Operation Trebuchet I: Negotiation
40 years after the Great War
Londinium
The capture of Turus is an event not often talked about by any that participated in the action. Indeed, several of the records relating to the incident remain classified, even after so many other documents about the war have been made public. This has led to a great deal of speculation concerning the events of that day and the impact made by the Eleventh Goddess and the Saint of Letzenbourg.
What is known is that following the fall of Francois mainland and the subsequent defeat of the Allied Kingdom's forces at Alealmayn, General Alphonse De Juin believed the Allied war effort to be futile and approached the Imperials in order to broker a separate peace. It is even theorised that Imperial personnel may have already been in the city and beginning negotiations by the time allied forces arrived.
Meanwhile, fearing that the capture of part of the Francois Navy and the port facilities in the city, the Allied Kingdom had sent a task force to destroy the ships and the harbour. An action still considered controversial to this day.
General De Lugo, hoping that some troops in the city might still be loyal to the allied cause, dispatched some men to the Albish fleet in the hopes that some could be evacuated before the assault.
As you can imagine this caused a confusing situation for everyone involved and most of us are still unaware of precisely what happened. For the moment we can only speculate and hope that one day historians will be allowed to examine the files hidden by the various government agencies. – Andrew WTN Special Correspondent
September 25th Unified Year 1925 05:00
Romel's Temporary command post, 20 miles outside the Port of Turus, Al-Sahra Desert
Will awoke to the aroma of coffee filling the air and felt a moment of confusion as he gradually emerged from his slumber. He was still bone-tired, and both his mind and body ached from so long on frontline duties without a break, so the realisation that this odour was odd came to him slowly. As though his thoughts were trickling into his conscious mind like treacle dribbling from a spoon.
He didn't often drink the bitter beverage, at least not if there were any other alternative, and Christina would never make it for him without his asking. He'd only suffered it on the Rhine because he'd been worried that Ludwig would smuggle poison into his personal supplies, so why should the smell be filling his nostrils now?
Once more, he was waking up slowly and naturally, without the unwanted assistance of his night terrors. This in itself was strange, it was rare for him to go a night without them and usually, he would wake up in a panic rather than in this slow, gradual manner. He must have been more tired than he'd realised, exhausted enough that even Ludwig and the monster couldn't find him in his dreams.
He blinked his eyes open and stared blearily at the canvas roof as he tried to remember quite where he was and how he had gotten here. I was trying to persuade Tanya to let me stay with her, wasn't I? No there was an attack and her tent was ruined, but what happened after that? He thought trying to prise the information from his sleep-addled mind.
His thoughts were interrupted by murmuring from the far side of the shelter. He turned and saw a partition separating the interior of the tent, similar to the one that Tanya had erected in her own accommodation the day before, but this time he heard two voices conversing softly beyond it.
"Rather you than me." Came the familiar voice of his commander, "how you manage to wake him without getting shot at is a mystery to me."
Tanya's voice allowed the memories of the previous night to tumble back into his mind. Once Tanya had found herself in a similar position of homelessness, she had been much more enthusiastic about solving their shared predicament. She had recalled that there had been some casualties during one of the nomad's raids, so she reasoned that their equipment would now be unused and available for anyone who needed it.
It was a typically pragmatic Tanyaesque solution to the problem, Major Leinburg obviously had no need of his tent and bedroll anymore, why not use them? However, the idea has sat a little less easily with Will. Although he liked the practical simplicity of the solution, he didn't much like the thought of using the equipment of someone who had only died that morning. Aside from it feeling distasteful, he worried it might make him appear heartless, which would hardly be great for his reputation.
Besides, the last thing he needed was another ghost following him around.
Exhaustion had forced him to get over his qualms fairly quickly however. He decided a roof over his head and somewhere to sleep was worth the risk to his image and it was unlikely that Leinburg would have objected under the circumstances. All he had needed to do was make sure that Tanya would share the newly found space.
Fortunately, that hadn't been too difficult. He knew how people's minds worked and also knew that Tanya could be quite susceptible to a little peer pressure if applied properly. Once enough people from the battalion were around to witness it, he simply had to mention that he had asked to stay with her. The listeners had assumed she'd agreed to it and once they did, social convention made it difficult for her to deny him; she too had to worry about her professional image.
As suspected, she had eventually relented, possibly because she too was tired by this point and didn't want another argument. However, she had insisted on both the partition for privacy and a larger section of the shelter in deference to her rank. This was accompanied by a long-winded speech about personal space that Will found mildly insulting. He'd been more than willing to make the sacrifice by this point though, although he had no idea why she was so convinced he had any interest in spying on her.
Soon after, they had bedded down for the night, although Will could not remember falling asleep. He must have fallen unconscious the moment his head hit the pillow.
"He isn't a bother once he learns to trust you." He heard Christina reply behind the partition, "I very much doubt he'd harm you, Major. He's actually rather fond of you."
Will heard Tanya scoff, obviously doubting the veracity of the words, and he directed a mental stab of annoyance at the girl. He hated that she was still so distrustful of him; he'd only pointed a gun at her a few times and he'd never fired. And one of the times he'd thought she was going to expose him! She'd even broken his arm! If anything, he should be mistrustful of her; she was fortunate he was so forgiving.
Besides, he really wouldn't hurt Tanya if he could help it; he liked having her around. He'd even left his pistol unloaded at night just in case she startled him. If anything, really did happen he'd be counting on her to come to his rescue.
He sighed, forcing himself to drop his anger for now, hopefully, one day she'd come around.
"Good morning your Highness." Christina called as she lifted the flap of the partition and entered Will's side of the tent, "I see you're already awake."
"Morning" Will yawned in response, struggling to form the words through the sleepy haze in his mind.
Somehow, he managed to haul himself out of the comforting embrace of his blankets as Christina passed him a warm mug of milky tea, which he sipped on gratefully. His lodgings were not much compared to the grandiose surroundings he had been used to back in Letzenbourg. But since he'd enjoyed a rare, good night's sleep, it had felt incredibly cosy and he almost didn't want to tear himself away from it.
"I smelled coffee." He muttered with sleepy confusion as the taste on his lips conflicted with the aroma in the air. His mind had not properly woken up just yet and the stark contrast between the sensations were difficult to reconcile in his half-asleep state.
"I made the Major a drink as I was preparing your tea, it would have been impolite to do otherwise." Christina replied in way of explanation as she turned to bring in a small bowl of soapy water and a cloth for him to wash with. Water may have been scarce in the desert, but hygiene was still a major concern for any soldier. Particularly one that had Christina glaring at them with disapproval if they decided to forgo their wash. Will suspected the overall cleanliness of the expeditionary force had dramatically increased once word got out how much the maid disliked it.
"Oh, you had to deal with the commander before her morning coffee?" He replied loud enough for Tanya to hear. Now that he had his tea, his mind was beginning to liven up, and he couldn't resist the opportunity to tease the girl. Especially after her earlier comment and the speech about privacy that she'd given him last night. "Sounds dangerous, do I pay you enough for such a hazardous assignment?"
Will chuckled and Christina struggled to hide a smile as the sound of disgruntled mutterings found their way past the canvas partition. Despite her protestations about privacy, it seemed that Tanya was the one guilty of a little surreptitious spying.
"You forget my prince; I look after your books. I assure you, I'm well compensated for everything I do for you." Christina replied, allowing herself to show a grateful smile. "And you'll find the Major is much more appreciative when you arrive with coffee that isn't burning in the bottom of the pot."
Will reddened slightly but chuckled once again before taking another sip of his tea, slurping loudly to test if Tanya was still listening in. The disparaging muttering about 'damn tea drinkers' from behind the partition told him that she was, and he smiled as he began washing while Christina laid out his uniform.
After managing to make himself feel as clean as he could with such a small amount of water, they began the familiar routine of Christina helping him dress while informing him of his schedule for the day. His itinerary was surprisingly sparse, far more so than Will had expected. Especially since Tanya had been working him so hard lately.
Usually, a soldier's life was fairly busy, even outside of combat. There was a multitude of tedious and time-consuming tasks that the military demanded on a daily basis to keep soldiers out of trouble, especially for officers. So much so, that in the past he had habitually fobbed off the onerous and boring tasks to save himself the bother. However, since he was trying to be a good soldier for Tanya, he had been trying his hardest to do everything she expected of him, even if it wasn't especially enjoyable.
He would usually be overseeing drills, making sure his company's equipment was maintained and organising various work details. Not to mention all the paperwork that the Imperial army insisted on keeping for its records. Additionally, Tanya often volunteered the services of herself and her officers to assist the general with anything he might need help with. She couldn't resist the urge to score a few extra brownie points with the brass, even at the expense of other people's spare time.
However, aside from finishing up a few reports and making sure his company's equipment hadn't been too badly damaged by the dust, something Christina had likely already seen to, his schedule was empty.
"Is this right? Surely I must have more on the agenda." He asked as Christina buttoned up the collar on his shirt but before she could answer Tanya's voice interrupted them from beyond the canvas partition.
"If you're decent I'm coming in." She stated authoritatively and Will found himself smirking again. Considering she had been so insistent about maintaining space between them in their new living arrangement, she was awfully interested in what he was doing on his side of the tent.
Since he was mostly dressed by now, he called for her to enter, although this earned them both a disapproving look from Christina. Will thought about making another comment about her hypocritical attitude towards privacy but thought better of it. He could only tease her so much before she got angry with him again. It would be better to space it out throughout the day so he could wrest as many expressions as possible from Tanya's stone-like face before she got too upset with him.
"I'm the reason your schedule is light. You and your troops are to rest for the next few days or until we get orders to move out." She explained, making Will frown with confusion.
"Major I assure you that I and my company are more than capable to continue our full duties." Will replied, doing his best to keep his tone light despite the frustration he felt with the girl. He'd done everything she had asked of him, did she still not trust him? "I wouldn't want anyone thinking you were giving me special treatment."
The second part was a lie, and an obvious one that Tanya would doubtlessly pick up on. She already gave him special treatment, although not in a good way. He wouldn't mind her giving him light duties if she would just admit how useful he was to her. Instead, she worked him to the bone by trying to give him tasks designed to humiliate him. However, it was the sort of thing he was supposed to say in this situation, and it would make her think about how her treatment of him would be perceived. He was getting fed up with her distrustful attitude towards him and others would notice this if she didn't change her tone soon.
"I'm not in the habit of working my men to death and I've kept you deployed for ten days. Not to mention the fighting before that. I'm sure you can use the rest." She replied quickly ignoring his comment. "You are walking proof of that."
Will stared at her with confusion before looking to Christina for help. What does she mean by that? He asked silently, hoping his long-time companion would understand his bewilderment.
The maid simply looked back at him sympathetically and Will realised he had been outmanoeuvred. He felt a moment of betrayal, Christina was obviously a part of whatever Tanya was doing but the feeling was soon chased away as the maid produced a small vanity mirror from her pocket and showed him his reflection.
The face that looked back was like a zombie; gaunt and tired looking. Despite the time in the sun, he still looked pale and thin. Had he passed this child in the street, he would have probably told Christina or Sophia to make sure they got a good meal and somewhere to rest. He was shocked to see himself in such a state. Then again, when had he last eaten properly? How much had he slept in the last two weeks?
"Miss Zerbist has told me you've been pushing yourself, skipping sleep and meals, and overusing Pertavin." Tanya continued, "Since I am in part to blame for overworking you, I'm making sure you have time to recuperate."
Did Tanya just admit she was at fault? Will thought blinking with surprise as Tanya's face contorted into an awkward frown.
"You are a good soldier and a decent officer when you behave yourself." She conceded begrudgingly, as though saying the words somehow caused her pain. "It would be irresponsible of me to put you on regular duties in this state. I would also prefer you stop using Pertavin, it's dangerous enough on a fully grown soldier, let alone someone your age. I wouldn't want to lose a promising officer due to the overuse of combat stims. I'll make sure not to overwork you in future."
Will rocked on his heels as though he had been struck. To say that hearing this from Tanya was unexpected was an understatement, he could count on one hand how often she'd said anything that even came close to a compliment to him. He suspected Christina's hand in this, especially the part about the Pertavin. However, the words would most definitely be Tanya's, she would never allow herself to act as a mouthpiece for another.
Then, she does appreciate me? He thought feeling a strange swelling of pride in his chest. She even admitted it to my face!
It was unusual for Will to feel especially proud of any of his achievements, they had always been a means to an end. He had never doubted that he would become a mage, so there was no reason to feel particularly satisfied about it, and he felt little for the commendations and medals he had received. However, he found that these few words from Tanya delighted him in a way he had not thought possible. From anyone else being called "decent" might be considered almost insulting, but from her, it felt like the highest praise. And she'd admitted it freely! He was speechless.
Silence fell on the room, the only noise being Christina carefully tidying away the used water bowl as he and Tanya tried to find the words to fill it. Fortunately, Visha's voice called from outside the tent, breaking the awkward atmosphere and both let out a sigh of relief.
Tanya allowed her adjutant to enter and after a quick greeting, things seemed to return to normal as the group prepared to head for the mess tent for breakfast. Tanya distracted herself from her earlier discomfort by grilling her subordinate on the morning reports she had brought her. Meanwhile, Will found him silently falling in beside them as they headed out with Christina trailing behind him. He was still feeling remarkably pleased with how things had turned out and could feel a wide grin sitting on his face.
The sun was beginning to rise when they reached the mess, and a golden sheen filled the air as they all lined up patiently for their morning meal. Technically as senior officers, both he and Tanya could have had their respective adjutants collect their rations for them and dine privately, however, both preferred to dine with the troops. Tanya would never admit they had anything in common, but both of them were keen to use the opportunity to help their standing among the other soldiers. Even if their reason for doing so was different.
Sophia had yet to join them as they sat down for their meal of thick porridge. She was likely still checking with her informants for any news and gossip from around the camp, but he was sure she would seek him out later to fill him in. In the meantime, he dug into his meal with enthusiasm despite the grumbles about military rations echoed by the other soldiers around him. Even Tanya shared her displeasure at the thick gruel.
Will had never understood why everyone was always so critical of the military's food. Aside from the odd suspicious potato and the food served in the General staff offices, he had found he quite liked the rations they were provided. Perhaps it was a product of Ludwig keeping him ill so much in his youth, but he found it difficult to stomach particularly rich or strong-tasting food. Hence why he didn't particularly like coffee, preferring tea or the ersatz version of the bitter drink due to its weaker taste. Chocolate too he only ever ate sparingly; the sweet taste was just too much for him.
He knew Christina disliked that he was so fond of such cheap food; it seemed to conflict with her mental picture of how a prince should behave and she often tried to turn their rations into something a little fancier when she could. Even that was often too much for him though, so while others were complaining how tasteless the porridge was, Will was enjoying it immensely. The service corps had even provided a small amount of honey to add to the watery cereal. He would have gone for a second portion if it were allowed.
He finished his meal far quicker than everyone else and found himself wishing he had spent more time savouring it. Although at least it gave him time to think. He now faced an unusual conundrum, at least for him, what should he do with his awarded free time?
He wasn't used to not having anything to do, he had spent most of the last five years preparing for this war in one way or another. He'd used almost every waking moment doing something that would help pay off his debt to the monster, he wasn't used to having any downtime. But he was in the middle of nowhere, what exactly could he do? He wondered if Christian had packed any books for him to read.
By now Tanya had also finished her food and was heading off to the command centre. At first, Will rose to follow her but she shot him a glare that told him it would not be wise. Considering their living situation, he decided it best to heed that advice. Instead, he headed back to the tent and began his reports while Christina excused herself and saw to the company's equipment.
As expected, Sophia sought him out soon after with news from both inside and outside the camp. Aside from a few rumours that had allowed her to get a hold of some better foodstuffs and some contraband that could be traded, the most interesting news involved an increase in radio traffic from both the city and from back home. It seemed someone in Turus was keen to get in contact with the Imperial High Command.
Something interesting was going on behind the scenes but Sophia had yet to find out exactly what. It seemed the messages had been for the General's eyes only and although Will knew she was fully capable of intercepting and decrypting the General's personal messages if she so wished, he thought it better not to go quite so far. He didn't dare imagine the consequences if Tanya found out.
He had a few theories, or rather half-formed possibilities but it seemed he would have to wait and see what came from messages along with everyone else. In the meantime, he was once again left with little to do and he soon found himself lying on the ground outside his tent, staring at the clouds, dozing and thinking about the future.
Once the debt was paid, things would be better for everyone. Christina would become the best in whatever field she wanted to progress in, Sophia would become a formidable politician and he would be writing stories like the one's he read when he was younger. He wondered where Tanya might fit into his life when it was all over, she had wanted to continue her career, hadn't she? How often would they see each other? He hoped they wouldn't drift apart.
He had a hazy memory of the conversation he had slurred his way through at the party. Hadn't she said she would want a family one day? That would mean her getting married to someone, he wasn't sure how he felt about that; what if they took her away from him? Then again, he doubted she'd find someone who'd put up with all the abuse she habitually dished out.
She already has a treacherous thought interjected but he did his best to pretend he hadn't heard it as he continued to stare contentedly at the sky.
There was a bright future ahead for all of them, he just had to grasp it.
"I see you have a long and happy life planned ahead of you little brother. Do you really deserve it?" A terrifying and familiar voice whispered in his ear, it seemed that one night of peace had been too much for Ludwig. Will did his best to control his suddenly rapid heartbeat and ignore the voice, he knew He wasn't really here.
"Do you deserve your future at the expense of those you've cut short?" The voice asked again as the clouds above seemed to twist and contort into faces.
He felt sick with fear as he recognised the intruder he had attacked with the sword on his sixth birthday. "Is it you? Have I finally found you?" the face said staring down at him with sad eyes, echoing the strange words it had said time and again in his dreams. The clouds then morphed into the face of the first Francois soldier he had killed on the Rhine. He remembered how difficult it had been to bring himself to do it, he remembered his hands shaking as he took aim at the man far below him. Sometimes he was sure he could see his own terrified expression reflected in the man's eyes.
The face changed again into that of another soldier he had slaughtered, then another and another. So many faces that were already etched into his memory we're shown to him before eventually ending with the old Albish General he'd killed at Alealamain. The moustached man stared down at him coldly and Will found himself cowering under his glare.
"Shut up!" Will hissed quietly, "They were enemies in battle, they were justified! They would have died anyway!"
He'd had no choice, he was defending himself! Besides he needed to feed the sword, it was all justified! He had no reason to be ashamed of any of it!
"What about these? Were they justified?" The voice of Ludwig asked with a mocking chuckle as the clouds again transformed, this time into the smiling faces of the soldiers he had lost since he took command.
"It's an honour to serve with you, Prince Wilhelm." He heard as he saw the cloud figures salute before they turned into broken and bloody corpses. Will was unable to look away, they no longer resembled clouds at all, the terrible memories of their deaths had superimposed themselves over them. It felt as if their broken bodies were really hanging over him in the sky. He felt a pain in his chest at the sight, it's not my fault, it's not my fault he told himself, repeating the mantra-like a prayer.
Will felt tears in his eyes as he watched the corpse clouds drift together into one and transform into the broken and shattered form of Dietrich Hausmann. This time, however, instead of the lifeless orbs that had caused him so much pain at the time, Will felt the man's stare boring through his soul.
"Stop it!" Will cried as he scrunched his eyes closed in a desperate attempt to dispel the apparitions. "None of this is real, none of this is my fault! It was the monster that did all of this!"
Ludwig said nothing but the screams of all the faces he had seen filled his ears. Will tried to block them out by covering them but the ethereal screams were being projected directly into his mind. He tried to force his mind to focus on something, anything to drive the voices away but nothing was working. He desperately tried to find some trace of happy feeling he had been given that morning in the hopes of driving them away but found nothing and he felt his stomach wrench with despair.
Suddenly the voices retreated and so too did Ludwig's presence. He felt a shadow fall over him but rather than feeling threatening it felt safe and familiar. Carefully he opened his eyes and saw Tanya staring down at him cautiously. He let out a sigh of relief as he saw her, being close to someone who had no fear of the monster was reassuring and it seemed she had driven Ludwig away for now.
"Huh, maybe she was right." The girl mumbled to herself as Will pulled himself up and she returned her attention to him. "Sorry Wilhelm, your break is over, we're moving on Turus and the General needs your expertise."
September 25th Unified Year 1925 16:00
Allied Kingdom Naval Taskforce, Southern Sea, HMS Ark Monarch
Vice Admiral Winters leaned on the railings of the observation deck and gazed out at the calm blue waters of the Southern Sea. The air was warm, but a cool breeze made it pleasant and comfortable while the intense colour of the water below was beautiful enough that a man might lose himself in its depths. It was easy to see why the Ildoans were so keen to claim this ocean as their own.
He'd served all over the world during his career, everywhere from the freezing cold of the Atlantic to the shark-infested waters of the Pacific. He'd found that every ocean had its own allures and perils, a siren waiting to guide you to the seabed for every tropical paradise and friendly port. He had decided that the danger of the Southern Sea was in its beauty, it made you feel cosy and lured you into a false sense of security. A dangerous state to be in when on such an important mission.
He turned his gaze to the other ships in his task force. It was an impressive sight. It wasn't often that the Allied Kingdom dedicated so many ships to a single mission in this theatre, particularly with the Prime Minister's reluctance to allow the fleet out of home waters. Winters suspected Marlborough's influence, the first lord of the Admiralty was known to be daring and it had doubtlessly been him who had pushed for this operation. The Prime minister might be overcautious, but Churbull wasn't the sort to allow the enemy a free hand. Or his allies for that matter.
Winters' fleet consisted of eleven destroyers, two cruisers, two battleships and his flagship the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Monarch, along with some civilian tugs to assist the Francois navy if necessary. Then, to top off this already impressive display of naval power, the pride of the fleet had also been sent to reinforce them: the battlecruiser HMS Hood. This wasn't a battlegroup, it was a message to their Francois allies. Both a promise of their continued support and a threat to those who had not committed to the fight. The Hood was here to deliver that message.
Winters watched "The Mighty Hood" as it steamed along next to the carrier. The battlecruiser could outpace his ship easily, so it was cruising leisurely at the aircraft carrier's side. Despite that, to an outsider at least, it still gave the impression of strength and power like a tiger casually studying its prey while its huge gun batteries radiated menace despite being idle. The Hood was like a smiling man with his hand on a gun, friendly but ready to fire at a moments notice.
Although the ship was famously known to be the pride of the Royal Navy, he had never much liked the old girl and he'd decided against moving his flag to the vessel. It may have been powerful and well-armed, but it sat too low in the water for his liking, making it uncomfortably damp in high seas. Its crew had even started calling it "the largest submarine in the navy" due to the amount of water that was on the decks when it sailed at full steam. A fact conveniently omitted when people talked about its illustrious reputation.
It also lacked much of the equipment Winters had grown used to on his carrier and he felt a little blind without it. Its design also meant that outfitting the ship with that extra equipment would leave him little space to work efficiently.
Despite its flaws, the ships notoriety made it a potent weapon. It rarely needed to fire its mighty city levelling batteries in anger; when the Hood sailed into port, the enemy started negotiating. It was a ship that everyone feared, it was the epitome of gunboat diplomacy. That was why it had been sent; this rogue Francois general needed bringing to heel and the sight of the Hood and this task force would have him quaking in his boots.
At least that was their hope. If not, more drastic and regrettable measures would need to be taken. The Hood might even need to show what she was truly capable of.
He straightened up and re-entered the bridge, waving off the salutes of the duty officers. He was only passing through, so there was no need to distract the sailors from their tasks. He descended the stairs of the tower and made his way towards the comms room at the base. Unfortunately, what he found was hardly encouraging as the whole floor seemed filled with the angry shouts of the Francois mage within. Evidently, things were not going well.
"Fils de pute!" The republican yelled as he threw his headset across the room, causing Winters to frown at the man's careless attitude towards his host's equipment but the man had not seemed to notice him. Instead, he was leaning over the radio set with clenched fists and a look of angry consternation.
"Any progress Colonel." Winters asked politely to announce his presence despite the remains of the headset across the room giving him the answer to his question already.
"My apologies Admiral." The man said in soft accented Albish as he turned and saluted, "General De Juin is being a stubborn mule and refuses to speak to me. I've been bounced around his staff for the last hour, we're getting nowhere."
"I see," replied Winters, doing his best to hide his frustration. He'd never had much time for the Republicans, and this General De Juin character had done nothing to improve his opinion of them.
The Francois had a reputation for being arrogant and self-assured; they believed they knew better than everyone else in almost any matter, even each other. General De Juin had set himself up as a rival to De Lugo for that very reason, ignoring both the will of his people and the proper chain of command in favour of his own ego. For a nation that claimed to pride itself on its military heritage and commitment to the so-called democratic principles of its Republic, it was almost laughable. However, Winters wasn't laughing. This situation put him in a very difficult position.
"Colonel Vianto, are you aware of my orders for this operation?" The Admiral asked, crossing the room and retrieving the now damaged headset. He knew De Lugo was aware of the full scope of this mission, but he wasn't sure if he'd shared it with his subordinate. Fear of spies was high in both camps, so most information was kept strictly need to know.
"You are to assist in the evacuation of General De Juin's forces and tow the fleet out to prevent it being captured by the Imperials." The mage replied dutifully drawing a sigh from the admiral.
As he suspected no one had told Vianto about the darker aspect of this mission. Perhaps De Lugo had not wanted to, believing De Juin would come to his senses, or perhaps he thought that not speaking of the task allowed might somehow rob the evil deed of its power. Winters felt differently, however. He believed it important to be straight with the man, he may have not particularly liked the Francois mage, but they were still allies. He wouldn't sugar-coat the situation for the man.
"Those are not our only objectives Colonel. It is also vitally important that we do not let a fully functioning military port fall into enemy hands. We are to sabotage the docks and render them unusable." The Admiral stated carefully, watching the mage's expression turn into a thoughtful frown.
"That makes sense. Currently, the Imperial's are only getting supplies via the Illdoan Libya but if they capture a port, they can bolster their supplies and range out much more easily." The man began, easily analysing the risk the docks represented. "But will we have time to evacuate all the men and equipment and destroy the docks? Romel is almost at the gates."
Winters grimaced; this would be the part the man wouldn't like.
"To be clear Colonel, my primary orders are to destroy the docks and if needs be, the ships in them. If there is a risk of them falling into enemy hands, I will bring the full might of the fleet against them. The evacuation is a secondary concern."
"Are you telling me that you are going to fire on a Republican city?! Fire on your own allies as they try to flee?!" The mage replied in disgusted horror, "What about the civilian workers and other non-coms? Will you make us suffer another Arene?"
"Colonel, please calm down." The admiral said doing his best to hold his temper, although the man's reaction was expected, the man's sudden emotional outburst angered him, especially the insulting comment on killing civilians. He was no murderer, he would not follow these orders unless he believed them to be absolutely necessary.
"No Admiral! I will not!" The mage yelled, his anger growing as he faced down the admiral. "You weren't there when the Imperial's slaughtered the entire town, if you were, you'd be as disgusted as I am! Do you really expect me to watch as my so-called allies murder my people and mimic the crimes of the Empire?"
"I said calm down Colonel." The admiral said again coldly giving the man a hard stare, this time it was not a request. There was a moment of silence as they glared at each other but eventually, Vianto backed down, finally coming to his senses under the gaze of the superior officer. Winters took a breath and calmed himself allowing the situation to deescalate. He was a reasonable man, and he understood the mage's anger, but he would not be branded a war criminal.
"If all goes well, it will be Republican forces destroying the docks as we leave, this is why it is vital that you make contact with De Juin. We will only fire if there is no other choice and we will make sure the civilians are evacuated from the port. The city itself will not be targeted."
If all goes well his thoughts echoed sardonically. If what he had heard was proven true, it was likely they would indeed be forced to fire on the Republican forces in the port. It was not a task he was looking forward to.
The mage looked at him hatefully for a moment but eventually, his shoulders sagged. The man had calmed slightly, but it was clear that he didn't like the situation and Winters noted the man's features tighten at the General's name. Winters could hardly blame the man for his anger, and he didn't envy him. He could sense that Vianto felt desperate and trapped by the situation.
Still, he would not have his honour besmirched again, the mage could only push him so far.
"Sir, General De Juin refuses to get in contact." Vianto began dejectedly, "the only alternative is that I go and meet him myself."
Winters paused, unsure if he should continue sharing what he knew. The man's outburst made him question whether he could be trusted to be rational but eventually, his own convictions won out. It would be wrong to lie to an ally just because the truth was uncomfortable.
"It may be difficult to get into the city at all, Colonel. We've had some worrying intelligence reports from back home." The admiral began warily, watching the mage's reactions once again. "It seems De Juin has been in contact with Imperial authorities, it's not completely confirmed yet, but our codebreakers believe he has been trying to broker a separate peace with the Empire."
"What! That can't be!" The colonel protested in shock, "De Juin might be a stubborn old fool but he's no traitor!"
"I doubt he sees himself as the traitor, I understand he opposed the war from the start." Winters pushed. The man probably believed that a deal with the enemy was preferable to continuing the fight under the leadership of the man that lost their country in a war he didn't agree with. "We believe that is why Romel has paused outside of Turus, a political bargain here could be problematic for us."
What do you mean?" The mage asked looking crestfallen at the potential betrayal of his countryman.
"We suspect that the Imperials will attempt to legitimise their occupation by installing De Juin as a rival leader of the Republic. Since he would nominally control the mainland, he might be seen to have a better claim than De Lugo. It would also free up more imperial troops as they would no longer need such a large occupying force in the mainland republic. It may even make the Unified States rethink their unofficial support of General De Lugo." The Admiral explained while the mage's expression fluctuated between rage and disbelief.
"It can't be! He'd try to turn our people against us? Impossible! They couldn't after all the Empire has put us through!" The mage cried in disbelief, looking at Winters as though pleading him that it wasn't true.
"Can you be sure of that colonel? After so many defeats, some might think it's the only way to save anything of your country."
It was a cruel thing to say he knew, but it was the truth. Most of the Allied Kingdom had been sure that when the Republic fell it would fold completely and sue for peace. They'd been both shocked and overjoyed to hear that De Lugo and a sizable force had escaped, they would not be alone in the fight. Still, the fate of the Republican forces sat on a knife-edge, and one wrong move could mean their end. It was up to the Allied Kingdom and the Commonwealth to bolster their ally so it did not fall.
"He'd turn our own people against us?" the colonel repeated clenching his fists together once more. Winters wanted to point out that it wouldn't be the first time such an act of treachery had been taken by frog, but he thought better of it and bit his tongue.
"I understand how difficult this must be Colonel, but if there is any hope of salvaging anything from Turus, I need you on side. I need you to convince Du Juin to talk to us."
The man trapped Winters with a glare, as his eyes burned with a cold simmering rage. For a moment the admiral feared he'd gone too far, perhaps he should not have shared the secrets gleaned from Ultra. However, his fears were soon quelled as the man began to speak once more.
"No, Admiral. He's had enough chances already. If I see him, I'll drag him to the gallows myself." Vianto growled as his expression hardened. "My men have gotten in behind enemy lines before, we can do it again. We'll appeal directly to the soldiers and sailors to join us. Just because De Juin has turned his back on his people doesn't mean his men have."
Vianto paused for a moment and took a breath to compose himself.
"After that, you can blow the rest of the port to hell along with any of the traitors still in it!"
Despite himself, Winters couldn't help but smile as he heard the man's words. If they were lucky, they might be able to achieve a decent outcome despite De Juin's treachery. Now that the Mage's anger was focused, Winters could why he was considered a good soldier, he'd even had found a better way to achieve their mission goals while weakening the turncoat's political threat. Every man they persuaded to turn on De Juin was a hit to the man's credibility as a potential rival to De Lugo's leadership.
"We'll do our best to coordinate with you and target areas in danger of falling to the enemy. Ideally, your troops should perform the demolition, but my gunners and pilots are highly trained, we will be as accurate as possible. However, preventing the Imperials from taking the docks must remain our priority." The admiral replied, feeling relieved that the colonel was calm enough to understand the situation fully. "The problem is if they board the ships, we may need to sink them to avoid their capture."
Vianto was silent for a few moments and wore an expression that was unreadable to Winters.
"I gave my word to the General that I would do what needs to be done. I expect no less of you Admiral."
September 26th Unified Year 1925 07:00
Romel's Temporary Command Post, 20 miles outside the Port of Turus, Al-Sahra Desert
Tanya had often heard it said that warfare is the extension of politics. If that were truly the case, then she believed she had been put on the wrong career track when she was forced to become a front-line soldier rather than a diplomat. A war of words would have been infinitely more preferable than the battlefield after all.
Then again, the military didn't usually handle that side of "politics" and the educated elite of this time period did not often allow orphan girls raised in a nunnery to join the diplomatic corps. Thus, she had been forced into the army, she'd had no other path open to her if she were to survive this world. It was better to forge her own destiny than wait to be called up.
Wilhelm, however, was part of the elite group that did have a choice in what he might do. His status allowed him to wield either weapons or words on his chosen battlefield. Unusually, he had decided to use both, although only for his own personal goals. It was almost as though he had taken the old maxim literally and saw no distinction between the battlefield and the backroom backstabbing.
It was because of Wilhelm's rare mingling of warrior and politician that she now found herself leaning against a truck waiting for the boy to lead her into the heart of the enemy city. Despite her objections, he'd been ordered to Turus to negotiate an armistice and potential treaty with the commander there.
She had been a little annoyed when General von Romel had asked her to summon the little captain so soon after she'd allocated him some downtime. It was clear he still needed rest and the general staff would likely blame her for overworking him if he were to fail. She'd made her objections clear to the general General, but without much success. She would never have denied her superior of course, she had simply wanted to cover herself in case Wilhelm's exhaustion caused any problems.
However, the General staff had given their blessing to this mission and suggested using Wilhelm for it. Exhausted or not, he would have to go. Despite disliking the idea of placing herself in the middle of the enemy camp, she would have to make sure she was on hand in case his fatigue caused problems with the negotiations.
She'd expected the boy to be equally as annoyed about the situation, or at least greet her with a cocky comeback like: "Can you not go a day without me, Major?" However, to her surprise, he seemed happy to see her after she found him mumbling to himself as he dozed in the sun. He'd followed along dutifully and with hardly any snide comments. It was a rather refreshing change.
He soon returned to his normal irritating self once he found out about their mission, however. He had sat with the annoying faux innocent grin of his fake persona as the general told him he was to act as their diplomatic envoy to negotiate with the forces in Turus. Apparently, one of the Francois Generals had seen sense and wanted to negotiate separately from De Lugo's war maniacs and the brass thought it a great opportunity.
But the one thing she'd had to ask was why send Wilhelm?
Looking back the answer was obvious. He was a prince and an international figure, additionally, he'd had experience with negotiation and most importantly, he was nearby. At the time though she'd not seen the reasoning, she'd grown used to Wilhelm the bratty subordinate that got under her skin, she'd almost forgotten that he was royalty. However, the world saw him differently than she did and thought him up to the challenge.
She still had her doubts, but orders were orders and now she was in the strange position where she was the honour guard for her own subordinate. More annoyingly, in any nonmilitary matters, he was technically in charge for the duration of this mission. She didn't like it, the quicker they got this mission over with the better.
"Good morning Major." Called Wilhelm cheerfully as he sauntered towards their transport with the Zerbist sisters at his sides, each carrying piles of documents. Tanya glanced up and was surprised to see him in full dress uniform, complete with all his royal regalia. She wondered for a moment if he'd brought it with him from the mainland or if this was another piece of wizardry from Christina. Either way, it at least made him look the part, even if it wasn't very practical desert attire.
He'd also done something to hide his fatigue, something she was sure was Christina's doing. If she recalled correctly the maid had surreptitiously smuggled in a makeup box this morning. She'd done a good job though, at least the diplomats wouldn't think the entire expeditionary force was close to collapsing.
"I see you're fully prepared for a diplomatic mission." He continued injecting a hint of sarcasm into his tone as he regarded her critically. "If I recall I said it would be better not to head into the city looking like heavily armed thugs hell-bent on assassination. That's the reason we are driving there instead of flying."
Unlike the little captain, Tanya was not willing to go so deep into enemy territory without some form of protection and she flat out refused to be parted from her mage gear. If anything went wrong, she wanted a way out. She wasn't about to let herself be captured for the sake of appearances. Besides she noted that Wilhelm still carried his sword and computation orb, he was hardly a paper tiger himself.
"It is my duty to protect you on this mission, to do so, myself and my soldiers need the tools to do so." She said matter-of-factly, knowing that would be unable to do anything about it if she made the issue about his security.
"Fine, you and Visha can keep your gear I suppose. It makes my life more difficult though." The boy replied with a sigh and Tanya allowed herself a small smile at the victory as the team climbed into the truck.
Only six of them had been permitted to enter the city for the negotiation, including Wilhelm and a driver. Much to Tanya's chagrin, it had been the little captain that was allowed to choose who would accompany him. Unsurprisingly he'd chosen the Zerbist sisters as his "political aides", he rarely went anywhere without them. Although Tanya would freely admit they were probably wise choices in this case. The two women had many hidden skills and talents that could easily be transferred to the negotiating table, but she would still need to keep an eye on them. Who knew what secret tasks Wilhelm might have given them?
That left two more to act as honour guards and the driver. At first, Wilhelm had tried to choose two of his own as his bodyguards, but Tanya had vehemently refused to allow it. She had already decided that she should go and would not take no for an answer. What if he failed because of his fatigue? If the general staff found out she'd been overworking him, they would hold her indirectly responsible and she could kiss any chance of promotion goodbye. No, she would have to stay close to make sure he succeeded.
Finally, one of Romel's men was chosen as the driver.
She wasn't happy about being left in enemy territory with so few personnel though, particularly with the Allied Kingdom's fleet lurking near the coast. So, she'd decided to keep Wiess and the rest of the battalion on standby a few miles from the city so she could call them in for support if necessary.
"Let's get this over with." Said Tanya knocking on the front compartment to alert the driver they were ready, and they headed out of the camp.
The journey was unpleasant, the roads in this area were little more than dirt tracks and military vehicles were not designed for comfort. This combined with the ever-increasing number of Francois patrols sent to "escort" them to the city made the situation feel increasingly tense. The only upside was that they were somewhat sheltered from the sun and dust by the canopy covering the vehicle.
Wilhelm didn't seem to mind any of this however, he was too engrossed with the documentation the sisters had brought him. She tried to sneak a peek at it but could decipher little of it and the boy seemed too lost in concentration to have time to answer any questions.
Eventually, they reached the city proper, and Tanya found herself distinctly unimpressed. To her eyes, it looked little better than the other coastal towns they'd come across so far, albeit on a larger scale. Her tactical eye did detect several strongpoints and weaknesses in its defences, but ultimately there was nothing especially impressive about that either. If peace talks broke down, she didn't expect it to be especially difficult to capture this city.
Finally, they reached their destination, an official but provincial looking building that this General De Juin had commandeered as his headquarters and seat of local government. She ordered Visha out of the vehicle and they both took up their positions to "escort her charges" out of the rear of the vehicle.
Unfortunately, as soon as she was within sight of the Republican guards, several came rushing forward and began shouting at her in their mother tongue. It had been some time since she'd had to say more than a few words in Francois, but she easily recognised the order to disarm and surrender herself. Something she had no intention of doing.
A trap she grimaced, as she immediately raised her weapon and fed mana into her gear while glancing around for an avenue of escape. Visha followed suit, her training kicking in as soon as she saw her commander begin to act but her face showed traces of both fear and confusion at the situation.
The enemy backed away slightly but levelled their weapons at them both as they repeated the order. There was a tense moment as they stared each other down, the men were close enough that their rifles could penetrate a mage's shield, but they knew they wouldn't survive the action. They were hesitating, which gave her time and options.
She was about to prepare a communication spell to alert Weiss of their situation when Wilhelm appeared at her side and gently forced the barrel of her submachine gun down towards the ground.
"Gentlemen, does there seem to be a problem here?" The boy said in a bright childlike voice, smiling broadly. He spoke in Francois but in a slow and deliberate tone so that everyone around them could hear and very carefully he placed himself between her and the soldiers. "I hope we haven't done anything to offend you."
The two men glanced at each other uncertainly, unsure of how to proceed in the face of the little captain's smile. Fortunately for all parties, a panicked officer rushed towards the group and forced the men to stand down. After a little hushed conversation between him and Wilhelm, the tension seemed to lift slightly and the boy turned back to her with a smile.
"You can bring the weapons and the mage gear, but you cannot bring any ammunition into the building." Said the boy as he casually took the clip from her gun.
"Unacceptable" Tanya snapped but Wilhelm quickly shushed her and surreptitiously slipped both her and Visha's ammo clips into his pocket, giving her a conspiratorial wink before he turned back to the government building. Reluctantly, she complied and left the remaining ammunition in the truck, seeing no other choice but to trust Wilhelm for the moment and they were finally escorted into the building to see the general.
It felt a little unreal to be walking through an enemy stronghold, she had only been expecting to see the inside of this building if they were forced to capture it. It felt strange to be walking through an enemy installation without the screams of wounded men and echoing gunfire. It made her feel uncomfortable to think that these things had become the norm for her. She wasn't about to complain about their absence though, peace is always more preferable to meaningless fighting and definitely better than being shot at.
They were shepherded into the general's office where she and Visha took up station by the door while Wilhelm made an exaggerated effort to be friendly towards the assembled dignitaries in his childlike and cheerful persona. There were several people present, both military and civilian. Tanya noted that she and Visha were not the only ones with weaponry, and it was unlikely they would have had their ammunition removed.
She took a moment to study General De Juin. He looked like he could have been a caricature of a stereotypical Francois officer. Aside from the stupid-looking hat, that in Tanya's opinion looked like an upturned ration can, he wore the Republican blue with almost as many medals and various other military paraphernalia as Wilhelm wore on his own uniform. To complete the look, he had a nose that could only be described as too big for his face which his bushy little moustache on his top lip did nothing to hide. It was funny, she was almost certain she'd seen a cartoon looking just like him in the Berlun newspapers.
Wilhelm took a moment to introduce everyone, and the general seemed to put on a show of good manners and friendliness as he greeted them individually. However, he paused when the time came for Wilhelm to introduce her, his smile straining as he glared at her. He said nothing though and continued, leaving Tanya to wonder what she had done to personally offend him. Sure they were soldiers on opposing sides but that was just part of the job. You don't hate those that work for a competitor simply because they work for a different company.
Some refreshments were conjured up and the negotiation began in earnest with both Wilhelm and the Sophia engaging with both De Juin and his clerks. It was a strange spectacle to watch as Wilhelm simultaneously acted the innocent child while needling them on specific points in the wording of the treaty documents. He managed to beg the diplomats for peace with wild-eyed naivety while reminding everyone present that the taskforce a few miles away could roll over them with barely an effort. Making it seem like a treaty beneficial to the Empire was a huge act of mercy on his part.
Sophia's role seemed to be to distract any clerks or aides that might be useful to De Juin in any particular moment, while Christina seemed to be able to pull every relevant piece of information needed from the piles of maps and documents they had spread across the tables. Between the three of them, they seemed to have the majority of the room wrapped around their fingers.
Despite her doubts about his fatigue, it seemed Will had the upper hand. It was actually a pleasure to watch him employ his mental gymnastics on someone other than her for once and she had to admit, he had been the right choice for this mission. She found herself with a newfound respect for his skills, she would have to make a note so that she could better employ them in future.
Her thoughts were broken as the voices of the negotiators began to increase in volume from the other side of the room. Tanya tensed, gripping her weapon tightly as she concentrated on remembering her Francois lessons to listen out for the cause of the trouble.
"I'm Sorry General, but complete control over the mainland republic is impossible until the war with De Lugo and the Allied Kingdom is concluded." The little captain said sounding contrite, although Tanya could tell it was part of his act. "There's too much risk of invasion along the northern coast."
"Prince Wilhelm, I have already explained that we would support the Empire from here on, do you not trust us to defend our own coastline?" The general replied, sounding more like a confidence trickster than an officer.
"Trust is not the issue here General; we've already placed a great deal of trust in you by attending these negotiations in a place that you have complete control over." The boy said sweetly but the man frowned.
"Enough trust that you bring the Devil of the Rhine to strongarm us if things don't go your way!" The man spat venomously glaring at Tanya as he spoke.
Crap! Tanya exclaimed inwardly. She hadn't considered that her reputation amongst the Republicans might affect the negotiations. She had known they'd given her that ghastly nickname, but she had never really demonised her. She'd always assumed it was spun for propaganda like back home, she had never considered that even enemy soldiers might believe that crap. They were all just doing their jobs after all, what happened on the battlefield was nothing personal. These were supposed to be the rational ones, the ones who desired peace! Not the war-crazed loons that De Lugo had spirited away from the continent.
Don't tell me they all believe the exaggerated nonsense in the propaganda papers? She thought with a hint of panic. Surely, they must know that everything in those papers was exaggerated to a ludicrous degree. One of the versions she'd seen had practically portrayed her as some sort of evil spirit that had to be kept from their lands so that she didn't eat children! The only lie bigger in that rag of a newspaper was that Republican rations were just as good as the imperial ones. After tasting K-brot, she knew that they had eaten much better. No wonder I've been getting dirty looks all day.
Tanya felt uncomfortable as every pair of eyes bored into her and a long silence filled the room. This must have been why Wilhelm had been reluctant to bring her she realised; had she managed to bring down negotiations simply by attending them?
"The Argent doesn't care for that moniker." Wilhelm said slowly breaking the silence. His usual faux innocence was missing this time and instead was replaced by a frosty tone. "I would thank you not to repeat it again in her presence."
Tanya let out a sigh of relief as everyone's eyes moved from her and to the little captain once more. He wore an angry expression that she had learned to be wary of. Due to his stature, Wilhelm did not look threatening when he was angry, but looks could be deceiving. In this case, his hand was dangerously close to the hilt of his sword, ready to draw at a moment's notice.
Tanya felt a rush of panic, please tell me he's not going to throw this all away over some perceived insult!
"Wil…Prince Wilhelm!" She exclaimed almost forgetting the boy's social rank. "I'm sure the General meant no insult."
She shot Wilhelm a glare and their eyes met for a moment. Don't be an idiot she willed as she stared into his green orbs. Abruptly the boy straightened up and returning to his calmer self before sauntering over to a glass of orange juice that he'd left on the table.
"As I said General, trust is not the issue. Since De Lugo controls the majority of the Francois military, you do not have enough manpower to adequately protect the northern coast." The boy said sipping on his drink while pretending to look over a document he had picked up on the way. "Thus, it will remain under imperial control until the war is over."
"And again, I must say that this is unacceptable Your Highness. If we are to be a credible Francois government, we need to control the entire mainland." The general returned, unaware of how close he had come to finding out just how good Wilhelm was with a sword.
Wilhelm sighed and stared at the ceiling for a moment as if considering the man's words.
"Very well, I assume you'll honour the agreement to allow us to exit the city unmolested?" the boy said eventually snapping his focus back to the general.
"O..of course." The man stammered uncertainly.
The general looked confused and in truth so was Tanya. Had he just agreed to the concession? They hadn't signed anything so nothing was official, but Wilhelm was already asking about leaving.
"Good. Christina, Sophia, would you be so kind as to gather our things, we'll be leaving now." The boy stated causing a worried gasp to come from the republican side of the room. "I will inform General von Romel that negotiations have broken down and we were unable to come to an agreement."
Again, Tanya felt a stab of panic as the room erupted with the sound of dignitaries trying to make themselves heard. What was Wilhelm doing? They had been ordered to do what they can to secure a treaty, but the boy was walking away from negotiations without a second thought! Suddenly a terrible thought occurred to her, what if he was deliberately sabotaging the peace talks? It wouldn't be the first time he'd done something so stupid.
"Prince Wilhelm, a word." She hissed taking the boy to one side. "What the hell are you doing?"
"Relax, it's a negotiating strategy." The boy replied calmly but Tanya fixed him with a look that told him she didn't believe him. "Listen, De Juin needs this more than we do, he's put himself in a position where this is his only way out. He knows that if talks break down, we'll take the city by force. He's rebelled against De Lugo, so he'll have no help from him, so this treaty is all he has."
Tanya felt herself calm slightly, the boy was right, De Juin had very limited options and Wilhelm had just backed him into a corner. She hadn't expected him to be such an aggressive negotiator, he had never been so ruthless in their dealings. She would have to be more careful with him in future.
"They always think they can get away with something extra because I'm a child." The boy continued giggling to himself, "Like I'd give the general staff anything less than what they asked for."
He regarded her for a few moments and frowned slightly, looking oddly hurt about something.
"Let me guess, you thought I was undermining the negotiations on purpose to prolong the war?" He asked sounding disappointed. "I promised you I wouldn't do anything like that again, besides, I do want this war to end at some point too you know."
Tanya felt a little bit embarrassed, again her mistrust had gotten the better of her. She knew she should swallow her pride and apologise but fortunately, General De Juin interrupted before she got the chance.
"Prince Wilhelm let's not be too hasty." The man began rubbing his hands apologetically. "I'm sure we can come to some sort of arrangement."
Will smiled and winked at Tanya, making her feel both uncomfortable and annoyed at the same time. He was going to be insufferably smug after this. She watched the boy walk off with the general when suddenly there was a frantic knock at the door. A worried-looking corporal soon burst through, grasping a piece of paper as though his life depended on it.
"Sirs! We've detected incoming mana signals." He reported barely in control of his voice.
"Imperial?" De Juin asked as tension filled the room once again. Suddenly everyone in the room found their hands on their weapons
"No sir, they're ours! They are coming from the Allied Kingdom fleet!"
Authors Notes
Hello everyone and as always, thank you all for reading.
I apologise for the delay with this chapter but it took a little while to get feedback from my beta reader (for me to ignore at least half of what they suggested so if you don't like this one it's my fault for not listening).
However, there is something I can do to make it up to you all. The second piece of art I had commissioned for this FF has been finished featuring Christina, Sophia (by Jebiii) and the Letzenbourg flag (by Vickers-Vimy-1919 and Simko). Thank you all for this.
This can be found if you search for the user Lord0Solus on Deviant art
Again, thank you for continuing to read and review.
Xanen