It was the sixth day since Veylin had left.
The relentless rain had finally stopped, but the sky remained leaden.
The military camp outside Dawnlight City had become a sea of mud.
The recruits trudged through it as they sparred, spears striking wooden shields with dull thuds.
Diana stood on a raised platform in light chainmail, without a word.
She had stood there for the entire morning.
A cold wind swept past. In the distance, several soldiers on logistics duty huddled together, their necks tucked into their collars as they whispered.
"Look at our Count. She's really fallen for him. Is a 'Swamp Deserter' worth all this?"
"Keep your voice down! Do you want to spend all night cleaning the stables?"
"What's there to be afraid of? The whole city's saying it now. That Veylin fellow led our Count around by the nose, then ran off ages ago. Meanwhile, we're stuck out here in the cold."
One soldier even imitated Veylin fleeing after he finished speaking, drawing a burst of muffled snickers.
Their voices were quiet, yet they carried through the damp air and reached Diana's ears.
Her hand lifted from the sword hilt at her waist, then settled back down.
She was not preparing for war on behalf of a "deserter."
She was preparing for war to honor the Dawn Family's promise.
She believed in Veylin as surely as she believed dawn would follow the night.
Just then, hurried hoofbeats approached. An Attendant rode through the camp gates at a gallop, sending mud flying far behind him.
"My lady!" The Attendant scrambled out of the saddle, without even pausing to catch his breath. "Outside the city... a Knight Company has appeared outside the city! They're approaching Dawnlight City!"
Diana's heart stirred.
Had he returned?
She strode down from the