Chapter 7 — Intimidation and… Excitement?

The helicopters swooped down like hungry vultures and unleashed their entire payload on the fleeing bandits.

[Aah! It's metal dragons!]

[Run away!!! Run Away!!!]

30mm incendiary rounds, rocket pods and Hellfire missiles levelled the ground with explosions. Bandits fled like panicked chickens and were drowned and enveloped by fireballs that left nothing but blood mist and bloody fragments of what was once their bodies.

Rattlesnake Jack watched his army easily get annihilated with despair.

[No… This power is not possible by the kingdom… Wh-]

His words were cut short as a 30mm round penetrated his chest, violently ripping his body in half. His final thought before everything thing faded to black was hoping that the mysterious army would kill the princess as well.

[Cease fire!]

The bandits were well and truly wiped out. Only a few managed to escape into the distance. Konrad didn't bother to chase them. The combined arms quickly company surrounded the princess's carriage and the dozen of knights left.

The remaining knights had retreated all the way to defend the carriage of the princess. They knew that they couldn't beat this new force, but they still nervously held their swords tightly in their hands, ready to dedicate the last drop of their blood to their kingdom.

[Knights, put down your swords]

Princess Iris stepped outside the carriage and spoke softly.

[Princess, it's dangerous outside! They might be our enemy, the Elsass Empire!]

Her maid Christina worriedly tried to bring her back as the knights sheaved their swords, still alert and ready to draw them at any time.

[No Christina, I have to meet our saviours. They don't look like the Elsass Empire]

[But-]

Princess Iris silenced Christina and tensely approached Konrad's army. Her knights instantly moved closer to her to protect her as she politely spoke to a soldier.

[I am Princess Iris of the Canary Kingdom. I thank you for your assistance. Which empire are you from?]

The soldier was stoic and didn't respond. Just when Iris was going to keep asking, the group of soldiers and vehicles in front of her suddenly moved away to the side to make room for a black and stylish armoured car.

Princess Iris and Christina gazed nervously at the car as it slowed to a halt in front of them, the passenger door facing them. A soldier came up to open the door and a pair of black leather shoes slowly stepped out of the car.

A young general, the same age as the princess, slowly emerged from the car. He wore an imposing black military SS uniform with heroic medals, aiguillettes and a general's peaked cap with the Imperial Eagle symbol. His face was serious and stoic. He put on black leather gloves as another soldier came up and put a menacing general's jacket on him. He walked over with the atmosphere of a ruler that could not be defied.

Princess Iris and Christina subconsciously took a step backwards. It was obvious that this young general was the commander of the mysterious and powerful army that saved them.

[G-greetings sir, I am Princess Iris of the Canary Kingdom]

She bowed slightly. This was not out of tradition, but out of fear of angering the person in front of her. She knew that their lives were in his hands.

Of course, this menacing general was Konrad. After spending over 2 months as a general, his temperament had changed greatly.

[I am Supreme General Konrad of the Third Reich. We are a foreign country who are expanding our influence. I am in command of all operations in this area!]

Konrad's powerful words hung in the air like a heavy shroud, casting a pall of tension over the encounter. Princess Iris and Christina exchanged glances, their anxiety palpable. The General's eyes were like a deadly predator lying in wait, and they were two helpless little bunnies caught in his trap.

The princess mustered all the courage she could and spoke again, her voice quivering as she spoke.

[Supreme General Konrad, we are forever in your debt for rescuing us from those bandits. We were on our way to negotiate with a neighbouring kingdom when we were ambushed. If it weren't for your timely intervention...]

Konrad remained stoic, his gaze locked onto the princess. His piercing blue eyes seemed to see right through her. After a moment, he replied.

[Our empire wants to form friendships. Do you have the authority to represent the Canary Kingdom?]

Although Konrad said that the empire wanted to make friends, he said the word with so little emotion and so much apathy that it seemed like he meant the opposite.

[N-no I don't]

[So, will you take me to someone who does?]

His question was more akin to an order than a request. There was a pause of silence where time seemed to slow down in his presence.

[Treat the wounded knights and take them with us. We are going to the Canary Kingdom. You will follow us]

His words allowed for no refusal.

With that, Konrad turned and returned to his car with a flutter of his cloak. Medical soldiers came out from the army and started treating the injured knights. As their horses had been killed in the fighting, other soldiers hooked up the remaining carriages to the back of a few tanks to tow it back to the Canary Kingdom with the army.

The army continued through the dense woodland. In her luxurious carriage, Princess Iris sat in silence, her thoughts fixated on the enigmatic encounter of the day. She couldn't help but think about the mysterious General.

[Even though we are the same age… How are we so far apart? How in that moment, is one person a weak little girl and the other a puppet master with her helplessly in his control?]

The Princess, who for her entire life had looked down on other people, had to look up for the first time. Every other boy her age that she met had constantly pursued her and treated her like she was their queen, and she had always looked down on them with her nose high in the air. In fact, she was known as the Iceberg princess with how she never even glanced twice at a man, let alone be interested in one.

She had never before encountered someone like General Konrad. He was different. His indifference towards her, the subtle disdain in his gaze, the way he looked down on her. The way he forced her to succumb to his demands… The princess blushed slightly and squirmed in her seat. But the worst part was… it excited her. It was a secret thrill, one that she couldn't confess to anyone, not even her loyal maid, Christina. Her blush got deeper as her fantasies ran more and more wild…