“Bring me Commander Torren!” A harsh voice demanded.

“Your highness, the commander is currently fulfilling other duties and–” the man was cut off.

“I care not for his duties. I want him here, now!” Ordered King Davian of Anquila. Davian was a dark-haired man with cold, golden eyes. His face was slightly ovalled and clean cut. Though only a man of forty years, his countenance was worn from the decades he had spent at war. The king was sitting upon a burgundy and gold throne. To his right was a slightly smaller ceremonial chair; its burgundy cushion covered in a layer of dust due to its lack of use. Never had Davian had a queen to fill the seat.

“Yes, my king. I shall send for him immediately.” Suddenly, The doors to the throne room flung open with a clang.

“Forgive my tardiness,” the new figure inclined his head in apology, “I fear I got held up with my interrogations. What is it that his majesty wishes to speak with me about?” The male who had entered the room had jet-black locks that fell over and around his tanned face, with a length that nearly reached his shoulders. His eyes mimicked the color of purified silver. The clothes he wore consisted of a dark-grey v-neck that exposed a portion of his toned chest, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Black pants were secured around his waist by a dark leather belt and were tucked into a pair of mid-calf boots made of the same material as his belt.

The king’s anger was quickly replaced by wicked fascination, “I see. I do hope your efforts have not been in vain, Commander Torren. Pray tell, have you gained any valuable intel?”

“Yes, my king. In fact, just a few moments ago, we extracted information as to the route the Arnouian prince will be travelling to the Kingdom of Orest.”

“That is good news indeed. And fitting too as the prince is what I wished to discuss with you.”

“Oh?” Intrigue danced in the commander’s crystal orbs.

“Yes. As I am sure you are aware, the announcement has been made that Prince Rolan of Arnou plans to marry Princess Evelyn of Orest. They seek to use this marriage as a means to strengthen the Nomagus army that is positioned along our eastern border. Our forces are already beginning to be pushed back. We cannot afford for Orest to send reinforcements.” The king’s elbows rested on the arms of his throne as his hands came together to form a peek.

Torren nodded, “I agree. However, the path that the prince is travelling is too deep within the Arnouian border for me to successfully place an organized attack. My soldiers do not know the terrain, and, if my intel is correct, the prince is accompanied by the best of the Arnouian forces. The king has even sent his Crimson Knight to play guard.”

“Then we must send a smaller group of men who can silently take the prince out.”

Torren’s mouth curled into a mischievous grin, “You wish for me to send assassins to eliminate this prince?”

King Davian nodded, “But we must act quickly. I am certain the Orestian forces will be waiting in full force to greet the prince and assure his safe trip to the castle. Once he's made it across the border, our chance to land a successful attack will be gone.”

“Understood. I shall ready my men immediately and send them to await the prince as he makes his way to Dastgir.”

“You do not plan to accompany them?”

“No, My Lord. I must finish my preparation to sail to the Kingdom of Anahita. If we can claim the island nation while Orest and Arnou are focused on strengthening their alliance, then we will be one step closer to eliminating the Nomagus army.” Torren explained.

“Very well.”

Torren bowed before taking his leave. His footsteps echoed through the empty halls. Orange tapestries embroidered with an eagle symbol hung in various places on the cobblestone walls. Momentarily, Torren paused to trace one of the golden symbols with his eyes, “Soon, we shall create a new world where only those with magic reign. And we shall finally put an end to the persecution of our kind,” This was his promise to himself, though he had not realized the words had escaped his lips.

“You still have to defeat the Nomagus before that dream of yours can become a reality,” these words snapped Torren away from his previous thoughts.

“Yes, well our opportunity to break down the Nomagus alliance has just shown itself. In fact, I am headed to make the preparations right now.” Torren quickly regained himself. Hesitating to look at the male who had come to stand beside him, the commander added, “You are welcome to accompany me if you wish, Lucas.”

Lucas was a year younger than Torren who was now twenty-one. Lucas’ hair was a pale orange and his eyes a coffee brown. His attire was made of a cream shirt with loose sleeves that were tucked into brown arm cuffs which reached halfway up his forearm. A chocolate and tan vest was worn over his top. His trousers were a brownish-grey and were neatly placed inside of his leather boots which reached the bottom of his knee.

Lucas shrugged, “I have nothing of importance to do as of right now; so, I would be more than happy to join you. Where are you off to?”

“Good. I could use your help with my preparations. Actually, I wished to consult you on the new mission the king has given me.”

“Oh, the great First Commander Torren turning to a lowly fifth commander like me for advice. I am truly flattered.”

Rolling his silver orbs, Torren continued,“The king wants to send a group of assassins to kill the Arnouian prince before he reaches Orest. I have chosen a few men from my guard, but I wished to request to steal Sir Jeevak from your ranks.”

“Sir Jeevak? He is the Anguisian who joined my guard a few months back. He is an exceptional soldier and quite skilled with the spear. But are you sure he is the best choice? I believe Lord Bredon would be more appropriate for this mission.”

“No. Though Lord Bredon is skilled in his art of archery, I need someone who can maneuver well in an unknown environment and who can easily take down his opponent. Sir Jeevak has both impressive strength and speed. That is what I am looking for.”

Lucas rubbed his hand through his mid-length locks, “If that is what you think best, then I guess I have no choice but to oblige. When do you want him to be ready to leave?”

“The group shall depart this afternoon. They must head Prince Rolan and his troop off before they reach the Dastgir fortress.” Torren halted his speech. “Though there is one issue I cannot get past.”

“Oh?” Lucas’ hands came to rest casually atop his head as he peered at the black-haired man, “What would that be?”

“I got intel from one of the soldiers we captured a few days ago that King Stephen has assigned his Crimson Knight to accompany the prince.”

Lucas’s arms swiftly dropped to his sides, “The Crimson Knight? Hmm, I have heard rumors of his skills, but why does this soldier have you concerned. Do you truly believe he will pose a threat for your men?”

“The problem is that no one knows what this man looks like. Not even the soldiers we've been extracting information from know this man's true identity nor the full extent of his skills. It leaves you wondering why such a man has been kept a secret from even the soldiers he fights with. What the Arnouian king hiding?”

“I can understand your concern. Nevertheless, your troops are the best the Keres have to offer. I do not believe they will fail.”

“I'm certainly hope you’re right. That aside we must not delay any longer. I need them to be off before noon. So if you will, Fifth Commander, inform Sir Jeevak that I expect him to be among the men when they leave. He has two hour’s time.”

“Of course, First Commander. I shall notify him immediately, and then I shall rejoin you for this evening’s training.”

“Very well. I must be off to attend to some other pressing matters. I shall meet back up with you later this evening.” They had now reached a place in the castle where the passageway diverged into a ‘T’. With no further response, Torren took the path to the left while Lucas veered right.