Chapter 24
Part 11. Side Story 1
In the desolate courtyard of the aged castle, the hastily erected tent fluttered in the breeze. Count Weiss, Damien’s second-in-command, watched as his superior calmly studied the map spread before him.
“Are you all right?” Weiss inquired.
Damien looked up, his face expressionless. “What do you mean?”
Before Damien had risen to the rank of a young commanding officer, he and Weiss had been classmates at the military academy. Weiss was both astonished and distressed that his old friend remained outwardly unaffected even upon hearing the news of his father’s capture by the enemy. Quickly, he averted his gaze, hiding his sorrowful expression.
“It is nothing.”
“How are the soldiers?” Damien’s eyes were once again fixed on the map illuminated by the flickering candlelight. They were scheduled to resume their assault in a few days. If the weather turned colder, crossing the mountains would prove treacherous.
