Bab 257: The royal hounds

As the sun began its descent over the horizon, casting a warm golden hue across the landscape, the knights of Sicily, under the command of Frederick, gathered outside the massive stone walls of Palermo. Their armor gleamed in the fading light, each piece carefully polished and adorned with the royal crest—three rampants black lions on a golden field . The knights stood tall and resolute, a formidable assembly of warriors who had answered their king's call.

Their horses, equally majestic, pawed at the ground impatiently, their breath forming plumes of mist in the cool evening air. The knights' banners fluttered in the breeze, displaying the colors and symbols of their respective noble houses. It was a scene of both martial splendor and solemnity, a testament to the unity and loyalty of Sicily's knights.