Whose Fire Burned Strongcastle?

[Verse – Accusers]
You brought her through our gates in silk and foreign flame,
Spoke her words like gospel, swore upon her name,
We drank her wine, we took her hand, we let her see our walls—
Now ash has claimed our banners and silence fills our halls.
You smiled and said, “She’s harmless, just a traveler from afar,”
Now wyverns haunt the midnight and we bury what we are.
Don’t speak to us of innocence, don’t dress it up in grace—
You opened up the door for her—you showed her every place.

[Verse – Defenders]
And who among you stood and said the stranger must be turned?
Who here refused her counsel, who here would not have learned?
You cheered her gifts, you praised her words, you filled her cup with wine—
Don’t lay it all on Donna now like none of it was thine.
And if not for her daring, if not for what she stole,
You’d kneel beneath the dragons now, body, breath, and soul.
No powder for your muskets, no fire to hold the line—
You’d not be here to curse her name or drink your bitter wine.

[Chorus – All, clashing]
So whose fire burned Strongcastle?
Whose hand lit the spark?
Was it trust that damned us all—
Or fear that struck too dark?
We sing it loud in anger,
We whisper it in shame—
But the dead don’t care for blame.

[Verse – Accusers, faltering]
She vouched for her… she swore it true… “You have my word,” she said…
And we believed her voice of gold—now half our kin lie dead…
You call it fate, you call it war, you dress it up with pride—
But she’s the one who brought the wolf and walked it to our side…

[Verse – Defenders, sharper]
And she’s the one who paid in full before you paid a breath—
Her children torn from out her arms and carried off to death—
Or worse than death in dragon’s grip, in shadow, flame, and chain—
You dare to heap more blame on her? You dare to speak her name?
She crossed the sea, she begged for aid, she would not break nor bend—
While you still had your sons at home, she’d lost them in the end.
England came because she stood when all the world turned black—
And every shot you fire now is something she stole back.

[Bridge – overlapping voices, breaking]
“She doomed us—”
“…they took her children…”
“She trusted wrong—”
“…she paid in blood…”
“We followed her—”
“…what would you do…?”
“The line was lost—”
“…she’s still fighting…”

[Quiet Break – single voice, almost sung like a lullaby]
Hush now, little flames… don’t you cry…
Mother’s voice is ash on the night wind now…
Sleep where I can’t reach you… wherever you lie…
I’ll hold the wall till the stars burn out…

[Final Chorus – slower, heavier]
So whose fire burned Strongcastle?
Tell me, who’s to blame?
The hand that opened up the gate—
Or those who fed the flame?
We shout her name in fury,
We choke on it the same—
For she has lost far more than name.

[Outro – subdued, divided → soft unity at the end]
“Damn her name…”
“…she lost them all…”
“She brought us ruin…”
“…and held the wall…”
“Donna…”
“…Donna…”
“…mother…”

Angry tavern argument song, Donna Smallwater blamed and defended, children taken, lullaby echoes, dark fantasy.