Until the news of Daemon's desire to maintain control of Eirinn arrived, no one could have predicted the outcome of that day's vote.

The most convinced wait-and-sees, like Lawrence and the other members of the army, remained in their positions, but almost all the moderates went over to the interventionists, sealing their victory in a much clearer way than one might have expected.

This sudden about-face even by those who were thought to be more inclined to wait and see was on the verge of causing the discussion to end in a barroom brawl, but the moment Michael rose from his seat all was silent.

"As you all know, the right of veto is one of my powers as President of the Union. However, it is my intention not to use it. I accept the decision of this Council, as I believe it was taken in the best interests of this country and its people. As someone pointed out, Daemon Haselworth is not an adversary like the others, so I think it's necessary to take some precautions. Therefore, I will not formally declare a state of war, nor I'll order mobilization. Officially, it will be as if nothing has changed for us. This will serve to confuse the enemy spies who are certainly lurking in the city. Together with General Fontaine, I will head north as soon as possible to personally assume command of the Northern Army."

No one protested, although it was unusual for a President to officially hold the office of Supreme Commander of the Army, which was in fact his by right; everyone knew Michael's background at the Academy, and that there was no better person than him for the task.

"But I want to make one thing clear. This will not be a war of conquest or annexation, but first and foremost a campaign to end the threat the Free State poses to the Union. If there is even a chance that diplomacy will replace arms, I will listen to the voice of our enemies at any time. Nevertheless, I renew the oath I took in this hall four years ago, and promise to secure the good of the Union by any means necessary."

Everyone applauded, even Benwood and the others in his group; even the wait-and-sees, starting with Lawrence, were impressed by the unusual determination of their young leader.

On one thing, they all agreed: for one reason or another, that decision was destined to change the history of the Union forever.



"Michael, are you there? - I mean, are you okay, Mr. President?"

Michael ran a hand over his eyes and settled himself in the saddle to try to chase away the tiredness.

"Sorry Tom, I was dozing off for a moment."

"You haven't slept in almost three days. Not since we left Elordia. Don't worry, we'll be in Dundee soon, and then you can finally get some rest."

"I still don't understand why you wanted to come too. Your brother would have been more than enough."

"Never. After all, I am not only your attendant, but also your friend. Or at least I hope so, since we've known each other since college."

"It is natural that I consider you my friend. But for this very reason I do not feel comfortable having you here with me. Whatever the princes and the deputies of Congress may think, this expedition will not be a joke, and I would not want anything to happen to you. With all due respect, but unlike me and your brother, you lack military experience."

"Don't worry. I haven't been to war like you and Lawrence, but I can handle myself. And I don't think it'll be as tough as the pirates or Durrat Island. We took the bridge in a matter of minutes, and with Dundee only a few miles away there's still no sign of the enemy."

"Better not rest on our laurels. It's too soon to tell."

Even if he didn't share it, Michael could understand the optimism of Tom and many of his officers; after all, they had waited until the last moment, making sure that the bulk of the enemy forces were elsewhere fighting the Empire before striking.

Furthermore, they had managed to keep their maneuvers secret even from Daemon's efficient spy network, or at least that's what it seemed, given how they had caught the enemy completely off guard.

Regardless of the circumstances that had driven him to act, however, Michael was not at all proud of what he was doing. Stabbing an enemy in the back like that, in his moment of greatest difficulty, weighed on his conscience, and perhaps in his heart he hoped that Daemon would finally manage to come up with one of those extreme solutions of him.

The President's honor guard rode in the center of the army, surrounded by a large body of heavy cavalry and various officers with their own personal bodyguards, but a substantial portion of the troops preceded the main army by several miles in advance.

Just before they were within sight of Dundee, there came from over the hills sounds worthy of a great battle.

"I thought the enemy army was somewhere else," said Tom. "What's going on?"

A messenger arrived shortly with the answer.

"Mr. President. General. The enemy is entrenched in the town and the fort next to it."

"Are they regulars?"

"No, General. They look like civilians, except for a small garrison. But they have dozens of guns. Maybe hundreds. They've literally filled the walls with cannons, and they're shooting at anyone who tries to get close. We attempted a brief assault, but they repelled us."

Michael thought that maybe he should have seen this coming.

Dundee was both the forge where Daemon produced his deadly artillery pieces and the place where the Revolution had started a year earlier; they would obviously not welcome an invader without a fight.

"We can still prevail," Tom said. "I don't think they can stop us with those alone."

"No, better not to risk it," Michael replied. "Besieging the city would take us a long time anyway, not to mention the losses. It's vital to reach the Castle as soon as possible, occupy it and stabilize our position. There's a valley further east, we'll go through there."

"What if they try to attack our supplies?" Lawrence asked.

"I don't think they're in sufficient numbers to cause us any problems. Anyway, once we get out of the valley Dundee will be completely surrounded. Eventually, they'll be the ones who run out of supplies. Send the order."

"Yes, Mr. President."



Not even the news of the defeat at Bedburg had been able to silence and paralyze all the members of the War Council like that.

Even Scalia and Xylla looked like they were about to burst into tears.

As for me, I tried to maintain absolute self-control, knowing that these were the moments when a Commander had to prove his resolve, stay calm and analyze the situation without panicking.

However, I would be lying if I said that at that moment I didn't feel like I was on the brink of the abyss, too.

Never having given much importance to long-term planning had been one of the biggest mistakes of my previous life, the kind that I had tried in every way not to repeat since my new birth.

If I had sent Adrian to Grote Muren it was precisely to prepare myself for such an eventuality, imagining that our moment of difficulty would surely attract the attention of other potential enemies.

What I never expected, however, was that the Union would throw such an army against us. Either Michael had been planning this thing for a long time, or he imagined that after having annihilated us, the conquest of the Free State would necessarily have to pass through a war with the Empire.

In any case, we were in a truly desperate situation, and it was up to me to find a way out of it.

First, I had to gather as much information as possible, so I called to the meeting anyone who had in-depth knowledge of the Union, its army and its Generals, as well as recovering all the reports I had collected over time on the subject.

"Do we have a first estimate of the enemy forces?" asked Oldrick, the only one apart from me who tried to show a minimum of confidence.

"The worst-case scenario is about one hundred and thirty thousand soldiers," Richard replied, his voice shaking, his mane bristling with excitement.

"Typical Union tactics. Their army is made up almost entirely of conscripts. Little training, little discipline. They win by force of numbers."

And I knew a thing or two about nations that fought that way.

"Unfortunately, numbers always beat experience in the long run. Especially now that our forces are divided. Does anyone know anything about this General Fontaine? Reports on him are very scant."

A Third Corps Captain stepped forward.

"I have heard of him. He is very loyal to the President, and I have heard that they attended college together. He is much beloved in the Union, and many consider him a hero."

"Yes, I've heard that too," said Richard. "He commanded the Union Army in the Durrat War."

"What are you talking about?" Scalia asked.

I showed her a map of south-central Erthea. "See these three islands off the coast south of here? That's the Durrat Archipelago. They're named after the main island. The channel they're in, with the coast to the north and Yomei Island to the south, is actually called Durrat Channel."

"Torian and the Kingdom of Patria have been at war for decades over the possession of those islands," Athreia said. "Since Yomei is forbidden to outsiders, their ports are a mandatory landing point to escape the sudden storms that rage across the channel."

"And since nearly all the trade and military routes between East and West pass through the channel, whoever controls the archipelago effectively controls the economy of all Erthea. Three years ago, the Union made a sort of disguised alliance with the Sultanate and sent a fleet to support Torian in the war."

"The old tortoise Lewin led the fleet, but it was Fontaine who actually commanded the expedition," Richard said again. "They defeated the Patria army in a matter of weeks, after a stalemate that lasted almost a year. Since the Fontaines are a minor house, many criticized President Medici's decision to appoint him Commander of the entire army, but after that no one said anything."

Michael may not have had the backbone to keep the politicians scheming behind his back in line, but at least he knew how to choose his allies.

I had heard of his talent for commanding troops before, and had read up on it; but this Fontaine was likely to be an even worse nuisance.

But on second thought, it might even work in our favor.

"The fact that Medici came here in person is telling. With his reputation among the nobles, he can't afford to be weak. He probably listens to Fontaine's advice, but ultimately he's the one who makes the decisions."

"What makes you think that?" Natuli asked

"According to the messenger, shortly after crossing the bridge, the Union army abandoned the Via Imperiale heading east."

"What does that mean?" Jack asked.

"Zypax and the Dundee garrison may have thrown everything they had into the field, but they are only a handful of volunteers and a few regulars perched on a crumbling wall. And no matter how powerful, guns alone have never stopped an army. Both Fontaine and Medici know this. A direct attack would have caused great losses, but they would have surely taken the city. Yet they decided to extend the route and avoid the fight. This is exactly the kind of move I would expect from Medici."

Scalia turned to me, looking at me like a sinner seeking salvation: "What do you think they will do now?"

"They'll come through here. The path through this valley isn't very easy, but it goes straight to the Castle around Dundee."

"If they get there, Mary and all the others will be lost."

"We won't let them," Sapi said peremptorily.

Blissful childish naivety.

Easier said than done.

As I spoke, my brain was formulating so many possible solutions at once that even I couldn't keep up with them.

They all had one thing in common: they seemed more like the ravings of a madman who has reached his swan song than rational ideas.

Nevertheless, as I always say, desperate situations call for desperate measures.

In the end, the rational part of my soul was forced to accept the most plausible of those infinite possible solutions; but precisely because a modicum of rationality still survived in me, I carefully avoided revealing immediately what it was about.

I sent for Thecla, and in the meantime I wrote a letter as quickly as possible.

"Athreia."

"Sir?"

"How many centaurs do you currently have under your command?"

"About four thousand."

"Take them all with you, hand over the rest of the brigade to your deputy, and set out immediately. You must ride all night, without rest."

"Count on us. Where should we go?"

"The valley that Medici and his men will take ends in a narrow ravine. As I have shown you many times, in such circumstances a few soldiers can stop an army. You will position yourself at the narrowest point and stay there. And make sure they know you are there."

"What do you have in mind?" Oldrick asked.

"We have seen that Medici avoids clashes when possible. If he finds an army positioned on favorable terrain in front of him, he will probably change direction again, looking for another pass further east. I doubt his scouts have gotten this far north yet, so he won't know there are only a handful of centaurs in front of him. The more cocky you appear, the more likely he'll be to decide it's not worth the risk and change course. That way, we'll buy ourselves some time."

Jack spoke up, "Time for what exactly?"

"When the time comes, it will all become clear to you. Suffice it to say that it is vital for Medici to change course. Our survival depends on it, am I clear?"

"Perfectly, My Lord. Count on us. I promise we will be there before dawn."

"That General will almost certainly see through this bluff. What if he manages to convince Medici of this in the end?"

Damn Natuli, keep these thoughts to yourself!

"It's a risk we must take. If the maneuver succeeds, Athreia, you must send a messenger here immediately with this message: La Victoire est a Nous."

"All right."

At that moment, Thecla also arrived.

"My friend. You have done so much for me, but unfortunately what you have done in the past is nothing compared to what you will have to do today."

"You tell me what you want from me, and I will do it."

"Take this letter and leave immediately. Go north through Gael. With your agility and experience you should be able to cross it without any trouble. You must be in Basterwick by tomorrow morning to deliver it."

"I will. Who should I deliver it to?"

Not wanting the others to hear, I whispered the answer in her ear; that was probably the first time I saw shock on her stony face.

"Do you think you can do it?"

"Count on me."

Of course, I knew that this time there would be a price to pay, so I also gave her the bow that I had made with my own hands years before, and that since the day of the Revolution I had always carried with me, considering it a kind of lucky charm.

"You'll need it. Go now."

"I'll make it." and both she and Athreia left.

"Let's get one thing straight. From now on, I expect what we know to stay inside this tent. If I hear even a rumor among the troops that a Union army has arrived in the Free State, I'll have the person responsible whipped to tears. The last thing we need now is panic among the troops."

"Yes, sir."

"One last thing. Actually, there's someone we need to inform. Prepare a carrier pigeon."

"To send it where?" Jack asked.

I turned to him, and for a moment I must have looked like the God of Death himself.

"To Aria."