seat of war

In 1181 Bishop Stephen of Tournay feelingly describes his terror while traversing, on a mission from the king, through the Toulousain, then recently the seat of war between the Count of Toulouse and the King of Aragon, where deserted solitudes revealed nothing but ruined churches and desolated villages, and where he was ever in expectation of attack, from robbers or from the more dreaded bands of Cotereaux.

Then I asked him for the latest news from the seat of war.

Upon the subject of the defendant's guilt public opinion fluctuated, and was not infrequently influenced by news from the seat of war: when it looked as if the Germans were primed for a smashing victory, the doubting centred firmly upon the family of Kraus and Miss Frieda Appel; but when once more convinced that the Germans were fighting the long and losing game, the hyphenated were banished in favour of that far more interesting suspect, Mrs. Balfame.

Three powerful armies were sent by the king of France to the seat of war.

Yes," said Osmond, laughing, "but now I go out armed, and escorted by a cordon of sisters to keep off murderers; landscape-painting has become as risky a profession as that of newspaper-reporter at the seat of war.