The problem with the flying cities, the reason Mab was cautious with them, was that it was not impossible to bring them down, as Mauritane and his friends had proven prior to the Battle of Sylvan. He'd done it by infiltrating the city and slaughtering the strange hybrid creatures that manned the Chambers of Elements and Motion, which provided the force that kept the cities aloft. But Mauritane had developed missiles of Elements that could be fired at the underbellies of these cities. He knew the location of the Chambers of Elements and Motion in most of the flag cities now, thanks to Paet and the Shadows. If a city appeared, he might be able to down it with a single shot.
They pushed forward. They fought. Men and women fell. Too many of them. At this rate it wasn't certain they would even reach Elenth, let alone take it.
The second day they mostly marched, meeting only a few lost companies of Unseelie who'd gotten separated from their battalions in the confusion. These were taken down with relative ease, but even in these skirmishes Mauritane lost soldiers.
There was another battle at Downvalley, a day's march south of Elenth. Again Mauritane took the day, but at a substantial cost. Reports from his generals across the front reported similar losses.
Had he stretched his force too wide? Had he underestimated the flexibility of the Unseelie?
And there was still no word from Silverdun. According to Paet's latest report, they'd vanished in a flash of Folding three days earlier and hadn't been heard from since. No one wanted to say it, but it seemed certain that they wouldn't be coming back. If Hy Pezho had new Einswrath weapons, there would be no stopping him. And nothing Mauritane was doing would matter at all.
On the fourth day they reached Elenth, only to find it guarded by the entire Eagle Regiment of the Unseelie Army, with five battalions. And three battalions of Annwni.
Mauritane had only six battalions, and had already taken heavy casualties.
This was going to be difficult. This was going to be a serious battle. Time to invoke a bit of Fae propriety.
Mauritane rode out under a flag of parley and met with the Unseelie commanding general. They bowed deeply and made all the appropriate noises to one another, and agreed that they would join battle at dawn. All very civilized.
When Mauritane rode back, his troops were already setting up camp on the southern slope of the valley. Mauritane's aide, Colonel Nyet, found him and took him aside, scowling.
"Someone to see you," said Nyet, pointing.
Baron Glennet had arrived with a delegation from Corpus, including Lord Everess. But Glennet was the ranking nobleman here, and it was clearly his show. This was a time-honored ritual on the eve of a great battle; a ranking member of the nobility could secure the right from the queen to lead the charge. It was a pure formality, of course. Glennet would review the troops, make a grandiose speech, and offer homilies and platitudes. The troops would love it, and Glennet would have his ego boosted. On the morning of the actual battle, he would graciously yield command of the army back to Mauritane, and then go home to his cozy bed and be saluted by the court for his bravery. In the official history, Baron Glennet would be reported as the commander of the assault on Elenth, not Mauritane. This was nothing new, and most commanders accepted it as a matter of course.
Mauritane greeted Glennet and Everess with full propriety. His propriety with Glennet was exactly as sincere as it had been with the Unseelie general minutes earlier. The difference was that Mauritane had actually respected the general. Their meeting was done in full view of Glennet's staff and Mauritane's officers. As a commoner and a military man, Mauritane was required to take the lower bow, which probably pleased Glennet no end.
Mauritane knelt and presented Glennet with his sword. "I offer you command of my troops, and defer to Your Lordship in all things."
Glennet raised the blade high above his head and the men cheered.
Once the formal greetings were concluded, Mauritane, Everess, and Glennet spoke privately in front of Mauritane's tent.
"I must say we were all surprised by your sudden change of stratagem," said Glennet.
"That was the idea," said Mauritane.
"You could have informed as what you were doing," said Everess, clearly annoyed.
"The best way to keep a secret is not to tell anyone," said Mauritane. "That's what my mother taught me."
"Just so, just so," said Everess. "But still."
After mess, Glennet made his inspirational speech to the troops. The parts of it Mauritane paid attention to were genuinely stirring, and it did the frightened troops some good. These were Seelie soldiers, brave and true, but it had been a difficult campaign so far.
Once the speech was over, Mauritane shook Glennet's hand and thanked him profusely and sincerely. Before he could get back to work, Lord Everess corralled him. Everess was holding a valise.
"I've got a few things to show you, General," said Everess, patting the valise.
"I don't need any military advice," said Mauritane.
"Oh, these aren't military documents. And I think you'll be very interested in the story that goes along with them."
Dawn came, and Mauritane was ready. He'd slept briefly during the evening, and had been up making preparations since midnight. He'd done his best. He was probably riding to his death this morning, but there was no turning back now. If he retreated, the Unseelie forces to the southwest would simply divert from their present course and cut them off at the rear. They'd be caught between two massive bodies of Unseelie troops. The only way to survive was to take Elenth.
When the sun appeared over the plains to the east, Mauritane stood mounted before his troops, with Glennet on a great white stallion on one side, and Everess on a slightly less impressive mount on the other. Glennet still held Mauritane's sword, ready to yield it back to him.
"On this day, we have a special honor," said Mauritane. "We are gratified indeed."
Glennet raised the sword, and the troops cheered again.
"A lesser nobleman would have accepted command of you in name only, and then yielded it back to me. A lesser nobleman would have taken the credit for the battle without actually fighting."
Glennet looked at Mauritane, confused.
"But not our illustrious Baron Glennet! No, this great man has boldly chosen to retain command, and to lead you all into battle against the Unseelie at Elenth!"
The troops roared their approval. This was unheard-of in the modern day, a historic event.
Glennet shifted in his saddle but said nothing. What could he say? If he contradicted Mauritane, he would be reviled as a coward who had changed his mind at the last moment. He'd be laughed out of Corpus. He looked at Everess for assistance, but Everess only smiled.
Glennet was trapped, and knew it. "I could not stand by," he said, "and watch you ride out today knowing that I had not done everything I could to bring a victory!"
The troops went wild with approval.
Mauritane smiled. "Then take your position at the front of the line, as is your ancient right," said Mauritane. "And call the charge!"
The infantry and cavalrymen took their positions along the wide line. The drums sounded. At the bottom of the hill, the Unseelie were in formation, awaiting the charge. This was going to be a bloody, terrible battle.
As Mauritane and Glennet rode out to the front of the line, Glennet dropped his facade. "What is the meaning of this?" he growled.
"You wanted a war," said Everess. "Here you have it."
Mauritane turned his horse and cried out to his troops. "I give you your battle cry!" he called. "For Glennet!"
"For Glennet!" the troops answered.