The soldier in charge stopped.
He slowly turned toward the doorway, where Davos stood wearing the badge of the Hand of the King, his face haggard.
Since Stannis had become king, Davos had become his Hand of the King, the "chief minister of the Seven Kingdoms."
The vicious grin on the soldier's face turned to undisguised mockery.
"Well, who have we here?"
"If it isn't our lord Onion Knight."
The other soldier pinning the woman down also turned. He looked Davos up and down as though he were some meddling idiot.
"What's this? Does the lord Hand of the King want a share, too?"
"Got your eye on this little girl?"
Their filthy words echoed through the hall.
These soldiers had come from Casterly Rock to reinforce Stannis.
Davos had saved Stannis with a shipload of salt fish and onions, but what did that have to do with them? Not half a copper star's worth.
They were loyal only to Lord Tywin.
In their eyes, Davos mattered little more than a stray dog.
Besides, before they left, Tywin had secretly instructed them to tarnish the reputation of Stannis's army.
They could indulge their bestial urges and carry out Lord Tywin's orders at the same time. It was the best of both worlds.
That was why they had risked coming to reinforce Stannis.
Otherwise, who would come without something to gain?
The girl cowering in the corner saw Davos as her last hope. A spark of hope rekindled in her eyes.
Davos ignored the soldiers' mockery.
His heart bled.
Was this the army of the king he served? Was this the army that would bring order and light to Westeros?
No!
They were nothing but bandits in armor!
"I order you to stop at once!"
Davos's voice burned with anger as