The Princess' Harem
Chapter 113: Arin’s Movement

Chapter 113: Arin’s Movement

The next morning was quiet. The palace felt subdued. Viana saw Rayne off at the main gates. Her parents were there, along with Joel and Reyes.

The farewells were brief, formal, but carried a quiet weight of genuine appreciation and respect.

Rayne mounted his horse, a powerful white stallion, and with a final nod to Viana, rode out with his small escort. The clatter of hooves faded quickly into the morning mist.

The respite, though still officially ongoing for the teams, felt over for Viana. Her mind was already racing, analyzing the shifts.

Rayne’s departure meant Valendale would focus on its own defenses, a necessary move but one that left Elysia more isolated. Those bad guys would know this, and would exploit it.

She spend the day in a restless state, moving between her private study and the strategic chambers, even though the order for rest was still active.

The relief of the blight being contained was immense, but it simply cleared the path for the next, perhaps deadlier, threat. The lull was not a peace, but a pause before the storm.

As the sun began to set on the second day of the mandated rest, Viana found herself back in the strategy room. The maps of Elysia, once mottled with the dark stains of the blight, now showed expanding green swatches.

But other maps, older ones, showing the mountain passes and the treacherous plains, remained spread out on the large table. These were the paths of armies.

Joel entered quietly, carrying a scroll. His face, though still tired, held a new, grim alertness. He had not truly rested. Viana knew he wouldn’t.

"Princess," he began, his voice low, "a report from our northern scouts. Confirmed by a desperate messenger who rode through the night."

He unrolled the scroll, its edges slightly frayed. "Arin’s legions. They are moving. Not probes, not skirmishes. This is a full-scale advance, Princess. Across the Northern Pass. They are coming for the capital."

Viana’s gaze hardened.

***

She looked at the map, tracing the path of the encroaching enemy. In her previous life, Arin would not move until summer. Why now, before spring over?

"Arin’s legions," Joel repeated, his voice tight. "Across the Northern Pass. They would have moved quickly to avoid the still-blighted areas further south. They must have been poised, waiting for the blight to run its course or for a perceived weakness."

Viana’s mind raced, pulling back from her weary, and grounding herself firmly in the present danger. "How many, Joel? And how far out are they? Do my parents know about this?"

"The messenger estimated tens of thousands, Princess. A full army. Their vanguard could be at the foothills of the capital in two days, three at most."

Joel’s hand gripped the edge of the table. "Our border patrols are already engaged. They are being overwhelmed."

"Sound the alarms," Viana commanded, her voice clear and strong despite the shock that still thrummed beneath her skin. "Mobilize the city guard. Recall all available spreading teams to the capital’s defenses. Send rides to the nearest villages, warn them to evacuate towards the city. Tell them to bring what thy can carry, livestock if possible. Every life we save is a victory."

Joel nodded, already turning to dispatch orders. "Reyes will need to organize the defensive lines at the outer walls. Arden should prepare any mechanical defenses he could, and Rissa..."

"Rissa will continue producing Sunstone Dust," Viana stated firmly. "The core essence is still vital for the land’s recovery, and we may yet need it against them. The blight is contained, not cured throughout. We cannot abandon the reclamation."

She paused, then added, "Send a rider to Kaley at the temple. Tell him to return. His unique abilities may be crucial."

She looked at the map, her fingers tracing the mountain range. The Northern Pass was narrow, defensible, but if Arin had tens of thousands, they would simply overwhelm any small force placed there.

The battle would be at the capital walls.

"Joel," Viana continued, her gaze fixed on the map, "prepare a full council meeting at dawn. Every commander. Every advisor. We need every mind engaged. We must ascertain Arin’s exact strength, his logistics, and his likely objectives."

He left, his footsteps brisk. Viana remained in the room, alone again, the faint scent of old parchment and the metallic tang of dried ink filling the air.

Her brief respite, the gentle dream of a long bath and peaceful sleep, felt like a distant memory, a trick of the light.

Her thoughts, though focused on the immediate threat, still brushed against the edges of the "system" and its percentages. Arin’s move, Lazarus’s plan to marry her... was this all designed to push her, to force her choices?

The idea sickened her, yet it also instilled a strange, cold clarity. If this was a game, she would play it. And she would fight for more than just survival.

She would fight for agency, for the right to choose her own path, outside of percentages and unseen players.

The next morning, the palace buzzed with a different kind of energy. No longer the quiet relief of a temporary break, but the tense hum of a city preparing for war.

Soldiers, still weary from the blight efforts, now donned armor, their faces grim but determined. Messengers rode in and out, their horses lathered with foam.

In the grand council chamber, the atmosphere was stark. Joel, Reyes, Arden, and even a tired-looking Rissa stood before the large strategic map, illuminated by sputtering oil lamps. Kaley had not yet arrived, but Viana knew he would come.

Reyes, his armor polished but scuffed, stood by the entrance, his hand already on his sword.

"The outer patrols confirm the reports, Princess," he stated, his voice flat. "Arin’s vanguard is indeed moving with alarming speed. We estimate they will reach the capital’s perimeter by late tomorrow, possibly earlier if they push relentlessly."

"Our defenses?" Viana asked, her voice calm, projecting a strength she sometimes had to consciously manifest.

"The walls are strong, Princess," Reyes replied. "Built to withstand sieges. But our forces are stretched. Many of our soldiers are still recovering from the blight effort. Their morale is high, but their bodies are not at peak condition. We have approximately five thousand men within the capital capable of fighting, including the city guard. Arin’s numbers could be four times that."