The Princess and The Bandit

FORTY SIX

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"IMMA GET YOU PAID!"
lol
😂😂💀

* * *

Something is not right. Commander Austin can feel it. He has this feeling for a while now as he led his troops in patrolling the borders. It may seem like things are going according to plan, but there is this one tiny little nagging feeling in his gut that something isn't quite right.

The borders surrounding Arcade city was filled with the imperial army, all in their shiny gold and blue armor. Those in command had longer capes with various intricate linings that indicates their official ranks and kingdoms of origin, while everybody else only has the standard-issue imperial military garb. Everybody was moving according to their designated positions, on the look out and ready for anything.

Reports came in that the empress has arrived in the imperial city and immediately went on her way inside the castle. No time was wasted soon after she gave several specific instructions. Instead of wrecking havoc on their way in, Lauren insisted on sneaking through the temple, opening the sky for the griffins by use of magic. There was no need for destruction when there's a way to avoid that.

She can achieve retracting the protective barrier by being on the spot where one focal point of all magic within the castle is located, while someone else goes to manually unlock mechanisms that will allow the imperial troops on land to get in.

Majority of the council worried it was too risky. Especially when there's only one other person who can accompany her.

But she reassured everybody it was the best option. The castle is very well equipped with the empire's finest and most efficient weaponry. Its defensive structure was perfectly made to shield everyone inside from any and all forms of attack. Only Lauren knows the full structure and capacity of the entire place.

It was a reasonable choice the council agreed on.

A choice that Commander Austin agreed to with everybody else back in Oakridge.

It was a sound plan. It should go well. Especially when him and his troops didn't find anything suspicious across the borders or encountered any sneak attacks. Especially when Lucy the elf assured him just now that she and her team caught nothing suspicious as well as they patrolled from the air. But the feeling is there.

Ominous and bothersome . . .

But just as they are all about to carry on, Lucy stops.

"What's wrong?"

"A vision . . ."

"What did you see?"

Worry and urgency was evident in her tone, "We must get to the empress, commander. She is in danger!"

That gut feeling of commander Austin has is once again correct.

* * *

He trusts Lauren completely but he can't help doubting that Camila person.

Along with every other horsemen in massive military formation, Shawn was given the command to lead all the imperial troops on land, pledges from all the other kingdoms standing united under his command. It didn't matter if a lord from a kingdom had higher status or rank than him, or some general had seen through many other battles. Everybody on the ground answered to him and must follow his lead until the empress revokes that authority.

He arrived with the troops in record time. He wasn't worried about the plan. He knows that the empress will execute it to the dot no matter what. It's Camila he was really concerned about. He doesn't know her and he doesn't trust what he doesn't know. He tried to find any references to Camila and her friends in the limited time he had but found nothing. It really bothers him.