A sense of unease could be felt throughout the castle as they walked to the main gate, the smiles and sounds of laughter that she had quickly grown used to were nowhere to be heard or seen.
The cold silence and hollow footsteps that were once her only companions were gone.
In their place was a sense of danger, long gone were the bright dresses that the women and girls wore as they tried to put the lives of soldiers behind them.
It was as if she was seeing them for the first time again.
She noticed that they were passing by the room where the orphans slept but when she looked inside she found that they were all wearing armor and even the maids who looked after them wore it.
"Gods even the children are armed." she thought to herself when she saw the small daggers that the children had tied to them.
"Miss." Kirito says to her, and she remembers that she needs to greet the Queen and her entourage.
"Daddy!" the cheerful voice of a girl no older than four or five years old cuts through the tension, before the sound of tiny feet running reaches them.
Yui Kiritos and Asunas daughter hugs her father's leg while ignoring the way that Kirito and the people around him are acting.
Behind the girl is a dog that could pass for a small horse, whose eyes glow with white light as if a fire was burning from inside of the beast.
She didn't dare to approach the beast, not even when Yui or the other children played with it. She knew that the dog was friendly, but its black fur and glowing white eyes frightened her.
"Can I come?" Yui asks Kirito who tells her to stay with the other children, but Asuna tells her husband that the presence of at least one child might help them make a good impression.
Shella wants to tell the woman that- that boat has sailed but remembers that they have only angered the king. The man might be led to reason if his wife and children have a better impression of them.
By the time they reach the main gate and step outside, they find the three with their backs turned, their attention is completely on the great black dragon that's chained outside.
Shella can hear the beast growling, and its eyes turn to look at her and then at the group in front of her.
The giant cos and bulls can be heard not too far from the castle meaning that the knights must have been able to keep them from running away.
The dragon's eyes move in the direction that the sound came from before they close and the creature's growls are the only thing heard.
The dwarf accompanying the queen notices them and turns to them before walking up to them with a confused and shocked expression.
" How did you catch that thing?" he says to them while pointing at the great dragon.
"A lot of luck and five injured war beasts.' Kirito answers the queen's brother while forgetting to speak to the man with the respect he deserves.
"And that one?" the dwarf asks while looking at Yui who for whatever reason decided to ride on the back of the dog.
"We've had him since he was a puppy, so we didn't catch him he's always been a part of the family." Again Kirito answers the man with the same disrespectful tone.
"Oh where are my manners I'm Tyrion Lannister.' the dwarf presented himself, completely forgetting that it was they who had to present themselves before the queen and those who accompanied her first.
"I'm Kirito Sato, my wife Asuna, and our daughter Yui." Kirito presented his family as if he were the lord and disrespected her.
"Lady Whent with your permission I would like to present you and the rest of us.' Asuna says to her, showing the difference between her husband and her husband's upbringing.
Shella nods before turning to see the queen, her children, and their guards looking at them.
She listens to Asuna present the house of the blood, the black cats, the army, the steel wolves, and the coffin. Each guild leader bowled and tried to make themselves look as friendly as anyone could while wearing armor and carrying weapons.
'And last but not least Lady Shella Whent, ruler of Harrenhal and the chin that keeps us in check."
Shella felt her heart stop, Asuna had sentenced her to death, those words meant that they were sworn to her and she could control them. Now no matter what she said no one would believe that she didn't have any control over the knight's actions.
"I see." the queen says, her voice was as soft as honey.
Had these been other times Shella would have had her breath taken by the queen's beauty, the queen's blue eyes, gold blond hair light skin, and well-kept figure made her a true beauty.
The queen's son and daughter shared their mother's traits while her brother seemed to have been skipped by the gods when they were making the royal family.
Shella realized that she had been so captivated by their beauty that she hadn't heard the queen had finished talking and was waiting for her to guide them to the dining room.
"Please follow me." she says to them but before she can lead them inside she hears the sound of carts, horses, and men marching.
Again she feels her heart fill with fear, as she watches the soldiers, cooks, and servants of the royal family cross the gates and begin to take over.
She can see the knights looking at them with suspicion, some reach for the swords at their waist, but stop themselves before they can grab them.
She prayed that everything went well and the king accepted that she wasn't responsible for the dragon or anything that happened because of it. She took one last deep breath and led the royal family inside.