The Spoils Of War {Tbs}

Part 27

I woke up alone, the bedroom empty, and deathly quiet. I pushed myself out the bed and got dressed for the day, hurrying down the stairwell and out the hall out into the courtyard where men all stood loading their horses with weapons, supplies. I could smell the gunpowder, the strange smell of sparks on the air from the blacksmith's sharpening of swords, daggers, axes, the heat from this forge could be felt across the yard, the tall castle cast a shadow across the yard even if the sky was grey as if moments from rain, an odd silence across the men they all seemed to not glare at me, as usual, they all seemed far to busy to concern themselves with me. I walked through the dirty, overcast courtyard mud from the courtyard getting on my dress, even given the heat and the people I felt a chill. I looked up to the sky barely a ray of sunlight peaked through, the squawk of a raven called from the top tower of the castle before it flew down across the courtyard and out to sea. I spotted among the mess of men, Thomas stood with his horse finishing loading it up he saw me and smiled with a grave weighted smile. 

"hey"

"Hey" I smiled back

"Everything should be set, the guard will stay here with you to protect the castle, I doubt you'll have any trouble from them, much less from the women" he explained "I'm sure you will do an excellent job minding the castle, likely better then I did"

"Yes my lord" I nodded

"Hey, none of that." He warns tapping my chin "Will you smile for me? before I go?"

I smiled as forcefully as I could trying not to cry

"Ohh.. princess. no. There is a time for each of us, whether mine is now or not neither of us know, so do not smile in grief and fear. I promise I'll come home whether that be at the head of our armies crown in hand, or in a wooden box., either way I will come home to my princess"

"I know. promise me you'll be careful"

"I promise" he smiled kissing my little tears "I love you so much, waited my whole life for you, I am happy to go to war for you a thousand times to make my princess smile for me." he says

"I love you more"

"Take care of this place, and yourself for me. I'll be back before you even miss me" he gave me a gentle kiss and climbed on his horse,  with a gentle kick the horse began to walk out the courtyard, he blew me a kiss and I blew him one back and like that as the horse walked his men mounted there own and followed him leaving behind their women too, women, children and anyone else they loved to follow him out the gates to known fates and like that... the courtyard empty but the two guards on the gate, and those of us left behind, women, children, and the few left to run the castle it was this unearthly silence and as the last horse left the chimes on the courtyard tower clock chimed on the hour each chime echoing in the quiet. 

"My lady? how shall we go?" a woman asked me for a moment I wasn't sure, I was a princess raises to smile and bow with no power or opinions of my own, to be a good wife and make little prince's and princesses, for once I was left in charge not like when Arthur left then his advisors ran everything leaving me with nothing but a poison to hold, these people, this castle depended on me and my decisions and Thomas entrusted me to hold the castle to run it in his stead, me not his advisors, not his guards. me. 

"Seal the gates. knowone comes in or out unless I know about it. we have to accept that they know with war looming our defenses will be on the road, set a scout in the tower nest to watch the men on their way to raise an alarm if trouble is spotted on the road, and put the main defence on the gates make it look like they're all still here to any spies or approaches. we have to expect an attack here by the month's end prepare for it" I told her 

"what should we do my lady?" another asked a baby in her arms 

"Our men have gone to war. we have to defend ourselves now. get one of the men who are still here and every woman in the castle, we all need lessons"
"Lessons my lady?" a guard asked 

"On now to hold a sword, how to fight, I should hate it to come to that, but that king is a madman, he knows in war our forces would leave us so he would attack here, to attack the defenceless women and children while the men are away, turn them around before they even get to his gates to cry over there lost loves. all of us have to be prepared to fight to defend ourselves and this castle." I explained "get as many inside as we have space for I want knowone sleeping in the gutters or yards when the castle is warm" I explain heading inside