Marshal Luwdig Staufer's face was filled with barely contained rage. Armand was on horseback, and the Marshal had just left the royal palace. His hand was ready to reach his sword, but frustration filled Ludwig's body.

"I am sorry that I cannot help you right now, Armand," Marshal Staufer said. "If only this was before...no, I am certain that this Sir Karl planned this out for a time when I couldn't interfere much."

The Marshal shook his head. He walked over to Armand, tall enough to whisper in the boy's ear even on horseback, and spoke.

"If you so desire, I could send a speedy killer after Sir Karl when I have the time."

Armand whispered back.

"He got out of the city, but I'm still holding onto some hope that he can be made to see reason. With luck, a defeat on the battlefield should do that," he said.

"I understand," Marshal Staufer nodded before stepping back. "I wish there was more I could do to help, but..."

An idea crossed Marshal Staufer's mind. He smiled and reached into his cloak. The man pulled out a piece of paper before handing it to Armand.

"Take this," Ludwig commanded.

Armand did as he was told. The boy gave the paper a quick glance. When he saw what was on it, Armand hid it under his own cloak.

"Are you sure, Marshal Staufer?" he asked.

"I'm sure I can take whatever foreigners are on their way without their help," Ludwig answered. "The way I see it, you could use them more than I could. They're more suited for planes than mountain combat anyway."

Armand nodded.

"Thank you, Marshal Staufer," he said.

"Don't mention it. Now, be on your way. I'm certain you don't want to waste any time," Ludwig replied.

With that, Armand gave him the best bow he could on horseback before riding off. The boy recalled all the letters he sent. Now, he'd just need to send one more from Marshal Staufer's residence.

"The mercenary forces I'm gathering are meeting at Castle Volk," Armand recalled. "I'll gather my guards and meet them there ahead of time. This letter...I'll have its recipients go directly to my family's castle. My letter to my family will make it there first in any case."

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A grim determination crossed over Armand. War was coming, and he would be ready for it. No matter what, he would.

"I just need to make sure the food shipments to feed the men arrive in time," Armand said. "And that I can coordinate well with Eris. And that the mercenaries don't cause any trouble."

The needs of war were many, especially for Armand, who wanted to keep the pillaging to a minimum. Both because he was fighting to defend his family's lands and because he wanted to spare the common folk any unnecessary suffering. Still, a very troubling thought flowed through the boy's mind.

"I still don't know if I can trust my brother. What if he gets the letters I sent first? What will he say, and what will my family think, when I lead an army towards their land. By the gods, I hope my parents get ahold of the letter before he does."

Eris was a ball of anger. She was riding through the countryside hard and fast with her hussars by her side. Yet, even they kept their distance when Eris was in this mood.

"Damn you, Karl!" she shouted. "How dare you survive my assassins! I'll have you strangled to death with your own intestines for this!"

"M-My Lady," one of the younger hussars stuttered.

Eris was half his size and considered barely an adult by Foldzar's standards. Yet, the difference in social status made him choose his words with incredible care.

"A-Are you taking offense to someone n-not wanting to die?" he asked.

"Of course, I am!" Eris snapped. "Now, be silent! I'm not paying you to question me, but I am paying you to listen to my rants!"

Another hussar rode over to the young comrade. He leaned in and whispered in the man's ear.

"You'd best be quiet. Eris has a temper, and she is a very cruel woman, but you can barely find a better employer than her."

Eris kept ranting.

"Sir Karl, I will make you regret being born! The day you decided Armand had to die was the day that sealed your fate! I will not forgive this, and I will not forgive you! I will flay the flesh from your very bones while using magic to keep you alive!"

The young hussar shivered.

"I didn't know magic could do that," he whispered.

"There are a lot of things we commoners do not know about magic," his older companion said. "There aren't many of us who even have the time to learn it."

The older hussar shrugged.

"Though, that doesn't matter much. Lady Eris pays us more than enough for our silence. The first thing you learn as a mercenary is to not ask questions. And the second thing is to always work for the highest bidder. And Eris can outbid nobles richer than her."

"I don't even know how that's possible," the younger hussar replied.

"It's probably something you don't want to know about."

In front of their formation, Eris' expression had an increasingly sadistic grin on it. She chuckled where she rode.

"I'll get you, Karl. I'll kill you and put your body on display for all to see," Eris said.

Then, she grimaced and sighed.

"Armand wouldn't like that. Maybe I'll just throw your body in a ditch instead? Refuse to give you a proper burial? Feed your corpse to dogs?"

A chuckle escaped Eris' mouth.

"Yes, that will do nicely," she spoke before thinking. "But before I can do any of that, I need to make sure Armand and his family don't get killed by Karl's alliance. No matter what...I will crush anyone who tries to hurt Armand. Hopefully, Armand's sister won't think that I'm behind this whole mess. She already suspects a lot from me, not that I blame her, but I really am on Armand's side."