The command tent grew still once more after Lucas laid bare only the edges of his design, revealing just enough for the king to grasp the outline but never the full machinery beneath it. Commander Alexander and Captain Varran exchanged uneasy glances, for they were soldiers who preferred steel they could see and terrain they could measure, not battles waged in the shadows of rumor and doubt.
The king walked slowly toward the tent opening and stood there for a moment, watching his army stretched across the plain like a living sea of banners and armor. Thousands of men waited for orders that would determine whether they would see another sunrise. He knew the weight of every command he uttered.
