The Kingdom of Demica

{Her Plan}

Arthur Von Hohenfeld

Jan.4, 780
5PM

Word Count: 1183

Most of the day for Arthur was spent training the recruits swordsmanship skills. Most of them had never touched a sword before joining the council and that had to change. They wouldn't be able to reach the crown with recruits who didn't know how to fight. And since Cecelia had her own problems to worry about, he usually was the one who chose to handle the training. He didn't mind though. He would do anything to make Cecelia's workload lighter.

Once the training was done and the recruits began to retire to their respective rooms, Arthur began to walk down the halls towards their leader's office. He has been in this building for so long now that he too could wander these halls with his eyes closed. After all, he was Cecelia's second-in-command and co-founder of the council. It would be a shame if he didn't know his way around their base.

Once he reached the door, he would knock twice before waiting to hear something. Was she not in here? That was strange. He carefully opened the door before seeing Cecelia asleep at her desk. His gaze fell onto the distressed expression on her face. Was she having a nightmare? Would she get mad at him if he were to wake her up? Doubtful.

He would walk over to her side. "CeCe?" He would say softly, though this only seemed to frighten her more. That was when he decided for certain that he would wake her up. "CeCe?" He shook her slightly until he saw her eyes shoot open. He would immediately move his hand away as he saw her hand go to her hip. "CeCe? Are you alright? You looked quite worried." He would say before taking a step back.

Arthur took note of the sigh that left her mouth and how her hand slowly moved away from the rapier. "My apologies, it was just a dream," she said, with a small smile. Undoubtedly, he knew it was a fake smile but he wouldn't bring mention to it. He knew her dreams were one of the very few things she refused to mention a word about. He walked around the desk and stood in front of one of the chairs that was there for visitors. "I came to report some things, if you're up to hearing them." He said calmly.

Cecelia nodded. "That's alright, I assume it's training reports?" She asked and Arthur nodded. "Mhm, training is going along smoothly, there's some promising recruits in there. In fact, I'd say that a few of them are learning nearly as fast as you did." To that remark, Cecelia grinned slightly. Good, at least she wasn't as distressed as before.

"How shocking, I thought you said my skill with a sword was one in a million." She said with a chuckle. "Hey, I said nearly for a reason. Your skill is still one in a million. You were a very fast learner for someone who had never even touched a sword before." Arthur said, shaking his head. He looked back towards Cecelia who seemed to have something on her mind. "What is it?" He asked and Cecelia immediately looked over.

"I'm just thinking. About what we should do next. I have a vague idea but I'm not too sure if I'm going to act on it." Cecelia said with a small shrug. This was like her, to always come up with strategies and never tell him until she was just about to act on it. Maybe he could talk out the plan and pitch in some suggestions. "Well, if you'd like, I can help you form a more solid one." He said softly. He didn't want Cecelia doing something too reckless, because that wouldn't just affect her, but also the council as a whole.

"I see, well as you know, we don't necessarily have the forces to take on the military head-on. So we're going to have to out-maneuver them when the time comes." Arthur nodded along. She was right, their forces didn't even equal the numbers of one military base. Even with their strong generals and leaders, not every single recruit could hold their own against a soldier.

"And I've been thinking, it's hard to out-maneuver someone without information. Because while you have basic information on how things run in the military and about specific people from your previous experience, things most likely have changed at least a bit within the many years you've been away. Plus we don't have the slightest clue on the king's or the prince's strength." Cecelia said putting her cheek against the palm of her hand.

"So, your saying we need to get information. How do you propose we do that?" Arthur asked, tilting his head slightly. His past ranking in the military gave him some advantages on strategy. He knew how they thought and what lengths they were willing to go to in order to complete a job. But even with this status, he had never once seen the King's powers.

"I say that I catch a high ranking member off guard and interrogate them for information. But even then, I can't guarantee that the person I choose will have the knowledge I seek." She sighed.

"Hm..I'd suggest choosing someone with a ranking of Colonel or above, they're more privy to information regarding the royals. However, be weary. The generals of the king aren't the people you should underestimate." He said. He knew this information firsthand. But despite that, this plan of hers could work if they were able to get the right person.

Cecelia sighed. "I know, that's why I haven't acted on this plan yet. I was waiting to talk it over with you, but I was unsure if you were busy so I just went to my office. But now at least I have a better idea on what I'm going to do."

Arthur shook his head. "You are the leader here, if you need to speak with me, who gives a damn if I'm busy. I would've found someone to take over my duties for the time or just have done them later." He said with a small frown. Why would she worry so much about something so trivial?

"Yeah, but like...it's too late for that sooo." She grinned slightly as she shrugged. "Oh well!" Arthur chuckled slightly before shaking his head. "What am I going to do with you." He said softly before getting up. He didn't want to hold her up for too long. "I'm going to take my leave, do you need anything else before I go?" He asked looking at her as she shook her head.

"I don't, but thanks for asking." She said softly. "Of course, I'll see you later, CeCe." He said before turning around and walking out the room, shutting the door behind him. Another reckless plan, one that could either bring them some much needed information or an even bigger target on their backs. Which one would it be?