Chapter 33

“My lady, please remain still.” Leah admonished as I stood in front of the full-length mirror in the closet. All I had done was sigh. Okay… I definitely slumped a bit… My training with Mother still hadn’t progressed beyond becoming more precise with my magic. This would generally be a good thing, but the white flames that I was once so proud of still seemed out of grasp despite the physical and mental training I’d been doing since Audrey left for the battlefield.

I mumbled an apology to Leah and made an effort to stand up straighter, which once again caused her to sigh. “I know that you’re having a hard time, but you’re meeting Lady Rose today. Shouldn’t you be more excited?”

“Of course, I’m excited to see Sasha,” I say, giving her a small smile as our eyes meet through the mirror. Leah had diligently put waves through my blonde hair, so even though it hung freely down my back, it still had a sense of depth. The dress she was currently putting me in was a dark blue, with short sleeves and a neckline that hid the curves of my chest.

I knew Sasha was still upset about how everything went down about her sister’s participation in the war. Even if she didn’t blame me directly, I knew she was concerned about Audrey’s well-being. That makes two of us… I don’t think I’ve had a decent night's sleep since she left. I miss her. But I was sure Audrey had it much worse right now, so I couldn’t bring myself to complain in earnest.

Audrey is out there fighting for us… for me. I can’t betray her feelings by being weak in return. Since Audrey wasn’t here to comfort Sasha, I was more than happy to do so in her place. It helped me feel better despite my failures in training. After Leah finished dressing me, we stepped out into the hallway to be greeted by one of the maids I’m sure Leah had asked to set up the tea parlor for Sasha and me.

“Everything is ready for you, Your Highness. Your guest has already arrived.” The maid said with a bow.

“Thank you,” I said simply, turning down the hallway with Leah in tow. We walked in silence for a few minutes before I asked the same question I always do: “Have there been any updates from the front?” My attendant's response was the same as yesterday.

“No, My Lady. There have been no reports of note.” a mixture of relief and disappointment fills my chest, just like I’ve felt every day since my girlfriend left. I suppose no news is good news… The only way I heard about Audrey was through the reports my brother sent back to the central war council, and even that was just about her status among the troops and her overall health. I really should have taught her the magic of sending letters.

I hadn’t taught Audrey the magic because I didn’t want to distract her out in the field, but now the regret was piling up at the lack of her presence in my life, even if it had only been a week. I fought back the sigh that was building in my chest as we finally entered the parlor, where Sasha sat at the table laden with various sweets and teas. The young girl looked quite excited by the enticing spread, but I could see the hint of worry that had plagued us both in her eyes.

“Sister Lydia!” Sasha yelled excitedly when I entered, and she left her seat to run over and hug me. I could feel the stress in my body practically melt away as I wrapped my arms around her, a genuine smile gracing my face as I looked down at her.

“It feels like it’s been forever since we’ve seen each other, Sasha,” I said honestly. She looked at me with a smile that could stop even the most seasoned knights, the flicker of worry in her eyes gone. I’m glad she feels the same way I do, at least, even if I’m no replacement for Audrey.

“It’s only been a few days!” She giggled cutely. Gah, my heart is going to stop.

“Very true… Well, should we dig into the sweets? We wouldn’t want the chef's hard work to go to waste.” I said, leading her back to the table where we sat facing each other. As we plated our first choices for the day, I asked the real question that had been on my mind since she was last here with her mother. “How are things at home?”

She looked up at me, her brow furrowing as she frowned slightly. “You mean with Mother? Everything seems normal, though I have noticed she’s been a little nicer to the servants.”

I fought the laugh that threatened to bubble up at her revelation. What the hell did you do to that woman, Mother? My Mother could be pretty terrifying, but from what I saw and am hearing now, she traumatized the poor Duchess. Not that she doesn’t deserve it.

“Is that so? That’s a pleasant surprise to hear. “Anything else interesting?” I prod, hoping she might have learned anything of her Father’s plan.

“I haven’t managed to find out anything else. My interactions with Father were already limited, but now I hardly see him at all,” she said, looking down in disappointment. “I’m sorry… I really do want to help my sister.”

I reach across the table, taking her free hand in mine with a reassuring smile. “I know, Sasha. I’m sorry for bringing up such a dreadful topic. Let’s just focus on eating our fill for now and enjoying each other’s company.” My subject change brought another smile to her face as I released her hand.

“I’ll enjoy enough sweets for my sister, too!” she declared, the fork already in her hand with a piece of cake speared on it as she brings to her mouth. Her other hand cupped her cheek as she enjoyed the flavor. Following her lead, I also took a bite of my pudding and resisted having the same reaction as the younger girl.

The time passes lazily, with us chatting about anything that comes to mind, though the topic is still mostly Audrey. When the time for her to head back to the Duke’s mansion neared, we were interrupted by a knock on the door. When Leah answered, one of my Mother’s maids stepped inside with a bow before speaking.

“Your Highness. Her Majesty requests your presence in the prince’s office. My lady would also like for Lady Rose to attend as well.” I stifled a look of surprise, then turned to Sasha. “Well, it seems like we get to have more time together. Let’s go.”

She looked at me, then the remaining cake on her plate, before stabbing the big piece and devouring it in one bite, leaving crumbs on her lips, and her cheeks puffed like a squirrel. “Yesh, lesh go!”

I bent down, grabbing a napkin from the table to clean her face as she desperately tried to chew the large portion she subjected herself to. Again. Cute. But my royal side came out, just like it does with Audrey whenever she’s acting unladylike.

“Now, you know better than to eat like that,” I said gently, having finished cleaning the crumbs from her face. Sasha quickly swallowed, taking a long sip of the cooling tea before looking at me with a grin.

“It seemed like something my sister would do. So I wanted to try.” I blinked at her assessment.

“You’ve got her there, I guess.”

With that, we left the parlor, following behind my Mother’s attendant as we walked through the castle once again. Along the way, Sasha pulled on my sleeve.

“Sister Lydia, I’ve been wondering… why is it that the royal family always meets in the crown prince’s office? Are there not more official and bigger rooms in the castle?”

I tilted my head as I considered her question, then looked back at her thoughtfully. “I’d like to know the answer to that myself.”

My response elicited a laugh from her, and a few minutes later, we walked into my brother’s office. My whole family, minus the obvious two who were with the army, are there. Despite their dark expressions, Mother still made a concerted effort to greet Sasha, giving her a warm hug. The young girl still looked uncomfortable with the embrace, but the stiffness from the first time it happened wasn’t there. It seems she’s warming up to it.

Once the door shut behind us, Father spoke bluntly, driving away my distracting thoughts. “The imperials have made their move. They made an attempted surprise attack last night.”

My blood froze at the report, cold dread filling my chest. “I-Is everyone all right?”

Thankfully, he nodded. “Yes, thanks to Audrey. She managed to sense the threat before it was too late and stall the attack long enough for the army to respond.”

The breath I hadn’t even realized I was holding escaped, and I couldn’t help a resigned smile. “That means the war has started in earnest, then. What’s the situation now?”

“It took a few hours, but Abel reports they have the situation contained for the time being. He estimates the imperials have lost two thousand troops, while our losses are a few hundred for now.” Father paused, his eyes flickering with remorse. “The majority of our losses occurred in the initial hours of the attack.”

I knew those lives weighed heavily on his mind. I’m sure he’s waiting for the official death report so the kingdom can inform the families… It may have been cold of me, but I was relieved knowing that Audrey, Lucia, and Abel were not among those lost. I glanced at Sasha and saw the relief on her face as well. The room fell silent for a moment, lacking the usual energy that Abel and Audrey brought.

“I don’t like it,” Luke stated, his hands folded under his chin as he narrowed his eyes. “It’s like the emperor is toying with us… Why not crush our defensive line with the difference in numbers? Before now, the imperial army destroyed their enemies quickly, but what’s different with us?” Despite the silence following his question, the answer was obvious. We have Audrey.

It's the only thing that makes sense. I pursed my lips and spoke. “I think we can reasonably assume he knows about Audrey. So the question is what his intentions are.” Right as I finished, a knock sounded from the door. Seconds later, it revealed Duke Beldonna and Isaac, who bowed elegantly to my parents.

“Your Majesties. We have an urgent matter to discuss.” The urgency of the Duke’s tone was surprising, considering how level-headed he usually was. What was even more worrying was the flicker of fear I saw flash across my parent's faces before they schooled their expressions. I saw Luke blink in surprise at their reaction as well.

“Please clear the room.” At the direct order from Father, all the servants immediately began to shuffle out. Then he turned to Luke and me. “You two as well.” My brother and I glanced at each other as we both opened our mouths to object, but our words died on our tongues at Mother’s steely glare.

“Lydia, I’m sure Sasha needs to be getting back. Make sure she makes it to the carriage alright.” Then she turned to my brother. “Luke… Go find something else to do for a while. You need a break anyway.” Despite the heavy atmosphere, I scoffed at her off-handed order.

Luke stood up from his desk, grumbling. “This is supposed to be my office…” But even his quiet complaints were silenced as Mother gave him a saccharine smile that lacked any sweetness.

“Both of you. Out. Now.” Then she once again turned to Sasha, giving her an actual smile as her expression softened. She’s not even your child! “It was wonderful to see you again, dear. Let’s have a nice tea party next time you visit, alright?”

Sasha just nodded, unsure of how to react to the quick change of pace. Shaking my head, I took the young girl’s hand and led her out of the office as Luke trailed behind, looking like a lost sheep.

“Mother’s right, you know,” I said over my shoulder once we were back in the hallway. “Your eyes look ghastly; you should go take a nap.”

My brother looked at me with a tired smile. “Perhaps I will. It was a pleasure to see you again, Lady Rose. Please visit again soon.” Before he turned to leave, he gave Sasha a pat on the head. Again! She’s not even your sister! My internal complaints suddenly stopped when a particular thought came to mind. Not yet, at least…

Once Luke was out of view, I led Sasha to the carriages, helping her up the steps. Before she left, we made plans for her to return in a few days, and then I waved her off with a smile. Once I was finally alone in the courtyard, I allowed myself to slump down.

“Please, stay safe, Audrey,” I mumbled to myself, looking up at the clear blue sky.

***

Once the children had left the office, Bella and I turned back to Duke Beldonna and his son. “What have you seen?” I asked.

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They looked at each other before meeting my gaze again. “I apologize, Your Majesty,” Isaac said, his voice wavering slightly. “I have lost sight of the outcome we hoped for. The future is uncertain.” My breath hitched, and I could feel my wife's hand tighten on mine at his words.

“Are you saying we’ve lost?” I ask, forcing myself to stay calm. And thankfully, Isaac shook his head.

“I do not know. Whenever I try to look into the future, I see nothing…” He bit his lip, his hands trembling at his sides with frustration. “It’s as if my magic simply won’t activate anymore.” Despite his evident emotion, when he looked at me, there was still hope in his eyes. “While I cannot provide specific guidance, I believe that the future we seek is still possible.”

I lean back and sigh. “Even still… We should prepare for the worst.” Bella’s hand was still tightly holding mine, so I tried to give her a reassuring smile only to realize she wasn’t trembling with fear. I should’ve known better… My wife was furious.

“Is there anything else?” I asked Duke Beldonna, and when he shook his head, I sent them away.

When it was finally just Bella and me alone, she spoke. Her face was a barely contained mask of rage. “We’ve followed their advice this whole time… We’ve put our daughter’s lives at risk… and now they’re saying they don’t know how it will turn out?!”

“Darling…” I said placatingly, not even flinching as I used my fire magic to melt the ice that had been crawling up our joined hands. “You know that the beldonna’s magic isn’t absolute. Even if Isaac is the strongest user of foresight we’ve ever had, not even he can guarantee a specific future.” The Beldonna family tree was nearly as large as the royal families, both extending back to the Kingdom of Venyth’s founding. House Beldonna has always been a trusted advisor and has used its unique magic of foresight to help guide the kingdom for generations.

“But—!” She tried to argue, but I cut her off.

“Not to mention the blind spot when it comes to the divine. Even if we knew about the divine guardian appearing in our kingdom, Isaac didn’t know exactly when or who it would be.” My reasoning seemed to calm her down a little. “Besides, if what Audrey said in the report is true, and the emperor really is a guardian himself, that would likely explain why the future appears blank to them right now.” Though, It’s just a guess…

Bella finally reigned in her magic and looked at me. There was still a hint of anger in her eyes, but I knew it wasn’t directed at me or the beldonna’s. “Then I say we call Thomas Rose here immediately. I’ll freeze his limbs off one by one until he confesses everything. Then we can bring our children home.”

“As appealing as that sounds, you know it’s not an option. Duke Rose has effectively trapped us in a corner… All we can do is wait for him to make the first move or risk a noble uprising.” I say, pinching the bridge of my nose. “I was a fool for letting him be for so long.” I’d love to get a few burns on him myself, but I doubt my lovely wife and daughter would leave anything left in such a case. We both fall silent for a while, lost in our thoughts and regrets.

“Have we really done all we can?” She asked, more subdued than I’d seen her since Cecelia’s passing. She linked her arm through mine and leaned her head on my shoulder. “Are we really forced to sit here and wait as our children bear the burden of our mistakes?”

“Of course not, dear,” I say, kissing the top of her head. “We can still prepare for the worst and hope for the best.” I hope it’s enough to withstand whatever Duke Rose is planning… I kept that part to myself as my wife and I stayed cuddled up on the couch.

“Let’s guide our children to a better future… Even if we aren’t there to see it.” I nodded my head at her words, determination and sadness whirling in my chest. We shared a lingering kiss before just relaxing into each other for the first time in weeks. The somber atmosphere slowly disappeared, and we stayed like that for a while.

“You’re very cute like this,” I mumbled quietly. She turned her eyes up to look at me through her lashes, and if I wasn’t used to her beauty by now, I’m sure my heart would have stopped. No… it did anyway…

A small smile played on her lips as she readjusted to face me better. “Are you saying I’m not cute otherwise?” She asked teasingly, her slender finger tracing circles over the fabric of my shirt.

“Don’t put words in my mouth,” I say with a quiet laugh. She snuggled in closer, and I wrapped my arm around her to hold her. When Bella rested her head against my chest, a heavy sigh escaped her.

“As much as I love being your queen, sometimes I just want to be your wife. Is that so wrong?” A smile broke on my face, and I laid a kiss on her forehead. I used up a lifetime of luck to get this woman to marry me.

“Of course not. You’re my wife till death do us part, remember?” I held her tighter. “But I have no intention of letting you go, even after that.” I thought it was quite a romantic sentiment, but my wife just looked at me with a small smile and giggled.

“I have such a valiant husband… But I’m afraid to say you might have to compete with a goddess for me when the time comes.”

What?!

***

“I knew it wouldn’t be that easy…” I complained to Aurora while intercepting a volley of arrows with a wave of water. The trap Abel had devised worked well for the rest of the day, but the next morning, I felt the stella shift inside them, and they started to use ranged weapons and avoided entering the trap.

“At least it didn’t happen in the middle of the night again,” Aurora said, trying to soothe my annoyance as I sent water arrows to a group of archers in the field, finding my next targets before the bodies even hit the ground.

“We’re being toyed with,” I stated simply, as a shadow pierced another soldier whose face twisted into that malicious grin directed at me. “No… He’s toying with me, right?”

My goddess hesitated momentarily before confirming what I already knew was true. “It certainly seems that way, doesn’t it?” I gritted my teeth as I stabbed my blade into a woman who was climbing over the wall. Now that they were avoiding the trap, they were attempting to climb the walls again, and the injuries and losses were starting to accrue steadily on our side, and we weren’t doing enough damage in return to make up the difference.

“I don’t understand how he can manipulate this much stella so far away from himself!” It was obvious to me that the emperor wasn’t on the battlefield. I’d be able to sense his presence otherwise.

“It’s a unique trait of the war god’s power,” Aurora said. “Divine guardians of war can infuse their divinity to subordinates to facilitate their conquest. And it doesn’t always mean the person receiving the power becomes a mindless puppet. Still, it does weaken the guardian, especially at this large scale, so they don’t usually take the field themselves unless necessary.”

I raise an eyebrow as I cut down a group of imperial soldiers who had managed to get on the wall. “And why are we just now talking about this?” I ask, washing my blade with some water magic before continuing my patrol.

“It didn’t seem like important information. You already knew the imperials were being controlled, so why worry about the specifics?” She paused and took a breath, a whisper of sadness infecting her voice. Besides… These are all things the previous guardians of night and day learned. There is no guarantee that what was true back then applies to the current enemy.”

“You’ve got a point, I guess. It’s not like knowing changes the strategy… Although, if the emperor is not at full power right now due to his armies, maybe I should just go to the imperial capital and assassinate him.” I suggest while joining a squad of knights and using the backup as an opportunity to rest for a moment and drink some water.

“Honestly, my guardian just loves reckless plans…” I just shrug at her accusation.

“If it gets the job done, what’s the problem?” Her sigh of exasperation filled my mind.

“The problem, Audrey, is that it would likely take you at least a week to reach the imperial capital, even through the shadows. Are you willing to leave the kingdom to its own devices?” I pause at her fed-up tone.

“Alright, I get it! It was just an idea!” Suddenly, an arrow slices through the air right over my shoulder. My eyes widen as I look at where it clattered to the ground after colliding with the stone wall, then purse my lips and turn away, my magic already taking care of the shooter. “Also, I knew that wouldn’t hit me…” But my excuse was only met with silence for a moment.

“You’re going to give me a heart attack…” Her voice was suddenly weary, but I wisely decided not to point it out. After that, I continued to patrol the wall, my stella and holy magic making it unnecessary for me to rest unless I used too much of it. Then, when the afternoon rolled around, the situation changed again for the worse.

A massive fireball collided with the defensive wall, and I immediately sunk into the shadows and moved to the explosion. When I arrived, I found the wall still standing, a slight shimmer of blue light rippling across the gray bricks before going invisible again. It must be a barrier like those at the academy… I didn’t realize there was one. It wasn’t necessary since the Imperials weren’t using magic until now. This isn’t good.

Another large fireball was shot from the imperial ranks, but I intercepted it with a water arrow before it could make contact. I don’t know how many hits this barrier can take… But not even I could defend the entire length of the wall, and I heard other explosions and shouts start to ring out all across the fortifications.

I could see spells from both sides colliding mid-air as our own mages started to go on the defensive. Once a mage arrived to defend the section of wall I was standing on, I sunk back into the shadows and quickly found Abel and Lucia, who were in the war tent with the other generals and already trying to devise a new plan.

“How long will the barrier hold out?” Abel asked, looking at the map on the table. It was likely impossible for us to block every spell sent our way, so it was bound to take damage.

“The barrier device is a national-grade magic artifact. It’s designed to absorb the mana from any spell it touches, strengthening itself in the process.” General Wheeler said. I appeared from Abel’s shadow behind him at his explanation, causing everyone to jump.

“Damn it! I told you to stop doing that, Audrey!” Abel shouted, and I gave everyone a sheepish smile before turning to the general.

“If it’s designed to absorb, is it possible it could be overloaded?” I asked, knowing all too well what happens when too much magic flows.

General Wheeler looks at me thoughtfully, stroking his beard. “It’s possible, but it would take an extraordinary amount of mana.” I nodded, then fell silent to let them continue discussing as I turned my thoughts inward.

“Normal mana may be fine, but I doubt it can handle much stella…” I said to my goddess, worried.

“That shouldn’t be a problem. Only divine guardians can utilize stella directly. The stella inside the soldiers is only there to control them.” She explained.

“I see… It’s true I didn’t sense any divinity in the spells I blocked. Will it really be okay?” I wondered. Eventually, Abel and the generals seemed to devise a plan to have some of the more proficient mages focus on the magic users. While the wall would be fine taking attacks, the same could not be said for the people on it, so we needed to stop the ranged attacks from layering at all costs.

“Couldn’t Lady Guardian defend the whole wall with her power? That demonstration she gave was quite astonishing…” I heard one of the generals ask, and everyone in the room turned to look at him. A murmur of agreement rose from the others except Abel, Lucia, and General Wheeler. Then they all turned to me, suddenly expecting an answer.

“I’m sorry, even with my power, defending the entire wall for an extended time is impossible,” I said with a frown. Lydia had lectured me quite a bit about learning to stay within my limits.

“Surely that’s not the case. You had covered nearly the entire field with water before!” The same general shot back. “And I’ve heard how resilient your defensive magic is! Are you saying that you can’t defend us, even with your holy power?!” His outburst surprised everyone in the room, and Lucia looked ready to cut him down. Abel opened his mouth to object, and I could tell everyone who had initially agreed with him was now glaring. I guess being regarded as a holy woman has its perks, huh? My thought drew a laugh from Aurora, but I ignored her and raised a hand to stop Abel.

“That’s not at all what I said. I could absolutely defend the entire wall.” I state plainly, not breaking eye contact with the man. “But I could only manage it for half a day at most, maybe less with their attacks. Even I have my limits, General. What do you propose we do when I eventually collapse from exhaustion and can no longer fight?” I asked, channeling my inner Lydia. Talking like this was not something I enjoyed doing, but I couldn’t let them misunderstand my power… Not with everyone’s lives on the line.

“W-Well…” He stuttered, then fell silent before bowing his head slightly. “I apologize, Lady Guardian.”

“It’s fine,” I said with a smile. “I understand your feelings, and if I had the power, this war would already be over… We just have to keep doing our best and working together, right?”

Everyone nodded at my sentiment, and then the meeting was officially over. The generals started to leave to issue their orders, and when it was finally just the three of us, I turned to my friends with a sigh.

“I really hate talking like that,” I mumbled, and Abel laughed.

“It was like my sister was here with us!” His comment made me flush with embarrassment.

“I’ve always admired how Lydia can talk with authority and confidence. If I can’t even do that much, how could I call myself her partner?” As I voiced my feelings, Leah and Abel gave me warm smiles that shone through the muck and blood staining our clothes and armor. The sound of fighting permeated the background as the three of us just shared the silent moment together before Abel ran a hand through his black hair.

“Well, Ladies, I think we’ve had enough of a break. Our country needs us.”

“The royal family really needs to reevaluate what taking a break means if you think this qualifies.” Lucia retorted, and I couldn’t help but giggle at her attitude. She treats Lydia so respectfully, but not Abel… Not that he seems to mind. Despite her denial of her feelings, her actions said otherwise. I amused myself with my thoughts and followed them out of the tent. It only took us a minute to rejoin the fighting, and as I cut down our enemies and healed our wounded comrades, I could only think of Lydia and Sasha. I can’t wait to see them again.

***

As the pressure from the imperial army continued to increase steadily, we fought them back with equal fervor. Even in the face of their overwhelming numbers, our defenses held out for the rest of the day and through the night since our enemies didn’t seem to know exhaustion. I only allowed myself to sleep a few hours, much to my friend's disapproval, so that I could save as many of our soldiers as possible. I knew it was arrogant for me to believe I could ensure everyone made it home, but I was determined to limit that number as much as possible. I can’t accept them calling me their guardian otherwise. And yet, as if to spite the hope I held in my heart, a message from the capital arrived the following day.

“T-The Yamadian reinforcements have stopped their march after making land on our coast.” Abel read the letter with shaking hands. “Currently, they are refusing to continue on to assist us before their leadership has an audience with Father.” The war tent fell into a tense silence, all of us knowing that holding out for reinforcements had been our only hope of winning this war.

“Aurora… What do we do now?”