Quite a few males stuffed the grand halls of the Benician Citadel.

Whether or not they had been knights and barons or dukes and marquises, all method of nobles gathered inside these halls so long as they held a notable quantity of energy.

Not solely had been there all kinds of nobles belonging to totally different ranks however in addition they hailed from numerous nations.

Whether or not or not it’s the Panish Empire, the Fench Empire, the Kingdom of Ostria, or every other main or minor nation.

So long as it was a predominantly katholic nation, there was no less than one noble representing it inside these nice halls.

Though they had been nobles of various ranks from totally different corners of the continent, all of them gathered right here for a similar single cause.

And that was to debate the rising menace of the protestent nations to the north.

Earlier than, the one actual protestent menace was the Unified Kingdoms of Nice Breeton, however the sudden creation of an enigmatic but highly effective nation; the Imperium of Drussia has severely threatened the maintain of katholism within the mainland continent.

protestent Shweden was principally contained to the northeast on account of fixed conflicts inside the Boltic Seas whereas protestant Breeton was stored remoted on their very own islands. As such, katholic pursuits had been principally protected, with solely the Eslamic Turkman Empire being an actual menace to the southeast.

Nevertheless, that’s not the case ever for the reason that institution of the Imperium of Drussia.

If the rumours had been to be believed, then the emperor of Drussia; Maxwell Dunnwal apparently did not even care about non secular conflicts or faith for that matter, as long as he can use it as a casus belli with a view to declare warfare with out being shunned by the worldwide neighborhood.

To be able to fight this rising menace, the Pope of the katholic religion; Pope Abraham has since known as a council in Benice which consisted of katholic nobles hailing from every katholic nation inside the Eurrelpeon continent.

Amongst these nobles was a single girl.

Though it was uncommon to see a noble girl attending these type of councils, her noble rating transcended even that of the dukes inside these halls.

And that was as a result of she was not simply the Aristocracy, however in actuality she was royalty.

She was a princess.

Particularly she was the primary and solely princess of Porrand, making her the irrefutable inheritor to the throne; Princess Stefanie Geinen Naftes.

Nevertheless, regardless of her royal standing, Stefanie has not loved the luxuries of being a royal-born for the previous few weeks.

Not for the reason that devastating defeat of the Porrish to the Drussians on the Drussian-Porrish border.

Your complete military led by her father, King Stefan was totally decimated.

Though Stefanie tried her greatest to dissuade her father of making an attempt such a brash and reckless technique, all of her makes an attempt had been for naught. In the long run, all she she might do was watch her father triumphantly march off to his doom.

To make sure that the battle could be as ‘clear and efficient’ as attainable, the military that her father lead consisted solely of 60,000 of probably the most elite cavalrymen inside the kingdom of Porrand. There have been no ranged crossbow or musketmen nor had been there any footmen or pikemen.

Apparently, these additions to any modern military would have solely ‘unnecessarily strained’ the Porrish military’s provides in response to her father.

As such, the remaining hundreds of succesful infantry had been left to garrison the western forts within the occasion that her father had been to fail.

Whereas Stefanie was positive that these forts would nonetheless inevitably fall to the Drussians, it could have no less than purchased her time with a view to muster a military massive sufficient to no less than have one final stand within the Porrish capital.

Or no less than that was what Stefanie hoped would occur.

Everybody, together with Stefanie anticipated the Drussians to put siege to the western forts with a view to no less than protect the infrastructure for when the Drussians finally annex the Porrish territories.

Nevertheless, to everybody’s shock, for every fort that occurred to bar their method, the Drussians solely lined up their assortment of artillery earlier than continuing to raze stated forts to the bottom.

After the primary few forts had been fully obliterated, Stefanie together with her closest aids and advisors selected to briefly abandon Porrand with round roughly 10,000 succesful troopers till one other alternative to strike again on the Drussians arises.

As a lot because it made Stefanie’s coronary heart ache, she needed to abandon her beloved nation if it meant securing the way forward for her peoples.

Nevertheless, when Stefanie lastly departed the town, a miracle occurred.

Coincidently, the identical day that they had been able to flee the capital was the identical day that the katholic Pope known as for a council in Benice.

Aside from attending the council, Stefanie’s subsequent best choice was to cover away in some border nation and bide her time, a chance that Stefanie dominated out way back.

This was her one and solely probability to realize assist she so sorely wanted inside an immediate.

There was no method she might hand over the chance to shortly return to her homeland.

Nevertheless, Stefanie found yet one more miracle when she personally met with Pope Abraham earlier than the precise council has began.

To her nice shock, Abraham’s motives for internet hosting one other council occurred to considerably coincide with Stefanie’s cause for attending.

After a fast dialogue with Abraham earlier than the council formally started, they shortly realised that they each had a standard enemy.

The Imperium of Drussia.

It did not take lengthy for the 2 to achieve an settlement after Stefanie revealed her present circumstances to the pope.

Though, it shortly turned apparent to Stefanie that the pope solely actually noticed her as a pawn, she not cared about such trivial particulars.

The faster she will be able to return to Porrand with a military, the higher. To Stefanie, it not mattered what kind of humiliating sacrifices she needed to make if it meant the realisation of her objectives.

Amongst the chattering nobles, Stefanie might solely wait in silence for the second she was awaiting for.

Lastly, after an extended interval of ready that second has arrived.

Flanked by two deacons, pope Abraham walked out onto the stand earlier than continuing to boost his open palm, beckoning the crowds to quieten down.

“My fellow adherents of the katholic religion… I name you all right here now to debate a matter of grave significance… the Imperium of Drussia.”

As Abraham started his speech, Stefanie could not assist gritting her enamel collectively in anger when she heard that detestable nation’s title.

“In the present day, the katholic church will make it formally identified their stance on the nation of Drussia… by calling fourth a brand new campaign! Not one other campaign to the lands far to the southeast however to the lands near our borders to our north! For our future; the way forward for Kristandom is on the road!”

As he stated this, the room was shortly consumed by noise because the nobles did not cease themselves from conversing with each other earlier than it was as soon as once more shortly silenced by the pope’s raised open palms.

“Make no mistake. The protestent Drussians might imply the top of us all if we do not exterminate the menace instantly…”

Abraham paused for a second earlier than turning his eyes to Stefanie as he concluded his speech.

“When you require extra proof… then look no additional than a current sufferer of their actions… Princess Stefanie Geinen Naftes.”

A severe of shocked gasps stuffed the halls as all eyes turned their consideration to Stefanie earlier than the hallway was full of silence.

After taking a deep breath, Stefanie broke the silence with simply the precise tone of voice.

“60,000 males. That was what number of males participated within the battle to repel the Drussian invaders… 60,000 of one of the best cavalrymen that Porrand has ever seen… Would anybody care to guess what number of of these males returned to their households after the battle?”

As she anticipated, Stefanie acquired no reply besides silence to her query.

“Not. A. Single. One. And now the Drussians are ‘frolicking’ within the soils of my beloved homeland… who know’s what kinds of appalling atrocities they could have already dedicated on my peoples whereas I am absent from my nation.”

Unbeknownst to Stefanie, her fingernails have already dug deep into the palms of her arms as she gripped her arms right into a fist on account of sheer anger. She has already gotten method too forward of herself to understand her personal bleeding arms.

“Sure, it might appear that I’ve deserted my kingdom to these demons however you should perceive that I’ve executed that within the hope of my kingdom’s future. Every thing I’ve executed and can do, will at all times be for the higher good of Porand. That’s the reason I encourage you…”

Stefanie put increasingly emotion into her voice as she spoke, guaranteeing that everybody current understood the ache she was struggling.

“Please pledge your assist into the Drussian campaign. Pledge your assist, in order that sooner or later, nobody right here will probably be compelled to undergo similar the ache and anguish and sacrifices that I needed to endure for the sake of their very own Kingdom.”

Subconsciously, Stefanie began to boost her voice, step by step turning into louder and louder as time handed on.

“Please pledge your assist! In order that we are able to wipe this scum of the face of the earth! Pledge your assist to destroy the Imperium of Drussia!”

Stefanie discovered herself quickly inhaling and exhaling as soon as she concluded her speech.

Though she anticipated no response right away, she was stunned to discover a man already getting ready to talk up.

He was an outdated man with greying crimson hair who wore a crown; he was a king.

It was the king of Ostria; King Varian Steiner IV.

“I’ve misplaced my final inheritor to these monsters… though Ostria is at present dealing with a time of turmoil, we’re can nonetheless spare some males to your endeavours if it means the loss of life of that… horrid emperor.”

After giving a brief sigh, Varian made his proclamation.

“I pledge 10,000… no 20,000 males to your campaign. Might they be of use to you in your noble mission of liberating your homeland.”

Quickly, one other noble, seemingly of Panish respectable has additionally determined to talk up.

“We Paniards have misplaced a lot of our comrades towards the Drussians and but our king does nothing. We swear no fealty to a king who can not convey us the justice we demand. “

With a mixture of anger and resentment in her voice, the Paniard made her proclamation in an identical method to Varian.

“We won’t so half-heartedly commit a small fraction of our forces like our weak-willed king did. As an alternative we pledge 50,000 elite Panish troops. Though our predecessors might have failed towards the Drussians earlier than, we have now since studied their techniques. We won’t disappoint you.”

As soon as the Panish girl quietened down, extra nobles declared their option to take part within the campaign.

“We pledge 17,000 males!”

“We pledge 8000 males!”

“We pledge 21,000 males!”

Overcome with pleasure, Stefanie did not know what took over her physique as she shouted aloud a single phrase.

“Deus vult!”

‘God wills it.’

Though the halls was consumed with silence this didn’t cease Stefanie from shouting that very same phrase as soon as once more.

However this time it was not alone.

“Deus vult!”

Increasingly more individuals, nobles and clergymen alike joined within the chant as that very same sentence was repeated time and again.

“Deus vult!”

“Deus vult!”

“Deus vult!”

Seeing this, Stefanie felt a slight smile develop on her face.

For a second, Stefanie turned deaf to the clamour inside the halls as she thought to herself.

Though Stefanie has lastly shaped that military that she so desperately wanted and sought, she was nonetheless unsure of what the longer term might maintain.

Nevertheless, there was one factor she was sure of.

It doesn’t matter what.

Regardless of the price.

Regardless of the evils she should commit.

Vengeance will probably be hers.