Okay Season 6. Here we go. Just a quick recap of what happened in the last story.
Selyse died on the way to the Wall. Baelish hears of this and instead of sending Sansa to the Boltons, he gives her to Stannis
Before he does that he confesses that he originally was planning on giving her to the Boltons. Enraged that Baelish would do this after saying how much he cared about her, Sansa vows to kill Baelish.
They make it to the Wall and the betrothal is made between Stannis and Sansa.
Before Baelish can leave to get the Vale, Stannis, Jon and Sansa with the help Melisandre's magic convict him of the crimes against the Starks. He is burned at the stake.
Stannis weds Sansa and gets more Northern support.
Houses Mormont and Umber support Stannis.
Smalljon Umber brings along Rickon Stark as well solidifying Stannis' claim.
My version of the Telltale game had Rodrik Forrester survive and Gryff lives.
Stannis gains the support of most of the Northern houses after liberating Deepwood Motte from the Ironborn.
The Battle for Winterfell begins. Roose and Ramsay as well as Gryff are killed. Winterfell is retaken.
Sansa hears of this and prepares to leave for Winterfell the next day. She also discovers she's with child. However unknown to her, the mutiny at Castle Black is about to start.
Sansa couldn't seem to get any sleep. She kept tossing and turning but sleep just avoided her. Perhaps it's one of the symptoms of being pregnant. She thought. But really it was the wind howling through the night. And she could also hear Ghost howling as well. That's it. I'm going to tell Jon to visit Ghost. He's keeping me up. As Sansa made her way to Jon's chambers she saw a peculiar sight. There was a man on the ground who appeared dead. But upon further inspection she realized what it was.
"Jon?" Sansa said. "Jon!" Sansa ran over and kneeled before the body. It confirmed her fears. It was Jon. It looked like he had been stabbed half a dozen times. She saw on a wooden post the word "traitor" was written on it. Sansa started to cry. She was finally in a good place. Her brothers were alive, her family had been avenged and her home was retaken. But now, Jon was dead. One of her last living brothers. She started hearing men approach her.
"It's the Lord Commander!" One of them shouted. She saw one of Jon's friends, Eddison "Edd" Tollet, arrive as well. He was just as shocked.
"Please help me get him inside." Sansa said in a shaky voice. The men obeyed her. Edd helped her to her feet and escorted her to Jon's office. They cleared the table and laid him down. Sansa went over to his body and laid her hand on his face closing his eyes. She then leaned forward and kissed his forehead.
"Thorne did this." Edd growled.
"Is there anyone you can trust in Castle Black?" Sansa asked.
"Trust? The men in this room."
"Get Ghost. You need all the help you can get." Sansa ordered. Edd went to the door when a knock was heard. The men drew their swords.
"Your Grace." A voice said. Sansa recognized it as Melisandre. She nodded to Edd who opened the door. Melisandre stepped in and looked at Jon's body, though not with shock but with curiosity.
"I saw him in the flames. Fighting at Riverrun." She said. Sansa looked down at Jon's body.
"He's gone." She said.
"Not for long." Melisandre told her. "You must get the Princess Shireen. Take your men and leave now. The king must be told of this. Go."
Sansa didn't know what to think next, but she did as the Red Woman said. She got Shireen up from her bed and got a few horses and a few guards to escort them. She hoped what Melisandre told her wouldn't be lies. She was sick of the lies.
Stannis walked across the halls of Winterfell. He had been contemplating what had happened the past few days. Apparently one of Renly's Kingsguard had come to Winterfell, thinking that Sansa was in the North being held hostage by the Boltons. He already recognized the woman, Brienne of Tarth. She accused him of killing Renly with blood magic, which privately Stannis didn't deny, but she was telling the truth. However he couldn't be seen as a kinslayer so he locked her in the dungeons. After a few days he went to visit her and she revealed that she had made a pact with Catelyn Stark to get her daughters to safety. The original plan was to bring them to their mother but then the Red Wedding happened. Stannis then told her his wife had passed away and he married Sansa to gain the support of the other kingdoms, including the North, Vale and Riverlands. Brienne didn't believe him, so Stannis decided to let Sansa decide her fate when she returned. He also took possession of her sword and Brienne told him it was reforged from Ned Stark's sword Ice. Stannis decided to hold it for a while, deciding whether or not he would keep the sword and pass it down to his children, who would have Stark blood or give it to Rickon. He also changed the pommel of the sword, making it plainer, with black leather and a silver plain pommel.
There was also someone he never expected to see. While his men were purging the hounds that Ramsay had they found a man in the kennels. The Northmen then explained that it was Theon Greyjoy. Stannis couldn't believe what he saw, the Greyjoys were proud fierce warriors, but Theon was anything but that. It seemed that Ramsay Snow had tortured him and practically erased even his name calling him Reek. However because Theon rebelled against the throne and the North he was guilty of his crimes. Stannis executed him in front of the Northern lords in the old way.
He was preparing to leave for the south soon with 10,000 men. 5,000 troops from his camp and another 5,000 from the Northerners. Smalljon Umber, Wylis Manderly and Rodrik Forrester would join him while Wyman Manderly, Robett Glover and Lyanna Mormont would stay and help Rickon Stark rule the North. Given what the North had been through, about 5,000 men would suffice for his army. After all the Knights of the Vale were coming to his aid bolstering his army.
There was also news of a betrothal between Rickon and Lyanna. The match made perfect sense for all parties. Rickon was now Lord of Winterfell and Lyanna, while she was Lady of Bear Island, she was not of age. They both agreed that their firstborn son would be a Stark and their second son would be a Mormont.
Due to the Ryswell and Dustins losing much from their armies, plus their lines wiped out, with the Ryswell line gone and Barbrey Dustin committing suicide due to her families deaths, the lands of the Barrowlands and the Rills were given to other houses. House Glenmore became lords of the Rills and the Stouts became lords of the Barrowlands. However the Dreadfort was ordered to be stripped of everything and put to the torch. He found out from Maester Wolkan that Walda Frey, under stress from her husband's death and the battle itself had lost the baby she was carrying and her life as a result. Stannis was pleased with this outcome, though not as cruel as Robert was with the Targaryen children, and now House Bolton was no more.
Despite winning Winterfell from the Boltons, Stannis had lost 4,000 men in the battle of Winterfell, which is the reason why he would be leaving with only 10,000 troops. As he was about to leave however, Sansa and Shireen had apparently come home. Sansa however, looked to be in tears. They made formal courtesies and Stannis led them to his room.
"Sansa, what's wrong?" Sansa turned to him.
"It's Jon. They killed him."
"Who?"
"The Night's Watch. People who were against him bringing the wildlings here."
"What?" For once, Stannis was shocked. He had thought that Jon would win them over. But then he realized Alliser Thorne was there. He must have turned them all against him. Jon should have heeded his advice about sending him away. It was fortunate that Sansa and Shireen got away just in time.
He gave Sansa a few days to herself. To mourn properly for her brother. Rickon was told the same thing as well. Thankfully they had each other so they wouldn't completely break. That is until a few days later, Jon Snow turns up at the gates of Winterfell alive and well. Melisandre and a few wildlings were with him. Sansa and Rickon couldn't believe it. They immediately ran up to Jon to make sure it was him.
"How? How are you—" Sansa asked.
"The Red Woman. She saved me." Jon said. Stannis had been shocked. Perhaps he was right keeping Melisandre around. Davos himself couldn't even believe it.
"I did nothing Jon Snow. It was the Lord's Will." She said.
"Come inside. We have to discuss some things." He led Jon to his solar. "How did you survive?"
"I told you, the Red Woman brought me back. I don't know how to explain it. But it happened. I executed the men responsible and left the Wall."
"I offered you that same thing. But you said you couldn't because of your vows to the Watch. What changed?"
"My death. I was dead. For a while. Until she brought me back."
Stannis still couldn't believe it. But perhaps this could work for his benefit.
"Then as one of the last remaining Starks left, will you accept my offer for legitimization?"
"With my death releasing me from my vows, aye. I accept." Then Jon got to one knee and knelt before Stannis.
"Rise, Lord Jon Stark of Winterfell. As your brother is not yet of age, you will be his heir. And as such you will help me lead the Northern armies against the Lannisters."
"Before we do that Your Grace, we need to discuss the defenses of the North."
"Already taken care of. I have ordered all Houses in the North to begin conscripting troops from ages 10 to 60. They will all drill daily with spears, pikes, bow and arrow. The Army of the Dead may be coming, but they'll have a hard time getting past the very thing that's keeping them out. We'll be preparing accordingly. Once I sit the Throne I will send all the armies up here. I will give you men to man the Wall. All 19 castles will be manned by trained and experienced soldiers."
"That's funny, Sansa promised the same thing." Jon laughed.
"It appears my queen has thought ahead." Stannis said.
Later on he met with Sansa in their rooms. She was sitting combing her hair. They were given the Lord's chambers. It was temporary until he left. Rickon would later occupy the rooms as he was the Lord of Winterfell. Sansa had also talked with Brienne accepting her services as her sworn shield. She also told her that Stannis was a good man and that Renly was in the wrong and if he had bent the knee Stannis would be sitting in King's Landing and her family would be alive. Brienne begrudgingly accepted this and bent her knee to Stannis. Stannis then walked up to Sansa.
"Sansa." He said. She turned around and gave him a sweet smile.
"Stannis. What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Your brother Jon has accepted my offer of legitimization. But as one of the last Stark members, he will be helping me lead the Northern forces marching south."
"How many are you taking?"
"Five thousand just from the North alone. I have another five thousand with me. I could have taken the rest, but the Northerners need to defend their homes."
"Who will be accompanying you?"
"Your brother. Smalljon Umber, Wylis Manderly and Rodrik Forrester. The men that came with me as well." Sansa seemed to be thinking hard to herself. Stannis didn't know why, but she could be thinking politically. He would need that help, he wasn't good at politics but he did his best. He adapted as best as he could in King's Landing, but he needed more help.
"Where will you go next?"
"The Riverlands. The Freys are laying claim to Riverrun. I've heard a rumor that you're great-uncle, Ser Brynden Tully is holding Riverrun against the Freys. I mean to march against them, burn the Twins to the ground and reclaim Riverrun for your family." He said. Sansa nodded approvingly.
"That's good. You need allies to take the throne. What of my cousin? Will the Vale stand with me?"
"They will, but…" Stannis trailed off. He had received news form the Vale, one part was good news but the other was bad news.
"But what?"
"Your cousin, Robin. He's dead. Killed himself after learning of Baelish's death." He told her. He thought she would be crying but instead her face was calm.
"Well, he was useless anyway. He was still feeding at his mother's breast before my aunt Lysa died. Do they have anyone leading them?"
"They do. Lord Yohn Royce of Runestone. They're bringing about thirty-thousand men. Seeing as how they never participated in the war, their armies are fresh."
"That's good too. You'll need them if you're facing off against the Lannisters and Tyrells." Sansa paused for a moment. "When do we leave?" Stannis looked at her incredulously.
"Sansa, you are not going. I plan on having you stay here in the North where it's safe—"
"I am going. The next logical step is Riverrun yes?"
"Yes, I plan on winning the Riverlands—"
"Back into the hands of my family House Tully." Stannis was surprised at how firm she was. "I am going Stannis. Shireen will stay here under my family's protection and I will go with you to see this through."
Stannis could see there was no dissuading this woman. Sansa seemed steadfast to see this through. Normally he would just tell her that he's made his decision, but this time Stannis couldn't do it. Sansa was a lot stronger than he thought. Then again, she did spend time in King's Landing, in the hands of the Lannisters. Being with them and Littlefinger must have taught her how to adapt and be stronger. Stannis couldn't help but admire Sansa. She did the same thing as he did during his tenure as Master of Ships under Robert and adapted to her surroundings.
"Alright. You'll come with us. I'll even take that woman with us to guard you. But at the first sense of danger, at the first sign that I cannot win—"
"You will win."
"But if I don't I want you to get to Winterfell. Tell your brother to prepare his men. Do you understand?" Sansa seemed to be thinking hard before turning to him.
"I understand."
"Good. We should get some rest then. We have a long journey ahead."
"Well, how about we stay up for a while? It is going to be a long journey. It might be the last night we have with each other for a while." Sansa said in a very sultry voice. Stannis didn't know what was happening though he could feel it in his breeches. Sansa then approached him slowly draping her arms around his neck before kissing him slowly. Stannis began to kiss her back before it got more passionate. Their clothes ended up on the floor before they made their way to the bed. Needless to say, they didn't get much sleep that night.
Stannis, Sansa and their army was approaching Moat Cailan when the Knights of the Vale arrived. It was true what had transpired at the Vale. Robin Arryn was dead. However House Arryn wouldn't die with him. A knight by the name of Harrold Hardyng was named the new lord of the Vale due to his grandmother being Jon Arryn's sister. And since he looked like Jon Arryn when he was younger the Lords of the Vale decided he would be the new Lord Arryn. Harrold bent the knee to Stannis swearing him his allegiance and thus Stannis gained another kingdom to his side.
They had sent ravens to all the houses in the Riverlands but they all denied him, stating the safety of their people is more important or that Robb Stark was a fool for marrying the Volantene girl and causing the Red Wedding. Stannis would have to deal with them afterwards.
They then made their way to the Twins, but there was something off about it. It seemed as though the castle was empty. This left Stannis a bit confused.
"I don't like this. They should have a sizeable defense here."
"Perhaps they're too frightened to come out. You did defeat half their army in Winterfell." Lord Royce said.
"Huh, cowards. All of them. They're probably hiding in their castle." Smalljon said.
"My father died here. I almost died here. I'm not dying here again." Rodrik said.
"What should we do Your Grace?" Davos asked him.
"It won't be easy to lay siege. We won't have enough time." Jon said.
"We've got twice as many men as when your brother marched south. And the Freys have lost half their army, we can take the Twins with ease." Ser Wylis said.
"Not in time, the Lannisters are marching to Riverrun as we speak." Stannis said.
"That's not the only thing we need to worry about, my uncle Edmure is in there, held hostage by the Freys." Sansa said. "If we storm the castle then we risk Edmure dying."
"Wait look." Jon said.
A few riders were coming to Stannis' camp, they looked to be Frey men, but Stannis couldn't be sure.
"Be ready." Stannis commanded. By the time the riders came to them Stannis' army was ready. It was only three riders, two men and a woman, she appeared to be carrying a baby.
"My lords!" The man on the horse said. "We mean you no harm! Let us through and we will tell you what has happened!" Stannis nodded to his men who began confiscating their weapons.
"Who are you?" Stannis asked. The man leading them stepped forward.
"I am Ser Perwyn Frey. This is my brother Olyvar and my sister Roslin."
"Perwyn? Olyvar?" Rodrik Forrester said. Stannis turned to Rodrik.
"You know them?"
"Yes, Olyvar was Robb Stark's squire, until he married the Volantene woman. And Ser Perwyn was part of Robb's guard. They're both good men."
"Doubtful, they're Freys." Lord Royce said.
"How do we know this isn't a trap?" Harrold asked.
"We swear we had nothing to do with the Red Wedding. In fact we were against it, but they locked us up. We had no choice." Perwyn said.
"How awfully convenient." Smalljon said.
"If this is true, then why didn't you take steps before my brother was killed?" Jon asked angrily. Perwyn sighed heavily.
"I wish we could have done something. Truly I do. But we're here now. And we've come to offer you something."
"What?" Stannis asked. Perwyn urged the girl forward.
"This is my sister Roslin as I've said before. But this child? This is Lord Edmure's son and rightful heir to the Riverlands." This shocked Stannis and his men as well as Sansa and Jon.
"So, Lord Edmure sired a son on his wedding night?" Stannis asked.
"Yes, Your Grace." Roslin said.
"Where is my uncle then? If this is his son then where is he?" Sansa said from the back. She had been silent for a while but then decided to speak up.
"He's…" Olyvar said trailing off. "He's at Riverrun. Our father's forces are there laying siege. They're led by our brothers Lothar and Black Walder. Your great-uncle, the Blackfish, he retook Riverrun."
"So it's true." Sansa said. "What do they plan to do to my uncle?"
"They… they will threaten to hang him unless the Blackfish surrenders."
"That's nothing to worry about. My brothers won't follow through on that threat. They're too scared of what will happen." Perwyn said.
Stannis was in thought for a moment. On the one hand, this meant that the Frey armies that remained were at Riverrun and the Twins could be taken with ease. On the other hand, if he laid siege to it the Lannisters could catch wind and they and the Tyrells could take him again, and this time for good.
"Let us get you settled in, I need to think about my next move." He turned to Sansa. "Come to my tent, we'll discuss this." He whispered to her. She nodded and followed him. As soon as they were in the tent he turned to her. "What do you think I should do? Should I lay siege to the Twins or take back Riverrun?" Sansa looked at him confused.
"I've never fought in any battles. Why ask me?"
"It's your family. You know them better than me. What should we do?" Sansa looked deep in thought for a moment.
"The Frey armies are at Riverrun, which means that the garrison here is light or not existent. If we take Riverrun first and crush the Frey armies, it could weaken them. They would have little to no support. The Lannisters wouldn't help them, they didn't help with the Boltons why would they help with the Freys? They could just be leaving them behind." Sansa looked to be deeper in thought. "I say Riverrun, if we win there, we get the support of the Riverlords, and if the Lannisters retaliate, we could push them back."
"What about the Tyrells?" Stannis asked.
"From what I've been hearing in the capital, it's not going well for them. Cersei's been manipulating everything, she thinks her own allies are her enemies. The Tyrells might stay back to defend Margaery but nothing else."
"So, Riverrun?"
"I think that's the best course of action." Stannis nodded approvingly.
"Very well. we'll march to Riverrun, lift the siege and save your family." Sansa smiled at him for that.
"Thank you. And not just for this but listening to me. Taking my advice."
"You are my queen. This is your family. I have a duty to them now. I cannot just depend on myself every time. I have to rely on others advice sometimes. And you've given that."
"Well thank you. It really means a lot."
"With that wisdom, I know you'll make a great mother to our children." Sansa smiled shyly at that.
"Maybe sooner than you think." Stannis hummed in response not really listening until he realized what she said.
"What?" He turned around to her. Sansa smiled even wider. "Are you certain?"
"Are you not… happy?" Stannis looked at her confused.
"Why would I be angry? You are my queen." He went up to her and cupped her cheek. She held his hand to it.
"And maybe I have a new prince or princess inside me." Stannis nodded, though a thousand things were running through his mind until Sansa spoke again. "Can you leave the war for one night?"
"Yes. Yes, I can." Stannis said. He began kissing her and she began kissing him back. As they took off each other's clothes and began to recreate the act of procreation months ago, nothing mattered but them in this moment. It was as if the world stopped and they were the only ones in it.
The army of Stannis Baratheon was marching down to Riverrun in all haste. They were planning on ambushing the Frey army and liberating Riverrun from them and gaining the support of the Riverlords. Unfortunately for them, Stannis received word that Jaime Lannister was leading a Lannister army to assist the Freys in taking Riverrun. This complicated things, though not by much. However Stannis knew, he couldn't pull the same trick Robb Stark used in the Battle of the Whispering Wood, but he had to ensure that the Kingslayer did not see him coming. No doubt he would prepare his men for an ambush. Stannis still ordered that any scouts or outriders be killed to ensure the secrecy that they were coming. Eventually the scouts returned with news. Edmure was being threatened to hang if the Blackfish didn't surrender, though the Freys kept this going for days not even bothering to carry it out. Jaime was trying to negotiate with the Blackfish with not much luck. Stannis knew that they couldn't just attack Riverrun blindly. Edmure was still a hostage of the Lannisters and if the camp was attacked, no doubt they would kill him. Stannis couldn't let that happen. Jon came up to him offering a plan to sneak in and get Edmure out and put the whole camp in disarray burning their tents of supplies and food. Their horses they would try to steal to bolster their cavalry. Stannis gave permission to Jon to do this. Jon took Ser Perwyn and Olyvar with him as well as Smalljon and Rodrik. The plan was for Perwyn to say that their father had asked for Edmure to return to the Twins as he figured the Blackfish wouldn't surrender and that upon hearing that the Lannisters were coming with their army felt no need for hostages and they could just storm the castle. His brothers fell for the trap and released Edmure in their custody. Edmure was brought before Stannis.
"Lord Edmure." Stannis said. Edmure looked up at him surprised.
"Lord Stannis." He replied.
"This is Stannis of the House Baratheon, the one true king of the Seven Kingdoms." Davos said.
"My apologies. I just, never expected to get out of there so fast." Edmure said.
"I have come to liberate the lands the Lannisters have stolen from many families. I have already liberated the North from the Boltons. Now I will do the same for the Freys."
"Are any of my family left? They have my wife. My son whom I've never seen."
"Uncle." Sansa called out. She stepped forward with Roslin.
"Cat?" Edmure asked. But looked closer. "Sansa? Is that you?"
"Yes uncle." Sansa said in near tears. "It's me. And look who I've brought." She gestured to Roslin and the baby in her arms.
"Ros?" He asked.
"Edmure." Roslin replied. She went up to him and hugged him fiercely. Edmure then took notice of the baby.
"Our child?" He asked.
"Our son." Roslin replied. "I haven't named him yet, I thought his father should name him." Edmure laughed at that before looking at his son.
"Edmyn. After my ancestor. And the one who joined a liberator." He looked to Stannis when he said this. He then got to one knee. "I, Edmure of House Tully, pledge my support and fealty to Stannis of the House Baratheon, First of His Name, King of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, and Protector of the Realm." Stannis gestured for him to stand.
"Arise, Lord Edmure of House Tully, Lord of Riverrun and Lord Paramount of the Trident." Edmure got up. "You should get some rest. You're no good to anyone half-dead."
"I agree." Edmure said laughing. And with that Sansa and Roslin escorted him to his tent.
Stannis now waited for the raid on the camp to commence. Right now, he had about 10,000 horses he was going to use to ambush the Lannister/Frey army. Once the camps were raided and the army in disarray Stannis would order his archers to fire. He had about 3,000 of them. once they fired, Stannis would lead the charge against them.
The plan had worked, the camps were on fire and the army confused and scattered. Jon returned with Smalljon and Rodrik with 500 horses. Stannis then gave the order to the archers. They fired upon the army. Stannis then drew his Valyrian steel sword.
"Remember! These men were the cause of the Red Wedding! Remember your lord! Remember the Young Wolf, Robb Stark! Come with me and kill these cowards!" The men cheered.
Cries of "Stark!", "The Young Wolf!" and "Winterfell!" were heard as they charged at the Lannisters and Freys. The first charge hit them hard. The Freys especially were just running away. The Lannisters however were putting up a surprisingly well drawn out defense. A shield wall was put up and the Lannisters were fighting well. They eventually broke though and Stannis made his way through the camps slaughtering every Lannister and Frey man in his way.
Jon was fighting fiercely with Longclaw. He had decapitated Black Walder Rivers and was currently trying to push through the shield wall with Stannis. His horse was hit with a spear and he began just fighting any Lannister or Frey he could find. He parried and slashed at every man that came to him he almost was hit by a stray horse before one of Stannis men collided with it. He then saw a Lannister man with a long beard riding toward him. Jon prepared himself and carefully planned his attack. As the horse got closer, Jon dove into a somersault and slashed at the horses legs cutting them off. The Lannister man fell to the floor with a thud. Jon came running up to the man and tried to cut him down but the man managed to parry Jon's attack. The two men then squared off against each other.
"Who are you boy?" The man asked.
"Jon Stark, Heir to Winterfell. You?" Jon replied.
"Ser Daven Lannister."
"Well met, ser." Jon said.
"And you as well, Stark." Daven said.
The two men began clashing with their swords. Jon had to admit, Daven was a capable fighter, so he would have to take his time with him. Daven would try to strike at him but Jon would parry his attacks. Event though Jon had Longclaw, he was having a tough time dealing with Daven. Jon managed to nick Daven on his shoulder but it seemed to have barely affected him. Daven began to strike at Jon with powerful blows, one of which almost took Jon's head, but he managed to defend himself. He saw Stannis on the other side trying to get to Riverrun.
Stannis began to cut his way to Riverrun to start lifting the siege when suddenly, the drawbridge was lowered and a few hundred men on horses were being led by the Blackfish himself. Blackfish cut his way to where Stannis was with ease.
"Ser Brynden?" Stannis asked.
"Aye. Stannis I presume?" Stannis nodded his head. "Well met Your Grace. I heard about the Boltons. I assume you're here for the Freys?"
"Both them and the Lannisters." Stannis replied.
"Then my men are yours."
With that Stannis and the Blackfish charged the Lannisters and Freys. Stannis had to admit to himself, despite the Blackfish's age, he was putting up a strong fight. No wonder the Freys feared him. They began to push the Freys and Lannisters back further. Stannis knew that this had to end soon, so he ordered one of his men to blow a warhorn. This signaled the remaining infantry led by Harrold Arryn to plunge into the gap in the Lannisters flanks and chip away at them. Stannis' infantry hit the Lannisters and Freys hard and this resulted in a full retreat from both armies. Harrold was fighting well against the Lannisters. Stannis was impressed, he certainly was a much better lord than that weak boy Robin.
Jon meanwhile was still engaged in a duel with Daven Lannister. The two men were getting tired dueling with each other for a while now. Daven then saw the Lannisters and Freys retreating but Jon saw an opening. He slashed at Daven's leg which was more a blunt stroke than a cleaving one, and it sent Daven to his knees. He then took his pommel and knocked Daven in the back of the head knocking him unconscious. Eventually Stannis came riding up to him.
"Well fought Stark." He said.
"Thank you, Your Grace." Jon said. "This is Daven Lannister. He was one of the ones leading the attack." Stannis hummed in response.
"An unfortunate turn of events. But we have a hostage who will hopefully be cooperative with us."
"Did we get the Kingslayer?" Jon asked.
"No. He retreated with the rest of his men. No doubt to inform his king of his failure."
"Doubtless, this is a great victory. Thank you Your Grace for coming to our aid." The Blackfish said.
"Of course. I was only doing my duty to the Realm. Soon enough, we'll be ready to hit King's Landing and secure my position as the rightful king."
Stannis had gathered most of the Riverlords to Riverrun, the only ones not attending were the Freys who rightfully were not happy about this turn of events but couldn't really do anything about it, so they decided to stay in their castle for as long as possible. Stannis could see the banners of Bracken, Blackwood, Mallister, Mooten, Piper and Vance all gathered in the Great Hall along with his men. However there was something dire happening. First from the capital, they received word that the Great Sept of Baelor was destroyed with wildfire killing the Tyrells apart from Lady Olenna and Tommen committing suicide. This led to Cersei Lannister claiming the Iron Throne for herself and calling herself queen. Stannis then had a long conversation with Daven Lannister about the fate of the Westerlands to which Daven begrudgingly bent the knee to Stannis as he showed him mercy while Cersei did not show any and has proven to be utterly mad. Stannis then named Daven the new Lord of Casterly Rock and Warden of the West. Not only was that settled, but from the Citadel white ravens were sent to all across the Seven Kingdoms signaling that winter was finally here. Stannis was sitting in the Great Hall with Sansa and Jon to his left and Edmure and Harrold Arryn to his right. The lords seemed to be bickering among themselves.
"The Riverlands will not side with wildling invaders!" Lord Bracken shouted.
"They did not invade Lord Bracken! I invited them here peacefully." Jon said.
"Well they weren't invited by me." Lord Bracken replied. Sansa then stood up.
"Listen my lords! The Northerners, the Knights of the Vale and the Baratheons all fought bravely, fought together and we won against the Lannisters and their allies! My father often said he found his true friends on the battlefield! If we are to work together we must unite, all of us no matter where we come from!" Sansa said. Lord Royce stood up.
"The Boltons are defeated. The Freys as well, and the Lannisters have been pushed back. Winter had come. If the maesters are right, this will be the coldest one in a thousand years. We should all ride home and wait out the coming storm."
"The war is not over. And I promise you friend. The true enemy won't wait out the storm. He brings the storm." Jon said ominously. This made the other lords turn to each other and began having conversations with themselves. Then Ser Brynden stood up. He turned to Lord Blackwood.
"Your son was butchered at the Red Wedding Lord Blackwood. But when they asked for aid you refused the call." He then turned to Lord Bracken. "You swore allegiance to House Tully Lord Bracken, but in our hour of greatest need, you refused the call." He turned to Lord Mooten. "And you, Lord Mooten, you hid in your castle while your people were raided and plundered by the Lannisters, but still you refused the call." He then turned to everyone. "But not him." He pointed to Stannis. "Not any of them." He pointed to Sansa, Jon and Harrold. "They remembered what happened. What they've been doing all this time while we cowered behind our walls. I once sat at this hall and proclaimed Robb Stark as my king. But when he died I swore to avenge his death and still continue the war in his name. Until he arrived." He pointed at Stannis. "I don't care if he's not my blood, his children by my grandniece will have my blood in them, the blood of a Tully, a Baratheon and a Stark. He is my king, and she is my queen, from this day, until my last day!" Some of the men murmured in approval some shouted. Then after a while Lord Blackwood stood up.
"The Blackfish speaks harshly. And truly." The Blackfish nodded to him. "My son died for Robb Stark, the Young Wolf. I never thought we'd find another king in my lifetime. I didn't commit my men to any cause because I didn't want anymore Blackwoods dying for nothing. But I was wrong." The other lords looked to him surprised. He then pointed toward Stannis. "Stannis Baratheon avenged the Red Wedding! He is the Fiery Stag!" He then pointed to Sansa. "And she is the Red Wolf!" He then drew his sword. "The King and Queen in the North!" And he knelt with some approving. Then Lord Bracken stood up.
"I did not fight beside you on the field. And I will regret that until my dying day. A man can only admit to when he was wrong and ask forgiveness." He bowed his head in shame. Stannis wanted to reprimand him but a soft look from Sansa told him to be merciful.
"There is nothing to forgive, my lord." He said. Then Lord Bracken turned to the crowd.
"There will be more fights to come! House Bracken will stand behind House Tully as we have for centuries! And if they will stand behind Stannis Baratheon and Sansa Stark, then so shall I!" He drew his sword. "The King and Queen in the North!" He then knelt before them. Rodrik Forrester then stood up and drew his sword. "The King and Queen in the North!" Then the whole crows stood up and drew their swords shouting, "KING AND QUEEN IN THE NORTH! KING AND QUEEN IN THE NORTH! KING AND QUEEN IN THE NORTH! KING AND QUEEN IN THE NORTH!" Stannis and Sansa stood up, Sansa putting a hand on her pregnant belly, and they both held hands. The next year would be difficult, but they were ready for whatever their enemies would throw at them. For they were the Fiery Stag and the Red Wolf and theirs was the Song of Ice and Fire.
And there's season 6 for you all! A bit different from the show but now we have a new contender for the Iron Throne. Now it's going to be Stannis vs. Cersei vs. Daenerys. Like it should have been. Anyway, I plan to split season 7 into two parts because there's a lot to discuss due to Stannis surviving. I'm planning on finishing this before season 8 airs to catch up before the show ends. Hope you all enjoyed this! And reviews are welcome!
charmingskyblue304: Yeah, that's one of my toughest things to write about. And I also hope I did good on this battle scene.
osterreicher97: Yeah that's true. I just figured either way they would betray Jon. No matter how much support he gets from a king like Stannis they would still betray him first chance they get. They simply don't care. As for Alliser, you're correct in saying he's a man child. I never got why no one pointed out that he fought for a man who burnt women and children alive for amusement and later went and raped his wife afterwards.
