Emeralds For Trade // DNF Royalty AU

Chapter 11.1: The Fear That Drives Courage

Dream,

I'm gonna cut to the chase. Prince George was captured from Emerald this morning. Rest assured, he's in safe hands, but he will remain in safe hands until further notice.

It's simple — surrender Emerald as a state under Netherite's rule, and he'll be in your arms again. He will be sent back to Diamond, unharmed and without incident. Hell, I'll even see to it that they're sent the supplies needed for the winter. That's what you wanted, right?

Make the public, international statement denouncing your role as King and hand the nation over with the signed contract attached. If no public statement is made within 48 hours, though, your little prince will bear the brunt of it. Choose wisely.

I'll see you soon.

Schlatt,

Netherite

____________________________

The air was tense. It had been a few hours of preparation at Gold, and Dream barely slept a wink. The fear had dissipated and all that was left was a fiery determination to bring his prince home. When morning came and he got dressed to embark on their journey, he knew that he had to leave no window of opportunity for the plan to fail. He simply couldn't lose George or Tubbo, so he decided that he just won't.

When dawn was about to break, he headed downstairs, dressed in his full armour. He was still tightening the strap on his gripping gloves when he arrived in the meeting room again to join the others. Niki, Wilbur and Gold's general had organized the movement of troops upon the docking of the ships, strategizing the best configuration that made use of the strengths of Emerald, Gold and Obsidian's soldiers. The first batch had departed an hour before and was set to arrive at Netherite shores in five hours to secure a path for the next vessel. Meanwhile, another brigade of Emerald and Obsidian soldiers were waiting on the next one, ready to breach at another angle.

Leaning in, he listened to the plan once again.

"They would not expect something as straightforward again," Niki explained. "Looking at past battles, they would not know how we will approach this due to our varying combat styles. Only Obsidian has been at war with them. We will take advantage of this by having three troops attack from different angles, using different styles, at the same time."

"And once we've made use of Obsidian's battalion on the first front, Gold's archers will arrive at the eastern shores, sneaking forward as much as possible and getting as close to the main district as possible to avoid having civilians in the crossfire," Wilbur finished.

"That's where Techno and I come in?" Dream asked, a leg propped up on the chair to tighten his laces. Wilbur leaned forward, supporting his weight with a hand on the table. The other pointed to the map splayed out, shifting the pieces that symbolized the different troops.

"After the second troop enters, you two will board a ship with the third troop on the southern shores, behind the first batch. With the bulk of the soldiers distracted, you two will be able to circle the wooded area and manage the guards at the castle. You will have a smaller team with you to make this breach stealthy."

Dream nodded, internalizing this information quickly and leaning in to analyse the map.

From the other end of the table, however, Tommy spoke up.

"I want to fight."

They all turned to look at him, Wilbur with an incredulous look on his face.

"Tommy, you're 16."

"Tubbo's in that castle, Will. I know my way with a sword, you've seen me—"

"We don't know that for sure," Dream clarified. "He's missing, but for all we know, something else could have happened."