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The Old Banner of Camelot, the hollow seven-pointed white star emblazoned upon the maroon canvas, flapped triumphantly and relentlessly in the blustering winds that besieged Camelot in the days following the Declaration of Independence. Ominous, foreboding grey clouds in darkened swaths heralded a storm approaching Camelot, and showered various parts of the new Kingdom in light, refreshing rain.

In towering citadel of Camelot Castle, the Grey Cloaks in their dull cloaks and the retainers of the Army of the Flaming Lion in their crimson and yellow-slashed tabards prepared for a siege, to fight for the freedom they were determined to achieve not only in words, but with steel. The tense air that befell Camelot Castle was filled with the sounds of hammering, tinkering and building as men ferried siege supplies, smuggled by their Kharidian allies, into the Castle and built barricades, trebuchets and catapults.

The peasantry were the first to raise arm against their new King.

Vekonic loyalists took up their work tools and began to riot at the border of Camelot Castle, proclaiming Thaylon Grey a usurper and demanded him dead in voices that soon grew hoarse from shouting. These peasants, however, soon clashed with their very own neighbours, who welcomed the return of Camelot's freedom and the promise of greatness once again.

The struggle of the lower class soon became overshadowed. It was on the second day of Camelots's freedom that the first of Camelot's nobility began to arrive in Camelot Castle under the cover of the approaching storm. Lady Blackwood was the first to come with her northern retainers, and she was prompt to swear fealty to Thaylon and loyalty to independent Camelot. The rest of the nobility did not tarry: House Reyn, Dae, Rovin, Grey, Praven and Baudelaire - by the fifth day of Camelot's freedom, many banners had joined the Old Banner atop Camelot Castle.

The nobility had spoken - they chose freedom, and denounced their former overlords in Ardougne.

The people were ready to fight for its freedom and with the nobility swearing fealty came the loyalty of nearly all of Camelot's duchies, countries and baronies along with the levies and retainers sworn to the local lords within. With the sound of men preparing for siege and war all around them, Thaylon discussed what to do with each of these lords, in particular about the matter of the Ardougne blockade that kept Thaylon's mercenaries and his Asgarnian and Kharidian supporters blocked out in the bay.

After Thaylon met with each lord, his next course of action was obvious: with a thumping heart and cold sweat, he realized that he had been preparing for a war for a free Camelot for his entire life. He would not back down now.

It was Ardougne, however, who acted first before Thaylon could send word for his ship-bound allies to attack the blockade.

Queen Senna had ordered the blockade lifted. The news rippled through not only Camelot, but all its allied and enemy nations. Everyone had expected the Vekons to fight, to refuse to submit until the will of the free men forced them to do so, but they had not expected them to buckle as such.

But they did not complain.

No, they rejoiced. Camelot's freedom was assured, its independence guaranteed and its revived greatness all but certain. As the Ardougne ships left Catherby bay, Thaylon's supporters and allies were quick to fill the port town with dozens of ships, which were prompt to offload men.

Ale and wine ran like rivers through each town in Camelot that night and songs and celebrations reigned till after dawn the next day.

Camelot was free.