This is going to be my final chapter probably before my exams, definitely the last chapter before the 20th at the earliest. I hope you all enjoy it!
I know I said I wouldn't rewrite my other story until later, but the chapters don't take too long as I'm only changing grammar and trying to get it to flow more like my current writing style, so the first two chapters have been edited. I'm sorry for banging on about Black Wolf in this story, but this is the only place I can make people aware of my plans. It's also my first story and I'm still getting lots of emails about people favouriting and following, so it must still be fairly popular!
This chapter also takes this over 40,000 words and over the next word length section! So hopefully that will mean more people reading! I'm really proud of how popular this story actually seems to be, thank you all for taking your time to read this. It really does mean a lot and I appreciate it massively.
For the first time, I only own Roland ARRYN, the rest are all George's creations.
283 AC
The first sign that something was wrong was when they rode up to the Dragon Gate and it was wide open. Ned cautiously was the first man in the city, riding slowly up the path leading into the city. Roland followed and looked around at the bodies piling up, and Lannister men running around after the civilians.
"The Lannisters are here then." Roland said bitterly. "I hope Jaime is already dead, I don't want to have to be the one to kill him."
"It took them long enough." Ned snarled, and he led the party up towards the Red Keep.
Everywhere Roland looked there were Lannister men stealing, raping or killing and it sickened him. There was a way to take a city, but harming innocent people wasn't the way. Everywhere they rode there were Lannister men, and Ned's distaste grew when he saw the banners on top of the Red Keep.
"Look." Ned said, and Roland looked up at the castle. Lannister banners flew where Targaryen ones should have been.
"Does that mean he's dead?" Roland asked.
"We shall see." Ned said, and he spurred his horse up towards the castle. The gates were open here too as the last fighting of the war was coming to an end. Lannister men slaying broken and defeated Targaryen men in the courtyards, but Ned just ignored it and rode for the Throne Room, so Roland followed.
The doors were thrown open, and Roland gasped at the sight. Sitting on the Iron Throne was his cousin Jaime, and Aerys lay face down, dead on the floor in front of him.
"Kingslayer." Ned spat, and Roland noticed the hurt on his cousin's face, before it set in his usual arrogant state. "Oathbreaker."
"Lord Stark, I've been expecting you." Jaime announced. "I've been keeping the chair warm for you."
"You killed him." Roland said. "You killed Aerys."
"I did." Jaime said, getting off the chair and stepping over the Mad King's body.
"Why?" Roland looked on, horrified.
"Someone had to." Jaime shrugged.
"Not you though, you were sworn to protect him." Roland said, his eyes narrowing. "You were the Kingsguard!" Jaime walked over to Roland, stopping next to his cousin.
"Of all the people to judge me, I never thought you would be among them." Jaime snarled, pushing past Roland on his way out of the room. "It's all yours Stark!"
Roland ran after his cousin. "Jaime! Stop!"
"You can't command me!" Jaime shouted, tears in his eyes. "I did you all a favour."
"You've made it far more complicated, you broke your oath Jaime."
"So did Robert by declaring war." Jaime laughed.
"That's different and you know it." Roland snarled.
"He commanded me to kill my own Father!" Jaime shouted. "What would you have done?"
"I would have taken him prisoner, left him to Robert." Roland said. "If I was Kingsguard I would have done that."
"Well, the honourable Roland Stone is a better person than me, so what." Jaime shrugged, before taking in Roland's surcoat properly. "Or is it Arryn now? I would congratulate you but it seems you've already judged me guilty. If you'll excuse me I have to find my Father." And with that he strode off, leaving Roland left in the corridor heartbroken for his little cousin, but convinced that Jaime needed to be punished for his actions.
The day after the Sack was the day that Robert rode into King's Landing. Roland stood with Ned and Tywin Lannister at the entrance to the Red Keep, waiting for Robert's procession to arrive, and soon enough Roland saw Robert and his father riding up towards them. As Robert got off his horse, everyone sunk to one knee in front of their new King.
"Rise, rise please." Robert chuckled. "Ned! I see we won."
"If you can call it that." Ned said grimly. "I arrived and Lord Tywin had already begun massacring…"
"Sacking the city in your name, Your Grace." Tywin interjected. "I have more gifts for you in the Throne Room."
Roland was surprised at that, what else could the Lannisters have done other than rape and murder their way through the city.
"Very well! Let's get this over with." Robert chuckled, leading everybody into the Throne Room. Roland noticed that on the floor was a body, curled up in a Lannister cloak laid out in front of the steps leading up to the Throne. They walked up towards the cloaks, and stopped as they reached them.
"Your Grace, as a token of my unwavering fealty may I present the Princess Elia, Princess Rhaenys and Prince Aegon." Tywin said triumphantly as the cloaks were unveiled, and Roland felt sick at the sight in front of him. Elia's head looked like it had imploded, and her dress had been ripped. Rhaenys was recognisable, and Roland silently wept at the many knife wounds the three-year-old had suffered. Worst of all however was the baby Prince. His head had clearly been dashed against a wall with such force he was now unrecognisable. He couldn't look for long, and looked up to again be horrified at the look of relief on Robert's face.
"Murder." Ned gasped horrified, and Roland could only agree. "They were children."
"I see no children, only dragonspawn." Robert growled.
"They were innocent!" Roland exclaimed.
"They were Targaryen's, it had to be done." Robert argued.
"They had committed you no wrong except be born of the wrong man." Ned spat at Robert.
"It had to be done." Tywin said.
"Not like this." Roland spat. "They could have been dealt with even when alive."
"It figures, a bastard not understanding claims properly." Tywin sneered. Roland began to square up to Tywin, but was stopped by Jon.
"Outside, now." Jon said sternly, and Roland was about to argue but thought against it, storming out instead in sheer anger at Tywin Lannister and Robert. He decided to go to the Library to research this Tower of Joy Rhaegar mentioned.
Later that day, Roland went looking for Ned to tell him about what he had found, and saw his friend about to lead the Northerners off again, so Roland rushed over to see him.
"Ned! Where are you going?" Roland asked.
"Robert has tasked me with going to Storm's End to lift the Tyrell siege." Ned said darkly. "I'm not complaining, I can't stay here, not with him after this."
"Let me come with you." Roland pleaded.
"I already asked, I know you're as disgusted as I am but your Father refused, I'm sorry." Ned said, and Roland looked away angry. "Robert always listened to you, make him see sense."
"He called them dragonspawn, like they were just nothing." Roland sighed. "Is there any way he can see sense after that? I'd sooner go back to the Vale and live my life."
"I understand." Ned nodded. "I will see you briefly when I get back Roland, but I have heard that Lady Catelyn has given me a son, I can't leave her alone for too long." He said, mounting his horse to go and join his men outside the city.
"Of course Ned, hopefully the poor boy looks like his mother." Roland joked, before remembering why he had come out to find Ned in the first place. "Oh Ned! Before you go. I know where Lyanna is."
Ned looked down at him in shock. "Where?"
"A tower, somewhere in the Prince's Pass of Dorne." Roland said. "Rhaegar mentioned it at the Trident, I wanted to find out for sure before I told you. Here." He gave Ned a hand drawn map detailing the location. "I hope you find her well."
"Me too, farewell Roland." Ned said, grasping his friends hand before riding off towards Storm's End, leaving Roland feeling alone in the busiest city in Westeros.
Once things had been settled in King's Landing to an acceptable level, it became time to officially crown Robert. Roland was disappointed Ned wasn't there, as he didn't want to be the only one having to force a smile towards his friend, but they had just received word that Ned and the rest of the Northern host were almost at Storm's End, and seeing him any time soon. Roland found himself in the Throne Room stood in between his Father and Yohn, while Lady Lysa had arrived from Riverrun and found herself the other side of Jon. He watched as the High Septon said the words that had been said for every King since Aenys I, and clapped when Robert finally took to the Iron Throne, officially King of the Seven Kingdoms. Next came the appointments, with such upheaval came the need to officially announce the changes. House Darry had their lands halved. House Goodbrook, who had already had one of their villages torched by Lord Hoster, were made to pay reparations, and other minor Houses faced reparations, but many Houses got away with only having to bend the knee.
Next came the appointments. Jon was named as Hand of the King, Varys was kept as Master of Whisperers and Stannis Baratheon was named Master of Ships, and tasked with rebuilding the Royal Fleet to go after the escaped Targaryen's at Dragonstone. The other small council members were named too. The Kingsguard was finalised too, with Ser Barristan being named Lord Commander to everybody's surprise, and Roland was annoyed to hear that no punishment would come for Jaime.
Finally, it was the moment Roland had turned up for, he was required to kneel in front of Robert and be announced as Acting Lord of the Eyrie while Jon was in King's Landing. Pycelle called his name, and Roland moved to just before the stairs leading up to the Throne and knelt.
"Ser Roland Arryn, I hereby name you as Acting Lord of the Vale and Warden of the East. You will uphold the laws of the Kingdom in the Vale for as long as Lord Jon Arryn is serving as Hand of the King." Pycelle announced.
"I am honoured, Your Grace." Roland said formally.
"You are hereby confirmed as heir to the Vale, until such time a trueborn son be born to Lord Arryn. You shall then remain as Lord Protector of the Vale until the boy comes of age." Pycelle added, and Roland nodded, expecting that to be the case.
"Thank you, Your Grace."
"And for your service to King Robert in the war, you will be given lands nearby Runestone, to be used as you would like. Lord Arryn and Lord Royce will explain to you exactly where."
Roland wasn't expecting this, and looked up at Robert with an eyebrow raised, to find the Baratheon grinning down at him. "Your Grace…"
"I'll hear no arguments!" He boomed. "You personally slew Jon Connington, you deserve this."
"Thank you Your Grace, truly thank you." Roland smiled, before rising and getting back into his spot. Jon patted him on the back in congratulations.
"We've already sent word to begin building a small keep." He whispered.
"I received too much, I've gone from a bastard to Warden of the East and having my own lands in not even a month." Roland whispered.
"Well then, stop deserving it and you won't receive rewards." Yohn chuckled, and the three men turned back to see the rest of the announcements.
News from Storm's End had come, and Ned had successfully negotiated with Mace Tyrell to end the siege, and Mace had bent the knee towards Robert. Roland was still annoyed that he hadn't gone with Ned, putting on a face in King's Landing was becoming unbearable. He understood that he had a role to play now that he was Acting Lord of the Eyrie while his Father served Robert as hand, but first and foremost he was a warrior, and he knew that there was still a bit of fighting to be done. Shaking his head of his grievances, he made his way to the Tower of the Hand, where his Father had summoned him.
He knocked on the door, and waited to be summoned in. When he heard Jon's voice he opened the door.
"Father, you wished to see me." Roland said formally.
"Yes, I wanted to discuss something with you Roland. Come and sit." Jon said from his desk, gesturing Roland to sit in the seat facing the open balcony. Roland sat down, watching his Father writing a letter.
"Who is that to?" Roland asked nosily.
"It's about you, actually. It's why I summoned you here." Jon said, signing his name on the bottom of the paper. "Now you're a legitimised Arryn, Warden of the East and have your own lands, I've had a number of offers for your hand in marriage."
"Marriage?" Roland said surprised. "Not more, this is all happening so fast."
"I know." Jon chuckled. "I wouldn't normally rush you but I'm not getting any younger, and you are currently all that's left to further the Arryn line."
"Who have you received offers from?" Roland asked.
"I'm glad you're thinking seriously about this." Jon smiled, before shuffling some papers and handing them to Roland. "I've received offers from any Vale Lord and Lady with an eligible daughter, but I'm only considering two. Lady Jaynce Hunter and Lady Ilene Waynwood."
"That figures, they belong to your two most powerful bannermen after Lord Royce." Roland nodded.
"I wish Lord Royce's eldest daughter was older than 9, this way it would be easy." Jon sighed.
"I've heard, stories, about Lady Jaynce." Roland began. "Not nice stories."
"No, she's been known to treat her lesser harshly, but we are Lords now, we can't be friends with everyone we meet." Jon said pointedly. "Am I to assume that your preference would be Lady Ilene then?"
"My preference would be to wait until I meet them, but I know you can't wait for that." Roland chuckled. "If it is your will father, let Lady Anya know I shall marry her daughter.
"Splendid!" Jon said. "I need to go to Dorne at some point, I was going to leave it a year to see if things settled down, but I can travel with you to Iron Oaks, see you wed and then head to Dorne from there."
"You are not coming back to the Eyrie?" Roland asked.
Jon shook his head. "No son, I have too much to do here. The Eyrie is yours now. Ser Nestor will help you I am sure, but you need to step up from now on."
"I will Father, I won't let you down." Roland said determinedly. Jon smiled, and stood up to walk around the table. Roland stood too and the two men hugged.
"You never have my boy." Jon said softly. "I will send my response back to Lady Anya now of course, but everything must wait until at least after Ned gets back with Lyanna. I've urged Robert to set her aside for the Lannister girl but…"
"Cersei? You want Robert to marry Cersei?" Roland asked.
"Lady Lyanna may be his true love or whatever Robert says, but who knows what Rhaegar did to her. She can't be a Queen no matter how much Robert wishes for it." Jon said sadly.
"But Robert made an agreement, he can't back out of that." Roland said.
"Things are more complicated than that. He made the betrothal with Lord Rickard when he was only to be Lord Paramount of the Stormlands, he's a King now. The Lannisters on side means more than a young man's fancy." Jon explained.
"You already convinced Robert that Jaime should be let off the hook instead of sent to the Night's Watch, and now you would let Tywin Lannister claw his way into the Kingdoms? After what he did to Mother?" Roland asked incredulously.
"Jaime Lannister did nothing wrong! And I know your feelings about Lord Tywin." Jon said sharply. "But we need him and his gold."
"I could do without that thank you." Roland said bitterly. "He hates me for showing him up and I hate him for being a cu…"
"That's enough." Jon snapped. "Go on, I'm sure you have duties to attend to. Maybe write a letter to this Waynwood girl."
"Of course Father." Roland sighed. "I shall see you for supper." And with that he left the room, cursing his Father's wishes to get involved with Tywin Lannister.
284 AC
Finally, it was time to head back to the Eyrie. The last few days had made Roland's emotions go everywhere, from heartbreak and sadness for Ned when he returned carrying Lyanna Stark and a new born bastard, that Ned had named after Jon, that he had conceived during the war, to Robert's wedding to Cersei Lannister. He was annoyed at his father for forcing Robert further into bed with the Lannisters so soon after Lyanna's death, but understood the reasoning.
Roland found himself on a ship pulling into Blackwater Bay and looking back at the Red Keep, and as much as Robert was his friend and almost like a brother, Roland desperately hoped that he wouldn't need to go back to the city. It held too many haunting memories already. He was looking forward to the relative peace and quiet that came with being thousands of feet up in the air at the Eyrie, although he was nervous that he was returning without Ned, Robert and Jon.
Jon noticed this, and came and put his arm around his son. "I know the future seems scary, but I've taught you all I can now. I have the utmost faith in you."
Roland sighed. "What if I mess up. What if Lady Ilene doesn't like me because I wasn't born in the marriage bed?"
"None of that. She will know of your deeds in life, of your knighthood, of your worthy legitimisation. Trust in yourself Roland."
"I trust myself on a battlefield, but as a Lord?" Roland scoffed. "I'm scared."
"Lady Ilene will help you, as will Ser Nestor." Jon smiled. "You have the best advisors around you, and you have a sound mind. You are an honourable, honest man and I know you will do what is right."
Roland smiled shyly at the praise. "Have you met Lady Ilene before?" He asked.
"Once I think, when she was younger and I was on my way to see you at Runestone." Jon said, thinking. "She was pretty."
"I don't care about that." Roland waved off. "What is her mind like?"
"She knows what she wants." Jon laughed. "I remember, oh she couldn't have been more than 12 at the time, she was shouting at this poor dog trying to get it to sit down."
"So she's a bossy woman." Roland sighed.
"Don't be so quick to judge, you may come to enjoy being bossed around occasionally." Jon said, waggling his eyebrow causing Roland to burst into laughter. He looked outwards to the ocean again, thinking on the future and what was yet to come.
So, I've worked on my plan a bit, got an outline for each chapter and I've come to the conclusion that this story can end after 30 chapters. I can't say that all of the chapters coming will be between 3000 and 7000 words, some will likely be less as I try to jump time after the Rebellion, and if needs be I may have more, as I currently only have one chapter planned for certain events that could be classed as major. It does look like from the current average this story will have way over 100,000 words though, which I'm pleased about as that will give it a lot more exposure.
In regards to this chapter, the two women I mention are named on CK2. Jaynce Hunter married Edwyn Frey (Walder's grandson and 3rd in line for the Twins) while Ilene Waynwood apparently remained unmarried, that's the reason I chose her.
Roland's opinions about Jaime are going to come for some stick I know, but I'll explain that here. He's the son of Jon Arryn, born and raised by the same standards as Ned. Robert is a different case as he's so strong minded, but Roland and Ned believe in the same values, that an oath is sacred and must not be broken even under the strictest of circumstances. He feels sorry for Jaime, but thinks he should be sent to the Night's Watch as punishment.
I was going to have the wedding to Cersei in the present, but I'm writing about a wedding next chapter, and I don't want to be overly repetitive.
This chapter will be the end of the Rebellion, next chapter will have the wedding and be all about Roland initially taking control of the Eyrie, but then the next 3 chapters will span the course of 285 AC to 288 AC. I asked for the reader's opinions in BWR and it seemed to go down well, so if there are any sub plot ideas any of you can think of that I can include between those years, featuring the Mountain Clans, or anything that Roland could be involved with, please let me know, either as a review or as a PM. I can't promise I'll use them, or I may adapt them to fit the story, but this is your chance to have a say in As High as Honour.
Reviews:
AmuletOfWinter: He did in this chapter! I hope you enjoyed it.
Brandon of House Stark: It was one of those moments I could vividly imagine and also laughed at! I will do, it will likely just be the first 10 chapters, maybe the first 20 depending on how I feel the story is, but it won't change any plot points.
CrowKrowCrow: Hole? I explained the reasoning in the chapters of why Hoster wouldn't agree to that, and at that point Roland wasn't quite the heir. Hoster is a stickler for expanding power, and like this chapter shows, he isn't the heir forever.
BrotherCaptainSheperd: I don't quite understand your review. If you're not reading any more then I'm sorry to hear that.
Guest (Jaime): They may be cousins, but Roland despises the Lannisters and has a strict moral code. He feels for Jaime, but nothing will turn him round to the thought that Jaime should have killed Aerys other than the actual story, which Jaime won't tell him now.
JimmyHall24 (Chapter 7): I know that, we all know that now. At the time though they didn't and Robert wouldn't be able to see otherwise.
Guest (parents): Thank you! I try and make it believable, but it's enjoyable too, some of my favourite scenes are Torrhen/Cat ones in BWR.
WeylandCorp 4: I'm glad it came off alright to you, they're not great to write as I feel like they're overly repetitive, but if you like them I'm doing something right!
Mikle Silver (Reviewed on Chapter 1, but I presume it was meant for Chapter 9): Roose Bolton was actually the one to say that in the history, so I thought it would be like a private audience, not a High Lord's meeting considering Robert was badly injured and wouldn't be able to host one. It wasn't me picking on Roose Bolton, it was GRRM.