ardinand was momentarily stunned, but Sidonia ignored him.
“Tell Lady Salchyon she’s the second now. Move everyone up in rank from there. As for the 56th, I’m disbanding them. They will join the 58th Armed Infantry Fighting Battalion for now. Do I make myself clear?”
“C-c-crystal…”
Ardinand sputtered.
“Good. Now fly. You disappointments.”
She waved her hand, and the three of them rose with a crisp motion. They bowed, and then took their leave. Sidonia watched as they walked down the colossal room, the two 56th barely able to put one foot in front of the other. Once the door shut with a large bang, and they were out of her domain, she sighed, closing her eyes.
“I’m not usually that harsh…”
“Yeah, you’re not.”
Serendipity said, appearing behind Sidonia’s chair and placing her hands around Sidonia’s shoulders. It was a rare warmth Serendipity gave off, for Sidonia was a rarely touched.
“I guess I got a little too mad about that little pronunciation....”
She could feel Serendipity frown behind her.
“Don’t lie, it’s him you’re making a fuss about.”
Sidonia smiled slightly, it felt nice to have someone consult her, even if it was the same person who had ever done so.
“It’s been so long since then, I shouldn’t care.”
It’d been long since then, yes. Of that war. That time when Sidonia could still be called human.
“You probably don’t. You think you’d be disrespecting your old comrades by letting him fade away.”
“That’s certainly a good way to put it…”
Serendipity always knew what to say to make her feel better. Sidonia had nothing but gratitude that she was blessed by such a person, someone who could stand together with her in this lonely world. It would inevitably be a shame when Serendipity died. Sidonia was everlasting, Serendipity was not, she would cherish this brief period where Apophria existed.
“Well, I need to attend to my gear, if nothing is urgent, I suppose we’ll see each other later tonight~.”
Serendipity winked. Then, she was gone. Sidonia smiled, even though no one was there to see her.
“Hm…There’s nothing urgent to attend to this morning…A walk, yes, I think I’ll go for a walk.”
One thing was happening today that Sidonia had been preparing for, later in the day, a kitsune ambassador would be arriving; and there’d be meeting between herself and this ambassador to concur on a course of action.
At the present however, Sidonia felt emboldened, perhaps it was simply because Serendipity had returned, and knowing that she was in the city was jubilee enough for her to take a walk. Sidonia stood, and started the long walk out of the Rolaign.
The servants that milled about were nowhere to be seen, if someone entered the Rolaign and walked around for hours on the upper levels, then they’d conclude that Sidonia was the only one inside.
It was slightly off-putting to Sidonia, how everyone assigned to be her servants became mindless drones that were too good at what they did. Once they died of age, and new replacements were picked, Sidonia always made sure to pick Nekomata who she personally thought could were expendable. The Influence slowly twisted their minds into being unusable. They were so good at obeying and following orders that they couldn’t act on their own at all, and they were useless in all other fields within only a year of working personally for Sidonia. Sidonia herself laughed at the prospect that her children thought the job of being her personal attendants to be a high and honorable job. In reality, it was just about the worst thing Sidonia could do to her children. She had long wanted to abolish the position of any servants, for she could take care of herself just fine, but her children were far too caring of her to let that happen. A limit of the guards in the Rolaign was mind blowing enough for them, but a total exemption of servants would be impossible for them to wrap their heads around.
The other Nekomata that were in the Rolaign, were the elite units that had their barracks in the building, they were thankfully on the lower levels, and far away from Sidonia’s Influence. Sidonia did have two armed guards, it was more a ceremonial position but nevertheless she had always posted them at the front gate of the Rolaign, as to minimize the risk of them sharing the same fate of the servants.
So now, as she walked through the empty halls of her citadel, that was beautifully adorned with breathtaking architecture, paintings, and the finest materials, she felt once more a doubt in her head. Taking walks through her own city was something rare for Sidonia, for she always had the lingering thought that any amount of exposure would be bad for her children, and that seeing them in person was a death warrant for them. In reality Sidonia’s influence took months of constant, close proximity to have any effect; that’s why meetings and short stays were completely fine. Despite her telling herself over and over again this fact, Sidonia still felt like she was in the wrong by even exposing herself to the outside world whenever she did so.
She was walking by the barracks of the elite units when Sidonia suddenly realized that she hadn’t ever informed the 51st of the mission she’d given their leader. For the past few months, the 51st had been out and about, protecting Sidonian infiltrators and the intelligence network. They were doing a good job of it, not a single city other than Foksly had been abandoned, and scores of inquisitors had been killed. As Andestine’s undercover forces faltered, and had to pull out from towns, the 51st had returned bit by bit throughout the past few months. She was glad that the apprentices she’d assigned to the unit were getting an ease into the life, for trial by fire yielded quick results yes, but many usually died; the losses were not worth the accelerated pace of the surviving apprentices.
Sidonia placed a large emphasis on keeping casualty rates as low as possible, especially for the younger Nekomata. They lived long lives yes, but their upbringing took innumerable resources, hours of instruction and care, it was a waste to have them perish. Crafting deadly vectors of her military was an intricate process of managing experience and veterancy.
She came to the 51st’s barracks, and knocked on the door, even though she really didn’t need to. Most members of the elite units had their own rooms in their own houses outside of the Rolaign, but for whatever reason, most elites spent their time training in or around the Rolaign, religiously almost.
She didn’t wait for a response, and opened the door, for her children could probably sense her nearing.
“Our Lady has entered!”
One of the soldiers shouted, and the entire room sounded with the whoosh of everyone dropping to their knees with their hands on their hearts.
“Please, do not let me disrupt you all so much. You may stand.”
She didn’t want to say things like ‘At ease’ and ‘You may stand’, but if she didn’t specifically say so, her children would never stop prostrating themselves.
She took a moment to look over the dozen or so 51st in the barracks, all of them eyeing her intently.
“Now, I suppose all of you have been wondering where your commander is. I forgot to tell you all. He’s been dispatched on a black operation, so he’ll most likely be gone for a few more months, I apologize for poaching your captain without so much as a word.”
The 51st who’d first sounded off, Daventdale, nodded his head.
“Nonsense, My Lady, we completely understand. We were under the impression that he was with Lady Salchyon’s 57th along with the 75th.”
Sidonia nodded.
“Stay in tip-top shape while the rest of your comrades return from their assignment, I believe I’ll be needing you for an upcoming errand.”
““Yes, My Lady!””
All of them said at once, even though the words Sidonia spoke were not exactly the most rousing. All elites were like this in the Sidonian military, more like robots than people, they coldly obeyed orders and sat by idly whilst out of combat, awaiting their next mission with a near limitless pool of determination. Departing the barracks with a small wave, she continued on down the halls of the Rolaign. The lower levels had many more people milling to and fro, most of them were liaisons, ombudsmen, and logistics officers, preparing for the upcoming battles that were sure to be raged.
It was when she stepped outside that Sidonia felt free, free of the bird cage that she had locked herself into. Before her was a portcullis, embedded in the perimeter wall of the Rolaign. Feeling the wind against her face, she walked forward, and the portcullis opened. She stepped through and was met with the large sprawling hill of stairs that led out of the Rolaign. On either side of her, were two large, gold clad soldiers. They held large halberds, and their armor was relatively slim, their size came from how tall they were. Sidonia was currently in a fully-grown female body, and yet they still were almost double her size. It was a rare sight, for most of her children were far shorter than her, not because she was especially tall, but because her body was just older. Her Golden Guardians, if she wanted use the honorary title.
Her assigned protectors were traditionally a pair of twins, who had the peak of experience and skill in combat. Thanks to the lack of real war however, these protectors of hers were lacking in the normal amount of experience, though that was true for the whole of the Sidonian military; only special forces and hush-hush warriors were the only ones that could be considered battle hardened.
“Would you like an escort, My Lady?”
One of the guardians asked, the brother of the two. Normally, they’d follow Sidonia regardless if she didn’t say anything, but Sidonia inevitably always turned down their company, so of late, they’d actually been asking permission to escort her; Which Sidonia appreciated.
“That won’t be necessary today, thank you.”
Sidonia then started down the stairs without giving another look at her guardians. They served an important role, if the Capital or Sidonia was ever in harm, they would be her last line of defense; they were fully ready to perish at her feet. Sidonia bitterly smiled to herself, she was quite spoiled with how devout her children were.
“Now, where to pay a visit to…”
She laid a hand on her chin as she reached the base of the stairs, and the start of the real city stretched before her.
“…I suppose it’s been awhile since I’ve checked up on it…I wonder it’s been progressing?”
Sidonia suddenly turned, and started off down the road, headed for the portside of the Capital, where a large shipyard berthing dozens of ships rested. The brisk seaside winds sped by, and the light of the sun splashed over her pale skin, unused to the sun’s rays. It was about a quarter hour of walking, and although she was on the very edge of the city, the few people who did see her eyed her, either with awe or suspicion, but scrambled to make room for her as she passed. She was now at the shipyard, and multiple construction projects were being taken on as ships were both repaired and built. She walked by most all of the ships, what she wanted was at the very end of the shipyard, hidden from view and out of the way. As she did, the drone of clanging hammers, sailors shouting to each other, and planks being nailed filled the air.
As Sidonia reached the last berth in the shipyard, it became apparent that it was in fact a drydock, wherein a gate blocked the sea’s water from the rest of the berth. What was being built, was covered over in numerous dark red canvass sheets. Some areas lay exposed, where sailors worked and assembled the project. It was slightly larger than one of Sidonia’s normal carracks, whatever it was. It was flatter as well, and it was obvious from the lack of bulges that it didn’t have any boarding bridges, the large swivel mounted ramps that could be dropped onto nearby ships to allow for boarding.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Sidonia smiled at herself momentarily.
“It’ll be refreshing to get back to real naval combat…All these marine engagements have left a sour taste in my mouth.”
She stepped down to the docks, the water ocean now feet below her. She paid no mind to her pure white dress’s skirt, that was mere inches from the wet dock below. After a few more steps, she was standing over the dry dock’s edge, gazing over the mystery construction.
Sidonia’s eyes narrowed, as she sensed the person who she wanted to meet with approach.
“Ah-! Lady Sidonia-!”
Running across the catwalk, waving at Sidonia, was a girl who was a couple heads shorter than Sidonia, wearing a black and grey uniform of admiralty, though evidently, it’d been tampered with for personal preference.
“You should told me you’d be arriving – I would of made the adequate preparations.”
She halted her run to a walk as she approached Sidonia.
“Nonsense. I just wanted to check up on you, Lady Maccu.”
Rear Admiral Maerene Ad Maccu was a peculiar little Nekomata, in Sidonia’s eyes. With her black hair, tinted ever so slightly with red, arranged into large twin tails at either side of her head, she had a unique appearance.
She was also wearing a small, soft pink scarf. It had been given to her by the Field Marshal of the 51st, if Sidonia remembered correctly. Sidonia thought she herself was the crazy one, wearing a dress on a day like this, but here was Maerene, wearing her uniform and even a scarf. At least Sidonia’s dress was thin, and its sleeves only went down to her elbows, Maerene seemed to look like she was ready for winter. It wasn’t completely a mystery to Sidonia though, for the winds and air whilst out at sea were sometimes just as cold as the harshest blizzard.
“Ah-! I understand. Let us talk in a more private area, My Lady.”
Maerene bowed, her twin tails of hair nearly touching the dock underfoot with their length. She then led Sidonia to a less traversed area, it was just about the farthest point into the sea that the catwalks of the dry dock could yield. They were now at the front of the canvass covered construction project, if the ship was complete, then they’d be near its bow.
“Well, how’s the production proceeding?”
Sidonia asked immediately, looking over the canvass covered ship.
“So far, everything is smooth, there’s been no complications as of now. However, I’m worried about the those, those cannons, the blueprints entail. They’ve all been manufactured, now it’s just a matter of making sure the deck is sturdy enough to hold such heavy things without caving in on itself. Once I’m sure of that, and the cannons are mounted, all that’s left is the rudder and masts, as well as the interior, of course.”
Maerene said, wiping a hand over the shining insignia on her left shoulder, one that denounced her rank of Rear Admiral. It was evidently a newly given insignia from its shine and cleanliness.
“I’m pleased to hear it. I hope my and Lente’s plans were easy to read?”
Maerene nodded.
“Of course, Sidonia.”
Lente Li Arquis and Sidonia had been hold up for hours at a time in months prior, making the blueprints in solitude. Sidonia knew what to make, and what the general gist of it was, but it wasn’t not exactly like she had a perfect memory of everything she’d ever seen, that, and she still needed the talents of someone who was actually gifted. Sidonia had experience, that was all.
“Though, I’m surprised about this mode of weapon, blowing up this explosive powder to propel a conical chunk of metal? I didn’t know we had such material or knowledge.”
“It is newly discovered, Lady Maccu.”
Sidonia said, lying plainly. Sidonia had been accumulating swaths of black powder over the years, she was fortunate that no other country in the world had discovered it yet. Sidonia had purposely kept it secret, and neglected actually using it, for if she did then that would increase the risk of it becoming worldwide knowledge. If that was the case, then Sidonia as a nation would be done for;
Once the humans figured out how to meld the power into a handheld state, one untrained peasant could kill a veteran warrior of Sidonia within the blink of an eye. From there, numbers meant more than skill, and the Nekomata, which were outnumbered a thousand-fold and more, wouldn’t stand a chance. It was something that Sidonia didn’t think she’d be able to recover from, if the Empire fell, and humans were capable of using that devilish powder, she didn’t think she’d be able to ever rebuild; for quality over quantity simply would not be viable after that point.
That is why she was wary of using this power, the power that would rend the gods, the power of this gunpowder. Sidonia was taking a risk by employing it, but she was not going to spread the power throughout her military, that would only increase its susceptibility to being stolen by the enemy. The ship before her, the upcoming galleon, would be the only platform capable of using the powder on the planet; for that, Sidonia thought it would be tough for any outsiders to even catch wind of it.
“Now, I hope your crew is not wary from such hastened construction?”
Sidonian ships were built by the crews that manned them, because of this, the overall performance of the vessel was increased because of the crew’s knowledge of it. It was also deep rooted in tradition, as the crews felt attached to the ship far more when they had built it with their own hands.
“Not at all, Sidonia. They are pleased for the challenge and honor of building this one of a kind vessel. If what is written down is true about its capabilities, of those non-magical cannons, I won’t be missing my old ship, My Lady.”
Maerene had been a captain before Sidonia had chosen her, of both rank and position in another ship, she was touted to be one of the finest tacticians of the sea. For that, Sidonia had chosen this young, relatively inexperienced, Nekomata to captain this new ship. She needed someone who was skilled, someone who could still keep their mouth shut, and someone who was relatively expendable. This ship would inevitably undergo a great deal of suicide missions, Sidonia was hesitant to tell Maerene and her sailors of just what kind of things Sidonia needed them to accomplish. This ship, it was not a tactical pawn, it was a strategic bishop that Sidonia intended to use as an integral part to victory. Sidonia only hoped that Maerene and her crew were up to the task, it’s not as though Sidonia had any veteran sailors to call upon; her navy had been more a wall of protection for Peidzé and Siphrine.
“Oh, I wanted to ask, Sidonia, have you chosen a name yet?”
“Yes, I have one in mind. But, it is disrespectful to name a vessel before it is at sea, is it not?”
Sailors were a hardy bunch, to the uninformed observer, they’d simply seem like a rowdy group of foul-mouthed blockheads. In reality, their traditions were among the most respected and deep rooted, and their superstitious nature came from the unpredictability of the sea, and how one wrong storm could end even the finest brigantine. They were brave in that sense, how sailors could undertake being at sea for so long at a time, in such squalid conditions, all with smiles on their faces.
“I understand, My Lady.”
Maerene said.
“Well, aside from all the busyness, how have you been, Maerene?”
Maerene looked up, as if startled by the question.
“It’s been boring being the captain of an incomplete ship.” Maerene frowned, leaning over the railing of the catwalk, looking over the ship.
“Though, I’ve been worried about…” Her voice trailed off for a moment. Sidonia smiled deviously, for she knew exactly what Maerene was thinking of.
“Your fiancé?”
Sidonia’s words caused Maerene’s face to swell red, though she frowned, as if to hide her flush.
“He’s out on a special mission for me, he won’t be back for some time.” Sidonia paused for a moment, deciding whether or not to tell Maerene of her future plans. “Though, I’m going to need someone to get him back…”
Maerene’s eyes widened.
“Some sort of ship that can stand toe to toe on its own, and not need an escort for travelling long distances in isolated territory.”
Maerene looked at Sidonia, breaking into a hopeful smile, like a child told they were getting a treat.
“You don’t mean…”
“Yes. That will be this ship’s maiden journey, to retrieve Alisson Vi Nuam.”
Maerene stared down, desperately suppressing a smile, though it was in vain, for anyone could’ve seen her jubilee at that moment.
Sidonia stared bitterly. How quaint it would be for Sidonia to feel such feelings once more. Unfortunately for her, Sidonia’s lover was gone, and with him, the passage of time had left her facets dry of such an emotion. She only now had the bitterness of an old woman.
The two of them sat silent for a moment, letting the clanging of hammers and planks, and the heavy roll of waves splashing against the coast fill the air around them. Sidonia took a deep breath.
“Well I must be on my way now, I’ve been thinking to visit the Orphanage for a while now, and then after that, I want to check up on the 6th Army’s reorganization, and then there’s that meeting later in the day…”
Sidonia ended in a mumble, though Maerene’s eyes were piqued.
“…Mm. Right away, My Lady. I wish you farewell.”
Maerene bowed, her twin tails of hair once again almost hitting the catwalk floor. Sidonia nodded to her, and left the infatuated sea captain to herself.
…
The Orphanage was the only one of its kind in the Capital, hence it’s equivocal name. It was a place Sidonia enjoyed visiting for a numerous few reasons.
The need for an orphanage was one that was quite small in Sidonia, the children who’d lost their parents who lived in other towns were simply sent to the orphanage in the Capital, that was how small the number of orphans was in Sidonia. Human Sidonians didn’t fight much in battle, as they were more civil servants in Sidonia, so none of them had any orphans, but inevitably the fighting war machine of Sidonia would produce parentless Nekomata. Of course, Sidonia was happy that her armies caused many more orphans upon humanity than they did upon her own empire, the casualty numbers were mindbogglingly low when compared to human armies. Nekomata had a habit however, a dangerous habit, to die before they had any offspring. Nekomata were not exactly the most prolific species in the world…
Whenever Sidonia brought up the subject to any Nekomata but Serendipity, they would always blush and look away, as if saying ‘It can’t be helped.’. Sidonia, being in charge of the race as a whole, saw that the, reluctance, of her children were one of the main reasons why their population was low.
If I let them live as long as they were meant to, they’d reproduce as they were supposed to…
Coming from the standpoint of one of her children, it was simply something to blush at and feel embarrassed of, but to Sidonia, the leader who had access to the facts and figures, it was something to be disappointed of, and she had always urged her children to procreate. She felt if she didn’t, then they’d never produce offspring in the lifetime that Sidonia had allotted them.
If only I let them live longer-!...No. I can’t risk it. I have to stay strong.
Sidonia took a deep breath and pushed the thoughts of the empire’s demographics out of her head. What was directly in front of her was one of her most favorite buildings in the whole city. It was not as grand as the Rolaign or any of the Great House’s homes, not as large, not as immaculate; but the whole building emanated an air of humble warmth. It was made purely of wood, and its triangular roof towered above the buildings to its sides. Its walls had a large amount of depth, as the many different shades of wood popped in panels, braces, and columns. It certainly didn’t look like an orphanage, but rather a modestly large home.
She stepped forth toward the door, and opened it without knocking. Stepping inside, a certain warmth reached and coddled her body as she entered. A bell attached to the door jingled, and someone from further inside the building called,
“Ah-! I’ll be there in a moment!”
Sidonia patiently stood with a small smile on her face. She could hear children making a racket further inside, and the footfalls of running on a floor above her. After about a minute, a woman came around the corner, almost stumbling from her sharp turn around it.
“Ah s-sorry to make you wait, I-”
Her words were cut short when she looked up and noticed who it was that had entered the orphanage.
“M-my Lady! W-welcome. I see you’ve chosen to visit again.”
The orphan keeper sighed, visibly relaxing. Sidonia smiled; compared to the first time Sidonia had visited the orphanage with this particular keeper, she’d nearly tripped when she attempted to prostrate herself. Sidonia had long ago told her that such things were not necessary as the keeper had Sidonia’s utmost respect. Like Lord Capifilla, the keeper of the orphanage was not a renowned job, though those who did know the keeper, just like with those who knew Lord Capifilla, respected them deeply. The respect was well deserved, for the keeper of the orphanage was always having to put up with bratty Nekomata that had not been crushed into their discipline yet. That, and the keeper had to be able to protect the children, for that the keeper of the orphanage was one of the strongest Nekomata who was not in the military; the common joke was that the reason why humans hadn’t attacked the Capital yet was because they wouldn’t be able to stand against the fearsome keeper. In reality the keeper was comparable to one of the fighters on the higher end of average in Sidonia.
“Yes, is this a good time? You seem to have your hands full.” Sidonia asked, tilting her head.
The keeper smiled, chuckling,
“Not at all, you’ll probably bring more peace to them than I’d ever be able to.”
She then motioned for Sidonia to step deeper into the orphanage. As Sidonia rounded the corner, exiting the entrance and coming to a much larger room, motioned filled her vision. Unlike other times where Sidonia had entered a room filled with Nekomata, the children did not stop what they were doing and fall into silence, and neither did they prostrate themselves or even give so much as a glance at Sidonia.
She smiled in response to this, this is why she loved coming here. Young Nekomata were the closest thing she’d ever get to being treated normally. They had barely been developed in their minds, and as such had little discipline, that combined with them not having parents, endowed even less discipline in them.
Some were running around and playing tag, the youngest of them were playing on the floor with toys, and some were drawing and aweing over each other’s drawings, and the poor older Nekomata, only about ten, were off to the side, either desperately trying to keep order or trying to distance themselves from the controlled chaos. There were even a pair of kids who’re sword fighting with fake swords, Sidonia was surprised that they had such a privilege, and surprised that they weren’t bruised to hell and back at the same time.
In silence, Sidonia strode forward, like striding into a battlefield, and sat quietly on a sofa in the middle of it all, smiling whilst reveling in the atmosphere, as the children didn’t immediately recognize her presence; Sidonia could thank their lack of reception to her Influence for that. So, she sat, in the middle of all the chaos, with closed eyes, taking in the complete lack of attention, it was therapeutic.
After a few minutes, the older and more quiet ones started to approach her, they waved with small smiles like they were greeting any other friend, and Sidonia smiled, offering small waves of her own in response. They asked her questions, for they knew who Sidonia was of course. The first time she’d came, everybody was fawning over her, like she was some new peculiarity, after awhile though, they stopped caring, and Sidonia had simply become a normal face to see at the orphanage. Of course, not many knew about her regular visiting of the orphanage, else the place would be labeled a holy site, and be barred from entry and encased with guards.
The little ones that had approached Sidonia chatted with her about this and that, mundane things by every standard, but Sidonia was unfazed, taking pleasure in the naivety of the young ones and of their lack of knowledge of the world; so she answered them and nodded her head whenever they told their child-stories and told her of this and that dreams…
Occasionally, a younger one of the orphans would either crash right into Sidonia amidst their playing or meekly approach. She handled them all the same, with a soft smile and mellifluous tone.
One of the children however, caught her attention, she was standing off to the side, suspiciously staring at Sidonia, like she had some sort of bone to pick. She had short red hair, and yellowed eyes, if Sidonia remembered correctly, she was one of the more recent orphans, though she was on the older spectrum within the room.
“You there, come here.”
Sidonia said, and all the children surrounding Sidonia fell silent, staring off at the lone girl off a ways.
The red-haired girl looked side to side with a frown, before slowly walking forward toward Sidonia.
“What’s your name, child?”
Sidonia would’ve already known her name thanks to her influence, but children were, as Sidonia adored, unreceptive toward the influence.
“…Tohru Oyil Grafton…Sidonia.”
“Ah…You’re that one from Foksly.”
Sidonia reached out her hand to the girl’s head, though the girl pulled away, stepping back with a deep frown and averting her eyes.
Sidonia didn’t feel discouraged by her coldness, instead, she felt marvelous at it, and could only smile warmly at the child.
“Ah, I’d imagine you’ve taken a liking to that Alisson, have you? Or perhaps his apprentice? I hear they are the ones that rescued you. It’s no wonder then that you’d like them over me.” Sidonia said, shaking her head with a chuckle.
Tohru seemed taken back and stared at Sidonia, surprised, her face flushing red. She then turned and ran off in a dash up the stairs to the second floor and out of view.
That was a rare thing, a Nekomata fleeing from Sidonia; Sidonia tilted her head, savoring the thought.
…
“That makes two full divisions, as you can see, My Lady.”
A couple hours had passed, and Sidonia had made her way to the outskirts of the 1st wall of the capital where she’d sent for the men now standing before her. Sir Keen, and Sir Gertrud. The two of them were the division commanders of the 6th army, which, thanks to their past battle, had lost an entire division, which in itself had the whole capital scrambling in reorganization efforts.
“So then your manpower has been filled in then?”
“Yes, the minimal men we did lose were easily replaced, but the two of us have been working on the plans to re-vitalize the 6th Army’s third division, ma’am.”
Said Sir Gertrud. Sidonia thought for a moment, tilting her head.
“…No. There’s no need for a third division. For now, I’ll be keeping the 6th Army in reserve at the capital, since we have no reserves now that our 3rd and 4th Armies are preparing to do battle with the Caliphate.”
“And of the 5th?”
Sir Keen inquired.
“…The 5th will hold their ground. We don’t have the manpower to push into the Principality, and nor can we hold them off if they get serious with the war.”
If only we had the 1st and 2nd…
Sidonia bitterly grumbled to herself. Unfortunately for Sidonia, they were off on an expedition to the Far East.
If the two mainstay armies were under her command currently, the Sidonian Empire would be gobbling up land and attaining swaths of veterancy already. As it stood, the empire simply didn’t have the manpower to fight two colossal wars at once. Add to the that that Andestine would inevitably join, and Sidonia had a quite the challenge for herself.
“Understood My Lady. Though, I must make it your knowledge that people are grumbling about the 5th, they say you’re leaving them to die.”
Sir Gertrud said, quite confidently for how opposed his words were toward Sidonia, which she respected.
“If we reroute any more reinforcements, then I fear the Principality will simply do the same, I do not want to get sucked into a spiral of attrition.”
Sidonia said sternly, and both division commanders nodded. If a spiral of attrition did occur, and Irine focused its heart and soul into fighting Sidonia, then Sidonia would have to do the same to stand a chance, leaving the empire completely exposed to the Caliphate or Andestine.
We don’t have the power to fight them if the war escalates…
“We will be sure to spread the reasoning, My Lady.”
Usually, Sidonia didn’t need to give reasons to her actions, as the Nekomata followed her wholeheartedly. It seemed however, they grew hesitant when they had to sit idle whilst watching their comrades fight and bleed. Sidonia understood the sentiment well, and she understood that the disdain that was growing was simply because her soldiers were itching to unleash the power of the military that so trounced humanity.
She was not fooled by her military’s apparent invulnerability however, she knew full well that her forces were outmatched, for the entente of nations battling them had many, many, more soldiers; and a nigh limitless amount of raw resources and industries at their disposal.
“I am pleased with your efforts, thank you, you may both return to your divisions.”
Sidonia said, bowing her head at the men. They did the same, and left, uttering words of goodwill. As they mounted up on their horses, and started off to the outskirts of the Capital where their divisions were, Sidonia sighed deeply.
From her cozy and carefree time at the orphanage to worrying about the fate of the entire empire, it was a taxing switch of mind, but not one that Sidonia was unused to. She wished she could simply sit happily like that, and not have to worry about invading armies or plotting Andestinian bastards, no, Sidonia would’ve been happy sitting idle with complete peace in the world.
To achieve that however…
She tightened her fist.
“Ah…I suppose I spent too long discussing with those gentlemen, I’ll be late for my meeting…”
Sidonia murmured to herself, looking up at the setting sun past the tall buildings around her.
“Now now, it’s bad for you to be late, it’ll ruin your reputation, if you even have any anyway.”
Behind her, a familiar voice said quietly, and Sidonia smiled in response, turning to see Serendipity with her hands on her hips. With her flaunted rapiers and devious grin, it was certainly a sight Sidonia couldn’t see anywhere else on the streets of the Capital.
“Then I suspect you’re offering to help save face for me?”
Serendipity clicked her tongue, shaking her head with a smile.
“If you keep relying on me for such minor stuff, you’re going to forget how to walk one of these days.”
“Well then I suppose you’d be there to teach me how to stand once again?”
Sidonia smiled.
“Oh you, come ‘ere.”
Serendipity held out her arms toward Sidonia, smirking. Sidonia happily stepped into her embrace, and she was lifted up as if she were a princess being held by a knight. Then, in her normal fashion, Serendipity moved, or at least, it could be inferred that she did.
She was lucky that the street was barren of activity, that was for sure.
…
“The fox will be here in about’ five. Don’t worry, I’ll be here if they try something funny.”
Serendipity said, letting Sidonia down onto the floor. Behind a pillar within the dome of the Rolaign, Apophria had appeared, and dropped off Sidonia without another word, disappearing into the shadows of the Rolaign’s unlit sides. Sidonia stood for a moment, thoroughly still unused the inhuman speed of Serendipity. After taking a deep breath, she walked around the pillar, exposing herself to the other people within the colossal chamber.
“Ah, Sidonia, I was fearing you’d be running late.”
A table had been set out in the middle of the Rolaign’s dome, it had a dozen seats compared to the small tea table that was normally in its place. The table was filled with a half a dozen Sidonian lords, and the one who’d spoken was the most influential among them; Lord Beranz, the Lord of the third largest House in Sidonia, behind Nuam and Salchyon. He wore a black suit of regality, and had the short black hair of a Nekomata in their nine-hundreds. There was another familiar face at the table, Lord Capifilla. The meeting was publicly open, Sidonia did not call these lords here, but she appreciated the advisement they’d give with their presence.
“As if the Lady would ever be late.”
Lord Capifilla said, and Sidonia almost frowned at his brownnosing. Perhaps Sidonia’s meeting with him had twisted his mind…Sidonia shook the thought from her head as nonsense and strode forward toward the end of the table. It was crescent shaped, fit to receive visitors to a council of people. Each of the lords at the table had a teacup atop a plate before them, all staring at Sidonia intently. The servants that were normally no where to be seen in the Rolaign were now present, at the edges of the room, they stood still and silent, with their eyes closed in a bow; they looked more like statues, with their white uniforms and pale complexions. The windowless chamber created many shadows, and the servants were almost all but obscured by them, it would seem off-putting to someone not used to them.
“Now then,” Sidonia took a seat at the center of the crescent shaped table, facing the only door to the Rolaign. “I do hope we know our objective with this meeting.”
Sidonia said, eyeing the Sidonian lords, Nekomata who’re supposed to be extensions of herself in intellect and decision making.
“We need to secure the Kitsune’s cooperation.”
Lord Capifilla said. Before Sidonia could reply, Lord Beranz spoke up for her,
“You are only partially correct, Lord Capifilla. We already know the Kitsune will be aiding us, we are good allies after all. The Kitsune Queen is the one who sent the ambassador, and they’ve pulled a lot of strings to sneak them out of Irine territory to get here. We must show them the utmost respect if they are willing to go through so many hoops gentlemen; but, we do not know why the ambassador is here, perhaps an issue has risen, so listen closely, els’t Sidonia will scold us.”
Lord Beranz said, and Capifilla averted his eyes and muddled his mouth, embarrassed.
“Yes, I’m afraid I don’t keep up with politics enough to be well versed in it…”
Lord Capifilla said. Sidonia always liked having her high ranking Nekomata assembled together, she never had to answer many questions or give information, prestigious lords were prestigious because they could think for themselves, and that was a rare trait in Nekomata.
A distinct click was heard, and Sidonia saw that Lord Beranz was holding a sphere of gold, which had clicked open. It was a watch, though compared to what Sidonia was used to it was quite primitive. It ticked for a moment, before Beranz closed it with a sigh, and eyed the door.
As if on a signal, the door opened with a loud rumble, and standing in the center of the opening door, was what was clearly a foreigner, their distinct attire immediately signifying where they were from. At either ends of the opening door, were two large soldiers clad in gold armor, Sidonia’s personal guards; they closed the door as the newcomer passed, and stood still and at the ready by the door, in perfect symmetry. As the ambassador stepped forward toward the council of sitting lords, Sidonia eyed the ambassador with intrigue.
Her clothing was a style that belonged solely to the kitsune, a hakama, if Sidonia remembered its name correctly, would be the most apt description. It was red and white, and adorned with wood amulets and ties. Like all kitsune, not only did she have the unique apparel, but a pair of fox ears atop her head and five tails bustling at her hip were clear signifiers of her race.
I’m always a little jealous that other human-like races show differences in their normal state of being, it’d be great if all my children had those cute ears and tails showing all the time!
-Is what Sidonia used to think; Now, she was more appreciative, the Nekomata looking human in a normal state was quite the advantage for subterfuge.
Unfortunately, however, her Nekomata were not natural like the other human hybrids…
“I am Yvitsu, representing my queen. I am humbled to make your acquaintance, your esteemed majesty Sidonia.”
The ambassador, upon nearing, knelt with a hand resting over her knee, the kitsune way of prostrating one’s self. She spoke in shoddy Sidonian, which was rare for someone not being a native Nekomata, though it was evident from her position as ambassador and rudimentary pronunciations that she was likely one of the few outsiders that spoke the language.
“The feeling is mutual, though please, just call me Sidonia.”
Sidonia said, tilting her head with a gentle smile.
“I must thank you for coming all this way, whatever you have to say must be important, so speak, we will accommodate you to the best of our abilities.”
Beranz said, interlocking his hands upon the table. The ambassador nodded, and stood.
“Firstly, I have to thank you for escorting me so far, I wasn’t expecting such a warm reception once I left Irine lands.”
I’d imagine the battered 5th Army was not a pleasing welcome party…
“Of course, we treat you Kitsune as you would be our own.”
Beranz said, keeping his stoic face.
“My Queen has sent me to deliver this, and to discuss our alliance heading forward into the coming war.”
The ambassador fumbled around in her long garb for moment, withdrawing a fancily embroidered envelope, which she gave to a nearby servant, who swiftly walked it to Sidonia.
“Before anything, I’d like to ask…” Sidonia piped up, taking the envelope from the servant. “How is the Queendom faring?”
“Our nation is still plagued over with Irine influence, they sponsor malicious groups in our leadership, and listen in on every conversation; it’s hard to say the least to keep a lid on our relations, Sidonia. There is a splinter group in the Queendom, they’re bought out by the damned Prince, and the queen fears that they will attempt a coup d’état on the nation.”
The ambassador said, clenching her fist tightly.
Yes…Kitsune do not have the perfect loyalty of the Nekomata, they can still go against each other…
Sidonia really was severely spoiled, spoiled by her children that were not greedy or ambitious.
“The splinter movement has been gaining support and resources from Irine, I fear that they will raise an army of human scum and outmatch us.”
“Then the situation has not escalated from the last time we’ve met?”
Beranz asked quizzically.
“No, milord. Though, I have been sent on a different matter. The queen wishes to exchange plans, she is unaware of your future actions, Sidonia. And, I come on her behalf to bring attention to a new potential ally.”
Sidonia’s eyes piqued.
“Yes…I’ll write up a letter for you in the coming day, it is imperative we are transparent. Now, what is this ally…Could it be the H.A.C.A?”
The Holy Angelic Country of Angela, was, like the Kitsune Queendom, an unofficial nation that had been conquered by the Irine Principality and had been in effect, a puppet nation within the Principality. There were many assimilated nations within both the Caliphate and Principality, though it was much harder to assimilate non-human races than human ones, and so Irine have been unsuccessful in their attempts to fully untangle both nations; they remained intact, in name and leadership chiefly.
The ambassador nodded.
“Yes, my queen has had many meetings with Michaela, the angel…er, queen, and has found that Michaela is quite favorable toward our cause, and seems willing to work with both you of the Sidonian Empire and us of the Kitsune Queendom.”
The ambassador stumbled on the ranking of Michaela, and had simply called her a queen, just as the kitsune leader was. Though, from what Sidonia had heard, Michaela was something called a seraph, the highest rank of angel. But, it was still good news nonetheless.
“Magnificent, that is splendid to hear. I’ve been thinking that I should reach out to the angels, but it seems you have brought me their good faith. Please let Queen Tsuhagara know of my feelings; I hope we can work with the angels if possible.”
The ambassador nodded.
“I will. My queen has also asked me to inquire about how long you can hold the line against the humans, the armies of both those scum filled nations are finally coming down to fight you, after all, with your largest two armies away…”
“We will be fine, Yvitsu. We are Sidonian, we are not savants. Tell the queen that she doesn’t need to send any aid, we will hold them as long as it takes to end the war.”
Talk about the Sidonian backpack…My children’s backs are going to get tired from carrying the kitsune for this coming time, and the angels perhaps as well…
The ambassador nodded sternly.
“I understand, Sidonia. You will not bleed in vain, we will relieve you and aid you when we can, though currently, the queen is too focused on the splinter group in our nation to risk declaring war.”
“Please, there’s no need to feel any pressure to help, take your time, the war has barely begun, there’s no point in jumping the gun. Regarding other allies however, please let Queen Tsuhagara know; I have an interest in the Sabasa, the orcs, and of Halaruth, though those last two are unlikely currently. Sabasa however, I feel we can befriend them easily.”
“Sabasa?”
The ambassador asked, perplexed.
“It is not a people on the continent that you know of. Sorry, but it is a bit of a secret, I’m quite sure only Andestine knows of the Sabasa.”
“My Lady, I wanted to ask about that…Should we send any ships to blockade away the Sabasa? I fear about what Andestine may do with their knowledge of the Sabasa.”
Beranz said to Sidonia, and she nodded thoughtfully.
“I understand the concern, but if Andestine makes a move, we can’t really stop them; our navy already has its hands full keeping Siphrine and Peidzé a secret from the rest of the world. Whatever happens, happens.” Sidonia shifted her view back to the ambassador, “Now, there is something I want to discuss, if the angels are willing to support us, than I have a little task for both you the angels, regarding aiding an operation of mine…”
…
The meeting had dragged on for a prolonged time after that, Lord Beranz was asking the ambassador for every little detail of the Queendom’s situation, and Sidonia had almost fallen asleep. Thankfully, she had worked out a mission for her to-be allies, the angels and kitsune, if they could help Sidonia retrieve the far-reaching Alisson once his task was complete. If he was proceeding on his usual speed, he'd be entering the Ipithid Plain right about now, or at least, somewhere within the area; Sidonia needed to start making preparations for his return, because she didn’t exactly want one of her children stranded in the north with valuable information. She had originally planned to solely use Lady Maccu’s ship in his withdraw, but perhaps with the aid of the kitsune and angels, it’d be easier than she thought.
At present however, her self-glorified cage of a room was cleared and barren of anybody else, the last servants scurrying away not minutes before. Sidonia lay, with a hand over her forehead, splayed across her bed, looking up, clearly exhausted from the day’s events.
“So? How’d it go?”
A familiar voice said before Sidonia.
“Fine.” Sidonia replied in a fatigued tone.
Serendipity chuckled in response.
“So humble you are. I know you’re planning some massive scheme, you can be a little more proud of yourself, ya’know, you little overlord.”
Serendipity said, taking a seat on the bed next to Sidonia. Sidonia was not ‘little’ by any means; she was actually one of the tallest Nekomata due to her body’s maturity.
“Where’s this overlord you speak of? She seems to be a being far more intelligent and tireless than I…I’d love to meet her. Mm…Remember, you’re heading out tomorrow, please do get some rest.”
Sidonia felt the bed shuffle, and she opened her eyes, to see Serendipity looming over her with a small blush.
“Yes, I think I will…”
I suppose she does deserve a reward after being away so long…Such a greedy dog she is.
Sidonia sighed, with a smile this time.
***