The morning air was biting and quiet. While the city was still waking up, the Citadel on the horizon was already alive. In its cold stone hallways, nobles hurried along, followed closely by their servants.
"When is the Chief of the Office coming?" a noble asked.
"An hour after sunrise," his servant replied.
"He sent word with a scout. He won't be late."
In the main hall, things were tense. Commanders and politicians were gathered in groups, whispering. Something big was happening.
Suddenly, the room went quiet as a woman walked in. She was a blonde beauty, but she looked like she's ready to put up a good fight against the entire hall. She wore a tight, faded shirt, baggy cargo pants, and rugged military boots. No medals, no fancy black uniforms—just raw, dangerous energy. She had her hair pulled back in a high ponytail that swayed with her confident, mocking stride.
Two guards escorted her to the heavy doors of the council room.
The doors swung open. Inside was a long table ending at a massive chair that looked more like a throne. She was made to stand at the far end. No seat for her.
The room was filled with officers in stiff uniforms and nobles in expensive silk. They stared at her with pure disgust. She just smirked back.
"Alright, I've had enough of these boring meetings,"
she said, her voice cutting through the silence.
"If any of you want to confess your love for me, do it somewhere else."
The room practically hissed with tension. She had taken control of the room with one sentence.
"Shut it!" her guard snapped. She just gave him a bored look. The soldier suddenly felt a chill; even though he was surrounded by his own men, he realized this woman was never going to be someone he could look down on.
"Canaria..."
An old commander spoke up. He was a veteran, his uniform tight against his aging frame. He looked like he should have retired years ago.
"The most controversial woman I've ever met," he rasped. "Even my wife didn't give me this many headaches, Lady Canaria Lombardian."
Canaria laughed. "Is that you, Old Man? Sorry, I don't date seniors. But I can hook you up with someone..."
She traced a line across her throat—a sign for Death. "Actually, even She rejected you, didn't she?"
The old man turned red. "Enough! Stop this childish act!"
"Childish act? Does a woman in her thirties look childish to you? Damn, you're way too old for me to even tease. My bad.."
"That's enough, Canaria."
The voice was cold. It was Vanguard. He walked toward the front of the room and stopped at the chair right next to the throne.
"The man in front of you led Questia through its worst days," Vanguard said calmly. "I get that you don't like him, but... at least respect his experience. You're a warrior yourself, aren't you?"
Canaria smiled. Vanguard had officially taken the lead. The room went silent as everyone took their seats.
Canaria hated the quiet.
"Vanguard, you know better than anyone here—I warned you about that man's 'Grace'!"
Her voice lost its humor. It was sharp now. "I heard we lost a whole troop yesterday. I've lost my own men too!"
"That bastard will level the whole army if he finds a rock big enough! I warned you, Vanguard. That was the deal. I stay here, I give you Intel you'd never find on your own, and my squad gets their records cleared and the gold we agreed on."
Vanguard cut her off.
"True. But we needed more."
"Not my problem!" she snapped. "I'm a prisoner. I have to play my cards right. If I give you everything at once, you'll just toss me aside when I run out of answers!"
Vanguard stayed silent. She didn't stop.
"I give you info based on how the battle goes. If I were out there with your units, we'd have won by now! Why am I the one being blamed for your stupidity?"
Vanguard looked at the old veteran. "Lord Revern, anything to say?"
The old man cleared his throat, looking defeated. "Well... we just think we could have understood each other better with better Intel."
Canaria scoffed. "Am I supposed to hold your hand for every move? You expect me to predict the enemy while you keep me locked in here?!"
The room felt small under her voice.
"Or am I just the scapegoat? 'Oh, Canaria let us down! It's all that mercenary's fault!'"
she mocked.
She slammed her hand on the table. "Listen up."
The dominant smile was back.
"We started this deal together, and we can end it together. You can keep me locked up, sure... but you aren't ready to fight West Oukosia and my men at the same time."
She leaned in. "To be honest? You aren't even ready for West Oukosia alone."
The council sat in stunned silence. Vanguard gave the signal.
"Guards."
They led Canaria out. The room felt heavy. Someone had to pay for the recent loss.
Old Revern stood up slowly.
"Lord Vanguard Brunn... I'm resigning as Commander of the Army."
The room exploded. People shouted for him to stay, but he roared over them: "LISTEN!"
He caught his breath. "I'll stay as an advisor. I know it's a bad time to leave, but I won't let my pride get in the way of my Kingdom , my King , my people and my comrades . I'm done."
He looked at Vanguard, almost begging.
"If the King were here, he'd decide," Vanguard said. "But I'll talk to him. If he accepts, you'll be my deputy. Until then, I'll take over your duties along with my own."
The old man slumped back, looking relieved.
"Meeting adjourned."
The hall emptied fast. News started leaking out. Outside the gates, journalists and citizens were already gathered, hungry for rumors.
In a quiet hallway, Canaria was waiting with her guards. Vanguard shows up across the hallway and walked up to her.
"Did he really quit?" she asked without waiting for him to be near enough for a conversation
"Yeah. I'm shocked too," Vanguard replied. "He's been in that chair since before I was born. He tried to blame you to save himself"
He had to give it to her
"..but you tore his arguments apart. He had nowhere to hide. Canaria... thanks."
She smiled. "You know, you're the only one here who actually acts like a noble... but you're better than them. Most nobles are trash. Maybe being a commoner is why you're decent."
Vanguard gave a small, cold smile. "The King would kill me if he heard a mercenary liked me that much."
"Then what would he do if he heard about you thanking that mercenary.." she mocked
He started to walk away. Then he stopped.
"Oh. My brother asked about you. Can I tell him I kept my promise?"
Canaria laughed—a real, feminine laugh this time. She went on her way.
"Yeah. Yes tell the brat you stood by his teacher."
They both left,with a smile on their faces.. heading toward whatever was coming next. And in this land, something was always coming.