"I, Jennie Ruby Jane of House Asteria, pledge my loyalty to his royal highness, Taehyung Ares Delrico, The Crown Prince of the Valorian Empire.
"How far does your loyalty lie, Princess Jane?" He stalked towards her, unrelenting even as her back co...
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Weeks had passed since the assassination attempts and the prophecy's revelation, and the camp had grown more vigilant.
The sun had barely risen when a scout arrived at the command tent, breathless and urgent. Jennie and Taehyung, seated side by side, immediately tensed at the terse expression on his face.
"Your Highness," the scout began, catching his breath. "The enemy forces have advanced into the mines. We only have a few days, at best, before they reach the gem."
"What?" Captain Mark asked, hands slamming down against the table as he rushed to stand.
"What do you mean advanced?" Taehyung was quick to clarify, masking his surprise through the need for information.
"The soldiers have all deserted their posts in the invaded territories, while the troops investigating the mines have narrowed their search to one specific sector. It means that they have either found strong evidence of their location, or at least enough to validate how powerful the gem truly is." The soldier reported as Jennie pursed her lips, knowing their next move was inevitable.
"Are we taking them all?" She asked Taehyung who was flipping through another stack of reports.
"We have no choice. If they have deserted, it means they are prepared to go to war at the capital once they acquire the gem." He sighed, turning the report to her as she stepped up beside him.
"But how could they have moved so abruptly? They left overnight?" Captain Lee inquired as Lieutenant Leia sighed beside him, hands massaging her temples.
"It means they've uncovered something important enough to give up all the territory they've stolen." Taehyung remarked more to himself than anyone else.
"They're confident. They truly believe the empire will be theirs if they're choosing to make such sudden moves." Jennie realized as she leant back against her chair.
"Overconfident if anything." Taehyung mumbled, jaw clenched as he debated their following moves.
"Should I send a report to His Majesty?" Leia offered as Taehyung nodded, pushing at his chair to stand up.
"Leia, Tell the Capital to be prepared in the case that our defense goes awry. I'll head to the County and purchase as many medical boxes as I can from the Viscountess." He muttered, running a hand through his hair to tame it.
"Yes, Your Highness." Lieutenant Leia nodded and hurried away, presumably to carry out said talk.
The remaining few who remained in the command tent only processed the abrupt change in a terse period of silence, preparing themselves for the chaos that would be thrown their way.
"I'll head out then. Prepare the guards." Taehyung conveyed to the scout soldier who they had forgotten was still present.
"I will convey the news to the troops Your Highness." Captain Mark stood up before Taehyung had left.
