"Mother!" Leonard rushed forward, followed by a worried Rose and assisted by the four largest Guardsmen. He tried to open the doors to the carriage, but they were locked from the inside. "It's me! Leonard!"

"Thank the Heavens! Prince Leonard!" an older man's voice cried tearfully as the doors popped open.

Inside, they saw a scene of carnage. The Empress, pale and unconscious, was lying on the travel bed of her lavish carriage. Her belly was crudly bandaged, but the material used was already drenched with her blood. On the floor lie the soldiers of the Royal Guard of Metaka Royal Family with various, heavy wounds. Only two people there seemed to be in any shape to resist any kind of intrusion.

One of them, a wounded and tired veteran, had the distinctive look of a seasoned commander and bore the major's insignia. He nodded and let go of his sword upon seeing Leonard. The second one was an older butler gripping a sword that clearly belonged to one of the wounded soldiers. He was the only person in a condition good enough to talk.

"Prince Leonard! Your mother is gravely wounded!" he cried in a desperate voice.

"Of the way!" Rose shouted in a panicked voice, pushing away Leonard, who comically spun in place a few times before he regained his balance.

The butler managed to move aside even in the cramped space of the carriage, using a reducing technique available only for butlers and maybe some assassins. Rose wasn't paying any attention to anything or anyone around as she summoned a golden scroll from her ring of holding. With a gentle touch of her finger, she broke the elaborate red wax seal that protected the scroll. The seal shined and harmlessly popped open, filling the air around them with an array of golden particles that sparkled brightly. Everyone was awestruck by the display, but Rose, who had seen it too many times, was unfazed. She opened the scroll and started activating one of the most potent healing spells at her disposal. A golden circle of Holy Light encompassed the Empress, whose breath was ragged. As the magic circle formed, golden runes and symbols manifested in the air, sparkling and buzzing with power so immense that everyone felt the pressure inside their bodies. Rose started panting heavily, strained by the sheer cost of activating that experimental scroll. However, she soon took a deeper breath and activated the spell with a crystal clear voice.

"Perfect Restoration!" Rose staggered back and almost stumbled, but the Prince managed to catch her before she fell.

The golden particles that previously hung motionlessly in the air started spinning in a vortex that focussed around the Empress. They settled like a cloud of dust, covering the wounded woman's body. She started breathing more steadily, and soon after, she opened her eyes. Upon seeing this, the butler burst into tears anew and started thanking every God he knew. Leonard was internally torn between the desire to keep the woman he loved in his arms and the need to check if his mother was truly saved. However, the Empress sat up abruptly from the bed, holding her stomach in a painful grimace that quickly changed into disbelief and shock. She scanned the area and saw the Arcadians who had bandaged and applied potions to her wounded soldiers.

"Leonard," she called her son, who was still holding Rose in his arms. The Half-Elf slowly stood up, but the Prince forced her to take a seat near the already bandaged Major.

"You are safe now, Mother. What happened? Who dared to raise their hand against you?" Leonard asked, barely hiding his wrath.

"I... I don't know. We were ambushed during one of our stops, and I lost consciousness. I was struck by an arrow that probably was poisoned, or at least that's what I heard from Major Vargas as I became feverish."

"Yes, Prince Leonard. They were already here waiting for us; if not for sheer luck, they would have succeeded. But how is it possible you managed to get here on time?" The major groaned painfully, doubling over to cough up blood.

"MEEEDICCC!" one of the towering humans yelled out of the carriage.

"Unbelievable..." Leonard clenched his fist angrily. "We got here just in the nick of time thanks to the courtesy of the Arcadia's Royal Navy, Major Vargas."

"I must personally say my thanks to the head of Arcadia's delegation... Oh, who managed to heal me?" The Empress was still in shock and touched her stomach where the arrow had previously made a hole.

"*Ekhem* Since all diplomatic protocols have gone out the window, allow me to introduce you to Lady Rose of Avalon." Leonard offered his arm to help the Half-Elf rise from the seat, which the woman gladly accepted. "She is the head of Arcadia's delegation as well as the person who saved you."

"Empress, I wish that our meeting had occurred under far calmer circumstances." Rose, still pale from overextending herself, lowered her head, but if not for Leonard holding her, she would fallen. "Allow me to welcome you in the name of my King and my Queens in the Kingdom of Arcadia."

"I'm glad we had that chance to meet each other, Lady Rose of Avalon. Accept my sincere gratitude for saving my life and..." The Empress paused as the carriage doors popped open, and another Arcadian Guardsman, wielding a silver staff with a large gemstone on top, burst inside.

"Who’s wounded?!" The human looked around with an assessing but somewhat wild gaze. "Almost everyone... Damn it! Grand Mass Heal!"

The healing light encompassed everyone present in the carriage. The Empress looked in silence and softly smiled at the healer, who was clearly unaware of the people he was healing. He swore under his breath as he listed all the wounds and negative effects the people were under. He cast one spell after another that cancelled the debuffs and helped the healing process otherwise. While the Empress was very amused by the young man's behaviour, Rose blushed in anger mixed with embarrassment.

"Guardsmen!" the Viscountess finally yelled. "You are in the presence of the Empress and the Prince of Metaka! Behave yourself!"

"Umm... I beg for forgiveness!" He bowed in panic, almost hitting his head on the shoulder of one of the standing Royal Guards.

"Please, don't be harsh for him, Lady Rose." The Empress smiled and hid her smile behind her hand. "After all, he saved my faithful soldiers."

She pointed at the Royal Guards, who started to stand up from the floor, along with the amused Major, who patted himself to check if he really was miraculously healed. The Veteran warrior of Metaka stood up and bowed to Rose, who decided that her last efforts to maintain diplomatic etiquette had died in vain. With a sigh, she took out and drank an energy drink to stop looking like a tired damsel in distress. She took a few more from her storage ring and offered them to the Major and one to the Empress. While they were healed, they looked exhausted, and there was still much to discuss before anyone could take a well-deserved rest. Major Vargas drank it, but the Empress hesitated a bit. After she sniffed it, she decided to try it. The Empress looked much better after drinking, and she pointed at the exit with a smile.

"We should leave immediately..." Rose was interrupted by the Empress's sad facial expression and slightly raised hand.

"I think we should assess the losses before that," she said solemnly as she followed the Major.

They exited the carriage and saw rows of the Guardsmen of Avalon, who straightened at attention. With the loud smash of their metal gauntlets hitting their armoured chests, the soldiers welcomed the Empress, who looked surprised. She glossed over the massive crowd in front of her and looked relieved for a brief moment.

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"I'm impressed, Lady Rose..." The Empress turned towards the Half-Elf with a smile. "They must be the elite of Arcadia's forces."

"Oh, no." Rose smiled, sensing the incoming Praetorians. The Viscountess watched the shift on the face of the Major, who drew his sword, and in an instant, he detected their approach. The Royal Guards from the Empress carriage went into formation, encircling them and holding their swords, but the Guardsmen nearby were smiling at Metakans with amusement. The Empress paled a bit while Leonard was utterly surprised. Rose pointed towards the black and gold-clad soldiers who had just emerged from behind the Guardsmen. They walked towards them in perfect formation, leading the captured bandits. "They are the elite force, the equivalent of Metaka's Royal Guards in service of King Theon. Empress of Metaka, meet the Praetorians of Avalon."

"Gods..." Major Vargas uttered under his breath in disbelief. He sheathed his sword and braced all his resolve to step forward towards leading Praetorian. The Veteran extended his slightly shaking hand towards the much taller soldier. He tried to smile at the soldier in front of him, but the soldier's face was so obscured by the helmet that he couldn't see even a tiny bit of the soldier's face. "Major Vargas, Metaka's Royal Family Guard Corps."

"Shield-Captain of the Praetorian Guard of the Royal Family of Avalon. My name is irrelevant while I wear the black and gold." He firmly shook the Major's hand, and suddenly, all the menacing aura extended by the Praetorians vanished. The Shield Captain turned towards the Viscountess and slammed his armoured fist on his breastplate in a knightly salute. "Lady Rose, all hostiles had been neutralised, and we managed to save most of the Royal Guards of Metaka who fought the assailants. Only a few of the hostiles decided to surrender, but no one managed to flee."

"Thank you, Captain. Load the prisoners onto the Hercules and make sure they stay alive until the interrogation." Rose smiled coldly and turned towards the Guardsmen. "Lieutenant Coda, prepare the battalion to return home."

"Yes, my Lady!" The young officer saluted and turned around to start yelling the orders.

•••

They were welcomed on board of Arcadia's massive airship with all honours. Once the last Praetorian was back on the ship, the Captain ordered the return to Avalon. The large ship started gaining height again and began its trip back, but this time, they were not in such a hurry. As Leonard predicted, his mother was greatly impressed by the Arcadians. After exchanging a few words with the Captain and thanking the Praetorians for saving her soldiers, the Empress retreated to the quarters prepared for her. Despite the effects of the energy drink, she was still numb and shaken after the attack that she miraculously survived. Rose and Leonard stood silently on the rear observation deck, watching the clouds pass. In their own thoughts, each one gazed soullessly into the distance.

"I can't thank you enough for your help back there, Lady Rose." Leonard broke the silence and gazed at Rose, who had a slight smile on her lips.

"Don't mention it, Prince Leonard. After all, I was charged with bringing the Empress safely to Avalon."

"Still, I'm indebted to you. I must inform the Emperor about that attack." He lowered his head and clenched his fists. But just after a moment, he raised his head with a slight smile. "After all this, you can simply call me Leonard."

"Only if you call me Rose." She smiled happily.

She was about to say something, but Major Vargas interrupted them. He approached them silently and waited for a moment, after which he cleared his throat and respectfully bowed. "My Prince, the Empress wants to talk with you in private."

•••

"Oh, fuck..." I crumbled the note from Rose in my left hand and rubbed my eyelids with my right.

"What happened?" Luna asked with a genuine surprise.

"Imagine that Empress Matilda was attacked en route to the border."

"Who would have dared to do such a thing?" She wrote a short note and passed it to one of the Slime Maids. Judging by Luna's facial expression, whoever it was, they weren't going to stay anonymous for very long.

"Rose thinks the Empress suspects someone, but she hasn't revealed anything." I sighed and rhythmically drummed my fingers on the table. "Even while panicked, Captain Edgar managed to land Hercules perfectly on the border. So, while the Guardsmen were in Arcadia, the Praetorians made their super-hero landing in Metaka. Thanks to that, explaining the attack and who the mastermind was behind it is not our problem. However, I'm too curious, so we will interrogate the prisoners anyway."

"Oh, we have prisoners?" Luna smiled coldly. "Nice..."

I slowly pressed my forehead to my desk. "I really don't like the implications of that incident. The attackers managed to kill at least twenty of Metaka's Royal Guards. That meant they were not mere bandits."

"Hmmm... You are right," Luna said, biting the corner of her mouth. "But what could Vettalia or Guad gain?"

"I don't think it was the order of Vettalia or Guad. Empress Matilda is not going to involve herself in the succession war. If anything, I would rather expect her to find some excuses to visit her children in Arcadia when Darius dies. They also have no interest in involving the twins, who have already accepted their unofficial exile. Moreover, they seemed to understand that they might gain much more by leaving Leonard and Cassmira in Avalon than by trying to get rid of them. The last clue of why I don't believe that the main pretenders to the throne of the Empire are guilty is that our spies would have found some evidence that something this big was planned by one of them. But if I'm wrong, then we will have a problem," I explained, still resting my forehead on the blissfully chill wood of my desk.

"Why?"

"If the new ruler of the Empire would send a replacement for the current ambassadors, I will not accept them. I like the twins."

"But if they are going to be recalled from their post, what's the problem?" I turned my head towards her just in time to see Luna look quizzically at me. However, just as she finished her question, her eyes narrowed, and she snorted angrily. "Of course... They were going to try getting rid of them."

"Probably," I agreed.

"Damn it..." Luna put her hands together and formed a pyramid. "When should we expect the Empress's arrival?"

"Tomorrow," I groaned almost painfully. "Of course, it is going to be at the same time as Janet's raid."

"But..." Luna puffed her cheeks, and after a moment, she exhaled. "Bad luck."

"Maybe... But I don't believe in coincidences. For the time being, I must pay close attention to the events unfolding in Metaka. The war against Berna is resource-draining enough; we don't need other complications..." My eyes widened as the last, loose thought clicked in my head. "If there is some third party, they might try to eliminate Vettalia and Guad. So logically, they will try to get rid of Leonard and Cassmira as well."

"All right. I'm going to assign additional agents to guard them." Luna nodded.

"Thank you, my Dear." I smiled at her. "*sigh* Let's prepare for Hercules's arrival and pretend how surprised we are to learn about the attack..."

•••

Matilda watched in growing disbelief the radical change in the place that once was her home. She remembered her childhood in the poor, forgotten by the Gods' village of Cridia. She remembered quite vividly the day she was kidnapped and taken away by the slavers. Matilda was just fourteen when she saw her grandmother killed as she tried to protect her. From Cridia, she was sold to Metaka, and somehow, she ended up in the Emperor's harem. At first, she was nothing more than a slave and lowly servant. It took her four years to be chosen as Emperor's concubine. She was told that the Emperor had chosen her himself. A few weeks later, when it was clear that she was pregnant, her life changed completely. Nine months from that faithful night, she gave birth to Leonard and Cassmira. While setting her free, Darius shocked the entire nation when he declared her the Empress of Metaka, the mother of his beloved children. That alone created so many enemies for her... Yet, she tried to use her influence to help the poor of Metaka, which, in turn, gained her a few true friends.

Matilda heard about the civil war in Cridia and the unthinkable time frame it took to dethrone Josla. The Empress never liked that woman but pitied the people who lost their lives in the turmoil of war. Only that had not happened. The war was so swift and the battles so brief and decisive that there was minor collateral damage. Many soldiers loyal to Josla lost their lives, but hardly any bystander fell victim to the fighting armies.

From the viewport of the magnificent ship, one of the few reasons she had managed to survive, she saw the oddly peaceful landscape below. New fields dotted the previously untouched wilderness, and brand-new military bases gleamed, overlooking the safety of the people. She had heard about the construction of the road system that would connect all the cities and villages of Arcadia, and now she saw one of the teams working on such a road. She should have left the cabin and talked with the Arcadians, learning about the man who called himself their King, but she was afraid. In this cabin, she was safe, and no one could hurt her. She would have to trust her son's and daughter's words and the high praises they regularly sent about him to Metaka despite their best efforts to unmask any vile nature behind him. Even today, her son had tried to convince her that the King of Arcadia was their greatest ally.

She would have to try to trust that man to save her children before she dies...