While Princess Juniper was trying to gather information on the new world she'd landed herself in, those already accustomed to living in it were going about their day. Across the courtyard from the Princess's tower, stood the imposing keep that was the Central Command Annex, the beating heart of Avalon's military and the home of Queen Linnea's high command. In a well appointed office sitting at it's heart, Lady Alyssa Black, High General of Avalon pushed back from her desk, willing the stacks upon stacks of paperwork on it to disappear. The statuesque woman was clad in her dress uniform, a dark green double breasted jacket with bronze piping done up with brass buttons that strained to contain the general's famously large bust. Indeed, her rather large chest prominently thrust out to display a small legion of medals and honors pinned to the left side of her uniform. A smart red tie and white undershirt were layered below, and at the moment she wore her short red dress skirt and dark green leggings. Her polished black cavalry boots, large epauleted great coat and military cap were all currently discarded around the room.
"Ughhhhh, can't she sort out simple logistics without me holding her hand?" the general groused as she ran a hand through her long red hair, currently hanging down over her shoulders since she wasn't in the field. She'd had a frustrating day cleaning up messes created by her newest subordinate, Colonel Rochelle Farberr, (a woman Juniper would have recognized as Steve Farber's older sister, Rachel Farber in the previous reality.) Dame Farberr was the quintessential foolish young officer in over her head, and had apparently run roughshod over the common folk of the northern counties she'd been assigned to guard, demanding supplies without proper writ, authorization or payment. The disgruntlement had risen to such a level that the local village chiefs petitioned their countess, Lady Ferguson, who was now bothering Alyssa over the issue.
Groaning, Alyssa returned to the offending documents and penned out a swift rebuke to Colonel Farberr, and a an order of payment for the goods already taken and hoped that would be that. The less she had to deal with the shrewish Lady Ferguson the better. Unfortunately, that matter did not erase the remaining mountain of paperwork by much, and the rest of it was almost entirely regarding the fortifying of the southern territory. Southward defense could not be taken lightly, considering the Spaniards writ large were the most pernicious enemy of their Empire; Alyssa herself had lost many friends and her first wife in the last great war that ended 8 years ago.
The tricky part was that much of the work renewing the fortresses would require the work of Earth Magic users and the Black family was one of only two users of that particular sort of magic amongst the queendom's upper nobility. That meant she was having to deal with the issue as both the High General of the Queendom and the Duchess of Black, paradoxically writing and answering requests from herself on the matter. The only other Earth Magic users of note was the House of Gibb and they had been in disrepute since the former Princess-Consort's shameful behavior resulted in the seizure of their lands by the crown pending the majority of Princess Millia, who would eventually inherit the lands and titles of her disavowed second mother.
"I see you're as efficient at handling your papers as ever," a voice snapped from the doorway and Alyssa looked up to see one of the very short list of people who could casually waltz into her office gazing down at her. Leaning against the door frame was Lady Susan Piermont, (Who had retained what had been her maiden name from the old reality, rather than become Susan McMillan), smirking at her. The Grand Admiral of Avalon's Navy was in her own dress uniform, a pristine white jacket with golden piping and buttons, dark blue skirt and white leggings, low heeled sailor's shoes, white naval cap sitting atop her braided golden hair, and a large white great coat with filigreed golden epaulets currently worn loose over her shoulders.
Alyssa's green eye's locked with Susan's blue's as she rose to meet her, "what business does the navy have with the army this afternoon?"
"Oh nothing, unlike you landlubbers we're quite capable of keeping our house in order all by ourselves," Susan quipped as she crossed the distance. "I'm here for personal reasons," she declared before pulling Alyssa into an embrace, the two highest military commanders in the Queendom locked lips. Susan's hand snaked around and under Alyssa's skirt, giving Alyssa's ass a squeeze, while Alyssa's own hands tangled themselves in Susan's hair, ruining her tight braids and knocking the admiral's cap to the floor. The pair stumbled backward towards Alyssa's desk, threatening to knock all those important papers to the ground before Susan reluctantly pulled back. It wouldn't due for a junior officer, or goddess forbid a member of the royal family to walk in on the two making out like schoolgirls.
"I'm glad to see the High General can be so accommodating," Lady Piermont murmured into Alyssa's ear as she stepped back.
"Well, your offense was quite bold, but I'll have you know I'm an engaged woman," Alyssa quipped as she straightened her skirt.
Susan smirked back, "ah yes, and I've heard your intended is quite the jealous wench. I should be careful."
Alyssa rolled her eyes fondly, "jealous yes, but a wench hardly. In fact she is a lady of great honor, or as honorable as one can find among the ranks of those scaliwags in the Navy." She leaned back on her desk, paperwork happily forgotten for the moment, "It is good to see you my love, though isn't it bad luck to see your bride the week before the wedding?"
Susan scoffed, "I think the goddess will understand the security of the realm couldn't stand to have us apart that long. I actually do have a trifling bit of official business to worry you with. Those Norse corsairs are harassing our shipping again with their illegal tolls and the like, so I'm going to petition the Queen to launch a squadron to deal with them. She'll likely want you to beef up the North when we launch, to stop Quebec from making a fuss that we'll be in their territorial waters."
"You know just what to say to make a maiden swoon," Alyssa snarked without bite. She couldn't truly be mad with Susan, despite yet more work landing on her desk. Alyssa had loved Susan Piermont since the two were at the Academy together, but duty had kept them apart. As the heirs of two Ducal lines, their marrying was out of the question, since both needed to produce heirs to House Piermont and House Black respectively. Instead they'd both entered into the usual arranged unions, and while Alyssa's hadn't been a disaster like the former royal couple's, she and her first wife, a member of a vassal house called Garni, had never had much passion, being cordial partners for the most part. Still, the match had given her heirs in Kimberly and Karyn, so in that way it had been well worth it. When Garni perished in combat with the damnable Floridians, she had truly grieved for her children's other mother and a dutiful friend.
Susan meanwhile had been matched with a bride from the further Empire, Lady Ricarda McMillan of one of their sister Queendoms, the far flung land of Oz. Ricarda had borne two heirs as well, Sarah and Paige, and unlike Garni had been no warrior, instead tending to Piermont lands while Susan was at sea. Due to her own conflicting feelings Alyssa had never come to know the Ozian well, but by all accounts she was an able administrator and an at least adequate addition to House Piermont. When she fell victim to the blinding fever two years ago, she was told there had been much mourning among the peasants.
Sad as it was, it was also the opportunity for Alyssa and Susan to finally resume their courting. As they were now the heads of their houses, there was no one to stop them and both already had heirs to carry their houses onward. All they'd needed was Royal endorsement, and that had been an area where it paid to be childhood friends with the Queen. They'd waited until a proper period of public mourning had passed for Ricarda, but finally, finally the two warrior women were to be wed at the Goddess's Temple of the Splintered Light that Solday and Alyssa couldn't be happier.
