Take the river gate and cut the city in half.

Before you enter the command tent you notice Thea leaning against the railing of the balcony, looking up at the drakes and their Riders soaring overhead. Unlike the rest of your sisters who were eyeing the men on the backs of the drakes, either with lust or contempt, Thea seems as interested in the drakes as their Riders. She has often told you of how she wanted to join the Valkyries, once you were able to acquire a few more drakes, so she could know what it felt like to fly among the clouds. The great winged beasts, however, are not the only thing she is checking out.

As you watch her, you discern a slight blush on her cheeks and a look of timid interest in her eyes. Following her gaze, you find that it is Rafail who she is watching in particular and the handsome young Rider is giving her his charming smile. It doesn’t surprise you at all to see that Rafail is launching more than one arrow as he hunts for a chance to bed an Amazon. Riders are notorious philanderers, almost as bad as Amazons, and that charming man strikes you as a bit of a rogue who has bedded more than his share of women before he started courting you and will certainly bed many more before he is done. You are not to bothered by his wandering eye as you have all but given your heart to Ceno, if that Rider wants to bang Thea then you are all for it. In fact, remembering how good his hands felt rubbing your shoulders you wonder if your triad-mate would invite you to join them.

Smiling at the pleasant thought, you walk up behind Thea and lightly place a hand on her shoulder making her jump. “Enjoying the show are we, Thea?” you ask in a playful tone.

Thea smiles back at you and licks her lips, “There isn’t anything wrong with looking is there? Besides, as Phera said, we didn’t just come all this way for vengeance alone.” She then glanced back up at the Rider on the red-scaled drake, “Do you think he likes small-breasted women?” The sooner Thea sees men drooling over her the better, Ares knows plenty of your Sisters have appreciated just how sensitive her pretty little tits are.

“I know one way you can find out,” you offer with a grin, “I could introduce you to him.”

“What!?” Thea’s cheeks turned a bright crimson as she grips your forearm hard enough to leave a mark, “Really? You’ve met him?”

“He was one of the men courting me back at the United Armies command tent,” you explain, “And I must say he was doing a very good job of it too.”

Thea giggles happily, “Ooo, sounds like someone has some stories to tell. I look forward to hearing them tonight,” she smiles at you lustfully, and whether it the gleam in her eye or the memory of being caressed by the three handsome gentlemen you feel the familiar heat bubbling once again in your core.

You return the look before giving her a long kiss on the lips, which earns you a few whistles from the men above. You ignore them as you slowly pulled your lips away from your best friend and lightly glide your fingers along her jaw as you started to make your way to the command tent.

As you enter the tent your High Counsel rise from their seats at the war table while Atheas sets up a map of the city on the thick wood. As she prepares the battle map, you make your way to the foot of the table where you find an ornately carved chair of polished ebony similar to the one in your mother's conference room back home…well, your conference room now.

You can’t help but think of her as you look at the now empty chair. You still remember pestering her as a child while she was sitting in on one of her meetings. You were young and bored and wanted to spend time with her. At first, she would get onto you and your sister for it but later she let the two of you sit on her lap as she continued her meeting. You and Kriti would snuggle up in your mother’s lap and drift off in her arms.

As the memories flood back to you, you lightly run your fingers over the ornate carving of the armrest while trying to resist the urge to break down. Unfortunately, your best efforts are not enough to stop the tears overflowing out of your eyes. Suddenly you feel Atheas’ strong hand on your shoulder. Like, Thea did earlier you jump and turn towards her, though instead of a playful smile you were greeted by the concerned look of an experienced mother.

“It’s alright Xira,” she says in a soft and calming tone, “all Accor suffers with you.”

Looking out at the room you can see that your counsel has the same concerned look on their faces, even Kyra has a look of concern in her eyes, though probably less for you and more for just how weak her queen looks right now. You wipe the tears from your eyes and smile back at Atheas, “I’ll be fine,” you respond before moving to take your spot in your chair. As you sit you recompose yourself, placing a hand on each armrest, and leaning back while crossing your legs, again showing off your power and beauty as Laoda has been teaching you.

Once you are settled you nod at Atheas to begin her briefing. “Now then, now that we have finished constructing our blockade, the Lord Marshal has requested that we take the river gate in preparation for his ****.”

“Why are warriors of Accor following the orders of a man,” Kyra interjects in a spiteful tone.

“Because it was a woman that put him in charge,” Laoda, reminds the council that the High Priestess of Helios commissioned this attack, “And we are in no shape to **** the city alone. Lord Marshal Raxius has far more experience in taking walled cities than any of our sisters so I believe it is for the best that we follow his orders, especially if we want to get out sisters back.”

Kyra scoffs but concedes to the point and let Atheas continue. “As I was saying,” Atheas raises her voice enough to capture everyone's attention, “We are to take the gate and hold it until the United Armies is able to breach the walls. Once the walls are down, our galleys will claim the river Elaina, cutting the city in half. Afterword’s our Sisters are to fight their way towards the invading United Army, crushing the defenders trapped between us.”

After hearing this you quickly lean forward and take a closer look at the map. “Atheas, does the Lord Marshal realize that he is effectively giving us first dibs on the richest parts of the city? The river separates the wealthy homes from the poor.”

“He has,” said Atheas with a slight nod, “He’s…trusting that we will focus most of our efforts on crushing the defenders as opposed to looting the city. Most of our efforts anyway.”

“And what makes you think that his armies won’t just run over us after we crush the defenders for him,” asks Kyra skeptically, “Yes this presses the defenders between us and the United Armies but it also pins us between the United Armies and the Defenders on the other side of the river. What is to stop them from turning on us while we are weakened from the attack.”

Seisa answers her in her plain, almost monotone voice, “Do not worry, Daughter of Lycaon, I do not believe that the Lord Marshal will want to risk harming one of his own daughters.” You and your advisors stare at the masked spymaster in stunned silence.

Anon is the first to speak, “What, The Lord Marshal has an Amazonian daughter!? Who’s the mother!?”

Seisa gray eyes flicker towards Atheas, and instantly everyone in the room turns to look at their general, whose face darkens noticeably.

“So…how was it,” you ask Atheas with a smirk as you reconsider your impression of the grey-haired leader of the United Armies.

For the first time in your life, you could visibly see Atheas sweating. “He…He more than proved himself worthy…both in battle and in bed.” She clears her throat. “Can we please get back to the task at hand!?”