Late at night.
The empress suddenly opened her eyes, looked at her surroundings and sat up. The pain from her wound had stopped. She was left with just fatigue. She undid the bandages on her chest. The frightening wound had already healed and not a scar was left. She chuckled helplessly, wore her clothes on and called out in the tent with nobody but her: “Come out, Vyvyan. I know you’re here.”
A silhouette suddenly appeared from thin air, wearing a long emerald dress instead of the armour worn at noon. She wasn’t armed. Vyvyan whipped her blonde hair and looked at her. Elizabeth shifted her body and pat the spot beside her on her bed. Vyvyan walked over and eloquently sat down.
The two of them didn’t speak. The two women who were furious enough to rip each other apart at noon had now fallen into a peaceful silence.
“Thank you.”
After a long silence, Elizabeth spoke up. She used the elven language to say, “You healed me the same way ten years ago, right? But just like last time, I didn’t feel anything this time.”
“You don’t have to thank me.”
Vyvyan pursed her lips. She then let out a long sigh and said: “Last time it was my responsibility. You stepped into a trap we set up. This time, I personally wounded you, so it’s only right I heal you.”
“But we’re enemies now.”
“What do you mean ‘enemies’? Aren’t we both mothers?”
Vyvyan smiled helplessly. She then stood up, sighed and said: “I’ve been trying to numb myself all these years, convincing myself I’m my son’s only mom. I can’t believe I rejected him back then. But right now, I don’t love the child any less than you do. I gave birth to him, raised him and taught him everything.”
“I know. I know you love him, but I do too……” Elizabeth sighed and continued, “But everything will be decided tomorrow. Even so, I will attack the city. I must be accountable to my men. Moreover, no one can have two mothers. You did everything a step-mother should, and I’m thankful for that. But my son should return home now.”
“Step-mother?”
Vyvyan laughed and said: “I’d say he thinks you, are his step-mom. Do you really think you son will accept you? Do you think he’ll accept you after witnessing you steal him, and witnessing me die before his eyes? Moreover, I too am his mom who gave birth to him. Other than his appearance starting to resemble a human a little, he’s basically a pure elf.”
Elizabeth looked at her and in a somewhat angry tone asked: “What did you come here for then? Just to heal me?”
“No, I came to discuss my son’s future and the future of the elves.”
“You should’ve brought my son with you then, so that you could hand him over to me, and then give me a tribute, divide your land with me, and then I’ll withdraw my army tomorrow.”
“That’s not possible.”
“Leave now then. We’ll meet tomorrow in your palace. But I won’t show mercy. When we meet, I really will kill you.”
Elizabeth stood up and turned around, not willing to look at Vyvyan. Vyvyan laughed and said: “Elizabeth, I didn’t come here to hand you my son. I’m afraid that won’t change even if I die. I will never hand you my son unless you kill me. That will never change. I won’t ruin the future of elves for a child, nor will I hand over an innocent child for the sake of the elves’ future.”
“He’s my son!” Elizabeth turned around, looked at Vyvyan and angrily shouted: “I came to take him home! He should return to his true home!”
“Do you want your son to be able to continue living happily?” Vyvyan laughed and continued, “I know that your four platoons are right at our city. I also know that the three platoons you had at the beginning should have replenished their ranks and resources by now. We cannot compare to your manpower or the orderly fashion your army conducts itself in. Our imperial city will definitely fall, and then I will die. And then you’ll hold your son and laugh out loud happily?”
“Uhm.”
Elizabeth sat back down and said: “Since you already know the ending you will meet, let’s not waste our time on the whole process. Hand my son over.”
Vyvyan revealed a smile. She looked at Elizabeth and said: “No. You must step over my corpse. And then three months later, the son in your arms will come looking for me.”
Elizabeth angrily jumped up, grabbed Vyvyan’s collar and thundered: “What did you say?!”
“It’s simple.”
Vyvyan looked at Elizabeth who was right up in her face and furious. She chuckled and said: “Come with me. Tonight is a full moon. I gave birth to our son a second time. Since he has the blood of two elves mixed together from his two births, his mana is berserk. His mana goes berserk every month on a full moon night. In his first month, he’ll suffer from pain. In his second month, his eyes will pop out of his head. And in his third month, his body will implode from within due to his berserk mana ripping his body apart. While I’m at it, I suggest you don’t show any enmity towards me, otherwise… you humans will be less a ruler and four army platoons.”
Vyvyan’s blood-red eyes changed in an instant like a devil’s eyes. The corner of her mouth turned up into a mocking smile as she looked at Elizabeth. A ferocious wind suddenly started blowing outside along with a bright flash of lightning which struck down like it was going to split the ground, and a deafening tremble like an Earthquake rung out.
The demi-god in her was awaking. Vyvyan’s first objective for coming here tonight was to negotiate, but if it were to fail, she was going to annihilate herself along with the four platoons.
“What do you want me to see?”
Elizabeth let go of Vyvyan’s collar, Vyvyan laughed in a mocking tone and the bad weather outside calmed down immediately as though nothing ever happened. What was most frightening was that even though that just happened, not a single soldier came over, not even a Valkyrie. In other words, this was a time manipulation magic. It was a spell her brother excelled at, but while Vyvyan was in her demi-god form, all magic was as simple as a click of her fingers.
“Let me show you how much pain my son suffers.”
Vyvyan waved her hand and a portal opened in the air. Elizabeth picked her sword up and stepped in.
A short while later…
“Alice!! Alice!! Castell!! Castell!”
It was the first time Alice and Castell heard their empress shout without composure like that. The two of them grabbed their weapons and charged into the tent. The empress knelt on the ground with her arms tightly wrapped around herself, shaking non-stop. The reason she was kneeling on the ground was very simple. She was scared.
She was terrified, very terrified. She was quaking like a child. She wrapped her arms around herself tightly and her voice was indiscernible with her sobs. Her face was covered in tears. Her distorted facial expression showed that she was drowning in fear. Alice and Castell exchanged looks. There was nothing in the tent. Nothing had changed. But the empress was kneeling on the ground with fear written all over her body. That never happened before.
“Your majesty! Did you have a nightmare?”
Castell walked over and gently helped the empress up.
“Withdraw our troops… Withdraw our troops… Withdraw our troops… immediately… Immediately……”
Castell frowned and asked in a puzzled tone; “Sorry, your majesty, what did you say?”
“I said withdraw our troops!! Withdraw our troops!! Right now!!! I don’t… I don’t… I don’t want to see my son suffer like that…… I can’t… I can’t… Vyvyan… Vyvyan must live… Castell… Castell… you go and talk with the elves… Alice, we’re withdrawing our troops…….”
“…….”
Castell looked at the empress blankly, and then just as he was about to say something, the empress shouted and kicked him out. The empress even wrote a letter asking to negotiate and withdraw her troops.
The four platoons that had readied the cannons were utterly confused, but they withdrew nonetheless since they worshipped her and trusted her. Castell soon managed to get an agreement signed that would open up the borders to both parties and allow for trading. The elves shared a forest with the humans while the humans shared access to a mine with the elves, so the elves declared themselves the victors.
Most importantly…
Troy took on a new surname, Rosvenor. So his full name became Troy Galadriel Rosvenor. They agreed to both raise him, with him staying with each mom for a month.
And that was how the war for their son concluded.
The two women who were in power started a war for their own desires. The two of them were the only ones who knew why the war suddenly started and why it suddenly ended. The historians of the humans and elves put their best efforts into trying investigating the reason behind the ignition of the war. But in the end, they could only provide theories and guesses.
Those who knew the reasons behind the war all took the secret to their graves.
Well, there’s no reason for them to know why the war started.
The only thing you have to know is that the elven and human soldiers were the bravest, most determined and strong. They didn’t know why they were fighting either, but not one of them surrendered. They spread their courage and sacrificed their blood on that large continent for their families and their beliefs.
On the battlefield that year, green leaves covered the ground, the marks of horse carriages were endless as goods and peace were transferred between the two nations.
The weapons used in warfare were replaced with money, and those who were enemies on the battlefield now had their own children.
……
“Let’s go.”
Troy sat atop his horse, looking at the ancient tree that was burnt during the war slowly re-grow. He looked like he had been through a lot, but at the same time somewhat proud.
After a long pause, he said to the women behind him: “Alright.”
The group of girls silently nodded.
He stretched his hand out and whipped it, with it, his two capes with two different styles fluttered in the wind. They who once wore the two sets of clothes roared, shouted, killed and died here.
And now they were walking together side by side.
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