"The family is the cornerstone

of every society."



The drum tolled like a clock the endless march of the condemned towards the gallows.

One by one, all the rebels who had not died in battle or hadn't found the courage to end their lives were taken out of the cages, and escorted by a handful of guards along the short road towards the gallows in the central square of Maligrad.

No ropes or pyres. They were still nobles, in some cases real military heroes, and at least they deserved the honor of a quick death.

Aria, who observed the executions from the terrace of a palace, found such a complex and formal ceremony almost absurd; the Empire never contradicted itself, not even in the way it dispensed justice towards traitors.

Baron Severus and his daughter were in a separate cage, and they would be the last.

Severus had asked to be able to go to the gallows before Ophelia, and to be spared at least the pain of seeing his only remaining daughter die, but the Senate had been ruthless; the rebel leader would die last, after being forced to watch the end of all his followers. And for him alone there would not be the quick blade of an axe, but the long agony of hanging.

After almost three hours of uninterrupted performances we were now close to the end; the people, who at the beginning had greeted every single blow of the ax with a roar, were now almost bored, and it seemed that most of them had remained there only to be able to say one day that they were present when the most infamous of traitors had met his rightful end.

Ophelia looked like a statue of ice, but when there were only a handful of heads left before her turn came, she abandoned herself in desperate tears in her father's arms, who held her close, gently caressing her head.

Faced with that scene, Aria had a sort of epiphany; her mind began to travel, recalling memories that certainly couldn't be defined as pleasant, but which had contributed to making her what she was.



Aria's childhood couldn't be called a happy one.

Her mother, in addition to being in poor health, did not pay much attention to her and was often unfriendly, as if she did not really consider Aria her daughter, or did not want to take care of her.

Victor was the favorite son, the designated heir who would inherit the throne. His birth had been something of a miracle, having arrived when both of his parents were now quite advanced in years, and with many unhappy pregnancies behind them.

Perhaps this is why in his first years of life he had grown up so spoiled and pampered, while for her it had been the opposite: she had to work hard, give a lot and expect little.

Furthermore, her father had decided to rise her as a man, perhaps because he had finally accepted the idea that he would not have a male heir.

No dolls, just toy soldiers; no dresses, but uniforms; no embroidery, but fencing lessons; no tutor or teacher of etiquette, but generals from whom to learn the art of war and command.

At seven years old, Aria had only the external appearance of a child, and just because her mother, shortly before her death, had left Alfred with the strict order to try to make her at least a girl suitable for marriage.

Then, when Victor had grown up, suddenly all the attention, however severe, had shifted to him, but by that point the route had already been traced in Aria's mind.

Without a mother anymore, with a strict father who neglected her, and a brother who grew up and became more unbearable in his belief that he was a sort of chosen one, Aria needed an outlet.

And as you might expect from a little girl who grew up to become a soldier, she had found it in the war.

Eirinn did not have an officers' school, and traditionally young men from good families pursuing a military career went to attend the Imperial Academy in Maligrad.

However, her father had been strangely hesitant in this, refusing on several occasions to comply with her desire to be able to go to complete school in the Empire and subsequently enroll in the Academy.

This was at least until the day His Majesty Arnold Ademar arrived in Faria, having recently ascended the throne after the premature death of his older brother.

The Emperor loved talented young people, and he seemed to have developed a special interest in Aria from their first meeting.

She, for her part, had done her best to impress him, showing up at the hearing wearing the uniform of the Ducal Guard and asking to challenge the leader of his escort. Obviously, everything had resulted in a painful beating, but it had served to make a positive impression on his Highness, who had not failed to invite his son Julius, who was also present, to take example from a girl six years younger than him.

At that point, Aria had explained to him her desire to attend the Military Academy; and when it is the sovereign of whom your kingdom is a vassal who asks you something it's difficult to say no.

Therefore, the day after turning thirteen, Aria had finally boarded the carriage that would take her to Maligrad, where she would attend the last year of ordinary school before enrolling at the Academy.

At her side as an escort, in addition to some guards sent specifically from the capital under the command of Captain Pullone, she would also have had the butler Alfred.

She didn't know it yet, but that trip would be much more eventful than expected.



The easiest way to get from Faria to Maligrad was to take the Via Altinia to Acadia, then switch to the Via Concordia which led straight to the destination.

But those were dangerous times; the revolt of the Barons was gaining supporters in the east day after day, and the Via Altinia passed just a stone throw from the borders of some fiefdoms in revolt.

Thus the imperial and ducal escorts had agreed to take the long route through the west, reach the Imperial Road and from there proceed to Rhodes.

Very simple, except that immediately after arriving in Basterwick the caravan had been informed that the infamous Macaire Gang had taken possession of Solea's crossroad on east and south.

An ordinary gang of brigands would never have dared to raise a finger against a member of a royal family; but given that in the Empire at that time there were many who wanted to cause problems for the Emperor, it was decided to let Aria travel incognito, without insignia or banners.

For everyone, Aria was Lady Hanne, second daughter of Marquis Jannsen, headed to the Empire to meet her future husband: in short, a perfect hostage.

And even if the escort felt prepared enough to be able to deal with a handful of bandits, in order not to run any risks it was finally decided to extend the journey further, moving back to Grote Muren and than moving south. This way they would have reached the road for Dundee and Solea, from where they could head north again toward the Castle, reaching the crossroad from west and bypassing the bandits' blockade.

"Does it take much longer to get to Dundee?" Alfred said leaning out of the carriage. "Lady Aria is tired."

In reality the only thing Aria was tired of, besides the padded seat, was that damned lady's dress she had been forced to wear to make her fake identity credible; accustomed as she was now to wearing men's clothes, such a thing was both embarrassing and terribly uncomfortable for her.

"Be patient, miss. A few more hours and we'll be there, and tonight you can sleep in a proper bed."

"I can't believe that the famous imperial legions let themselves be frightened like this by a bunch of robbers."

"Trust me, Captain Pullone is a very experienced soldier. If he has decided not to take risks it is only for your safety."

"I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

"Don't be so confident, Miss. You are undoubtedly a skilled swordsman, but talent is of little use when dealing with a gang of bandits who only think about profit."

Mr Dyckings who was driving the carriage was also concerned about the state of the road, which became rough and dangerous the closer they got to Dundee.

So, when the caravan came across four children playing, he decided to ask them for information.

"Are you from Dundee?"

"Yes, sir." a beautiful little girl with brown hair and glasses replied politely

"How's the road? I don't think this old wreck of a carriage would stand any more potholes."

"If it's Dundee you want to go to, I think you'll have to choose another route." said the one who seemed to be the leader of the gang.

"Daemon's right." said the other boy in the group. "Rocks fell a few miles ahead. I really don't think you'll be able to get through."

Seeing that the word of four children could not be trusted, Pullone sent one of his men to check, but shortly afterwards he came back confirming everything.

"They're right Captain, the road is blocked."

"Can we remove the rocks?"

"Maybe so, but we won't finish before nightfall."

"There's actually another route you could take." said the boy named Daemon "If you go back two miles, you will find a path that passes through the forest around the landslide."

"Can we cross it with the carriage?" Alfred asked

"By going slowly and paying attention to low branches, you can." said the little girl with red hair almost grinning. "But the forest is thick, and it would be very easy to get lost. If only you had someone who could point you in the right direction..."

"Giselle, you are the worst." the other little girl said softly "They are people who need help, not simpletons to rip off."

"Don't be such a party pooper for once, Mary."

"Daemon, you too?"

"My friend is right. We come here often to play, and we know every tree in this area. With our help you will arrive in Dundee before sunset."

"And since my father owns the village inn, perhaps I could convince him to give you some special treatment."

The situation was taking on almost grotesque connotations; but if Pullone was on the verge of losing his temper, Alfred knew how to deal with children.

"All right, little pests. Three goldies each if you take us to Dundee."

"Five is better."

"Septimus, come on!"

"And of course you will let us take a ride in the carriage."

After all, it was a small price to pay to get out of this mess, so the four children were let in together with Aria, while Alfred took a seat next to the coachman.

Even though she had been raised to be a soldier, Aria had never had to deal with people of a social class too lower than her own; and those four kids, in addition to being at least a couple of years younger than her, were not only noisy, but also disrespectful, to say the least.

Their leader in particular was a sort of runaway horse incapable of standing still, but who, despite appearing to be the youngest of all, held the reins of the group with unsuspected charisma. The complete opposite of the little girl who clearly doted on him, and who did nothing but apologize for the excesses of her three friends.

"Please be patient, miss, and I apologize for their behavior."

"It's all right. But you seem like a girl who's far too polite to be accompanying you to these troublemakers."

"What did you call us, little princess? Look, we all have names here."

"Sorry, but you were so busy leaving mud prints on the seats that you must have forgotten to tell me."

"Indeed... In this case, I am Septimus. This failed male is Giselle, the little princess is Mary, while he is the newest kid on the block, Daemon."

"I've been part of your gang for two years now, Septimus, you might as well stop calling me like that."

"Your accent doesn't sound like it's from around here." Aria said.

"I come from the north. My parents died, and now I live with my uncle in a cabin in the mountains."

"And who are you? You don't look like a typical country damsel at all."

"Giselle, show some respect. Please forgive her; she's a tomboy in a girl's body."

"Don't worry. But you're right, I'm from Eirinn. My name is A... Hanne. Lady Hanne. I'm headed to the Empire to meet someone."

"Really?" Septimus winked. "Could he be your boyfriend?"

Aria was about to instinctively slap him, but Giselle was faster than her and knocked out her friend with a blow worthy of a professional fighter.

"You look like a horny old man! How do you have these thoughts at your age?"

"Damn you, do you understand or not that your fists hurt like hell?"

"If you keep going like this you'll never find a girlfriend."

"If all girls are like you, I'll be very happy!"

Aria almost felt envious of those children, even if she would never have said it. None of them was certainly rich, and it was enough to look at Daemon's small build, Septimus' hands ruined by the rough wool or the bruises on Mary's face to understand that they had to lead a hard life.

Yet despite this they seemed happy and very united, ready to do anything for each other. And it was a feeling Aria had never known.



The path indicated by Daemon and his friends was not exactly convenient, but it allowed the caravan to reach Dundee short after sunset.

At least the inn run by Giselle's father was a welcoming if humble place, and the way Aria and her escort were welcomed was very warm.

Pullone and his men were used to making do, and even though their duty required them to stay away from the cider, they soon became caught up in the joyful atmosphere.

"Aren't you going home?" Aria asked when she noticed that Daemon, despite the late hour, was staying behind to help manage the place full of customers

"It's dangerous to wander alone outside the walls after sunset. In these cases Giselle's father allows me to spend the night in the guest room, and in exchange I help him at the tavern."

"But your uncle..."

"Don't worry, he'll understand." then he brazenly held out his hand after serving her the stew. "Especially if I bring home some good tips."

Unlike her other friends, Aria really didn't know what to think of that child; at first glance he seemed just the little pest of the group, a daredevil all running and playing in no hurry to become an adult.

Yet he seemed endowed with an almost hypnotic charm, a particular magnetism that pushed the people around him to trust him; not to mention his rare moments of maturity, during which he seemed able to get what he wanted with the power of words alone.

"You have a future as a tax collector." she said annoyed taking a coin

The moment their hands touched Aria had a kind of vision, seeing for an instant that seemed like a lifetime things she couldn't explain.

Images of soldiers, of great battles, of cannons and horses, of flags in the wind and boots in the mud.

"Thank you very much. And enjoy the stew."

Who and what the hell was that kid?



If the cuisine and hospitality were first-rate, the rooms were a completely different matter.

The mattress was so uncomfortable that Aria, despite being very tired, only fell asleep after midnight, mulling to herself that perhaps it would have been better to go to sleep with Pullone and the others in the militia barracks rather than in that bed full of fleas.

And there was no rest for her even after she fell asleep, as she had once again that cursed dream. She dreamed of being surrounded by fire, unable to move, when suddenly a shadow appeared in front of her reaching out a hand towards her.

In such a situation it was almost a relief to be woken up early; it's a shame that what pulled her and the whole city out of bed in the middle of the night was nothing other than the din of alarm bells.

Rushing to the window, Aria saw disturbing red shadows rising beyond the northern walls.

"What's going on?" she asked as Alfred entered the room

"Someone's attacking the city, Miss. The Captain went to find out more."

It probably wasn't someone interested in her, because no one would have been stupid enough to start such a mess to harm just one person.

And the report that Pullone delivered shortly after confirmed this theory.

"They're mercenaries. A local lord had hired them to defend himself from the Macaires, the idiot didn't pay them and they went wild."

"And to make up for it they attack an entire city?" Aria said

"Everyone knows that this area has been demilitarized since the treaty with the Union was signed. There are only the City Guard and the Militia to maintain order, but they are only peasants and jailbirds loaned to the army. They don't even have a chain of command. There is only one commander of the Militia but he seems to be an incompetent sadist, and what's more he is not in the city at the moment. Now it's his second to give the orders, a certain Oldrick."

"But how's possible that there's this level of disorganization in such an important region?" Alfred blurted out

"Keep it between us, but I've heard some bad stories about Governor Longinus. It seems that his father is a very important senator. He will have received some old favor."

"And what do we do now?"

"The only possible thing, Lady Montgomery. We're leaving."

"What!?"

"Those rascals are concentrating on the north door, but it seems there aren't many of them. I've already spoken to the guards and the mayor. If we leave in ten minutes we should be able to leave the city from the south and be safe before dawn."

"Should we abandon these people!? Those mercenaries are murderers and robbers. It could be a massacre."

"It doesn't concern us. Our only priority is you. My duty is to lead you safely to Maligrad, not to deal with the troubles of this city."

"I'm afraid the Captain is right, Miss. Your safety is too important to risk it this way. If anything were to happen to you, relations between our homeland and the Empire could seriously deteriorate, not to mention the problems we would cause for His Majesty Ademar."

All throughout her training Aria had dreamed of the time when she could put what she had learned to the test in real battle.

But it was not so much this that pushed her to finally ignore the exhortations of her guards, rather her awareness that as a soldier and as a nobleman, protecting the weak was a task from which she could not escape.

Completely indifferent to the fact of having two men staring at her, the little girl took off her nightgown, opened her travel trunk and in a few moments put on the uniform of the Ducal Guard.

"What are you doing, Miss!?"

"I won't run away. You can stay here if you want. These people need someone to lead them and I intend to do so, with or without your permission."

"This is madness! Mr. Alfred, help me get her out here."

Instead, after a moment of disbelief mixed with admiration, Alfred stood next to his lady, staring at the Captain with fiery eyes.

"I am the butler of the Montgomery Family, and I obey only them. If the young lady has made this decision, I will stay at her side."

For some reason Pullone didn't even try to argue with that apparently inoffensive-looking old man, and resignedly followed the two on the way from the inn to the city walls.