Filed To Story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
“General Ernst, reporting for duty!”
Rafael looked up with a smile. “You’ve finally arrived.”
“Heavy snow blocked the roads, which delayed our arrival. Please forgive us, Marshal,” Blake explained. “The weather is to blame, not you or General Ernst, Rafael replied.
Glancing at Sophie, Rafael noticed she only looked up briefly and didn’t come over to greet Blake, so he suspected there was some issue between them.
Meanwhile, Timothy and Owen, veterans of the Duke of Northwatch’s army, scrutinized Blake. Seeing his handsome and manly demeanor, they were quite satisfied. After all, Melanie had personally chosen Blake as her son-in-law. How could he be anything less than worthy?
Timothy stepped forward, patting Blake on the shoulder with a hearty laugh. “General Jaffe, it’s good to finally meet you! You’re a lucky man to have married such a fine woman.”
Owen also smiled and said, “Congratulations, General Jaffe. You and your wife have both achieved great things. You’re sure to bring new glory to the Jaffe family.”
“General Jaffe, your wife is brave and fierce. She puts us men to shame!” Timothy added.
Blake was stunned. They all knew about his marriage to Freya? These were Hector’s former subordinates, yet they were congratulating him on marrying Freya?.
Puzzled but cautious not to speak out of turn, he simply smiled slightly. “Thank you, generals.”.
Freya felt a sense of pride. It seemed their marriage had indeed gained the respect of the military leaders.
Naturally, a general should be paired with a female warrior to have a strong union. Sophie, with her traditional and reserved demeanor, could only bask in the glory brought by men. Freya assumed the blood- soaked front-line generals understood this well.
Freya smiled and bowed slightly. “You all flatter me. How can I compare to the esteemed generals here? The triumph at Victory Pass was due to luck, not because of my bravery.”
Her words left everyone momentarily stunned.
They had heard of Freya, especially since she was credited for the major triumph at Victory Pass.
However, they knew that without the steadfast presence of Dominic at the pass, it would have been hard to win.
Freya’s primary credit came from negotiating the treaty. Yet, not long after the treaty was signed, the people of Westhaven appeared on the Southern Frontier battlefield. So, her merit was somewhat debatable.
Regardless, Timothy and Owen had been talking about Blake’s wife, Sophie. So, why was Freya speaking up so humbly?
Timothy looked at Freya in confusion, but still praised, “General Ernst, your reputation precedes you. You’ve contributed much to the triumph at Victory Pass.” 1
Freya’s eyes briefly flashed with pride, but she maintained her humble demeanor and said, “You’re far too kind.”
Timothy chuckled and turned his attention away from Freya, giving Blake a friendly shove. “Why are you! just standing there? You see your wife and don’t even greet her? She’s been injured and hasn’t fully recovered yet.”
“You’re injured?” Blake exclaimed in shock.
“I’m not!” Freya replied.
Everyone was stunned by their exchange.
What was going on?
The group looked at Blake, then at Sophie, who was partially hidden by Dylan.
Sophie stepped forward and calmly said, “General Jaffe, General Ernst, it’s good that you have finally arrived with reinforcements.”
“Sophie? Blake looked at her in surprise. “What are you doing here?”
Freya’s face also changed as she realized that the compliments directed at “Blake’s wife” were meant for Sophie and not her.
Freya quickly took Blake’s arm and smiled at Sophie. “So, Lady Devin, you’re here too. But why didn’t you inform everyone about your divorce from Blake? It has caused quite a misunderstanding.”
In response to Freya’s taunting question, Sophie simply smiled and calmly replied, “It was a trivial matter that wasn’t worth mentioning.”
Timothy was puzzled. “Divorce? Why would you get divorced?”
“After we won at Victory Pass, His Majesty issued a marriage edict for me to be Blake’s second wife. Lady Devin couldn’t tolerate it and requested an edict for divorce,” Freya explained.
Although Freya’s statement was true, it wasn’t the whole truth. She had deliberately omitted the fact that she and Blake had used their military achievements as leverage to ask for the marriage edict. Her words made it seem like a jealous Sophie couldn’t accept the royal edict, hence requesting the divorce.
After all, even though Sophie was the legitimate daughter of a duke, she was nobody on the Southern Frontier battlefield.
Meeting Freya’s gaze, Sophie said, “You both achieved great merit at Victory Pass and used it to request a marriage edict from His Majesty. The first thing Blake said to me upon returning from battle was to ask for my understanding.
“Though I am not one, I believe a gentleman should help others achieve their happiness, as the saying goes. Since you two are truly in love, I requested the divorce edict to fulfill your wishes. I consider it a good deed.”
“What nonsense is this? Achieving military merit should benefit one’s wife and family, not be used to marry another woman! General Jaffe, you’re heartless and ungrateful!” exclaimed Timothy, furious at this revelation.
Seeing Sophie again filled Blake with mixed emotions. Even here on the battlefield, arguments about his marriage couldn’t be avoided, and he was sick of it. Inwardly, he blamed his former wife.
Why hadn’t Sophie told the generals about the divorce before he and Freya arrived? Now, they were put In a difficult and embarrassing position. Moreover, Timothy was just a fifth-rank general, but was speaking rudely to Blake just because he held at more senior position in the army. How truly maddening!
Refusing to accept Timothy’s criticism, Freya retorted, “We used our military merits to request the marriage edict. I was willing to share the position of Blake’s wife and didn’t challenge Sophie’s status. “So, I don’t understand why she couldn’t tolerate me. Blake and I would have continued fighting on the battlefield to earn more achievements, and you would enjoy the benefits in the end, Lady Devin. Wasn’t that a good deal for you?”
Sophie replied politely, “Thank you, but my family doesn’t lack military achievements. You can keep them for yourselves.” “Yes, the achievements your father and brothers earned ensure you a lifetime of comfort,” Freya shot back sarcastically. Sophie smiled faintly. “Yes, their achievements do ensure that I live comfortably. Isn’t that infuriating?”
It was indeed infuriating.
Fuming, Freya was barely able to contain her anger. She responded coldly, “It’s true that we can’t compare to them. But unlike you, we have to risk our lives to earn our achievements. What’s there to be proud of in relying on your family?”
“Plenty. I’m proud of them and take pride in their accomplishments,” Sophie said calmly.
Sophie’s casual remarks pissed Freya off, but she didn’t dare lose her temper in front of Rafael. She turned away and seethed in silence.
Suddenly, Timothy’s fist landed squarely on Blake’s face.
“You ungrateful wretch! Madam Devin had such high hopes for you! She agreed to your marriage with Sophie, yet you didn’t cherish her. Do you realize how much you must have hurt Madam Devin?!” The general’s punch packed a lot of force, causing Blake’s lip to split and his cheek to swell up immediately.
Panicking, Freya shouted angrily at Timothy, “How dare you hit him? This is our personal matter! What right do you have to intervene?”
Timothy glared at Blake and spoke in a voice filled with rage, “You let Madam Devin down. I every right to hit you. If you don’t like it, hit back. Don’t hide behind a woman like a coward.”
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“The woman you speak of is dead! How could he have let her down? The entire Devin family is dead, except for Sophie. Didn’t she tell you that?” Freya snapped, trembling with anger. She turned to Sophie. “Sophie, what are you doing here anyway? Do you expect your father’s old soldiers to fight for you?!”