Chapter 33：Mortem vexillum

Princess Victoria Grandhart Steiner stood with her helmet in her hands in the grand halls of the High Castle of Hovenhieser.

The person she was facing was her father, King Varian Gratehart Steiner the IV who sat on his throne, his greying red hair being only barely covered by his golden crown.

The rest of the hall was filled with numerous knights and nobles, of whom are all the closest affiliates to the crown.

All of them stood in complete silence as the two members of the royal family stared at each other with speaking a single word.

After the silence lasted for a few moments, the king finally gave his orders.

"Everyone but Victoria... leave now."

The people present in the halls murmured quietly to themselves as the left.

Whatever they were saying, Victoria didn't know. And quiet frankly, she didn't care.

She was just happy to see her father again.

When the large double doors of the halls closed and signalled the exit of everyone else, Victoria unceremoniously dropped her helmet before moving to embrace her father in her arms.

"Father!"

Although it seemed that Victoria was crushing her father between between her steel gauntlets and breastplate, she was nowhere near clumsy enough to actually do so.

"My beloved daughter..."

Victoria could feel her father's arms tremble as he returned the hug.

"For a moment I thought... I thought that..."

As her father continued to stutter, Victoria choose to decisively interrupt him before he experiences another episode.

"It's alright father. I'm still here. I'm not going anywhere."

Victorias stopped embracing her father and instead firmly held her father's shoulders with her hands while staring deeply into his eyes. Soon enough, her father seemed to have recovered.

"That's right... you're... you're still here... wait..."

Victoria's father strained his face as he seemingly tried to remember something. Something that he already knew the answer to but for some reason is unable to actually remember it.

"Where are your two other brothers? I remember sending them to the south to secure the Ostrian-Turkman border... but they still haven't returned."

King Steiner massaged his head as he said this, trying his best to remember the exact details.

"Do you have any idea as to why they haven't returned?"

Of course Victoria already knew the answer to her father's question. The real question was whether she should tell her father the truth or not.

Telling the truth would technically be the 'morally correct' choice but it would risk giving her father another episodic breakdown. On the other hand, she could just lie and keep all the guilty feelings within herself.

After sighing to herself, Victoria made her choice.

"They may have been held back during their return trip. Don't worry. I'm sure they'll return home before you even know it."

[Except that they're already dead.] As Victoria once again lied to her father about the truth behind her brothers, she once again felt her heart ache as she tried her best to hold back tears.

Moments like these often make her wonder who suffers the most when a loved one is lost. The deceased person themselves, or those who are affected by their deaths.

Nevertheless, Victoria forced herself to change the subject before she does any more damage to he heart.

"But father. The whereabouts of my brothers aren't important at this moment. What's important are the disturbing news that I bring from the north."

The king nodded his head slowly when he heard Victoria's response.

"Ahhh yes... The rumours of the events that transpired in Drussia have indeed reached my ears."

Victoria heard her father bitterly click his tongue before he continued.

"Why can't Ostria have a moment of peace? Before the Turkmen Empire continued to be a looming threat to the south but now we could be facing another threat to our north as well."

Victoria bitterly nodded her head as she responded to her father.

"Yes... In the past, the continued threat of the Panish Expeditonary Force has kept the Drussians at bay... but now..."

Victoria couldn't stop the scowl from showing on her face when she thought about the family responsible for the Panish defeats.

"Now one of the great Drussian families; the so-called 'Dunnwal family' has suddenly won not just one but two decisive battle against the Paniards..."

From that point on, Victoria told her father the entirety of her experiences in Drussia.

She explained how she smuggled herself into Drussia, her meeting with the self-righteous Marshal of the expeditionary force and how she learned about the Dunnwal's stunning victoria against the Paniards in the Vlate plains despite being outnumbered nearly 2:1.

"I'm sorry but I was unable to collect any information as to how they were capable of such an impressive feat. "

"It's alright... I know you're always trying your best... The information you brought me alone is already enough."

"Thank you Father."

As Victoria thanked her father, the latter sighed before lamenting on the horrible situation they are currently facing.

"All these horrible trials and tribulations that Ostria is facing... It feels like God is testing us..."

Victoria's father's voice sounded old and tired. Victoria knew that he was already way past his limits as a human being, yet for the kingdom's sake, he still keeps persisting. It's moments like these that makes Victoria proud to be part of the Steiner royalty.

"Perhaps it's our punishment for not coming to the Paniards aid during the earlier stages of the war..."

With downcast eyes, Victoria's father sighed sorrowfully before he continued.

"My mind can only take so much... If only your brothers were here... the sooner they come home... the sooner we can do something about our upcoming threat to the north."

When Victoria heard what her father had to say, she put on a wry smile before bending down so that she can be eye level with him.

"Father... you have me. I may not be as good at war strategy like Victor or as good at the blade like Vincent but their blood runs through my veins. You can place your trust in me to deal with the Drussians."

Victoria saw her father's eyes widen when he heard her suggestion. After a few short moments, he tried to respond.

"But... then... I'll be alone... alone again..."

Victoria sighed before she began to slowly elaborate why it's necessary for her to lead the invasion of Drussia.

"Father... Without a member of the royalty, I doubt the nobles of the north will rally to a single banner even if you ordered them to."

As Victoria continued to explain, she saw how her father's face became more and more sour. It was obvious that although he understood her, he still could not agree with her.

"Once we come to the Paniard's aid, our combined might should be able to defeat the Dunnwals while the Paniards set up their puppet Dutchdom in Drussia. The Marshal may be a slimy bastard but it's better to choose the evil you know than the evil you don't."

After Victoria's father heard her explanation, he slowly and sadly nodded his head before responding.

"I... understand..."

Victoria's father didn't say anything after that. He just stared at Victoria, waiting for her to respond.

"Thank you so much Father... I promise I won't let you down."

Victoria's father showed mixed feelings within his smile before they once again embraced each other in a hug. After letting go of her father, Victoria picked up her helmet off the floor before she left the great hall to prepare for the upcoming invasion of Drussia.

However, just before she could reach her private chambers, she came across someone who she did not expect to see wandering about within the castle's walls.

That person was no older than eight years old and like Victoria had fiery-red hair which was exclusive only to members of the royal Steiner family.

She was Victoria's niece and her name was Valentina.

"Auntie Victoria! So you did arrive back!"

Valentina ran towards Victoria before embracing Victoria in a hug as she said this. Although she was only half of Victoria's height, Valentina still clung her arms tightly around Victoria's waist.

"I was beginning to think that you wouldn't come back!"

Victoria couldn't help chuckling before she responded.

"Of course I came back! Did you really think that I wouldn't?"

When Valentina's father, Victoria's brother; Vincent died, his wife unable to bear the loss, committed suicide shortly after.

Both of Victoria's brothers died in two seperate battles during the Turkmen invasion of Ostria while Vicoria's mother died due to a combination of heartache and disease.

Apart from the king, Victoria was truly Valentina's only living family member.

"Is something wrong Auntie?"

Valentina's sudden question broke Victoria out of her thoughts. After a few short moments, Victoria responded.

"No nothing's wrong. I was just thinking about how should I spend my remaining time here with you before I have to go again."

"You have to go again?"

Valentina's voice rose in pitch before she tightened her embrace around Victoria's waist. As she continued to cling on to Victoria, Valentina began to plead for Victoria to stay.

"Please Auntie Victoria, you're the only one that's nice to me. The scholars are mean and the noble's never want to play games with me."

Victoria put on a smile on her face before going down on her knees to be on the same eye level as Valentina. Soon enough Victoria explained herself to Valentina.

"Valentina I know that this may be hard to understand but..."

Victoria paused for a moment to plan out how to phrase her words so that an eight year old could understand.

"There are some bad people out there. And these bad people are ruining our people's lives. Do you want these bad people to ruin our people's lives?"

"No..."

Valentina pouted sourly as she answered Victoria.

"Then you know why I must go. I need to stop these bad people from ruining our people's lives so that our people can live happy and good lives... Do you understand that?"

With a frown, Valentina nodded in acknowledgement of Victoria's reasons. Soon after, she once again spoke up.

"If you have to go, can you at least promise one thing for me?"

Before she continued, Valentina embraced Victoria tightly in a hug, this time due to Victoria matching Valentina's height, she put her arms around Victoria's neck.

"Can you please promise me that you'll come back. That you won't go away like father or mother did?"

When Victoria heard Valentina mention her parents, Victoria felt multiple daggers stab into her heart. Nevertheless she was able to put on a genuine smile before putting her arms around Valentina, returning this hug.

"I promise..."

Victoria paused for a short moment before finishing her sentence.

"But first I have a war to win."