Her Graceful War Song (Carissa Sinclair) novel Chapter 1368

Samson was just as confused.

"I don't know, either. It was Mr. Murphy himself who told me," he said.

Wayne's heart tightened with fear. Clifford was known for his meticulous planning. If he said he would arrive by nightfall, he would never be late.

"Could there have been an ambush along the way? That can't be," Wayne muttered, his mind racing. "The scouts reported that General Murray's forces were scattered, busy suppressing bandits, and they've already moved into Nanyara. They wouldn't be able to return in time."

"If there had been an ambush, Mr. Murphy would've sent word. They have scouts," Samson said, his face pale. "Sir, what do we do now? We can't win against the Capital Army."

Wayne took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself. "Our only option is to survive. We need to find a way to escape and meet up with Mr. Murphy."

"But if we leave, Valken will fall," Samson said urgently. "What about all our families? How do we get them out? The gates are under guard. We can only escape through Asterpeak Mountain, but with so many elderly and children, how can we make it?"

Wayne gave quick orders to the servants and guards at Horizon Estate. "We don't have time to worry about that. We'll escape first. Your families will be safe—they're civilians. General Farrell won't harm them."

Samson hurried to the back courtyard. Fiona had already heard the news and was packing up their belongings. She didn't need Wayne to explain—she knew they had no choice but to flee.

Yuvan's children were in a panic, scrambling to gather valuables. However, the servants and attendants refused to listen to any of their orders, seizing gold and jewelry for themselves and fleeing through the back door.

Samson was enraged. He drew his sword and quickly struck down a few of the more unruly servants before the rest dared not act out further.

Fiona grabbed her brother's hand. "Samson, you must send someone to cover our escape. We cannot fall into the hands of the Capital Army!"

She knew Wayne and the others had betrayed Yuvan. Though she didn't want that, Yuvan lacked the resolve to make it happen. Seeing his lack of ambition and ungrateful nature, she realized he would never make her his queen once he rose to power.

It was better to defect to Nicholas and secure some rewards for herself. She was already too deeply involved to back out.

Samson's gaze hardened. "I'll send people to escort you out of Asterpeak Mountain. Once you've left, change your appearance and hide in a remote village. Don't let anyone know where you are."

Wayne's face turned ashen with despair. The truth was, they could fight—they knew the city like the back of their hands. They could fight in the streets and take civilians hostage. In other words, they could still find a way out.

But the worst thing in a battle was a scattered and disorganized force. Without unity, how could they possibly stand against Thomas' disciplined army?

By the time the first light of dawn crept over Valken, the city had already fallen under Thomas' control. For those who had fled, he didn't pursue them. He merely ordered the road to Asterpeak Mountain blocked and the city gates sealed.

After that, he set off with a group of his men to help Chester.

Winona was caught up in the chaos of battle as well, but her focus was not on the fighting. She was looking for a way to reach Clifford.

At first, Clifford's forces were losing and couldn't defeat Chester. However, Clifford knew how to inspire his troops with words. After a rousing speech, his private soldiers became much fiercer, with a clear determination to fight to the death. As a result, the battle raged on throughout the night and Chester made little progress.

It wasn't until morning, when Thomas' reinforcements arrived, that the tide of battle finally began to turn.