The Fix

Chapter 28

"What did she say?" Emilia asks when we meet up with her and Arthur.

"She said she'll try," Kaden replies.

"Thank you!" Arthur says.

"Princess Celeste!" General Leger says, walking up to our group.

"Yes?" I ask.

"Your presence is requested in the meeting room in five minutes," he answers.

"Okay...?" I say,"But why is MY presence required? I'm a third-born princess."

"I'm afraid I cannot divulge the details at this point."

"Okay."

"Should you go now?" Arthur asks.

"I guess," I reply.

      I go to the meeting room. In it is General Leger, Dad, and several other high-ups.

"What's going on?" I ask.

"We found the Southern Rebel base," someone says.

"That's good news! But why are you telling me and not Eadlyn? She's the crown princess, not me," I say.

"Because of the tradition," someone else says.

"Which tradition?" I inquire before realizing which one. "But... I'm the third-born."

"Yes. However, Princess Eadlyn is now eighteen years old. It's the time to start with the soldiers. Unfortunately, the Princess is currently holding a Selection, and Prince Ahren's loyalties now must lie with France. So the responsibility falls on you to lead the counterattack," General Leger says.

"But I'm sixteen! All the soldiers are at least three years older than I am! Will they even take me seriously?"

"However, your sister is eighteen."

"What, am I going to pretend to be her?"

"Of course not. It would be quite the scandal is the media found out."

"Then, what do you mean?"

"It means that, though you are younger, you are the best equipped in the way of ranking between the remaining royal children."

"Oh. But will they even take me seriously? I'll be the youngest Illéan military leader in history, and the first female, at that."

"Most will. You will be training the most honorable troops. Do not worry. You have experience with combat, correct? They know that, and most of them will not disrespect you."

"I have experience, but not with training people! I'm not a leader! That's my sister!"

"Just train them the way you were trained. You trained much harder than any of your siblings, did you not?"

"Yes. To prove that I can be just as good as anyone else. But I've never trained anyone but myself!"

"Yet you did perfectly well."

"Yeah, on myself! What if I mess up and they die?"

"They will not. I am almost certain that you will do just fine."

"Fine. I'll do it. When am I supposed to start?"

"Next week. Good luck, Celeste," Dad says.

    Great. Now I'm training boys at least three years older than I am, and probably much bigger. How am I supposed to keep them in control?