“Forty-eight soldiers of the Royal Guard were executed by the Federal Army today by firing squad. The Federal Army has accused these young women of utilizing ‘bizarre and unethical spells’ on the battlefield. Federalist officials claim that female servicemembers of the Orlish Armed Forces and the Royal Guard of Orland are utilizing spells that are not so distant from the brutality of chemical and biological weapons. Some have even gone as far as to accuse women’s magic as ‘biological weaponry in all but name’. These justifications however fell flat for the Royalist Government. Prime Minister Heiss has warned that those who have ordered these executions will be tried for war crimes regarding the treatment of POWs, and will not be given amnesty at the end of the war.”

- ROCN News

“Royalist forces steadfastly hold to territories gained in Northeastern Orland as at last, a Federalist counter-offensive swings against the trench lines of the area. Casualties are rapidly growing back up to the tens of thousands each day, as men and women are funneled into heavily stagnant static defense lines that have characterized the campaign in this section of the frontline. Both the Grand Duchy and the Free Confederation are now ringing the alarm bells for the rest of Orland. The hot war in Orlish soil is now truly warming up.”

- Liberty One Radio

+++

Northeastern Orland

Free Confederation of Westlauren

Rebenslof City

Two years ago, Rebenslof City was the economic and financial center of Orland. It boasted almost all of the burgeoning financial and tech firms that had begun to dominate Orland in the twenty-first century. The city’s spires and skyscrapers, coupled with the millions of its high-paid upper class white collar workforce projected the image of Orlish prosperity worldwide. Even its industrial districts directly on its southern outskirts, dominated by unions, were once a signal of possible rapprochement between working-class men and Orland’s liberal women.

Now, when Amelie looked at the city, it had only gotten worse ever since the days of the General Strike. Soldiers manned nearly every street and lane. Tanks, APCs, and armored vehicles watched over the city traffic. Orlish tricolor flags were flown everywhere in an almost militaristic fashion.

Except, it wasn’t the normal Royalist Orlish flag. All of them were the OAF variant, with gold-white-grey tricolor turned horizontal, and with the royal coat of arms replaced by the King’s Cross. This city, much like the rest of the Free Confederation, wasn’t subject to the whims of Amelie’s Eutstadt regime.

It was first and foremost a stronghold by a group of officers in the OAF who took over the besieged principality. A military junta under her in all but name.

“It’s like we’re in a different world,” Nia said, as she gawked at the flags outside of their vehicle. “I mean, it reminds me of Eirhow before the war. Isn’t this how the cities of Wuringen became? Just, endless flags and militarism everywhere.”

“Well, that should give the two of you an idea about your new opposition once you win this war,” William said as he pulled the wheel to a turn. “This place is dominated by the militarist wing of the OAF and the ORP. Officially, they claim to be liberals and reformists. Realistically, they won’t mind doing another coup to bring about whatever enlightened republic they want. They just don’t like the radical dogs staining men’s honor, or whatever.”

“Hmm, I’ve never heard of that,” Amelie said. “They sound kinda scary.”

“Walter is a part of the more diplomatic wing of the ORP. It’s a lot of ideological disagreements, but essentially, you can segment the men’s rights movement between three groups. ‘Reject women and do it ourselves’, that’s the Federalists. ‘Work with the system but pursue an aggressive civil rights movement’, that’s the guys here. And of course, there’s the ‘work diplomatically with women for reforms’ team, that’s Walter’s wing.”

“Hmm…I see then,” Amelie sighed. “Well, I suppose that makes sense. If the extremists on the other side have divisions, I suppose even the moderates have one.”

“Mhm, that’s why when the military took over the administration of this place during the early days of Martial Law, it was mostly officers affiliated with the ORP wing that’s a bit more hostile to you. They hate the extremists, but they don’t have much love for you either.”

Amelie shook her head as she leaned back in her seat.

“Ah, great news...another militarist group that might remove me even after the war’s over. I wonder how I’ll appease these ones and keep them in line.”

“The Westlauren Defense Forces are to be treated as a faction serving itself. Think of this place as your version of the Free State. Their job is to keep this place ‘under Royalist control’, your job is to give them power in the post-war world by letting them run this place themselves.”

“But that's undemocratic,” Nia said as she shook her head. “Most women in this Principality wouldn’t be lorded over by some militaristic nobody. They should have accepted Amelie’s appointed governor. I mean, for goddess’ sake, they kicked out the last elected governor without Amelie’s approval.”

“I didn’t pay attention to it anymore when General Albrecht said it was under control…” Amelie admitted.

“It’s under control because he gave them a sweet deal. And I’d bet ole Albrecht is treating these guys as some sort of insurance policy post-war should you turn on us, men. The Westlauren Defense Forces will be men’s new Free State. Our little autonomous government that we can use to blackmail you women into reforms. Devious, ain’t it?”

“I don’t need to be blackmailed for reforms,” Amelie said as she turned to William. “I know the Armed Forces have a gun on my head already. And I want to change anyway to fix this nation. I feel like this is just an unnecessary abuse from the OAF. I announced martial law so they’ll keep order for me. Not to…I don’t know, turn one of my Principalities into an autonomous junta.”

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“Well, I agree,” William laughed. “But you see, I also don’t blame these ORP guys. You women hadn’t been above backstabbing us at the last moment for centuries. I’m not saying that as an attack against the two of you. I especially know that you, Amelie, would most likely never do that. But from the perspective of people who don’t spend their days working directly under you? They still have good reasons to distrust you.”

“Well, I’ll try to wrangle them into my side then. They have to trust me.”

+++

“General Pascal Hilbert, it’s nice to meet you,” Amelie said with a smile as she shook the man’s hand. He seemed to be in his late thirties. Behind him were the various officers of Army Group Westlauren, more commonly known as the Westlauren Defense Forces. All of them looked at Amelie’s OHC delegation neutrally. But General Hilbert smiled. “How’s the last month, General?”

“Oh, it’s a pain in the arse, Your Majesty,” the man said with a smile. “It was quite the mess that the last officer in charge of Army Group Westlauren left me. I had to do a lot of reorganization. Oh, please take a seat.”

“Apologies, I almost forgot,” Amelie chuckled. She took her seat, which signaled to everyone to also take their respective seats. “So, General Hilbert. I heard that the situation here is getting rougher and rougher…”

“Yes, we have informed the OHC pretty clearly on that. The Federalists have been trying hard to break both our northern border and the southwestern defense lines.”

“And what of the Free Confederation itself?”

The general paused, looking around his staff. The room itself froze in temperature for a bit. The man then turned back to Amelie with an iron gaze. He shook his head.

“While we respect and appreciate the provisions of the New Union Act, I’m afraid that the new Governor you wanted to appoint here is not a good replacement for the military-led emergency administration we have here. She doesn’t even know what this place is and its needs, being an Eutstadt-picked official.”

“Governor Anke Mandi is a politician born and raised in this Principality, and she was Attorney-General of the principality. That was before she was kicked out by Army Group Westlauren during the opening days of the civil war—”

“She wasn’t kicked out, she was rendered useless considering the imposition of martial law, and we wanted our own guy to enforce the law here, Your Majesty.”

Amelie frowned and shook her head.

“General, I appreciate the efforts done by all of you here. But you should understand well that…it does not inspire confidence in the hearts of the people that our most economically prosperous principality before the war is now under a government similar to what was in the Free State.”

“We’re not emulating the Free State. We’re just doing our best to survive here. We don’t need some civilians to lead the defense of this principality. What we need are experienced military men ready to make the hard decisions for our survival. The Free Confederation is fine, Your Majesty. We’re fine.”

“You said you weren’t.”

“Not in the sense of administration. In that case, we’re doing well. We’ve hit the goals of mobilization. We have twenty, twenty major factories open and online. Combined, it employs nearly eight hundred thousand workers on the Northeastern coastline. All defended by our robust air defenses. The Free Confederation is working. We just need a little bit of support from Eutstadt, but we can face the Federalists ourselves and win. And I swear by those words.”

“The New Union Act, General, is important to Orland’s continuous reforms. Please, understand, that while we are at war, it does not mean that changes for a better Orland will not come. And in this case, while you and your officers should have the power to control the direction of this principality in wartime—we must ensure some level of civilian control. From Eutstadt, and Rebenslof’s Government.”

“I believe we should instead focus on the offensive that the Federalists pulled out on us, Your Majesty.”

“And we’ll be getting there later, General,” Amelie crossed her arms. “I just want a word that you should at least let me send the people I appointed here to get to their posts. Even if it’s just symbolic. I can give you a few concessions if you need it.”

“...Concessions?”

“Yes,” Amelie smiled. Now she was getting into something. “Now, I don’t want this getting out of this room. But I know which faction of the ORP you all are from.”

The man’s eyes narrowed. He briefly looked at William. The Director of the OIA however just shrugged.

“Faction? There’s no such thing as that nonsense in the ORP, Your Majesty. We are united as one for one goal. Equality and liberty. Nothing more, nothing less.”

“But I do know that some of them are a bit paranoid and want to strong-arm the government, me, into acting for reforms. Isn’t that why you’re all trying desperately to hold onto your de facto authority here? Let’s not beat around the bush, General. I want you to trust me. I just want to know how I’ll do that. Because I want to trust you too. And I want you and all these men with you here, today, to say to me that you won’t be doing anything I disapprove of.”

“We want positions in the post-war government here,” the man said, adamantly. “Call it a craven power grab, but my people here are fighting for change. How are we so sure change can come when you can just demobilize us once it’s all over? Then stab us in the back afterward?”

The officers beside him all nodded grimly.

Amelie shook her head.

“I have no plans to do that. My life goal is now to change Orland into the good home it aspires to be. A home for everyone, you, me, your brothers, my sisters, everyone.”

“Doesn’t matter, they’re just words—”

“Then you’ll have those positions,” Amelie nodded. “In exchange, you’ll let my appointed officials come here to do some of their work. At least, symbolically, my reforms will look like it’s being enforced. That’s ultimately what I want. In exchange, give me a list of names and non-elected positions in the principality’s bureaucracy that you want to be filled, and I’ll make sure that whichever governor comes here will know who exactly to appoint here.”

“...Even if the next elected governor isn’t someone who wants us here?”

“Well, of course. That’s the deal. Oh, and no funny business, of course. Just clean defense here. Can I please at least have that?”

“Sure…” the General nodded. “How long will this deal be in effect?”

“Until I finish my civil rights reforms, and formalize a constitution in Orland. In which case, I think it’ll be understandable to you that I revoke any unclean deals like this, don’t you think? For the better honor of Orland. You’re not against that, aren’t you?”

Amelie waited for the man to respond. She hoped she could appeal to his principles. Unsure, the General took a few minutes to think about it, before he nodded.

“We’ll look into this deal, Your Majesty.”

Amelie clapped cheerfully as she smiled.

“Good! Now…onto the defense of Westlauren…”