Hyper-Dimensional Player

Over a thousand elite cavalry, only about ten barely managed to keep up with him, all were highly skilled Sarmatians, among them a Hun rider.

A black Dragon Banner fluttered in the wind.

Empress Lysiniya watched as Duncan approached on horseback from a distance, her expression still shocked. Yet, she extended her hand to pull her two daughters behind her, bowed her head to indicate, "Governor of Britain!"

Although she was an empress, she could discern the situation at this moment.

Duncan slightly pulled the reins, directly turned his horse to avoid them, seemingly unaffected by the empress's courtesy. His inadvertent act made the three's expressions ease, as if realizing this legendary Governor of Britain was not as arrogant and domineering as rumored.

A faint smell of blood drifted in with the breeze.

Duncan took a good look at the three women, his gaze falling on Empress Lysiniya, and said calmly, "The Empress and Princesses were startled."

"We're escorting you to Paris now."

Empress Lysiniya's expression was hesitant but she swallowed back her words.

In the current situation, the fact that the three could escape was already fortunate; falling into Maximus's hands would only worsen their plight.

Maximus would soon purge the palace; if he dared assassinate Valentinian III, he would naturally dare to usurp the throne immediately, cleaning out any remnants of the previous regime. Historically, Empress Lysiniya was forcibly taken, having to serve her husband's killer, while her daughter was also forcefully taken by Maximus's son, driving her insane and leading her to invite the brutal Vandals, resulting in half a month of slaughtering in Rome.

In this regard, Empress Lysiniya was indeed ruthless; when the Eastern Empire wouldn't intervene, she dared to call upon Barbarian Race armies for revenge.

But a woman alone couldn't change the big picture; ultimately the three were captured by the Vandals, and it wasn't until much later were they ransomed back by the Eastern Empire, gradually fading from public view.

Noblewomen in this chaotic era in Rome were worth little, mere lambs to the slaughter under the army's knife.

Now with the Empress and Princesses not in Maximus's grasp, he inherently lost some legitimacy, forcibly taking the Empress was not proper but it tied him somewhat, historically his son also forcibly took the princess, a double insurance.

But now, even if Maximus forcibly usurped the throne, he would still be nothing more than a lawless pseudo emperor.

More importantly, historically, he murdered Valentinian III without clear evidence, but now if the Empress and Princesses testified, Maximus would be a bona fide "king killer" and "usurper."

Paris.

Under Duncan's escort, Empress Lysiniya and the two princesses arrived at loyal Paris.

Since Duncan conquered the Franks, Paris has always been loyal.

Outside the governor's residence.

Rarely, Crow Queen Triss and Anya both dressed magnificently to welcome the three exiled Empress and Princesses. Triss in a black classical Greek gown, adorned with a fine gemstone necklace on her chest, a slender white neck, a solemn expression, resembling an elegant black swan. As for Anya beside her, like a radiant peacock flaunting her beautiful looks, in a luxurious silk gown, expensive jewels, for a moment overwhelmingly outshining the empress and princesses before them.

Empress Lysiniya slightly squinted her eyes, gazing at Crow Queen Triss and Anya, as if sensing something.

These two women, like hosts, rose to greet their arrival. Anya, having once seen the empress and princess, though just a small figure in the empire back then, now eagerly approached, intimately holding the empress's hand, comforting her while gently leading them into the pre-arranged lord's residence.

This gesture seemed to be declaring sovereignty.

Anya's eyes held unabated ambition; she followed Duncan from the start, almost without reservation, staking everything on him. Though Crow Queen Triss overshadowed her, Anya accepted with no complaint or defiance, resigned to her place below, but would never let others try to outshine her.

Dream on!

Let's put it this way.

If Duncan were to ascend the throne one day and drive a chariot through Rome's Triumphal Arch, the positions by his chariot could only sit Crow Queen Triss and Anya; other women need not think of it.

What are the Empress and Princesses?

Nothing but tools.

Duncan naturally understood Crow Queen Triss and Anya's intentions but he acquiesced to it all, considering some people incomparable. His early rise relied heavily on their full support; no mere beauty would sway their standing.

Everything now is a message to others.

Though Anya didn't bear offspring, her status remained unshakable. If by chance the witch also conceived, her heir would surely have higher legitimate rights.

After settling Empress Lysiniya and the two princesses, Duncan hurriedly left.

Currently, with the Western Goth Kingdom's movements unclear, Duncan's full attention was on military matters. Torismund was his biggest rival currently in Western Europe; the Western Goth Kingdom held most of Spain's territory and a large part of Gaul, with immense national strength, far better than the poor Britain Kingdom.