《Glory be to Arria》 1. Happily Married The old man, often called his holiness looks at me with a smile. I merely stare back athim,it is great that at least one of us is happy with these developments. ¡°My Emperor, you should stop moping around. She is a very beautiful woman. You should not be displeased.¡± I seeGiovanniwalk down the aisle with his daughter in hand out of the corner of my eye. His white hair and red eyes look tired, despite this he doesn¡¯t allow it to show in his movements as each step is confident and powerful. I take my eyes off him and look towards my soon to be wife, as soon as IdoI understand what his holiness was talking about. She has the traditionalArriannoble features, white hair, red eyes, pale skin. She seems more on the petite side than the tall side but perhaps that is because I am tall and she might be rather average in height. I tear my eyes away from her so as to not be caught staring. I look at the stained-glass windows, the story of the first emperor. It seems rather fake to me, with the blessing of god he defended theArrianRiver, pushed back the invaders, and createdArria, whose name originates from that river? I don¡¯t know how much of the story is true but I do know the god bit is a bunch of baloney, predetermination is a silly idea. Anybody can be emperor, just because I was born with a birthmark means I am the only one? At the end of the ceremony I take my wife into the back. The room is sparsely decorated but shall work for our first conversation. ¡°I am Michael DeArria.¡± I say staring her down, she doesn¡¯t look up but stares at the ground. ¡°It is an honor to meet your majesty, it is a sign of the good faith and loyalty of theAllefamily that I have been given the honor of marrying you.¡± She looks up to me before her eyes dart around the room. Honor? Loyalty? Faith? I do not believe I have heard a greater lie.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡°Is that so... I shall leave and allow you to prepare for the ball.¡± I say before walking out of the room and towards the imperial carriage, the ball will take place in the palace. As soon as reach the palace I see Luca De Cara, Captain of the Imperial Guard. Currently the only order in all ofArrialoyal to me. ¡°My Emperor, I have begun doing as you instructed.Matteois currently outside the capital securing the loyalty of the surrounding counts and dukes. I imagine that he will succeed, and soon your position will be vastly different.¡± Luca greets me, this is the one piece of good news I¡¯ve heard all day. Though I doubt thatMatteowill be quick in this endeavor. It is no small task. I begin to go through many letters and ledgers. We are in the negative...Arriais the richest country on the continent and we are going negative. Why? Because all the nobles are taking the money for themselves. Repair of gates? This noble did that last month and I know for a fact his gates haven¡¯t changed a single bit since then. ¡°Do they think me an idiot?¡± I sigh. ¡°I cannot speak for them, but I know for a fact you are excellent.¡± I look up at Luca, his constant compliments get dull rather quickly. Luca stands by the door at a chokehold in case an assassin tried to come through the door. The rest of the room is filled with bookshelves and books, my lonely desk in front of some windows facing the door. There are two red seats, they are neither fancy nor simple. ¡°My Emperor,itis about time for the ball to start.¡± I stand up in response to Luca, I am mostly prepared. I merely need to tidy up. I walk down the corridors with the imperial guard following shortly behind me. I meet up with my wife at the entrance to the ball, she has changed out to a red and black dress. I offer my arm and shegraspsit, I have never been close to woman but I can now understand a tiny bit why the Yanzhou enjoy having harems. I must confess that it seems strange to have more than one wife... It seems dirty to me. ¡°Have you settled into the palace yet?¡± I peek at my wife through the corner of my eyes. She seems a little tired, perhaps it has been a long day for her. One doesn¡¯t often get married inside the grand cathedral ofBelnuo. She probably was preparing for a long time. ¡°I have been settling nicely, the palace is much nicer than the castle ofAlle.¡± Her voice is dull and sounds unimpressed. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if what she said was false, Giovanni has been extracting quite a large sum of money from the imperial budget for a while now. 2. Wedding Night Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. 3. Grave News The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. 4. Day of Triumph The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. 5. Ah, My Empress This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it 6. A Leave of Absene Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. 7. You are Prettier This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. 8. A Time and Place This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. 9. New Uniforms Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. 10. Cut his Tongue Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. 11. My Husband
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. 12. She is my Wife The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. 13. I Agree The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
14. Lucifer’s Law Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. 15. The Peace Shall End Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. 16. Dead People Can’t Serve Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. 17. Never Claimed to be a Gentleman This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. 18. Brother Michael Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. 19. Reins of Destiny The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. 20. Merely Wishes and Dreams I spread out the letter in front of me. I long to go back to Alle. The rivers of Casterso are vast and beautiful and I have tapped into the great potential within them. Arrian¡¯s have rejected the notion of the navy. They do not see any wealth in investing into the sea. I can see the truth that they have grown blind to. This is the secret behind Allonia¡¯s recent success economically. Keeping the court under my control has gotten harder and harder as the days pass. ¡°I just need to secure another method of gathering funds.¡± Bribes are key to keeping my voting bloc inside the court. The number of petty nobles is high and a large number of them are susceptible to bribes as they don¡¯t have any reliable sources of money. I swear Michael never attended any of my lessons. How is he able to spot the missing money? Not only have I taken money from it secretly and covered up my tracks but I have put bait out there to trick anybody looking into the matter. Most people will see the obvious cases of embezzlement and skip over the less noticeable cases. Well... it doesn¡¯t matter. Even if the people near the capital swap sides it will be difficult for him to breach into Casterso. His ability to react to changes would be hampered and I am earning enough money that I no longer need to embezzle it. Who knew that by just spending money on infrastructure over military one would be able to become wealthy? I do, however, have to weigh the problem of Ante. The nobles there have become a great source of pain for me. I could get rid of Michael, while he was always a rebel child, he never showed an interest in politics before and thus I decided to let him be. This would have dire consequences. Never had an emperor been assassinated, it would send a sense of shock and panic across Arria. This could be disastrous in the current war. The other would be there was no guarantee Antonio would sit back either. I may put somebody with more power onto the throne and go from a difficult problem to an unsolvable one.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. I would also make my daughter a widow. Her reputation would be shattered. No, I cannot kill Michael. While I may look at this issue later down the line it isn¡¯t viable at the moment. I do have to smile to myself. It doesn¡¯t matter what happens in the future, I have accomplished my one true goal. The rest are merely wishes and dreams. I have been working for a long time. Samuel and I dreamed of a better future for Arria. The roads had begun to crumble, buildings started leaking, things seemed to be breaking down. We worked hard in our early years. I gathered support and pushed laws to build up Arria. When I failed Samuel pushed them for me. Then Diana, Samuel¡¯s wife, died giving birth to Michael. I watched my friend drink himself into oblivion. No longer did the man who dreamed of the future with me exist. Replacing him was a monster. I do not know what happened in the years prior to his death and he sent me away. Instead I focused on my domains while Arria proper suffered. When I returned to the capital I met Michael for the first time. He was... nothing like Samuel when he was younger. Michael seemed to avoid people, he looked at me as if I was evil. He seemed much more like Samuel before his death. Perhaps that was my mistake. Samuel might have dreamed but he didn¡¯t have the ability to make them reality. ¡°Giovanni?¡± I look up to see my wife. I had probably spent too much time thinking. My old age has caused me to become sentimental. Rather than looking towards to future I seem to be looking at the past more and more. ¡°Rosa, forgive me. I seem to have gotten lost in thought.¡± ¡°You work too much, you should relax.¡± She moves behind me and begins to massage my shoulders. I would step back from the political scenes but I have nobody that I can entrust it to. Who else in Arria sees the truth? ¡°I am merely doing my duty.¡± ¡°Your duty can wait, it isn¡¯t going anywhere.¡± She smiles at me. The problem is it is going somewhere, it is slipping from my grasp as we speak. I might even be able to argue that it is officially out of my control. ¡°Just wait for me to finish this letter, I will be with you soon.¡± ¡°I shall hold you to it.¡± She smiles before leaving the study. I then begin to wrap up my letter to Alberto. He has done a good job in my stead but unfortunately his background as a commoner prevents him from helping me within the court. I tie the letter upon the homing pigeon and send it out. I then pull out a second copy and repeat the process. It is important that nothing happens to these messages along the way. 21. Imperial Sigil I pull out one of my books. Trade and the ocean... this book was clearly written by an Allonian but it is within my collection. I have forgotten where it comes from but this shall be the next issue I handle. Now that I can actually spend money without the fear of going bankrupt I can spread my influence father into Arria. Geographically Arria is split into three areas. Each of these areas are based on one major feature. A large or series of navigable rivers. Ante in the west is based around the large Ante river which also goes into Monza to the north. The Ante region is more culturally similar to the Monzans but due to being right next to the Yanzhou they remain in the empire. I doubt this problem will be solved any time soon but perhaps some steps can be taken. The other two regions are more important. Belnuo is situated in the middle of the other two but is closer to the Casterso Region. Giovanni hold incredible control over Casterso. If I could further incorporate trade between the two regions I would be able to slowly overshadow him. There are two options. Roads would be cheaper; the infrastructure is there and all I would need to do is improve and fix it even more than I already am. An actual navy would be the other option. Currently pirates plague the coasts of Arria, while the coast is relatively safe any long-distance trip is dangerous. If I got rid of the pirates I would be able to incentivize trade through the sea which would be faster than overland. Perhaps I should have Luca visit the great library. They might have a few books on the subject to assist me in this matter. Doing both would be too much money, I can already tell just by thinking about the problem. I should start sparring soon. I must keep up on my training. ______________________________________________________________________________ I look up to see Michael walking towards the training grounds. He usually spends a small portion of his day sparring with a portion of his guard. I look to Cecilia and she bows. While I was having tea time I would rather watch Michael practice. The guards look at me but don¡¯t say anything. I watch as ten members surround Michael. The swords were not sharp but instead blunted. One of the men raise their sword and charges Michael. He moves his weight slightly and slashes on the cotton padding. The fight quickly becomes chaotic as I lose track of what is happening. As more and more guard members get hit it becomes easier to follow. Michael not only stabs and slashes his sword but also kicks and trips his opponents.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. I clap as soon as Michael is finished. ¡°Did you enjoy the show?¡± Michael asks me. I look over his body to ensure that he is fine, while the blades were blunted it was still dangerous. Much too dangerous for the emperor to be doing. ¡°You are bleeding.¡± I look at his left cheek, a small cut is there. Michael simply places his hand to it and wipes the blood. It could have been a greater wound, he was merely lucky that it wasn¡¯t anything too dangerous. ¡°Hm, it will be gone soon.¡± He says. I look at him inquisitively. The wound may be small but it can¡¯t simply heal upon command. I need to go get some alcohol and clean the wound. But before I can leave I see it shrink. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You once asked about my hobbies, did you not?¡± Michael asks me as if a wound healing is natural. He is clearly being too casual about this. I think I am going dizzy. Maybe I am about to faint. ¡°I did ask, you told me you did not have any.¡± ¡°I have changed my mind. This is entertaining, I think I do have one hobby.¡± Michael says before leaving. I stand rooted as the guards leave except for Luca. I just stare at him. Is nobody going to talk to me about what just happened? ¡°I would recommend your silence on what happened. This isn¡¯t a secret but it isn¡¯t public knowledge and I would like to keep it that way.¡± He doesn¡¯t need to tell me. I doubt anybody would believe me if I told them. He may be the chosen of God but this is insane. ¡°What just happened?¡± ¡°That, my Empress, was God¡¯s blessing. It is the reason only those with an imperial sigil are allowed to inherit the throne. It provides him with protection against poison and wounds. This is not mentioning a the other small things it does.¡± He says cryptically before leaving. I had always known that it was the sign of one being chosen by god but this is absurd. I head outside the training halls. ¡°Your majesty, how was watching his majesty?¡± Cecilia smiles at me. I merely wave my hand and head back to my table within the garden. The sun shines down upon me but instead of lifting up my mood I am trapped within my thoughts. ¡°Greetings, your majesty.¡± I hear a grating voice from behind me. She should have been gone but like a thorn in my side she hasn¡¯t left yet. ¡°It seems my plans have changed. The Emperor wishes for me to stay.¡± ¡°Lady Casttica, what brings you here?¡± ¡°The weather is nice, I thought to enjoy myself inside the imperial gardens.¡± I doubt what she has said. Out of everywhere she chose here? It doesn¡¯t matter, what does matter is that she is staying. Why keep an unmarried woman inside the palace? The answer is simple, you wish to have some sort of excuse to meet. Perhaps Michael hopes that she gives birth to a child before me. That is the only reason I could think of for her being here. ¡°You seem to be enjoying your stay very much.¡± So much so that you decided to stay rather than leave. I can tell that your goal is to seduce the emperor, I am not blind. Unluckily for you he is always in the study and he dislikes being bothered. ¡°Who would not want to stay inside the capital, it is the most holy of cities.¡± Then she should be living outside the palace in the actual city. Not the palace. What changed Michael¡¯s mind on this matter? 22. Compelling Argument If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. 23. Noble Nation If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. 24. Attempt at the Throne Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. 25. Great Library ¡°Hello, welcome to the Great Library of Belnuo. May I please see your documents.¡± Luca hands her some papers. The man just glances at it before nodding and handing it back to us. ¡°I hope you find what you are searching for.¡± There are rows upon rows of books. At least three stories of this as well. People walk up and down the rows in search of the book they are looking for. Thousands of books, all in one place. The entire history of Arria, all of our political thought, our economic achievements. Where is the navy section?! After a long time searching I found a dusty corner with a couple of books on the subject. While the number itself wasn¡¯t all that low it wasn¡¯t anything compared to some of the other subjects. This is ignoring that half of them are Allonian in origin. I scan the pages looking at the important points. I understand why Arria never had a navy before. It seems that to build it takes a lot of money and some time to build. With no immediate benefit it makes sense that Arria has no major advancements navy. Might as well change it. Safe waters would allow me to pull more resources from all over the empire. I have to simply blame discrimination for my current situation. To simply neglect an entire section of warfare. ¡°Have you found what you were looking for?¡± ¡°Yes, we shall be heading out now.¡± I answer Luca before turning to leave. The next destination is the national academy. It should be nearing completion shortly. A lot of resources have been put into it and progress has been fast. ¡°It is a wonder, to have been built in such a short time.¡±If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°It is not complete just yet, it will still take another year for us to finish. Though I must admit progress has been rather rapid.¡± I feel as if nothing in the world is impossible. If I merely set my mind to it then I can accomplish it. ¡°Have you thought about what will be taught?¡± ¡°Military strategy, philosophy, politics, and history. These are the major subjects I intend to teach. I might allow them to teach Allonian, depends on if it might be useful or not.¡± I shrug. If the war is still going on I will ignore it. Once it is over and public sentiment against Allonia has calmed down I will add it. Diplomacy is important and in order to have diplomacy one must be able to communicate. The other issue is that when one learns about their enemy they are better prepared to defeat them. Though, I must admit that language is rather dull. ¡°These are good to learn. Education can be... varying when it comes to our generals. Some of them are decent while others... not so much.¡± This is putting it nicely. Our educational system is utter trash. It is mostly focused on religious nonsense rather than anything of practical use. I had it better because I didn¡¯t learn through the church but even still a lot of books are related to religion. The rest are often military in subject. Politics, philosophy, and economics are very far and few between. ¡°That is what I intend to fix. Incompetency is the gravest crime one can do against their nation. To waste lives with no regard is pathetic and hardly a strategy.¡± To do something that damages the nation should only be done in desperation when no other viable solutions. These idiots do it as their first measure. This is why I dislike battles of annihilation. To win a major victory against your enemy is far too risky. Not to argue that trying to safely destroy you opponent isn¡¯t viable. It is very effective. ¡°I forgot to mention, we received news from Matteo.¡± ¡°I assume he has accomplished his mission.¡± ¡°He wrote that ¡®Antonio is no more¡¯ in his letter.¡± Luca affirms my assumption. I knew that Matteo would succeed as he has some knowledge of the area. ¡°I doubted him at first but now I can safely say that I was wrong.¡± ¡°I did tell you that he forfeited his life to me. You merely chose to not believe me.¡± ¡°That wasn¡¯t the issue. He was a stranger, the unknown. It was, in my humble opinion, much too dangerous for you to let him next to you.¡± I smile at his words. It was a calculated risk. That being said sometimes risks are necessary. 26. Charming Personality I look around the corner. Ever since meeting Luca at the ball I have had to look over my shoulder. He seems to have found time each day to find me. I hadn¡¯t thought it would have been a big deal but it turns out he convinced Michael to have me stay. I was sure he would do as his wife wished and gotten rid of me. ¡°What are you looking for, Lady Casttica?¡± I jump after hearing the familiar voice. I do not understand how he can walk up on me. I heard they trained members of the royal guard, depending on rank, on how to assassinate people but I never took it to heart. ¡°Perhaps I could assist you.¡± ¡°No need, I am perfectly fine.¡± ¡°Fine? Then may I ask why you were looking around the corner suspiciously?¡± He smiles at me. I take a step back for each step he takes towards me until my back hits the wall. Does he like this position?! Why does he keep doing this? He gets dangerously close to my face. I thought they broke down the emotional states of royal guardsmen, he seems perfectly normal. I try to look anywhere but at him. He is taller than Michael. While I am fairly tall for a woman it feels as if he towers above me. ¡°We couldn¡¯t get married!¡± I blurt out due to nervousness. He has the audacity to chuckle in response. I want to stamp my feet and yell at him. How is this funny? My heart is beating at the pace of a galloping horse. ¡°Do not laugh.¡± Instead of stopping he just bends over and laughs even harder. ¡°I-I can¡¯t even! You are adorable!¡± I try to step aside but he has me trapped. I try to shove him but he doesn¡¯t even budge. I try to stomp my foot on his but he dodges it slightly. ¡°Forgive me, it is much to rude of me to laugh.¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°I am running out of time, I shall see you later.¡± He says taking a step back. I suddenly feel like I can breathe again. I gives me a small bow before turning around and leaving. ¡°Oh, and before I forget. We can get married, we just have to keep it a secret. So... if you don¡¯t mind the small slight against your honor...¡±This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. I blush at his implication. Who said I wanted to marry you? You are the one who has been coming onto me. I am perfectly fine being unmarried. I joined the army in order to avoid a political marriage. Lord knows it wouldn¡¯t have been a good one. A shiver runs down my spine. No need to get caught up in something too deep. I should go visit the empress. She always gets into a bad mood when I do so and it often helps cheer me up. Besides Luca doesn¡¯t really spend all that much time near her and it is probably safe. I walk past the guards and enter the room. Like usual she is drinking tea. ¡°Lady Casttica, you seem a bit flushed.¡± While I did rush over here that hardly explains anything. I walk over and sit down. ¡°I rushed over upon thinking of you, I enjoy your company so much.¡± I smile at her. She just glares at me. I can tell that she doubts my answer but I am not going to tell her. She can suffer a little bit for the trouble she caused me when I had just come here. ¡°How kind of you.¡± Her voice drips with sarcasm. I feel my mood lighten up. ¡°What will you be doing while you stay here?¡± ¡°I have been overlooking the military training. Instructing generals how to train troops. Just some small boring things.¡± I explain but Isabella just continues to drink her tea. I bet she expected me to have more interactions with Michael but I hardly see him. ¡°But other than that I just spend my days in boredom.¡± ¡°Is this why you keep visiting me?¡± ¡°No, I visit because of your charming personality. You always make me feel happier than before I talked with you.¡± I smile at her. To her credit she gives me a smile back. She is the only interesting person to talk to. The maids are all beneath my status and other noble ladies just avoid me entirely. ¡°I thank you for your kind words. Do you know how long your stay will be?¡± She asks a good question. I wasn¡¯t given an estimate for how long I will be staying here. I don¡¯t even know if Michael has really thought about it. Most likely it will be a year or two before I am sent off to do something else. I don¡¯t really mind, the quality of life in the palace is rather nice. Food is warm, more variety than soup and bread. Meat tends to be a part of most dinners. Much better than the army camps and I considered the camps a major improvement from my previous environment. ¡°I haven¡¯t been informed. I will stay as long as my services are required.¡± ¡°Well, it appears tea time is over. I would invite you to join me in the imperial library but I wish to have some privacy.¡± She says before standing up. I better head back and prepare for dinner. Hide in my room. ¡°I do recommend you hurry less, people tend to get strange ideas when a lady is out of breath.¡± I blink. Did she figure something out? There is no way she knows... she is just an arrogant noble. She leaves the room not sparing me a second glance. A maid, her name being Cecilia, walks by me to start cleaning up the mess. 27. Husband and Wife The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. 28. Finally Reached Cerva Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. 29. All Too Common Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. 30. Talk of War This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. 31. Deja Vu Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! 32. Pleasure to See You The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. 33. Welcome News Stolen story; please report. 34. Horrid Habit I cover my eyes with my arm. I do not know why I buried my doubts in front of her. I couldn¡¯t tell her that I didn¡¯t want any children. That my blood is cursed and should be ended as soon as possible. But when she looked at me I couldn¡¯t do anything but be happy. If not for myself then at least for her. While I know I would be a terrible father I can¡¯t help but feel a small sliver of happiness at the idea of a family. I have so few family in this world that I envy those who have it. Not that my family was ever a good one to begin with. I should get back to giving instructions for the army but I cannot focus anymore. A major change in my life has occurred. How does one even care for a child? I guess beating the child is a bad idea since my father did that. I feel lost. ¡°Michael?¡± I look up to see Matteo. He would be a good person to ask. I wonder what he is coming in for. It could be anything but I think I know exactly what it is. He is most likely worried about me. ¡°Yes?¡± I gesture for him to sit down. ¡°What did she say?¡± ¡°I am to be a father.¡± ¡°Congratulations.¡± Matteo smiles at me. His sincerity causes me to feel better. ¡°Do not worry about it. I am sure that you will be an excellent father. You will look back on this day and ask yourself about how you could be so silly for worrying.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± I guess that worrying is silly. How could I be worse than my father? I would have to actively be trying. A good thing that bastard died an early death. Drinking is a rather horrid habit. ¡°I wish you luck in the tournament.¡± ¡°I do not need luck.¡± Matteo gives me a cocky smile and I cannot help but to agree. I would be sorely disappointed if he did lose. I would begin to start questioning if he was just throwing the match. ¡°It is Luca you should be worried about. He has been training fairly seriously, I think he hopes to beat me this time.¡±Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. I can take a couple guesses as to why. I believe he is trying to impress a certain red-headed lady but I will refrain from commenting. I dismiss Matteo and he leaves. The room grows quiet and lonely. I spend too much time in here. I get up and look at my books. The people will probably take this as a good sign during the war. A child being born with the imperial sigil would be proof to them that the imperial line will continue and that Arria will abide. I open the letter on my desk. Critriria wishes for me to support their offensive to take back their lost land. I hardly doubt they will see any resistance to the war. Hertland is one of those republics. Who would assist them? Allonia? They are busy with the current war. But perhaps they don¡¯t want assistance but instead want the legitimacy of this claim supported. I will need to consider this offer. I see no need to empower their weakening Alton monarch. Even at the request of a fellow Rien. I look outside to see the sun in the sky. It is about time for the tournament to begin. I guess there is no point in just sitting here all day. I might as well check up on Isabella and make sure that she and the child are good. I walk out and look around. It seems Luca and Matteo have left already. To say that I am surprised would be a lie. Matteo probably checked up on me before leaving. I walk past and the guards follow me. The halls reflect the weather outside, cold and dim. There is a tournament celebrating the beginning of both fall and spring. I am sure that there would have been one for each of the seasons if not for the fact that summer already has too many and doing them in winter seems a little excessive. I enter the tea room to see Isabella sitting down and talking with her father. I had thought that he left as soon as morningcourt had finished. I guess that I was mistaken. He greets me but I choose to ignore him. I don¡¯t want him to upset my already complicated mood. ¡°Shall we?¡± I hold out my shoulder for Isabella. She takes it and smiles at me. Her smile must be infectious because I feel a small smile tugging itself at the corner of my lips. She is so bright and lovely when she is happy. If I could I would want her to remain this way for the rest of her life. I can sense Giovanni following behind us but make no mention of it. Does he want to follow us all the way to our seats? The only ones allowed to be there would be the royal guard. All other people are required to in a separate area. I sit down with Isabella and overlook the indoor arena. It is small and sparingly decorated. At most there are torches for light and the Arrian flag. The judge begins announcing to the crowd of nobles. Telling them about the age-old tradition and how it shows Arrian military might. I guess it is time to get this over with. The end result won¡¯t be surprising. 35. Pray for Victory I kneel down and pray for victory. Each and every time Matteo wins and I would like to win just this one time. I look over to Matteo. He is just laying down and taking a nap. I am fairly sure that he isn¡¯t nervous at all. At least not if he is resting. ¡°Stop staring, you are beginning to make me blush.¡± I glare at him. He hasn¡¯t even started to get dressed. ¡°I hate to break it to you but... you don¡¯t stand a chance, I already have a wife.¡± I almost walked over to him and knocked him on the head. Almost. Does he not know that he shouldn¡¯t be broadcasting that piece of information? They announce my name and I exit the room. No need to respond to his comments. My opponent just nervously walks into the ring. He is a decent dualist but nowhere near as good as me and he knows it. The official begins the match and he skitters around the ring. I just relax and wait for him to grow tired. If he doesn¡¯t have a plan then I am willing to let him waste energy. I lunges in and I quickly tag him with my sword. I would like to say the rest of the points played out differently but alas I cannot. The match ends quickly and decisively. I walk back into the waiting room and Matteo has gotten dressed. ¡°How did it go?¡± ¡°I won.¡± I say before sitting down. I should have a little while before they call me up again. The day slowly passes by as the number of contestants continues to dwindle. I look over to Matteo. This is the last match before the finals, I do not doubt he will win. ¡°Well... just wait for me to finish this and then you get your chance.¡± He says getting up one more time. I hear the judge begin to match but seconds later he stops it and awards a point to Matteo. This repeats two more times. ¡°Looks like it is just me and you again.¡± I kneel down and begin to pray before the match. They will give Matteo a small resting period in order to recover from the match but from experience I know that he doesn¡¯t need it. He hasn¡¯t even begun to break a sweat.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Thou lord that art in heaven. Give me the strength to beat him. They call us up and we each walk to our positions. We each draw our swords and wait for the judge to begin the match. ¡°Begin!¡± I instantly begin to attack Matteo. No reason to play on the backfoot, try to make him slip up. It is my only chance. Matteo dodges each and every attempt. He even begins to whistle during the whole thing. ¡°Relax, you are so tense.¡± I try to sweep him but he just back steps away from me. I then come in from above him but before hitting him I redirect my angle and slash at him. He just grabs my arm. I struggle to free myself but he just hits me in the side with his sword. The judge ends the match and we walk back to our positions. The next match begins and before I have time to react I see him lunge at me. I barely have time to react and dodge before it comes at me again. ¡°Your reaction time is getting better, you must have been practicing very hard.¡± Suddenly I feel his foot sweep me off the ground. When I look up I see his sword pointed at me. The judge awards another point to Matteo. I would like to say I did better the next match but I cannot lie to myself. I am exhausted and Matteo isn¡¯t even out of breath. I walk into the waiting room and collapse. I feel utterly defeated. ¡°You have gotten considerably better. Don¡¯t beat yourself up over this.¡± Matteo gives me pat on the shoulder. I don¡¯t even respond. I merely gasp for air. ¡°You do need to work on that stamina, getting tired over something like this.¡± He then begins to leave. ¡°Sir Luca?¡± I look up to see Francesca enter the room. I just cover my eyes. I probably look pathetic laying here on the ground after my defeat. I couldn¡¯t even take a single point off of him. ¡°You were impressive out there. How long do you practice?¡± ¡°Not long enough.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter.¡± I choose not to respond. We just sit there in silence with is fine for me. Her presence is pretty calming. ¡°Are you from Cara?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Do you know your family.¡± I shake my head. All I know was that I was born in Cara to a noble family as their third son. They gave me up to be a member of the royal guard and from then on I trained to be absolutely loyal to the imperial family. I learned religion, duty, and some torture methods. I was specifically chosen from early on to be at the emperor¡¯s side. ¡°Do you wish to find them?¡± ¡°No.¡± I do not need them. They have long since chosen this life for me. I am sure they are happy just knowing that I was accepted. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t even know where to begin if I wanted to.¡± ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mope around too much. You may not have won the tournament but you won my admiration.¡± I jump up but Francesca has already left. I want to chase after her but I restrain myself. 36. Nothing More, Nothing Less The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. 37. Willing to Teach This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. 38. Coming of the Snow This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. 39. Call a Truce This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. 40. Element of Surprise I force my leg to take one step after another. It feels as if there are weights tied to my feet and the freezing cold is causing me to lose all sense of touch. I am sure that this is a reckless decision but William has never been wrong before and thus I am willing to suffer through this. Only for him and nobody else. ¡°How much longer?¡± ¡°While it may feel like an eternity we are almost there.¡± William reassures me in the worst way. Do not tell me that it will feel like an eternity. I want my suffering to end at this immediately moment but discipline stops me from complaining. My stomach quivers in a futile attempt to tell me to eat but I know that now is not the time to stop. It will be over soon. I can, at least, last until then. Logically I know that we should almost be done. We have been going down the mountain for a while. I raise my head to look to see if I can estimate how much longer we have. The sight that I am greeted with brings me to utter joy and ecstasy. A see the hills, grasslands, and forests of Arria. Anything other than snow and stone. It takes some time but the moment my feet touch the grass I drop down in exhaustion. ¡°We will need to scout out the area and gather information. If there are local armies dealing with them is the first priority, after that we can deal with gathering food supplies.¡± I nod my head at his assessment. While the first thing I want to do is to start a fire and warm up I understand that would be a major blunder. To alert the enemy to our position would give away our greatest advantage. The element of surprise. We have the unique chance to catch the Arrians with their pants down. So long as the Avevens can take Cerva the war is won. They could not feasibly continue the war. The Yanzhou declaring war at the same time would be the final nail in the coffin. The few cavalry that managed to make the journey begin to spread out. I would have preferred to have heavy cavalry but that is just impossible for us. Most likely we will have to borrow some from the enemy.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. I take out some dried meat. This is not the usual Allonian diet while at war but I have long since grown accustomed to it. This is something William decided on when he began the campaign. Countless armies have screwed themselves over due to drunken soldiers. While our soldiers complained about the Aveven troops having access to ale William managed to maintain discipline. William takes out a piece of paper. I look over at it and gaze in wonder. While I have a rudimentary understanding of the letters on it I can hardly believe what I am seeing. I think that it is a map. ¡°Neat item, is it not?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°A detailed map of the continent, I have a better one of Arria. This is one of their secrets to success.¡± I just look over it. It shows hills, forests, mountains, cities, major roads. With this information we can plan an accurate campaign to maximize our chances of victory. I have only seen something like this once before. A rather simple map of Allonia. ¡°We should avoid the cities. We cannot afford to be caught in a battle that doesn¡¯t favor us. Besides, we hardly have the numbers to commit to a siege.¡± ¡°I agree, we are on a razors edge. One mistake and we are doomed. Until Cerva is open we are cornered here.¡± We were given the choice between two bad options. We might have been safer staying at Cerva but it most likely would have decreased our chances of winning. ¡°Your majesty, we have spotted three armies nearby. I can give your the estimates on their size if you desire it.¡± William takes the paper and looks at it. I walk over to him and glance over his shoulder. While they have more soldiers overall we are larger than each army by themselves. I smile at myself. I know exactly what William is planning and waiting for him to ask my opinion on the matter. ¡°Hudson, what do you think?¡± ¡°Defeat in detail.¡± I answer him and he smiles at me. I was fairly certain that the chances of me being correct were high. ¡°We have a strategic disadvantage, instead of trying to force the impossible it is better we win on a tactical level.¡± ¡°Then shall we play a match?¡± ¡°A match of what?¡± I frown at William. I do not believe we have a board and pieces for chess. Anything else he could be referring to is beyond me. William looks at me and grimaces. ¡°I want to play a game of war with Michael. See how good he is.¡± It seems a friendly way to greet your enemy. I cannot imagine one being willing to be polite to one¡¯s enemy. Why waste the energy on something so pointless? ¡°Then we shall win.¡± ¡°Will we?¡± ¡°With you? We cannot lose, I have faith in your ability.¡± William laughs at me but he doesn¡¯t know that I am serious. Despite every disadvantage we are at I believe that he can pull through. That the impossible is possible, if only he leads the way. ¡°I am glad that you see me in such a light but I am afraid that I will disappoint you.¡± It is needless to worry because the future is ahead of us. All we must do is shape it in any way we desire. 41. Stuff of Nightmares This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. 42. Await Your Return If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. 43. Believe in Fate Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. 44. Dog Emperor’s Actions If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. 45. Off His High Horse Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. 46. See The Future Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. 47. Gloomy Thoughts Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. 48. March to Casterso The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. 49. Thinking too Safely Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! 50. Devil Eyes Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.