IV
Olivia returned to the command tent after word reached her from Ashton, requesting that she come with all haste.
“I’m baaack!” Olivia announced, throwing open the tent flaps to find Ashton staring intently at a deployment map spread out on the table. Beside him, Claudia was eyeing him anxiously. The other soldiers all hastily jumped to salute, and Olivia returned the gesture as she went to stand on the opposite side of the table to Ashton.
“If this keeps up it won’t be long before the front lines collapse,” he said bitterly, not looking at her. “This is my fault.”
Olivia looked down at the map and saw he was right. “You shouldn’t beat yourself up. They didn’t outdo you tactically.” She wasn’t saying it to be comforting. Every move Ashton had made had been perfect. Unfortunately, their opponent was on the same level. When neither commander could outplay the other, victory came down to the ability of individual soldiers. In the case of the Eighth Legion, made up largely of soldiers untested in battle, against the renowned might of the Azure Knights, it had been obvious which would win, and indeed, the Azure Knights had pushed the Eighth Legion to the brink.
“General,” Claudia said hesitantly, “we ought to fall back. We received the good news that the Second Allied Legion have the advantage in their battle. If we join back up with them and regroup, we might still have a chance.” She kept one eye on Ashton, whose hands were balled into fists. Olivia walked over to the back of the tent, then sat down on the throne Gile had made her.
“That might be a good idea,” she said, her words like a single droplet breaking the surface of a lake. She closed her eyes. Claudia’s suggestion sounded like it could work, but it would also give their opponent time. Right now, such a thing would be akin to reaching out and downing a bottle of poison. The reason things had gone so smoothly in the lead-up to the battle was, in the end, because no one had believed the Royal Army could possibly invade the empire. But now, the empire had learned that this had only been an illusion. Felix was Ashton’s equal in tactical thinking. If they retreated now, he wouldn’t bother pursuing them. Instead, he would move quick as lightning to shore up his defenses, and that would be checkmate for the Royal Army.
Olivia opened her eyes. Every gaze in the tent was fixed on her.
“Our only choice is to take out their commander,” she said.
Everyone looked down, unsure what to make of her words. They all knew that going after an enemy general while at a disadvantage was the height of reckless madness.
But Claudia alone smiled. Like a single tiny blossom, it was barely there, and yet more than anything thus far, it drew everyone to her.
“You never change, do you, General? I thought you would say that.”
“You did... So you knew, Claudia.”
“I am your aide, ser. It just wouldn’t be like you to retreat now.”
Claudia had first offered the commonsense suggestion, for the simple reason that it was her job, as aide, to do so. Having upheld her principles, she then opened herself to Olivia’s recklessness. Olivia couldn’t have asked for a better aide, and on top of that, Claudia was her dear friend.
“Just in case, is anyone opposed?” Olivia asked. She looked around the tent, her gaze coming to rest on Ashton.
“As if I would,” he said. “I told you before the battle began. I’ll follow you anywhere, Olivia. Now and forever.”
Soon night would fall on the nineteenth day of battle. Olivia ordered Claudia to assemble their key commanding officers.
From inside, they could hear the crackle of wood in the braziers that surrounded the camp. In the faces of the officers who had come at Olivia’s summons, exhaustion was writ large. Luke and Evanson had always been somber, but now even the ever-cheerful Gile had his arms folded, a troubled look on his face. Even Ellis had no sooner sat down than she sprawled flat on the long table.
“I’m sorry to make you all come. I know you’re tired,” Olivia said. At this, Gile immediately rearranged his features into a forced smile.
“I am not tired in the slightest, ser,” he insisted with false bravado. “I have never been tired in my life.”
Usually, this would have earned him a torrent of sarcasm from Ellis, but she said nothing.
“Well, I think you’ve all sensed it, but I’ll say it anyway. At this rate, we’re going to lose.”
No one spoke immediately, but no one looked surprised either. Likely they were all painfully aware of where they stood.
“If we’re going to run, now is certainly the best time for it.” The fact that it was none other than Luke who gave voice to these bitter words put him at the center of everyone’s attention. Olivia wondered if it was because he had been on the front lines for the whole of the battle that he had immediately proposed retreat.
“Okay, Ashton, could you explain the current state of the battle? I mean, you know I’m still not the best at explaining things.” She smiled at him, and he stood up.
“First of all,” he began, “I apologize to you all. I brought this down upon us with my naive tactics. I am so sorry...” He bowed low. Ellis, unpeeling herself slowly from the table, was the first to respond.
“It sounds, Lieutenant Colonel, like you think you should be able to win any battle purely on the back of your tactics. Don’t you think your ego’s getting the better of you a little?”
Ashton faltered. “What? No, that’s not it at all...”
“The Azure Knights are really strong. And just like their skill in battle, it’s no ordinary strength. It’s as though they have an unbreakable core, and unless we snap it, we have no chance of beating them. Though I can’t tell you how much I hate saying it,” Ellis added. It was a rare show of regret from her.
“My sister is right,” Evanson added. “The Azure Knights possess an unwavering strength. When I fought them, I realized its source is concentrated at a single point.”
For the first time, Ellis smiled. “Not bad work for my brainless brother.”
“There’s no need to call me ‘brainless’...!” Evanson began to protest, then stopped himself. “The point is, if we take down their commander, Felix von Sieger, I am confident it will cause a massive upset in their ranks.”
Luke looked from Ellis to Evanson in turn, then heaved a deep sigh.
“Everyone here knew that ages ago without needing you two to tell them. And this absurd scheming of yours.” He rolled his eyes. “Honestly. What were you thinking, using their commander to take the lead?”
“You’re one to talk,” Ellis shot back. “Saying now’s the time to escape even when you knew all that and didn’t even believe it. Birds of a feather.”
As Luke choked on his next retort, the tent was filled by a burst of explosive laughter. As the heavy atmosphere dissipated, Claudia and Ashton exchanged a blank stare, while Olivia, who of course had no idea what this meant, felt confused.
As if to represent the others, Gile spoke up. “Everyone knows what you’re thinking, Captain. Just how long do you think we’ve been serving under you?”
He spoke like this settled the matter, but Olivia replied earnestly, “It’s only been two years.”
Seeing Gile at a loss for words just as Luke had been, there was another surge of laughter. It was as merry as if they had won the battle and were now celebrating.
While Gile drooped, Ellis clapped him on the shoulder.
“All right, Gile might be as big an idiot as he’s just demonstrated for us, but he’s right about what my big sister is thinking. If she were the sort to run scared at the slightest adversity, I, Ellis Crawford, would not love her as I do.” Ellis licked her lips, then turned to Olivia with tear-filled eyes. Olivia felt a powerful chill run down her spine, followed by a shiver that racked her whole body.
Claudia cleared her throat loudly to settle the atmosphere.
“If you all know then that saves us time explaining. General Olivia will challenge their commander, Felix von Sieger.”
“So our job is to create a path for her to do so?” Evanson asked.
“Just so.” Ashton nodded firmly. “But it will not be easy.”
“That’s why you called us, isn’t it? You can count on us.” Ellis grinned fearlessly. Luke and Evanson’s smiles were a little pained, but they voiced their support. Gile and the rest of the officers were breathing hard, burning to get to it.
Olivia closed her eyes once more, then put a hand to her breast and spoke for the first time.
“I need your help, everyone. I know there’s only so much I can do alone.”
In the twisted world of war, Olivia had understood the limits of what one person could do. She had also learned just how vividly colored and rich one’s life became when one had friends who shared in the same experiences. After Olivia spoke, there was a pause where no one so much as breathed. But it only lasted a moment. Ellis shot out of her seat like an arrow from a bow and threw herself on Olivia.
“Leave it to me, Big Sister!” she cried. “I’ll do it! I’ll help you!”
Gile was out of his chair next, ready with a sharp rebuke. “No, I will! I’m the captain’s right hand!”
“Gile, don’t you take another step! And you, move away from the general now.”
Claudia, her eyebrows angled down sharply, forcibly peeled Ellis off of Olivia, even as Ellis continued to reach out longingly for her.
Everyone, with the exception of Gile, sighed. Then, Ashton turned to Olivia with the most serious expression she had ever seen on his face.
“This is my task and mine alone. Olivia, I promise you I will forge you that path.”
“Okay. I’ll be counting on you.” She smiled at him, and, for a moment, Ashton flushed scarlet. After she had been so worried about him, for some reason the stare Claudia gave him now was icy. Olivia decided to go with her tried-and-true tactic of turning a blind eye.
Then, her face growing hard, she turned to the others.
“Now,” she said, “is when the real battle begins.”
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