PROLOGUE

Versteckt is on fire. The War de Konferenz, the 2nd floor of the Imperial palace, reeked heavily with desperation and morbidity. Generals exercised to the fullest, the potential of their voices to condemn their Commanders, and in turn, the Commanders did not fail to do so of their soldiers. Messengers reporting news of the loss of communication with Stadia, Trost and Flug were often shot abruptly, literally and metaphorically. Only one thought lingered in my mind.

General McArthur regarded me very closely before clicking his tongue and motioning to four foot soldiers, dressed in blood red armour with black lightning streaking across their left breast, a pattern only synonymous with the Royal Guard. "Protect her with your lives. I expect nothing less, naturally", McArthur said in an absent minded low voice. I departed immediately, heading to the Living Quarters on the East side of the palace, the Royal Guard in tow. I remember the burning sight of the Orange rooftops littered all over the city. Fires charred the orange into a blackish brown, the mortar on the houses all vaporized to reveal the bricking pattern, along with the thick abysmal smoke that seemed to rise up into the heavens.

The spectacle was even grander now, Versteckt was burning. Arriving at her room, I pulled open the large braced door aside,it was unlocked. From what I can tell, her personal maids were aiding her to wield and holster two long daggers, a gift from her father. She pays me no attention until she had swung one dagger severally, to which I assume, the best of her satisfaction. She approached and spoke in a loud belligerent voice.

"Good. Good. Are they equipped for Long Distance combat?"

I stopped one of the guard from answering. "Quite not, I'm afraid. What are you thinking, Mistress?"

She stepped backwards to allow the maids fit her the shoulder plates and shin guards.

"We will go to Trost, Valerie. Once we have secured my Father, we should retreat to Flug to fortify the frontier, halt their approach and.. ". She exhaled sharply underneath the ballistic vest. "Crush the enemy. Liberate Versteckt". It was a heavy silence. It seemed even the maids understood, their mouths contorting and sinking into their sheep-like faces.

"That is fantasy, Mistress", I said finally. She gave me a neutral expression. I was very familiar with it, of course, I had taken great care to remember it on another occasion. I looked at her closely, the armour had blessed her with an aura of arrogance that was usually favorable in battle, her eyes blazing with conviction. Mistress Brumhilda would march us all into oblivion. I know.

"Mistress, please reconsider. There were indeed reports that the Vanguard at Flug had repelled their forces, but that was Eight Hours Ago. Like Stadia and Trost, there have been no communication. Versteckt may already be lost. Even your Highness..". It was the same guard that I stopped earlier. He looked well-built, with a rough head of hair. He displayed himself, however, in a boyish pattern that made me doubt his competence in this endeavour.

Brumhilda waved her hands aggressively.

"Do you expect we should run? It seems you are misguided about the House of Stolz. Valerie, you mentioned that my words are fantastical to you? Good. I have never held a sword in my life, nor an iron dagger. And I am about to head into hell to find a man who I cannot be certain is alive. Do you know why that is?". She fastened the shorter dagger on her right hip. "Because to live in the dream world is my duty. To believe. My Birthright. And your job, Valerie Laurent, House of Laurent? The Royal guard of Versteckt? To make that into reality. Now, we will descend into Trost. Crush our enemies. Liberate Versteckt." My right arm trembled as she walked past me and soon we were on horseback, frightened, convicted, confused and heading into enemy territory.

Brumhilda rode the front, I and the royal guard made the entire vanguard. General McArthur assigned two more guards to this effort, most likely out of Compassion(or Pity!). It wont do at all to find a Mistress dead and discover just four guards and one Honorary State Officer in her party. A round number of Seven would be more digestible. The Vanguard dived into conversation a few minutes into the journey.

"..Yes. Although, I think Trost is most strange. The delivery men reported the attack last night from Stadia and Flug but I heard from the Grand Commander that nobody had heard from Trost in two days!"

"Hey, do you think, it's them? Astor, I mean."

"Bastards. The treaty was only four months ago".

"Oi!Whoever they are, they took three districts and managed to set fire to Versteckt in a matter of hours. I have a bad feeling. Dont you dare let your guard up!

"I dont understand why we had to bring the Mistress. She could have stayed behind easily."

I disagreed. It was important,at least to me, that Brumhilda tagged along. The assault on the State had supposedly begun, 17 hours ago, with a half-dead messenger reporting that Stadia's gates had been breached by an army with no faces. Versteckt, the district itself, engaged lockdown immediately but was too late. The firemen must have slipped in disguise before the messenger's arrival and the Palace was the first to catch flames. The Armory, stables, local bars and banks followed. Soon, the second messenger reported the same situation in Flug, but the Vanguard had destroyed most of the Invaders and sought to make it a fortress. We haven't heard from them since. Your Highness, the Emperor-In-Chief, Brumhilda's father, made out to liberate Trost but met the same fate. I wish it all would be over soon.

After an uninterrupted hour on horseback, the plains began to descend into a valley, where Trost should have been standing. I widened my eyes to look for the silver walls when I was sure I would not get whipped by horse-ridden dust. Sure enough, the gates stood tall over the wet green grassland. It was all quiet, the drawback bridges were shut and the roof showed no signs of disorder. It was hard to believe that this district had fallen.

At the same time, however, Brumhilda screamed a command that I did not capture but the entire Vanguard, including Brumhilda herself, came to a halt. The Mistress dismounted her horse and took off towards the stream separating us from the drawbridge. We followed without hesitation and understood her actions as we drew closer to the gates. The Emperor-In-Chief's face was passive in a manner similar to his daughter's, his eyes however, were dim and strained.

He made no movements, perhaps due to his hands being bound in tight ropes but stood upright, right behind the blades of two Longswords. Two archers in our Vanguard had already taken aim. "You fools!. Will you take responsibility if you hit your highness?", Brumhilda berated. Her voice was shaking now, with more fear than aggression.

On the other side of the stream, four men of forgettable appearances surrounded their swords around Your Highness, none of them moved or uttered their intentions.

The Boyish soldier was the first to speak. "I wondered why we didn't meet any resistance on the way here. Mistress, this is a plot. Obviously to lure Your Highness and yourself here and this is only a prediction, but I suppose they plan to put Versteckt, no, the totality of Bravalia under their heel."

"Lower your weapons", Brumhilda said calmly.

Shock was written all over his face, but he did not budge.

"Do not lower weapons!Mistress, I don't think you understand. If we hand you over, we will not only be burning Versteckt, but everything".

"Bravalia will live. I am only just a person. Now lower your weapons".

"Mistress! It is not that simple. And as far as living is concerned, you would not be doing so. Your Highness understands this. You wear the Armour of Stolz and have brought the Crested Daggers and us. Do you not even intend to fight?"

Brumhilda's expression had eased somewhat, I didn't think she wanted to argue any further. She asked firmly "Who do you serve, Soldier?". Before giving the boy a chance to answer, she began her crossing to the other side. The Archers lowered the bows with a crestfallen expression.

I couldn't contain my laughter at this juncture. "You are just too excellent, Brumhilda!", I told her. I stepped a little forward from the back to see what she would look like at that moment. The guards stared silently at me, some shaking their heads in a manner that was not dissimilar to a drunken daze.

"And after all that talk about dreams and birthrights. In the end, it's just your self-satisfaction. Brumhilda, can I ask you? What if you had the power to make all those dreams a reality? Save Versteckt? Be Chief-In-Commander?Command Glory and Respect?Love?, only if you had to kill your father over there? I wonder what you would choose?"

I did not remember asking this. I am a hypocrite.

Brumhilda acted similar to the pattern of the soldiers in response to my behaviour for a few seconds. But she regained her posture suddenly.

"Valerie....Are you somehow involved with this?"

"For the most part, yes."

"You want to kill me, and father?"

"I am more interested in you"

She went silent for some minutes. Then she began again, in a quieter, slower tone of voice.

"Why?"

"It doesn't matter now. Only 12 years ago, you made a different decision from today. Many citizens cannot forget it. Your people. You could say, I am the incarnation of their hate. Therefore, I also cannot forget."

"My God, did you also burn Versteckt?!"

"I asked you a question"

"He's my father, don't you understand the importance of protecting family?!It's the right choice".

"More than you know".

The Royal Guards were certainly rapid in attacking. Within seconds, a blunt oak arrow was in my chest. Brumhilda was also more efficient with the dagger than I had anticipated, she launched one into my right shoulder and lunged at me. I caught her right wrists mid-air but the left held the second dagger in my guts. I was too excited.

"One last thing I have not shown you, Mistress. You and I are a little alike. We understand power. Especially one that usually bends the world to our will", I coughed the words out in a jaggged manner. She must have put it together, because her eyes gleamed before breaking free from my grasp. She screamed at the guards to do the same but it was too late. More accurately, it was hopeless from the beginning.

I drew in a sharp breath.

"Eyes of Heaven".