Trent stood inside his silk command pavilion and watched his empire crumble on a digital screen. He gripped the edge of his wooden table until his knuckles turned pale. The holographic projection displayed Commander Varis kneeling in the dirt alongside five thousand Valorian conscripts. The men were discarding their iron swords and begging for mercy.
The Valorian king kicked a heavy wooden chair across the room. The furniture splintered against a structural pole.
"They are cowards," Trent screamed at the empty tent. He slammed his fists onto the table. "I fed them. I armed them. They owe me their lives and they are crawling on their knees for a peasant."
A lieutenant named Silas stood near the tent entrance. The officer wore the dull silver armor of the royal guard. He looked at the sha
