“Royalist forces launch a counter-offensive in the Löt Front! Prime Minister Jacqueline Heiss declared that a ‘general counter-offensive’ was now in effect on all fronts. Putschist forces, already eight kilometers away from the City of Thein before the counter-offensive started, were pushed five kilometers from their initial positions. Further strikes are expected this December, especially after the failed Putschist offensive in the Ludendorf Front.”
- Liberty One Radio
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Grand Duchy of Ludendorf
Halia
December 1, 2024
It was early in the morning, all while Amelie was sipping tea. The threat of Putschist air strikes and artillery strikes had already significantly waned, and many of the staff, and even her were returning back to the Ivory Palace, now already fortified by countless REGAL SAM systems. The threat to Halia itself had already subsided, she could tell quite clearly.
Three Royalist fighters zoomed above the skies, and she took another sip. It was the same Pavillion where she had once met with the previous Prime Minister, Alexa Weirlöff a year ago to discuss the problems about the Army’s disloyalty.
Now, she faced their rebellion in full force. She was beyond right, Alexa Weirlöff, the Prime Minister was right. Perhaps she was right as well, that this civil war she was fighting was simply inevitable, regardless of what she did.
Hah…I really missed this place.
Much of the Ivory Palace and its surroundings were indeed marginally affected by the war. Sure, the hasty evacuation of its civilian staff and the months of disrepair and lack of maintenance took a toll on its pristine and grand halls, its well-pruned gardens, or its art galleries that had been ransacked in haste to evacuate it to prevent the loss of Orland’s cultural artifacts from a potential bombing, but all in all, it wasn’t a smoldering rubble.
Which was what she had initially imagined when they left for the Queen’s Bunker. She counted that as a part of her luck.
Alice herself was already outside in the gardens, checking out her favorite spots once more. The little girl had been so badly isolated in the Queen’s Bunker for months, that the moment she stepped out of the car to the Palace, she skipped straight to a spree that almost panicked the staff. For now, at least, she calmed down. Amelie didn’t want to infringe on her right to enjoy life a bit again after all.
“She’s awfully comfortable around here,” William said. “If I’m being honest, there could be a lot of risks around here. Who knows if an undetonated bomb actually fell here.”
“Did you people record any bombs falling near the Palace?”
William shook his head.
“No.”
Amelie chuckled. “Then you’re being paranoid.” She took another sip from her tea, missing the days when she merely relaxed around here. “Let her have some fun. She knows how to protect herself with magic. There’s no need to be overprotective. Plus, no bombs, as I’ve said.”
“I’m just…I’m not at all comfortable about all this. The Air Force may have started their offensive already, and our forces are now pushing them out of this side of the Ludendorf River, but who knows? What if…what if. We don’t know.”
“I understand. This entire battle had been a constant back-and-forth. I can’t believe it took months even.” Another Zapper zoomed through the skies again. “But with the navy close by, and the Air Force above us, what would stop us from pushing them back? They have to supply their troops through the river, we don’t. They would have no choice but to pull back, as our air strikes would overwhelm their strained supply lines.”
“That’s what I said.”
“And what I’ve learned,” Amelie said. “What I’ve learned in this battle. I can tell that we will win. There’s no way we won’t unless they find some miracle bestowed by the Goddess. Those supplies won’t materialize out of nowhere. If we had so many issues just shipping them through rails on land, how much more for them?”
“Well, still...even if it’s assured, we cannot be overconfident. This is not the end of this battle. General Albrecht still hasn’t broken through Heiflitz. The reports already said that they’re bogged down in their assault.”
“You assured me that they would break through regardless. And that’s a temporary roadblock.”
“Yes, but…”
“William, you need to relax yourself for once,” Amelie said. “You look like you’re on the cliff of death already.”
“You too.”
“And I’m taking an extremely long sleep after this.” Amelie countered. “What about you?”
“Heh…that’s not a luxury I’ll take. But, I suppose you are the Queen, Your Majesty. So that would be your privilege.”
“And I’m willing to take said privilege for once.” Amelie nodded to herself. “I want to sleep for once.”
“Well, if that’s what you really need, go on. It’s not your job to micromanage after all. For now, though, we should prepare for the launch of our fresh units.”
“Right.”
Tiredly, Amelie emptied her cup of tea and stood up. Alice herself didn’t seem amused by Amelie when she approached her. Amelie said it would only be for a few hours, but Alice gave her the cross-arms treatment. Still, she nodded and “gave her permission”. Within a few minutes, the two were already en route to Alexandria Square.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
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The gathered troops and officers stood in attention when she arrived at the podium. Fresh from the Free Confederation, they had mostly stayed in Halia in the months of the battle, preparing for the inevitable counter-offensive today.
Unlike the battle-hardened troops dug in the trench lines, these men seemed ready and well-rested. Their uniforms and equipment also seemed pristine in comparison, and they had enough energy to stand in perfect lines. Still, Amelie could tell that many of these men were no greens. Many were veterans, veterans of the Great War who had refused to leave the service in fear of that Matriarchy striking down on them. Yet somehow, here they were, ready to fight in service of a woman like her.
Perhaps, in a way, she had stopped representing the Matriarchy for these men. And she really hoped that it was true. She should never be the symbol of that system that was collapsing around them violently. Imperfect? Yes. But she had to be the better side, the one who would rally both men and women into a new age, starting from this battle.
The symbol of hope and equality.
“Greetings, soldiers of the Kingdom. You seem prepared today, standing before me, to a fight that would decide the fate of this campaign.” More Air Force fighters passed above them, heading straight to the frontlines. The brief stream of reports earlier didn’t exactly give out the details, but it was an attack extending across the Grand Duchy and the nearby provinces. The Air Force was doing their job well, as the Putschists were caught in surprise early morning. “As you can hear, and as you can see, the Air Force is here.”
She paused, giving her voice time to settle over the crowds.
“And men, I have heard that the Navy is also here. Their arrival should come shortly soon. Their ships would soon keep the supplies from the sea open so that in the fight, you all shall receive what you need when you need it. I assure you, that we shall do everything to ensure that you won’t starve when you move. That when you called for that artillery to save your comrades, or to flush our foes, the shells will be there. Or that when your gun ran out of bullets, there would be boxes coming straight for you. You will advance forward with all of the OAF’s might.
“But more importantly, the RGO is here. I know that many of you ask for equality, for respect, and not to be left alone in the struggle. Thus, let it be known that from now on, from this battle, you should know that it won’t just be your sacrifices that would pay for the better world I had promised you all. Your sisters, us women, with our magic, and our support, will be with you on every bloody defense line. That, I will assure you. This battle would be what we have always envisioned. What my reforms and changes envisioned.
“Women and men, together, advancing to the new future! May the Goddess bless all of you, for this battle would be won by all of us, together.”
Somehow, the cheers grew from the crowd, punctuated by more aircraft passing high above them. Amelie herself waved at all of the troops as she stepped down, the line of Royal Guard and William’s troops keeping her path open, as both the troops, some returning civilians, and the media cheered her on.
Amelie herself soon stopped on the way out, her eyes looking at a Löwe tank parked on the side of the square. There, a strange flag struck her eyes, and she could not help but be unable to peel her eyes off it. Unlike the current Orlish Royal Tricolor, where each color was horizontal, this flag was vertical.
Gold, which represented the Goddess, was on the leftmost side.
White, which represented women, was in the center.
And finally, attached to the flagpole was grey, which represented men.
Since the tricolor was vertical, the meaning struck Amelie immediately. All three, they were equal. Men were not at the bottom, women were not slightly above, and the Goddess was not the utmost authority. While she could have interpreted it as an attack on the monarchy for not placing her Goddess-mandated right to rule at the top, as a tiny part of her mind suggested, she instead ended up with this interpretation.
“William, what is that flag?”
“Oh, the vertical tricolor?” William said, his interest also rising in his voice. “Ah, that? Well, that’s the ORP’s proposed flag. Didn’t really get much traction as the Republican Bicolor, but, it’s supposed to represent an egalitarian royalist Orland for the moderates willing to compromise with the crown.”
“William…I want you to remind me about that flag.”
“Well, I mean, sure? Why not. Though I don’t really particularly care about symbols, but you do you.”
“I think I just found the flag I want for the Orland we’re building, William.”
She gave one last look to it, just as they continued moving. The current tricolor seemed distasteful for her, but this one…she wanted to win while flying that banner.
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When the report about the Navy’s arrival came to Amelie’s desk, she was still setting up her old office in the Ivory Palace. Immediately, she rushed back out with William, driving back to the coast, just in time to see the Rebenslof and the 2nd Fleet came into view with her binoculars.
“It’s…him…William! It’s him!”
“Well, I’ll be damned. He really did it.”
Three LF-12 Zappers in a triangular position flew from the Rebenslof’s direction just above the harbor. Amelie herself looked at them, as more and more planes from the Rebenslof passed in an almost celebratory flyby. The garrison, which had been seeing the small occasional flotillas of small ships reacted wildly at the scene before them.
Amelie could see nearly six or more destroyers, lined up in a loose formation, their main guns firing one after another. She could also see two slightly larger ships, just as missiles were launched from their bow and stern. She pointed her hand at the two as if she were a child seeing something new.
“William, what are those ships? I don’t think I’ve seen them before. Are they…like those...what were they again? Gallant-Class or something?”
“Well, those are the Navy’s Dubois-Class Guided-Missile Cruisers. Named after your rival house, as they were produced back when the Navy was courting House Dubois for a naval buildup.”
That almost ruined her mood.
“Oh…so it’s named after her family name?”
“Well, it’s not like they’re bad ships.”
“I sure hope they aren’t as infuriating as the Archduchess.”
“Careful with namedrops. Just enjoy the moment. You remember your words earlier to me?”
She chuckled. “Yeah…the fact that we’re somehow winning. I was right. At last.”
Almost as if the weight that was almost a ton on her chest was lifted, she gave a deep exhale of relief and watched as an entire squadron of the Rebenslof’s air wing passed right above them. Just as another salvo of the guns and cruise missiles from the 2nd Fleet fired straight at whatever targets they had on the Ludendorf Front or in the approaches to Heiflitz.
The conclusion of the Grand Duchy Campaign was near, she could tell. And indeed…
Victory, ignoring its costs for now…almost seemed glorious, as the rest of the Rebenslof’s air wing gave one last flyby above them all, heading straight to the frontlines.