1 chapter 1

Aquila was frowning at the maps in front of her trying to come up with new strategies and methods to decrease mortality risk to her soldiers When Brian entered the tent. She briefly glanced up to see who came in and returned to her maps.

" what is it?"

She asked with frustration in her voice. The ceasefire order between the two countries had been quite long this time around and there was a chance of war breaking out at any moment.

" There is a royal order, my lady"

" A royal order? that's odd..."

It was common to receive military orders since they were sent by the minister of war and defence but royal orders were sent by the king himself. Her frown got even deeper. ' what does that old man want from me now?' She asked herself as she grabbed her cloak with her family crest, three roses surrounded by a circle, embroidered on the back. She checked her appearance in a small mirror in one corner of the tent while Brian uncluttered her table. finally ready to accept the messenger she pointed to Brian.

The messenger entered the tent with annoyance. He was a special messenger carrying a royal order. He was used to people running to him to accept the letter, not waiting for them outside. Besides the time it took Aquila to get ready, Brian had made him wait for extra two hours, insisting that they were ordered to not bother the general unless the war had broken out. And now she was sitting casually with her feet on the table and staring at him. he started fuming at the mouth,

" I am the personal messenger of his royal highness, King Henry II! How dare you make me wait and treat me ..."

He started yelling all while the little girl in front of him stared with indifference and suddenly stopped as She raised and stepped in the light towards him. She was dressed in a simple cotton shirt and trousers. Her long black hair was in a tight braid and was casually resting on her right shoulder. Her white smooth skin looked as if it had never seen sunlight. She looked more like a beautiful and calm lady than a blood-thirsty general as her notorious reputation made her be. Except for her golden eyes which were burning a hole in the man in front of her with murderous intent. The rest of his words got stuck in his throat as her murderous intent was directed at him. He felt like a small prey frozen by the gaze of a beast. Her facial expression was very calm and indifferent but her eyes ... looked as if she was going to stab him any minute. He recalled all the awful rumours about how the young general treated the ones who disrespected her regardless of their ranks. There was also a rumour that she drank the blood of her enemies and ate their hearts to make her stronger and preserve her youth. He suddenly jumped back as she raised her hand towards him.

" order."

"paradon me?"

" Hand me the order."

He took out the royal order with shivering hands and gave it to Aquila. Customary He was supposed to read it while the receiver knelt in front of him, but He was too afraid to do that now.

She opened the letter and read through it quickly and sighed as she rolled it back up. It was both good news and bad ones. The king had requested for her return to the capital to discuss the possible peace treaty between Their kingdom of Bellium and their long-term enemy, Devine. The war had lasted for five years this time around and burdened both countries and their people greatly. It was time to end it.

But there was no need of discussing politics with a general like her. That meant the old fox wanted to use her other title, being the only daughter of Duke Beauchêne.

With the peace treaty, a political marriage was given. Each country taking a hostage under the pretense of union was the easiest way to maintain peace. Usually, it was to be a royal marriage between a prince and princess and customary a princess was sent to the other country. Based on her knowledge, except for princess Sharlotte, there was no other unwed princess in the royal family and she was a girl with quite a weak constitution, unable to travel such long distances. There was no way that she would be sent as a hostage to another country.

That left only one option. Using the children of the highest nobility rank, The Dukes, and among the few options available She would be the best choice. After all her mother, who married the Duke of Beauchêne in the same manner, was a princess of Grinvid while her grandmother was one of the royal princesses of Bellium making her father a distant cousin to the king himself.

She left the letter on her table and sat on her chair crossing her legs and resting her head on her hand and sighed again. That was when she noticed the messenger was still in the tent.

" Is there anything else?"

She asked coldly. She needed some time to think. Even if the king asked her to become part of the peace treaty, he couldn't force her. She could use her position in the army as an excuse to refuse. After all, the Devinain would consider her their greatest enemy, being the enemy general and all. She also needed to make some preparations for her absence and appointing Brian as her replacement while she was gone.

The messenger started stuttering and talking in whispers. Then he started to shiver as her frown got deeper,

" I can't hear you, speak up!"

the poor man couldn't help but shiver harder. He glanced at Brian hoping to get rescued but was ignored. There was no trace of haughtiness that he was filled with when he entered the tent. He swallowed his saliva and tried again,

" Y-your g-g-grace, I also ha-ave a letter from His Highness, Crown prince Basil..."

She froze for a moment and then her facial feature started to soften. Brian who was observing his master frowned at her reaction. She wouldn't flinch by a surprise attack from an assassin or smile at the funniest jokes but one word from that man was enough to make her looked like that. He took the letter from the messenger and handed it to her. She looked up at the messenger,

" Is that all?"

She asked with a softer tone and a smile dancing on her lips.

" Y-y-yes, your grace. I am also ordered to take your reply back to his highness upon my return."

He exhaled as the tension he felt until a few moments ago was gone.

" I will give my reply by tomorrow. You may take your leave. Vice general Lowell will show you to your tent."

She said with a smile. The messenger accepted her kind words with bewilderment. He couldn't believe that this kind lady with a beautiful smile and the lady with murderous intent from a few moments ago were one and the same. He bowed as he was exiting the tent and followed Brian with a flushed face, leaving Aquila to read her letter.