The council of War and a new general.

His generals started to arrive in due order. Most of them were thin blooded old men, who opposed his every decision from the start. If many of the knights werent related to these old buggers, it was highly unlikely that anyone of them would still be residing in the castle. Duke Almoric received them already in armor, with two squires starting to sharpen his sword and polish his shield.

"Partor, Gastmor, Farthof and Serge were defeated last night" The duke states in a sober tone "their men were butchered, routed and captured, they were treacherously attacked during the night. We are here to discuss how we are going to take our ****, free our compatriots and finally pacify the southern hills"

The next half an hour was infuriating. The old men moaned how sir Serge had been the best of them, and commanded the largest lance in the army, how logistics was impossible after the last harvest, how the elves commanded some new kind of arcane magic. Excuses, pure and simple

It was then that his niece entered. Nathalie. She had been educated in a covenant, a prim young lady with flawless manners and caste beauty. Her father, his brother, had died a few years ago, and only recently people brought to his attention that she was forgotten in tonsure, soon to take definite vows if the Duke didnt have a better use for her.

Nathalie dress was as simple as her station allowed. When she first arrived Duke Almoric was smitten by the young lady, and tried to please her with fancy dresses and jewels, but she never favored any of them. With time he simply accepted his niece's eccentricities, far better than having to endure a slut like so many of his neighbors. Now Nathalie strode with calm and confidence, the bickering generals all wanted to see what she would do.

"Show me your hand" She told Sir Greenbog, the advisor closest to the map you had spread over the table. He obeyed at once, and she removed his gauntlet. "If we do it like you are all suggesting, we could just as well send over all our armies, wealth and people to the elves." She puts the gauntlet on, and almost shouts "and you call yourself men?!? Knights?" Her diatribe makes the duke smile, but she turns briskly towards him. And kneels.

"Forgive my temerity, uncle, but allow me to reaffirm the honor and service of all the houses present here. I have spoken to a daughter or wife of each of your vassals present, and they all agreed to serve in a lance under my command. If you would have us, we would follow your lead anywhere you would take us." The advisors are now protesting, but you quiet everyone with one shout. Her ploy sounded deliciously smart, while the cowardly council would gladly sacrifice each other,none of them would sacrifice their own family. They would do everything to make this new unit safe.

"Rise, Nathalie, my dove of war. I name you knight-commander, second only to myself in my army. To War, and to Victory!"