{HIKARI'S POV}
Cojaca has made the first move, and it involves using me as a bargaining chip. All things considered, if the kidnapper succeeded and I was brought to Cojaca, I wouldn't be able to fight back or run away without making myself ill. I'm a perfect hostage.

I shouldn't be surprised when Dad decides to send me away, despite all my protests.

I'm a target now, so Dad is shipping me off to an undisclosed location to keep me safe. I feel useless. Here I am, making people worry about me again. Hiiro would never be targeted as a mere pawn. Yui is half my age, yet she worries nobody.

It's not my fault that my body is naturally weak, but still. I hate how powerless it makes me feel.

I'm loaded into a carriage with seven total from the Sereg knight circle, five men and two women. These will be my guards for the journey.

According to the lady knight riding in my carriage with me, we're headed to Tai; the territory closest to Tanbarun, which runs along Clarines' southeastern border. The fairly remote territory is composed of 5,000 people, living throughout a dozen small villages, governed by Lord Zetsu Kirigawa.

Apparently, the log cabin where my aunt and uncle first met is in Tai.

This particular southern territory shares no borders with the northern kingdom of Cojaca, so it has no need to worry about the impeding invasion.

Only a select few besides my father know that I'm fleeing, let alone where I'm headed. The royal knights guarding my escape are merely a precaution.

I'll be staying at Taj, the sole knight fortress within Tai. It's nestled in a large mountain pass, right on the border of our other eastern neighbor besides Tanbarun: landlocked Menad—a kingdom with land extending from Tanbarun in the south to Cojaca in the north. Taj houses a knight circle, 350 strong.

Unless you pass through the massive gate on the eastern side of the mountain pass, carefully guarded by the Taj knight circle, it's a twelve day journey on horseback around the mountain range to get into Clarines from Menad.

My secret journey from Wistal palace to Taj takes eleven days. The lord of Tai, Zetsu Kirigawa, personally waits for me at the fortress. I note that he's distracted as he greets me.

"What's troubling you?" I ask once the pleasantries are aside. We've been left alone by the knights.

Lord Zetsu considers me for a moment.

I draw back my shoulders and pin him with a stare that hopefully conveys how competent I am. My body may be weak but my mind is not. I'm more than capable of making good decisions as a leader.

Lord Zetsu sighs. "I'm afraid Tai might not be as safe as we think. There's been some unusual movement from Menad. I've received report of a group of soldiers on Menad's side of the gate who spoke Cojacanese. They were scouting invasion routes."

I inhale sharply. Menad, neighbor to both kingdoms, has remained a neutral party in the impeding conflict between Clarines and Cojaca insofar.

If the sightings of troops up north are a diversion, and Menad allows the real Cojacan army to march through their land and attack the ill-prepared and unsuspecting Tai... the result would be devastating.

My people would experience so much death and suffering. I can't accept that outcome. I refuse to! I stand up abruptly.

"Princess?" Lord Zetsu blinks in astonishment.

"Lord Zetsu, we must act quickly and evacuate all of your citizens at once."

"Eh?!"

I ignore the lord of Tai since he isn't adding anything to consider to the conversation. I muse aloud, "No, no, that won't do. Evacuating Tai entirely will take far too long. The stragglers might run into the Cojacan army while fleeing. To keep everyone safe, it may be better to gather the people here and make a stand. Fleeing now would only put too much strain on another lord, especially with an army on our tail. None of the territories have enough resources stockpiled to sustain influx of this magnitude."

"Tai is relatively small. 5,000 people at most." Lord Zetsu chips in at last. "All of the villages are connected by roads and the farthest one from this fortress is roughly two days by horseback. Four days if the citizens brought all their harvest and herds."

"Bringing all the food is a must." The Cojacan army will raze any villages they find, hopefully after the citizens have evacuated. "We can't leave any supplies to feed the Cojacan army and starve ourselves if... no, when this conflict gets drawn out."

Lord Zetsu nods. "It'll take week on foot carrying supplies. I'd reckon a week and a half and we can have every citizen of Tai gathered at the fortress."

"I see." I think about it. "It won't work though. We'd just be a sitting duck for the Cojacan army. Not every citizen can fight. Not well, certainly not against a trained military. We can't possibly fit all 5,000 citizens inside the walls of the fortress either. But I refuse to let anyone die needlessly, if I can help it."

"Hmmm," Lord Zetsu reasons. "You passed through the forest, so you know the land to the west of this mountain pass is heavily wooded. The knight circle can clear the forest and quarry stone from the mountains to build a wall around ourselves."

"I see." I begin to nod. "The wood from the cleared forestland could be used to build shelters, and animals could be hunted for food and clothing. But would it not be terribly difficult for the knight circle to clear a forest and build a big enough wall that can withstand enemy siege in such a short time?"

"Princess, I'm sure 5,000 people whose sole goal is survival would make a powerful workforce. Their number one priority will be building the wall. If you write a royal decree declaring Tai is in a state of emergency, everyone will naturally defer to you. We will make this work, day and night if necessary."

A royal decree is a huge deal. I've never written one. I'd be using the power and prestige of the entire royal family, which not to be done lightly.

I have reason to believe that Tai is in imminent danger of being invaded by the Cojacan army. If I dally to collect evidence, it may be too late. I have to protect my people. Nobody is dying needlessly.

"Get me a quill and paper." I command Lord Zetsu solemnly. He bows and rushes off.

Lord Zetsu returns and hands then to me. He witnesses as I write my decree; Tai is now officially in a state of emergency.

Things move quickly after that. Lord Zetsu gathers all 350 of his knights and I announce what's happening. They don't seem surprised, so I'm guessing the rumors of danger spread fast.

I end my speech saying, "All of Tai's citizens are to convene at Taj fortress with everything they can carry. We will fend off the intruders, right here, right now! We will build a wall and successfully hold off the Cojacan army! I stand with you!"

"YEEEEAH!" The knights cheer. I guess they really liked what I said?

Lord Zetsu sends a knight out to each town on the fastest horses. Two nights from now, all the citizens will know too. In a state of emergency, everyone defers to the highest ranking individual present.

That's me.

I resist the urge to sink into a chair and bury my face in my hands. What have I dove headfirst into?

I am a princess of Clarines and I'm about to take personal command of all these people's lives. I can't show weakness. I must be the epitome of calm, confident, and collected.