“Captain! Captain!” A well-armored mercenary ran into the square and jumped onto the scaffold, almost out of breath from the exertion of running or shouting, or both. (Patreon)

When she met Maeve’s gaze, the captain wordlessly nodded to the group of women standing in front of her. “Your majesties!” the mercenary responded, with a curtsey.

“What is the meaning of this?” Selena said, “don’t you have citizens to round up, or a watch to keep?”

The mercenary looked crestfallen. “That’s just it, you majesty. I was watching from the tower, and I saw a dust cloud. Any soldier who has seen great battles knows what that means. But I didn’t want to give a false alarm. An army is coming, from the direction of the capital. A huge army!”