Under the star-crossed ginkgo trees

Commander Christina sat in her tent with her dull eyes, despondent face, and despairing aura like a walking corpse. She had hardly touched her meals the past few weeks, causing her complexion to pale and her mood to spoil. People that knew her beforehand found it hard to reconcile their memory. She was normally upbeat and friendly, someone who loved to smile and joke around, but still commanded the respect necessary for a Brigade Commander. Her subordinates had nothing but high praise for her leadership. Not to mention, she was a beautiful woman with a powerful background, which ensured no shortage of admirers. And yet, her surroundings were eerily silent now, if not empty, because the last one to earn her ire was nearly beaten to death! The soldiers realized that she was looking for any excuse to vent her frustrations. No one wanted to be her next target!

She glanced hatefully at her reports and swept them off the table. They detailed the kingdom's extensive search for any survivors from the Battle of Liguang. Due to the Featherwind Sect's intervention, no one could report on the situation which left the kingdom in the dark. No one knew what happened! When the kingdom's main army finally arrived and they saw the crater, they realized a massive earth-shattering battle must have taken place. It was the worst-case scenario. The Li Family then accused the kingdom of ambushing them during the negotiations and killing everyone. To complicate matters even more, the Imperial Council brokered a new agreement with the Li Family, forcing the Alzar Kingdom down. Liguang was a fire waiting to erupt and the smallest spark could set this delicate balance off!

"Elizabeth… where are you?" she lifelessly mumbled.

Initially, she still had some hope, but as time went on and no survivors were found, that hope slowly turned to despair. Every passing day mercilessly stabbed her heart! She felt guilty inside because when her own cousin, Lord Korogin, died, she did not feel this sad. Yet, when Elizabeth went missing, someone who was not even related to her, she felt crushed. Christina laughed mockingly at herself before drinking more. At least, being drunk helped drown away her worries. She needed any comfort she could get.

A soldier whispered from outside, "Commander… there is a message addressed to you from a couple named Roan and Victoria. Do you…?"

"No! Get lost!" Christina scowled. A second later though, her expression rapidly changed. "Wait! What were their names again?"

The soldier almost peed their pants. "Their names were Roan and Victoria."

"Take me to them right now!" She stormed out her tent in a hurry.

Soon, she spotted two unsightly people near the perimeter of the camp. Their clothes were shredded up and covered with filth, their faces were smeared and dirtied, and they smelled putrid, as though hygiene was a foreign concept. The surrounding soldiers kept them at arm's length, one because they were wary, but more importantly because they stank. Their smell was truly unbearable! Commander Christina's unexpected arrival forced everyone to attention. They were terrified to imagine what she might do nowadays! She walked up and took a long hard look at the couple.

"Can you repeat your names again?"

"Roan and Victoria."

"Everyone here is dismissed. I need to discuss things alone with them."

"But…"

She gave them a cold glare. "Do I need to repeat myself?"

"No, commander! We will obey!" The soldiers scurried off like rats with their tails stepped on. She was too scary recently!

Once everyone left, she asked nervously. "How is she? Is she well?"

"She's fine!" the woman said after wiping her face to expose a young lady. It was Shirley!

Likewise, the man did the same and said, "She's a little too healthy in fact." It was Freon!

"Thank goodness," Christina exhaled. She felt so relieved that she felt lightheaded. It was enough to make her stumble and nearly fall until she caught herself. She immediately said, "I'm fine. I'm fine."

"How did you know who we were?" Shirley wondered curiously.

"The names that you mentioned were her foster parents'… I assume there must be a reason to be secretive. Can you take me to see her now?"

However, Freon shook his head. "It would look too unnatural if you were to disappear from your post with us unannounced. There're too many eyes watching us."

Commander Christina was stunned before understanding. Just like how the kingdom was watching the Li Family and Imperial Council's camp, they were also watching the kingdom. Spies and scouts were everywhere, eager to learn anything about the Battle of Liguang. If it was revealed that the heir apparent survived, then the Li Family and the Imperial Council would not hesitate to attack! Another big battle would start! She wanted to reunite with Elizabeth, but she tempered her emotions. A moment of recklessness could lead to a calamity, so it was important to do things properly. She had her duty as a Brigade Commander after all.

Taking a moment to think, she said, "Meet me under the star-crossed ginkgo tree patch, twenty-minute walk north-east from here, and four nights from now. If I appear but I whisper, 'Edward and Aisa', then something has happened, and you shouldn't come out. Go into hiding. However, if I whisper, 'Roan and Victoria', then we should be safe to meet. Otherwise, if I do not appear, do not come to the camp again. If I don't appear in another four days, then you should travel to the Yunyun Stronghold yourself. General Petra should be arriving soon, so you can contact her then. Do you need me to repeat anything?"

"Freon, did you memorize all that?" Shirley felt lost. It was a lot of information to take in at once.

"…Yes, but please repeat once more just in case," Freon said.

"Listen carefully." She then repeated everything, emphasizing the key details. "Did you memorize everything? Good. If you need to travel to the Yunyun Stronghold yourselves, then take this. It's my seal of approval. It should get you through any security checkpoint, no questions asked."

"Received. In that case, we'll meet again in four days."

Christina nodded. "Tell her to take care of herself and don't do anything risky. The kingdom needs you more than ever." She spoke a few more words before leaving.

The squadron captain walked up and asked, "Commander, who were you speaking to? It seemed like you had a lot to say. Do you know them?"

"No, it was my misunderstanding. Escort them out."

"Understood, commander." The captain saluted as she walked off with her guards. When she finally left though, they flashed a sly grin and called for soldiers to surround Shirley and Freon!

"What are you doing?" Shirley shouted.

"I'm afraid that this is standard procedure for the Alzar Kingdom. We cannot let anyone come and go without a thorough investigation. Please understand and cooperate with us," the captain said apologetically, as though they were helpless to do anything about it.

"What? I-"

"Don't say anything stupid," Freon held her mouth shut and whispered. "Let me handle this." He then coughed, splattering some spit everywhere like an uncultured bumpkin, and wiped his nose with his rags. "Sorry about my wife, she's a bit of an idiot. What were you saying?"

The captain's eyebrow twitched uncontrollably. "What did you speak about with Commander Christina?"

"Who's that?" Freon shrugged.

"Are you playing dumb? You just spoke with her!"

"Ah, you meant her. Let me think… She mistook who we were, so she left. That about sums up everything. Do I need to explain it again?"

"Yes, you didn't explain anything!"

"Oh, it's another idiot," Freon murmured to himself a bit too loudly, letting everyone hear. The surrounding soldiers snickered, which made the captain nearly explode in anger. The captain drew their sword and charged! Since intimidation did not work, then they would use force! However, Freon expected it and smiled before screaming, "Commander Christina, you're here! Please help us! We're being attacked!"

The captain screeched to a halt and fearfully looked behind only to see… nothing. Commander Christina had left a long time ago already. This time, the captain truly snapped. "I'll kill you for that!"

"Calm down, captain. You're making a scene," their subordinate said. Looking around, the shouting and screaming attracted a lot of attention from the other soldiers in the camp. Everyone wanted to know what was happening. It did not take long before a platoon captain appeared.

"What's all this commotion about?" the platoon captain questioned unhappily. A platoon captain was a squadron captain's direct superior, right underneath Brigade Commander Christina. They instantly gained control over the scene.

"No… Nothing, captain…" the squadron captain fumbled.

"Is that so? Do not cause another scene again. Am I clear?"

"Yes, captain!"

"Good. Return to your posts!" The platoon captain left in annoyance, causing the squadron captain to exhale in relief.

"What should we do about those two, captain?" the subordinate awkwardly asked.

The captain looked over Shirley and Freon again, saw their filthy appearances, and felt disgusted. Would Commander Christina really be involved with them? It felt increasingly unlikely the longer they looked, making them lose interest. "Get them out!"