Yours Truly

Chapter 18

"What?" The heavily built man exclaimed gruffly. "We are going to take orders from this woman?"

"Why not? Didn't you take orders from your mother?" The Princess replied spontaneously.

"So like our mother what are going to order us to do? Churn the butter?"

The other men present their laughed. Matthew was about to say something about their rude behaviour, but Jenavive held him back.

"Yes, if you are more interested interested in doing the household chores then I'll gladly make you do them."

Everyone fell silent.

"What's going on?" Donovan asked while entering the training ground.

"This woman wants us to listen to her orders regarding the battle training." The senior solider replied rolling his eyes.

"She is your Princess, watch your words." Matthew glared.

Donovan ran his fingers through his hair. "Jenavive, I've heard from Dante that you have been practising archery and fencing since you were six, am I correct?"

"Indeed." The Princess replied calmly.

The solider looked at her in wonder before returning back to his harsh and cold demeanour. "Is that so? Well, let's have a little competition of archery!"

The other men cheered.

"Who ever hits the bullseye from a twenty metre distance wins." The solider explained. Without any more words, he took two bows and six arrows, taking one for himself and throwing rest of the five at The Princess.

"Since, I do am a gentleman, I'll give the princess five chances, in case she misses one or four." He chuckled before taking his position, smoothly pulling the arrow back before letting it go. It straight hit in the middle of the target. The other men present clapped loudly.

"Even in this age my eyes are still sharp as an eagle!" He boasted. "Your turn, Princess." He smirked.

Jenavive nodded with a mischievous smile on his face. Matthew grinned as remembered the day he met her practising archery.

Jenavive inhaled softly before taking out a velvet handkerchief from her side pouch and tying it on her eyes. For some reason, she felt comfortable shooting that way.

Everyone looked at her in amazement as she did so before taking an arrow and putting it on the bow.

"To be smart is more important than to be sharp-sighted, because a skilled archer can strike the target even with his eyes closed." She repeated Ronald's words, even if they seemed incoherent to the situation, but she always said it before out loud before shooting as if it was a prayer to her.

She pulled back the arrow before letting it go. It gracefully tore the first arrow from the middle.

Everyone gasped in astonishment.

She continued to shoot the remaining, one after another. Each one ripping the one before it.

She smiled as she heard the people around her clap. Jenavive took off her blindfold and saw everyone around her clapping, including Matthew, Donovan and the senior solider who had challenged her.

"My, my! I've never such a lady before! Are you sure you are a not a supernatural being?"

They all laughed.

xxxx

"So this is the map of Jevanna and Loringard is approximately sixty miles away from here," Matthew explained. "Between these two countries is the barren land of Revagal," Matthew pointed the empty space in the map. "This is where the battle will be held."

The seniors nodded.

"According to what I and Jenavive have decided, we'll first reform the army into two groups. Bassanio, how many men do we have in the army?"

"Eight thousand and nine hundred, sire. A hundred of them being skilled archers."

"All right. So four thousand and six hundred men will stay in the front. The first main group will be further divided into four parts each with one leader. This way it will be easy to handle the army."

"And our army will look smaller which will deceive the opponents, they'll become over confident about their strength." Jenavive added.

"Exactly, while the rest will stay behind others for the backup. As soon as one of us blows the trumpet, the passive army will rush forward will force, helping the already active ones. This will overwhelm the army of Loringard."

"Impressive." Said the solider who challenged Jenavive. She had found out his name was Erwin.

"Sorry I had to be rude to you, you know? Sometimes a man's strength is shown when he's mocked, I didn't this would work on a woman too." He laughed.

"The hundred archers will stay on the hills over here," Jenavive pointed the triangles on the map. "None of them will be ordered to move at any cost. They'll secretly attack from there."

"This would help the lancers, since there would be no archer on the ground."

"Another amazingly deceptive tactic." Donovan said thoughtfully.

"What about the protection of the country?" Bassanio asked.

"The rest of the two hundred men will stay behind and protect the women, children and the old. In case if some traitor is found lurking around." Matthew replied.

"And Joseph would stay within the country as my deputy." Donovan stated.

"Hopefully, if we win the war, the booty will be collected after the whole opponent army retreats. The military equipments collected will be given to the army while the food will be distributed among the poor and needy. If anyone shows greed during the war will be imprisoned for the next ten years." Jenavive stated the last sentence sternly.

"I agree with her." Donovan nodded.

"And I am also taking part in the war." The Princess stated simply.

"What?" Matthew and Donovan said in unison.

"What, what?"

"You can't to that. It's dangerous, Vive!" Matthew exclaimed, looking at Jenavive incredulously.

"I want to be a part of the war too." She shrugged nonchalantly.

"But you'll get hurt, Jenavive, besides we can't risk the future heir of Cyrail's throne and the future Queen of Jevanna." Donovan added, feeling tensed by her sudden decision.

"Well the future Queen of Cyrail must be well-acquainted with warfare-"

"Jenavive, this is no time to be well-acquainted with something so life risking! You are not going to participate and that is final." Matthew growled.

"I did not ask for permission, Mr Reynard. I am going to take part in it."

They both glared fiercely at each other. The tension in the room increased while everyone looked at each other nervously.

"Fine! Do whatever you want to!"

"Know what? I will."

Both marched to the opposite ends of the room to exit it.

"Sire-"

"What is it, Bassanio?"

"The door is the other way-"

Matthew hit his palm on his forehead.

'This stubborn woman is going to drive me crazy one day.'

His conscience made an appearance as a chance to mock Matthew.

'She already has.' He sipped his tea nonchalantly.

This was a pretty boring chapter Ik. Only two to three more chapters left yay. Love you all, thanks for the support guys. ☺️