Maeve hesitated, but Mariana was having none of it. “You! Let them out and tell me what they are in there for.” (Patreon)

“This one’s an archer, she helped the denizens of this little cow pasture to defeat the conquering army, along with this knight here,” Maeve said as she was opening the stocks. “The eccentric waif over here is an inventor that was part of the plot, and the cow here heads up the local guard.

“Archer, knight! Where’s your army?” Mariana asked. Helena gestured to the townspeople lining the square. “These people liberated themselves, with just a little help from us.”

Mariana looked at the villagers. “I find it hard to believe that these bumpkins could have defeated trained soldiers. Tell me more.” The crowd grumbled in anger, but after Mariana’s display of power against the two well-known sorceresses, no one openly challenged her.