War!!!!!!!

Three days of relentless marching brought the royal army to the staging grounds, a vast expanse of plains surrounded by low hills.

The moment Kael and his contingent crested the final ridge, they saw it: the allied army, 100,000 strong, camped in ordered lines.

Flags of a dozen noble houses fluttered in the morning breeze, their vibrant colors bright against the steel-gray sky.

The scale was staggering.

Even Kael, used to large troop movements, had to pause and take it in.

Rows of tents stretched far beyond the horizon, smoke rising in thin trails from campfires where soldiers prepared for the inevitable.

Alexander rode beside him, his eyes narrowing as he surveyed the scene. "An impressive sight. But they sent just a fraction of their total strength. If our allies have 1.5 million men and only sent 100,000 here, I wonder what they're holding back for."