The Warrior Princess

     There was a knock at the door.      Who would have the guts to approach generals cabin at this time of night? Lena thought as she rolled out of her cot to see who was here. As she was walking out of her room she saw her father, he was not a father right now. He was General Bjorn and someone is going to regret waking the 'bear general of the west' very much. She decided to stand by her bedroom door to watch the c*****e.      Standing in the great hall composing himself, Bjorn's head almost touched the ceiling, standing at six foot four, he towered over most of the garrison. Father rubbed his blue eyes and ran his hands through his sandy blonde, shoulder length hair that had recently started streaking gray. After the sleep was gone from his eyes and his mane had been laid down by his fingers, he stomped to the door.     As he swung the door open, he found to his bewilderment a small, foreign man standing before him with a box in his hands and two guards at his side.     The older man straightened and looked up to speak to Lena's father. "Please Pardon this lowly servant for intruding but I have an Important imperial edict from the Emperor on Chunyao. May I come in to deliver this edict?"     Bjorn glanced at Lena, they were both puzzled on why an emissary from Chunyao, a country that is in the east come to deliver an edict in along the western border.      "I can not accept you're emperor's edict. The king is about a two days ride from here. You are welcome to stay here tonight, rest and eat. A few of my men will escort you starting tomorrow morning."      Lena exited her room crossing through the hall to stand next to her father. Surely he would allow her to be a part of the escort party. She is his right hand after all.        "This is an edict for your family alone not for the King of Aldora." The emissary stated. "Please gather your family."     Lena looked at her father, Bjorn's face had gotten a shade lighter. What is father thinking about that paled him so? Why does the emperor of Chunyao want to speak with our family only? Why did she his right hand and daughter not know about this connection.      "Lena, ride out to the next two outposts and bring your brothers. Don't bother with your mother. She is a Day's ride away and need not be here." He commanded.   "Yes General," she bowed her head in acceptance than walked to her room to get changed for riding. It would take about two hours to get to her brothers. Once she was ready she walked out into the great room again and saw that the emissary  was sitting with father at the dining table, his guards still standing at the door.      Father apparently had sent for Alwin, the army cook,  because the chubby older man was working quickly in the kitchen to feed are strange, but honored guests. Lena nodded to father again before turning to walk out the door and head to the stables.      After riding through the rough mountain terrain for what seemed longer than usual to her, she made it to my older brothers outpost,  Armen must of heard she was coming from the scouts because the gates were open. Lena galloped through the gate before reining Ada to a stop. Her black mare was getting older, but she wasn't showing it. At 15 she was still prancing in place ready to rock back on her hind legs and run again.     Armen walked up to put a hand on Ada to calm her. "What has brought you running on the wind in the middle of the night like a banshee"  Armen smirked, he was a spitting image of father. Though his was cropped short. Longer on the top shaved on the sides. A lot of the younger men opted to have the shorter hairstyle these days. But she still preferred it  long.     "A diplomat has come from Chunyao tonight and woke us from our sleep." Lena stated and then looked around at the few soldiers that had gathered.     Armen waved a hand to dismiss, "Are you sure it was Chunyao? Why would they come all the way to the western mountain?" It has to be Kilros in the west."     It irked Lena that Armen would question her. She may not have an official title in her kingdom  in the army but she was respected by all the troops as her fathers right hand. She trained with them, fought in battle next to them, and worked twice as hard as they did to get to her unofficial position. If she were a man she would be working her way up the ranks like her brothers.  She envied them, she wanted nothing more to do but she was a woman and an orphan to boot.      Yes, I am sure he was from Chunyao," she spat. Regaining her composure, "First of all he wore the long robes donned by the eastern people. Second, his hair was long and braided back and uncut. Third, His accent was one not from Kilros." Feeling satisfied with the answer she gave, she continued, "He has  came with an imperial edict. One for our family." She waited to judge her brothers expression.     He didn't pale like their father. Instead he seemed as puzzled as she was. "Someone, fetch my horse and a couple canteens. " My brother shouted.      Lena was grateful he had asked for water canteens. She had forgotten to grab one as she was rushing out the door.     A few moments later a soldier came running up with the canteens and another came with his horse. He mounted up and they were off to Lena's youngest brother, Jakob's outpost.     After giving Jakob a briefing of what was going on, he mounted as well and all three rode hard back to the main camp. Lena's lips pulled into a little smile as her brothers horses struggling to keep up with old Ada girl. She was smaller then them but she was a fighter, refusing to let them before her even by a nose.      That is what drew her to Ada when she was a  five year old girl, Ada was fearless and  stubborn. A three year old filly refusing to be pulled away from the selection and forgotten because she was smaller than the rest. She has been my mount ever since. The selection has always been one of her favorite memories. Girls were never allowed in the selection for horses but my father presented them to me anyway. Even with with the stares and hushed gossip we stood tall, with all the 5 year old boys and their fathers.  He knew that  she would never be a respected lady because she was left at the front gate of his camp as a newborn. But she was also to strong willed to sit on the sidelines and live her life on the outskirts. So he brought her up with her brothers in the training grounds pushing her twice as hard as any man because he knew she was a survivor but now she had to become a warrior. And so she did, in doing so she gained respect from her peers and a gained a place for herself in Aldora.     As they arrived back to the main camp it seemed that the emissary had brought more people that must have been still traveling.  A carriage had now arrived with a couple women standing next to it along with a four men. These were not guards or soldiers. They had no armor, and were dressed in lower grade clothing then the the others.           Walking to the cabin Lena noticed that the women and men bowed their heads to them. They must be slaves, Lena thought bitterly. Aldora didn't have slaves or servants. They abolished s*****y years ago. Since before she could remember. Everyone was a paid a fair price for their work.      As they walked into the great room and Lena noticed that they went from sitting at the table in the to sitting by the hearth. The guards were still standing but also sought out the warmth from the fire.     The emissary quickly rose to his feet. Which would be a feat of someone else who looked his age. He quickly adjusted the black square top hat piece on his head. "I assume we are all here and are ready to listen to the imperial edict from his holiness. We have no time to spare!" He quipped.      The three siblings looked to their father. Nobody talked around her father like that and got away with it. And this emissary barely came up to my fathers chest. Hopefully Bjorn the bear had not awoken, this could get messy very quickly.          As if her brothers had heard her thoughts they flexed their hands, ready to draw their swords if they needed to.    Her Father never faltered and spoke, "You may read your edict, Armin, Jakob, and Lena, come sit. The three obliged, and now the only people standing was the old diplomat, even the guards went to their knees to listen to what he had to say.     The man cleared his throat," This lowly servant, Guajong, will read His majesty's commands." He took a scroll from the box he had been carring and started to read, "The dragon of Chunyao expresses gratitude to the family of Schul. He provides you with gold and silver for your troubles. But is now time for the daughter of the imperial dragon to return home. She is expected to return home immediately and take her rightful position among the dragons heirs. End of edict."