"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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"Head out!" Taehyung's voice could be heard as he tugged at the reign of his stallion, leading the troops forward.
They had spent nearly 4 days on horseback, travelling to the mines. Although it was supposed to take an extra day, they had managed to find a route that would reduce their travel time, hence bringing them to the mines a day earlier.
The weather had taken mercy on their painstakingly long journey, limiting the scorching sun yet holding back the rain, providing a perfectly peaceful climate for them to traverse through. The soldiers, although exhausted, found some solace in the favorable conditions.
Jennie rode behind the captains, her thoughts a mix of strategies and the intense conversations she'd had with Taehyung. Although the past few days were a breeze in comparison to their days of fighting, it still remained an uneasy time as neither could let their thoughts wander from the reminders of the future.
As they approached the Calyx Mines, the landscape began to change. The lush greenery gave way to rocky terrain, and the entrance to the mines loomed ahead, dark and foreboding.
Taehyung halted his horse, signaling for the troops to stop. He turned to address the soldiers, his voice carrying authority and determination. "We've made good time. This is where we set up camp and prepare for the battle ahead. Remember, our primary goal is to prevent the Drikar forces from obtaining Azeron's Gem. Stay vigilant and be ready for anything."
"It seems they have still not acquired the gem. Their forces haven't mobilized yet." Captain Lee commented as he lowered his binoculars.
"If they are that much closer to obtaining it, now would be a good time to split up and send in a smaller troop to attempt to find it before they do. It would give us a much larger advantage and possibly discourage them enough to avoid war entirely." Jennie proposed, riding ahead to pause at the edge of the cliff they parked at.
"They would lose the one power they would have at warring with us. It seems they are still unaware of our arrival so I suppose it would be the most strategic option. Using their unawareness to our advantage." Taehyung agreed as he stared at the terrain.
"How should we decide which soldiers to send, Your Highness?" Lieutenant Leia questioned as the pair turned around to face them again.
"I'll lead them in." Taehyung dismounted stallion, announcing his proposition as if he were stating the obvious.
"You will not do that!" Jennie countered, dismounting her own steed as well.
Her lack of manners, as well as a not-so-polite refute of the prince's decision shocked all those that were in ear shot. No matter the amount of times it was witnessed, every time the Duchess had forgone the Imperial norms resulted in a shockwave for those present to witness the scene.
"What?" Taehyung turned to her, face passive as he eyed her reaction.
"Have reason. You are the commander of the army, you cannot be present in the ambush squadron." She reasoned as she patted her horse twice.
