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"Seriously I don't know why they made you the leader of the cadre." Alice said snatching the pillow off under my head.

"And I seriously don't know why I made you second-in-command." I retorted.

"Because if it weren't for me, you'd still be in prison and be burning and you'd still be sleeping."

"Exactly, I'd be sleeping in peace." I said and pulled a pillow over my face.

"Seriously George just get up." She said yanking the covers off me.

"Why?" I moaned, "We had no plans for today."

"We did actually," she said, calm to the fact she exposed everything beneath my knees to the freezing weathers.

"At least give me the covers." I begged.

"That you should sleep again? Not likely." She said.

"Okay, you win, just get out, so I can change." I said

"Last I checked George you have a changing room where people usually change."

Having no further excuse, I went to the changing room, I donned my armor and exited my tent.



As I exited my tent, I saw that everyone (my cadre included) were ready for the attack on The Dark Lord's probably weakest area. I hated it when this happened - I the leader of the cadre late - so I looked down while passing them and looked at then raised my head to the soldiers who joined us for some reason.

I cleared my throat "Soldiers of-" then I recalled I didn't really prepare anything to say to them.

I looked at my cadre hoping they'd understand the situation.

"Morlon" James mouthed.

"Morlon" I continued. "The battle-"

Alice cut me off by saying "Indeed Commander, but may I continue?"

For a moment I was actually relived then I realized I was going the wrong direction with the speech. My face burned "Of course." I muttered, and went to the spot Alice previously occupied right to Lysandra and left to James.

"Thank you." Alice said.

"Now what the Commander meant to say was the city of Beser have surrendered so we will simply march in to confirm it."

A soldier- Veeva curse him - said "But the commander said 'battle'."

"Yes, we might have to fight in case they refuse and turn on us." Veronica saved. I flashed her a grateful smile but she just smirked.



"Seriously George, what was that?" Lysandra exasperated as we entered                                                   I ignored her and focused on 9-year-old Henry "Do you think what I did was dumb?"

Henry - clearly lying- said "I don't know..." I then knew beyond hope no one was gonna back me up.

"He clearly thinks not what you did was dumb but that you are dumb." Veronica chimed in.

"Oh gods..." I sighed.

"Well I'm pretty sure even the kindest god is laughing at you right now." Lysandra muttered.

"Just shut up all of you. Besides don't you have to get ready and all"

Then I also noticed they were all in formal dresses not armor "Oh" I swore.

Veronica smirked "Well commander how about you get ready for the 'surrender terms.'" She said mockingly

My face was burning from humiliation "Well ..." since no retort was coming to my head I just said "Fine." Lysandra snorted.

Once again, I went to the changing room in humiliation.



Despite the fact I have led many battles, I still wasn't used to leading an army. If it was up to me, I would've given the position to Alice or James,

But according to the Holy Queen I have 'Leadership qualities' so I had no choice but to lead these troops.

As we entered the city gates, I realized why they surrendered, the city walls were in ruins and the houses were also burnt.

"What happened here?" Henry murmured.

"Gee, I don't know, maybe they were attacked" Lysandra said, clearly angry that none of us took this as seriously as her.

"I was just asking..." Henry apologized.

"Guys chill." Veronica chided "We're here to make peace between kingdoms not wars against each other."

Lysandra grumbled something under her breath but said nothing else.

Sure, Lysandra was very feisty but she was also very soft-hearted for innocents. Kill people who try to kill her, sure! But innocents, no.

As we neared the Governor's villa, I wondered why this place was attacked, perhaps some one of The Holy Empire attacked it, but didn't seem likely since Lysandra just scouted it.

I was still wondering what happened when we reached the gate. The guard nodded hurriedly at us and started opening the huge gate.

"You guys wait here." I said to the soldiers who were standing.

They nodded so we entered, the once fancy villa.



"My Lady, so what do we do know?" General Samuel asked the Queen "You've sent 7 kids with an army of 5000 to a single city? Despite we are in need of more soldiers in the Stripped Mountains."

"Control your tongue, Samuel." snapped Lord John "If it weren't for those kids the Prince of Darkness wouldn't have been captured."

I raised an eyebrow, and noticed most of the other warlords and lords were just as surprised.

"The.... Prince?" Samuel asked.

"Well temporarily, at least," John admitted. "He escaped a day after we caught him."

"So Asmel caught him and then lost him?" Samuel concluded.

"No -- but -- well -- no." Samuel raised his eyebrows.

"No?" Samuel asked "Then you lost him after capturing him?"

"Well technically I was the one who captured the Prince." John retorted, and no doubt by the look on his face he regretted saying them.

"Well then I don't see what Asmel did here." Samuel said calmly.

"George is the one who chased him to my capital, so I sent my army to

take catch him, - since I knew George alone couldn't defeat the Prince -then the next then, he wasn't in his cell."

"Asmel never travels alone." Samuel said yet again calmly.

"Who said he was alone." John said, a bead of sweat dribbling down his forehead.

"You just said 'I knew George alone couldn't defeat the Prince' what about that Lord John?" Samuel said - cold this time.

"Well that included his cadre." John said hurriedly "since not even them all together can defeat the Prince."

"And a tiny squad you sent helped?"

"Look I wasn't there but my soldiers returned with the Prince." John said too casually.

Samuel raised his eyebrows "And I take it you forgot to take information from him, have proof you had him captured?"

"The first one: no. But the second one: yes." John said smugly, and put a hand in his robe and took out a dark dagger.

I whistled "Well I gotta say brother you are wrong on this one."

Samuel's face was unreadable- a hybrid of shock, disbelief and anger. "Well general got any other questions?" John gloated.

"Why did you not take any information?" Samuel growled.

John just waved him off "So you were saying what the capabilities of George are?"

"It seems I have to change my direction." Samuel said smoothly - containing his anger so fast- impossible for anyone else.

"Pardon?" John asked.

"It seems Asmel has proven himself," Samuel began "But what about you Lord? What are your capabilities? Last I checked you just inherited a small piece of land from your father. And you didn't send him here despite the fact you had a whole day. You didn't even have much of your army since you sent them to defend your brother's city. Now I ask you what did you and what will you do that will actually help not just so you get to brag?"

For a moment there was silence in the hall, then John said slowly "What I did, eh? Well how about we count? I donated a hundred thousand gold bricks to the Holy Empire. I help other kingdoms from collapsing rather than destroy them. And I nearly captured the Heir of Darkness."

Samuel just tipped his head back and laughed "Seriously that's the best you can give. Well let me tell you how all your points failed to convince me that you're utterly useless." He stared at John, who just raised an eyebrow but didn't defy the challenge.

"The gold, right! Firstly, we didn't really need that but since you insist-ed, we took it, and secondly," he stared John down "you gave it to us so you could merely get to brag, and thirdly" he said with a wicked grin "we returned you half of it since we saw you were about to go bankrupt."

John cringed at each statement Samuel was making, but all the other lords were quiet.

"You help other kingdoms, not bad! But again," he leaned in close "Do you think you can really defeat any of them. And about the Heir of Darkness we already discussed that, so I hope you and all the other lords also see you are useless."

John managed not to cringe this time but he still winced.

"But enough trash talk." Samuel said with such sincerity he left no room for debate "We have a more pressing topic." He said and looked at the Queen "May I?"

After everything that happened today the most surprising was when the Queen nodded.

"My Lady, I change my mind about George since now we have a more pressing problem." Samuel shot John a glare "Since now we have a chance at getting the Prince."

The Queen only said "How many people support this idea."

Unanimously everyone - including John - raised their hands.

"Well then, General Samuel White of Blimnir prepare your armies." She said gracefully.

I didn't believe it, the fool insulted someone in front of her and yet she was calm about it. I didn't see how she could even be angry, but that clearly wasn't true, after what happened three years ago...

It appeared Samuel was thinking the same the same thing, because as soon as she said that relief flooded across his face washing away his anger.

"I'll prepare them My Lady." He said gratefully.

She just nodded in dismissal, which caused us all get up from our seats take a step away from our seats and bowed in unison, until we heard an

owl hoot, which was our cue to get up and we all bowed our heads briefly and filed out of the room.

As soon as we were out of the castle gates I snapped "Seriously Sam what was that."

"What was what?" Samuel asked.

"You insulting someone in front of the queen." I exasperated.

"I'm pretty sure she values me more than him." He bragged. "Besides he isn't even of the Council, we let him hang around, so we also get to prove that he's wrong whenever we feel like it."

I rolled my eyes at his pride "You're very modest."

He flashed me a grin "You just realized."

I rolled my eyes again, but this time mockingly.

"Besides, what grudge do you have against Asmel?" I inquired him.

His face darkened "You too?"

I've seen him get angry, but never against me, even now I doubted he was mad at me. "Well, yes. For some random reason, you were acting like he is worthless. Despite the fact he's not and you know that too."

"I'm not saying he's worthless, but no one in his cadre except for Hyrom care to share their past, and yet he kept them." He replied calmly "Why'd you ask? Except for the fact you fancy him."

"I do not like him. And I told you why." I said defiantly.

He just smirked "Just teasing." And walked away to the barracks.

I wanted to strangle him, how could he expect me to like someone who was nine years younger than me. I got the thought out of my head and went to the docks- to my armada.