The King immediately called up his armies to meet the enemy.
To
Anna, the flowers were sleeping comfortably but the world around
them was not.
The evening
before the army's departure, a farewell banquet was held in
the Great Hall. At dawn the forces of the kingdom assembled
under the Banner of the Roses.
The chargers
blowing plumes of frosty breath nervously through their nostrils,
seemed more like dragons than horses. Wagons of provisions lined
the courtyards. Ranks of foot soldiers waited to move out to
meet the enemy. Finally the drums gave a heaving roll like thunder
and the King and his lords set out at the head of the enormous
column. The army began to move.
The war
continued far into the winter. Finally on a cold, bitterly cold
morning a messenger arrived from the front, carrying news of
the final battle. The enemy had surrendered. The King and his
men were victorious...but at a terrible price.
