The Royal Decree

"General!" Bishop came dashing towards her, his voice filled with urgency as he interrupted her moment of grim satisfaction. His brows furrowed in confusion as he watched her actions. "Why did you kill him?" he questioned, his tone tinged with bewilderment.

"He broke the law," she replied plainly, her demeanor unwavering as she nonchalantly kicked the lifeless body away with her foot. Bishop's confusion only deepened at her response. "But the law doesn't punish theft with death," he protested stiffly, a sense of unease creeping over him.

"I didn't kill him for stealing," she clarified, her tone devoid of remorse as she threw her hood around herself and mounted her horse. "I killed him because he dared to breach the Nuria borders," she declared, her voice carrying a cold determination.

"But he is..." Bishop trailed off, his confusion reaching its peak as he observed the dead man, clearly of Nurian descent based on his appearance. There was a stark contrast between the features of the Solyrian and Nurian people.

"Throw them all into the water, and you will find out why I punished him," Noori instructed with unwavering confidence. Bishop, momentarily taken aback by the sudden turn of events, felt a surge of aversion towards the lifeless body. As Noori galloped away, he slowly approached the dead man, his anger mounting with each passing moment. Still slightly unsure he pulled out his water sack and poured the water over the bloody corpse for it to instantly cause the dusty ink to evaporate from his hair almost like a fume. Bishop almost couldn't believe his eyes. 

Bishop's proclamation echoed through the camp, sending a shiver down the spines of the assembled men. Their faces paled as the gravity of their situation dawned upon them, their fate now in the hands of the merciless Princess Noori.

As the men stood trembling before her tent, their true identities revealed by the icy water cascading down their bodies, Noori emerged from the darkness, her presence commanding respect and fear in equal measure. Her crimson gaze swept over the line of bandits, her expression inscrutable as she assessed their worthiness of mercy.

Bishop, overcome with remorse for doubting his princess, fell to his knees in a display of contrition, his apology ringing sincere and heartfelt in the frigid air.

"General, I deserve to die for doubting you even for a second," Bishop confessed, his tone heavy with genuine remorse.

Yet, Noori nodded as if acknowledging his apology and then With a disdainful sneer, Noori turned her attention to Bishop, her voice dripping with contempt as she demanded his judgement. 

"Tell me, what do you want to do with these rats?" She spat out the words, her disdain palpable.

Bishop, his resolve hardened by the revelation of the bandits' true nature, wasted no time in advocating for their demise.

"General, I think the mountain lions would be pleased to get a taste of them. I suggest we throw them to them," Bishop proposed, his voice ringing with conviction. "What do you say, brothers?"

His words were met with fervent agreement from his comrades, their voices rising in unison as they roared their approval, filling the forest with their thunderous cries.

The decision made, Noori nodded in approval, her cold, red eyes gleaming with satisfaction as she unsheathed her sword with a menacing flourish.

"The lions it is," she declared, her voice dripping with malice as she prepared to mete out her brutal justice. SHe unsheathed the sword she had carried out with her in her hand and spoke. "But before that i need to chop them up into the right size." she hissed. 

And so, the fate of the Solyrian bandits was sealed, their screams of terror drowned out by the roar of the forest as Noori exacted her merciless vengeance upon them. 

In the end, the snow was stained crimson with the blood of the fallen, a grim reminder of the merciless power wielded by the Princess of Nuria. And as the last echoes of their cries faded into the night, Noori stood victorious, her reputation as a fearsome ruler solidified in the minds of all who bore witness to her wrath.

That night, heavy snowfall blanketed the camp, slowly concealing the traces of the day's brutality with a pristine layer of white. Outside Noori's tent, the bloodstains faded into obscurity, a grim memory buried beneath the frozen landscape. Inside, Noori reclined in her wooden bath, her fiery red hair cascading around her like molten lava flowing down a mountainside. With her eyes closed, she surrendered to the soothing embrace of the cold water, until the sound of approaching footsteps shattered the tranquility.

"Enter," her command cut through the air, the tone unwavering in its authority.

Bishop hesitated at the entrance, his steps faltering as he realized she was bathing. "I think I came at the wrong time," he muttered, his gaze dropping respectfully to the ground as he noted the thin veil separating them, through which her flowing hair was visible.

Noori clicked her tongue in mild amusement at Bishop's discomfort before inquiring about the fate of their prey. "Did the lions feast on our little present?" she asked, her curiosity evident.

"Yes, your highness, My General,. Their roars echoed through the night," Bishop replied, his voice tinged with satisfaction.

Noori hummed thoughtfully, contemplating the prospect of future hunts, before turning her attention to Bishop. "What brought you here?" she inquired, her gaze piercing through the partition.

Bishop shifted uneasily under her scrutiny before voicing his confusion. "I am perplexed. How did you discern that those men were from Solyria? The revelation that our enemies may be disguising themselves as Nurians has unsettled me. I need to know, Princess, how could you tell?" he asked earnestly.

For a moment, silence hung heavy in the air, broken only by the gentle bubbling of the water in the tub. Noori's expression darkened, a glint of steel in her eyes as she drew a deep breath, causing steam to rise from the bath.

Bishop was still standing there when Noori issued her command once more. "Enter!" Though he hadn't heard any approaching footsteps while he stood by the door, Noori seemed to have sensed another presence. Bishop turned to see the newcomer enter the room.

"General! The king has sent for you with a message," the messenger stated with deference as he knelt before her. Noori's interest was piqued, and she shifted in the tub, leaning forward to listen.

"From Father? What does it say?" She inquired as she emerged from the bath, wrapping herself lazily in a cloak before stepping out from behind the veil into the central part of the room. Both Bishop and the messenger lowered their gazes, and the messenger hastened to deliver the royal decree.

"The royal decree reads as follows: 'To General Noori Azar Solana, you are hereby ordered to immediately march forth to the borders of Solyria,and towards the capital of Solyria where your presence is awaited by the King of the nation. You may only take fifty soldiers along with you and go with peace. The King of Solyria has offered a hand in peace, and the Nurian Empire has accepted their advances. Thus, you must travel to Solyria instantly. And act like an envoy of peace and follow the rituals of the peace ceremony, This is an order from the Emperor of Nuria and you must abide by it'' ' he recited with solemnity.

"What?!" Bishop's voice cracked as he gasped in surprise and Noori remained still as if she had been frozen to her spot.