“So, I suppose we should get going, hm?” Stefany said with a yawn as she awoke late in the morning. She lightly shook Brenna's body to stir her awake. With a reluctant grunt, Brenna sat up in bed and looked toward the person next to her.

“Yeah.. I guess,” her lips mumbled. A yawn escaped as she stretched her arms. Stefany leaned toward Brenna and blew in her ear. Immediately, Brenna startled and shook her head. “Okay okay, I'm up I'm up.” She rubbed her ear and stood up and gathered her clothing for the day.

Stefany smiled and slid off the bed to get dressed as well. But then she bit her lip when she saw her dress. Perhaps the night was a little bit too rough. She was now out of a dress to wear. “Well... isn't this something? My dress seems to be torn to shreds. I suppose I can just wear my traveling cloak, but I at least need some undergarments. Do you happen to have any spare, Brenna?”

Without even a response or a reply, Brenna fixed up her leather armor to a comfortable spot and dug through her drawer for an extra pair of breeches. She couldn't help but grin at what she found. “I hope you won't mind a dancer's brassier and er, a very short skirt, I think?” she tossed the garments onto the bed for Stefany to inspect.

She tilted her head in query and placed them over her form, and then tried them on. She gave a twirl in front of Brenna. “How do I look?”

“I feel like taking them off, if that means anything.” Brenna gave a smirk and a tiny chuckle as she prepared food and drink in her satchel for them.

“That good, huh?” She thought to wear her traveling cloak just to prevent distractions from their traveling. After all, priorities had to be straight. She couldn't play around all the time. She had a home country to usurp.

With her cloak fastened and their supplies prepared, they set off to the shop down the road to buy some more provisions. A Flux tome for Stefany and some vulneraries just in case. The armory next door provided an Iron Sword for Brenna to use. After all, she only had a single Wakizashi, and she wouldn't want to waste that on just anybody.

While at the store, Stefany thought it be wise to also purchase a map of the country. Given that she's never been there before, she thought it would be good resource material. “Bah, what do you need that map for? I know Frelia like the back of my hand!” bragged Brenna.

Stefany slipped the map in her cloak and took Brenna's arm. “Well, then, Miss Guide, lead the way to the capital. I have some business to tend to.”

Brenna gave a cough and looked away with flushed cheeks and took a deep breath and removed the embarrassment from her mind. “All right then, my lady. Stay close to me and we'll be there in no time~!” she said with enthusiasm.

Half a day later, they wound up in a small ocean side area with what looked like small shacks and houses. However, these shelters looked rundown and abandoned. On the plus side, it looked like there were wild mares roaming around. “Oh look, horses! Lets see if we can tame two of them.” Stefany suggested as her eyes scanned the area for a prime looking specimen.

However, in the shadows of the trees in the distance, a lone figure stood in watch and moved with the wind back toward one of the large huts.

“Hey Boss, it looks like someone finally came for this girlie over here. Aren't you lucky, huh?” the grunt teased the girl and chuckled.

“Oh? How many have come to try and save this wretched girl? It's been days since the last force came to attempt to save her. Isn't that right, Lady Finola?” The burly figure mocked her and stroked her chin. The tanned girl grimaced and spat at him. In turn, he dropped her head and gave her a slap heard through the whole hut.

She could do nothing in her bound state but look on with an ice cold glare. “Just you wait, they'll save me. My father must've brought his strongest forces to deal with you!”

“Hush, girl.” he said with a kick to her abdomen. The blow sent her to the dirt floor, her eyes watered and cheek full of dirt. With the way she was bound, she could not easily sit up. “How many were there again?”

“Two, Boss. Just.. two. However, one of them looked extremely talented. The other looked as fragile as this girlie here though,” he stroked his chin in thought. “Perhaps they aren't here for the girl after all, but all the same, they can't be left alive now that they found our spot.”

“Aye. Take care of 'em, will ya?” He snapped his fingers as the grunt went out the hut and made his way toward the two oblivious girls trying to tame some horses.

Before Stefany could step up to a horse and greet it, an arrow shot at her feet. “Not so fast, girlies! We can't let you leave here alive! You found our spot and now you'll be silenced for it. Get'em, fellas!” Sounds echoed through the entire area as Brigands, Fighters, Archers and Mercenaries showed themselves from their huts.

Stefany gazed at the field full of battle hardened men, and then looked at Brenna, who was busy sizing up the opposition as well. “My, my. Well aren't I in heaven? I came for a horse and I stumbled upon handsome men. I'll tell you boys what; If you manage to take us down, you get to have all of this~” she flapped open her cloak and ran her hand down her body. Brenna smirked and unsheathed her sword and ran her tongue along the blade in a sensual manner.

“Oi oi, don't think you're gonna con me, ladies! I've been around the block. I know your types. I'm not fallin' for your games, ya vixens!”

Stefany shrugged, “Suit yourself, then,” she closed her cloak back up. “What's so important about this spot anyway? It looks pretty run down to me.”

“It's not the spot itself that's important, but the cargo we hold--”

“HELP MEEEEEE!” a head pierced through the window and shrieked at the two unknown figures. However, Stefany locked eyes with the girl in the hut and knew the situation instantly. Now, things have changed.

“Well, well, lookie here. Seems my minion has been captured.” A sigh escaped Stefany's lips. “Don't worry, Finny, I'll get you out!” she yelled, nonchalantly ignoring the threats in front of her.

“Why, you!” he snarled as he shot an arrow to her head. “She's no minion, she's the princess of Frelia! Get that straight!”

Before the arrow made its mark, a gust of wind changed its direction and split the wood into two. The pieces fell to the ground as a sheen of steel blocked the arrow's path to Stefany's head. “Sorry, mate. Gotta get through me first.” Brenna twirled the blade in her hand, vanished in a cloud of dust and appeared on the other side of him. She shook the wet blood from the blade and sheathed it.

His body fell in two different places. He still seemed to have small bits of life left in him, as he snarled at the swordswoman. Stefany spoke while he was still conscious, “I know she's the princess, but she's still my minion, no matter what. Only I can touch my minion. No one else.” He reached out toward the young shaman and lost his life.

The next closest opponent was far away, but Stefany moved a few paces, closer to Brenna. The enemy forces closed in during the next round. Brenna sliced through Brigands and Fighters like butter, and Stefany wracked the minds of the Mercenaries and other units left over.

They seemed to keep coming from nowhere. Brenna and Stefany were exhausted and couldn't keep fighting for long. However, whinnying and galloping could be heard off in the distance. “Lady Stefany, do not worry! We're here to assist you!” a man's tone cut through the wind. His voice felt familiar to Stefany somehow, but she couldn't quite recall. It bled so much valor and honesty, there were only a few men she knew who had that kind of voice.

The two cavaliers managed to slay most of the remaining enemies before things calmed down enough for them to talk. “Lady Stefany, Vahn and I tried to catch up with you since you fled Renais. We managed to break through their defenses and flee to Frelia. But now we finally managed to catch up.”

“Ah, Vahn and Eric! Long time no see!” she exclaimed with a smile. “This is my new concubi—I mean, maid, Brenna.”

A fighter charged toward the exhausted Brenna, but foolishly ran his throat right into the tip of her blade. “Were you just going to call me a concubine, Stefany? I could've sworn I was more than that.”

“You are, but...I...” Stefany drooped her head downward and blushed.

“You like me that much, eh?” she winked and ruffled her hair. “No worries, m'lady. Let's go save that minion of yours.”

“Minion?” Eric asked.

“You know, Eric. I think she means Finola.” Vahn replied.

“Oh, her. I always forget.”

The small group of adventurers made their way to the center hut where the boss and Finola were. Suddenly, through the window, a rather large axe spun in the air and caused the mounts to stir. Stefany and Brenna ducked to the ground as the axe flew through the door.

The burly man stepped through the doorway and held the axe on his shoulder. “Well, well. Seems I underestimated you girls, but I see you got some more help. Those pups won't be enough, though. I'll take care of you all myself.”

A tall Berserker stood in their path to the princess of Frelia. However, what he didn't know, was that Finola managed to stand up and crept up behind him. She gave a drop kick to his knees and fell to the ground as she did so. When his guard dropped for but a moment, Brenna became several blurs and vanished as a loud slice echoed through the area, followed by a thud.

The Berserker's head fell to the ground, his ass in the air and his helmet in two. “Ugh....I'll get you for that...!” his fury surged through his veins as he stepped back up and swung his mighty ax toward the red head. She backflipped out of the way and ran up the thick silver handle and up his arm and somersaulted in the air and drove the blade through his head and body.

His body fell in opposite sides as she flicked the blood from the blade and sheathed it. Brenna's chest heaved from exhaustion as her eyes closed. Her body fell limp and collapsed into the open arms of Stefany, who smiled and ran her fingers through the auburn hair. “Thank you, Brenna...good work.” she kissed her forehead.

Vahn and Eric blinked dumbfounded for a moment and the fast action in front of them, but proceeded to snap into reality and untie the dirtied Finola.

“Thank you so much... everyone. I knew you'd come for me, Madam Stefany...” Exhausted, Finola collapsed into a slumber, much like Brenna. With the help of Vahn and Eric, the five traveled to the next town through the night and arrived in a few hours. It wasn't the capital, but it had an Inn and some shops.

Later in the night, Brenna awoke with Stefany at her bedside. “So, what's the story with a princess being a minion of another princess?” she asked.

Stefany yawned and crawled up onto the bed and laid against Brenna. “It's just our personalities. She's more of a follower than a leader, and I'm more of a leader than a follower. So I made her my servant.”

“Makes sense, I guess.”

The group stayed at the inn to rest from the weary long battle they had earlier that day.