This is only an opening chapter for the future chapters, the rest will be longer as I am planning to have between 4-6 thousand words each chapter following this one.
You know honestly I'm surprised that I am going to start a story again, it has honestly been so long since I've written anything at all. Between college and work I just lost the motivation to write anything, or do anything interesting it seems. Only lately have I begun to exercise on a daily basis, besides mandatory PRT, due to my own motivation and I've begun to enjoy myself more and go to many different places. Currently I'm stationed in Korea, and though I've never been busier I'm starting to really appreciate things and find myself. Hopefully this will translate into a completed story that you all are able to enjoy.
So this story came to me after reading many GoT/ASOI&F fics. One of my biggest interests in this story is to portray warfare correctly and distances and geography correctly. Especially since my biggest pet peeve is when armies and people are able to seemingly transport across the world with little consequence
DESCRIPTION
They should've killed him that night, but their hubris knew no limits. Deep in their blackest cells they kept him alive, unknown to the rest of the realm, so that he could suffer for the slights committed against them. Alone in his pain he delved deep into himself discovering a terrible power that could shatter all that they knew. Now he is ready, to take vengeance against all those against him and his people…for The North Remembers.
DESCRIPTION END
Now first things first I will be using elements from both the books and the tv show when writing this story and I will be taking liberties with the timeline and some character deaths. Especially involving north of the wall and the Red Wedding. Involving the wildlings and the white walkers, the wildlings are in the process of marching on the wall still and haven't taken as many losses from the white walkers. Also the white walkers are still a few years away from making their move, even so Mance Rayder still knows that the time is ripe for his people to go south before the white walkers are too strong. Involving the Red Wedding, knowing that in order to keep the North together, many hostages were taken during the wedding, and sent north after the Boltons took control. Although much of their army was decimated during the night, however the North still has much strength left since less than half of the total levies of the North marched south in the first book.
Winter is a few years away still since I want this story to focus on the warfare being conducted in the south and blizzards honestly ruin a good war quite quickly. Honestly! You every sleep outside during a blizzard with nothing but and sleeping bag and a makeshift hooch made from a poncho and bungie cords? You'd have people dying in droves!
Further notes about the timeline and changes will be brought up later, or if you are really interested just send me a PM or a question in a review. I'll try to respond to either.
I have no rights to Game of Thrones or A Song of Ice and Fire…
Story
They should've killed him, slit his throat like they were ordered to by their benefactors, but they stayed their hand. Not out of pity, not out of loyalty, not out kindness, but out of cruelty, spite, and anger. Anger that came from a spur of the moment decision that he had regretted every day since he was moved to that deep dark dungeon under the river.
It wasn't out of regret of having broken his vows to his current tormentors, but regret from involving her in this war from the start. She was too kind of a heart, too pure and gentle for this war from the start and he knew that he shouldn't have involved her like he had. Now she was dead, as was their unborn child, betrayed and murdered right before his eyes far from her home and family.
The young man opened his eyes and stared deeply at the pile of bones, her bones, that was across from him in his cell. They told him it was a kindness, a mercy, to keep him in the same cell with his beloved, not many could say the same in these dark cells.
The first weeks had been the worst, and he had nearly gone mad from the pain, fever, and anguish that came with the knowledge that he had failed his family and his people. His enemies now toasted and celebrated his death, while his people were forced to suffer under those that had betrayed him. However, it was in his anguish that he discovered his salvation, a gift from The Old Gods that had laid dormant in the blood of the First Men for thousands of years.
It had started with the rats of his cell, first it was just dreams he believed, bouts of madness from all that had happened to him. But soon his abilities extended to far beyond the walls of the keep and soon he was free from his cell for the first time in over a month. Occupying the bodies of wolves, hawks, and the occasional shadow-cat and soon he was able to control them at will and could plant thoughts in their heads. Soon he had a pack of animals actively fighting against his captors whenever they left their keep and none were safe on the roads unless he deemed them to pass unscathed.
With this anguish and grief had given unto rage and determination with his powers he would make all those that had hurt those he had cared about would pay, they would forever regret the day they made him their enemy. This rage fueled his powers to a level that had never been documented in the history of the First Men and it filled him with a need to test his powers as much as he could.
It was six months after his imprisonment that he successfully dominated another humans will and taken control of their body. It was through this that he had finally had news from the outside that wasn't just taunts from his captors. First, Joffrey, the little shit he had sworn to see dead was at last dead. Murdered at his own wedding, word was that it was the Imp that had murdered the king with poison. The irony wasn't lost to the captive in this situation.
Second, the Lannisters had now made themselves permanent enemies of Dorne with the death of Oberyn Martell at the hands of The Mountain. That information would prove useful in the future, any enemy of the Lannisters was a friend to him, well most of them at least. Perhaps Dornish aid wouldn't be too hard to secure in the future with this information.
Third, Tywin Lannister was dead, murdered too by the Imp. Honestly at this point if the Imp wasn't stopped soon his revenge would be nearly impossible to achieve against the Lannisters as they would all be dead soon! Nonetheless the most dangerous man in Westeros was now dead, to be honest the War of Five Kings should've never been named that, since the war was really only fought by Stannis Baratheon, Tywin Lannister, and himself. The rest had either died or petty revenge that resulted in nothing but death.
Last, the Boltons were tearing apart The North trying to establish their dominance over the other houses since the Red Wedding had occurred. The only thing holding The North together was the presence of Sansa Stark who had wed the former bastard of Bolton, the man he now knew to have burned and sacked Winterfell during the war. Rumors said that each night the bastard took Lady Stark forcefully and her cries of pain and misery could be heard in even in Wintertown if the night was quiet enough.
They would all pay in time for their transgressions, but at the moment he had to focus on his training in his new powers. It was 9 months after his imprisonment that he had finally been able to completely subjugate the will of his guards permanently. No longer was he their captive, they were now his captives, trapped in the prison of their own minds. They now served him faithfully and loyally beyond a fault and soon he was slowly, but surely taking over the keep one guard or personal at a time.
Some were able to resist of course, those with a stronger mind were able to fight to certain extent but they all succumbed to his powers eventually. Those of exceptional will that were able to resist him to a much larger extent were used as his personal training dummies. He would torment them and destroy their minds as they fought to retain what will they had over their own bodies.
It was only days ago that he had finally been able to subjugate the mind of one of his former soldiers, the son of one of his loyalist men who had died at Oxcross. It was liberating to say the least, it wasn't the betrayal of his vows that had resulted in his undoing…it was the greed of his captors. They had planned his betrayal long before he broke his vows, they had only waited for the opportune moment. The first step had been the death of the Heir of his captor after the Battle of Oxcross, murdered in his sleep and made to look like a death due to his injuries from the battle and the removal of those in their house who were loyal to himself including his squire who had been sent away before the betrayal.
It was soon time to strike, he had over 200 men subjugated throughout the keep and they were all ready for the moment for which to strike. Outside the keep large packs of animals were ready to rush the gates and slaughter all that resisted him and his might. Not to mention the 30 sellswords under the employ of his captors that would ensure his uncle's safety during the takeover. They had been bought by one of his thralls that had enough money to purchase men of their nature.
Despite all of this his plans would normally mean nothing, but with Riverrun under the rule of the Tully's once more, with Brynden "The Blackfish" Tully, occupying it, the keeps main garrison was lessened considerably. Now all he had to do was secure the gates and the main hall, in order to ensure his revenge could go uninterrupted.
To the rest of the world it would look like nothing more than a disgruntled son taking control away from a father that had lived for far too long and had made too many enemies. However, to him it would be the start of something far grander than what they could ever possibly imagine. A start to a quest of vengeance that had only one outcome, and it was an outcome that would only end with the blood of his enemies spilt upon the fields of Westeros.
The prison smiled darkly, revealing unclean yellow teeth, as he looked up at the man who was the final piece of his plans that were a year in the making. Wild unkempt auburn hair covered his head nearly hiding his once sky blue eyes, now gray from torment and anguish. The prisoner chuckled and coughed as he stood to the bars as the guards slowly unlocked his cell and he stepped out for the first time in nearly 12 months.
"It is time." He rasped out as the men around him nodded and ran out of the dungeons to the points that had been designated beforehand. The man at his side pulled a sword out of his sheath and handed it to the prisoner, who lifted it with surprising ease for one who had spent a year in a dungeon cell.
Turning towards the exit, the prisoner began to walk towards freedom and the promise of revenge. "Come Ryman, we have an appointment with your grandfather that has been a year overdue."
"Indeed, your Grace." The man now identified as Ryman stated as he obediently walked behind the unkempt prisoner.
The prisoner chuckled at the irony of the man who was now his pawn. Once a disloyal murder with no honor, now nothing more than a shell with memories that would serve him faithfully until a time that he was no longer needed.
"Soon the Lannisters, the Baratheons, the Boltons, the Freys, the Karstarks, and all others that stand against me will suffer my wrath!" The prisoner stated as he looked up at the door that would lead to his freedom, his eyes glowed a bright silver as pushed open the door and took a step out. "For I am of the blood of the First Men, I am the King of The North, and I will take back what is rightfully mine and bring everything else crashing down around them!"
With that Robb Stark entered the game once more with a new resolve to see vengeance done to those who wronged him.
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Well there it is the first chapter and the opening to my story. My goal is to make this believable, no plot twists for the sake of plot twists. People and armies will not suddenly disappear and head across Westeros and make a difference. Tactics and commanders will make more of difference and actual attrition warfare will take place.
Robb will be much darker in this fiction as he had to watch many of his loyal bannermen die along with his pregnant wife and his mother…who will remain dead. No crazy Lady Stoneheart in this story. Honestly not sure who is crazier at this point Catelyn Stark, Cersei Lannister, or Daenerys Targaryen.