Willem and Martyn Lannister Story Chapter 1

"War means blind obedience, unthinking stupidity, brutish callousness, wanton destruction, and irresponsible murder."

Alexander Burkman

"The best political weapon is the weapon of terror. Cruelty commands respect. Men may hate us. But, we don't ask for their love; only for their fear."

Heinrich Himmler

Synopsis

Following Gregor Clegane's (aka the Mountain) evacuation from Harrenhal, Willem and Martyn Lannister take part in a raid on a village. Guilt and disillusionment lead them to save a girl from being raped by one of the Mountain's soldiers. If you recognize anything, it rightfully belongs to George R.R. Martin, the creator of A Song of Ice and Fire and its television adaptation, Game of Thrones. Since neither the books nor TV series do not name who Willem and Martyn were squiring for, I decided to create my own character, Ser Roger Swyft, the younger brother of their mother Dorna Swyft/Lannister. Pinkville is a reference to the My Lai massacre. Please feel free to read and review but keep the comments respectful. I welcome any corrections if I have gotten any of my facts wrong. Bogs is named after an eponymous villain in The Shawshank Redemption.

Willem's Point of View

It was another warm day in the Long Summer. It was midday and the sun hung high above the plains of the Riverlands. Willem and his twin brother Martyn Lannister, were riding with a great Lannister host. It had been five days since they had evacuated Harrenhal, the largest castle in Westeros and formerly the base of the Lannister armies operating in the Riverlands.

Willem and Martyn were the two younger twin sons of Kevan Lannister, a loyal adviser to their Uncle Tywin Lannister, the strongman of House Lannister. Uncle Tywin had built their family into one of the wealthiest and most powerful families on the continent of Westeros. Their elder brother Lancel Lannister, had been a squire to the late King Robert Baratheon. Ten and five years of age, Willem and Martyn were squiring for Ser Roger Swyft, the younger brother of their mother Dorna Swyft and a loyal bannerman of the Lannisters.

Their parents had first met after the young Ser Twyin had begun demanding that his father's bannermen repay all the gold that his weak-minded father Tytos Lannister had lent them. Ser Harys Swyft, the Knight of Cornfield and the Head of House Swyft, was one of the first to yield to the Young Lion's decree. Unable to repay his debt, he had instead turned his daughter, Dorna Swyft, over to Tywin's brother Ser Kevan as a hostage. Soon, a marriage alliance was sealed between the two houses. The rest was history.

As Lannisters, Willem and Martyn were fair-haired, tall, and handsome. They wore the red robes and plated armour of House Lannister. Their sigil was a golden lion on a red background. The Lannisters were reputed to be descended from an Andal adventurer named Lann the Clever who had crossed into the Westerlands and supposedly bedded the daughter of Lord Casterly, the ruler of Casterly Rock. Since Lord Casterly produced no trueborn sons, the Rock passed to his daughter, and hence to Lann, upon his death. As the richest and most powerful houses in Westeros, the Lannisters were regarded by the other houses as cocky, arrogant, and avaricious; a reputation enforced by Uncle Tywin's ruthless efforts to restore the supremacy of his House in the Westerlands.

Both Willem and Martyn were riding horses; Willem was riding a brown mare and Martyn a white stallion. A cool breeze from the south swept through the Lannister forces. They were riding with Ser Gregor Clegane, the head of House of Clegane and one of Uncle Tywin's most loyal bannermen. Gregor was a freakishly big man who was renowned through Westeros for his lust for blood and violence. He was capable of decapitating a horse with a single blow of his sword. There were persistent rumours abounding that Ser Gregor had brutally raped and murdered Elia Martell and her children. Elia was a Dornish princess who had been the bride of Rhaegar Targaryen, whose kidnapping of Lyanna Stark had sparked Robert's Rebellion which had brought about the demise of the Targaryen Dynasty. Gregor's alleged role in Elia's brutal death had strained relations between House Lannister and its Dornish allies.

"There's a Riverland village four miles ahead," announced Ser Gregor, his stentorian voice ringing through wind. "Let's teach them a lesson for supporting the wrong side. We'll raid the village and then rest there for the night before continuing to the Stone Mill."

There were shouts of joy and satisfaction from among the Lannister host. Willem knew that many of these men savored nothing less than the opportunity to kill peasants, rape women, and make off with as much loot as they could carry. Growing up at Casterly Rock, Willem had been raised on tales of the chivalry and valour of Knights. He and his brothers Martyn and Lancel had spent many hours playing with wooden swords and toy shields in imaginary battlefields. All three boys were brought up to glamorize tales of heroic exploits during the Targaryen conquest of the Seven Kingdoms and Robert's Rebellion. However, the reality of fighting was different. Instead of epic pitched battles between valiant knights and set armies, much of the fighting had consisted of raids on villages followed by the mass slaughter of unarmed peasants and the usual rapes. Often, people were killed or raped simply for being on the wrong side.

Since the death of the good King Robert Baratheon, the Seven Kingdoms had been thrown into a state of civil war. Four pretenders had risen to challenge the "rightful" King Joffrey Baratheon, Robert's firstborn son. Rumours persisted that his cousins Joffrey, Myrcella and Tommen, were the products of an incestuous relationship between Queen Cersei and her twin brother Jaime Lannister, a Knight of the King's Guard. Jaime was now a captive of the Starks and Tullys. The Riverlands had become a battleground between the Crown's Lannister allies and the Stark-Tully alliance that had rallied around the pretender Robb Stark, the self-proclaimed "King of the North." The Riverlands were dominated by House Tully, an ally of the Starks through marriage and blood. Thus, the Riverlands had become fair game for Lannister raiding parties. Prior to his departure to relieve King's Landing, Uncle Tywin had ordered Gregor Clegane to raze the Riverlands to punish their inhabitants for supporting the wrong side.

While Willem in his youth had savored warfare as a chance for any able-bodied men to prove his worth, he had grown disillusioned with the mindless violence and rape which characterized the War of the Five Kings. Willem had seen many of his childhood friends being slaughtered or maimed in the most horrific way. The fighting had degenerated into a stalemate with neither side being able to gain the initiative. Despite the Lannister-Tully-Martell alliance and the defeat of the pretender Stannis Baratheon's fleet during the Battle of Blackwater Bay, the Crown still had to contend with numerous foes. In the Riverlands, lay the Starks and their Tully allies. Further north, Balon Greyjoy, the Lord Reaper of Pyke, had rebelled against the Crown and returned to the Ironborn tradition of reaving the mainland. Despite his defeat, Stannis still posed a threat to the Lannister alliance and had significant forces garrisoned at Dragonstone and Storm's End. Farther east, came songs that a Targaryen girl had awakened a three-headed dragon and was poised to return to Westeros to reclaim her inheritance: the Iron Throne.

Prior to their evacuation from Harrenhal, the Mountain had ordered the slaughter of all the Northern prisoners. It was a horrifying spectacle. Willem and Martyn had only looked after the cloaks and garments of those who had taken part in this massacre. However, they were still haunted by the gut-wrenching cries of men, women, and children being slaughtered like cattle. The prisoners were not only men at arms but also women and children who had been taken in raids on the Riverlands. Others were former servants from House Whent, the former occupants of Harrenhal until the Lannisters had seized the castle. Thankfully, their Uncle Roger had managed to save several of the women and children including Pretty Pia, a servant girl who had slept with many of the Lannister men. Besides men-at-arms and knights, every army needed its share of cooks, bedwarmers, servants, and healers. Swords and shields were not the only things that made an army.

"I wish all this fighting would end," moaned Martyn "I'm tired of all this mindless killing. We didn't enlist in the Lannister army so that we could kill helpless smallfolk, women, and children."

"Me too," answered Willem, as he pulled the reins of his horse Fuzzle to direct her away from a muddy puddle. "If only those darn pretenders would storm challenging the King's claim to sit on the Iron Throne. Then we would have peace."

Martyn's POV

"War brings out the most negative emotional human responses on both sides."

Henk Middelraad

"She should just be silent and allow the rape. Then they'd have dropped her off after doing her."

Mukesh Singh, convicted rapist

It was dusk and the sun had begun to set on the Riverland village of Pinkville, which lay on the banks of the long, winding Red Fork River. Near the eight watch of the day, a Lannister force had raided the village and put many of its inhabitants to the sword. The smallfolk living there had been completely caught off guard. With all their military-age men serving on battlefields far away, Pinkville was easy prey for the combined Lannister, Clegane, and Swyft host. Martyn had watched armoured knights with his own eyes cutting down boys his own age and elderly men who had been tending to their crops.

It had been little more than a bloodbath throughout the village. Men on horseback threw flaming torches on the thatched straw roofs of the village's buildings. Even the granaries were not spared. Under the Lannisters' scorched earth strategy, they were set ablaze to deny the enemy food. Lannister, Clegane, and Swyft men at arms swarmed through the village like ants assaulting a termite colony, slaughtering everyone they came across. Within an hour, the battle or rather a massacre was over. Some of the women and girls were spared but were forcibly impressed into Lannister service as bedwarmers and servants.

While combing the streets for stragglers, Martyn and his twin Willem witnessed their fellow comrades looting houses or ravishing women and girls. Martyn tried to drown out the heart-rendering cries and screams of these unfortunate women and girls, the spoils of war who had become the playthings of men. But this was to no avail.

Near the end of the street, Martyn and Willem came across a thatched farmhouse surrounded by a field of ripe corn. Near the wooden gate, the boys saw the corpse of a bearded farmer. His skull had been smashed open with a club or pick-axe. Martyn was so revolted at the disfigured state of the corpse that he threw up, emptying his lunch which had consisted of a ham sandwich laced with lettuces, cheese, and beetroot.

"Toughen up," said Willem "It's only a corpse."

As the Lannister brothers walked down the gravel pathway that led to the house, they head the shrill cries of a young girl coming from inside the building. Seeking to investigate the source of this disturbance while helping themselves to some dinner and loot, Martyn and Willem entered the building. The living room was a mess. Broken furniture lay strewn all across the floor. A dog lay on the kitchen floor with its entrails strewn opened. Several flies buzzed over it and a half-eaten roast chicken. The mutt had evidently died trying to defend its owners. As they drew deeper in the house, the cries grew louder.

"It's coming from the master bedroom," whispered Willem, who had unsheathed his sword. Martyn followed behind, wielding his sword. Their uncle Tywin had gifted the swords to them on their twelfth name-day. Martyn's sword was called Dawn while his older brother Willem's sword was called Dusk.

Martyn and his brother were totally unprepared for the sight that greeted them in the master bedroom. On the bed, lay the naked corpse of a grown, orange-haired woman. Her arms and feet were bound by blood-soaked bed sheets to the wooden bedposts. There was a deep gash across her throat. A yellow surcoat adorned with three black hounds lay on top of the woman's body. Martyn recognised the three black hounds on a yellow field as the sigil of House Clegane, making the soldier one of The Mountain's men. The Mountain's Men were a dangerous, unsavoury bunch who shared the same taste for violence and cruelty as their liege lord.

On the floor, Martyn and Willem saw a black-haired man forcing himself onto a terrified girl, who was evidently the woman's daughter. The girl was about ten years old and shared the same orange hair and sharp nose as her dead mother. The rapist was half naked except for his breeches. The girl was weeping in absolute terror and fear.

"Stop it, stop it," screamed Willem at the top of his voice

Caught by surprise, the man turned his back and found himself staring into the faces of two well-armed Lannister squires. Martyn quickly recognized the man as Bogs, one of Gregor Clegane's best scouts. Bogs was feared among the servant girls for his taste for violent sex. Prior to winding up in The Mountain's service, Bogs had been a violent robber who had been imprisoned by their father Kevan Lannister during an operation to clear the Westerlands of robber knights and outlaws. Due to the crippling losses sustained by the Lannister forces at the Battle of the Whispering Woods, Tywin had been forced to turn to the prisons to make up for the shortage of troops. Bogs had been granted parole in return for serving Clegane. Bogs was one of the many thugs in the Lannister army who viewed women and girls as spoils of war.

Cursing, Bogs scowled at Willem and Martyn and grabbed his victim by her hair, causing the girl to cry out in pain.

"Can't you leave a dog to chew on his bone?," growled Bogs "What the hell do you think you were doing sneaking on me from behind!"

"We didn't enlist in the Lannister army to rape helpless girls," roared Martyn, who pointed his sword at the man's chest.

"Let her go," added Willem sternly "Or we'll cut off that cock of yours."

Bogs was unmoved by their threats.

"You highborns with all your honour and gold," taunted Bogs "This Riverland girl is my fair prize. Nothing comes between a dog and his bone."

Willem then winked twice to Martyn, who nodded in response; knowing the coded signal. Without saying a word, the twins dug the blades of their swords into Bogs' chest, drawing a trickle of blood. Bog's act disgusted and angered Martyn and Willem, who had a younger sister named Janei. The girl reminded them of their younger sister and Martyn dreaded the thought that anyone would dare to rape an innocent child.

"Let her go or we'll cut out your heart," shouted Willem in a fierce tone.

Facing two steel blades, Bogs was forced to surrender his ill-gotten prize. He let go of the girl who quickly crawled under the bed. Under the watchful eyes of Martyn and his brother, Bogs quickly collected his surcoat, mail-shirt, and tunic and bolted out of the master bedroom like a chastised hound. Martyn then approached the girl, who was hiding under her parents' bed.

"It's alright, little one," whispered Martyn gently as he bent down to peer under the bed. "You're safe now. No one's going to harm you."

Upon examining the bed, Martyn was startled to find that the girl was not alone. Huddled beside her was a terrified small boy, who was about four years old. There was the familiar salty stench of urine and Martyn quickly realized that the boy had wet himself.

"Go away," screamed the girl, who recognized the crimson robes of House Lannister "You Lannisters came and burnt down our village and killed my parents."

Tears streaked down the girl's face. Martyn admired the courage and fortitude with which she spoke. She was a little lioness. Martyn quickly gestured towards his twin, who bent down and offered the girl a bun from his rucksack.

"It's not much but it should quench your hunger," said Willem in a warm, gentle voice.

Having missed out on dinner, the girl eagerly accepted Willem's bun and shared it with her brother, who eagerly wolfed it down.

"Our parents are gone," cried the girl, struggling to fight back against her tears "Our brother is away fighting in Robb Stark's army. There's no one left to look after us."

"We'll protect you," assured Martyn, his pale blue eyes peering into the girl's freckled face and brown eyes "I promise you that we won't hurt you or your brother. I swear it by both the Old Gods and the New Gods."

"My name is Willem," said Willem "And this is my twin brother Martyn. We're Lannisters."

Upon hearing the very word "Lannister", the girl froze. Martyn saw a look of fear and hatred in her eyes and face.

"You Lannisters invaded our lands and burnt our farms and homes," screamed the girl "The only good Lannister is a dead one."

Sensing his sister's distress, her brother cried.

"Please," said Martyn gently "We're not all bad. We saved you from that soldier. If we wanted to harm you, we would have just left you to his tender mercies. I swear by all the gods that no harm will come to you and your brother."

This time, Willem offered the children another bun and a sausage which they eagerly accepted. In the end, the girl finally agreed to trust the Lannisters. For the first time since they had met, she smiled and said, "My name's Jill and this is my brother Peter. He's four and I'm ten."

"Well, let's get you two to somewhere safe," said Martyn.