Chapter Summaries

The Count told Charlotte that King Heinrich XI had died and that the new King, Sigmund, had ordered Princess Louise to marry Karl von Schmidt. Charlotte quietly absorbed the decree, abandoning her wedding plans as she stood by the window in shock.

• The Count dismissed Aunt Martha and took Charlotte aside to tell her grave news.
• The Count explained that Heinrich XI had died and Prince Sigmund had ascended the throne.
• The Count revealed that King Sigmund had decreed Princess Louise would marry Karl von Schmidt.
• Charlotte looked toward her unborn child, said there was no need to prepare her wedding dress, and withdrew to the window.

Two days after the battle, Karl gathered Carnford’s surviving leaders to assess their losses and plan reconstruction. The territory’s defenses and farmland were being repaired, but scarce money and the approaching planting season left Carnford under severe pressure.

• Karl kept the damaged Lord's Hall untouched so workers could focus on rebuilding and defense.
• Karl welcomed his wounded core followers and said their survival was one of the war’s greatest victories.
• Karl told the gathered leaders that Carnford had won the battle but now faced the urgent task of reconstruction.
• Edgar reported that the outer wall had been provisionally sealed, the destroyed houses and workshops would take time to rebuild, and the treasury held only about eight hundred gold coins and three thousand Silver coins.
• Edgar said Carnford had three months of food, but needed seeds, farm tools, and replacement equipment for spring planting.
• Morr reported that wall repairs were about seventy percent complete and that farmland and irrigation work were underway.

Karl planned to rebuild Carnford by using Sauron heads to raise funds and recruiting immigrants to address the domain’s severe population shortage. He sent Edgar to prepare both efforts, then turned to Carnford’s battle-scarred military officers.

• Karl calculated that selling more than two thousand Sauron heads through Earl Rochefort’s connections could raise enough gold coins to cover Carnford’s immediate needs.
• Karl recognized that Carnford lacked workers and subjects, and that its more than five thousand former slaves were not enough to restore the domain’s population.
• Karl ordered Edgar to prepare two thousand Sauron heads and select a dozen eloquent recruits with connections in Fran City.
• Karl instructed Edgar to send the recruits to Fran City to promote Carnford as a safe, prosperous place for immigrants to settle.
• Edgar accepted Karl’s orders and hurried away, while Karl turned to Brendan, Richter, Roland, Lyon, and Thorsten.

Karl organized Carnford’s recovery and army expansion after the battle, ordering care for the wounded, reconstruction, promotions, and new recruitment. As he prepared to rest, a messenger arrived from Fran City with urgent letters from Earl Rochefort and Charlotte.

• Karl ordered the army to reduce training and patrols, prioritize the wounded, and help rebuild Carnford while continuing to pay soldiers in full.
• Karl told Brendan, Richter, and Roland to prepare fair postwar promotions and rewards for soldiers who had stood their ground, with special provision for the outstanding and severely wounded.
• Karl reaffirmed the dual-track recruitment plan, assigning selected recruits to combat regiments and others to the militia, while Lyon and Thorsten promised to resume cavalry patrols and reconnaissance.
• After the meeting, Karl nearly collapsed from exhaustion, but a messenger from Fran City arrived with two urgent letters.
• Karl recognized Earl Rochefort’s seal on one letter and Charlotte’s lily seal on the other, accepted both, and held back from opening Charlotte’s letter immediately.

Karl read letters from Earl Rochefort and Charlotte, learning that Rochefort had agreed to their marriage and would hold an engagement ceremony in Fran City. Overjoyed, Karl resolved to leave for Fran City the next morning to see Charlotte.

• Karl withdrew to his study and read Earl Rochefort's letter urging him to come to Fran City once Carnford's affairs had stabilized.
• Karl read Charlotte's letter, which confirmed her father had agreed to their marriage and planned to preside over their engagement ceremony.
• Charlotte told Karl she was well and hinted that she had prepared a surprise for him.
• Karl celebrated the news and decided to set out for Fran City first thing the next morning.

Lady Eileen prepared to travel north to see Karl, while Duke Schmidt offered support for Carnford and tried to mend their estrangement. She left the estate with a supply convoy, eager to reunite with her son.

• Sebastian supervised the loading of supplies, weapons, tools, and money onto the convoy bound for the Northern Territory.
• Lady Eileen thanked Reinhardt von Schmidt for allowing her to attend Karl’s wedding and see him in person.
• Reinhardt apologized for neglecting Eileen and Karl, and asked Eileen to return to the main keep after her trip.
• Eileen deferred that decision until she returned and accepted Reinhardt’s farewell embrace.
• Sebastian reported that the convoy was ready, and Eileen departed north with mounted guards, eager to see Karl.

Charlotte told Earl Rochefort she wanted to leave Fran City for the Hewenham Territory and secretly give birth to her child there. The Count agreed to arrange her journey, and Charlotte left without seeing Karl.

• Earl Rochefort reviewed plans for a road from Fran City to Carnford and postponed reviewing arrangements for Princess Louise's procession.
• Charlotte visited her father and asked to return to the Hewenham Territory to hide her pregnancy and give birth in a secluded manor.
• Earl Rochefort agreed to write to Charlotte's mother and have her return from the Royal Capital to care for Charlotte.
• Charlotte refused to see Karl, fearing their meeting would expose her pregnancy and create trouble for him before his marriage to Princess Louise.
• Earl Rochefort arranged a safe carriage, and Charlotte left his office to begin her journey home.

Karl departed Carnford Castle for Fran City with a cavalry escort, fifteen young soldiers chosen to spread news of Carnford’s victory, and wagons carrying the preserved heads of Sauron soldiers. He looked forward to reaching Charlotte after receiving her letter about the Count’s approval of their marriage and a mysterious surprise.

• Karl handed over Carnford’s reconstruction, medical supplies, patrols, farmland repairs, and refugee plans to Edgar, Brendan, and the other officials staying behind.
• Karl checked the covered carriages carrying two thousand preserved Sauron soldiers’ heads, which he planned to take to Fran City as proof of Carnford’s victory.
• Edgar assembled fifteen young soldiers and ten wounded elite cavalrymen, and assigned captured Sauron warhorses to the young messengers.
• Karl told the young soldiers to share their experiences of Carnford’s defense and recruit people willing to settle there, and they pledged to carry out his mission.
• Karl led the party out of Carnford Castle toward Fran City, eager to see Charlotte after reading her letter.

Karl returned to Fran City and realized that Carnford’s fame and newfound reputation for safety could fuel a thriving trade network. He resolved to organize commerce that would bring the territory lasting income and supplies.

• Karl reached Fran City and noticed that its streets had recovered a calmer, busier atmosphere.
• Karl asked a merchant caravan leader where he was headed, and the man said he was taking goods north to Carnford to establish a branch.
• The caravan leader praised Karl’s victory over Sauron’s army and described the demand for supplies in Carnford.
• Karl realized that Carnford’s reputation could attract merchants and generate steady revenue through commercial taxes.
• Karl planned to organize an armed merchant network that would trade Northern Territory specialties for essential goods and gold.

Karl went to the Governor's Office expecting to see Earl Rochefort and Charlotte, but encountered a royal envoy carrying an Imperial Edict. The Earl postponed the formal delivery and discussed Carnford's reconstruction and trade plans with Karl, leaving him increasingly uneasy about the decree and Charlotte's absence.

• Karl sent Lyon and the cavalry to the city barracks, then rode alone to the Governor's Office.
• Karl met Fritz von Hohenheim, who announced that he had come to deliver the King's Imperial Edict.
• Earl Rochefort persuaded Fritz to let him read the edict and sent the secretary to wait in the side hall.
• The Earl asked Karl about Carnford's reconstruction and urged him to prepare for merchants arriving once the road from Fran City was complete.
• Karl agreed to draft commercial regulations, while noticing the Earl's grave manner and Charlotte's absence.

Karl von Schmidt learned that King Sigmund had promoted him to hereditary Viscount and named him Guardian of the Northern Border, but had also betrothed him to Princess Louise as Prince Consort. He realized that refusing the decree could be treated as treason and leave Carnford, his allies, and Charlotte exposed to ruin.

• The Count read King Sigmund’s decree, which granted Karl von Schmidt a hereditary Viscount title, the title of Guardian of the Northern Border, and lands and tax rights.
• The decree named Karl Prince Consort and betrothed him to Princess Louise.
• Karl asked the Count whether he could refuse, but the Count’s silence made clear that refusal was not an option.
• Karl considered how defying the decree could cut Carnford off from royal support and force Earl Rochefort and his father to choose between loyalty to him and the kingdom.
• Karl feared that treason would destroy his relationship with Charlotte, abandon his followers, and leave Carnford vulnerable to the kingdom and the Sauron.

Karl learned that Charlotte had returned to Hewenham Territory and understood she left both to spare herself the pain of his impending marriage and to protect him from political danger. The Count urged Karl to turn his grief into strength and focus on rebuilding Carnford, leaving open the possibility of a different future if he survived and grew powerful enough.

• Karl asked the Count to let him see Charlotte, but the Count said she had left Fran City for Hewenham Territory the previous afternoon.
• The Count warned Karl that spies accompanying Princess Louise would monitor him and that his connection to Charlotte could provoke Empress Dowager Katerina into a political purge.
• Karl agreed that keeping his distance from Charlotte was the safest choice for everyone.
• The Count told Karl that Charlotte had refused a farewell meeting because she feared being seen with him would harm him.
• The Count urged Karl to pull himself together, rebuild Carnford, and turn his grief into strength.

After Earl Rochefort’s counsel renewed Karl’s resolve, Karl sought his support for Carnford’s recovery and development. Earl Rochefort backed Karl’s plans and offered connections for trading military achievements, leaving Karl ready to begin work.

• Earl Rochefort urged Karl to set aside his personal pain, grow stronger, and work toward controlling his own fate, and Karl resolved to rebuild Carnford.
• Karl offered Earl Rochefort two thousand Sauron soldiers’ heads and explained that he wanted to trade his remaining military achievements for supplies and money.
• Earl Rochefort agreed to recommend Karl to Earl Fissella and Marquis York, who needed military achievements.
• Karl asked permission to recruit refugees and commoners in Fran City for Carnford, and Earl Rochefort approved his plan to use local survivors to attract settlers.
• Karl proposed sending hunters and farmers into the Northern Territory to gather goods for trade, and Earl Rochefort promised support for the caravans and their security.

Karl realized he could use the royal edict and his new Prince Consort title to attract settlers to Carnford. He sent recruits out to gather people for the journey north, leaving them eager to build the territory and serve him.

• Karl decided the King’s edict and his marriage to Princess Louise could help convince people to move to Carnford.
• Karl ordered Lyon to hand the wagons of severed heads and their inventory over to the Count’s clerk.
• Karl instructed fifteen youths from Fran City to recruit struggling residents and bring them to a gathering point outside the north gate.
• Karl told the youths that King Sigmund had praised Carnford’s resistance and bestowed Princess Louise on him as his bride.
• The youths reacted with excitement and renewed loyalty, determined to recruit more settlers for Carnford.

Karl sent his men through Fran City to spread news of the King's endorsement of Carnford and the Princess's future residence there, while privately worrying that the royal favor might not bring the population Carnford needed. Tommy traveled back to Jialan Village to reunite with his family and prepare to recruit settlers for Carnford.

• Karl authorized his men to publicize the royal endorsement and the Princess's planned permanent residence in Carnford as proof of the territory's security and prospects.
• Karl watched his men leave to spread the news, then silently hoped the royal favor would bring Carnford more people and vitality.
• Tommy recalled how Roderick had saved him during the battle for Carnford after Tommy's family hardship had driven him to enlist.
• Tommy headed for Jialan Village, eager and worried to see his mother and sister after six months away.
• Tommy planned to settle his family before using his experiences and news of the King's endorsement to recruit villagers and miners for Carnford.

Tommy returned to Jialan Village after the fighting in Carnford settled and saw how hardship had left the village and his childhood home in ruins. He entered the house and found a thin figure cooking at the stove.

• Tommy showed his Carnford soldier's identification tag to the gatekeeper and entered Jialan Village.
• Old Jack recognized Tommy and asked whether he had made something of himself in the Northern Territory, but Tommy said he had only found work in Carnford.
• Tommy walked through the village and saw that his family home was badly damaged.
• Tommy gathered his courage, pushed open the ruined door, and saw a thin figure cooking at the earthen stove.

Tommy returned home after six months away and reunited with his mother and younger sister Sarah, finding them impoverished and struggling. He paid a village woman to finish Sarah’s laundry and led his family home with the promise that their hardships would ease.

• Tommy’s mother recognized him at the door, checked that he was unharmed, and embraced him in relief.
• Tommy learned that Sarah was washing clothes at the river to earn money, and he went there with his mother.
• Sarah saw Tommy, rushed into his arms, and reunited with him and their mother beside the river.
• Tommy told Sarah she could stop washing clothes and paid a washerwoman ten copper coins to finish the laundry.
• Tommy supported his mother and guided Sarah away from the river as they headed home together.

Tommy returned home to find his mother and Sarah living in hardship, so he shared his smoked meat and told them about his good pay and prospects in Carnford. Seeing their poverty and Sarah’s injured hands, he urged them to move there with him and start a new life, leaving them shocked and uncertain.

• Tommy brought smoked meat home and insisted that his mother and Sarah share it for dinner.
• Tommy told his mother and Sarah that Lord Karl treated his soldiers fairly and that he had been promoted with a higher monthly wage coming soon.
• Tommy asked why his family remained poor despite the settlement allowance, and his mother explained that she had saved it for their future needs.
• Tommy invited his mother and Sarah to move with him to Carnford, where he planned to build them a warmer house and find Sarah easier work.
• Tommy showed his mother Sarah’s chilblained hands and pleaded with them to leave their hardship behind, while both women stared at him in shock.

Tommy persuaded his mother and Sarah to leave Jialan Village for Carnford, then began secretly recruiting villagers for the journey. He spotted his childhood friend Lex heading toward the forest and realized how much hardship had changed him.

• Tommy reassured his mother that Carnford was safe and persuaded her to move there with him and Sarah.
• Tommy's mother agreed to leave, and Sarah eagerly looked forward to seeing Carnford.
• The next morning, Tommy asked his mother and Sarah to pack their belongings and consider selling their house before he set out to recruit people.
• Tommy decided to recruit his childhood friends Lex and Finn in secret because Village Chief John would oppose losing villagers.
• Tommy spotted Lex near the village entrance and recognized his childhood friend despite his worn appearance and weary bearing.

Tommy reunited with his childhood friend Lex and proudly described fighting in Carnford against the Sauron army. Lex revealed that his father had been injured and that poverty had forced him to take over the family’s hunting work.

• Tommy recognized Lex and greeted him after years apart.
• Tommy told Lex that Lord Karl’s forces had repelled a hundred thousand Sauron soldiers, and said he had killed three in the battle.
• Lex praised Tommy’s courage, then admitted that his father had broken his leg falling from a cliff while hunting.
• Lex explained that he had taken up his father’s bow and axe but struggled to pay Master John’s rent as game grew scarce.