Charles sat on the saddle of his horse awaiting the guards stationed at the gate of the ancient fortress to open the heavy oak and iron doors in front of him. The Archduke hadn’t spent much time in Rahe since he allowed Emilie and the two members of the Order of Elders to escape. The French had been on the offensive pushing against the Austrian lines and he needed to be on the frontlines to ensure victory.
Today was different. He was summoned by the Imperator, the head of the Imperial Roman Brotherhood to the Castle high in the Swiss Alps to provide a status update on the progress of his plan to retrieve the swords.
Only days before he left he received the letter from Emilie that they were in Porto on the Atlantic coast of Portugal and were due to sail for Constantinople. She requested a
