Hooves clack upon the dirt, a noble family that lies within the King's reach. Sabers drawn, rifles loaded, the earl of Erinsberg shouts, atop on his horse with pride in his eyes.
"Veilßhän! Elisavith! You scum of nobility!
You dare not follow orders of the King! You even threatened those who serve him!"
The cavalry enters Rüßwall, the crowd shuffles into their homes. The men grin, going towards the Veilßhän manor.
"Hällred fohn Varntramen!" (Everyone to Formation!)
Shouts William,loading a rifle. Earl Torrentia's eyes widen.
"Your men understand noble language?!"
"Well, I educate them."
"It is a language only for us!"
"Who cares? Get off my town!"
"William Veilßhän... Stubborn as ever."
William's men line up in ranks, the Torrentian cavalry aims their carbines.
"We can settle this peacefully, Earl."
"Lady Rose? Elegance is really a thing for Elisaviths, is it?"
"That pride is to be taken down."
"Hmph. Do you think you can take my cavalry down?"
"United are our hearts, we bring tragedy to kings."
"What an interesting punchline."
William aims.
"Stand back, or I will have to fire!"
"And what will a single shot do?"
The ranks aim at the cavalry.
"I firmly tell you to withdraw your men!"
"And why should I be afraid of 20 men of I have 50?"
"With hearts united—"
Metallic clicks echo across the town, every window, every silo, over a hundred barrels aim at their heads.
"—We bring tragedy to Kings."
In the steeple, Jason and Mason set a cranked machine gun.
"I dare not back down, I am the Earl of Torrentia! Dare make me perish and you face the fires of hell, William Veilßhän!"
"I've been to Hell and back; raise that blade and you ask for war!"
A silence lingers heavy— only the wind dares to make a sound. One wrong decision, and the bloodshed may begin.
A beat of grand mockery... The steel from the Earl's hand shines under the glistening sun whilst trembling above the scorching sand.
The saber goes up, then higher and higher—
Suddenly, bullets began to roar and thunder, blood spills onto the ground, the road turns into chaos, steeds fall, some flee.
Resotta and her guards catch up to them, decapitating what's left of their limbs. A bullet catches the woman's cuirass, sending her down from her stallion, the brothers lay cover fire from the steeple; Manuel arrives, and drags the noble into a building.
"You didn't have to, Manuel..."
"Madamè! O'Dyós mijo!"
"You can return to your—"
"Madame Resotta, I am your guard! I must protect you!"
"Your choice then— ack... It left a bruise."
Gunfire continues outside, the cavalry slowly disappears from the road. A bullet exits William's barrel, piercing the coat of the Earl. He lies down, suffering from a shot to the arm and leg.
"William Veilßhän... Prepare for— coughs —... Hell..."
William kneels beside him before grabbing his collar.
"Oh, we'll meet in hell someday."
"You'll face the wrath of the king..."
"And shall he face the fatherland—
...Rose!"
A beat, then a stab to the heart, noble of most deaths. She drops a white rose to soak on his blood.
"Now they have a reason to attack us, William."
"I'm sorry."
"Great, more threats."
"He chose war, and no Veilßhän must disagree."
"Just which side are you on, William? Peace or War?"
"I... Don't know."
"For a minute, you say 'peace', and later you declare war!"
"What am I supposed to do?!"
Edward steps in, worried.
"Let us not escalate this to a quarrel, we have enough problems for today and Lady Resotta was hit!"
Both look surprised at Edward.
"Edward, where is she?!"
"Sir Veilßhän, at the tavern, Manuel dragged the lady there."
Rose sprints after William.
"Just what are we going to do now, William?"
"We go to war as promised."
"You are impulsive in times like these."
"I've been through a lot, this is just another day for me."
"No, William."
"You're right..."
"I trust you, William, but those decisions cost lives."
"Rußwäll is armed, no one will dare enter this town."
"Not when we just killed the Earl of Erinsbourg."
They enter the tavern where Resotta lies, wincing in pain as Manuel kneels beside her with a medic.
"Ah!— it hurts!"
"Madamè!"
The medic looks at Manuel.
"Do not worry, Sir. She's fine, it's just a bad bruise."
He sighs in relief, William approaches them.
"Bring Lady Resotta to a tent, Jason and Mason are already pitching one."
The medic nods,
"Yes, Sir Veilßhän."
Rose looks at Resotta, then to William.
"Look..."
"As if you didn't stab him, don't blame it all on me, you pointed the blade first!"
"I— I... Uhmm..."
"That's where you are lacking."
"I know."
In the firing range, Victoria looks around with her father.
"Father, what'ya think happened out there?".
"I honestly don't know."
"I still hear 'em."
"Sir Veilßhän said something about the Torrentia."
"What's that?"
"Another noble line like the Elisaviths and Veilßhäns."
"No, that—"
She points at the distance. Lady Resotta being carried with a stretcher to a tent.
"Oh Lord... Miss Del'Fuente."
"Ye think she's dead?"
"Vicky!"
"Oh! Sorry!"
Janet walks up to them.
"Lady Elisavith summons your daughter."
"Go, Victoria."
She leaves, loading a rifle. At the pitched tent, Resottainjured, Rose walks up to Victoria.
"Look, you can be of nothing in this war, and tell your father and the others to leave."
"Why me? Ya could've just told my Father."
"For I know that you'll insist on helping with this conflict."
"Goddamn right, Lady Rose."
"It is our conflict, I don't want any of you commonfolk in danger."
"Not this one, Lady."
"Victoria, I understand your will, but I cannot risk ending a life that has still a lot things to see."
Her father arrives.
"We won't leave, Lady Elisavith."
"Are you that eager to assist us in this war?"
"Yes."
"Heavens forgive me... William!"
He turns around.
"Yes, Lady Rose?"
"William. Mister Hildegard and his daughter have stated that they won't be evacuating from Rußwäll."
"And why so?"
"As they want to help us."
"Hm. Well, good then."
"That is a young woman."
"They seek of a great journey, and so did I when I was a young lad."
"You people are not the same."
"Let her be, and I will be the guide."
Several more people enter the tent. One looks at the injured men from the gunfight earlier, the other speaks to William.
"Uhm... Sir Veilßhän."
"Go ahead."
"We have decided to serve under you as soldiers of Rußwäll."
"You will not just be soldiers, you will be revolts—! Under a new name."
"And what will it be?"
Rose turns her eye, muttering in the noble language.
"Corpö..."
William smiles.
"There you go, lads. 'Corps'."
"But she said 'United'."
"Yes, 'Corps'."
"Ah..."
"You may leave, we'll talk about this later, we have many things to take care of."
Rose nods, glad that her people care for the place she treasures.
"Mister Hildegard... Pardon me for insisting you let go of this town."
"Lady Rose, you shouldn't apologize."
"Ah, really..?"
"Well, I'm off to head home with my daughter, God be with ye."
"Sure, take care."
Mr. Hildegard and Victoria exits. Rose turns to William.
"What are we going to tell Count Del'Fuente?"
"That his daughter is fine."
"I think not."
"You worry too much, Lady Elisavith."
"Do you not when you see a friend of yours in pain?"
"Look, back when Edward got shot, I was the calmest."
Edward bats an eye.
"Oh, you even taunted me."
"Why not, Eddy?"
"You scum, the Earl was right."
Both laugh. Rose looks at them with sheer disbelief.
"Damn men."
The afternoon passes, another sun falls, slowly plummeting the world back to darkness. At the Elisavith manor lies Resotta on a sofa.
"Lady Rose, how do you plan on taking the other imbeciles?"
"The old fashioned way, Resotta."
"Don't tell me, in these days, you will duel them by rapier?"
"Tells the soul who used a saber in a gunfight just hours ago."
"You have your point."
"Have you learned your lesson, anyways?"
"Yes, I should've listened to Sir Veilßhän."
"Consider yourself wealthy of fate."
"How come?"
"Being shot and not getting yourself a hole in the stomach is once in a blue moon."
"Hmph."
William enters the manor, filled with a little glee.
"Lady Rose! The brothers and I have repaired the locomotive!"
"Finally, something that may help us."
Resotta raises an eyebrow.
"And how it may help you, Lady Rose?"
"The railroad here connects to Ordinoch and Magnerstied... Where the bastards lie."
"How do you plan to duel?"
"I'll send them letters of challenge."
"And if they refuse?"
"I'll see."
What happened the day before is that Rose and William did not pay the taxes after they found out that the grain imports are just stolen from their own town, Rußwäll. After they confronted the sheriff, he lied to the high council that he and his men were threatened by them; and so the king called for the Torrentia, a violent noble house known for battling in the name of the King.
Veilßhän, Elisavith and Del'Fuente houses have fought against these people 80 years ago, during the Great War of Reformation, Hålßhein, or Girdenland is at chaos, people are fighting for the throne, that's when the 9 Roses gave the laws, and the Veilßhän decided to share Rußwäll to avoid more bloodshed, eventually, the war came to an end, and the Elisaviths sold their lands to recover from the large cost of the feuds, the Veilßhäns lost land in Erinsbourg, an important territory, and since then, they severed all ties related to the royal family.
A minute of silence.
"Resotta, can we entrust Rußwäll to you?"
"Why?"
"William and I are going to KönigsHerz."
"And why shall it be me?"
"Your house can protect yours, now we ask for one more favor."
"How do I even so this?"
William raises a hand.
"Edward, he's a friend of mine, we technically have the same brain, it's just that he's flirty and a little more idiotic than me."
"And what will this Edward do?"
"He can help you lead Rußwäll, I trust that man with my life."
"Brotherly trust, is it?"
William laughs. Rose looks a little too jealous. Resotta snickers
"Why make that face? You're a hopeless one, Lady Rose."
"Dare mess with me, Resotta."
William sighs.
"Whatever it is, don't drag me into it."
"We won't William, you are out of this."
"Good."
The day passes through, the chaos settled, many line on beds, bleeding, some perished today, the nobles mourned, the darkness begins to engulf Girdenai to flames.
In a prairie, Victoria and Edward stare at the stars.
"Does your father know about this?"
"Yes, and also no."
"Oh, well."
"Are ye serious about the thing ye said the oth'r day?"
Edward turns his head to Victoria, looking at her with straightest, dead serious face.
"Yes."
She looks at him, utterly surprised.
"Well, that's..."
"No need to be embarrassed."
"That's bold of ya."
"Always been like this."
She laughs.
The next day, they meet at the plaza to discuss the plans and ideas they will entrust to Edward and Resotta. The morning sun shines bright, even when deaths are nigh, the commonfolk continue their daily lives, as if yesterday was just any other day.
Rose sends a letter to KönigsHerz, challenging a noble named Hanschrift von Hendall, he works with the Torrential, in fact, some of the cavalrymen they faced yesterday were from him. William will use the train to bring themselves to Ordinoch. The reason is that they have to destroy some of his treasuries so that he cannot fund any of the attacks against Rüßwall
"If that Hendall refuses, I swear to God."
"Rose, calm down."
"William, you do know how much I hate bastards who refuse."
"At least you're the one who challenges, you don't know how many times I almost died when I was 15."
"You fight dirty."
"I use guns, they don't require elegance."
"True Veilßhän you are."
"It runs in my goddamned blood, Rose."
"It sure is... Hey, you promised to give me a gift."
"You do know how rare are those, right?"
She just stares at him.
"Okay, Okay, I'll get you one."
-End of Ch.3