I’m by no means going to fault the daimon for his dedication to holding our lady in a single piece.

I give him a mild clap on the shoulder in an try at reassurance, although my very own worries are knotting my abdomen. “Extra individuals seem like extra of a menace. Particularly when one among them is a big, match man. She will deal with herself.”

Rheave makes a tough sound. “It simply doesn’t appear truthful that she ought to must go alone when the remainder of us don’t.” However he attracts his posture straighter with an air of resolve I additionally must admire. “Now we go to our fort?”

“Now we go to our fort.” As a lot as we will name it ‘ours’ after we’re about to take it over like an enemy power.

There’s one Silanian fortress watching over the channel on this space, a few hours journey from the bigger palace in Regica the place Konram and his household are at present residing. Until insurance policies have modified, they’ll have common patrols alongside the financial institution beginning not lengthy after darkish.

Patrols that might break our plan earlier than it’s even actually gotten began.

So we merely must delay them for some time. Guarantee each they and our scheme keep secure. It advantages them as a lot as us.

However as a lot as I inform myself that, my intestine sinks with every stride my stallion takes towards the looming stone partitions.

Maybe my trepidation reveals on my face, or maybe the daimon has merely paid sufficient consideration to previous conversations to place the items collectively on his personal. After some time, he glances over at me and ventures, “The individuals at this fort—they was once your colleagues.”

I nod. “In a manner. We have been all a part of the royal military collectively. I used to be by no means stationed at Fort Cyprian particularly, and I don’t know if any of the troopers at present posted there ever served beneath me.”

“However it have to be exhausting. Despite the fact that what we’re doing will maintain them away from the hazard. I wouldn’t prefer it if I needed to do one thing that may make you—or Alek or Casimir or Ivy—indignant, even when it might be good ultimately.”

His acknowledgment lifts a fraction of the load bearing down on me.

I discover I can smile at him. “It’s exhausting. However army life is all about making the perfect of many tough decisions. In a manner, I’m utilizing my coaching much more now than once I was formally a common.”

Rheave smiles again at me. “I’m glad to behave as your soldier, then.”

I wouldn’t have thought I might say this when he first stumbled into our midst weeks in the past, however I can really feel how true it’s now. “So am I.”

We depart the horses once more within the patch of woods nearest Fort Cyprian and make our last method on foot. As his gaze darts round us watchfully, Rheave walks with a spring in his step, clearly desperate to leap into motion.

What is going to the books of historical past must say concerning the former Common Stavros when this night time is completed? What we do right here may very well be seen as a serious triumph… or an excellent higher tragedy of my profession than the battle that ended my work within the discipline.

I push down the gnawing uneasiness and stride onward. I do know that I’m doing no matter I can to guard my king and my nation. Would I quite stand again and let the scourge sorcerers break all of it, simply to keep away from any threat that my identify may very well be tarnished by those that don’t perceive?

No. So these doubts ought to sit down and shut up like new recruits who haven’t but seen what warfare actually means.

Lanterns glow within the massive stone constructing past the thick wall that surrounds it. I spot a couple of troopers standing atop the wall, however they’re expecting bigger threats than a few males on foot.

They don’t discover us till we step into the meager gentle that extends just a few paces past the fort.

“Who’s that there?” somebody calls down as we method the door—wooden fortified with metal, and presumably nonetheless locked with a heavy bar on the within.

I movement Rheave over to the door and elevate my voice. “I’m sorry about this, however it’s needed to make sure the safety of the nation. Nobody is to go away this fortress earlier than the morning.”

“What?” the primary soldier says in a bewildered tone.

After which one other sucks in a pointy breath. “Is that Common Stavros?”

She will need to have noticed my prosthetic. My abdomen contorts right into a ball of nausea.

A number of the women and men inside might have served beneath me whereas I used to be nonetheless a common. There are such a lot of troopers who trusted me, counted on me…

I set my jaw. I’m not letting them down tonight. I’m main them higher than I did throughout my final battle, whether or not they’ll see it that manner or not.

I placed on my greatest commander’s smile and lift the steel hook of a hand to my brow in a fast salute. “Please keep calm and stay inside these partitions till we open the door. As quickly as your help is required, we’ll let you already know.”

“As quickly as you open the door?” another person mutters, simply as I nod to Rheave.

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