The fortress loomed over the flat plains. With tall stone walls and imposing metal gates, it stood guard over the Dimorin Plains. As Elizabeth rode closer, the roads were slowly being occupied by more soldiers on horseback. Besides herself and Benedict, everyone else was fully armed. There were no civilians to speak of. It was an oddly menacing atmosphere. Any one of these people could take her life at any point. There was no helping her fear. She knew no one. She trusted no one.
They reached one of the gates in half an hour's time. As procedure, the captain was explaining things to the officer on duty, both exchanging grim faces. The officer took one look at Benedict and verified his identity. Benedict's position was a bit special, as one of the few Aerial Reconnaissance squadron captains in Fortress Fallinard. Not to mention, he was a bona-fide Grand Lord from the Hawken Household. The Grand Nobility Households stood at the apex of nobility and power in the Alzar Kingdom. Therefore, it was not unexpected that many people knew his face.
"What's the matter here?" a woman's voice carried over.
Immediately, the officer on duty and the surrounding guards stood at attention. "Commander, we rescued two members of Sir Benedict's squadron from Elwin Path, Sir Benedict and…" The officer stared at Elizabeth, but he did not remember her face anywhere…
"That's very good. Do we know what happened to them?"
"According to them, they were attacked by a Xingyuu reconnaissance party."
"In Elwin Path?" the commander frowned. She thought for a bit before replying, "The warfront should be further south in the Goron Desert. If the Xingyuu Empire has moved into the Etera Province, then we might be in for a bitter fight."
"Are you saying this is going to be another Battle of the Millennium?" the officer murmured.
Those mere words were enough to shake the mood of everyone, but the commander curtly responded, "Don't worry. If another Battle of the Millennium happened again, it wouldn't be called Battle of the Millennium anymore."
"That's right," some soldiers laughed, and the mood gradually returned.
"However, the movements of the Xingyuu Empire's army do worry me. I will report it to the War Council and the Royal Assembly. Where is Sir Benedict? His squadron's contributions must be rewarded."
"He's unconscious, commander. His subordinate on the other hand…" the officer gestured.
The commander raised her head to look at the mounted hooded girl and Elizabeth returned the gaze. The commander was a well-proportioned older woman with long brown hair and sharp features. As she stood amongst the crowd, she demanded a high level of respect and admiration from her troops. Being the Lady Commander of Fortress Fallinard spoke volumes of her leadership and experience. But Elizabeth focused on her face, not her post, and could not restrain her shock. Similarly, the commander's strong appearance could not help but falter.
"Auntie Christina!" Elizabeth shouted. Ignoring the pain, she leapt off her horse and sprinted over.
Commander Christina was stunned and so were the soldiers around. To show such a blatantly lack of respect to the commander was heavily punishable! The knight standing next to Christina reached for his sword, but she stopped him short. Elizabeth jumped into Christina's embrace, burying herself in the woman's bosom, and cried tears of happiness. Just when she thought she lost everyone and the world abandoned her, the gods decided to grant her this one mercy. Christina returned the hug, and stroked Elizabeth's hair gently. Gone was the nuance of an infallible military leader, and a tender mother took its place.
"How did you get here, Elizabeth?" the woman asked. "You should still be on New Havens, no?"
"Gone…" Elizabeth whispered in a frail voice.
Christina was silent. "You've suffered a lot. First, tend to your wounds. We can talk later, okay?" Elizabeth nodded, but was unwilling to let go. "In that case, I'll be assigning guards for your protection. Captain, arrange for a handful of High Knights for her and take her to the infirmary."
The captain was surprised. Though High Knights could not contend with Great Knights or Grand Knights, they were still a rarity here in Fortress Fallinard. They served as a cornerstone of their military prowess, and only acted in special circumstances. To have a handful protect this girl… He wondered over her identity, but he carried out his duties unquestioningly. He shouted off a few orders to the other soldiers standing by, and quickly five High Knights of the Realm arrived in spotless plate armor adorned with orange capes. They saluted the commander who nodded in approval. Eventually, Elizabeth let Christina free, and she was brought to the infirmary with Benedict.
By the time dusk came, Elizabeth was treated by various doctors. Thankfully, there was nothing severe. Her sprained ankle would heal in a week. Her shoulder was slightly worse, but it would heal in a few weeks. Benedict's situation was more complicated, and he had yet to regain consciousness. Even the doctors were surprised at his vitality. A normal person might have died already. However, if he was given enough time, then all his wounds would heal. It was truly a miracle. Elizabeth unexpectedly felt relief hearing the news.
Later, she was brought to Christina's office at the center of the fortress. The room itself was split into two: one side was the commander's personal living quarters, while the other was her workspace. Living quarters aside, the workspace was very plain. A simple, large desk decorated one side with a wall-sized window covering it. Since they were on the top floor of the fortress, the window provided a panorama of the entire fortress city and the plains surrounding it. A fireplace was set aside with a glamourous painting of Commander Christina dressed in her military uniform above the mantlepiece. Dozens of documents were scattered everywhere, detailing military plans, maps, and daily reports.
A servant was busy clearing the desk and placed several dishes of food on it, but it was clearly too small for such an extravagant meal. In a way, it looked silly to Elizabeth, and she cheered up a little. Once the servant was finished, she left and closed the door behind her. Elizabeth felt her rumbling stomach and stared at the food. The aroma of the meals was enough for her to salivate. She had nothing to eat until now!
"Please, take a seat," Christina smiled. The two sat across from one another and started to dig in. "Here, try the Azena River's freshwater salmon. It's a local specialty, and my chef has a recipe to die for. The pastries are also freshly baked so you should eat some before they go cold." Elizabeth felt nostalgic. She remembered that whenever Auntie Christina would show up, she would always act like this. This was all done to comfort her. Unknowingly, her mood was uplifted, and she could smile once more.
When the meal was over, a servant brought over some cups filled with tea. Christina hesitated, but decided to breach the topic. "Elizabeth, what happened? How did you get here?" to which Elizabeth recalled all the events till now. "That explains why you were with Sir Benedict then. The Hawken Household has truly done the crown another great service."
"Tell me, who were they and why did they attack New Havens?" Elizabeth flared in fury. She clenched her fists till they turned white.
"The Xingyuu Empire, a longstanding enemy of our Alzar Kingdom. We've been at war with them for the past five hundred years. Honestly, what a heinous bunch they are to attack a harmless settlement like New Havens! They must have seen the strategic value in a flying island and decided to invade it. Your family were nice people. They did not deserve such an ending." Seeing Elizabeth so emotional, Christina felt her heart ache. "Don't worry. I will safely escort you to the capital city, Algard. Queen Bethnal and the Master of Strategy will tell you more once we're there."
Elizabeth promptly rejected the idea. "Edward wanted me to find help. He's probably still waiting for me to return. Auntie Christina, please, I beg of you! Help me get revenge on the Xingyuu Empire and save New Havens!" She had even gotten on her hands and knees to beg. If disgracing herself was all it took to save her family, she would gladly do it in a heartbeat.
But Christina was put in an awkward position. She wanted to help, yet… "By your accounts, the invasion force on New Havens should number in the hundreds, right? Fortress Fallinard does not have a standing aerial force that size. In fact, Sir Benedict's squadron was one of the few that we had." Upon seeing Elizabeth's crestfallen expression, Christina said, "It isn't entirely impossible… I heard General Gordon, one of the Southern Army Generals, is on his way back to the capital with his army. They should have a large aerial force. He should be in Nightwin, about two days on horseback from here. If we ask him for help, he might be able to lend us his support."
Despite saying that, Christina knew she was overstepping her authority. Although she was officially a Brigade Commander herself, an Army General was two ranks higher than her in the military. A Brigade Commander had authority over five thousand troops whereas an Army General commanded a hundred thousand. The scale of power the two wielded was truly worlds apart. In the worst case, she would be severely punished and demoted. But seeing Elizabeth, whom she had known since the former was a baby, so defeated hurt Christina's consciousness. Moreover, the injustice that Elizabeth's family received needed to be repaid.
"Thank you so much!" Elizabeth cried. "Thank you! Thank you…"
"It'll be alright. I'm sure your family is safe and fine," Christina comforted. "I still have a few matters to deal with, so we'll depart in two days for Nightwin. Okay?"
"Yes, thank you!"