The Emperor and the Knightess 3 Chapter 3

The young people that were drafted were initially given a low rank. In the past, any noble would receive their knighthood immediately, but the law was changed recently. Knighthood shall be given to one that had survived three battles.

This change was made to save the country's money. There were a lot of cases where nobles would get themselves killed or captured on their first battle that resulted in Aehas compensating for their loss more than those who belong in the lower ranks.

Poliana's name was announced, "Cranbell's and Sir Bassette's offspring, Poliana Cranbell!"

The military base Poliana was assigned to was at the base of a mountain. It was considered one of the more dangerous areas amongst the other bases that Aehas controls because their enemies could utilize the terrain around it. Many deaths have occurred here as recorded in their previous battles.

Most of the nobles bribed the higher-ups to make sure that they didn't end up here, but Poliana was sent here with other boys from poor families along with the unlucky ones.

Three battles to become a knight.

Their commander studied the recruits with sharp eyes. The boys and Poliana stood tall and rigidly, hoping to be favored by him. The recruits' immediate superior, a knight, announced the rules and news while the high commander continued to examine the newcomers. He kept going back and forth between his papers and his new men. The paperwork included portraits of the recruits and the commander was making sure that they matched.

Then suddenly, the commander raised his left eyebrow.

"A girl?"

Poliana swallowed hard. The commander, Sir Batre, had a fairly good reputation but as a soldier, not as a person. At least, he was considered to be a talented commander and tactician.

Poliana answered, "Yes! That's correct, sir!"

"Are you a virgin?"

"Pardon?"

When Poliana looked up in shock, the commander got irritated and slapped her hard. She almost fell to the ground, but she gritted her teeth and remained standing.

"I asked you if you are a virgin."

"Yes! That is correct, sir!"

When Poliana answered and while hiding her mortification, the commander nodded and replied, "I was hoping to get a taste of fresh meat, and yet, what we ended up with is an ugly thing like you… Dammit."

Poliana clenched her teeth but she couldn't stop trembling. She was horrified and to hide her embarrassment, she lowered her face but when the commander saw this, he slapped her again.

"Look up!"

"I'm sorry, sir!"

She could feel everyone's eyes on her. She didn't have to look around to know. She knew that they were all laughing at her and that they all despised her.

Poliana kept her chin up, trying to prevent her tears from rolling down her eyes. One of the boys whispered viciously, "Why did she bother coming here? This is war and this is not a place for a girl She should've stayed back home and get herself pregnant. Although looking like that, I doubt anyone would marry her."

Poliana remained quiet as she shivered in pain and when suddenly, she heard the commander call out another name. The name belonged to a blond boy with a pretty face and when his name was called, the boy stood straight and answered.

Why did the commander call this boy's name? Everyone wondered, but what he said next answered the unspoken question.

The commander ordered, "You, you will come to my tent tonight."

It was clear what the commander wanted. Poliana no longer felt sad for herself. It seemed that Sir Batre liked a pretty face and he didn't care if it belonged to a boy or a girl.

Every morning, a trainee would leave the commander's tent with an ashen face. Any recruit with good looks were called to his camp every night. A commander of a base was considered to be the god and everything that he ordered had to be carried out without question. Abusing his power to sexually assault recruits was illegal, but no one could do anything about it. One of the knights stated that at least, the commander had his pride and therefore only touched the noble recruits. He never showed interest in prostitutes or civilians.

It was an unfair and ridiculous situation, but there was that they could do about it.

Many boys grumbled in frustration and shame, and whenever Poliana saw this, she felt thankful. At least, she wasn't called to his tent. She, however, wasn't so naïve to believe that she would be safe forever. Someday, it would be possible that she might end up in the commander's tent but she didn't care. Many of the recruits had to go through this, so if her time comes, she will accept it.

And then, it happened. She expected this, but what actually happened inside the tent was a shock to her. As soon as she walked in, she was pushed down on a table on her stomach, and she was sodomized. She struggled in pain, but Sir Batre continued and as he climaxed, he shuttered and whispered, "You are still a noble woman, so I will be generous and allow you to remain intact."

Indeed, she still technically remained a virgin just like all the other boys before her.

When she left the tent, she went into the forest to kick and punched a tree angrily, just as the other victimized boys have done before her. She was raped, yet her eyes remained dry.

Other knights called her a touchy b*tch because she didn't cry. Poliana thought about pretending to cry, but she decided against it. If she cried, they would've laughed at her and say that she was weak because she was a girl.

Time passed like this, and soon enough, the first snow fell.

***

Battles took place only during winter. It was an unspoken and a necessary rule. If the nations fought all year round, what would happen to the farms? Spring, summer, and fall were the times of truce so that farming could go on.

Poliana saw six first snowfalls during the war and she survived each and every one of it. She became an official knightess and the head of a small army.

6 years of abuse from everyone around her made her stronger.

She was now 20 years old and a fully-grown woman, but Poliana still looked like a teenage boy. Most women in normal circumstances would have had a narrow waist and beautiful curves, but not her.

The sheer lack of food and constant battles made her skinny. It wasn't that she didn't have any curves, it's just that her thick metal armor hid most of them.

If she was fully clothed in her battle gear and didn't speak, no one could tell that she was a woman. She looked like any other knight in this war.

But she wasn't completely unknown. In fact, she was somewhat infamous. A knightess surviving 6 years of war was unusual.

The enemies called her a whore or a witch. Some even taunted Aehas, laughing at the fact that it had to send a woman to do man's job. Most men on her own side, her fellow soldiers remained hateful towards her.

But Poliana remained steady and confident. It wasn't her fault. She didn't do anything wrong.

Even at her own home, most people blamed her for everything. Her father, her stepmother, and her stepsister ignored her when she returned home to take a break from her service.

Poliana, in turn, ignored them as well. At home, she ate and slept to her heart's content. Her room was long gone, so she just walked into an empty room in her home and took residence.

She deserved this vacation and she was going to enjoy it no matter what.

Chapter end