It’s been three years since I became a commander of the war, ten people stood and made decisions for the war, two of them last year being appointed to the governors, a group of five that decided almost everything that happened.

One of them was someone called Wachesen, a once peasant that even before the toppling of the throne, she had made a name for herself. She and I were on good terms with each other, but the other governor who was appointed, not so much. Adolf Kreiger, powerful man, although we weren’t on equal terms, the two of us didn’t allow our hatred to come before work.

Lance and I were near each other, always at meetings. He had become a war hero, a peasant from a small town with his own power rose through the ranks. He was a poster child for the new kingdom, which was renamed, Vera.

I woke up one morn, opening my eyes and began to start my morning routine. Vera’s luxury had become much simpler, and easier to afford, so much so that wheat farmers could afford meat. There was nothing like what royalty originally had, but the difference between social classes was closer than ever.

I lived in a small house, which was split into two separate households. Lance and I were neighbours by sheer coincidence, but I still enjoyed his company. I walked down my little hallway, going into my small kitchen, and began my morning routine.

I created some water and put it in my kettle, which I began to heat. Opening a cupboard, I chose a tea bag which had dried berries in them. I went to my door, and opened it, seeing two eggs and some bread.

I took them inside, and on my simple stovetop, I cracked the eggs. I began heating the stovetop, and I began to hear them sizzle. I negated the billing water and poured me two cups of hot water as I was doing that.

Slicing the bread, and lightly toasting them with some fire. I got out two plates, that's when I heard the knocking on the door. The eggs were just about done, so I took them off and placed them on top of the bread.

Getting the door, I saw Lance in his usual black attire. He had grown into a fine young man, being half a head taller than I, but still, his personality never changed.

“Morning,” He smiled.

“Morning,” I replied. “Choose what you want for your tea, I need to get dressed,”

“I understand,”

Lance sat down, and I headed to my bedchambers, taking off my day clothes and changing into my war attire, the same dress Sashal had given me three years ago. I went out, seeing that Lance was sipping his tea on the small table looking over the street.

I put my teabag in my cup, grabbing my breakfast and headed over to him as well. We slowly ate for a bit, before a crow necked at the window. Lance opened it and took a medium-sized scroll from the crow’s leg, as it flies off.

It was a paper, discussing what was to happen at today's war meeting. Lance read it before giving it to me. I read through it and burned it.

“You agree with me,”

“I do, this is the last push to get Zahlen off our asses than Vera can breathe for once again,”

“I’ve eaten, let’s go,”

Lance and I left my house, and we began to walk the refurbished castle. Completely redone, much smaller than what it once was, the surrounding area was changed into housing for the people closer to running everything.

Lance and I made our way to the war room, where we found five others had already gathered. We both took our seats and began to wait for the other three. Moments passed, and the rest entered, the door being shut, and the meeting began.

“We are closer than ever to push back Zahlen, with one final push, we can be back on equal grounds again,” One of them said.

“But we have to tread lightly if this final push doesn’t work, then we’re back to square one,”

Lance intervened. “There should be a massive shipping of necessities to the army soon, I can’t be sure, but the people who we have captured says that without the new rations, the army would starve,”

“I agree with Lance, if we can ambush them, burn the rations and wait it out, the army would retreat by themselves,” Someone added.

“That’s a hasty plan, if it doesn’t succeed, that would be our final card, and we’d be back to square one, three years ago,” I intervened, Lance looking at me with mixed feelings.

“We need to make a decision, call upon the two governors of war,”

After waiting for a little while, Wachasen and Adolf entered the room, discussing what would happen. Adolf and Wachsen placed their votes on the table, both of which were for Lances plan. The total vote came to Lance’s idea, destroying the rations before the enemy could get it.

After a few more things to do in the castle, which took all of my days, I headed Home, already seeing Lance opening his door. He noticed me and nodded; I nodded back. Going into my own home, I took off my clothes and immediately went to bed.

Waking up the next morning, I changed into a more regular attire and went about my day. I checked that the infantry was training, and tending to some paperwork that needed to be done; it was about the military’s budget, which they were always fine with. I left the budget how it was and placed them to the people who would sort them.

By the time midday arrived, I had invited Wachasen for a tea break. The two of us were escorted to a garden, overlooking the north end of Neu, Vera's capital, and we both sat down. One of the only other people to look at me as a person and not a royal when I first arrived.

She closely became my best friend, even after becoming one of the five governors, she kept her friendship with me, not giving me favours in the war room.

“Is the plan underway?” I asked her.

“Yes, but are you sure it’ll work?”

“The Zahlen troops need to march through a small village; they won’t kill us, they might use us for a celebratory victory,”

“If this plan backfires, Frau, it’s all over,”

“I know that, but I also know that Lance and I can pull it off,”

“Lance’s troops will leave two days from now, pack your things and ride on horseback to Klein.”

Cloaking myself in worn clothing and a brown cloak, going on horseback until I reached the said village. It was small, only housing a few hundred people. I left my horse around the outskirts of the village. It was dusk at the time, and I wandered around the village until I saw what I suspected to be their tavern.

I heard some noises to it and entered the tavern; many people stopped and looked at me. About an eighth of everyone looked at the new arrival, most of them paid me no mind. I walked up to the barkeep and asked for a beer, he told me to pay first, and I gave him a handful of silver rumes.

“It seems that you want to pass out drunk,” He told me.

“I think you’ll need it more than me,” I smiled.

“I hope you’re not implying something,” He slid me a massive jug of beer and I began to drink.

I took a large sip and gulped it down. “It’s… cold,”

“The only elemental source I have is ice; it’s why I became a bartender, the people who come through that their beer comes nice and cold, even on the hottest weather,”

“I have never had a beer this cold,”

“I glad you enjoy it,”

I kept talking with the innkeeper before a person who hung around the place took the seat next to me. He placed his arm around me, and I was immediately concerned. The barkeep sighed and shook his head.

“You’re a little lonely lass, how about I buy you a drink?”

I looked at him. “Remove your hand and go back to your seat, don’t return to me, and don’t try and use your soul ability on any other person who doesn’t want to,”

The man looked at me, falling under my own soul ability, and he walked away. The bartender gave me a little clap.

“That's a first a woman stood up to Aprho; your soul ability is something similar to his,”

“I can give people orders in a sense, they don’t remember giving them, but let's just say he can only use his soul ability if the person wants to,”

I heard noises outside, and I sighed, drinking the rest of my beer. Telling the bartender to brace himself, he was confused, but then Zahlen infantry began to plunder, kicking people out. I was hit on the back of my head, and when I came to, I was trapped in a single cage. All of the men and children were confined into a large single cage. Whilst all the women were in their own separate cells; they were most likely to be used for pleasures; only a female body can make.

Two days came and went, we were fed, and one by one, the woman was being taken out and placed back into the cells hours later, with a different look on their faces. I heard cheering and saw wagons of supplies come rolling in, with many Zahlen soldiers with them.

I saw Lance as one of the soldiers, the ambush didn’t work, but there was a reason why I was here a failsafe plan. Lance, Wachasen and I believed that Lance and I would destroy the army from the inside if it didn't work out.

The day came before the battle, and my cage was unlocked. I saw a massive burly guard, with a big beard, and what I expected to use my body for something I didn’t want. He grabbed my arms forcefully and dragged me into a tent, as I heard Lance’s screams in the distance.

Five men were in a tent, taking down their pants and smiling at me, knowing I wouldn’t try anything. But I did, as they didn’t think that someone like I would have a soul ability. The outline of the eye became a rose gold.

“You shall go to sleep early unless you are on night watch, and when the battle starts, you shall start murdering anyone who has not been under my influence,” I said quickly.

The guards were in a daze, and slowly their outlines around their eyes faded, meaning that I could order them around. I only wanted two orders between anyone, and after they have been completed, they would be free.

I began to go to tents which were small and didn’t house many people. Many of the soldiers enjoyed the pleasures of women, and I went to every tent and told them the same thing. After a while, I went to the tents where I could hear screams of captured soldiers.

I hid from the Nightwatch, controlling them as well until I heard my name being yelled. It was Lance, so I carefully went into the tent he was in, and I controlled everyone there as well. I unbuckled Lance and made him go underneath my control, telling him not to feel any pain.

He calmed down, and I removed his restraints, thanking me. I told him to keep quiet, as the two of us maneuvered across the camps. He began to show me where the tents with the most people were. We kept at it for hours, until we reached what seemed to be where the army leader was.

I nodded at Lance and told him to summon his incarnate weapon. There were two guards in front, and I did the same as I did to the rest of them. Lance told me that there was no one else inside, and we barged in.

There a man was sitting there, dazed like everyone else I had used. The two of us became even more cautious, slowly walking up to the general. I noticed that his eyes were under my control. Lance even said that he was asleep, just like I asked.

A single person controlled a soul able to create a hive mind, no wonder Zahlen grew to be so powerful, everything major. One of the people I must’ve hypnotized was part of the hive mind, making it spread to others.

I placed my hands on the person's head and began asking him questions.

“Only this vessel may answer, one, who is your highest in command which is affected by this?”

“I am King Lachen, the inheritor of this soul ability,”

This explained so much; why we were ambushed so many times, our spies kept disappearing. Lance nodded at me, telling me that the man wasn’t lying. This was had gone on for long enough, it was time to end it, and the next command I put into his mind would keep it.

“When King Lachen sits on his throne, kill yourself, and now fall asleep,”

The person closed his eyes and Lance, and I escaped, going to the forest where the camp was near. There he and I found a place to overlook the battlefield in the distance. The two of us talked for a while, enjoying the only time where we could actually be alone.

“I can’t believe this is finally ending, this war,” Lance chuckled.

“It’s been three years, and now its over,”

“What’s going to happen?” Lance asked, turning to me.

“We’ll have more time, be labelled as war heroes, you will be in the spotlight, where everyone else will fear me,” I clenched my fists.

Lance placed his hands on mine. “Don’t worry about your heritage, it's the here and now that counts,”

“I believe that's true,”

Silence stood between us for I don’t know how long. I had thoughts so far down that Lance couldn’t hear them, and slowly but surely, they rose to the surface, finally coming to my mouth.

“Would you like to go on a date?” I turned to him.

Lance stood there for a moment. “I can read your mind, don’t hide what you really want to do to me.”

“It has been true I have always been attracted to you, but now after all this, I think I should ask this but Lance, would you like to go out with me?” I turned to him with desperate eyes.

The knight turned away and laughed out loud, turning back to me. “Ever since I laid eyes upon you I have loved you, and as when I was going for the first time, you fell in love with me, Frau, we’ve known each other for three years, and I would be happy to go out with you,”

Lance and I looked over the battlefield, seeing the side of slaughtering itself, the soldiers of Vera fighting as well. Lance and I ended a war, and now more than ever, I was happy, I was happy of who I was, and who I shall become.