During the Battle of Dinant, war maiden Eleonora "Elen" Viltaria and her 5,000 troops obliterate an army of 25,000 soldiers from the Brune Kingdom, leaving count Tigrevurmud "Tigre" Vorn among the surviving soldiers. Elen ultimately captures Tigre, bringing him to her bustling territory Leitmeritz. After dreaming of being ridiculed by Zion Thenardier, Tigre is awakened by Elen. Tigre then tells Elen that her demanding ransom from being released as her prisoner of war is exorbitant. Elen arranges Tigre for a demonstration with an inferior bow. When an assassin attempts to aim at Elen with a crossbow, she destroys the bolt using aerokinesis. Tigre, determining the limits of the bow, shoots the assassin in the foot, allowing Elen's colleague and bodyguard Limalisha to apprehend the assassin. Although the bow was poorly made to humiliate Tigre, he showed exceptional archery skills. Elen offers Tigre to serve under her, but since he made a promise to protect his home back in the territory Alsace, she allows him to keep his nobility title. As Tigre grows used to life at Leitmeritz, his loyal attendant Bertrand arrives at night in the imperial palace, telling Tigre that duke Felix Aaron Thenardier is mobilizing troops towards Alsace.