Ney Drake stood alone in the parade grounds in Londonium looking at a letter in his hands. Though there was no signature there could only have been one sender. Just two words sat like spiders in the center of the blank page and yet he read them again and again as if for confirmation.

Take him, it said.

Ney remembered how he and Mazarin spoke more than a year ago in Tristein. He had not wavered then but that was before he had even met Alexander. Before Alexander had risked his life to carry Ney's injured body back from behind enemy lines. Before he had seen Alex lead armies where any other would have fallen and been destroyed. Not just command, but lead; charging at the very front ranks of his men, braving the harshest environments of the battlefield himself. But most of all, Ney had seen Alex relinquish his own power in order to return freedom and liberty to the commoners of Albion, declaring the nation a democratic republic. Ney had known then that he followed a much greater leader than either Henrietta or Mazarin could ever be. It would easy he knew. Alexander trusted him completely and a friendship had formed between the two. Alexander would let him come close and then it would be just another life to add to those Ney had taken for Tristein. Just one more order to obey. Suddenly the general tore the letter into halves, then quarters not stopping until the shreds lifted into the wind and flew. It was the first order he had ever disobeyed, and it brought him peace.

It was night time in the Tristein Magic Academy. Chevalier and magical familiar Saito Hiraga looked over his master sleeping peacefully on her bed. Recently, rumours had spread around the students that Tristein was preparing for another invasion against Albion. As a chevalier Saito knew that is was his duty as a knight to fight for his country. But his concerns weren't for himself. They were for Louise. He knew little pinkette master would not hesitate to fight for her dear friend and now sister, Queen Henrietta. He remembered how the girl had offered to sacrifice herself to hold back the entire Albion army during the last invasion. It killed him inside to know that the woman he loved would have throw herself in harms way once again. As Saito brushed some hair of her sleeping face, he knew he would give his life for her in need be. And he would cut down anyone that would ever even think of harming her.

Alex sat on the balcony of the parliament building, and looked south. Behind him, he heard a cacophony of footsteps. Alex looked up from his chair to see Andreas, Mad Jack, Ney and several of his other officers looking at him with worried expressions. Andreas was the first to speak. "Alex what did the emissary want?"

Alex looked at him. "You haven't heard the news?" All of his officers shook their heads.

Looking back up at the stars Alex sighed and said "Well apart from their political euphemisms, its seems Tristein and Germania has…what was the word?... requested! They have requested me to disband parliament and abolish our current laws and systems so that they may restore the 'natural order."

At this, his officers looked at him with blank looks of shock.

"That's not all," Alex continued, "As well as disbanding parliament, they require that I come to Tristein to be…placed in political custody. I believe that was the expression."

"No!" Andreas growled. "No! Alex, it has to be some kind of mistake! It's not true! Say it's not true!

After his silence, the awful anguish and outrage in Andreas' voice silenced the tongues of the other similarly outraged officers. Alex raised a hand trying to calm his friend.

"Andreas please, you're acting like a child..."

"NO! I will not let you go! None of us will! We'd rather die!" The other officers murmured in determined agreement.

"I'm sure they'd be happy to arrange that." Alex said dryly. "But think for a moment Andreas, do you honestly think those nobles would stop discriminate between you and the thousands of other civilians in this country?"

"No…" he admitted, "but trust me Alex, there's no way in hell the people would just sit back and let you get taken away like that. They love you. You're their hero."

"They offered safe passage." Alex said weakly.

Mad Jack snorted. "Nobility has become an oxymoron in this day and age. There aren't many of them that know the true meaning of honor. If you go alone, you'd be put to the chopping block the minute you enter their cities."

"So many people have given their lives for our freedom, for you Alex." Said Andreas "If you go meekly to you death th-"

"It may not be death!" said Alex. "You say you know these people but they promis-

"No," Ney interrupted. He took a step closer to Alex as the other officers turned towards him. "No, they will not let you live. I know."

"How?" asked Alex.

"Because I was their man and you were never meant to go to leave Albion. I had their order to kill you."

All of the officers drew their swords then and Andreas placed himself solidly between Ney and Alex.

"You bastard. What the hell are you talking about?" Andreas demanded, his pistol already drawn.

Ney didn't look at him, instead he held Alex's gaze. "I couldn't do it." He said

Alex nodded. "Sometimes a man should answer to his conscious more than anything else. I'm glad you finally realize that my friend. Sheath you weapons, all of you. If he was going to kill me, I doubt he would've told us all first." Reluctantly, they put their weapons away though Andreas still glared at Ney suspiciously.

"Another war" Alex said softly. "My poor battered country would see more blood. How many more would die because of me?" He rubbed his eyes tiredly. "I've been fighting battles for so long. What's the point of fighting if there's never an end to them?"

None of them knew how to respond to their battered general and a strained silence fell upon them. Suddenly Mad Jack clenched his fist and smashed it down upon Alex's head. Alex's officers looked at Mad Jack with incredulous expressions on their faces.

"The thing with smart people," said Mad Jack as Alex looked up, "is that you think too damn much. These pompous bastards came to us first and practically declared war on us. We can't change that. What we can change is how this war's gonna end! So you can sit there feeling sorry for yourself. OR you can actually decide you own destiny just like you've always done. I say we teach these bastards why they shouldn't mess with us, one last push."

One by one each of Alex's generals nodded in agreement until only Alex remained.

"C'mon Alex you know we can't do this without you." Andreas said gently. "We never could."

Alex smiled. "Once last push then gentlemen."

END of Part 1

o0o

Author: Well I think it was pretty clear that everyone wanted Cattleya for Alex's love interest. I think that works cuz they'er pratically the same age. Here's a short snap shot of what their future could be like.

The woman was smiling again, he knew it. Alex didn't need to loook. He could feel her radiating smile against the side of his head. Using every ounce of self discipline within his body Alex quickly crushed the urge the turn around to take a glimpse of her beautiful smile. He knew that if he did, he would have to fight an even harder battle to prevent himself from smiling back like a bumbling idiot. No that would not do. He had worked tirelessly to create the reputation of a stoic and calculating tactician for the morale of his men and he would be DAMNED if he would allow some girl to ruin that for him.

"Mr Knight?" Cattleya called.

Without thinking Alex whipped his head around at the call. DAMN the girl had been smiling again! To his immediate horror, Alex felt his facial muscles move to form a smile and it was only be sheer luck, that he managed to change it into a snarl at the last moment. But to his despair the woman smiled even more brightly at his expression! Alex whipped his head away hoping she didn't catch his expression. Alex groaned. It was going to be a long journey home.