Morning light showered down on the sleeping kingdom of Tristain. Inside of the castle, Henrietta stirred from her slumber as the light pierced through her eyes. She had intended to sleep more only to avoid her responsibilities, but that idea was immediately squashed when the sound of knocking came from the door to her quarters followed by a voice.
"Your highness, it is time to wake up."
She groaned tiredly, while she rhetorically asked herself about why she needed to get up, she was going to be crowned queen soon so by right, her orders will be followed. While that idea was enticing, she knew it wasn't the right way to act around her subjects. A queen should show plenty of endearing qualities while still instilling the atmosphere of a leader, being completely lazy and ignoring responsibilities is not one of those qualities.
She will just have to settle with complaining and whining.
She slowly sat up from her bed, her baggy eyes scanned her familiar room. In front of her bed was the wardrobe where she sat while the maids in-charge took care of her and made sure she looked presentable, adjacent to the left of her bed was another door which led to her large closet and to the close to the left wall was a circular, small wooden table and a chair, a large window provided her a wonderful view of the kingdom while she calmly sipped tea during her free time.
It seemed like sipping tea and enjoying a scenery will soon become a fleeting memory with the coming of her coronation. Her thoughts were interrupted when the door to her room opened; entering her room were five servants, with one of them holding a basin filled with water, all wearing their uniform. Henrietta slowly and begrudgingly left her bed, walking towards the servants, they began their routine of dressing up the future queen of Tristain.
Henrietta stifled a yawn but failed to do so.
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For most of the general populace in the continent of Halkeginia, people are still slowly waking up but for Louise's case, she woke up two hours earlier than the average Tristain citizen. She jogged around the perimeter of the MCV a few times before finally stopping to take deep breaths. One of the many habits that Louise picked up during her time on Earth is to wake up at an ungodly hour, when the sun still wasn't shining, to exercise. While she may be hailed as the Brotherhood of Nod's greatest commanders, even earning a place in Kane's inner circle, it didn't give her the excuse of slacking off on physical activities.
It's one of the qualities that Kane actually appreciated from her, her realistic view of her situation as a commander. As her popularity in the Brotherhood of Nod grew, so did the target on her back. It wasn't surprising for her to get caught in a GDI ambush every now and then in an attempt to assassinate her. Taking her out would deal a significant blow to the morale of the soldiers. Which is why she is currently training her well-toned body. Sunlight glared down at her making her body glisten from the amount of sweat she's excreting. She had abs and muscles that would make the bodies of some Tristain soldiers look girly in comparison.
In short, she was ripped.
Despite her impressive body, one thing that still eluded her, LEGION, and practically everyone in the Brotherhood of Nod, is her height. It became a running joke. Louise, the scariest commander to go up against, looks up when addressing her soldier. Joke all they want but when it comes to fighting, Louise was top notch; learning multiple fighting styles in the event that she loses her weapon in battle, she would not be completely helpless. She entered the MCV, the black hallway with streaks of red light guided her to her personal room. Once she was in her room, she went in her room's bathroom and began taking off her sports bra and shirt. Just before she entered the shower, she called out to LEGION.
"LEGION, play some classical music."
COMMAND RECEIVED
For a moment there was silence, followed by an abrupt static which immediately stopped before the symphony of a piano gently came out of the MCV's built in speakers. As the music played, Louise showered while swaying softly to the tune of the music. She had heard of this song many times before, one of her favourites. By the time she finished showering, the piano's piece had also ended.
As she stepped out of the shower, one towel wrapped around her body and another she used to dry her hair, she looked around her room. It wasn't luxurious, the room was small to create space for other faculties, it had a bed fit for only one man and a screen built into the wall just so that Louise could her a display of whatever she wanted to be it the current condition of the base or just relaxing and watching shows.
"LEGION, what's the status of the base?"
The screen in her room lit up, the logo of the Brotherhood of Nod appeared in the middle as a loading screen before LEGION displayed which buildings are still being constructed and which one are already built.
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BASE POWER
POWER PLANT #3: CONSTRUCTION COMPLETE
POWER PLANT #4: CONSTRUCTION COMPLETE
POWER PLANT #5: CONSTRUCTION COMPLETE
STRUCTURES
REFINERY: NO TIBERIUM DEPOSITS DETECTED, BUILDING ON HOLD
CRANE: CONSTRUCTION COMPLETE
SECRET SHRINE: CONSTRUCTION COMPLETE
OPERATIONS CENTER: BUILDING IN PROGRESS
AIR TOWER: BUILDING IN PROGRESS
BASE DEFENSE
SHREDDER TURRET #1: CONSTRUCTION COMPLETE
SHREDDER TURRET #2: CONSTRUCTION COMPLETE
LASER TURRET #1: CONSTRUCTION COMPLETE
SAM TURRET #1: BUILDING IN PROGRESS
DISRUPTION TOWER #1: BUILDING IN PROGRESS
LIQUID TIBERIUM IN STORAGE: 26,000 UNITS
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"Right… we don't really need to build a refinery right now."
COMMANDER, RECOMMENDED COURSE OF ACTION: BEGIN SEEDING TIBERIUM
Louise rolled her eyes. "I know that. Problem is, I don't think Halkeginia would be too enthusiastic about me seeding Tiberium in this world. We need a way to contain it without majorly affecting the surrounding environment."
ANSWER: WHAT ABOUT GDI TIBERIUM CONTAINMENT FIELDS?
Louise's eyebrows raised in realization. "Why not? do you have the schematics for it?"
AFFIRMATIVE
Louise nodded. "Alright, let me just ask for permission from Henrietta if she could give us a piece of land before we begin seeding Tiberium."
AFFIRMATIVE
"In other news, have you found out why we arrived her years earlier than anyone expected?"
NEGATIVE. RESULTS SHOW AN UNUSUAL ENERGY SPIKE DURING THE TRANSPORTATION
She raised an eyebrow. "What kind of energy spike is it?"
SCANNING…
ANSWER: UNKNOWN. HOWEVER, IT IS MOST LIKELY THE CAUSE OF THE TIME DISPLACEMENT.
"Keep digging, in the meantime, I'll head over to the cafeteria and have my breakfast. I'm starving."
AFFIRMATIVE
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Henrietta nervously played with her fingers. Today was very important. She had to deliver a speech in front of the people and the speech better be good otherwise they would view her in a negative light. The speech that she has to make is to commemorate and honour the fallen during the war while also glorifying their victory against overwhelming odds. She had to pick the right words otherwise Tristain's people will view her negatively. Henrietta's personal butler nodded to her direction, letting her know that the stage was set, and people were listening closely to her words.
No pressure, right?
As she stepped out into the porch, thousands of eyes looked up at her. People applauded at her entrance, but the applause was more out of obligation rather than excitement. Henrietta's eyes skimmed through the crowd while wearing a practiced smile. After a few more seconds of clapping Henrietta raised a hand, and the crowd slowly became silent. Now, they are listening to her. She looked over to a noble, a wind mage, and with a single nod the wind mage cast a spell that could increase the volume of her voice so that she could be heard.
"Greetings my fellow subjects. It is with great pride and joy that I tell all of you that the forces of Albion have retreated. Against our superior might, Albion's armies faltered and waned, and it is because of us that we have sent the invaders running with their tails behind their backs."
People cheered with this announcement but looked around the crowd, Henrietta could tell that some of there aren't too happy with this, it felt disconnected, like she was not telling something else. Fortunately for those who thought that Henrietta spoke.
"Unfortunately, our victory is pyrrhic. While we have successfully fended off the invaders, we have also lost thousands of sons and fathers. These honourable soldiers have died on Tristain soil just so that they could protect their own loved ones. For the families who lost their loved ones, you will be compensated. I understand that no amount of compensation could bring them back, but it is the best that I can do for you. Their service will be remembered."
No applause was given, and Henrietta could only leave the balcony while the crowd shared mixed feelings.
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Louise sat on a Carryall aircraft heading towards Tristain. On most occasions she would've arrived at a diplomatic location wearing a full armoured suit. However, she realised that she didn't really need to worry much here in Tristain. She sincerely doubted if anyone could go up against her and even if the situation becomes really serious she came prepared; armed with a laser pistol and a combat knife while wearing body armour strong enough to take the hit of a musket shot and a distress beacon for LEGION to detect. Should she activate her distress beacon, the Awakened and Enlightened bots that are waiting back at her base will be deployed at a moment's notice.
Louise looked at her watch. 12:47 PM.
She took a peek from the closest window to see the walls of Tristain's kingdom slowly getting bigger. Out of habit, she scrutinized the defences of the city, a habit that she developed during the years of being a Brotherhood of Nod commander.
Louise started off with the farms and buildings that were past Tristain's walls, while they did not really present a big threat, the farmlands outside of Tristain's walls are usually where most of the invading forces' bloodshed happens. Focusing on the walls, Tristain had three entrance gates: south, north-east, and west. She paid close attention to each of the entrances since that would be the location where the impact of an invasion would most commonly begin unless the invaders had siege weapons capable of busting down Tristain's walls. All three entrances seemed to be well protected with three to four defensive towers for archers or musketeers to rain upon death, the north-eastern entrance seemed to have black pot that is designed to be filled with oil and poured into the trench below the drawbridge. The major issue that Louise could spot is the lack of guards, which she could understand considering they just came back from the war.
Hopefully, she strikes a good deal with Henrietta so that she could help her out.
After a few more minutes of flying, they finally reached the inner walls of the kingdom. This section of the city seemed more well defended and had the most guard activity compared to the outer wall and she also noticed that the houses looked like they were built better and stronger, clearly a place for nobles. Once she finally reached the castle walls, she noticed that there were some intense activities around, just a reaction of her arrival. Through the Carryall's built-in cameras, LEGION looked for an open spot to land. LEGION found an open stop that looked like a place where people gathered and listened to speeches.
As the aircraft slowly lowered down, Louise stood up. She fixed her Nod uniform and waited for the Carryall's door to open. Once it opened she stepped out, waiting for her outside of the Carryall was Henrietta and a small group of musketeers as her personal guard. Louise walked with the poise of a trained soldier and gave a simple bow.
"Your highness" Louise said.
"Louise, you need not show me such formalities."
Louise looked up at her and smiled. "Thank you, I will be frank with you, formalities are not really my thing."
Henrietta tilted her head in confusion at the weird way Louise talks but decided to let go of it for now. She invited Louise into to the castle, they walked down a long hallway decorated with pictures of previous leaders on the left and stained glass on the right. Off to the right of the hallway there was an alcove which led to a large garden. Louise walked out to the garden and looked in wonder; flowers of many kinds bloomed; butterflies fluttered around patches of flowers suckling the sweet nectar of flowers. A patio sat in the centre; it had a dome shaped roof while the rim of the dome was decorated with swirls and curves, four wooden beams painted white created a sense of simplicity but showing elegance and in the patio was a table for two.
Henrietta and Louise sat down while Agnes and four musketeers stood outside as guards. Two maids came along bringing a plate of biscuits and tray holding a teapot and two teacups. The representative of the Brotherhood of Nod and Tristain's soon-to-be crowned queen waited patiently as the teacups were placed and they were poured a cup of tea. Once that was done, Henrietta nodded to the maids, and they left.
"Pleasant weather, isn't it?" Henrietta began.
"Yeah…" Louise said as she still looked around her surroundings in slight amazement.
Henrietta looked in puzzlement but decided to hold her questions, there is a specific reason why Louise came over today after all. "Louise, may I know what this deal is that you are talking about?"
Louise snapped back to reality, and she spoke. "From what I could see, even before I entered your kingdom's walls, you're in serious need of reinforcements."
As soon as Henrietta heard her point, she knew this was a diplomatic deal. Despite her professionalism trying to take over, she knows that she's currently at a disadvantage against Louise. She knows Tristain's current vulnerability and how easily could another country take over them. As much as she wants to make a deal, she has almost nothing to offer other than Tristain's treasury… or her hand in marriage. Rarely does she ever use the second option, one the of the most recent moments being the king of Germania. During Louise's time being missing, Henrietta's mind was frayed while also having the responsibility of ruling over a kingdom bearing down on her. She had initially thought of selfishly sending Louise to a mission to deliver a message to her true beloved, Wales Tudor, but since she went missing she had was forced into a position where she had to chose between Wales and the safety of the kingdom.
Selfishly, she declined the king of Germania's hand. It was a decision that she did not regret to this day, but she knew the consequences of her actions. Without her political marriage with the king of Germania, any attempt of an alliance disappeared. She had thought that Tristain will fair fine without the alliance, but the battle of Albion proved her wrong and look where that got the country now.
"I will not lie; Tristain is in a dire situation right now." She sighed heavily. "With our military being a shadow of its former glory, it would not be hard for a separate country to easily invade us. If need be, I would even be willing to give it away so easily."
Agnes overheard the conversation and she spoke out of reaction. "Your highness! Does not put yourself in such a bad light. Plenty of people respect you and plenty will lay their lived for this country."
Without missing a beat or getting caught off guard by her bodyguard's actions, she spoke back. "I would much prefer it if we did not result to any kind of conflict that involved bloodshed."
"Well…" Louise chimed in gaining the attention of both individuals. She places her elbows on the table while clasping both of her hands together. "maybe there won't be a need for further bloodshed."
Agnes and Henrietta looked confused, so Louise elaborated. "My offer is this; an alliance between Tristain and the Brotherhood of Nod."
Still unconvinced, Henrietta asked. "Why should I ally with this 'Brotherhood of Nod'?"
Louise smirked. "Simple, you ally with the Brotherhood of Nod, and you will have my full support."
"But you are a noble of Tristain. Help should come voluntarily." Agnes said with a disdained look on Louise.
Louise looked to her. "Tell that to the Louise that disappeared. I am different. Your highness, the choice is yours."
There was a long pause of silence as Henrietta played back Louise's offer in her mind. Whatever this 'Brotherhood of Nod' is she could immediately conclude that it is a faction that Louise affiliates with. While she will not question Louise's choices, she feels deserving to know why she joined this faction. More thoughts to store eventually. As for the deal, she considered her options and as far as she knew, she could trust Louise more than Germania's king, not as an ally but as a dear friend. She took a deep breath and looked at Louise. She could also assume that the Brotherhood of Nod is the one responsible for making those black-skull golems that Louise led to battle.
Henrietta clasped her hands together. "Very well, what are your conditions?"
Louise smirked. "I am glad that you see it my way, your highness. With this alliance, Tristain will soon become a kingdom worth looking out for. The Brotherhood of Nod now supports you and your future endeavours. Peace through power."
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Good chapter, I'd say so myself but what do you guys think? Any expectations that you look forward to? Let me know. Also, I noticed that some of the reviews pointed out that Nod's military might is equal, or even, stronger than GDI because Nod recruited the slums in yellow zones. After reading those reviews, I realised that they had a point. I've made a few changes on chapter 2 to correct my mistake.
