The armed cavalry guards were united in body and spirit—most of them had inherited their positions from parents, even grandparents. It was only natural that their camaraderie went without saying as a military force that didn’t have to retire.

Even as the world had changed over the years, they and their forefathers had each experienced the same baptism of fire. Now, each of them fought for the men beside them, to keep them alive even in the heat of battle. When one fell, the others would do thei