The room was buzzing with activity, government officials and military staff were present as Colonel Starbill moved his claws alongside a map of the Strawberry Duchy’s borders with Griffonia and Feathisia.
“Our infantry divisions are holding well on the Osnabeak Line, particularly the 3rd, 5th, and 8th divisions defending the Grifking river. Count Bronzetail has retreated behind the rivers of the Raven Lakes, but our flanks on the eastern line are still well defended. Reinforcements from Bronzehill’s 8th Hounds are providing us support from the city of Bellen as their main operating base, and we may be able to coordinate a small encirclement from their attempts to flank our defensive line near Pfotenhausen.”
Hans Starbill's face became grim, and the atmosphere in the room became tense. Feathers became stiff, as every griffon knew what the colonel would discuss next.
Gabriella's face was expressionless, though her claws tightened. The duchess looked exhausted, her vibrant pink feathers seemed faded and almost lifeless. She was thinner, and her wings occasionally slouched whenever the meetings lasted too long.
Six months before the Archon declared war on Strawberry Duchy and Bronzehill, Grand Duke Gerlach had been killed while attending the Volkshof. The tenuous balance in the government’s political coalition collapsed, and the country was tearing out its own throat in a civil war between the right-wing FNV party and the left-wing PvdA.
Gabriella had taken news of Gerlach’s death personally, and confined herself to her room for almost a full week before she was capable of resuming her duties again. Regina was the only Griffon whom the Duchess permitted to see her at that time, and many government officials worried that Strawberry was going to have an absent ruler again.
Gabriella still maintained an air of authority around her, though some days it felt as if she was going to shatter into a million pieces from exhaustion.
Gabriella nodded to Colonel Starbill, “Please continue.”
The colonel saluted and continued where he left off.
“Of course your highness. As we all know, Feathisia has been in a civil war ever since Duke Gerlach was killed. Fighting has been contained to the local countryside between the militias and roaming free companies for the FNV or the PvdA. The army is attempting to maintain order in De Vleugels, but no real command structure for the Feathisian Army exists anymore. However, the issue is that Griffenheim has taken advantage of the confusion in Feathisia to invade Rima and Reitscheid while the Feathisian Army was confined to De Vleugels.”
“They plan to go around Osnabeak through Reitscheid,” Regina said with apprehension, the severity of the situation causing her to look at the map with a mix of horror and nausea. “It’ll be like what Changelings did in Olenia against the Northern Line.”
“Can we redeploy any of our units in Osnabeak towards the Archon’s troops?” Gabriella asked.
“Only the 5th division your highness,” Starbill replied, “Field Marshal Mistfeather reports that the Imperial Army has been relentlessly attacking Osnabeak, and all our divisions are hard pressed to maintain the current frontline.”
“One division won’t be enough,” Gabriella murmured to herself, contemplating the situation at hand. “Rally the nobles, it's time for them to fulfill their oaths. Send a message to my cousin Gene to gather the knights near Winterbell and to repel the enemy from crossing the Brantbeak river into Osnabeak. Send a message to Lieutenant Barris to commence his partisan uprising to slow down the Archon’s troops as much as he can.”
Gabriella sighed, “The nobles will approve of one of my own family members leading a royal contingent of troops. Gene has always been headstrong, but he understands the enemy's mobile warfare tactics from his studies in Equestria. He’s boasted to me before about how the troops under his command would be willing to die for him, now he'll get to prove it.”