Queen Josla stared, stupefied at the vast army approaching her capital. In her powerless wrath, she yelled at her mages to do something about the enemy forces, but she knew the enemy was still out of their reach. So far, they had counted three separate armies in the west, north, and east. The southern parts looked clear but that had no real use since the enemy capital city was there. Many people had already fled the city, leaving behind everything but food and minimal luggage. When the regular peasants and city-dwellers decided to leave, she had simply thought it was normal in the face of a siege. Along with them, however, some soldiers and even a few nobles also fled, which was simply outrageous. She took a deep breath and tried to assess the situation she found herself in calmly. She smiled with satisfaction at seeing the early estimations of enemy numbers that showed her numerical advantage. Simply thirty thousand soldiers?

"My Queen! The enemies have siege engines!" one of her advisors warned her.

"Raise the shields," she ordered with regained confidence. "They are stupid to come here with just thirty thousand. We have three times as many soldiers in the garrison."

"Yet, they are here. Don't underestimate them, my Queen." King Yurik, the second after Korkas, and now after Korkas’s death, the overall commander of the Cridian armies, joined his queen on the watchtower.

"What do you suggest? They are tired after running around my Kingdom. The nobles must have killed many of them in the previous battles. They are tired and battered... No, Yurik, they are at our mercy." As if the enemy army heard her voice, a huge and powerful spell washed over the city shield, making Josla stare in panic toward where it came from. "Return fire!"

"We can't! They are just outside our reach..." Yurik paled and quickly exchanged a few words with a court magician. When he turned back to Josla, he was far calmer. "The shield took barely any damage. They can't breach it like that."

As Josla smiled with contempt towards the position of one of the enemy armies as the shield started glowing with various shades of reds and yellows. The unrelenting barrage of spells hit the protective dome, and Josla gritted her teeth.

"At this rate, the shield will hold for two weeks, my Queen." The court magician informed her grimly as hundreds of spells continued to hit the shield.

•••

"The artillery is shockingly effective, my Lord." Drake shook his head as he put away the binoculars.

"It will be a nightmare for our enemies..." Blair mused to no one in particular while observing the barrage.

"It's ridiculous... Once we have the proper storage items for these babies, we will be unstoppable..." Ban gazed at the crew of one of the biggest cannons, temporarily ignoring the punishment focused on the city shield.

"You know what is truly ridiculous?" Blair put down his binoculars and looked at Ban. "That these are mere toys in the eyes of our King."

"Well..." Ban opened his hands in a powerless gesture as he pointed towards the Praetorians and Legio Aegis, which were quickly approaching the south flank of the city. "Can you really blame him?"

Crackling lightning pierced the air in a gentle arc and crashed upon the city shield. It was followed by an enormous lance of fire that flew so close to them that everyone felt its warmth, though it was still too far away to harm them. It splashed over the upper regions of the city shield, blinding everyone for a brief moment. The roar of its explosion made the Avalon Guardsmen stop whatever they were doing and stare at the smouldering shield of the Cridian capital. Soon after the flash, the earth shook vigorously, forcing them to look at each other.

"I bet the first one was Queen Luna, and the second must have been Queen Amber..." Blair shook his head slowly, bewildered by the display of their power.

"This is a sucker's bet..." Ban shrugged and took a quick glance through the binoculars on the Cridian capital. "At this rate, the shield will collapse before dawn."

"Ban..." Blair scratched the back of his head nervously.

"Yes?"

"Weren't they supposed to use mid-grade spells?"

"These were mid-tier spells, sir." Drake raised his eyebrow. "Those were charged with the maximal outputs for Lightning Lance and Fire Lance."

"Gods... I'm so happy that I am not on the receiving end of those spells..." Blair nervously grabbed the pendant in the shape of a small but very detailed tree he had received from Callicarpa.

•••

"Don't be worried," I said softly to Callicarpa. "I have not sent them to die out there."

She twitched, but she didn't turn away from the window. Lavender sat quietly on the sofa with folded legs, observing her sister. Ian, with his wives Sally and Myrna, had joined us to discuss the state of the fields of Avalon, but later on, as the younger Dryad became more and more anxious about her beloved man, we tried to just talk about anything. I knew that without the presence of Sally and Myrna, it would be almost impossible to ease the fear of the Dryads. I knew it was my fault that Blair had joined the expedition forces but on the other hand...

"Princess Callicarpa..." I started again with a friendly tone but used her official title to signify her rank, finally making her turn around.

"I am so sorry, my Lord! I'm so worried and scared that something might go wrong..." She rubbed the ring on her left hand. "Please forgive me..."

"If anything, I should be the one asking for forgiveness." I smiled, and she tried to protest, but I raised my hand. "However..." I took a deep breath for a pause and to make her focus on what I was about to say. "Lord General Dastra Blair is the commander of the Western Army. You should understand, Princess Callicarpa, that he is first and foremost a warrior through and throughout."

"What do you mean by that, my Lord?" She slowly sat near her sister, and both looked at me with worried faces.

"There will be times that he will leave you in the safety of your home, and he will go to war. If he hears the call, he will respond to it. He will do it to protect you and those entrusted to him," I said without looking at them but towards the Cridian capital instead.

"What about you, my Lord?" Lavender asked quietly, but everyone in the room held their breath to hear my answer.

"I should be there..." I almost whispered and forced a fake smile. "We are both hopeless cases, aren't we?"

They chuckled a bit, after which Callicarpa took a small sip of an apple juice. She was still nervous, but at least she had managed to talk a little bit more with Sally and Myrna. Lavender, on the other hand, continued to observe me very closely. Although she was discreet, I could sense her worried look as I tried to find any topic to discuss and distract my thoughts from the fact that I couldn't be near my Queens to protect them. The Dryad Queen tilted her head, sitting in a more distinguished than cosy manner as she quietly cleared her throat, covering her mouth with a clenched fist.

"I don't think you are convincing, my Lord, when you ask others not to be worried while you are on the verge of a nervous breakdown yourself." She said softly, and I could only sigh in response.

"You are right, but there's nothing I can help with... It's just in my nature to be worried about them all." I pointed at the small war table where the miniature army besieged the city. "I am aware that some rulers out there treat their soldiers and even their people as mere pawns in their game. I am not like them. I believe that all life has its value, but mindful of that, I don't hesitate to take it when necessary."

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

She tried to smile warmly, but in her eyes, I could see the understanding and painful sadness as she slowly nodded a few times. I saw that she wholeheartedly agreed with my opinion, or at least with the part where I admitted the value of life. She sighed heavily as she looked at her sister. "Is there anything you could do for her, my Lord?"

"Hmm..." I hesitated just for a moment, realising there actually was a straightforward solution. "I think I can."

"I will be in your debt, my Lord." A bright and sincere smile painted her face, and if not for my Poker Face, I would have definitely blushed. It was unbelievable how attractive she was, and I was sure she knew how I felt. I just hoped that Lavender had not seen through me entirely. I wondered if Amber had been planning something when she asked me to keep Lavender and Callicarpa company. In any case, her concern for her younger sister was genuine, so I could easily extend a helping hand.

"My Storm Eagles might be helpful for your worries, Lady Callicarpa." I pointed at the balcony where one of my biggest Eagles remaining in Avalon had just landed.

"I'm afraid I don't understand..." Callicarpa looked at the large bird, big enough to carry her effortlessly on its back into the sky.

"You can form a familiar contract with her. She could then carry your messages to Blair when he is away. Gradually, you should be even able to use her eyes and see the faraway places within the sanctuary of your home," I explained as I slowly walked towards the balcony doors and opened them.

Both Dryads followed me outside, where Callicarpa slowly outstretched her hand towards the large and powerful monster. The enormous Eagle stood calmly on the balcony, where she dwarfed us all. Her beak was sharp, and her eyes scanned the area constantly because of the high alert caused by my uneasiness, which made all my denizens remaining in Avalon slightly nervous. An occasional lightning bolt or a small spark travelled between her feathers, but seeing us approach her, she quickly shook off the protective Lighting Aura that could harm the people following me. The Storm Eagle eyed Callicarpa as I encouraged the Dryad to take a few steps closer, and the majestic bird slowly lowered its head. Callicarpa, who was, on the one hand, terrified and, on the other hand, determined to gain such a powerful familiar, slowly raised her arm towards the bowing bird. However, once her trembling hand touched the head of the Eagle, she gasped in surprise, and her face brightened as she hugged the bird without fear.

"You are so warm, Frin'ola..." we heard her muffled voice as she buried herself under the Eagle’s feathers. "Thank you so much for agreeing to be my familiar."

"Thank you for taking me as your familiar, Lady Callicarpa," the Eagle spoke with a melodic voice, surprising the Dryads even more as she hugged her new master with her head, covering her under her huge wings.

Lavender whispered her thanks into my ear, making the hairs on my neck stand up. I wasn't sure if she was teasing me or if it was just my imagination. I left them on the balcony with a sigh and returned to the guest dining hall, sensing Ian, who had silently followed me. We reached the table and took just a few sips of our drinks when he abruptly turned his face towards the north. "My Lord, my Radar skill picked up something large, quickly approaching Avalon."

"Hmmm..." I noticed that five of my Storm Eagles were darting towards the north in an intercept formation. In the meantime, the women returned from the balcony before I could use my denizen's eyes to assess the new, possible threat.

"My Lord, I noticed something in the sky... It looked like a ship." Myrna looked at me in confusion, but Ian and I were already dashing back to the balcony without even a word.

"That's a fucking airship, my Lord," Ian confirmed the obvious. He was more offended than impressed.

"Why don't I have one?" I complained while observing the ship through the eyes of one of the five Eagles that flew to intercept it.

Ian murmured something inarticulate and procured the binoculars from his storage space. My Eagles get close enough for me to recognize its markings. "Oh, fuck..."

"*Phwwwwhht* Bernans..." Ian whistled and laughed nervously.

"Yeah... But something is off..." I mused more to myself than to the others.

"I don't sense any malicious intentions, my King..." Lavender stood right next to me; her voice was solemn and nervous.

"Hmmm... I see Sebastian on the deck of that brig..." I raised my brow, surprised.

"What's a brig, my Lord?" Ian asked in a conversational tone.

"A type of a sailing ship..." I sighed and shook my head. "I don't like it. I can't contact Sebastian."

"It's a trap?" Sally asked, worried, as Myrna transformed her elegant dress into Battle Mage attire. Twelve Living Armours joined us at the balcony to ensure the safety of the Dryads and Sally. My guests looked in awe at the towering guardians who wielded sentinel spears that crackled with the blue lighting that danced around their long and vicious blades. The aegis shields were ready to protect us at any moment, but for now, they stayed hidden at their wrists.

"Hmmm... If so, they are going down. I know that airships are powerful, but I can't imagine the Bernans simply sending one here to be destroyed." I hummed thoughtfully and put on the most impressive clothes I had made by Wendy; however, they were to show off, not to march into battle. "Hmmm... Maybe it's their way of sending their envoy after my display? I can afford to give them the benefit of the doubt. Let’s wait..."

My Eagles reached the brig called Word of Gods, and my connection with them was abruptly cut. However, one of them quickly moved away and informed me that Sebastian had asked me not to attack this ship. They really are carrying the envoy of the Holy Kingdom of Berna. "Shit... It's really their envoy... Ian! Where can we dock them? Because I'm sure as hell I'm not letting them into the upper castle lake!"

"The lake in Zone One. It's deep and big enough for them to dock," he replied instantly. "We should welcome them in Avalon, I guess?"

"You’re tagging along with me?" I almost chuckled, not surprised in the slightest.

"Of course I am. I have a few questions about how they managed to get it to work, and I am getting the answers whether they like it or not."

"Hahaha... Sure, but please don't start a war because of your curiosity." My amusement quickly made room for consternation and some annoyance. "Not good... Sebastian just relayed through the Eagle that they expect to meet me and one of the Queens..."

"That might be hard, even if you order Lord Thor to return with one of your Queens through the Shadow Realm... I don't know if even Queen Aoi's Wyvern would be able to get here quick enough." Ian scratched his head, and we looked at each other awkwardly while Callicarpa chuckled. As we turned our somewhat stupefied gazes right at her, I felt something strange but dismissed it.

"They expect to meet a Queen, my Lord. They forgot to specify that she has to be your wife." Standing behind her sister, she was still laughing when we all realised she was right.

We all looked at Queen Lavender, who panicked and wanted to run away but was caught by Callicarpa. I looked at the Dryad with a begging gaze. "Queen Lavender May, I beg you to help me. We can ill afford a war with Berna as we are now, so I hope to humour their wish. I promise to do everything to protect you in case they have planned something sinister."

The Dryad Queen took a deep breath and closed her eyes as she tried to calm herself. I extended my hand towards her, hoping she would help me avoid the war for the time being. I knew it wasn't fair for her since I was aware of her feelings, but my choices were rather... No. I dropped my hand with an audible thump and almost turned around angrily towards Berna's airship. That strange feeling from before… They almost made me do something unforgivable to this woman who had let on more than once that she liked, maybe even loved me. She looked at me, surprised by my sudden shift, but I bowed in front of her with the respect she deserved and calmly explained myself.

"No... As tempting as it sounds, it's not right, Queen Lavender." She looked at me confused, maybe even slightly disappointed, but I already decided about that. "I don't care much about Bernans, but it's unfair towards you, Lady Lavender. I won't use your feelings against you, especially not in a situation like this. I care and respect you too much to overuse your trust. The Bernans will have to suffer my presence alone this time." I took a deep breath and admitted the truth I had hidden for the last few days. "One day, if you wish for it, I would love to make you one of my Queens. But I won't allow anything to influence your decision."

I raised my hand, clenched in a fist, and ordered Aurora to inform my wives about our very unexpected problem. However, Lavender caught my fist in her trembling hands, and she looked deep into my eyes without fear or doubt. Her trembling was not caused by fear, for I saw excitement in her shining green eyes. "Yes, my King, I want it more than anything. I love you, and I want to be one of your Queens. Oh...!"

She suddenly gasped in shock, and I felt the surge of a very familiar power filling her body. Her green eyes shone brilliantly, and I felt one hundred thousand mana crystals crumble into nothingness. Warm green lights danced over her body like the playful sparks of green glitter dust, casting colourful reflections all around. At that moment, I received a reply from Aurora. 'Queen Amber ordered me to say these words to you, my King: You have Lavender, Theon. Stop pretending you don't like her and make her your wife. Stop fooling around, we are busy here.' I could only sigh and shake my head at the craftiness of Amber, who surely somehow had staged this outcome. At least this time, I was fully aware of what could happen if I proposed to her. I watched in awe as Lavender changed. Her already fairly impressive powers grew considerably as she brimmed with mana, standing and taking a deep breath. A puzzled smile adorned her face as she looked at me in a slight panic, and then she looked at her own trembling hands that left trails of green glitter in the air with each move. The green glow around her slowly died off, but I knew this was just the beginning of her transformation.

"My Lord, I don't know what happened..." she whispered with tears forming in her eyes, but she looked so happy. "The World's Words... They just..."

"It's all right." I smiled warmly at her and closed her hands in mine. "If I may guess, and at this point, I have the experience necessary to tell, I would say that our secret wish has come true, Lavender va'Theon, the Guardian of Yggdrasil, the Sixth Queen of Avalon."