Chapter 145: What Remains Behind

26 February, 1360. Westerhaven Palace, Islia

The palace turned into a quiet, dreary place after the Islian army had departed. There were no boisterous dinners, no flirtations or entertainment. It became a shadow court of anxious women, many clutching rosary beads wherever they went.

Without William's presence, Camilla felt like the colour and vibrancy had been stripped from her life, one grey day simply merging into the next. She tried to stifle her sadness as much as possible through, because she knew many ladies were suffering even more.

Princess Blanche had literally had to drag herself from childbed to watch Prince James depart, when he'd only spent a couple of days with their new child. Elizabeth Taunsen would have to give birth her own baby without her husband at her side, as no one expected the army to have returned by April. Even the queen carried the weight of knowing her husband and five beloved sons had ridden out to face danger.