Emelyn sat alone as she had her morning tea while enjoying the beautiful sunrise that followed but she could not bring herself to enjoy the view since today was the twentieth anniversary of when she and Valiant married. The mares sadness grew even deeper when she saw the photo of the day their son Maximus was born and could remember every detail as though it were yesterday.

Valiant was in the waiting area with his daughter Claire and had been pacing back and forth while his face was covered in sweat yet it had barely been five minuets since he brought his wife in to the maternity ward after their arrival.

"You okay daddy?" Claire asked after she closed her coloring book.

"I'm fine Claire! Just go back to coloring!" Valiant answered frantically as his sweating increased, Claire could easily tell he was lying but decided not to press the matter further knowing more stress was the last thing he needed when one of the nurses came walking up with a smile, bringing the good news of Emelyn giving birth to a healthy baby colt.

As they entered the room, Claire could see her new little brother safely wrapped up and held in her mothers arms while her father hesitantly approached the sleeping infant as if he were afraid.

"Don't be shy dear he won't bite." Emelyn joked while handing over their son to her husband, at first Valiant grew nervous as the baby roused from his sleep to see the stallion holding him before breaking into a delightful gurgle as he squirmed around while trying to reach out to his father's nose.

"Hey there little guy!" Valiant cooed while nuzzling his newborn son before showing him to Claire who gave a big smile that made the baby squeal even more.

"So what's his name?"

"I was thinking...Maximus."

Her reminiscing was cut short when she received a message from canterlot requesting that she attend the next war council and being the wife of a military commander she was bound by duty to oblige knowing the officers in the fortress along with her children could handle the daily affairs as well as keep an eye out for enemy activity. She had dressed herself in battle armor that had been forged by her husband as a gift when he called her his "War Maiden".

By the time she arrived in Canterlot, Emelyn was surrounded by a swarm of bachelor nobles holding flowers and chocolates for her but each gesture was coldly refused as she made her way towards the castles main entrance yet the stallions still persisted in trying to woo her.

"Please Lady Emelyn all I ask is one dinner."

"As I've stated before: I'm married!" She said as her patience was starting to grow thin with each passing second.

"Oh please! How can you still consider that traitor to be your husband?"

WHAM!!

The nobles last remark was met by an iron clad fist that sent him smashing into a wall as the mares eyes burned with fury.

"My husband is no traitor! And I'll have words with any who say otherwise and furthermore don't think I don't know what you're up to you filthy pigs!" Emelyn knew instantly that they only wanted her for the position she carried as second in command of The Iron Wolves along with being a wealthy baroness with connections to the royal family but unlike most mares of nobility she stayed true to her marriage to Valiant and would not do anything to disgrace it.

"Now get out of my sight...ALL OF YOU!" The maiden spoke with such rage that all seemed to freeze at the sound of her voice before quickly dispersing whilst trampling over the gifts they had brought for her. As she entered the castle, Emelyn apologized to the princesses for being late but Celestia and her sister had overheard the commotion outside and assured her she was not at fault before finally proceeding to the war council and as expected much of the kingdom was in disarray since the discovery of Valiants betrayal, bandits had been seen terrorizing the countryside while rebel noble factions began to mobilize their armies in hopes to overthrow Canterlot and The Elements of Harmony but Emelyn had a counter plan already in action.

Far to the west a small fief belonging to one of the rebel nobles had come under siege by a small army lead by Emelyns daughter Claire, the attack was brief and the battle even more so. The noble in question was brought before her trembling in fear while her brother rounded up the remaining enemy troops.

"Sister. They've all agreed to surrender and have offered to share vital intelligence involving the rest of the rebels."

"After you've threatened them, I take it?" Claire smirked at her younger brother who simply gave a devilish grin before rejoining his company, the siblings proceeded to wipe out the rebel factions in the empire and helping the ponies who suffered thanks to the foolish actions of their rulers while to the east a group of bandits found themselves at the mercy of the war maiden and her magic.

"You gotta be kidding, one mare thinks she can take us?" One of the bandits smirked as he thought about ravaging the beautiful body of the mare hidden beneath the armor until the earth beneath him suddenly began to rise.

"You fools seem to have forgotten who I am. Let me remind you!" With a wave of her hand, Emelyn summoned a massive stalagmite that scattered the group before a lightning storm appeared out of nowhere and began blasting them to bits.

"I am the wife of Sir Valiant The Iron Wolf! The War Maiden, Lady Emelyn!"

The force of Emelyns magic scorched the very earth and sky as she decimated the entire group in just one blow, those who survived groveled at her feet as though she were a goddes and begged for their lives to be spared. Over the course of just three days, the iron wolves had brought down every rebel and bandit group in the kingdom which allowed the council to focus their efforts on stomping the horde of chaos and if possible rescue Valiant but despite her success the war maiden could not bring herself to smile or celebrate with her friends and family for her heart was broken.

As she laid alone in her bed, her eyes gazed upon a picture of her and her husband whom she missed dearly and cried out only one name as tears flooded her eyes.

"Valiant....."

End.

Author's Note

Sorry for the wait guys!