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-The Stone Soldier is sort of a prequel to The Maiden and details David's life prior to becoming a page, his experience as a page, his rise to fame as a squire, and the Caesarean-Rancho War from his perspective.
- David is the youngest of four sons by a significant margin. His father was in love with a woman who became a Buddhist nun but introduced him to her younger sister.
- His parents were young when they first met and were too swept up in just getting married and having kids without actually knowing how. They had three kids but ended up asking the aunt-nun to raise them since they wanted to live their lives while still giving their sons the best life possible.
- When the couple realized they did want to be parents, all three brothers were already sent off to be knights. They were only able to stop the younger two brothers from being full-on squires. Once those two became old enough to take care of themselves, the couple decided to have David, who was spoiled by his parents, brothers, and aunt.
- When David was young, he witnessed the great Blue Knight. He was also inspired by his oldest brother (Troy), who had just ascended the rank of a third-ranked Commander.
- David was sent off to be a page, where he was often mistreated for being from Friselle. Troy becomes a second-ranked Grand Officer by the time David becomes a squire.
- David is regarded as a prodigy and gains a name for himself. Head Cross Ricardo Gonzalez praises him, recognizing him as Troy's baby brother and sees a lot of potential in him. Gonzalez gives David weekly private training sessions, where David meets Thomas.
- When he was 13, he was called home by his family. During this time, Troy becomes a Grand Cross. He writes home about his ascendancy, as it was done in secret since King Arthur had secretly executed one Grand Cross for corruption and was filling in the space.
- After spending a year at home, David's father forbids him from becoming a knight. David runs away from home, pushing his father out of the way when he tries to stop him. His father collapses but David doesn't look back.
- By the time David returns to the Knights' Quarters, Troy had already gone home. Gonzalez warmly welcomes back David and gives him a letter from Troy, who explains that their father had fallen severely ill and he wanted to be with him. Gonzalez tells David that Troy left due to a family emergency.
- Troy routinely writes to David, but David never writes back. At one point, Troy reveals that he and his wife have a newborn daughter. Every letter, Troy begs David to visit home just once.
- When David is 16, Troy visits him at the Palace and informs him that their father is dying. David immediately leaves with him, informing Gonzalez that he would be gone for nine weeks.
- David rushes home. His entire family — all three brothers and their family and his mother — greet him. They urge him to greet his father, but in the short time everyone left to greet David, David's father had died.
- David and Troy return to the palace. Within a few weeks, they are informed that the Buddhist temple their aunt is a part of is ransacked and vandalized. Troy permanently gives up his knighthood to defend the temple. He leaves behind his Grand Cross red sash.
- David becomes more serious than ever. Gonzalez notices this and is the only person to actually give David what he asks for: to push him harder than ever.
- In "Life in War" (summarized in the main story of The Maiden but in more detail in The Stone Soldier), David explains to Tabitha how he and Thomas were in charge of the brigade containing the youngest members of the army. David also tells Tabitha that on the day of deployment, Lendon had approached them and asked them to keep Jacob Bourbon safe. She also asked this of Theo, Antonio, and Dominic.
- David details the strategy: the entire army traveled through Rucken and Brucke. they then split the three divisions. King Arthur decreed that the youngest divisions should face off in the least combat-likely situation. Thus, he sent Antonio's 3 divisions (of which includes Theo, somewhere) and Dominic's 3 divisions (which include David and Thomas' brigade) through Cascata to Silva. They followed the lead of the assassins, who split off similarly days prior.
- Antonio, Dominic, David, Thomas, and Theo reconnected since they are all well-acquainted with each other. They followed the leads of the older Grand Crosses and Grand Officers, who look down on David and Thomas for ascending the ranks so quickly. Antonio and Dominic tried to defend them but were often scolded or rebutted (though, with more respect).
- The three knights and the two princes became close during this time. They also kept a close eye on Jacob Bourbon, as per Lendon's request, but didn't do anything to prevent blatant favoritism from showing.
- The army arrived at the Palace of Silva already in full chaos. The Silvan people ran by them, screaming and accusing them of using "sneaky" tactics to win instead of fighting like "real" men. Confused, they managed to ask some more calm-headed nobles what's going on. They revealed that the entire royal family of Silva is trapped inside the Palace and the flames were too hot for anyone to rescue them. More casualties arose as people of all classes attempted to rescue them. Antonio, Dominic, David, Thomas, and Theo attempted to help but are stopped by the older knights, who tell the younger five that they are the enemy. The five convinced their younger soldiers to help since the people injured are civilians who have nothing to do with the war. Those who were drafted or volunteered to serve (aka those who aren't officially knights or squires) tended to be the ones to step up.
- Nothing seemed to be able to extinguish the fire. The five young men decided to wait until the flames were out to investigate, leaving the older knights in charge of the occupation of the Silvan capital.
-The five discovered through Silvan newspapers that King Johannes had invited his entire family to a grand banquet the night of the fire and his disappearance. They wondered if it was a trap done by the assassins, but realized it's impossible since there was no way a haphazard letter could bring in a royal family so easily. They deduced that King Johannes himself must have said something so moving or powerful enough to bring in his entire family. The next step was determining how they all died
- After three days, the Palace of Silva stopped burning. The five scanned through the rubble, with David and Thomas ordering their brigade (including Jacob) to help. They eventually found the burnt remains of the royal family sitting in what used to be the grand dining hall. The bodies were arranged perfectly around a rectangular table, and they realized that the royal family was dead before the fire. However, the bodies were so badly burnt, it was impossible to run tests on. The five allowed the de facto leaders (the noble court of Silva) to carry on their typical investigation and the court officially surrendered Silva to the Caesarean army. At this point, Huynh, Henry, and Michael have met up with the five.
- After receiving word that King Damian was killed in combat by the two kings of Caesarea, the army would regroup at the border of Rancho and Brucke further south. The part of the army in Rancho would wait for the part of the army in Silva. The Rucken army left ahead, parting ways with the Caesarean army.
- While waiting for the Silva-occupying part of the army to catch up, Princess Drina (King Damian's daughter) led a group of Rancho forces and launched a surprise attack, unaware that the war was already over. The divisions led by Antonio, Dominic, and the Head Grand Cross were lagging behind after having to cut through Cascata again and arrive at the scene of the ambush after a few hours.
- David recalls (in the present, to Tabitha) how he, Theo, Huynh, and the princes rushed to the kings' base, who were already held at gunpoint by Drina, who possessed an illegal pistol (breaking the international treaty held by all kingdoms on the continent of Cipres). King Antonio had already been shot through the chest while a bullet was in King Arthur's arm. The bullets were laced with poison, so King Arthur's death would be fast approaching. The princes ran to their fathers, only to also be held at gunpoint. David and Theo stay hidden behind the outside of the tent.
- David tells Tabitha that he quickly took out his own, also-illegal pistol. He said he wouldn't bring it before leaving, but as it turned out, he still brought it. Although Theo was a better shot, he had never held and fired a gun before, so it was up to David to shoot Princess Drina. However, the two knights were approached by two men: King Raphael of Brucke and King Johannes of Silva. David aimed his pistol at them when he noticed that they weren't wearing any identifiable clothing or typical armor. The kings told the knights that they were here to end the situation amicably so that nobody has to be killed. Theo snarled that King Antonio was already dead and King Arthur was dying, so the other two kings rushed in.
- Huynh held back Theo, noting that King Johannes already surrendered and that King Raphael already sided with Caesarea and not Rancho. David recalled that King Raphael was King Damian's cousin-in-law, and King Johannes admitted to Princess Drina that he was stuck in an abusive affair with King Damian. King Raphael sought justice for his cousin (the former queen and Drina's mother).
- They revealed that King Damian had been declining in mental health yet refused psychiatric treatment, only further descending into madness.
- They also revealed that Princess Drina had a little brother, whom Drina believed was an illegitimate son from her mother with another man due to lies from King Damian (this was occuring when Johannes was fostering Drina in the kingdom of Silva for diplomatic reasons). Damian had the queen and the son killed, and Johannes pleaded to spare Drina.
- Damian granted this wish so long as Johannes did as Damian commanded. Raphael revealed to Drina a locket of hair of the young baby boy that he had kept all these years to remember his cousin.
- Drina lost all drive to fight for her kingdom and her father after learning the truth. She surrendered, and the war officially came to an end. Johannes took the pistol from her and threw it to the side, embracing her. Raphael and Johannes rushed out to call their troops to stand down. David unloaded his pistol and put it away, rushing out to King Arthur as the poison coursed through his veins. Thomas and Theo followed. Antonio and Dominic gathered around the final remaining king.
- In a final attempt to save King Arthur, David amputated the grazed arm. However, it came too late. King Arthur could barely stand as the poison had already spread to much of his body and nervous system. King Arthur gave his last command to the princes and knights present: round up their troops and go home. Raphael and Johannes rang a loud bell and raised a large Caesarean banner to announce that the war was officially over; Caesarea had won.
- After the writing for "Life in War" is over, Tabitha asks about Thomas and where he was the whole time. David bites his lip and says that Thomas was injured during the final surprise attack and didn't witness the dramatic end.
- When Tabitha asks for more detail, David tells her that he and Thomas were surrounded, stuck at the top of a cliff-like hill with a single large tree. Thomas had suffered a slash across the stomach that expanded as he moved, and David had to patch him as best as he could despite also being wounded. David used all the medical supplies on Thomas, who had already passed out from the pain and blood loss. David then had to cauterize his own wound using the blade of his Jade sword and a campfire. He then cleared all the enemies standing in his way alone before reinforcements from Theo and Huynh came, successfully defending the hill and Thomas.
- Tabitha senses more to it than that judging from David's expression and tone, and David confesses a conversation Thomas had with him during the early part of the war:
- Thomas had told David that he was "tired of picking up after you". David, confused, asked what he meant. Thomas clarified that he didn't mean the battles but back home. All the women Thomas had ever loved, they all loved David first. Thomas then listed Lendon, Yvette, and Tabitha specifically.
- David then told Thomas that "nobody made you do that. It's not my fault they came to you. It's not my fault that you took their bait and became their rebounds."
- Thomas then told David that "Tabitha truly loved you." David replied that he knew, that he did, too.
- Thomas, angered, demanded how David could do such a thing, that "she loved you so much, and now she refuses to love anyone else. Not even the Prince of Knights himself. You broke her."
- David told Thomas that no, he did not break her, that she's just waiting for the right man instead of getting her heart broken over and over. "She's stronger than she looks. You keep making her out to be helpless, but she's not."
- David then advised Thomas to follow his heart for once, to put himself first.
- In the present, David confesses that he regrets telling Thomas to follow his heart. When Tabitha asks why, he tells her it's a whole other can of worms to open.
- David asks how she feels about Thomas, and Tabitha just replies that looking back, she could see the signs that Thomas liked her, but she had her own life and didn't pay much attention. She thanks David for defending her. David says that he truly meant it.
- "Life in War" is published under both Tabitha and David's names and spreads like wildfire.
Note: events in The Stone Soldier would have been in full detail, chronological order, and ended as the Caesarean army began to head home after the final surprise battle.