Long Live The Queen!

[Mahou-Shoujo]

The nation of Karuna had never before seen such a gathering of forces upon it's lands, a small nation populated mostly by tribes, Karuna had only held out against imperial might thanks to it's mountainous terrain and treacherous forests.
However, the emperor was determined to conquer this corner of the land this time, and was leading an army of his most elite troops, as well as those of his children, in an assault based out of the neighboring kingdom of Turami, the initial clashes had been mostly in the empire's favor, and they were preparing for one final clash the following day, for now however, the camp fires burned brightly in the rapidly fading light as the army rested on a relatively flat bit of ground, specks of light showing the enemy positions in the mountains and hills not far from where they were camped, and even further beyond, the barely visible lights of the capital city, one of the few permanent fortresses in the nation.

Vahla knocked against the wooden frame of her liege's tent, hood pulled up over her head and face to hide her identity, as suspicious as it may seem to others, she had genuine reasons to want to hide her face... While at first the armies had been mostly fighting separate battles, they were now camped together, the command tents of the other nations mere meters from the one she now waited outside of, if anyone was going to recognize her it would be here... She couldn't even imagine how her queen must feel about everything.
Still though, she had a duty, Nimit had delivered a new battle plan from the emperor's command tent, and left Vahla to take it to Shula.
Fortunately she did not mind, in fact, Vahla quite liked her queen, and they shared a rare trait.

 

[Fyrra]

A long march, even if on horseback, had taken its toll upon the young queen. She sat at a desk inside a rather large tent with two warriors in scaled armor standing guard outside, tapping her fingers upon the surface of a book whose texts she could scarcely bring herself to scour. Of course, not being the only royalty present in the field, young Shula had yet to take part in any of the skirmishes: some were engaged by an infantry unit, and others decimated by a charge from her Lance Ritter retinue. The amount of resources spent bringing everyone's horses up the mountains had given the high chief of Karuna ample time to prepare for an attack, but given the path the combined army had taken straight to one of the only walled settlements this territory held, it was not nearly enough. Karuna's forces signaled their position in the hills, as did their adversaries, but unless each beacon heralded the position of a more significant force mustering a last-ditch effort to overrun the invading force while it rested, there stood little to worry about. More likely, they were gathering for the upcoming siege.

Or, perhaps they were responding to an earlier flex of the empire's muscle?

Though the royal families were all present, the majority of this campaign had seen them communicating through messengers. Even as they stationed their tents meters apart, everything appeared eerily quiet, as though the emperor himself spent just as much time assessing his own army as he did the one he stood to conquer.

Shula had been less forthcoming with the pleasantries compared to previous visits with her siblings: the weight of the crown atop her head carried with it the knowledge that mere words from her could end the lives of hundreds, if not thousands in enough time, and while that lesson was sinking in, there was the other reason for her taking refuge inside the tent. A quick glance into her hand-mirror revealed a truth that she'd spent much of her life hiding, knowing its revelation would spark hostility in the hearts of not just the clans she presided over, but the other sects of her homeland as well. Or rather, that the time she'd left to hide the truth was fast approaching its final moon.

It was a battle she had no intention of fleeing from, but this was not the day for it. Another time.

The sound of knocking from outside drew the queen's ire: someone dared to demand her attention unannounced, with guards standing at attention. It could only be an assassin... if it made any sense for her to be targeted, at this location, at this hour, and not anyone else in the royal family. No exclamation of intent, either: Sunna would have said something, and anyone else with the authority to stand their ground would have sent a messenger. That left the messenger, the court wizard, and the knight captain.

Shula stood, adjusting her crown and her cloak before approaching the entrance to her tent: she could stand to have a word with Lady Vahla about making her identity known, but not in front of tonight's company, and not before what was to come. She opened the door with a forced smile in an attempt to hide her frustration with the tense atmosphere. "You've been expected, Vahla," she greeted with a low voice, hushed. Her smile quickly faded at the sight of a message bearing the emperor's seal. "This impersonal relay is a blessing and a curse, wouldn't you say?"

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

Vahla was aware that her silence was a bit of rude thing to do as she waited for her queen to either request she enter or come to the entrance flap, but she had never been particularly great at announcing herself, having been expected to be a silent watcher as an imperial soldier, and then being terrified of giving herself away once her body began to change and she discarded her old identity, though she now grew more confident, she still saw no reason to give herself away with so many people around, especially as it may lead to people noting the changes present within her queen... Something she did not want to happen until Shula was ready to reveal her true self.

Vahla couldn't help but let a small smile appear on her face as the queen appeared, while a good chunk of her loyalty was out of duty, and of course appreciation of their shared circumstances, mostly she just liked her queen, Shula was much less stuffy than most of the other royals, other than Lord Sunna, but she didn't serve him, or even talk to him more than a total of two polite greetings that society demanded at the time, not that he was cold to her of course, just he was rightfully more interested in his little sister than a random knight.
"Indeed m'lady..."
She answered in a whisper, hating the idea of misgendering her liege.
"I believe that very few people have even seen my face apart from my own knights, and even fewer of them had seen... Hakan... In person".
She said the name with just a little distaste, the word now forever tainted for her.
"Would you allow me to enter your tent my liege? I would prefer to discuss these plans away from potential spies".
She raised her voice so that a couple nearby soldiers could hear, it was strange how the courts worked, as long as you were vocal about your reasons, things that would normally be scandalous seemed to be ignored.

 

[Fyrra]

In but a few words, the knight had explained herself without revealing enough that prying ears might have some gossip to feed their friends, though the choice of words gave Shula pause: a quick glance around revealed nobody particularly worth notice, but the only notable spy is a dead one. "It is unlikely Karuna would succeed in planting a spy so close to the heart of our camp," she began, catching onto her knight captain's hidden meaning, "But for certain: you would not have been sent with a message, were its body intended to be known to all. You may enter."

With that, the queen moved back inside her tent, almost immediately dropping the intense formality for favor of a posture more personable: she would take no chances with the entire imperial royal family present, but for now she saw no harm in granting Vahla a moment of privacy. No, the queen would have to be cruel, to deny her closest retainer such a boon before the looming encounter with not just the other kings and queen, but the emperor himself, who had previously sent Vahla's predecessor to keep an eye on her.

Upon realizing his imperial majesty might take offense to the lady's presence, Queen Shula mulled over some task to delegate should a meeting be called, while awaiting her retainer's entry and explanation. In the meantime, she motioned toward the chair at her desk, offering Vahla the opportunity to rest. "If it isn't urgent, take your time. One cannot blame you for seeking respite from the masses, but as long as you carry our divine favor with you, that will draw more attention than trying to hide your face."

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

Vahla herself relaxed visibly, though still had a little stiffness from her training as a knight, she rarely fully relaxed in the presence of her lady, especially not while away from the castle, though to be honest, she rarely relaxed at all as far as anyone could tell.
Still though, her relief at entering was palpable, as pathetic as she herself found it, Vahla was... Uncomfortable in crowded social situations, for many reasons, not least being her transition, or fear of slipping up and outing Shula.

Vahla nodded and sat daintily, something she had clearly been practicing recently as her failure to fall on her ass showed.
Thank you M'lady, it seems every soldier with any rank wished to speak to me for some reason..."
The reasons were obvious of course, here legendary weapon, resemblance to a known hero and being commander of a group of knights made her an object of curiosity.
The knight sighed slightly and glanced at the lance she kept covered with a leather case.
"That is likely correct, but I must keep it with me, the lance was entrusted to me and it would be dishonorable to discard something that was lent to me by my liege... Umm, previous liege I mean..."

Finally Vahla seemed to remember why she was there and held out a sealed letter.
"It contains orders from your father, though from what Nimit told me, it seems we are to act as the guard for the main force's right flank, and attempt to draw as much attention as possible... Also... Your father has requested your presence".

 

[Fyrra]

Shula nodded to her knight, finding it unusual that one of her station would display their apprehension so openly in front of their liege, but the circumstances surrounding this gathering would have most people on edge without the added complications surrounding the knight herself: Vahla's sudden appearance and almost immediate knighthood after the previous knight-captain disbanded the royal guard, the divine treasure she carried... Given her proximity to Shula, the emperor might be curious enough to demand an explanation.

But given the orders relayed to the queen, she assumed her father had either already put the pieces together, or suspected enough to merit testing the Lance Ritter's endurance in battle. She glanced over her shoulder back toward the knight, concerned. "Indeed. 'Twould be a poor reflection of our respective stations, were a divine treasure to simply disappear. But if what you say is true, then we are the bait and one of the other monarchs is the stinger." Most likely Queen Nami or King Leopold made up the vanguard, she thought to herself: one does not send cavalry forth in a siege and expect success. "All eyes will be upon you. Shine brightly, but remember to come home alive."

With that, she accepted the sealed letter and opened it up, curious as to the contents of the message that hadn't been spread to the eyes and ears of the troops.

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

While Vahla had originally been a nearly emotionless night, never showing her worries or doubts, she had become much more expressive since beginning her transition, partially as a result of the changes, and partially because of her relative closeness to her liege, she would never lie to her, and saw hiding feelings as something similar to a lie, after all, such a thing as a moment's hesitation could change entire decisions if picked up on, since hiding them could hinder decision making.
Admittedly Vahla herself was fairly certain that the emperor knew about her, they had locked gazes for a mere moment in a battle and he had seemed to acknowledge and dismiss her in the same moment, of course it was just as likely he had noticed the lance instead, as the faint shine it gave off in battle was quite clear to any who looked.
Well, he hadn't demanded she retire yet so maybe things would be alright...

"Yes... It would seem the emperor wishes to test us, Darrius is taking the other flank..."
The other flank was sheer mountains, even the locals seemed unable to climb them, essentially Darrius was being given the easy role, though at the same time, it left him able to assist most of the army with his mounted knights if it became necessary.
"Yes my queen... I will let nothing keep me from returning".
Vahla promised as the letter was opened.
The plans were Fairly simple, marching in a large formation seemingly designed to strike fear in the hearts of their enemy, after all, a surrender was always ideal, as it saved resources and left more to gain for the victor.
One notable aspect was that the emperor himself was leading the charge at the front of the formation, that would surely give a massive boost to morale!

 

[Fyrra]

The queen smirked, enjoying the little details in her knight's explanations: an omission of titles when it came to her relatives, even as far as to call the emperor 'your father,' spoke all too well of Vahla's personal feelings on the subject, and though it calmed Shula's nerves to hear someone speak so casually about this distant family, she only relaxed for a moment upon hearing that phrase.

My queen.

She even smiled, reassured that even though that battle would take place another day, each step need not be fought alone. For now, the queen looked over her father's orders, less vexed over her lack of input with this strategy and more curious to see how it would unfold. She knew not how long the emperor had been conquering nations, only that he'd started long before the day of her birth, and was hoping to learn something more than using mere numbers to overrun a less fortified target. Still, Shula appeared to have brought the correct assortment of troops for the job: her elementalists from the temple, a solid brigade of warriors to form a shield wall, and a mix of archers and crossbows to serve as a barrier between them. Outside her main force, Vahla's lanceritter could charge through an entire battalion to leave them in disarray for another unit to finish off. Nimit would be relaying messages to and from, and Ariya would be close at hand in the event that something went wrong. Or if something went right, considering her task was to provoke as many adversaries as possible.

"Right. We accomplish little by prolonging the inevitable. As for that subject, let us not mar this gathering by bringing it into the open. We are a distant family, but today we stand as one body for the greater good of our emperor. Come! Let us not keep him waiting."

Upon exiting the tent the queen held herself high, face exposed and hair groomed just as much for the soldiers' morale as her own: the battle was to come, but as she drew closer to her father's tent her bravado began to falter, if only for a moment. Even were Shula's escort to accompany her here, this harrowing moment was hers alone: no messenger to announce her arrival to the guards, nobody holding a banner nearby to make her identity clear. Her smile took on a more distant expression as the introduction left her mouth.

"Sindre, of the Highlands. His majesty sent for me."

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

To be perfectly honest, Vahla didn't respect her queen's relatives all that much, and saying their names without titles made the explanations easier, avoiding complex titles allowed her to focus on important things, like the fact that the emperor seemed to be planning to test Shula, why else put her right where the most combat was likely to be? Well, most combat until the main force reached the capital at least.
However her own queen's title was something she always got right, whether calling her Liege in front of others, or the more accurate queen among those in the know.

Of course Shula accompanied her queen, the small speech bolstering her own nerves, and besides, she wouldn't let her queen be the only one without a knight in attendance, even if she had no functional purpose there... Much the same could be said for most of the empire's nobility in her oh so treasonous opinions.
Though she couldn't show more obvious support, Vahla stepped just a little closer, flashing a quick, hopefully reassuring smile to her, they probably wouldn't be able to spot the differences, as... Notable as they were, the family was quite distant.
Within the tent the air was noticeably warmer and there was a faint smoke in the air, smelling of the various herbs and mixes favored by the various knights and generals in attendance, it was fairly unpleasant and faintly obscured the tent.

Her siblings all had various responses to the youngest sibling's arrival, Leopold gave an acknowledging nod, too busy poring over the plans to take much note of her.
Darrius too was going over the plans, quite nervously as he was likely searching for any potential dangers, one good thing about his cowardice excessive caution, was that he would often find minor or hidden dangers, and protect his allies as a result of saving his own hide.
Nami seemed... Confused? Giving Shula a look over before shaking her head and turning to speak with an armored knight at her side.
Sunna was much warmer however, his usual, fake grin became much more genuine and he motioned over to his side, where there was empty space with a good view, he himself had a pipe that was much sweeter than the 'manly' stuff all the soldiers seemed to like.

"Ahh, Sindre... It seems you are the last to arrive".
The emperor commented, though didn't seem disappointed, and rather like he was acknowledging something expected.
A moment later he went into a detailed explanation of the plan, elaborating on several aspects before going quiet for a moment.
"The enemy... Have something new".
He seemed almost... Enraged? For a moment, far from his calm demeanor, though it vanished in mere seconds, it wasn't the only time it had happened, the doctors simply marked it as being the stresses of his position but rumors said he might not be so invincible these days...
"None of the empire's agents can find what it is, but something has rallied the shattered tribes, and where before they were fleeing into the hills, they now stand before the gates of the capital".

Nami took a chance to speak, seeming to catch her adviser by surprise.
"Perhaps it is the confidence of those who intend to fight to their last and earn an honorable death?"
She suggested, earning a slight sigh.
"I have seen men who have accepted the end, these people, they have hope, and fools with hope are more dangerous than any weapon, I know I don't need to tell any of you to be cautious in battle, however, keep an eye out for this hidden weapon, and call for aid from my forces".

 

[Fyrra]

The grand tent looked like a war room, leaving Shula to briefly wonder if conquest was all her father thought about or if it was simply what kept him alive from one day to the next. The emperor's most trusted generals pored over the battle plans at their posts, along with those serving under the two most-likely-favored heirs. Their choice in smoke and company may not have been unpleasant on its own, but the sheer dismissal of the youngest royal whelp marked their intentions. Just as well: they need not explain themselves to Shula. Even Nami's confused staring, however brief, appeared to warrant no explanation before the warrior-queen returned her attention toward her retinue.

Of course, it would be folly to ignore the meeting entirely, but Shula had been over the plans as outlined, and a quick glance across the table revealed that very little had changed in the past few hours. So, she took the seat offered by her brother, nodding toward him with just the barest hint of a genuine grin before the emperor addressed her directly. Duty before pleasure, at least while in the presence of the Emperor who took efforts to blend the two together: he would appreciate no excuses or explanations if it meant holding up the briefing.

She'd have time to speak more freely with Sunna later.

Pieces were moves across the map, illustrating reports from the scouts. That the warriors of Karuna chose to rally in front of their gates earned a curious stare, but from another perspective, leaving them alive to rendezvous in the first place in hopes of taking the lands intact through intimidation would have been a stretch as well. The youngest of the rulers pondered over this positioning, unsure whether it was specifically to harry the main body so those atop the walls could provide support for as long as possible (or for another weapon to be aimed at that point), or if it was simply to bait the empire into a pincer formation.

To leave the walls intact would take a longer siege, but when the emperor spoke of calling for reinforcements in a pinch, it became clear that he meant to force his way inside.

"So they're baiting us toward their main body at the gates," Shula noted while tapping a finger upon the table. Having been told nothing of Leopold, Sunna, or Nami's part in the upcoming assault, Shula assumed that engaging the main body was meant to divert the opposing force's attention while another imperial battallion scaled the walls from another side, or infiltrated directly. Without cooperation, the youngest would most likely have led with setting up mangonels to disrupt the rallying point. But, that ran the risk of breaking the walls. If any apprehension could be felt in the young one's statement, it soon faded into a grin: her forces would most likely be the first to have this secret weapon turned upon them, be it at the gatehouse or merely past it, and while Shula took no pleasure in being the sacrificial lamb for this plan, her portion of the army was built to adapt to changes in the battlefield, and having the emperor himself remind her to call for reinforcements should the need arise did much to ease her anxiety regarding the distant family's proximity. It almost sounded as though the emperor cared for them.

Unless this new development warranted a change in the entire plan, it changed nothing beyond emphasizing the need to keep everyone's wits about them. However, an idea struck: Shula pointed toward the grounds on the map most likely to host the armies' collision. "With your blessing, my forces could provide an opening volley before we engage. Drawing their ire from afar might startle them into revealing their hand."

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

It sort of made sense that the emperor would want to end the war quickly, with the increasingly present rumors of his failing health he needed a quick, decisive victory to silence anyone who thought he might not be fit to continue ruling, of course it wasn't out of fear, any rebellions would easily be put down, even if one of his children led it the others would almost certainly help in defeating them just to a sibling other than themselves from taking power, especially if it was Leopold.
Her father nodded as if he had expected her to say that, of course he did, their father always had his plans worked out, and merely waited for his children to prove their worth by noticing what he already had.
"Exactly, for whatever reason they desire to lead us to the gates, perhaps some sort of cannon or stampede of beasts intended to break the ranks, of course, I have no intention of falling for such simple trickery... Which is why I will accept your suggestion... Sindre..."
There was something about the way he said the name, and how he glanced towards her... Did... Did he KNOW? Of course it wasn't impossible, as long as she had lived it seemed as if her father knew everything that happened concerning his heirs, whether due to spies, dark magic or simple intuition was anyone's guess, he at least didn't see the need to out her in front of her siblings though.

"Very well! I have some alterations to make to the plan while just us leaders of the forces are present, Darrius, your forces will be placed out of range of the enemy's archers in front of the gate, Sindre will provide the initial volley and hopefully fool the enemy into assuming we are making a full scale assault on the gates, however you are not to directly engage, both of your will skirmish with the enemy forces to keep them occupied as I and Sunna work to bring down a section of the walls with magical attacks as Nami's forces engage the inevitable flanking assaults from the hills".
Just like that the entire plan had changed! It did sort of make more sense though, Shula and Darrius's forces were best equipped for skirmishing and hit and run attacks on a large force, and Nami's troops would be much better at fighting an flanking attempts from the hills, where cavalry would struggle, and the emperor and Sunna's role as attacking a wall with magic would allow them to bypass the gate entirely and eliminate whatever hidden weapon was present while the main enemy force was distracted.
"Take note of the new plan and return to your tents, we march at dawn".

 

[Fyrra]

Surprise colored the highland queen's face when the entire strategy shifted from a bold display of power through numbers to a more micromanaged operation, and in mere moments she had learned the purpose of the deception: if spies had infiltrated the inner circle, a change of plans this drastic would never reach the enemy's ears in time for them to decipher its meaning and act to counter it. Of course, there also remain the matter of that other detail: unsure if she'd mis-heard the change in tone, she glanced toward her knight, and then her siblings as well, and possibly even a few of the less important faces about. For all her bravado in entering the tent, the thought that she may have overestimated her ability to keep that hidden surfaced.

Not that it frightened her. It might just be a poor show of faith to continue a charade they've seen through, or it could be interpreted as keeping one's personal life out of the war room.

In any case, once dismissed, Shula's departure could not have come sooner. The outside air was all the sweeter for her time spent amongst the generals and the other royals, in spite of the rows upon rows of tents and makeshift horse-pens covering up what could have possibly been a beautiful landscape. As always, there were people watching, but she couldn't retire to her tent just yet. Even with the knight-captain serving as her bodyguard in the absence of a more permanent hand, to sequester herself once more felt wrong.

The vibrant blue of her cape billowed in the breeze as she gazed out in the direction of the stronghold, and a wistful sigh escaped her. "When we are finished here, and when we return, it might be time." Cue a glance back toward the emperor's tent. "But, rest well tonight. We've a long day ahead, and I've no wish to greet it so soon." Humor colored Shula's tone as she spoke, and the way she tapped her toes about in anticipation, she could only be thinking about dropping her diplomatic act with inappropriate timing.

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

While she herself didn't seem too surprised by the change in plans, after all she had briefly served under the emperor before, however, Vahla certainly noticed the change in tone, and was almost a little frightened, not for herself of course, she cared little about personal reputation and highly doubted she would be cast out by her queen... But for Shula, while not illegal, what they were doing was highly frowned upon, and she already had a less than concrete control over her people...

The other siblings all showed their own feelings as well, Leopold looked slightly shocked as too seemed to catch on, Sunna seemed worried, and almost seemed to move a little closer, clearly protective of his little sister, Darrius hadn't noticed anything, finally Nami simply nodded to herself, as if something suddenly made sense to her.
The generals didn't seem to catch on, likely as they didn't personally know 'sindre'.

Vahla followed Shula out of the tent, glad to be away from the piercing gazes of the royals within, but stopped for a moment to consider that declaration.
"If you are certain my Queen... I shall stand behind you as always".

"Hahah... I see my little sibling has a loyal knight~"
The song like voice and graceful footsteps could only belong to one person... Sunna had followed them out of the tent, seeing a rare opportunity to talk.
"It was so stuffy in there... No place for a lady".
He said with a pleasant smile, though the statement caused Vahla to freeze up a little.

 

[Fyrra]

Shula closed her eyes for a moment, reflecting on the meeting: a few spoken words changed not just the entire assault, but the tone in the room. Of course the imperial bloodline would realize the truth, but in the end, all that truly mattered was the emperor himself. Anyone else's rejection could be dismissed, though it might have been unwise to assume her father cared more about results than her personal life. Still, even if she was wrong about that, what purpose would delaying the inevitable serve? Her father would find out eventually, and his acknowledgment might not come until the next gathering, if it came at all. Plus, rejection would most likely come in the form of being used as a sacrificial pawn: tomorrow's trial held the answer, but the young monarch could wait for it.

A sudden voice pulled her from her plotting: when she opened her eyes, she grinned at the sight of her colorful brother, the king of the desert and also its namesake, two years her elder and two years more experienced with the boorish, joyless generals in the war room. She greeted him with a chuckle, speaking with a mock-foppish tone and an ostentatious flourish. "His majesty saw fit to grace me with a most wonderful knight, dear brother; to not bring her would reflect poorly upon my homeland, my people, myself, and the empire as a whole." She then dropped the amused tone to speak more informally. "But yes, the taste of fresh air could not have returned Sunna! It's been too long!"

She drew her arms out, eagerly offering a bear-hug.

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

The emperor had never spoken against people like Shula before, and had even made a few decisions and statements that could seemingly be interpreted as support, then again, who could really tell what went on in the mind that had united so much of the continent in a mighty emperor, and who could seemingly cheat death at that!
At least he was unlikely to kill her off, disinherit maybe but killing an heir was generally bad practice.

"Hmm, I see you've been practicing your noble speech... It's all gibberish to me I'm afraid!"
He was joking of course, Sunna only pretended he was simple and uneducated, and far too many nobles and generals bought into the ruse.
He hugged her tightly, happy to see his favourite sibling again, and leaned down to whisper.
"But she wasn't the only lady there was she dear sister?..."
There was nothing but affection and warmth in his tone, no accusations or disapproval at all.

 

[Fyrra]

As was their tradition, when Shula wrapped her arms around her brother she lifted him up, spinning him around for a full circle before setting him back down, a bright grin coloring her face, if tinted slightly from an uncomfortable collision between the siblings' chests. She met his declaration of ignorance with a bemused chuckle in spite of the discomfort, shaking her head and relaxing. "Oh, so you've come to rub it in?" She teased, "Better you than another, though I did hope for summer's passing before having this conversation. Turns out it might not even be necessary with the rest." Her smirk carried with it an unspoken implication: did you see the look on Leo's face, though?

Apart from the guards stationed at regular intervals, most of the soldiers knew to keep their distance from the royal families, even in the midst of their own camp. The footmen from the highlands were no exception: would-be warriors marched with the intent of returning home to their families with plunder, though without proper armor, the less experienced of the lot stood out from Vahla's Lance Ritter and Shula's Fated Circle, armed with iron weapons, and if they weren't bow-wielders, javelins and wooden shields. The more experienced warriors of the lot were better equipped: proper axes and maces joined the arsenal not just as a means of battling armored foes, but bringing more survivors into the camps for ransom.

Yet, even in the wall of shieldmaidens and brutes milling about, there was the odd novice learning under the watchful eye of a veteran, and for every three of the uncultured warriors fighting under the Turami banner stood a more traditional imperial soldier, clad not in fur and hide but heavier armor. The shield walls lacked uniformity, but they remain effective enough for proper battle.

A younger scout from the capitol watched the siblings curiously, minding her distance but letting her eyes wander: one does not catch a glimpse of royalty easily, though as minutes passed her eyes drifted toward the sight of Vahla's lance.

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

"To be perfectly honest... I had my rather strong suspicions that you were in fact my sister... No man is so naturally feminine in spirit... Well, except for me maybe!"
He declared with an grin, there had been a rather infamous party, a royal ball where Sunna and his harem had arrived in matching gorgeous gowns with plunging necklines and delicate lace hems... All of them... The nobles were of course scandalized though a few people could almost swear that the emperor had actually smiled for a moment at Sunna's antics.
Of course he had no questions about his gender identity, Sunna just liked beautiful things.

"Leo looked positively scandalised! You have really shaken the courts this time sister! Hahh... Too bad I am too simple to understand all the court gossip... Why, I may even get so confused I mention Leo's lack of am heir and change the subject!"
He pit on his ditzy voice, the one that had the noble court convinced he was an idiot.

Vahla kept her distance from the pair, as any onlooker would expect, though she kept her eyes open, even within the camp an assassin could strike... Three different men And one woman had attacked the emperor in his own camp throughout his life... And it was possible an enemy might desire a seemingly easier target in the heirs...
She did notice the Scout's gaze, years of training mixed with anxiety about discovery made her extra observant... But she dismissed them as just someone interested in royalty.

 

[Fyrra]

The young queen shook her head, reminiscent of her brother's little stunt a few years back: Sunna was equal parts tactless, flamboyant and fun, but learning that his depravity masked a calculating eye had always stuck with her: that most of the royals refused to see it for themselves spoke volumes, but only now did the little sibling glimpse at how much her brother knew, even if all she had was guesswork. "None? Perhaps those who are simply prefer to hide it." She chuckled. "The courts clamor up every time we're together. How would this be any different?"

She elected not to bring up any attempts on her life over the past year, but in certain circles one could hear whispers of an assassin attempting to remove Shula from the throne. Or, what passed for as assassin in the highlands: some brave fool charging at a noble with steel in hand was either clever or lucky to strike when Vahla wasn't present, but still got beaten down with a staff for his trouble: an insult not just from the concussion itself, but from the queen even refraining from using her magic to subdue him.

She leaned in a bit closer, draping her arm over Sunna's shoulder. "What about you, dearest brother? How is life in the warm sands?"

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

"Hmph, if any men were more feminine than I in spirit, well they would be women, though I am near certain that many nobles are hiding their true selves... Hahh, the common folk are truly the only free ones in this society".
He wasn't wrong, nobles and soldiers and merchants all had many rules governing them, while the peasantry were mostly allowed to act freely as long as it didn't hurt anyone.
"It's not what they say in our presence that concerns me dear sister".
He let out another small pearl of wisdom.

Despite the ineptitude of the assassin, and the fact that Shula could very easily defend herself, Vahla still felt bad at having not been there to protect her queen, after all, if it was a more elite assassin, or even a group, even the strongest warriors could be overwhelmed.

"Ahh, a question about me... Well in public I would of course go on about how pretty the dyes are and how delicious my last meal there tasted... But between us, it is not good".
That was incredibly well, his administrative ability was unmatched except by the emperor and possibly Leo, normally nothing went bad.
"This campaign was almost entirely funded by a tax increase in my lands, a way to level the playing field no doubt, and on top of that there has been a veritable plague of pirates and bandits attacking... And they are very well equipped..."
For him to say that meant he was likeky insinuating that someone, possibly a sibling, was funding criminals if not outright disguising their soldiers.

 

[Fyrra]

"Hmph."

Initially annoyed at her brother's observations, she glanced off to the side just in time to see a young scout wander off from their gawking. Indeed, the different castes of the empire had strict guidelines to follow, to the point that the queen saw her subjects for their rank, before seeing them for their individuality: a soldier dressed and acted like a soldier, and traders dressed in finery and acted their parts as well. Pushing boundaries resulted in retribution from on high, either in the form of one's commanding officer or in the imperial trade guilds' exclusion. That Shula's people were known for pushing boundaries most likely had a hand in the increased imperial scrutiny of recent years.

"The common folk? Perhaps after tax, tithe, and conscription. The seeds we sew allow that freedom to flourish into banditry on their own, and yet..." She trailed off for a moment, before turning to face her brother once more "And yet we are here, away from where we are needed most. Have you a plan for these pirates and brigands?"