"Long live Queen of the East! Long Live Queen Haru!"
The crowd cheered as Haru, riding a white horse, leading her army through the sea of crowd cheering at them from both sides of the road. Not into battle, however. The Queen of the West have agreed to meet her and negotiate with her to end their war, and perhaps work together to defeat the Queen of the North and the South.
Tokaku insisted that they should bring an army, a thousand man handpicked by Commander Tokaku Azuma her self, with them just to make sure.
"The Queen of the West is a tricky little bitch." Tokaku said, when Haru ask for a reason. "I wouldn t be surprised if she greet us with sword instead of word."
"Your Highness?" Tokaku called, as Haru waved her hand left and right to politely greet her people. Haru stopped waving and turned to look at Tokaku, who rides a well armored black horse next to her. "We should haste, or we won t take it in time."
"We would make it if we didn t bring all these men with us." Haru voiced her protest. "And i told you to call me Haru, right?"
"Not in public, and I told you before right? No one knows what will that little bitch do." Tokaku grumpily replied. "According to Nio, the midget departed yesterday with a thousand men her self."
"Well, no matter how many people she bring with her, you will still protect me, right?" Haru smiled.
Tokaku blushed a little. That s unusual, but Haru love it. L-let s just move right now.
"Alright, Commander." Haru snapped the reins, and her horse started galloping through the paved road.
CHITARU
"It seems that we are the first to arrive, my lady." Chitaru commented, as she quickly noticed that there is no other man nor army beside them in the grassy field where Hitsugi have agreed to meet Haru of the East to talk about peace. Chitaru dismounted from her white horse and help Hitsugi dismounted her self.
"Let the soldiers rest." Hitsugi commanded.
Chitaru nods and turned to her men, You hear the Queen. Rest yourselves.
"Chitaru, when do you think they will come?" Hitsugi suddenly ask, as she kept looking at the other side of the grassy field.
"Patience, my lady. Or you will get emotional later when negotiating our peace-"
"Remind me why i agreed to talk about peace again?"
"Nio told us that the Queen of the North and South force s is growing strong." Chitaru sighed, she have explain this for a thousand times by now. "I know that you didn t like peaceful negotiation, but working together is the only chance we got to defeat the North and South."
"And after both of them gone, i could finally focus my self to destroy Haru." A wide evil grin appeared on Hitsugi s face. "And we will win."
"And we will win." Chitaru repeated.
"Commander," a soldier approached. "The camp have been set."
"Good work. Thank you." Chitaru nods, before turning to Queen Hitsugi of the West. She offered her hand in a knightly manner. "My lady, shall we?"
Queen Hitsugi took her hand and smiled. Lead the way, Chitaru.
HARUKI
It s war, so there will be causalities. Either soldier or civilian.
Haruki reminded her self as she removed her custom made glove and handed it over to one of the maid servant, so the dried blood can be washed away. General Haruki fight with her fist, but her fist is strong enough to break a thick wooden shield or crack a steel armor, so she can t be underestimated.
Haruki was removing her armor when another armored woman walked in, yawning and covered in blood as well.
"Isuke got bored~" Queen Isuke of the North complained to no one as she sat down to the closest wooden chair inside their resting tent (Haruki and Isuke always share a tent. Haruki likes to be close to her so she can always keep an eye on her). "Strong rebel army my ass~ They were weaker than the weakest soldier we got, Haruki~"
Haruki laughed. Well, they do have a lot of people.
"Look what they ve done to me!" Isuke lifted her hair. "It all sticky and Isuke stinks!"
"Well, you wash the blood off." Haruki nod at a maid servant, she doesn t need to tell them to prepare tub, with hot water on it.
"Haruki, have you heard what Nio reported to us yesterday?"
"Yes, Isuke-sama." Haruki s tone turned serious as she approached Isuke. "Haru and Hitsugi are meeting, they wanted to work together to defeat us and Sumireko."
Queen Isuke stood and let Haruki started removing her armor for her. Haruki took her backplate first, and handed them over to the maidservants.
"Haruki, do you think we should work together with Sumireko?" Isuke asked. "You and her Twins could defeat both Tokaku and Chitaru with ease in battle."
Haruki laughed as she remove Isuke s breastplate. I hope so, Isuke-sama. They are quick, with their knife and rapier. "But you re stronger than them!" Isuke insisted. "And you re fast too. And last time i checked, that creep Shinya could swung her hammer with ease and Mahiru could even shoot without looking."
"Alright, alright." Haruki removes Isuke s hand armor. "Should i send a bird?"
Isuke stood silent, from her expression Haruki could tell that she s thinking. Scheming something, thinking of a way to betray Sumireko in the middle of the battle, maybe.
"We should." Isuke finally said, as Haruki handed the last piece of Isuke s armor to the maid servants.
"I ll send them one right away." Haruki smiled. "And you better take bath now while the water is still hot."
SHINYA
Their guest fixed her sitting position a bit, before reaching for the tea cup in front of her and take a sip. Shinya observed how their guest flinched a bit at the taste of the tea. Sumireko have asked her and Mahiru to taste it earlier today. Shinya still remember how it tasted. Bitter, but somewhat fresh inside the mouth.
Suzu the Wise placed the cup down gently and patiently waited for what Queen Sumireko have to say to her. A minute passed, and so their guest decided to start the conversation.
"Queen Sumireko, may i ask you something?"
"Go ahead."
" Why do you call me here today?" Suzu asked. "I m honored, but i couldn t find the reason-"
"People called you Suzu the Wise." The Queen smiled. "And they say that you are a great magician Is that right?"
Suzu looked a little bit of baffled by her answer, but she replied nevertheless. Yes, i am, Your Grace. "Good, then i want you to join my army."
A muffled laugh at come from Shinya when she looked at Suzu s face. Mahiru kicked her leg to make her stop.
She couldn t help it, the All-Knowing Suzu looked really surprised as if she didn t expect this coming.
"I am flattered, your grace, but i have make a decision to stay neutral in this war." Suzu finally give an answer. "I am, after all, have my own mission-"
"We ve found her already. We ve found the person you re looking for." Shinya said. She saw Suzu s eyes widened. She didn t see all of these coming, indeed.
"S-she s currently resting in her room." Mahiru continued in her usual small voice, almost whispering. "K-Kouko the Priestess."
A sudden silence. Suzu the Wise bit her lower lips, not looking so Wise anymore. Shinya noticed that Sumireko calmly took her tea cup and drink her tea. She can t help but to grin at it. Sumireko knows that she won her. The South have won Suzu s the Wise.
" Fine." Suzu the Wise finally open her mouth. "I will help you."
NIO
"So all i need to do is attack Haru and the Midget, injure or kill them, while shouting In the name of the North ?" Otoya gave a sly smile. "I can do that. Consider it done."
"And i only need to attack this Priestess Kouko." Shiena fixed her glasses. "Well, she s inside the South Palace, but this will be easy for me."
"Don t forget to shout in the name of the Queen Haru-ssu!" Nio reminded her. The brown haired girl with glass replied with an evil chuckle.
"You better go now or you won t make it in time-ssu!" Nio cheerfully said, somehow threatened them at the same time. Both of them only nod at her and disappear into the shadow of the alley.
'Otoya is a wanted murderer and Shiena is a thief, but they have the skill to do what i asked them to do' Nio reassure her self as she navigate her self through they alley, turning left and right until she arrived at an empty alley that is paved with big stones. Nio took several step forward, then stopped and stomp the stone floor beneath her before stepping aside. It doesn't take long for that stone to flung up, opening a hidden passage.
Nio jumped down, and a big muscular man quickly closed the passage again before anyone could see. He handed Nio the torch and let her venture inside the passage on her own. He was paid to do that, after all.
It doesn t take long for Nio to arrive in the other side of the hidden passage. She handed the torch to yet another muscular man, as ugly and as dumb as the first man. The man uses his free hand to push open a secret door. Nio slipped into the room as the secret door closed behind her.
"Queen Yuri, i ve done the preparation-ssu." Nio reported, as she stands in the shadow of the throne room. There was no one there but her and the Queen who sat in her throne and looked bored.
A small smile formed in Queen Yuri s lips.