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  In the shadow of the Citadel, on the motte leading from the edge of the city up to its towering curtain wall, two little camps had been set up on the grass. They'd grown rapidly in recent days as the Vanguard had entered the Citadel's keep and started to work towards opening the front door. The more well-built of the camps was decorated in Loyalist rose-colored banners and manned by soldiers in finely polished armor. The tents were arranged in neat rows, supply crates stacked and labeled, the soldiers moving with purpose.

  None of the NPCs had special names or titles showing in their nameplates, just generic designations like 'Loyalist Soldier' or 'Loyalist Engineer'. I approached one of the soldiers standing guard at the entrance.

  "Hello there! Sorry to bother you, but do you mind if we ask you a couple questions? We're with-"

  "You're reporters; I remember." the soldier interrupted, shifting her weight against her halberd. "You were with that wheelchair kid when they took down that shadow behemoth in the gardens."

  Cherry and I looked at each other, stunned.

  "They do remember!" Cherry whispered.

  The soldier adjusted her gauntlet. "Go ahead and ask what you want, but I don't know everything."

  I collected myself. "We heard a rumor that the Prince was going to come here. Is that true?"

  The soldier - Bethany, if my memory served - nodded and smiled with pride. "It is; he's come to oversee the assault in person!"

  "Has that caused any friction with the Resistance?" I asked.

  "Oh, no! They're motivated to see him, too! Seeing him here... it's finally starting to feel real - we're here on the King's doorstep mustering to charge in! Deposing that mad bastard's finally looking like a real possibility. And, you know, after working together here, those Resistance guys aren't so bad after all. Hopefully they can find a settlement with the Prince. After all these years, there's a chance for peace."

  "That's great to hear! Say, you don't suppose we could get a word with the big man, do you?" I asked. "You know, it's been radio silence since Rosenburg, and I'm sure our readers would want to hear from him."

  Bethany said, "I'm just a guard here - you'd have to ask one of his secretaries. They're over in the command tent, there." She pointed toward the center of the camp where a larger pavilion stood.

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  "Alright, thanks for speaking with us." I said.

  As I headed in the direction she'd indicated, Cherry stopped and fixed Bethany with a suspicious stare. "I reject all nonessential cookies and do not consent to my information being recorded here!"

  I grabbed her arm and pulled her along.

  It definitely felt more vibrant than the last time we were there - the soldiers were assembling pieces of equipment, welding plates onto each other to make shield shells that could cover whole squads, constructing portable barricades and fortifications. Engineers huddled around tables, arguing over blueprints for what looked like cannons. I had no idea how much help the NPCs would actually be in a raid situation, but Bethany was right - it did look like they were finally going to move into a new phase of the fight.

  In the clearing at the center of the camp stood a large tent where a conclave of officers had gathered around a table covered in diagrams of the floor layout of the Citadel. I didn't see the Prince among them, however.

  I leaned toward Cherry and whispered, "Get some pictures of those documents."

  Cherry opened her UI and activated the camera, while I sidled through the crowd, looking for someone that looked like a page or squire who might help us secure an audience.

  Before I could get too close to the central table, I was intercepted by what was either the toughest librarian or nerdiest knight ever - a man with glasses and a ponytail wearing knight's armor with a Loyalist tabard.

  "Excuse me, this is a private meeting." he said, stepping into my path. "Are you looking for something?"

  I cleared my throat. "Oh no, excuse me! I was just... We're with the Celestial Daily - it's the-"

  The man's eyes widened slightly, and he nodded with immediate recognition. "The largest newspaper in the Kingdom, yes!"

  I blinked, slightly confused. "... And we were wondering if the Prince, in his... magnanimity would be willing to spare a few minutes to answer some questions for us."

  "Of course; we'd be glad to have you! Please wait outside; I'll see when His Majesty is next free."

  The man gently pushed me back out into the clearing of the camp, then hurried off into the tents.

  Cherry and I looked at each other in shock, Cherry still holding her camera at the ready.

  "Did you hear that?" I asked.

  Cherry nodded, her expression a mixture of confusion and excitement.

  "They know about the Celestial Daily?" I said.

  "If they are fans of Happening Now, I am going to lose it." Cherry said. "If even these computers can't see through that banshee's-"

  I put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't even worry about it, Cher; Courtney could never touch our investigative acumen. I don't see her getting an interview with the Prince!"

  The ponytailed secretary returned with a polite smile. "His Majesty has actually just finished his sparring session and has a few minutes before meetings, if you can keep it brief."

  He led us further into the camp, past saluting soldiers and busy craftsmen, toward a quite luxurious tent set somewhat apart from the others.

  "Holy crap." Cherry whispered as we approached. "We're actually getting a royal audience."

  "Just remember," I whispered back, "it's an NPC. Don't freak out."

  "I know it's an NPC;" she hissed, "that's what makes it freaky! How do they know who we are?"

  The secretary held open the tent flap and gestured for us to enter. "His Majesty will see you now."