Cordelia's eyes fluttered open. The dressing on her chest and back reminded her that her experience wasn't a dream. As Cordelia looked around the room, she noticed that very few were in it, raising her hopes for a successful operation, though she had a nagging feeling that something was off. She didn't get long to muddle about in her own mind, however, as Welkin soon entered and, spying the Princess awake, walked over to her bedside. "Princess, how do you feel?" he asked, relieved to see she was awake.

"Like I've been shot." she drawled before laughing at Welkin's expression. "But in all seriousness, I ache, but that's about it."

Welkin hummed. "We can probably thank your Valkyrian heritage for that," he muttered.

Cordelia's jaw dropped in surprise. "Valkyria? I had heard the stories like every little girl, but I had no idea to the truth of them," she murmured.

Welkin nodded, "Your… wig was unsalvageable so everyone knows I'm afraid." he replied before wincing, "Sorry your secret got out like this."

For a while, Cordelia didn't say anything, but, finally, she looked up. "And what do you and everyone else think?"

Welkin raised an eyebrow. "About your Darcsen heritage?" he clarified, getting a nod in return. "I have an adopted Darcsen sister, so what do you expect?" he remarked before leaning back. "As for everyone else… well, some took longer to wrap their heads around it but pretty much everyone is behind you," he replied before giving her a look. "We have been fighting a resistance and bleeding together for over a month. That has bought you a lot of trust that's not easily thrown away."

Cordelia frowned. She could hear a hesitation in his voice and had a bad feeling about her next question: "Welkin. What is today?"

Welkin sighed. There was no getting around it. "Today is June 12th, 1935."

Cordelia shot up quickly, too quickly for Welkin to keep her down. "I've been out for over TWO MONTHS?" she screamed. "How much have I missed?"

Welkin winced, his ears were in pain now and he'd probably have to get them checked over by one of the medics. "Vinland is leading an International force against the Empire and Federation, their invasions began the day you were shot and have progressed quite well," he remarked, drawing out a pocket map of the world. "Siber has been conquered up to the Ruls at our last intelligence dump, completely cutting off the Imperial food production while Edinburgh has surrendered to Vinland and is being used as a staging ground for the Vinnish invasion of the mainland."

Cordelia nodded, glad to hear that progress had been made. "And in Gallia?"

Welkin smiled. "The Provinces of Kloden, Naggiar, Barious, and Fouzen have openly declared in favour of us, cutting the Imperial line in Gallia in half. There are popular uprisings in Vassel and Ghirlandaio while Wessel and Randgriz would openly revolt if we showed interest and assisted."

Cordelia sighed and fell back into bed. "Then it's almost over," she murmured.

Welkin grimaced, "Unfortunately, Borg, Damon, and the two remaining Gassenarls are using the opportunity to arrange mass genocides of anyone "disturbing the peace", or, as Faldio and Audrey put it: "It's a Purge of Undesirables.""

Cordelia gasped. "How quickly can we affect rescues?"

Welkin shut his eyes. "We rescue people daily, sometimes hourly, but as far as we can tell, it's completely arbitrary."

Cordelia shut her eyes, willing herself not to cry and only partially succeeding. When she controlled herself again, she looked at Welkin, the most deadly serious he had ever seen anyone ever be. "Get Captain Varrot and any other commanders you can. It's time we end the oppression of the Gallian people."

Welkin mutely nodded. He had a feeling that the war was going to end soon and the Princess was going to spearhead that effort.

An hour later, when Welkin gathered all the Resistance commanders and Ambassador Rook of Vinland, Princess Cordelia sat up. "I cannot idly lay about whilst my people suffer. If we continue as we are, there may not be a Gallia to save."

Eleanor frowned. "Do not be hard on yourself Princess, you've only just woken from a fairly traumatic experience."

Cordelia waved off her concerns, "I can appreciate that. But this war needs to end quickly and we can do that." she replied before looking over each of them. "Eleanor Varrot. I'd like for you to lead a force to liberate Ghirlandaio. Faldio Landzaat will do the same for Wessel while Welkin Gunther comes with me to Randgriz."

Silence greeted that pronouncement. Faldio was the one to break it. "Princess. Please reconsider your part in the matter. We know nothing about your Valkyrian powers and you've only just awoken…"

At those words, Cordelia flung off her covers and swung her legs over her bed. Everyone rushed forward to be ready to steady her. Welkin actually managed to get a hand on her arm before she forcibly removed it. "Back!" she snapped. "Get back Welkin."

Welkin released her arm and took a step back, enough to where Cordelia stood, unassisted in front of every commander. "I will be a part of this operation. That is final!" she growled. "Besides, we have reports that the Empire has a Valkyria of their own and she was last spotted in Randgriz. A Valkyria to fight a Valkyria."

After that display of anger and health, no one could bring themselves to object to the operation or her part in it. So they assembled their forces and agreed on a day to begin. June 15th. Three months to the day since the initial Imperial Invasion and Federation declaration of war.

General Ike and Admiral Halland of Vinland stared at each other after the transmission from Ambassador Rook finished. "Their Princess is pissed." the General stated.

Admiral Halland nodded. "It's gonna be a brave man who dares to court her when she allows it."

General Ike snorted. "Brave? Or foolish?"

Halland shrugged. "Point taken," he remarked before turning to the maps. "I doubt the Empire will be ready to talk by then, but if we begin Operation: Phoenix Rising on the fifteenth as well, we might just bring the Federation to the table."

Ike snorted, "If we don't utterly destroy them first." he muttered before turning to the door and opening it. "Ah, Miss Victor, please, come in."

Cordelia walked through the halls of Castle Gassenarl followed closely by a small contingent of medics. She had given up trying to shake them off a while ago since it was completely ineffective. She entered the main mess where everyone was huddled around a radio. "What's going on?" she asked.

Half of the people in the room jumped and stammered greetings out. Isara answered the Princess though. "The President of Vinland is going to speak to their Congress regarding "The Europan affair" according to them."

Cordelia hummed but couldn't comment as the radio switched to the Chamber of Congress for Vinland for a live broadcast. "Mr Vice-President, Madam Speaker, members of the Senate and House. Three months ago, I came before you to ask for options to bring peace to the Europan continent. Now, our soldiers fight valiantly to free people under the tyranny of the Atlantic Federation and the East Europan Imperial Alliance." President John Roos said, pausing for the applause to die down. "Our fleets drive them back to shore and keep vital war materials from their factories. While our Air Force, unrivalled in the skies, do make the execution of their war nigh impossible." again, the President paused for applause. "In Appledore and in Schwartzgrad, it has been said that we hide behind Terrorists and Rebels and let them do the hard work and dying for us. I say: Let them say that to General Ken Ike and his troops. Let them say that to Admiral Halland and his fleets. Let them say it to our brave men and women in the bombers and fighters. And I say: Let them say it to the Marines. There, and then, will they say that Vinland needs not hide behind anyone!"

This time, a much longer pause was had as even the Vinnish soldiers in the Castle cheered their President's words. "I have the good fortune of saying to you today, that the Princess of Gallia: Cordelia gi Randgriz, lives and fights for her country's liberation!" the President said, drawing a nearly two-minute-long standing ovation. "To the Gallians, should they hear this, I pledge the restoration of Princess Cordelia gi Randgriz to your throne, just compensation for the horrors suffered by your people at the hands of the Federation and Empire, and continued support for your independence. Our nations shall emerge from this conflict stronger and closer than before! We shall not flag or falter in our mission! So help us, God!"

The room had broken into a long applause as President Roos finished his speech, prompting the radio announcer to speak again. "That was President Roos presenting the Europa Situation to the Congress. The news from that front is encouraging as Vinnish Forces advance towards the Imperial Capital of Schwartzgrad. The Army's last reported update from that front puts them just over one hundred miles from the city limits. They project the capture of the city within two weeks barring the unexpected." they reported. "On the Federation's front, several defectors from the Federation's army have made the attack on the mainland possible to achieve in the near future. The Joint Chiefs of Staff have issued a statement stating: "It is the hopes of the Joint Chiefs that by August, a ceasefire will be in effect while representatives from the Archduchy of Gallia, United States of Vinland, Atlantic Federation and East Europan Imperial Alliance meet to negotiate terms of the Unconditional Surrender of the Federation and Empire." We can only hope that their confidence is not misplaced and our soldiers and the soldiers who have fought for the freedom of their peoples will soon be able to see the fruits of their labour."

Cordelia relaxed, hearing the words on the radio of the Vinnish President, hopeful that her country would finally be restored.