The Divine Bond

One of the most celebrated forces of the Maiden Queen, the Divine Bond is a combined force, comprised entirely of soldiers married to one another. Fighting alongside their eternal love has given them a greater cause to fight, stronger discipline, and greater morale. Although smaller units have had greater solitary moments of honor, The Divine Bond remains the most consistently and highly celebrated force in the Linthalian Army.

Composition

Manpower

The Sacred Bond is extensive, with multiple corps and divisions for different formations of warfare. All together, it comprises roughly 20,000 souls.
The Divine Bond is primarily composed of infantry, followed behind cavalry. There is a small but adept Cadre of archers. The smallest Cadre is of the magical community, flexibly supporting the larger compoments. The further organizational breakdown is different depending on role. The infantry is generally composed of more units and squads of smaller number, with the ability to operate with greater independent flexibility. Although the cavalry is much more highly mobile and adaptable than the infantry, there are fewer units, allowing for greater impact upon combat with the enemy. Archers composition has the flattest organizational heirarchy, requiring large numbers in concentrated areas to be effective on the battlefield.
The Bond is unique for having it's own dedicated medical corps, The Queen's Heart, where other medical corps or forces are interspersed and exchanged throughout the army based on availability and need. While they are allowed to be married with other members, they are not required to do so like the rest of the DIvine Bond.

Structure

The general who commands The Divine Bond is chosen by The Maiden Queen herself, commonly on recommendation from other military advisers. It is normally expected that they be a current or former member of the Bond, to better understand the unique culture and function of it. When a general has put in command from elsewhere, there's been some bitter feelings at times, both among the various officer corps that their new boss doesn't understand what they are in command of, and the front line ranks who feel they are best lead by someone who is one of them, or formerly among them. Lieutenant Generals or senior Colonels take charge of their constituent roles, working in collaboration with one a other. Commanders lead individual units, with junior officers responsible for portions of that unit as appropriate.

Training

The Divine Bond members are experienced soldiers from other parts of the army who must request entrance in. Upon acceptance, the accepted pair receive even further training, to ensure spouses are equal in skill and discipline. After ensuring physical training, they receive further tactical and strategic training to understand how the Bond operates, and that all members operate in concert with each other.
A critical part of this training is ensuring each member of the constituent combat roles understands how they fit within the larger picture.

Logistics

Upkeep

A unique hurdle for the Divine Bond is also resolved by an item that is unique to Linthalia's shores. The natural results of loving partners working, training, and fighting alongside each other is, sooner or later, the desire to join in bed together. Commands cannot well mandate celibacy; not in a country such as Linthalia. So, as to prevent inevitable case of mass pregnancies and childbirths that would immobilize the Divine Bond to the point of being unusable, The Maiden Queen has seen to it that the problem is resolved with a natural resource: Maiden Tea. This trade good, grown only in Linthalia and sold the world over for great profit, is one of the few resources of birth control available.

Members of the Divine Bond are expected to drink the tea every two to three days, altering between husband and wife to prevent overdose or any complications from constant consumption. This is comparatively high amount of consumption; even nobles in some parts far away Khilgara are unable to obtain it with this regularity. The cost for growing and harvesting the plant is still relatively low, so it's justified as a low operating cost, versus focusing on possible profit lost. That cost, in either event, is widely held to be worth the gain, of supporting Linthalia's premiere force.

Recruitment

Although the selection process requires the members to married to one another, it is curious that there is no requirement as to whom an indivudal is married to. Reflecting Linthalia's generally open spirit regarding love and intimacy, marriages between members of other species, or homosexual marriages are perfectly acceptable within The Divine Bond. Although this confers no extra benefit to the consideration of recruitment, it does create a small benefit in logistical upkeep.

Homosexual and interspecies partnerships cannot create children, and so this minimized the consumption of Maiden Tea within the unit, reducing logistical needs and operating cost.

Overall training Level

Professional

Assumed Veterancy

Veteran