The Beginning of The True Heir | Ongoing

Chapter 45: Queen's Army

"The Queen's Army is arriving." Ambrogio stated. "At first light they'll be here. The Vampires will be here once the sun goes down."
"The faeries are arriving just after the Queen's Army." Gardenia added in.
I nodded. "Very well. Ambrogio, go to your chambers we do not want you roaming in the light."
He bowed to me and left. It was the most serious I had ever seen Ambrogio, he obviously did not want to face True Death. The remaining of my Council and I made our way to the front entrance. It was strange being in the Academy without the other students. The entire Academy was so quiet and empty.
"Here they come." Aeslin gulped.
I held his hand tightly. "We will do this."
He nodded and took a deep breath. "We will."
"We will get your family back and we will be reunited." I whispered softly.
He gave me a not so convincing smile. "Yes we will."
The Queen's Army came into view, the large Army in which I had put my trust and faith in if we were to ever get through the Revolution. An army of men and women who had left their loved ones to come fight for their loved ones. Men and women who had trained and studied in Equites Academy. The strongest of the strong young people in their years who worked harder than I probably ever had and ever will here.
Ten of the general's stepped forward and bowed to me. "Your Grace."
I smiled to them all. "My esteemed general's. How are you?" There was a mumble of how they were. "My Council and I are young. We are inexperienced and my General's we will be leaning to you for a guiding hand. Your wisdom is what we seek for the...situation at hand."
They nodded, happily.
"Of course your Grace." General Philippe bowed.
I gestured for inside the Academy and they followed my Council and I in. "Tell the Captains to let the men settle in and prepare whilst we draw plans."
Chamania stepped up to flank the other side of me. "The Generals will be in the Nobles room. The captains in the guest rooms whilst the soldiers and lieutenants will be in the dormitories."
I nodded. "Thank you Chamania."
Gardenia stepped forward. "In the coming weeks we have organised for training sessions to begin at sunrise and finish at midday. The afternoons will be free for soldiers to do what they please, or if the Generals have a better idea, we would like to hear."
One of the Generals nodded whom I remembered as General Lane. She nodded at me in particular. "Yes, the soldiers will scout the woods to see if they can see where the impending attack will happen. If there is one."
I froze. Did she not believe me? Her Queen? Of course I was telling the truth. Her questioning me made me feel like a child, one without a crown, one where I was a servant and I didn't like it.
'A Queen is a servant.'
The words ring in my head. It was Queen Nahaya's voice telling me the words again. Her voice made me feel calm and...no longer furious. Instead I felt the spirit of Queen Nahaya within me.
"General Lane, are you questioning me?" My voice was low and it sounded dangerous. It did not sound like me at all. "More importantly General, are you questioning my Council?" She looked frightened and so did the other Generals. I turned to face her squared on and looked her right in the eyes. "But the most important question General Lane," I growled. "are you questioning my family? A man who was behind the enemy lines for almost three years and now is assisting us in defeating those who most likely tortured him."
She looked so tiny compared to me and was shaking, badly. Something you didn't see in a General, especially a respectable General as General Lane. My heart was racing and I was hiding my shaking as much as I could. But compared to General Lane, I looked like a statue.
"No your grace." She stammered out.
"I should sure as hope not." It came out slowly but with each passing word from my lips it sounded more deadly. "Now, as the arrangements. Council, please; proceed."
Aeslin stepped forward with a lopsided smile. "Meals will be served in the Mess Hall as they usually are. Three meals a day with snacks prepared out all day such as fruit and bread if anyone so desires it."
Armani opened the door to the meeting room and we sat around the table. Tristan to my right and Aeslin to my left. Before we sat down I took hold of Tristan's arm. He cocked a brow at me since this was the first time I was speaking to him in a week. It had been strange and awkward on my behalf since I knew the truth and he did not.
"Promise me." I whispered urgently before everyone sat down. "Promise me you won't throw me under the carriage?"
He furrowed his brows. "Of course not."
"I - I know we've hardly spoken in the past week b - but this is terrifying me." I cracked.
Tristan placed his hand on my upper arm. "Gwen, I am always here. Not matter what is happening between us." He rolled his eyes. "Whatever it is right now."
I took in a deep breath and plastered on a fake smile.
"That is not the smile I know." He learnt in.
I rolled my eyes. "Well we're planning a battle, there is no time for real smiles."
He chuckled and pulled out a seat for me. I took my seat and thankfully he took his right beside me, as I had hoped and wanted. Without Tristan here, I think I would drown. Right into the deep waters and eaten by the sea creatures. Not the death, I know I'll have but the death I was thinking of right now.
"Now." I cleared my throaty as Ceslav handed me the papers that I wrote all he information on. "Aeslin, will you do the honours?"
He nodded and stood up. Aeslin waved his hand and mumbled a chant under his breath. On the table laid a tall version of the Academy and its surrounded forests. The beach and waters on the other side. He nodded to me and pointed to the forest areas.
"This is the most likely place they will attack from, just like the Norte so I'm told." He looked to me and I gave him a quick nod of encouragement. "But we should be wary of the waters. Witches are cunning and to come from the waters, I wouldn't be surprised."
"The air." Gardenia whispered. "Witches fly on broomsticks, I wouldn't be surprised if we received an air attack as well."
"Quite right your highness." General Gregory agreed with her. "We should be prepared from all sides."
"The formations of the students during the battle last year work superbly for the battle. I suggest we do the same." Tristan interjected. "But with a stronger first wave. We were protecting the first and second years which they almost got to. This time we won't be protecting anyone, everyone will be fighting. I think we should still come in waves, coming in a full frontal attack could be dangerous. We don't want them to kill us all in one go."
General Philippe nodded. "I agree with Lord Tristan."
I nodded. "Well said Tristan."
He gave me a side smile and winked at me. I stood there for a second a little startled that he just winked at me. Then again Tristan always winked at me, or gave me sneaky smiles. We gave each other sneaky looks whenever we were in public to show that we supported one another. It was to show each other, that we did support each other in anything. The sneaky looks of approval or of goofiness was to give us a boost of confidence.
"Now, the matter of my son, your grace." General John Montreal stated.
I looked to my hands. "What is the matter General John?"
He cleared his throat. "Perhaps a private audience."
I cleared my throat, pushed my hair back and looked to General John. "Sir, if you had wished a private audience you should have brought it up privately."
General John raised a brow, challenging me. "Very well. Captain William is heartbroken because you rejected him the last time he visited you, just last week. He arrived to claim his love for you but you rejected him. Now he must go into battle heartbroken which I know he will not survive because he has nothing to live for. What have you to say for yourself, your grace?"
He was right but I couldn't say anything. I took a deep breath. "What would you like me to do General John?"
General John looked to me with pleading eyes. "Your grace, I am begging you to take him out of the action. I do not want to loose my eldest son."
I nodded. "Very well. Amara, Ceslav for the coming fortnight William Montreal is to be locked in the dungeons for his own protection. No one is to know about it, therefore no one is to be near the entrance."
General John sunk his head. "Thank you, your grace."
I looked to Tristan who had been watching me the entire time. "It's the least I could do for him."