the beasts over the crown

The witch was content to only listen calmly to the words of Ser Declan as she gently and tenderly combed the boy's silky black hair with her hand, while the hunter let out a sarcastic laugh.

It was the first time the witch truly felt disturbed since the war began and its drums sounded for the first time, and it must be that the gloomy and tense atmosphere in the stronghold intensified this feeling. Nevertheless, she maintained a calm and stern expression on her face, for the fair future she desired depended on that.

"The poor boy... he chose to sleep on your lap instead of anyone else among us, he chose to trust you; if only he knew your intentions towards him" ,said the knight with sorrow as he glanced out of the corner of his eye at the sleeping boy in deep slumber amidst the sounds of screaming, shouting, and death.

The lord of the stronghold was persistent with them, that slender sixty-year-old man with thinning hair and sunken eyes, asking questions about the arrival time and speed of the help, and he expressed his distress more than once about the overwhelming numbers of northern and southern fighters who he had opened his doors to after sending most of his troops and best knights to aid Lord Henry as soon as he received news of the advance of the mad King of Riverspears' forces - even though some of the other eastern lords had failed to send aid, with or without an excuse - and most of them did not return, and those who did were either injured or fleeing.

Then he started complaining about the lack of supplies and the rapid depletion of them, and his inability to feed all those taking refuge in his stronghold while at the same time keeping some reserves in case he was besieged.

The stronghold's lord kept insisting on the necessity of moving the northern and southern lords and their armies to Lord Robert's castle, for it is larger, better fortified, and his lands are more spacious and filled with rabbits and deer for the soldiers to hunt. It is also more suitable for battle and not too far from here.

The messages coming from Lord Henry's castle do not bode well at all, and like the other lords of the east, he has heard rumors about the lord of the east's intention to betray his majesty, with his stronghold being the next point on the invaders' path.

It was clear to Knight Declan that the lord's insistence on relocating the troops encamped outside his stronghold bore a malevolent intention similar to that of Lord Henry, which he feared; he had known that the lord of the east's request for safety from the invaders would lead all the lords of the east to follow his lead.

The knight tried to calm the lord's fears to no avail, so the witch intervened, exasperated by his incessant questioning about the boy and the oddly dressed hunter.

She was exhausted and worn out from sitting atop the horse for too long on the rough road.

"The king, through his great wisdom, has come to a significant solution" said the witch

The witch's words held no greater value than those of Ser Declan to the lord of the stronghold, but they were more reassuring since they came from a royal advisor, even if she were a woman, she must know something that others do not.