Inside of the throne room, the Twelve gathered to await Ulrich's arrival after his speech. After a long period of concern for their king, they finally felt a feeling of relief. During his speech, they could all feel a rekindled spirit within him. The darkness within his heart seemed to have lifted somewhat. The appearance of the stranger was something that greatly concerned them, as they never saw the man leave. Alicia and Leanna were both very relieved by Ulrich's words. Unlike the others, they saw something inside of Ulrich that was consuming him. Alicia was the only one who knew that it had something to do with the stranger. The voice that spoke to her in her prayer assured her that the stranger's intent was nullified by the words and gifts given to Saint Elizabeth.
It seemed that the intent, was to have Ulrich face the gods alone, with no assistance and to let his own hate and lack of faith be his downfall. The only thing that was on her mind now, was the appearance of the valkyrie princess. She knew a bit of Brynhildr's relationship with her brother, though she disliked how she would show off in front of him. When they were returning from Sastin, Ulrich had ventured into a nearby grove for a period of time. While she did see a figure leaving the grove, she didn't know that it was her. What puzzled her, was that Ulrich was still acting like he had no assistance from anyone since they returned. It seemed that it was time for her to get some answers. Bryn then appeared from the staircase first, her cheeks now back to their normal pearl colored skin tone. Her wings were tucked away against her back, making her seem like a normal human.
"I apologize for arriving in such an informal way. Allow me to formally introduce myself to you all, My name is Brynhildr, Princess of the Valkyries. I was informed of Camelot's dire situation by King Ulrich on his way back from Sastin. He didn't ask for any assistance, but as a named warrior of my queen and goddess Freyja, we couldn't allow him to face these hardships without assistance. I travelled to the lands of your allies and informed them of your plight. I then met with King Ulrich in his garden, shortly before his speech, it was his idea for us to come in the way we did. Allow me to say, it is truly an honor to meet with the warriors for whom our goddess Freyja looks upon so highly." Alicia rolled her eyes at Bryn's words, she knew that she was speaking in a formal way simply for appearances. However, it seemed the others were convinced by her acting, as they all bowed humbly and exchanged words with her to not bow down to warriors when she, herself, was a princess. Maria spoke the words that was on everyone else's minds.
"Princess, you say that King Ulrich is a named warrior of your queen, what exactly does that mean? Also, what is your relationship with him, he seems to hold you in high regard according to his speech." Maria looked closely at Bryn's expressions and could clearly see her cheeks begin to slightly redden. The others on the Council all seemed to notice the air of the situation and took a step back and decided to listen to her explanation. While they all knew of King Ulrich's many exploits as king, they didn't really know much of his exploits when he was sent to the many different kingdoms and territories to train and study. In fact, the only person to know of his travels to the old norse lands was Alicia, who accompanied him for study, and Artorius, since he was asked by Ulrich's mother, Rose, if he was prepared enough to be trained there.
"Um, yes, King Ulrich is a named warrior of lady Freyja. It's more of a title, like his title of Hero of the Moonlight Goddess. Freyja granted him the name Siegfried. It is composed of the Germanic elements sig, meaning victory, and frithu, meaning peace or protection. My lady gave him this title to mean, victory in peace, as she admired his dream of a peaceful world where all could live together as one. As for why she named him, well, she sees him as one of her mortal children. She took a liking to him and often communed with him in our temple on the isle of Valkyria." Bryn's eyes seemed to be dodgy and she was sure to not look Maria in the eyes. She could tell that Maria must have some feelings for Ulrich. It wasn't Maria that worried her that much, however, the one she was wary of was the little sister. Despite her many attempts, Alicia always seemed to rebuff her attempts at friendship.Maria noticed her refusal to look at her and pressed more.
"That explains the named warrior. Honestly, I had no idea that my king was favored by such a goddess. Though, he never really speaks much about his private affairs, which is why it was such a surprise to hear him say that you two had such a close relationship. He hasn't ever really spoken highly of many people, which is why we are so interested to hear why you are highly regarded by him. So, could you explain that to us Princess." Maria then crossed her arms. The others on the Council all had the same thoughts as Maria did. He rarely ever spoke highly of individuals. The Fairy Forest princess and Babylon's princess coming weren't really surprising since they knew of King Ulrich and his ancestors forging and maintaining those alliances. Yet, despite that, he never spoke of them in the same way he addressed Brynhildr. The air between the two was tense, it was obvious now to Artorius, that what Hilda said about the princess's shyness was indeed true. Maria was practically commanding the room, so much so that Nina and Alicia were both moving to try and alleviate the situation. However, it wasn't needed, as Ulrich's footsteps were then heard coming down the stairs. He observed everyone and walked up beside Brynhildr.
"Maria, that's enough, I'll answer those questions at a later time. What I wanted to discuss with you all is our plans from here on out. This event was very much rushed and I didn't account for a lot of what has happened. If I'm being honest, luck played a huge role. I want to know if there were any concerns with anything I spoke of, if there are, I'd like to hear them now." The Twelve all looked amongst each other, each waiting for another to speak. Finally, Artorius spoke up.
"My King, with all of the troops heading to Camelot in the future, I can say that we have a fighting chance in two years. My concern is with the two armies from the Western Federation and the Holy Empire. With all of our power, they won't be a threat to us, however, they will hold up our plans for establishing traps and fortifications against the gods. They do not yet know of our allies and the dragon, so we were wondering what the plan was for them." Ulrich looked at the rest of the Twelve and could see that they were all wondering the same.
"I have already thought of a plan for that. Nina, Laura, and Robert will lead a force into the western forest, the Federation will have to pass through the forest to reach us, luckily, they don't know we have the element of surprise. Since we know they plan to attack us, that will give us time to set up an operating base in the forest. I'm selecting you three because I want you to engage them in guerrilla warfare. Their forces won't be able to handle the many different attacks in the forest. Numbers won't matter, their vision will be obscured, cavalry will be useless, and with Nina and her rangers setting traps for them, they'll quickly be defeated. Their demigod knights will be the biggest threat, we don't know how powerful they are, so I want Nina and Robert to handle any and all that may appear. I will goad them into launching an invasion earlier than they intend, that will make most of their plans useless."
"We can accomplish all of that King Ulrich, but how are you going to get them to attack us before they can prepare?" Robert spoke in confidence, however, it was a bit far fetched for Ulrich to get them to act recklessly. A smile appeared on Ulrich's face.
"I will be adding some new members to the council, they will be in charge of our new divisions. Succubi and Incubi will be used in espionage against the Federation. Luckily for us, the federation doesn't look down upon them, otherwise this plan wouldn't work. They only serve to entertain the aristocrats there, but they can have no proper living there, so they will assassinate some of them, sowing discord." The knights all seemed a bit shocked at Ulrich's candid use of such a method, until Nina spoke up.
"My King, allow me to lead that operation. I have some of them in my unit, they are well trained. That will give you more time to set up the new division with a new head at the table. Setting up the division will require training the individuals as well, so I think it would be best if you allow me to take care of that. The rest of my rangers will stay behind and carry out the previous plans. My members will be able to lure them to favorable positions for an archer, such as myself. With some skill, I may be able to thin out their demigod ranks as well. As a member of the royal family, they will definitely expend all they have to apprehend me and it will implicate us starting a war. The citizens will cry out for revenge. I can also escort out as many succubi slaves as I can. There just may be a few hidden cards we can grab while there." Nina had a mischievous smile on her face, though, underneath it was a bloodthirsty aura. Ulrich put his hand to his chin and thought about it for a moment.
"Alright, I'll entrust this mission to you. On the condition, that if you are in danger of being captured or killed, you must withdraw immediately. We will need you for the upcoming battles to come. Is that understood?" Nina nodded, the three then took a knee to bow to their king. Laura was the final member of the team to speak.
"My King, I would also like to request the assistance of a few of the dryad race to accompany my fairy unit. Their abilities will allow our plan to become trivial, their connection with the forest, along with Nina's, will be invaluable in our tactics." Ulrich smiled nervously, he didn't expect Laura, one of the more kindhearted and peaceful of the Twelve, to suggest using the dryads to make their tactics more efficient. Unknown to Ulrich, Laura despised the Federation, they destroyed most of the forests surrounding the lands they rule. Killing many of the fairies and dryads who had made it their home, including some peaceful magical beasts.
"I will allow it." The three then rose and stood at attention as Ulrich continued. "The Holy Empire will be a bit more tricky. The Federation won't have any gods as unknown variables. Their gods will most likely be a part of the first wave to come against us, however, the Empire is bound to have some. The one thing we have going for us in that front, is that they value human supremacy, they won't have any hidden tricks of other races. What concerns me, is the old blood that they possess." Artorius's head moved quickly towards Ulrich.
"You really think they'd use them against us? If so, it would be very difficult to overcome them on their own turf. I would suggest luring them to Camelot, then wiping them out here. However, that would put our people in danger of the old blood. We can't rely on such tricks as with the Federation, they are a powerful force. It would be smart of us not to show our trump cards, so using the dragon and our allies is out of the question. King Ulrich, I think you know what we must do." Ulrich nodded, however, he still maintained a smile on his face.
"Leanna, Savaris, Artorius, Elizabeth, and myself will head to the Empire with our forces. The old blood they possess will be rendered useless against the Saints and Savaris's magic knights. The gods that come out will be handled by Artorius and myself. Leanna will command her expeditionary units and Artorius's knights. Artorius's demigod ranked knights will fight with the two of us. We will face them in head to head battle." Alicia quickly interjected, knowing that a siege of New Canaan would be impossible.
"Brother, that will be heading to your deaths. Their archers and sorcerers will rain down attacks onto you. Also, their demigod ranked knights number in the thousands. The old blood warriors will also be relentless when attacking, it will be a one sided battle and all they will have to do is wait for them to whittle down your forces before finishing you off. I can't agree with this strategy." Maria also quickly spoke up.
"I agree with Princess Alicia my King, to successfully go against them, we'd need everyone at our disposal. At least take me and Aurelius Dagonet with you to destroy their walls, I'm confident we could do it." Ulrich held up his hand in the air.
"No, it will only be us, however, I will take into consideration the manpower. Princess Brynhildr will accompany us with a small force of her warriors. I am leaving Alicia in charge of Camelot, while you, Barric, Richard, and Gerald defend it in our absence. By the time we launch this campaign, Nina, Robert, and Laura should return from their mission, provided they accomplish it within my expected calculations. If there is a need for reinforcements, a valkyrie will be dispatched to inform you of the required assistance needed, however, I know that they will meet us in open combat. It will be more of a duel between forces, rather than a full war." Maria looked at Bryn, her eyes were filled with jealousy. Why would her take her instead of his knight protector?
"How do you know that brother?" Alicia walked up to Ulrich and looked at him in the eyes. She hoped to see the same resentment and hate that was there, that way she could say that his mind was clouded, but instead, she saw his silvery blue eyes glistening with such clarity and peace, that it erased her worries. Alicia then realized his eye color changed again, but now that she knew he was favored by a moon goddess, it didn't bother her like it did the last time she saw them. She then realized that his eyes made her forget what her initial complaint was, until he spoke and reminded her.
"Because the god that is in charge of their forces right now will agree to my demands of a head to head battle. Knowing his hubris, he'll assume that his forces are mightier and more well trained than ours. However, we have the added benefits of different races and their skills. Our knights and demigod ranked knights will be much more powerful than theirs. You forget, we have demon kin amongst our ranks, that will make many of their warriors act on rage and they will not be able to fight with their full capabilities. Elizabeth's saints have numerous specialties, including the special saints that Leanna herself will be commanding along with the expeditionary force." Leanna smiled at Ulrich and gripped her sword.
On the way back from Sastin, she had made a breakthrough with her training in saint hood. When Ulrich became king, Leanna, Alicia, and Maria all aspired to reach the level of saint. Saint's weren't only healers and miracle users. The special saints Ulrich referred to, the unit Leanna would be taking control over from Elizabeth, were referred to as war saints. Their faith allowed them to become imbued with unimaginable strength, the distinctive feature of this was the shaking that would take over their bodies. However, Leanna was a special case, her breakthrough allowed her to reach a point that only the Far East's warriors could achieve. She was the only one trained by a saint of the Far East. She had become a Sword Saint, or Kensei, in the Far East's language. The faith came from one's own soul, their blade, and their mind. Only when one could allow all three to harmonize and have true faith in all three, would they achieve such a state to be called a sword saint.
"She had a breakthrough recently and is now a sword saint, meaning she has reached a level similar to Artorius and myself. Savaris's magic knights will also be able to deal with any threat with their unbreakable defense and earth shattering magic. The Saints under Elizabeth, will heal and purify the old blood warriors while also providing us a magic barrier that will shield us from sneak attacks, should they be so petty. I know it sounded stupid to fight them head on thinking they will do just that, however, our goal is to make them suffer enough losses that they refuse to attack in the future. I know it sounds hard to believe, but the one who leads the Empire's army right now, is Ares. Goddess Freyja informed us that he was in charge of their army and that he is one of three gods in the Empire. He leads them. He is a god of war, meaning he won't pass up on a chance to battle either myself or Artorius."
Maria and Alicia looked at each other and could tell that Ulrich had made up his mind. If Ulrich's idea was successful, then they would be able to continue to prepare for the war in two years. Also, if anything were to happen in the meantime, The princess of Babylon and the princess of the Fairy Forest would be in Camelot with Alicia, the three princesses could easily repel any other invaders who would hope to take advantage of half of the Twelve being gone. Alicia let out a heavy sigh. "Alright, I'll let you try out your plan. However, if Ares refuses, or if the three gods prove to be to much, we will march on New Canaan to save you. I'm sure Sir Artorius can hold out long enough for reinforcements, however, I worry about you and Leanna being able to." Leanna scowled at Alicia.
"Well, cuz you said that, I'll be sure to bring ya the god's head that I chop off for ya. I'll be sure to remind our King to do the same." She then let out a laugh and smile while looking at Alicia. Alicia rolled her eyes at her cousin's words. Savaris then spoke up.
"My King, I believe we should think about bringing some fairy healers will us. They will be able to consistently supply us with magic so that we won't run out. I believe it will help us if the battle drags on for to long." Ulrich nodded at Savaris's request. The Twelve then all bowed.
"Alright, well that's the plan concerning the two kingdoms. Our plans for the gods will be discussed at a later date, as will the new divisions and new members of the Council. For now, I believe that it would be good for morale if we joined the big celebration that is being held outside. Alicia, inform all the cooks to prepare a feast. Leanna, I'll leave informing the distilleries of the celebration to you. Make sure they bring out the best of everything. I think it would be a good break to celebrate with our people. It may be the last celebration we have for a while." The knights then quickly left through the doors. Alicia and Leanna quickly left to accomplish their tasks. The sounds of celebration could be heard from inside, it had been steadily growing louder as time went on. Ulrich let out a sigh before walking up to, and taking a seat in his throne. Maria and Brynhildr standing at either side of him.
Alicia was glad that she didn't have to be in the room when Ulrich explained everything to Maria. She wouldn't forget about something like that. As long as Bryn was there, she knew Maria would persist in finding out the truth. Alicia remembered when they first met Bryn. She wanted to be become friends with her since they were both princesses, however, due to their age difference, she knew that she would only be viewed as a little sister. Also, she didn't like how she always used to make Ulrich spend time with her in such underhanded ways. She would always claim it to be a competition, sparring, or even magical studies. She claimed that's what it was, but Alicia knew that she was just trying to make Ulrich spend as much time with her as possible. Alicia knew she was being selfish, but she loved her brother and she enjoyed spending time with him. When he became king, their time together diminished but they always made time to spend together. The whole reason she redecorated the throne room and sat a small throne next to his, was so she could help shoulder some of his burden.
Alicia knew about Bryn's feelings for her brother, which is why she was glad that Maria was by his side. As long as she was there, she knew that Bryn wouldn't try to anything. She remembered in Valkyria, hearing Sigrun, the Queen of the Valkyries, suggest a political marriage between the two. She noticed how the two seemed to get along well and how Bryn seemed to act around him. It didn't help that Ulrich defeated Brynhildr in a formal duel. Winning the duel wasn't really the issue, it was what happened during the duel that made the issue even more blown up. Alicia always wanted her brother to fall in love with a woman who could take her place, so that she wouldn't have to worry about him as much. There was a few girls who fit the image of a queen in Alicia's mind. She then began to think about the Fairy Forest, she remembered him saying that he hunted down the unseelied fairies that were responsible for hurting his friend. "Could it be?" she spoke aloud before shaking her head. "No way, that would be a bit too insane. Even though big brother is so great, I doubt that's why he got that title from the Fairy Forest."
Ulrich placed Caladbolg next to the small throne next to his, knowing that his sister intended it for her. Though he just explained multiple plans without showing it, he could still feel the lingering effects of Caladbolg in his body. Ulrich looked at Maria, who hadn't taken her eyes away from his slightly shaking his hand ever since she noticed it. "Maria, I just wanted to explain why I want you to remain here. You are one of the few people I can trust with watching over my sister. I also wanted you to meet with Saint Elizabeth to discuss your ability. I want you to be able to use it freely, without losing yourself. I believe that will bring you closer to your goal of becoming a saint." Ulrich tried to speak with her gently but could tell that Maria wasn't buying it.
"King Ulrich, my place is next you, the king. I can understand your reasoning, but it still doesn't explain why you would trust an outsider more than me. I'm sure I could be of more help to you in New Canaan." Ulrich hung his head and sighed. Brynhildr looked at Ulrich, being able to tell that he was having a hard time with the situation. She decided that it would be best if she joined with her valkyries and waited for Ulrich, rather than try and grab his attention away. She could tell that Maria was someone very close to his heart. She then felt an ominous feeling coming from beside Ulrich. She quickly took a step back and saw nothing but Excalibur placed beside him. She felt like a blade had been pointed at her, though it seemed she was being paranoid.
"Um, King Ulrich, I am going to go and speak with my valkyries and tell them of your battle plans for the future. Most of them are looking forward to meeting with you King Ulrich, but I think that you should take your time to recuperate from your magic deficiency." She quickly bowed and began to walk towards the door. Maria looked at Bryn as she walked away, noticing a bead of sweat coming from her forehead. As the door shut, Maria quickly took a seat on the step next to Ulrich's feet.
"She left pretty quick, it seemed like something frightened her. I hope it wasn't my comment." Ulrich looked at Maria and smiled. Seeing Ulrich smile brought joy to Maria's heart. She could feel how troubled he had been previously and wondered about his health and well being. Now, it seemed like he was beginning to get some semblance of peace back.
"No, I'm sure it wasn't you. I noticed her frightened expression too. I know it wasn't you though. So don't let it bother you. However, I want you to try and be nice to her Maria. Her and her people have come from Valkyria to help us out of their own accord. Without her, I don't think we would be able to stand a chance against the coming wars. I know it's hard, but I want you to trust my intentions on this. I truly believe that you will become a very valuable asset to us when the time comes. You will become powerful and be able to accomplish things that you previously thought impossible." Maria looked at Ulrich with a confused look. Until she realized that he had been trying to find out about her blood ability. "Remember what I said Maria, I want you to be my second in command, you are special to me. We were raised together and every Pendragon needs a Lancelot, even if there were others, you would be the only one I need. So when I tell you that I need you here to watch my sister because I trust you, it's because that is the reason. I wouldn't ask that of anyone else." Ulrich then lifted from his seat and sat next to her while placing his hand on hers. Maria's heart began to beat faster and faster, so much that she thought she would faint.
"Um, my King, I apologize for doubting your intentions. I will carry out your orders to the best of my abilities. I will make sure that I become powerful enough to accompany you wherever you may go. This I swear as a knight of the Lancelot family." A smile began to emerge on her face. Despite her knightly attitude that she always maintained, she always acted like a girl her age when Ulrich would treat her special. Maria then quickly removed her hand, before quickly kissing Ulrich on the cheek, much the same as when Bryn did earlier. Ulrich didn't move, in fact, he had no time to react. It seemed as if time itself as stopped for him. When he came to, he noticed that Maria was gone. Unlike his reaction with Bryn, this time he was stunned and even a bit flustered. He then began to look around and noticed no one around. He stood up, noticing that his legs were a bit weak. He cleared his throat.
"Well, that was unexpected." Suddenly, a cut emerged on Ulrich's right ear, causing him to wince. He looked around, noticing no one was there, until he heard a familiar voice.
"Thou seems popular with some fair maidens indeed. However, my beloved, remember this. Thou art mine, while I belong to thee."