---Evening---
As the last rays of sunlight disappeared from the Principality’s capital, a curious crowd gathered at the docks. Onlookers watched a strange Holfort Kingdom vessel tow five heavily damaged Principality ships into the harbor. Unsure of what was happening, the harbormaster and his dock crew tried to break up the crowd, but none would listen. They were too preoccupied with making outlandish gossip to pay them any mind.
“Ahoy there, harbormaster.” A uniformed Principality captain appeared on the Kingdom ship’s forecastle. His head was wrapped in bandages, and his right arm hung in a sling. “Lord Aremus has gone to great lengths to ferry these precious vessels back to our capital. Get five dry docks ready to receive our warships on the double!”
“Of course, sir!” The harbormaster saluted the captain. He turned back to his dockhands with a furious glare. “You heard him, you filthy mongrels. Get those dry docks ready immediately! If we lose even one ship now, our lives are as good as forfeited.”
The dockworkers and their boss scrambled to make the preparations. With routine efficiency, they positioned the drydock blocks and opened the massive steel doors. Just as the harbormaster went to raise the flag to signal they were ready and help guide them in, his face paled. Not a soul was aboard the ships, and the tether ropes looked like a child had tied them off.
‘Are they bloody insane?! Without someone at the helm and properly tied knots, this is a disaster waiting to happen.’
The harbormaster wiped the sweat from his brow. He was about to go find a dinghy to carry him over to sail them in himself, but stopped. Before his eyes, the five ships moved on their own, positioning themselves dead center on the blocking.
‘Good lord. These long shifts are messing with my eyes. Ships do not sail themselves, haha… right?’
With the damaged warships in dry dock, Leon docked his ship at the largest pier in the harbor. The ship’s drones tied the mooring ropes as a large steel gangplank extended from the deck to the pier.
Thud, Clank!
Thud, Clank!
Thud, Clank!
The sounds of marching soldiers echoed through the area. People turned toward the sound, finding Black Knight Vandel, a contingent of armed soldiers, Princess Hertrude, and Princess Hertrauda heading toward them.
“Make way!” Vandel’s commanding voice silenced any remaining gossiping. “Princess Hertrude and Princess Hertrauda are here to receive the royal envoy of the Holfort Kingdom. Anyone who steps out of line will be executed on the spot!”
They did as they were instructed, creating a wide path for the royal entourage to walk. In passing, the two Princesses waved to the crowd with radiant smiles. They recognized their citizens were the lifeblood of the Principality and treated them like extended family. This was one reason their people loved them so much.
“Your Highness!” A swarm of injured Principality soldiers staggered down the gangplank to greet their ruler. They moved as fast as their injured bodies would allow.
When they were all present, the sailors kneeled before Hertrude and Hertrauda, their heads hung low.
“Your Grace… Please forgive us! We failed to protect our sovereign border and lost six warships.” All the captains present pressed their heads to the stone in deep shame.
“Raise your heads, brave and noble captains.” Hertrude kneeled before them, helping them rise to their feet. “Tell me, what has happened at our border? Lord Aremus sent word ahead that there was an attack, but did not provide additional details.”
The men turned to the most seasoned captain among them. Before reaching the capital, they had agreed that he would explain things to their ruler.
“Our patrol fleet was ambushed near the Holfort Kingdom border. A group of five Holy Kingdom ships came out of a cloud bank and fired on us without warning. They sank two of our warships before we had any time to react.” He looked toward Vandel with despair. “When we mustered a counterattack, an invisible barrier prevented our cannons and spells from reaching them. As we fought for our lives, a patrol fleet from the Kingdom arrived to help us. They too could not breach the barrier, sustaining several losses as well.”
Vandel’s face hardened. He was aware of the invisible barrier the captain had referred to. It was standard issue on all the Holy Kingdom’s Armored Knights. Until now, it had never been seen on a ship before. This development would make defeating their mutual enemy much harder.
“We were about to sacrifice most of our respective fleets to relay this information to our capitals when Lord Aremus arrived. He charged the enemy with his ship and obliterated all five with a single shot.” His expression brightened. “Everyone here survived this ordeal because of him.”
“I see…” Hertrude’s face darkened. “Are all of you the only survivors?”
“No, ma’am!” He shook his head. “Four of our fleet’s fifteen vessels were lost. Five are in dry docks, and the rest have gone to raise the alarm at vital naval bases.”
A relieved smile crept upon Hertrude’s face. While the losses were still a hard pill to swallow, they were far better than she had expected. Hertrude wanted to grant the men their rewards and dismiss them to recover, but Vandel had other ideas.
“Is there anything else you would like to tell us?” The Black Knight narrowed his eyes. ‘My gut tells me there is more to this story.’
“Lord Vandel, this is not the venue to discuss this at length. We should reconvene at the palace and provide you with a detailed after-battle report.” Leon disembarked with his group. As they walked down the gangplank, he sent a telepathic message to Hertrude, Hertrauda, and Vandel. “Besides shielding, the five ships were equipped with energy weapons. The Holy Kingdom also had a sixth, non-combat vessel on the battlefield. It was a reconnaissance ship equipped with advanced optical stealth technology. Without my equipment, the naked eye would never see it.”
Their expressions soured. Warships with energy weapons and shielding were already going to be a headache to deal with. Now they had to worry about invisible ships slipping past their defenses to launch surprise attacks from the rear.
“Lord Aremus is correct. This is not the place to discuss matters of national security.” Hertrude suppressed the worry in her heart. “Let’s reconvene at the palace tomorrow morning at ten. Until then, please go home, be with your families, and rest your weary heads.”
Hertrauda stepped forward. She beckoned an approaching group of heavily armed soldiers to her side. “Before you leave, we had the Minister of Defense prepare suitable rewards for all of you. Without your heroism today, those Holy Kingdom ships would have continued to stalk our territory. For those who made the ultimate sacrifice today, their families will receive their reward.”
The armed soldiers placed an armada chest decorated with ornate metal roses to her right. Two of them produced heavy iron keys from their breast pockets and slid them into hidden keyholes.
Clunk!
With a synchronized twist, a series of loud noises came from the chest’s internals. When it stopped, the lid popped open, revealing hundreds of small coin purses. Hertrude and Hertrauda reached in, retrieving two bags each.
“Come forward and receive your reward.” Hertrauda gave the battered and bruised soldiers a warm smile.
Moved by their ruler’s earnest gesture, the troops did as they were told, sniffling like children as they did so. They accepted the money with bowed heads and wandered into the crowd. When they were all gone, Leon’s party approached them.
“Princess Hertrude, Princess Hertrauda, Black Knight Vandel, it is good to see you again.” I bowed my head.
A grin playing on her face, Hertrude responded in kind. “Likewise, Lord Aremus. Your timely arrival could not have come at a better time. On behalf of our nation, let me extend a heartfelt thank you for protecting the border and our soldiers.”
Cough!
Hertrauda cleared her throat, moving to her older sister’s side. She gazed at the women in my company with calculating eyes.
“Lord Aremus, before we head to the palace, would you mind introducing your entourage?” She kept her gaze fixed on their faces.
I nodded. “These three lovely ladies are my fiancées: Angelica Rapha Redgrave, Clarice Fia Atlee, and Deirdre Fou Roseblade. Behind them are my close friends Olivia, Roxanne, and Yunyun. The female dragoness at the back is Lucoa. She is our assigned guild receptionist and mentor. Together, the nine of us are—”
Solaris cut me off.
<Rawr! Rawr! Rawr!> Solaris stomped his feet in protest.
I rubbed the bridge of my nose while everyone stared at him in confusion. Olivia and Yunyun tried to pacify him, but the stubborn biomechanical raptor refused to listen.
“I swear, Solaris…” I looked back at him. “Have you forgotten that we introduced ourselves the last time we were here?”
<Rawr.> Solaris turned his head away and flicked his tail.
“Being an important part of the team has nothing to do with this. They already know who you are. Why would I reintroduce you?” I shot him a glare. “Quit acting like a spoiled brat. Keep it up and you can stay on the ship for the rest of our time here.”
Solaris’ demeanor did a complete one hundred and eighty. He walked up and rubbed his head on my arm. I sighed.
“Forgive him. Solaris can be a bit of a handful.”
The sisters giggled. “It’s alright. He is quite adorable when he is throwing a fit.” Hertrauda reached a hand out and petted his cold exterior.
After a few strokes, she retracted her hand with an elated smile. Not wanting to keep their guests waiting on the pier any longer, Hertrude motioned for us to follow.
“Come, all of you must be tired from your long voyage.” She started walking away. “We’ve prepared a meal and rooms for you at the palace. While we dine, you can apprise us of the day’s events.”
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