Brynden Tully
Riverrun, Riverlands, Year 282 AC
Brynden watched as yet another arrow hit the window of his room, he found it hard to sleep with some fifty thousand angry Northmen and Valemen outside the castle…
The harassments began when Hoster gave orders to lift the drawbridge without their liege lords coming out in the process. Certainly, their lords wouldn't simply remain inside without informing them how the negotiations went and perhaps they had been commanded by Lord Arryn to stay sharp to any odd movement by Hoster…
If Brynden has to guess, they would be under siege by dawn when the first trebuchets were completed and ready to place Riverrun under fire.
Riverrun was a very well defendable castle as with his moat, it could be surrounded by water at each side and consequently make it like an island, making the siege towers completely useless. It also provided a large viewing range for the archers inside but the problem was that some fifty thousand men were way too much even for such a strong castle. Damn you Hoster and bloody fucking ambition!
By now they should be surrounding the castle on all three sides, at least he would do that in their position with some many soldiers available to use.
Putting hopes in King Aerys wasn't a smart choice either, the man was mad and not trustworthy in his decisions…just because Hoster would give him the King two rebellious lords wouldn't mean he would fill House Tully with concessions.
They were doomed, the children were doomed…Catelyn and Lysa could…no…he wouldn't let them…It ends now, I will save this family or die trying.
"Uncle…" Called Lysa in her dark blue nightgown, with an afraid expression. "I can't sleep…"
"You are not the only one…" Brynden admitted as he called his niece to his side and allowed her to embrace him.
"Will they breach the walls?" she asked when they were glancing the many lights down the nearby fields.
"They might…" They will, eventually…
"Will…will they kill us?"
"They won't, I'm sure." Brynden assured while patting his niece's more distant arm.
"Father was…" she began stammering. "Father was…"
"Stupid." Brynden concluded her line of thought, even if she was mad with Hoster for what he did to her, she wouldn't dare call him names, she knew better than that.
"I…I liked Lord Arryn's nephew…" she confessed while blushing. "He was…very handsome…"
"I'm sure he was." Brynden smiled to her to confession, Elbert Arryn looked like one of those knights from the songs that Catelyn and Lysa loved so much it wasn't much of a surprise that she fell for him.
"It's always Cat who destroys my hopes…" she said bitterly.
"Lysa, you know Cat had nothing to do with this…" Brynden tried to counter.
"She did!" Lysa retorted indignantly. "It's because Lord Eddard didn't accept her for a wife that I had to lose a potential marriage and it's not fair!" Lysa began sobbing and Brynden brought her closer for a hug.
"We will fix this, Lysa," Brynden assured her. "We will find you a handsome lord to marry to."
"What if they breach the walls uncle?" she asked. "I don't want to die…"
"And you will not sweet Lysa," Brynden said as he helped her get up. "I will fix this mess."
"How?"
"You will have to trust me," he said as he gently rubbed her back. "Now you will be a good niece and go back to bed, okay?"
"Okay…" she sighed as she broke the hug and moved to the door. "Just be careful uncle…"
"Don't worry about me," he concluded with a cocky smirk. "I'm too stubborn to die."
His niece smiled at his comment and bowed to him as she left to her room as he told her to. After a quarter of an hour, he left his own room and began his improvised plan to save his family.
The sky was very dark and there were few guards outside because they haven't yet processed that they were to be under a siege and frankly if it was for Brynden doing things and commanding them, no one else would.
He approached the Water Gate and met with some of his loyal guards who promptly opened the gates for him to pass on his boat and then they closed them again. Brynden rowed down the Red Fork until he came ashore by one of the Rebel camps, there he unsheathed his white flag. I can't believe I'm actually doing this…
In less than a minute, he was spotted by what he could clearly identify as Northmen and arrest because of the sigil he carried in his chest plate. Brynden was then brought upon a huge tent where a huge amount of northern lords were even when it was almost dawn, their faces were sleepy and because of it, he feared the worst…
"Who in the Seven Hells is this guy?" Asked an angry Lord Umber before he did what Brynden did to know who he was, look at the sigil. "A bloody fucking fish cunt!"
"You have a lot of nerves to come here fish." Said another lord, a Tallhart. "Bad decision."
"I don't think it is." Brynden retorted. "It was my best option, considering everything I had to work with."
"What happened to Ned and the others?" Inquired the only woman in the tent, a Mormont. "I swear to the Gods if they were harmed…"
"They were arrested by my brother." Brynden plainly said.
"At what charges?" Inquired Lord Forrester with a confused look, the same all those lords had.
"My brother forced Lord Arryn's nephew upon my niece Lysa and Lord Eddard upon my other niece Catelyn." Brynden explained to the angry Northmen.
"Ned is married!" Barked the woman angrily after interrupting his talk. "It's an outrage!"
"And wasn't the eldest Tully girl betrothed to Brandon?" Asked Lord Ryswell.
"Was." Brynden agreed partially. "But my brother broke the betrothal first because he thought Brandon Stark to be a reckless idiot that is going to die and then because Lord Eddard kept refusing his plan."
"The bloody cunt!" Shouted Lord Umber. "My Lords this is an offense to the Gods! A married man was forced into another marriage and when he refused, the guest rights were broken and he made a prisoner!"
"Revenge upon the Tullys!" Shouted Lord Karstark. "Revenge against the outrage!"
"REVENGE!" The tent echoed.
"NO!" Brynden shouted as all the lords began glancing him with angry eyes. Here we go…let's hope it works…or I'm dead…
"What do you mean no, cunt?" Inquired Lord Umber as he came upon Brynden with a very angry face, ready to beat him to death.
"I have a deal for all of you," Brynden said as he glanced every lord inside. "A deal that will reduce the casualties and time necessary to take the castle."
"What sort of deal?" Asked what he saw as Lord Dustin.
"First, my terms for the deal." Brynden began. "My nieces and nephew, as well as every servant and man that yields, will be spared and no harm will come upon them."
"Deal." Said Lord Dustin.
"Deal?" Questioned an aghast Lord Umber. "Just like that? He presents his terms and we simply accept?"
"I don't wish to stain my hands with innocent blood." Justified Lord Dustin. "And neither do you as you know they had no saying in one stupid man's decision." Thank the Gods for this man.
"And what about the fish cunt?" Asked Lord Tallhart. "Are we to spare him too?"
"He will be captured and judged," Brynden said. "By your liege lords."
"Is anyone in this tent against this deal?" Asked Lord Dustin as he glanced everyone and no one said anything. "Then warn the Valemen." Commanded the Northern lord, apparently, he was the one in charge. "And now Ser Brynden, explain us the plan."
"Very well…"
An hour later, Brynden called upon his loyal guards by the Water Gate to open it for him to enter, behind him, however, came twenty good men like Lord Dustin, Lord Egen, Lord Redfort, Lord Tallhart, two Corbrays, the Lady Mormont, and a few more Northmen and Valemen.
"Follow me." Brynden ordered as he began leading them further inside the castle. Avoiding a couple of guards, he led them to the Godswood where he left the Valemen with the objective of taking control over the lever that dropped the drawbridge once the signal was given. Then he led the rest, the Northmen inside the keep.
They had no problem inside, they captured a few guards and servants along the way and quickly came upon his nieces and nephew's bedrooms. There he dispatched Lady Mormont, Lord Dustin and Lord Tallhart's son to fetch them, while he and the rest of the Northerners took out their bows and ignited the arrows.
"Leave me alone!" Cried Catelyn who was dragged by Lord Dustin. "Uncle, what's happening here?"
"I'm making a coup." he plainly said as Hoster's children promptly opened their mouths in surprise.
"Uncle, you can't do this!" Barked Catelyn. "You are betraying us!"
"Not quite, I'm actually saving us all from death." he dismissed as they shot the flaming arrows amidst the dark night sky, the signal for the drawbridge to lower and the coup to officially start. "You three and the rest of the household here will be left Lady Mormont in Cat's room and will not by any means disobey her or leave said room, am I clear?"
"Yes." Said Lysa, followed by Edmure but Catelyn seemed to not be pleased with all of it but followed Lady Mormont all the same.
"The drawbridge is falling." Lord Dustin said as the sound reached their ears. "It begins."
"Take your weapons out," Brynden commanded. "Let's scare the servants and guards into submission as we did to those that are in my niece's room as we wait for the army to come."
Brynden and the Northerners went on about, killing a few guards who refused to yield and all the servants they came across were captured. When only Hoster's room was left untouched, Lord Umber and Lord Royce appeared with a big host of men behind them.
"We are here." Lord Umber said as he approached them. "With some five thousand men."
"The Godswood and the castle grounds are filled with soldiers too." Added Lord Royce.
"Good." Brynden nodded in approval. "Let us go to Hoster's room and be done with this."
"Aye."
Their host began climbing the spiral stairways leading to Hoster's solar, Jon Umber impatient as he was rammed the door in half and entered catching Hoster completely off guard. "WHAT IN THE NAMED OF THE SEVEN!" Hoster shouted as he effortlessly captured by Lord Umber who now had a big smile on his face.
"I got you now you bloody fucking cunt!" Lord Umber proclaimed.
"What is the meaning of this?" Asked Hoster aghast. "How did you all entered my castle?"
"I let them in." Brynden plainly said as his brother's face became red with his anger, but he cared not.
"YOU TRAITOR!"
"No, I saved this family from its end," Brynden said. "From the destruction, you would cause with your stupid ambition and ego."
"TURNCLOAK!"
"Shut up cunt!" Roared Lord Umber. "I have half a mine to kill you here you ungrateful prick!"
"Don't forget the deal, Jon." Warned Lord Dustin. "Bring the cunt to the Great Keep while we free Ned and the others."
"My pleasure." Lord Umber said as he made Hoster look like a little kid in his large arms.
They descended into the dungeons as it was the only place inside the castle that was not full of soldiers yet. The gaoler quickly submitted to them and led them into the cells where the prisoners were being kept.
In the cell, Lord Eddard, Lord Arryn and the rest were seated with their heads low and no light but when so much noise and lights filled the dungeons' hallways their glances turned to them.
"Rise Lord Arryn and Lord Stark." Brynden began as Lord Dustin opened the cell doors. "Riverrun is yours."
"What…what just happened?" Asked Lord Eddard confused.
Jon Arryn
Riverrun, Riverlands, Year 282 AC
Jon was still surprised by everything that happened while he had been in the cells…Ser Brynden had apparently take action himself and saved his family and most of the household with the exception of some soldiers who refused to yield.
Hoster had been chained and was now presented to them in the Great Hall of Riverrun for them to decide what punishment he should receive. The Northmen and Valemen were watching attentively to see what was to happen.
"Lord Hoster of House Tully." Jon began, as Hoster looked towards him with angry eyes. "Your actions towards House Stark, Tully, Reed, Ryswell and Hardyng are without any fundament but your own greed."
"I did what I thought was right for my house." Hoster spat out. "You can't blame me for it, you have the same for yours."
"I have indeed but never have I did something as you did." Jon countered. "Forcing a married man to marry his brother's betrothal and when he rightfully refused you imprisoned him."
"My Catelyn deserved better than any of the Starks." Hoster retorted. "She is way better than any wife they can get."
"I pity Lady Catelyn but now, no Tully lady has a betrothal." Jon proclaimed. "And we have, amongst us, the people you imprisoned decided to sentence you to a life of servitude to the Night's Watch."
Hoster's eyes bulged with Jon's words. "This is an outrage!"
"My Lord, consider yourself lucky." Ned intervened. "Had it been for many of those present in this room and you would have your head on spike, however, we decided against it since the Wall is in need of men with some military training and your suffering can extend for many years to come in the coldest place imaginable so you can think about how your greed screwed you over."
"You can't do this me!" Hoster shouted as he began getting desperate.
"We just did." Concluded Ned. "Take him to Castle Black with an escort of some ten men and dispatch a raven to Lord Commander Qorgyle informing him of what happened here."
"Aye."
"YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME!" Hoster kept insisting as he was dragged away from the room. Well, that was done.
"Ser Brynden." Called Jon and the knight took a step forward. "We name you Protector and Regent of Riverrun and the Riverlands until your nephew Edmure, now Lord of Riverrun comes of age."
"I shall do my very best." The knight bowed before them before returning to his nieces and nephew who were still scared with everything that went down.
The other lords were talking to each other, some shouting and some glancing the Tullys with murderous looks. They all needed a good of sleep to forget all of this… "Uncle…" Elbert called before Jon had the opportunity to dismiss everyone. "I…is the betrothal between me and Lady Lysa completely annulled?"
"Hoster broke it so yes, it's nulled." Jon confirmed though he began wondering why his nephew was asking that.
"Can it…can it be revived?" That question certainly surprised Jon, he certainly wasn't expecting it…
"You want to?" he asked, still amazed with his nephew who preferred whores and servants over marrying highborn ladies…It could cause problems to them because of what Hoster just did but at the same time...there weren't any daughters of Great Lords left...
"I wouldn't mind…" Elbert confessed with his cheeks slightly reddish. "Besides, I think it can make more Riverlords join our cause as the Tullys are still their liege and..."
Jon couldn't but smile at his nephew's words…Ronnel, it seems your son is finally becoming more like you… "It's your call, Elbert, what you choose is final in this matter, but it will be you the one explaining your decision to the angry Valemen and Northmen, not me."
"I will do it." Elbert said with his resolution taken. "I wish to marry her."
"Then go ahead and tell her that, see what she says," Jon said. "And don't faint on me boy…"
"You wish uncle." Elbert said laughing as he made his way to the Tully girl. The girl listened carefully to what his nephew was saying whilst her siblings listened too, then she led her hands to her mouth and her brother, the new Lord of Riverrun began clapping her back all cheerful while her sister smiled, Lysa was as red as a tomato before finally nodding in affirmation as she began sobbing emotionally.
The next day came, everyone had a much needed night of sleep and the marriage began by the end of the afternoon, a marriage no one was expecting at all…
"With this kiss, I pledge my love." Lysa, now dressed in a pretty ivory samite and with a big smile on her face said and with her cheeks flushed, making a big contrast with her beautiful bright blue eyes. "And take you for My Lord and husband."
"With this kiss, I pledge my love," Elbert replied with a big smile of his own. "And take you for My Lady and wife." Then his nephew leaned forward and kissed his new wife. Jon was proud of seeing this moment and a part of him wanted Ronnel to watch it too…
The Septon raised his hands to the ceiling in accordance with what the ceremonies demanded. "In the sight of Gods and men, I do solemnly proclaim Elbert of House Arryn and Lysa of House Tully to be man and wife, one flesh, one heart, one soul, now and forever and cursed be the one who comes between them."
The wedding feast was prepared with relative haste and most likely drained the Tullys' treasury considering how many lords were there attending especially when most took the opportunity to eat a proper meal, a concession they had to make for the time they made the Rebels lose with Hoster's bullshit.
Elbert and Lysa made way to a dance or two as did some of the lords who paired with some female servants.
"I'm still perplexed with Elbert's resolution." Admitted Ned. "I didn't think he would actually find upon himself to actually marry, even more in accordance to a broken betrothal."
"I learned a long time ago to expect anything," Jon said with a small smile upon his face. "How are your men feeling?"
"Some accepted our decision, others not so much…" Explained his foster son.
"As expected…" Jon avowed. "My men are disappointed with Elbert's choice of a bride but since we are trying to raise the Riverlands' support they understood it mostly."
"Elbert's marriage seemed to make most of them forget about it," Ned said with a shy smile. "Jon Umber and Maege Mormont for example, the Valemen don't seem to pissed up but I could be wrong..."
"I understand their point but the Tullys are still the strongest house in the Riverlands that did not declare for the Crown and they have ruled the Riverlands for almost three hundred years." Jon explained. "We don't even know which houses will support us or not."
"Aye."
It was then that Lord Jon Umber got up from his seat all jolly. "MY LORDS!" he shouted proudly. "I THINK IT'S TIME FOR THE BEDDING!"
"BEDDING, BEDDING!" The Great Hall shouted in a chorus as men and women made way to undress the married pair and lead them to their room.
"I seriously think my marriage was the only one that Jon Umber did not shout for the bedding…" Ned said as they broke into laughs. "The man never gets bored of it."
"Someone has to do it…"
"Aye to that." Ned agreed. "Lady Catelyn is beautiful but I'm glad I did not marry her, I couldn't live if I did because I would have dishonored Ashara in an abysmal way…"
"You don't need to worry anymore about it Ned." Assured Jon. "Ser Brynden made sure to fix this bloody mess."
"Thank the Gods for Ser Brynden indeed." Ned concurred. "Now we have to wait for the Riverlords' support and for Robert to join his army with ours."
"We can't do much more anyway." Blurted Jon.
"I just hope Robert is alive…" Ned confessed. "We haven't heard from him in a long time…"
"We all hope that, Ned." Without Robert's army, they couldn't compete with Crown, although it looked like the Reach and Dorne weren't as committed to saving the Targaryens as the Rebels were into ending their tyranny…
In the following days, they began receiving ravens from a variety of Riverlands' houses, House Blackwood, House Vypren, Wayn, the Vances of Wayfarer's Rest, Piper, Smallwood and Keath, not many as they perhaps expected but still, it was the much-needed support, they needed every they could get.
And to their relief, the Stormlands' army arrived at Riverrun but without Robert who had gotten injured and made way to Stoney Sept to find a Maester. They also said that Lord Connington had been after them and perhaps already gotten to him. Worried, Jon and Ned amassed the cavalry and the infantry and made way to Stoney Sept to engage Lord Connington's loyalist army which would be the first battle of the New Year.
Rhaegar Targaryen
Tower of Joy, Dorne, Year 282 AC
Rhaegar felt terrible for what he did to Lyanna Stark but he had no choice, she was ice and he was fire and by his seed and her womb, they would conceive Visenya, the third and last head of the dragon that would protect mankind from the great peril.
If his relationship with Arthur had been sour yet slowly recovering, now, any hopes of such thing happening were gone and Oswell himself was on the same boat as Arthur…They don't know what is coming…they don't know what awaits us all…if they did, they would understand…
But they were right on the fact that he could not remain like this, he needed to do something about the war that was scorching the lands he would one day reign over. And the only thing he could do was take his father out and stop somehow stop the Rebels.
He made his way to Lyanna Stark's room…a terrible idea but he needed to talk to her nevertheless.
When he opened the door, he was met by a flying chamber pot that hit his arm and covered him in wastes. Then he noticed the woman run in his direction with a murderous look and he had no other option but to immobilize her and stop her from potentially killing him.
"LET ME GO!" she hissed as she kicked and screamed. "LET ME GO YOU MONSTER!"
"You can't go," he said to her. "And neither can you harm me."
"I WILL KILL YOU!"
"You will not." he dismissed. "Now, I have something important to speak to you about."
"I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK TO YOU!" she screamed.
"First I'm sorry it had to turn out this way…"
Lyanna Stark began laughing hysterically at his words. "Sorry?" she asked. "You didn't seem so sorry when I told you to stop."
"You were the one who seduced me in the first place!" he countered.
"I know I was stupid and dumb but you still did not stop when I recognized I did shit!"
"The dragons has three heads…"
"What the fuck does that mean?" she questioned confused.
"It means that I must have a Rhaenys, an Aegon and a Visenya to fight the great peril," he explained. "Elia could not give me Visenya, she became barren after Aegon's birth and when you tried to seduce me, I just had to do it."
"How in the Seven Hells do you know it will be a girl?" she asked aghast. "You are mad!"
"I'm not My Lady." he dismissed, he wasn't like his father, sure he overstepped but he wasn't his father. "I will take action and dethrone my father and stop the Rebellion as I intended originally before it even began," he explained to her. "Once you give me my Visenya, I will personally escort you to Winterfell."
"So I can be called the dragon whore?" The northern lady scoffed. "And may I ask what will you do to my brothers if you succeed?"
"They will live," he assured her. "But on the Wall."
She began laughing once more. "Then I hope, one of them or Robert kills you and your father, him for his madness and you for your stupidity!"
"As you wish." It thought she would understand but she did not.
"Rhaegar." Rhaegar turned his look to the door where Arthur and Oswell stood, both with angry faces. "What are you doing?"
"You can both relax," he said as he picked her up. "I don't intend to rape her if that is what you are both thinking."
"Then what were you doing with her below you?" Asked Arthur.
"She is still dressed isn't she?" Rhaegar retorted. "I was simply telling her what I intend to do next, she deserved as much."
"And what is that?" Arthur inquired with a plain look.
"You and I will ride to Starfall where we will send a raven to Jon," Rhaegar explained. "He will then raise an army of which I will use to take control of the Red Keep and depose my father by force as I should have done sooner."
"What about Lyanna?" Arthur questioned. "What will happen to her?"
"Oswell will be a good Kingsguard knight and will keep guarding her door." Said Rhaegar and both knights sighed.
"By each passing day, you are becoming more like your father." Said Arthur with a disappointed look. "I don't recognize you anymore."
"I'm not my father nor I will ever be." Rhaegar countered, the fact that he needed his Visenya didn't mean he was going to burn the entire realm and he would prove them all wrong on their assumptions.
He quickly closed the door before the Northern lady could escape and that made her scream and scream…and he felt bad for doing this to her but Visenya was more important…she had to be born…the dragon has three heads.
First, as always, thank you for all the reviews, they mean a lot to me.
So I know this is not the conclusion most of you wanted for the Tullys but neither Catelyn nor Lysa nor Edmure did anything bad to the Rebels so there was no point on me killing them. With Hoster I hesitated between killing him, sending him to the Wall and use him later along the plotline or just make him commit suicide because he is joining the Watch, I decided against the first option and left the latter two still in the open. I also know that Elbert and Lysa's marriage was perhaps a bit out of context but Elbert sort of fell in love with her at first sight, this is more of a thing for the future. Everything has a reason.
That said, the New Year will arrive in the next chapter, 283 AC, the story initially had an Appendix that I ended up scrapping because of formatting issues, it was supposed to be before the Prologue and I'm bringing this in case someone has doubts regarding any House that I can provide a answer to.
Anyway, thank you for everyone who took some time to read and I hope everyone has a nice day.
