Rebellious Love

Part 21

As midnight descended, a tranquil atmosphere enveloped the surroundings, where only the sound of insects could be heard.

Generals, admirals, and all the trusted leaders who had been under Abigail and Alphonse's command were summoned to the military headquarters.

The whole room buzzed with conversation, with many speculating about the reason for the sudden summons, particularly at such a late hour. Unaware of the purpose of the meeting, they assumed it must be related to the ongoing attacks by the enemies, which was their primary concern.

"General Lex, do you know the reason why we're gathered here?" one of his acquaintances asked, but he could only shake his head in response.

The unexpected nature of the meeting, called by the Duke without the Emperor's permission, left Lex puzzled, like many others in the room.

However, all conversation ceased as the Duke and Prince Philip arrived. They greeted the two royals politely before settling back into their chairs, maintaining a respectful silence as they awaited the reason for the sudden gathering.

"My friends," Alphonse began, his voice carrying authority as he addressed the gathered leaders. "I understand you may be wondering why you have been suddenly summoned here under my command. However, as you are aware, the attacks by our enemies have intensified, depleting our resources. If this continues unchecked, I fear we will face difficulties controlling the battle at hand."

The room fell silent as everyone listened attentively to Alphonse's words.

"Not to mention... it's been hard to persuade my father lately despite knowing that bandits are trying to steal our lands while the Jing Kingdom is starting to make a move on conquering us, which has made it also difficult for us to move freely" Prince Philip added, his voice echoing Alphonse's concerns.

As agreement spread throughout the hall, the atmosphere grew lively once more, filled with ideas and opinions exchanged among the individuals present.

"So get ready everyone, it won't be long before we will finish this battle once and for all and bring back the peace we all crave" Abigail's voice rang out, echoing in the surrounding hall. Her sudden appearance silenced everyone, shocking them into stillness.

As they realized that she had returned, they erupted into shouts of happiness, rushing towards her to greet her warmly.

"We're glad to have you back, Abigail," Lex greeted warmly, tapping her head twice before laughing. He greeted her not as the Princess's second-in-command, but as her close friend.

Abigail smiled sheepishly and nodded in response.

"It's not a surprise you stayed alive after all these days..." Arthur spoke as he emerged from the crowd, catching the Princess's attention as they locked eyes.

Abigail stared at him for a moment, her gaze softening as she approached him silently, studying him closely. "...Arthur," she uttered, raising both of her hands to gently touch his cheeks, as if to confirm that he was real. "I'm glad... you really did keep me worried, brother," she added, pulling him into a tight hug.

Arthur, smiling, tapped his hands on her head as he usually did before. "That's because my little angel saved me," he responded, chuckling lightly as they pulled away from the hug.

Despite the onlookers, they didn't hesitate to display their sibling relationship to everyone, even though they were not born of the same blood.

"You should have told me, you stupid!" Abigail nagged, punching his chest hard, causing him to back away and wince in pain.

"Shit!... that still hurts, you know," Arthur exclaimed, noticing her attempt to punch him again. He quickly blocked it this time, grabbing her wrist. Smirking, he looked down at her, still not releasing her wrist.