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Chapter 41 – days 35 to 37: To Efarar

Princess Belle, Lord Gaston and Commander Byront cheered the arrival of Princess Abigail´s messenger. They assembled in the great marquee that served as the 8th legion's head-quarters. Despite the successive victories of the past days, the threesome knew their troops were weaker than the Ogres and Maleficent, their defenses still too frail and vulnerable. Any help from outside was welcome. Belle read the letter out loud:

Dearest Belle,

If you are reading this letter, it means you and Lord Gaston found your way to one of the camps at the frontiers, which I pray you have. I have important news for you. My father, King Midas, Lord of the City of Gold has answered my request for an alliance with Armithil and he has accepted it. Troops are already in the way and I have the person by me who can best talk about strategies. Therefore I need you to come and meet me with some military leaders from Armithil. I am camped at Efarar. I shall wait for your arrival with anticipation.

Yours truthfully,

Abigail

"This is truly sublime!" Commander Byront exclaimed. "Soldiers from the City of Gold are well known for their military skills! We won perhaps the most valuable ally we could find! Princess Belle, I don't know how pulled it off, but I am truly impressed. You are, beyond doubt, a remarkable person." He spoke sincerely, holding the princess' hands in his, looking at her proudly.

Commander Byrant was one of Armithil's oldest soldiers, coming from a family of strong military traditions. He was a veteran who had served Belles' grandfather and father. He grew up with the tales of King Philip and Lady Aurora to whom his father served during his lifetime. Since his young years, Lord Byront had hoped to serve a righteous ruler, just like his father once had. Lord Byront was inspired by the stories of the couple that shared equal powers and ruled wisely, bringing a time of prosperity and harmony. But his first Lord, King Eduard, had brought an end to this harmonious time. He was a conservative ruler and brought old-fashioned traditions back to the kingdom. Education became restricted to clerics and nobles, the buildings of hospitals were sacrificed for the strengthening of defensive walls, fortresses and castles. Women lost their voice and rights, such as peasants, whose lives were restricted to hard labor. Lord Maurice would follow his father's footsteps and became a war king, due to the First Ogres Wars. Lord Byront, who found himself then at the top of his carrier, was banished from the court when he disagreed with the kings' plans in sending peasant men to the front lines. He had described this action as barbaric and criticized the king's cowardly displays of power. His military titles were taken away and he lived in exile for fourteen long years. Until the day Armithil was taken by the Ogres. Commandant Byront was one of the first military leaders to arrive at the frontiers and organize retaliation. He had been banished from the court, but his soldier's heart had always been truthful to Armithil's people. For long he had prayed for a wise and judicious ruler to come, but all he ever had were disappointments. His many prayers had been finally answered in the form of a young, petite and beautiful princess. Belle possessed all the qualities he sought in a ruler: bravery, cleverness, initiative, self-sacrifice, honesty and compassion.

"I shall send messengers to the 3rd, 7th and 10th legions so their commanders will accompany us to Efarar. We shall depart in the morrow." The commander announced and made his way to find the legion´s fastest messenger.

Lord Gaston excused himself too, leaving Belle in the marquee alone, reading and rereading Princess Abigail's letter with great fondness. The memory of the warm-hearted woman who, despite of being a total stranger, risked her safety to save Belle from King George's madness. The beauty thanked the gods she had kept her promise in contacting King Midas. The princess lifted her head, while she folded the letter to put away in her pocket. Her eyes followed uninterested Lord Gaston's figure, walking away towards the wooden towers. In her happiness, she had missed his frown.

Lord Gaston paced fast and his eyes were dark of anger. He was fuming from frustration. Not that he was unhappy with the current developments, by the contrary. He was thrilled with their small but accumulative victories. His heart rejoiced with the anticipation of the coming of a new, larger and stronger army. He would fight, like he did in the past years and days, with great skill and glory. Tales were written about Armithil's Champion, songs praised his courage and skilled swordfight. He was frustrated because all his great deeds, all his glorious achievements were overshadowed by one single person: Princess Belle.

He could do whatever he wanted: assembly the court and all the world's militaries, plan brilliant strategies that would bring them victories. He could even be the man to free King Maurice from the clenches of Maleficent. But, in the end, it would be Princess Belle the one to be admired, reworded and venerated. It frustrated him that it was she and not him who won the alliance with King Midas. It frustrated him that it was she and not him, who conquered the trust of Armithil's men, just like she had gained King Leopold's alliance. It frustrated him that he put all his energy in thinking out plans and strategies to win the Ogres, that he made inspiring speeches before battle, that he sweated blood and tears in the war, while she, with just a smile won everybody and everything. For this, he was frustrated. Because she and not him, had become the leader, the centre of attentions, the person everybody listened to, obeyed and admired. Princess Belle, the Lady of Armithil, had become a mother, a sister, a daughter for her people. Lord Gaston, the hero and Champion of Armithil had fallen into the background and played merely a secondary role.

But what frustrated Lord Gaston most was the loyalty and devotion he felt for the young woman. He defied anybody who would not fall in love with her. But not in the way lovers did. This was a different kind of love. It was vassalage. The loyalty and blind devotion any noble and soldier would give a ruler. Because she was so easy to love, to trust and to believe. He was forced to admit; bitterly however, that he admired the small but mighty woman. It frustrated him, but in the end, Gaston realized Belle had conquered his soldier's heart for she had become his Queen. He would follow her to the end of the word to protect her. Lord Gaston realized he would die for her.

An escort of seventy men rode silently through the reign of Queen Regina. The other commanders of the three legions gathered together in a cross road and brought with them their elite groups. Men specialized in tracking, in recognizing signs of spies and ambushes. Men specialized in the arts of man to man fight and archery. The escort with the mission of protecting Princess Belle.

Efarar wasn't too far away. With only a journey of a day and a half, the escort from Armithil would reach the land of King Midas. The militaries chose to travel through the Dark Forest, under the shadows of the trees. They hoped to travel unnoticed, for everybody was aware of the great dangers of this risky travel. Fortunately the journey went on without any incidents. Sometimes they would see a flock of black ravens, Queen Regina's watchers, flying high in the skies, but the thick branches of the tall trees kept the escort invisible. They travelled at a good speed and the following day, around noon, the escort reached Tedogua's margin, a long and sinuous river that separated Snowland from the Country of Gold. A small group of vanguards was sent to recognize the bridge connecting the two neighboring lands. Once the other side was reached and after checking for any indication of dangers, they signed that it was safe to cross over. The commanders switched concerned looks, but one by one, crossed the stoned path. Princess Belle sighed of relieve when she reached the other side of the river. She watched with a smile the seventy men carefully cross the stone bridge and reach the margin safely.

"I'm so glad we made it!" All Belle's worries from the past day faded away when the last man stepped of Midas' ground. "I can't believe Queen Regina missed us, we were so lucky!" Lord Gaston, Commander Byront and the other leaders smiled warmly at the princess excitement, but once she turned her back, worried looks were switched.

"It was too easy." Lord Gaston whispered. The other commanders nodded. It was true. Except for the ravens' flocks, not a sign of Queen Regina's power was displayed anywhere. No guards or spies were to be found in the forest. The strangest of all was the fact the stone bridge was unguarded, which was absolutely unthinkable, since it was a connecting point between the two kingdoms.

"If I didn't know better, I would say Her Majesty wanted us to reach Efarar." The commander of the 3rd legion revealed everybody's thoughts.

"It's our return journey that we must fear the most." Commander Byront told.

Soon they all stopped. Two riders coming from the end of the road approached them. Everybody recognized the City of Gold's uniform and their hearts rejoiced silently. They had reached camp Efarar.

"Princess Belle!"

"Lady Abigail! Oh, I'm so glad to see you!"

"You look great!" the blond princess said and the women embraced sisterly and looked better at each other.

"So do you! You're even more beautiful than the last time I saw you." Princess Belle honestly said. She noticed the other woman blush slightly and her eyes had a new glint.

"Well, they say when you are in love …" Abigail spoke almost sheepishly.

"That's great! I'm so happy things between you and Prince James are well." Belle spoke enthusiastically and watched the other woman's blush deepen.

"Well, actually, James and I aren't together anymore." The blond princess confessed. "We took separate ways to be with our true love." She said while her eyes rested on a tall knight who was talking to Armithil's commanders.

"Who is he?"

"Frederick."

"The Champion of Midas? But…I thought he was under a horrible curse."

"And he was, but thanks to James bravery and astuteness, the lost warrior of the City of Gold was released from the curse."Abigail said while she smiled lovingly in the direction of her love, who returned the smile with the same happy glow in his eyes.

Belle's heart warmed up for the happy couple and smiled tenderly. But a part of her wanted to cry of agony. A part of her wanted to crumble down of misery. Since the night she escaped Leostille, she has heard nothing of Rumpelstiltskin. She had recently sent a messenger to Kriemont in secrecy, and waited still for a response. She felt embarrassed for taking such a selfish decision, for using a soldier for personal reasons. Messengers were crucial during these difficult times and their presence was always needed and required to pass important messages from one camp to the other. But in the end, it was the messenger who supported her request and stressed the importance of them being reunited as couple. Belle realized back then she had chosen the most loyal and compete soldier in the camp and trusted the mission would be fulfilled. But as days passed by and no response came, Belle's heart sunk in despair, scared for a possible rejection from Rumpelstiltskin and unfair accusations from Gaston and Lord Byront. Belle shook away her distressing thoughts. She needed to focus. They were living a war and it was her task to bring it to an end. Her lonely heart could wait a while longer.

"What about Prince James? What happened to him?" Belle asked, camouflaging any suffering she was going through.

"Remember when he said nobody should marry somebody they didn't love? Well, he followed his heart, and refused to marry me. I protected him from King George's men and he helped me save Frederic. Afterwards he went in search of Princess Snow White, for they too have found true love."

"Snow White! So she is well?" Belle asked almost desperately. She smiled widely as Abigail nodded. The beauty almost cried of happiness. Snow, her beloved best friend was alive. She survived the Queen's anger. But best of all, she had found love. "Oh, I do hope they have found each other!"

"Knowing Prince James persistence and determination, I'm sure they have." Princess Abigail held her hands on Belle's. "But Princess Belle, I do believe you came to Efarar to discuss matters of war and not of love. Let us join the men."

And so, the two princesses, laughing together, walked towards the commanders of both kingdoms, who stood around a large table, already discussing their strategies.

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