This delicate balance of powers was preserved by three main factors. First was the unexpected war fatigue. This past year featured battles more intense than anything before it. Thanks to the introduction of Martial Energy and the Featherwind Sect, entire armies and fortresses became useless. A campaign that would normally take months, maybe even years, to complete could be shortened to a single week. That was how big of an impact the Featherwind Sect had. Otherwise, the kingdom's invasion could have taken decades. Consequently, the war fatigue rose exponentially as coffers were emptied and coffins were filled. People believed that the past year of fighting had the equivalent of fifty normal years of fatigue! So, every faction had to control their resources carefully to avoid burning out.
The second factor was geography. By taking the eastern provinces, the Alzar Kingdom had secured the maritime routes from the mainland. That meant they could continuously receive supplies and reinforcements. The main reason why the kingdom wars could last centuries was because of the ocean. It limited the movement of large armies and combined with the strong naval defenses, neither side could land and make a breakthrough. However, now that the kingdom had achieved that, they could finally leverage their vast resources and manpower. They could overpower any of the Four Great Nobility Families! Except they were stuck between the Li Family in the north, and the Jian and Jun Families in the south. If they decided to attack either one, they would be exposing their rear to the enemy.
Lastly was the existence of 'transcendental' powers like the Featherwind Sect, Sword King, and Protector Avin. They were powerful enough to overwhelm any army or defense. Conventional strategy was irrelevant to them. They could surpass them all! Since the Featherwind Sect defected to the Alzar Kingdom, that created a large imbalance of power. The Four Great Nobility Families did not have Perception Realm armies, equipped with Martial Energy, like the Imperial Council did. Knowledge aside, it took a long time to nurture such an army. There was no guarantee they would be effective either. Thus, the families decided to stay on the defensive and bide their time. What they did not know was that General Petra and the Alzar Kingdom could not command these 'transcendental' powers into action. It was more of a deterrent than a real threat. Everything led to this quasi-ceasefire.
That changed with the arrival of Queen Samanthie. Depending on her attitude, the war could take a drastic turn. For example, she could fully allocate the kingdom's resources into annihilating the empire. Every household, business, and faction could be forced to participate. It could lead to a bloodbath, unlike anything seen before. On the other hand, she could preach peace and diplomacy, urging negotiations with the empire. The war could end tomorrow with her word. No one knew what to expect, which was why everyone was nervous. This was especially the case for the Imperial Princesses. They prayed in their minds that the new queen would honor their agreement with Elizabeth. What would Queen Samanthie's attitude be? Everyone wanted to see.
Gong! Elizabeth looked up as the show ended. She was surprised. It was over already? She had been too busy thinking to notice. The performers left the hall, leaving a tense silence. This was when General Petra and the other officers were supposed to report on the current warfront, and how they would proceed. The purpose was to bring Queen Samanthie and her followers up to speed. Instead, the Imperial Princesses stepped out and bowed. The queen frowned, while Elizabeth almost panicked. This was an official court now, so there were certain rules and traditions that needed to be followed. One of the golden rules was that unless called upon, do not act out. The queen had the absolute say in everything! So, by breaking this golden rule, it was an offense against the crown. Elizabeth was concerned. Did the Imperial Princesses forget?
"We apologize for the rudeness, Your Majesty. We know that we are breaking conduct, but we need to ask something," Ming said.
"Remove them," Sir Lest ordered the Royal Guards. With Sir Winstin's passing and Queen Samanthie's succession, he unofficially became the next leader of the Royal Guards. Several knights rushed in to detain the princesses.
"Stay back! I won't let anyone approach Her Highnesses!" Protector Chang announced fearlessly.
Although young, he was an Imperial Sentinel and a Perception Realm Adept. He could hold his ground. Drawing his sword, he prepared to clash against the Grand Knights and Royal Guards. Clang! Sparks flew. Everyone believed the smaller and feebler-looking protector would lose but to their surprise… he managed to block three people at once! His unexpected prowess killed their momentum!
Just then, a loud boom occurred overhead. Protector Chang, his three opponents, and everyone else saw two people rebounding from the impact. The first was Sir Lest, who landed in front of Queen Samanthie. He was holding his beautiful arming sword, a classic choice for knights. His aura flared, while he locked eyes with his foe. It was Lady Mingyu, Imperian Qiang's Protector, who suddenly tried to attack the three knights. Sir Lest felt his arms shaking. If he had failed to stop her, then there would have been three heads rolling on the floor by now. Her speed was monstrous! So, this was the leader of the Four Dragons of the Loon Family, a person rumored to be stronger than Sir Winstin. She was dangerous! However, he sneered. As the next leader of the Royal Guards, he would have to surpass his predecessors. His ambition turned to killing intent. They were both Perception Realm Masters. How big could their difference be? He would defeat Lady Mingyu here!
Whoosh! Sir Lest reflexively raised his sword to parry, right as an arrow hit his blade. Turning his head, he saw Cardinal Hui wielding his bow. Another legendary individual. Cardinal Hui Wai-Wing, the leader of the Imperial Sentinels, was particularly famous for defeating Sir Winstin, albeit in a four-versus-one. This sparked a rivalry between the Royal Guards and the Imperial Sentinels. The Royal Guards believed they needed to defeat him to redeem their honor! Funnily enough, Sir Winstin was never that interested. Sir Lest watched his two opponents closely. They were all Perception Realm Masters, meaning the tiniest of openings could be found and exploited. More importantly, Queen Samanthie was behind him. He had to be careful.
"Stop!" Elizabeth stood up and yelled. "Everyone stand down immediately! That's an order!"
"…Protector Chang, Cardinal Hui, please," Ming said.
Chang nodded, cautiously sheathed his sword, and retreated. He never took his eye off the three knights, in case they tried to do something. Similarly, Cardinal Hui lowered his bow, but kept it nocked. He could attack on a moment's notice.
"Lady Mingyu, stand back," Imperian Qiang added. The woman was initially hesitant, having taken Sir Lest's killing intent as a challenge, but she eventually relented. This left the three knights and Sir Lest, who stood rooted on the spot.
"What are you doing? I ordered you to stand down!" Elizabeth demanded more aggressively. This startled the three knights, who quickly complied. She was a princess after all. In terms of authority, she ranked right below the queen. Sir Lest remained, too stubborn to yield. This made Elizabeth both nervous and angry. What was Sir Lest trying to do? Fall out with the Imperial Princesses? She could not let him ruin everything they built up. Right when she was about to act, another voice cut in.
"Sir Lest," Queen Samanthie said.
"Yes, Your Majesty." He immediately sheathed his sword, retracted his killing intent, and bowed. The speed at which he listened made Elizabeth wonder. Was this the queen's aim?
She turned to Princess Ming. "You may speak."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." The girl mustered up her courage and continued, "I have one question… Is Your Majesty and the Alzar Kingdom willing to honor the agreement between us and Princess Elizabeth? This is something that will impact the entire Xingyuu Empire. We must know Your Majesty's stance now."
Queen Samanthie said nothing, while another woman spoke up. "You mean the unofficial, verbal agreement made between the two parties?"
"I apologize, but I don't recognize this lady…"
"Pardon me. I haven't introduced myself yet. I am Lady Vellena, Mistress of Relations on the Royal Assembly."
The second she said that, everyone viewed her more seriously. The Royal Assembly was the equivalent of the Imperial Council in the Alzar Kingdom. They had near absolute authority and were responsible for governing the kingdom on the Royal Family's behalf. As the Mistress of Relations, Lady Vellena managed both internal and external matters in the realm. That meant her word was almost as important as the queen's! She could not be underestimated.