NOVEL NEXT A&O Volume 2: The Long March South – Prologue
As the sun's morning rays came into view and banished the night, there were still hordes of people in the city of Olertin, the renamed capital of the Halkare Empire who were hard at work. It had been two days ever since these new people arrived and the locals were busy helping them move to predesignated towns and villages constructed just for them during the four-month boom of their little empire. These citizens were former residents of the Erstad Duchy and former citizens of the Hillsbrooke Empire that had now collapsed into civil war, these men, women, children and elderly of different races had come here willingly in the hopes of finding a better life and found themselves in a foreign land with people who spoke a tongue they could not understand they understood then and there that if they were to make it they would have to cooperate with the locals as this was no longer their own backyard.
"This should be the last of it, we made it out with everything" A black haired kitsune maid dressed in a head maid outfit said as she handed a ledger to the woman next to her as they stood in the middle of a square dotted with boxes and carts and people
"I see, thank you for the help, Percy? Was it?" The dragonkin woman dressed in a headmaid outfit of her own said as she smiled at the kitsune
"Yes, Percy Pamplona. Former Headmaid to the now Empress Ophelia. A pleasure to meet you" Percy said as she bowed her head with a small smile
"The pleasure is mine, I am Mercy Stryke, current Headmaid to Her Majesty Empress Ophelia" Mercy replied with a bow of her own, her gaze showing respect towards the younger headmaid
"I am happy to finally meet you Miss Percy and these past two days have truly been a test for us here when you arrived" Mercy added with a smile
"I can only imagine the headache this gave while planning for a window of only four months" The kitsune remarked with a small chuckle
"Indeed, it was a hellish four months but I believe it was worth it in the end and we did our best in our preparations to fully accommodate you all when you got here" The dragonkin lady added with a wry smile remembering the headache-inducing problems during the four months of preparation
"Her Majesty Empress Ophelia speaks highly of your capabilities in organizing and housekeeping, I wish to ask for your assistance in both as I have never been great at either of them before, hell, this entire planning and preparation were all instructions from Her Majesty herself" Mercy added
"I would be honored to teach you but I see that your abilities are already great as you were able to fulfill the orders and planning you were given to the letter which speaks volumes of your skill" Percy stated
"I thank you for your kind words but I would appreciate it if you taught me regardless as I believe I have much to learn from a much more senior Headmaid who has been properly trained for the job" Mercy replied
"I see, and I accept the request, I hope you are prepared for a lot of tests" The kitsune maid said with a small smirk
"I look forward to them if it means I get to serve them all the better" The dragonkin replied with her own smile and a bow
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Inside Fort Astin on the outskirts of the city, Dame Belle and the remainder of the Imperial Guard stood in rank-and-file formation before a large group of soldiers led by a gigantic lamia, the Imperial Guard's gold and red in contrast to the pitch black and crimson accents of the other group. The group before them was the Black Guard, the standard military of the Halkare Empire and they were led by the large lamia named Erhet who towered above all of them.
"Dame Belle, I am honored to stand before you, we all are. Her Majesty has told us that the Black Guard could use battle-hardened and veteran soldiers such as yourselves, but it is ultimately up to your individual choice to join our ranks as our beloved Empress has also told us that there is a chance none of you wish to continue the fight" Erhet said as she bowed her head towards the young knight in gold before her
Dame Belle was silent for a moment as she glanced back towards her soldiers. These men and women of different species had fought and served the Hillsbrooke Empire as the tip of the mighty spear that shattered their enemies, but now they found themselves far from home and without a purpose as their last orders were to protect the people of the duchy and go with them. The empire they served was now dead as Visnet took power and washed away every single reform and positive reinforcement that brought their former home such prosperity and peace. With it gone, what were they to do now? Should they finally stop their march and finally settle down and watch as a new army rises to perform the tasks they once held, or would they join into this new military and share the wisdom and experience that had given them the edge against their foes to help them thrive in this foreign land? To many it would seem like the choice would be clear to just finally settle down and take it easy, but for Dame Belle and the rest of the Imperial Guard, it was clear they only had one course of action.
"As commander of the Imperial Guard, I. Belle Von Hausen. Request that I and the Imperial Guard be formally accepted and absorbed into the rank and file of the Black Guard" The blonde paladin stated as she equipped her lance and held it sideways and offered it up to the lamia before her
"I see. I. Erhet of the Lamia Clan, accept your request and formally welcome you and yours into the Black Guard, you will maintain your rank and you will be treated equally like the rest of us. Long live the Empress, Long Live the Empire!" Erhet stated as she took the lance and held it by her side
"Long Live the Empress! Long Live the Empire!" The soldiers in the fort shouted into the night, their voices filled with fervor and loyalty to this new land and its ruler
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Meanwhile, a certain pair of lovers found themselves on a cliffside overlooking the bay of the city. The morning rays cast their light upon the duo who stood hand in hand as they watched the light spread across the city. It had been a very confusing two days ever since her arrival but now Amelia had seemed to settle in with the reality of the situation she found herself in.
"So I really am an Empress...that...is mind-boggling to say the least" Amelia said with a nervous sigh as she looked at the city in the distance, her golden hair blowing freely in the sea breeze
"I promised you I would give you a better life where the two of us could spend our time together without interruption and without worry, and what better way to do that when you are running an empire" Ophelia added as she looked at her
"I didn't imagine running an empire to be the relaxing thing that would allow us to spend our time uninterrupted, in fact I am sure that it would only cause more interruptions as the life I imagined was one where we would simply live in the countryside with one another and spend our time together in a house with a child we call out own" Amelia replied as she looked at her lover and turned to face her, holding her hands in hers
"I know this isn't the way you saw it happening but please trust me when I say that I too want the same thing as you but to get to that point of us enjoying our life together with our child, there are challenges ahead that only we as rulers of this nation must face, else we will be in a life of nothing but interruptions. And I do not wish for either of us to be in such a life. Please, trust me, I want the best for us Amelia I really do. But that road is full of dangers, please, I know I have not been fully honest but now that you are here I plan to be, put your trust in me once more my love, please, I love you" Ophelia stated as she pulled Amelia in close and looked into her eyes, her expression filled with nervousness and fear in her lovers answer
"sigh....You know I will always trust you Ophie, whenever we are in a pickle or in a gigantic mess, you always know how to get us out of it, and so I will do it again, I will put my full faith and trust in you just like countless times before. If this path we are on will give us the happy ending we both want, then please guide us towards it. I love you too" Amelia replied as she leaned forward and gave a deep kiss to Ophelia while wrapping her arms around her neck.
As the sun finally rose and the entire area with flooded with light, the Empresses of this new empire were about to embark on a journey on this new continent they found themselves on. One that was far different from the well-laid escape plans from the months prior, where the secrets of the world would be discovered and people united under a common banner. The journey that awaited the duo was going to be a challenging one, perhaps the most challenging one they had ever had, with a life ahead full of uncertainties only one thing was clear, Ophelia and Amelia were now together, and that alone seemed like everything they needed.
A/N: And here we go! Into the new volume! WOOOO! I am grateful to those who loved the first novel and are now back for the 2nd or if you are new and just skipped to the second, welcome aboard! I hope you will all enjoy the story that is in store and continue to enjoy it into the future! IF you have thoughts or comments, leave em below and I will read them. And as always, Stay Safe and Enjoy Your Day!