Arslan and Daryun seek the help of the retired tactician Narsus, but convincing him to join their cause will not be an easy task.

Gieve escapes Ecbatana after having a clash with Silvermask, who makes use of the underground tunnels to strike the palace from within, while the Lusitanian forces, assisted by the slaves, break into the capital and conquer it.

Daryun and Narsus infiltrate the capital in search for information, coming across Silvermask in the occasion, while Arslan has another encounter with the runaway prisoner he met years before.

On their way to the stronghold at Peshawar, Arslan's party is pursued by a force led by Xandes, Kharlan's son who seeks to avenge his father and they are forced to split up.

Arslan's small group is reunited at Peshawar and they begin looking at using the army there to take back the rest of Pars.

With the fall of the Fortress of Gujarat, Gadevi sets out to meet Arslan and Rajendra on the battlefield. Vastly outnumbered and facing war elephants, Arslan and company must find a way to win.

With Rajendra now firmly on the throne of Sindhura, it is time for Arslan to put his affairs in order and prepare to return to Pars to deal with Lusitania.

Lords and generals from across Pars rally to Arslan. But now, Arlsan must contend with newcomers jockeying for position and the very real possibility that he will have to fight Hermes for the throne.

As Arslan's army approaches the Keep of Saint Emmanuel, both sides make preparations for the crucial battle that will take place there.

Étoile wrestles with the knowledge that the prince, whose head he had wanted for so long, was someone he knew. And the battle for the Keep of Saint Emmanuel continues.

The Turanians regroup and prepare to make another attempt to take Peshawar Fortress, this time, using more underhanded means. Meanwhile, Andragoras makes good his escape from Ecbatana and the Lusitanians.

Arslan and his party head for the port city of Gilan to the south and get a lay of the land as they begin their attempt to assemble an army of 50 thousand men as King Andragoras ordered.

Back in Ecbatana, Guiscard is sorely regretting leaving Andragoras alive long enough to escape and is determined that he will not make the same mistake again.

With the arrival of Étoile and Merlane, Arslan learns of the situation in Ecbatana. And while he is still far short of amassing an army of 50 thousand, he must decide whether to act upon this information or not.