246. Chaos in Ancorna Empire

The air within the Imperial Court was thick with the clamor of panic and outrage. High-ranking nobles and ministers, draped in velvet and embroidered silk, shouted over one another, condemning the audacious act of treason that had rocked the foundations of the Empire.“They are marching straight to the capital! This is an act of unforgivable betrayal against the Empire, Your Imperial Majesty!” Duke Albert Roland, the Minister of Economy, declared, his voice tight with alarm. “Prince Landon must be immediately removed from succession and imprisoned for this traitorous act!”

A chorus of furious agreement echoed Duke Roland’s sentiment among the assembled nobility.

“Discussing punishment before we have crushed the traitors? How far has the esteemed Imperial Court fallen?” Emperor Andrew’s voice boomed, sharp and laced with disdain, echoing clearly to the farthest corners of the vast hall thanks to the amplifying Jasmine flower engraved in his crown. He turned his attention to his military commander. “General Marshal Thalia, what is the current situation on the battlefield?”

General Marshal Thalia Solmire, the ‘Iron Hydra,’ rose in a sharp, intimidating motion that caused the assembly to fall silent. Her presence, encased in the stiff, imperial crimson greatcoat and the snarling wolf-head pauldrons, commanded absolute focus.

“Currently, the four armies of the vassal states, along with Prince Landon and his supporters’ personnel army, have begun marching directly toward the capital through the mountainous regions of Estra Kingdom,” she reported, her tone utterly monotone and detached. She continued: “Judging by their current movements, they intend to ignore every defensible territory on their route and only march through those rugged mountain regions to reach the capital.”

Count Jeremy, the head of the Ministry of Finance and Logistics, questioned the grim reality. “So we cannot march our Elite Imperial Army to crush them in their tracks? The mountainous regions they are traveling through will be too difficult for our main force to reach them quickly?”

General Marshal Thalia simply leveled a cold look at him before continuing in her dry, precise tone. “We have dispatched nimble squadrons with mages to start guerilla tactics to slow down their march to the capital while fortifying the capital’s defenses. However,” she paused, her eyes scanning the room before settling again on the Emperor, “portions of the Imperial Army, specifically soldiers recruited from the Vassal States, are aligning themselves with Prince Landon’s rebellion directly inside our camps, causing immediate destabilization.”

Duke Albert Roland added fuel to the fire. “As if that were not enough, coordinated riots and protests from immigrants of the Vassal States have started to form in the capital and spread throughout the Empire overnight, indicating a frightening level of organization and coordination.”

Emperor Andrew tapped the armrest of his throne, his gaze flicking to the side as a bit of habit. He was observing the spot where his foreign affairs and Intelligence Minister, Frank Eldric, should have been standing. The Minister of Intelligence was conspicuously absent today.

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This question: Where is Eldric?. was in everyone's mind, though no one dared to voice the suspicion. It was a well-known, though carefully obscured, fact that for some time now, Frank Eldric, the Emperor’s trusted right-hand man, had begun to obscure or skew the Emperor’s intelligence reports to benefit his daughter, Maria Eldric, and her husband, Prince Landon. The brewing political rift between Emperor Andrew and Minister Frank Eldric was a known fact, and now that Prince Landon had publicly rebelled, Eldric’s absence did little to assuage the Imperial Court’s immediate fears of high-level collusion.

“If that is not enough,” Count Jeremy, stated, his voice laced with renewed urgency, “the Conley Empire seems determined to exploit this opportunity to rush back from their last defeat in the Morgen Dukedom of the Estra Kingdom. We have started receiving intelligence reports detailing the movement of their Naval ships, with their destination most likely being our important ports on the Western Coast.”

General Marshal Thalia Solmire, whose attention had been fixed on the internal threat, turned to face Count Jeremy before addressing the Emperor. “Admiral Bernard has formally requested the immediate dispatch of the Imperial Navy to counter the threat on the ocean.”

Emperor Andrew, weighing the dual threats, conceded the priority of external defense. “Granted. Right now, Conley is not a threat we can afford to be facing given the internal situation.” He tapped the armrest of his throne, the slight sound echoing in the tension. “Request aid from all the nobility and territories across the Empire, they are to volunteer their armies toward the capital.”

General Marshal Thalia nodded, confirming the next military steps. “The Imperial Mage Tower has been notified and will begin the fortification of the Capital as soon as the final authorization is secured.”

Emperor Andrew tapped the throne again, his commands becoming sharp and specific, allocating his remaining capable children to the most crucial fronts.

“Order every territory to send mages to the Western Coastlines to join the frontlines and prepare defensive formations to stop Conley if they attempt a landing,” he commanded. He then looked directly at Princess Serena, who was seated in the Imperial Court. "Serena, you will personally lead them."

She stood instantly, executing a flawless, determined bow. “I will see to it, Father.”

The Emperor then fixed his gaze upon Prince William. “William, your task is paramount. You must immediately find out where Landon’s base of operations is, determine where they are sourcing their logistics line from, and confirm where Maria, Gracie, and Benric are currently being secured by Landon.”

“Yes, Father,” Prince William responded, rising to his feet with a solemn, military bow, the determination already gleaming in his eyes.

The Emperor’s strategy was clear: protect the capital from the rebels, repel the foreign invasion, and cripple Landon’s network by seizing his family, his only leverage. The Empire was at war on two fronts, with its fate resting on the mobilization of disparate, and potentially disloyal, forces.

A junior courier, breathless and mud-splattered, stumbled into the Imperial Court, interrupting the frantic war council. His voice, strained from urgency, cut through the tension.

“Your Imperial Majesty! Urgent news from the Southern Sea!” he gasped, dropping to one knee. “It was officially announced today that Princess Ravenna Solarius has annexed the coastal borders of Otto City into the Kim Dukedom!”

The revelation struck the Imperial Court with devastating force, compounding the chaos of Landon's rebellion and the looming Conley threat. Ministers and nobles erupted into disbelief. Ravenna hadn't just secured a port; she had claimed a piece of the fiercely independent Free Cities, turning Otto’s sovereign shoreline into Imperial territory overnight.

“The annexation was executed under the signed Treaty of Red Encirclement with the Otto Council,” the messenger quickly added. “The act immediately transforms those borders into Imperial land!”