Siege on the Quiton Gates (5)

At an earlier time outside the gates, the Alzar Kingdom's army of a hundred thousand stood at attention facing a newly constructed stage. A hundred thousand people was truly a sight to behold. It was less of a crowd and more of an ocean that seemed to stretch the horizon! There were more people here than most towns! It was no wonder the empire's scouts mistook a hundred thousand strong force with a thirty thousand one. People struggled to grasp scales that large, so they estimated based on other means; however, this was precisely how General Petra tricked her enemies. By falsifying hints of their numbers, she created the image of a stronger army than it was. Right now, those soldiers were waiting patiently and quietly for the arrival of said general. Anyone could tell why. General Petra eventually took to the stage and with the help of Arcanists, she projected her voice evenly to everyone in the army.

"Thank you for assembling on short notice. I am General Petra Tourelle, the current commanding general over the northern theatre. As you may know, recent revelations have come to light, and I trust I do not need to say what… Without further ado, Her Highness, the Royal Army General, Princess Elizabeth Etuvel Reindel! Salute!"

The thunderous sound of a hundred thousand salutes followed. Under everyone's gaze, Elizabeth took to the stage with her general's uniform. Her red hair fluttered in the breeze, complimenting the golden red cape trailing behind her. She stood with her head held high and her eyes firm as she regarded the crowds calmly. Although no one said a thing, thanks to her royal training, she could generally gauge what everyone thought. She thought they might be angry or upset that she hid her survival, but they were happy and relieved instead! Their reaction was the exact opposite of what Elizabeth expected, except this was not that surprising. To them, Princess Elizabeth was a shining beacon of heroism and grace! A princess and the former heir apparent abandoned the comfort of the castle walls and took to the same frontlines as they did! It was beyond inspirational! Her presence as the Royal Army General was a massive morale boost, while her 'death' in the Battle of Liguang dealt a severe blow to morale. Therefore, to see her alive and well again revitalized that lost morale to new heights! Their excitement was incredible to see!

"I know that many of you will have questions, such as how I survived the Battle of Liguang, what transpired there, why we're cooperating with the Imperial Princesses, and why I had to hide my survival… We will release an official statement in the coming weeks, but I wanted to emphasize a few things now. First, as Princess Ming stated previously, we have a working relationship with the Imperial Princesses and Imperian Qiang. They are to be treated with the same level of respect you treat me. We will not tolerate any open hostility or antagonism between either party. However, worry not. They will be under my command and obey the kingdom's laws while they are here. You will have minimal chances of encountering them.

"Second, our battles against the Imperial Council and the Li Family will continue until they are defeated or surrendered. They stand in direct opposition to the Imperial Princesses' right to rule. The Imperial Princesses, Imperian Qiang, and I agree that casualties will be inevitable from both sides, so we will not impose an impossible demand such as 'no killing'. It is an inevitable part of war. That said, we will not condone any excessive or undeserved pain or torture upon any combatants. Non-combatants from the Xingyuu Empire will be subject to the same laws and protections of the Alzar Kingdom like the Yunyun Stronghold. Punishments will be meted out accordingly to those found in violation of the laws.

"Finally, we are acting with the best interests of all civilizations and people in mind. Our ultimate goal is to end the Second Great Kingdom War and any future conflicts as peacefully and permanently as possible. Now, I know that many of you might find that hard to agree with. You might have lost a friend, a family, a loved one, or even yourself. Your hate might never rest until you exact revenge. I won't criticize you because I feel the same way. I lost my family, my hometown, and nearly my life multiple times all because I had this." She glanced at her Holy Reingolian Medallion bitterly. "So, I understand your pain. I truly do… but know this, everyone has suffered from the wars, whether they be from the Alzar Kingdom, the Zino Kingdom, or even the Xingyuu Empire. Everyone has suffered equally. This war needs to end for the sake of our generation and the ones that will follow. To that end, we will forge a solution that will satisfy everyone equally, regardless of background or affiliation. As a princess and the former heir apparent, I promise you this: we will strive to create a better future for humankind!" she declared to a thunderous applause. The sound was enough to shake the earth and scare the heavens!

She walked down the stage with her heart on the verge of bursting. It was unimaginably nerve-racking to stand on that stage and deliver that speech to a hundred thousand people. Remember, a year and a half ago, she was a simple farmer's girl on New Havens. She had minimal interactions with anyone outside her family, having spent most of her youth in isolation. To think an introverted girl like herself could address a crowd of that size showed how much she grew! She was a completely different person from before! The thought made her smile. All her efforts in her royal training paid off! Yet, this was but one step in the plan she created with the Imperial Princesses and Imperian Qiang. Memories drifted into her head. It was right after the Battle of Liguang where they recovered in the cave. That was the start of everything!

"If we don't negotiate here, then when will there be another chance?" Xiuying asked.

"I agree with my sister. Although we can't set anything in stone, we can still lay the foundation. That shouldn't be a problem, right? Princess Elizabeth?"

"No, it isn't… I can represent the kingdom, and it's my goal to reach an agreement with the Li Family. This works in my favor too."

"What about you, uncle?"

"I… I cannot commit to anything… but I am willing to hear you out."

"Our goal is to end the Second Great Kingdom War and I trust that Your Highness feels the same way. The only difference is how," Ming said. "If I may ask, how does the Royal Assembly and Royal Family envision the war ending?"

Elizabeth hesitated before saying, "Although they say their ultimate goal is the systemic destruction of the Xingyuu Empire, I believe otherwise. From what I can tell, the war has already become an integral part of our society. Whether it be smithers, physicians, mercenaries, or anyone else, they depend on the war as a source of income. They can't live without it. In fact, many of the kingdom's laws and policies are designed around the war and removing it might tear our society apart. The years following the First Great Kingdom War showed a noticeable increase in crime for instance."

"I can't speak for the Li Family, but the Imperial Council thinks the same, that it would be harmful if we ended our feud with the Alzar Kingdom. We have four main powers supporting the Xingyuu Empire: the Four Great Nobility Families of Li, Jian, Jun, and Shui. They, together with the Imperial Family and the Imperial Council, constitute the Xingyuu Empire. While we may have our differences, the balance of powers is maintained by a common threat, the absence of which creates the current situation. The empire will fracture without it. That is the one thing I cannot let happen, even if it yields the peace we desire," Ming stated.

"The Li Family is impartial to the war. Obviously, we're displeased with our losses in the Samfeng Province or our matriarch's apparent murder by the kingdom, but we aren't that interested as a whole. There are two prevailing goals the Li Family wishes to achieve. First is preservation. We wish to reclaim our territory, regain our strength, and restore our reputation. Our goal is to preserve our legacy as one of the strongest nobility families. Repelling the kingdom is thus a minimum. Second is…" Imperian Qiang looked at his nieces guiltily. "Sorry, I've said too much. The point is that the Li Family isn't interested in either peace or war, given it has no adverse effect on us."