Asha wakes up early in her bed at the inn where the group has been staying.

  She makes her way to the bar where everyone had been getting breakfast together.

  She sees only James, who's awake unusually early.

  He has a small plate of sausage with eggs, eating with a foggy look in his eyes.

  The bar is quiet this early in the morning.

  She sits down with James, ordering waffles,

  The food arrives, the two eat a silent meal.

  In a large house in the Lower Ward, Warren wakes up, white hair and bare chest gleaming in the dim sunlight coming in through a window to the right of the bed.

  He pulls in Madison's head and kisses the top of it before pushing the sheets off of their bare bodies.

  Warren makes his way out of the house, head on a swivel for any problems.

  No Knights received any new missions today, Lucius is in a different kingdom, negotiating alliances so their only assignment was for around noon.

  The assignment was to protect.

  The attack was meant to happen days ago, the only thing that has been on every high ranking Knight's mind for days.

  When would it happen.

  Warren makes his way to the Council Room in the Knight's Fortress, where only two others wait for him.

  Jonah sits, leaning back in his chair with his feet resting on the round table while Ferrul sits hunched over, head resting on giant knuckles.

  "Sorry I'm late guys, had a... Good night."

  The two others chuckle in understanding.

  The three know something big has to be coming soon as they chart out plans.

  Jonah would take the bulk of their forces to the main gate of Elaria, where the attack was meant to happen while Warren and Ferrul take the side gate with James and a few other lower ranking Knights to be prepared for an unexpected attack.

  They've gone through the same plan what must be dozens of times but each time, it feels better to say, like they have a better grasp.

  This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Ferrul gets a cheeky smile, ready to start something.

  "So Warren, why haven't you been staying in the Fortress?"

  "I feel like a lot of time could be saved if you, y'know got here earlier."

  Warren gets a small, wholesome smile on his face, happy to talk about his personal life.

  "There's this.. Girl"

  Both of the others lean in.

  "We've known each other since I was... 8?"

  "We were friends for a long ass time and I loved her damn near the whole time."

  "But she was with my best friend so I didn't act on anything."

  "And then, some..."

  He swallows a lump in his throat.

  "Stuff happened a few years ago and then her and another friend were the only people waiting when I woke up."

  "We've been together since that day."

  "Come to think of it..."

  "It's been exactly seven years, gonna have to celebrate tonight."

  Jonah grins and laughs.

  "Seven years, eh?"

  "She must be great to deal with you that long, I've barely handled it myself."

  All three men burst into laughter, continuing to joke around with each other before eventually trickling out.

  In the same house Warren had left a couple hours ago, Madison awakens and gets dressed.

  When she steps down into the spacious living room, she sees two notes on a table next to the door.

  One is from Riley and the other from Warren.

  The one from Riley says:

  "Madison, we need you here girl, come over whenever you wake up.

  Also tell Warren I said hi"

  She sighs, another day of hard work.

  She then picks up the note from Warren, which says:

  "Hey baby, 7 years today. I have a surprise for when I come home tonight.

  Love you ?"

  Madison leaves her house to go to the Center to see what Riley needs so desperately.

  In a building in a small city outside the capital, three people sit around a square table, waiting for a fourth.

  On one corner, a man with wild blonde, nearly bright yellow, hair sits, clearly annoyed by how long they're waiting.

  "So when the hell're we gonna mo-"

  A woman with elegant posture and, long, deep red hair who sits across from him cuts through his impatient ramblings.

  "Shut up, Henry, the boss has a plan and we'll be following it."

  "Isn't that right Cassius?"

  A tall man with dark skin and tightly curled hair chuckles.

  "Anna's right, he's got plans."

  Their fourth walks into the small basement room, calling the attention of everyone in the room.

  "Today's the day, the perfect day."

  Later in the day, Ferrul, Warren, and James stand outside the side gate to Elaria.

  James is ready for another uneventful day of waiting.

  Warren and Ferrul know that something is coming.

  The anticipation has been broken.