It is a bad winter for everyone. The countess Ellen is grieving and despondent; the women are mourning and terrified; there are no officers to offer leadership. “There are no lords in Logres” becomes a common adage.
The heir to the seat is a 3-year-old boy, so his mother the Countess will rule until he is grown. She needs loyal knights to guard her and back her up. She is the legitimate authority, but only with the cooperation of knights to give force to her words.
Some knights speak against this, and are talking tough about how it’s a time for strong men to rule, not women.
Others swear to support Countess Ellen and to protect the young heir with counsel and arms.
Eventually, in the absence of another strong ruler to take the countess’s place, almost all Salisbury knights swear to serve her.