Looking down at Edward, Isra peacefully smiled as she stroked his hair. Alfred waited at the door for her, and seeing her smiling face caused him to flash his own. Going into the room opposite, he sat down and looked up at him with serious eyes. "I need to tell you something."

Alfred raised his eyebrow and took a seat next to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her in. "What?" He could see the slight hesitation in her face.

"I’ve been thinking and... and I want to join the front for the war."

"Isra," Alfred paused. I know we talked about this, but are you sure? I mean, Edward is older, but I can’t help but worry. You know this."

"I want to Alfred. I have been training for so long and finally feel confident enough to do so. Besides, isn’t this what you promised all those years ago."

Hearing her argument, he couldn’t argue and looked her in the eyes. "Are you sure?" he seriously asked. There was no going back for her, but Isra, with a conviction he rarely saw, nodded. "Fine."

Smiling, she leaned in and hugged Alfred, but she felt slightly bad that she didn’t tell him the whole truth. While part of her desire to go to the war was because she wanted to, another part of it was to help secure Edward’s future. She needed to prove herself to more than just the nobles. She needed the military’s support.

They wouldn’t follow her just because of her title as Empress; Alfred had made them to be more than that. She needed to become one of them, and proving her worth was the only way. If one of the bastards became prominent in the military in the future, she needed a foothold firmly established first.

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Henryk looked out at the large river that split the Commonwealth. Sighing, he saw the enemy camp set up and couldn’t help but wonder how long the war would last. Whilst he understood why Alfred didn’t attack immediately, it was only a matter of time before Snowid found the means to even the odds.

"Your Grace." One of the nobles walked over to Henryk and held out a letter for him. "Your son has sent word." Giving the messenger a nod, he took the letter and quickly read. His lips slightly curled reading the contents as he walked back to the tent that had been set up for his war council.

"Gentleman," the men all stood up to greet him, quickly being waved off. "The Empire will soon be getting directly involved with the war." The men all happily smiled upon hearing his words. They all knew that the Civil War was a front for the real invasion and had resigned themselves to that fate. While they were doing well right now, it was only because the Empire had been giving them support.

It was a lie to say they weren’t sceptical initially, but they were smart enough to know that the only way to come out on top was to cling to them. It was better than having them and their families end up like one of the many families who vanished under Alfred’s reign.

Henryk saw his allies’ faces and nodded in satisfaction. "For now, we must hold for a couple of months. They will begin mobilising, but to prepare the invading force will take time." Everyone understood, and Henryk walked out of the tent. Looking at the letter again, he felt slightly bad for omitting the detail that their new overlord had already begun making preparations to purge the nobles in his manor, but he knew better than to make his men nervous.

A feeling of excitement washed over the old duke as he looked at the enemy camp across the river. He had started his war to get revenge on Snowid but it had change dover time. Whilst his hatred till burnt strong, the chance to finally fix his home had become a great motivator. Even if it his lands were under a new banner, it would still be home.

He also couldn’t help but think of fighting with his long-time enemy. The Guardian of the Empire, The General of the Ammary Military. He had never hated the Flander’s house; instead, he respected them. And never did he think that the time to fight alongside William would come. He knew he would never be able to get anywhere in the Empire, but hopefully, if he proved his worth for Alfred in the war, his son and his house would become known more than traitors who switched sides.

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"Marcus." Walking over, William saluted the man, and he returned it. "How are things with this lot?" William looked at the new recruits, and Marcus smiled.

"They won’t be ready for the war, but it’s steady. A year or two, and they will be good enough."

"Good. You have new orders. Come." Marcus put down the sword in his hand and looked at the recruits he was training. Calling over one of his commanders, he handed the training to him and walked off with William.

"What is it?" Marcus asked casually as he finally could relax.

"His Majesty want you to take charge of Duke Henryk’s southern defence. It has come to our attention that the south is struggling to hold, and whilst they can last, we need assurance."

Marcus sighed and scratched his chin. "Am I able to take any of our men with me, or do I have to rely on what they have."

"Five hundred. It’s all I can allow you to take until we begin the full invasion." Marcus clicked his tongue in annoyance and nodded.

"It’s better than nothing, at least."

"Hmmm. It was actually Issac who recommended you for this." Marcus looked at him in surprise.

"I thought he didn’t like me." Despite what he said, Marcus smiled. "What do you need me to do? Make a breach in the south or..."

"No. Just defend the South. Stop Snowid’s advance at all costs. I will follow up in the next few months. That’s when you attack. Head to Far Mile and wait for your convoy. After that, you have free reign to act as you see fit."

"Understood. Marcus slammed his fist on his chest and walked off. Walking out, he wondered what Alfred’s plan was. They could have already started the war when the civil war kicked off and tried to think why Alfred delayed things. If he was to take over for William, he needed to understand.

Ideas ran through his mind, from weakening Snowid to weakening their new allies, but each one felt more plausible than the other. Sighing, he gave up and just lumped them all together as reasons. They all felt right, and dwelling on it would take him away from his current mission. He was a soldier right now, and all he had to do was follow orders. He didn’t need to see the entire picture yet. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

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"Sister." Lesezek walked into the dining room, where his sister ate alone. Taking a seat next to her, she ignored him and focused solely on the food. Walking in a couple of seconds later, Konrad gave a bow and took his seat.

"Konrad aswell." Ada emotionally said as she took a sip of wine. "What is this?"

Looking at Konrad’s angelic smile, Lesezek nodded to start. "Princess, your father has sent word. You need to get married."

Ada took another sip of wine before cutting into the small pieces of veg on her plate. "Who?" Konrad reached into the bag on his waist and pulled out a couple of documents. He took out three sheets of paper and spread them on the table. On them was a list of information about each candidate.

Looking at them, Ada frowned and stabbed her knife through one of the papers. "Not him." Lesezek looked at the Nogrovod Prince Ada rule out and, taking the paper, also frowned.

"Is he the only candidate from there?"

"All the others have been married off. The Grand Prince has had trouble marrying him off for a good reason." All of them knew about the Prince’s behaviour. He was an unfaithful man who had already been married twice, each marriage ending with his wife vanishing. As Ada looked at the remaining two, Konrad pulled the paper away, excepting that.

"Send word to the other two; whoever replies, I will marry." Ada didn’t care about the remaining two, both equally boring. It was something she wanted. She wanted it; it was why she married Izaak before they died. Someone who wouldn’t be unfaithful but also wouldn’t try and control her life.

Konrad nodded and looked at Lesezek next. "Your father also wishes for you to marry Prince." Clicking his tongue, he raised his hand, stopping Konrad from showing the candidates out.

"Just choose whoever will give the most support for the Commonwealth. Also, no one married previously." Konrad nodded and got up to carry out the order, leaving the siblings. Putting her cutlery down, Ada looked at her brother with cold eyes.

"How is the situation?" She had been left in the dark for a while about the war, and whilst her brother had kept her informed, he had mainly been running around trying to keep the Commonwealth together during the war.

"Seeing as Father has married us off, I assume not good. The nobles are growing weary from the higher taxes forced on them, but Piast has strangely been quiet for now."

"That rat?" Ada said in confusion. "Any reason?"

"He was the one who predicted Henryk’s rebellion. While he may not like the Crown, he doesn’t want the Empire to lord over him. If father tolerates him, the Blood Child will remove him. He is too influential, after all."

"It that clown still running around?" Ada asked, and Lesezek fell into thought before chuckling, understanding who Ada was about.

"Chimel ran off to Henryk as soon as he started the war. The men we planted in the noble faction have been getting letters from him. Some ask for support, but most are him bragging about being Henryk’s closet’s confidant." Ada softly chuckled and shook her head.

"So he is useless." Her brother nodded with an equally wide smile.

"A clown. The Blood Child may make a court jester if he wins the war." The two shared a laugh as Lesezek took his sisters wine glass and downed its contents.