The captain turned and looked at the rest of the men seated in the courtyard. “Thus have I pledged my life and my sword to the defense and honor of my noble lord. All those among you who would call yourselves men, I charge you now to give your oath again.”
And as a single man, the audience rose to its feet and began cheering the name of Prince Ahmad Khaled bin Shunnar el-Ravani, their chosen liege. The deafening chorus of their enthusiastic voices rang out over the still desert air and shook the very walls of the shrine with the power and intensity of their devotion.
Prince Ahmad stood on the minbar utterly speechless, gazing down at the emotional outpouring that threatened to overwhelm the oasis. His eyes were suddenly filled with tears at the loyalty he inspired in these good men, and
