So apparently the Bouroxians are invading Audrian. Rather than a direct assault on Castle Audrian, which would be foolhardy, they form to assault Northkeep.
Arik and his Resistance fighters discover this during a weapons raid. (It seems the Canoanians were involved in smuggling weapons. The Resistance fighters find a MASSIVE cache of weapons. Enough to arm several thousand men. Among the weapons were Audranian-made weapons. It seems that the smiths of Audrian had made Damascus steel and were famous for their weapons. It was this technological advantage that made Audrian strong against the Canoanians and Bouroxians.)
Arik asks the obvious question - where were these weapons headed? So beneath the streets of Westport, under the shadow of the monarchy's faily guard, a foreign force is smuggling in weapons and purchasing them with funds from the Westport officials. Lots of confusing secrecy.
In any case, Arik finds documents showing these weapons were the third such shipment!
Arik tries to rally the Resistance to fight. I'm not sure what they do. Does Arik reveal himself and take command to rally the Westport guard?
There was a vision (Axel F) where Arik was leading his men against a massive number of forces. They were being beaten back, and then from across the ridge, Darius is riding in with Resistance fighters as reinforcements.
I don't know what this means, I don't know what happened. I do know that Arik is revealed. I'm not sure how though. One scene has Leah telling others that Arik is the Prince, in a scene to show that she has accepted that he's no longer the spoiled brat he used to be. Another scene has Arik being noticed by a Royal guard, and heralded as the Prince.

On the other side of Audrian, Arien is racing to Bourox to rescue Kayra (If you could only see). There, he realizes that Kayra has been captured. Rather than foolishly trying to rescue her alone, he turns himself in, demanding that he fight the head of the fortress. Arien is a prized fighter, and Arien gains an audience with the head of the fortress. There's a very poinant moment where Kayra sees Arien, and believes him to be doing a mere prisoner transfer. Him for her. (Prior to this, there is a scene where Kayra sees Malokar speaking with the head of the fortress, making final preparations for the armies to leave.)
She cries out.
Arien's heart is warmed to see Kayra, and his strength returns.
In any case, Arien shows complete badassery and defeats the head of the Fortress in Bourox.
His actions have to do something great though. The Doglus at the Citadel won't easily let this lone soldier leave. Did he have help? Whom?

• One version had Arien challenging the head guy to control of the Doglus citadel. It invoked a Doglus leadership ceremony of fighting to the death. The issue with this is it is a DOGLUS ceremony - and Arien has no right to demand such a contract. He is not Doglus, and certainly an advanced culture wouldn't let peons challenge the highest levels of the order - it would create utter chaos as those with the most agressive personalities tried to upset the pecking order.The concept was that Arien had "climbed" the pecking order by taking out the officers within the Citadel prior to his "surrender."
  

• Another version has Arien joining forces with old friends (Kooph? Resh? No - they have to be at the encampment with Arik near Northkeep in a few days.) probably members of Arien's old Resistance troupe out of Eastgate (as he travels through Eastgate into Doglus territory after leaving the Catmus Village). Arien's character is such that he wouldn't want help. Resistance fighters out of Eastgate have known the foolhardy elite for so long that they wouldn't take "No" for an answer.

In any event, Arien rides with an unconscious Kayra in great haste to the East. He seems to be headed in the direction of Northkeep. (Something happens to his horse. I need to keep track of these horses - it is really frustrating. Arien rides out of the Doglus citadel, but by the scene with Kayra, he doesn't have the horse. What gives?)

My big question is: What the heck is going on near Northkeep?
It makes sense that they would assault this city.

• Eastgate is very well fortified and defended by citizens who will fight to the last man, woman and child.
  
• Castle Audrian, far to the south, is a near impenetrable fortress. It is located in the perfect position, and guarded well. (I'm not sure WHY it is so impenentrable. Zevid, Sarcoth and the other resistance fighters managed to get there easy enough. But they are also military minded people. They may have seen the tactical advantages of building there.)
• Westport is "owned" by the Canoanians, and "nothing" could release the iron grip off that city.

Could it be that Northkeep was built out of the remains of an ancient fortress? There should be ruins from the Golden age all across Audrian.
What importance did Northkeep have to Audrian? Is it the true lifeblood of the nation? Is it so weakly defended? A tactical military target. An economical hub. Somewhere as important as the Capital, but a weak chink in the armor that would hurt the nation more so than a direct assault on the Castle.
It is the center of the traderoutes across the nation. It is, for the most part, the northernmost part of the nation. What is north of Northkeep? Beyond the ruins of Halifax?
Northkeep sits within great mountains. It holds a great secret - the location of the remaining Dragons, and the home of the mysterious Hawklus.
Wizardik dwell near Northkeep as well.
Most of this is unknown to the rest of Audrian - and well it should be kept this way.
But WHY Northkeep? What would possess an army of men to cross hundreds of miles to assault a fortress deep within enemy territory, with few reinforcements?
True, they did have serious reinforcements coming from Canoan - the Toadmin.
Was there a river near Northkeep? Did it represent some major weakness? How are the mountain ranges aligned?