The Game Has Changed

by gdog1

Update 3/11/18: This is my first shoot at writing story on anything so take it easy. My story is about what would happen I Lelouch was reborn House Stark in the Game of thrones world and how he would change the fate of the Seven Kingdoms. I am now doing this story till the end and all chapter are being over look one more and will be updated. (this is now a harem)

21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Update in less than month. Say what you what but all the shit that is happening in the world really does give you a lot of free time. But anyways I hope everyone is doing ok and staying safe. I know most of you are getting store crazy, but we will all get through this but till than here is to me getting more chapters out as fast as I can.

Now on with the Q&A

Command Unit I have to say I am trying but I am finding my weakest point other than my grammar and spelling is detail battle scenes. I don't know how people do it. It is so fucking hard.

Janne Rolfe Jalandoni we will get there I am just trying to find a way to go in to more detail.

SlyMonster I am shocked that you were the only one to pick that up lol

TehStorm me too. I really need to get there. Got to get some shit out of the way first, however.

Egolenias I really do wish I added Kallen but I am already off base from where I wanted to be at this point.

Judedota I really like you review and I what to show more of Robb and Jon in the spotlight so I been trying to move back Lelouch's entrance into the war. That meant changing a lot of things around and giving him less time, but I feel it was a good move. At this point in time both Robb and Jon are more than capable of taking anyone on with the exception of Lelouch.

SomePervyGuy trying to cover every character takes forever. Am doing my best but it is hard lol.

SalaTW can't make up my mind on what to do with Ice.

ZeroSenpai Sansa will be getting a bigger part of the story and will show in this chapter. Arya is one of my fav characters and I love her more than then others but because she is younger she is hard to add in when someone like Lelouch is around.

Guest the northern lords are not willing to question him so much because Lelouch had not led them wrong. With his father's help Lelouch has taken the North to heights none of them thought could be done. You don't question people till the ship starts sinking and that is just plan not happing lol

Dumb Lannister people always forget that up till the high middle ages most Kings and Lords didn't know how to lead an army. With the exception of a few not many people could stand up to Robb. If it was Tywin who Robb was facing it most likely would have been harder for Robb to win.

Guest fuck Suzaku.

Now with all on with the story.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

-Riverlands 300AC-

"Boom-sticks are in place. Everyone retreat back to a safe distance." A Northern Army engineer yells out.

Hearing the order all the men of the Northern Army who made up the Tortoise that was used to get close to the gates start to retreat. As they do this the army engineer who gave the order for the retreat slowly rolls out the cannon fuse that is connected to the pile of boom-sticks that where laying across the gate of Wayfarer's Rest. Once he and the men were at a safe enough distance away from the blast radius, he lights the fuse.

At the same time that the fuse is lit Robb is standing outside his command tent watching the siege of Wayfarer's Rest take place. By his side is Lieutenant Smalljon and Theon who are also watching on with interest. They had all been present during the testing of the boom-sticks, but did not know if they would really work in opening an enemy gate.

"Boom" A loud explosion is heard coming from the gate along with the site of fire and smoke.

"The explosion was a lot bigger than I thought it would be." Robb says as he watches on.

"Hmmm perhaps 100 boom-sticks was a bit excessive." Smalljon says.

"You think? If your men had used any more, they may have destroyed the gate house." Theon says to Smalljon.

Smalljon gives Theon an irritated look after he hears the criticism of his men, but before he can say anything Robb speaks up and says, "Alright give the order for your men to take the castle, and please remind them to take Lord Vance and his family alive if possible."

"Yes milord." Smalljon says as he gets on his horse and goes to join his men.

When Smalljon is gone Theon says, "You know you probably could have offered Lord Vance the chance to surrender without bloodshed right? He would have most likely have taken it at this point."

Giving a sigh Robb says, "I could have, but I don't what to give the man any thoughts about a possible negotiation for his surrender. By taking his castle by force I make it clear to all that there will be no negotiating with me. I will only accept an unconditional surrender."

"That is a pretty narrow way of thinking Robb." Theon says to him.

Raising an eyebrow Robb says, "You disapprove?"

Scratching at the little bit of hair on his chin Theon says, "No but as your unofficial adviser it is my duty to remind you that there are other ways of going about taking a castle. The fact that the boom-sticks clearly make most gates useless aside this will still cost us some men."

"So, you approve of what I am doing but feel the need to criticize me and remind me that there are other ways of winning a war. I don't think I need to ask why you are doing that." Robb says.

"No, I don't suppose you do." Theon says to him.

"Chickenshit." Robb says back to him.

"If being afraid of a man who could crush you like a bug without lifting a finger makes me a chickenshit then so be it. But I on the other hand just call it good sense." Theon says ignoring his friends' insult.

Giving a small laugh Robb says, "And what does my unofficial adviser say we do now?"

"Dig in and wait for your brother to send reinforcements." Theon says right away.

"You don't believe we should go ahead and attack the Golden Tooth?" Robb asks.

"Personally, yes but from a military perspective no. We simply don't have enough men to attack it with." Theon answers him.

A look of frustration makes its way to Robb's face but had to concede with Theon's point. The sheer amount of men they had lost in the last battle was staggering. He may have won the battle, but it was a pyrrhic victory. More than a third of the center army under Lord Blackwood was lost in the battle alone and if Robb had waited any longer to give the order for the flanks to start the encirclement it would have been all of them. Add in the other casualties from the flanks and you would get less than 16,000 men left in his army. More than enough to take Wayfarer's Rest but nowhere close enough to take the Golden Tooth, boom-sticks, or no boom-sticks.

A loud sound of cheering breaks Robb from his thoughts and he looks up to see the Northern Army flag flying above the walls of the castle.

"It looks like the walls have been taken already." Theon says sounding impressed.

"What did you expect? Lord Vance retreated from the battle with almost none of his men. Even without the boom-sticks the castle would have fallen within a few days." Robb says to his friend.

"True. So, should we go and get this over with?" Theon asks.

"Lets. I what to get this over with as fast as possible and start working on the defenses. I don't what to give Lord Lannister the chance to counterattack." Robb says then goes to his horse.

-The Hall of Wayfarer's Rest a few hours later-

"Lord Tully once more I have to thank you on sparing the lives of Lord Vance and his family." Lord Vance of Atranta says to Robb.

"Thank nothing of it Lord Norbert. Even the best of men can be led astray by the glitter of gold. So rest assured that he and his family will be well treated in the North." Robb says to the man.

Bowing his head to his lord, Norbert Vance than takes his seat at Robb's war council with the other loyal Lords of the Riverlands.

Everyone is quiet for a moment and just enjoys the knowledge that they have taken Wayfarer's Rest. After the battle that was quickly becoming known as the Battle on the Hills by the men, they had all been busy making sure that the wounded were taken care of or were marching towards Wayfarer's Rest. They had not had a break in days and just wanted to rest for a little bit. But they all knew they could not do that just yet.

There was still much to do and with that knowledge in hand Lord Blackwood asks, "Well milord I hate to ruin this small moment of peace, but I must ask what do we do next? Do we make for the Golden Tooth and try and take it before Lord Tywin shows up there with reinforcements?"

A laugh is heard at this question and all eyes turn to Smalljon.

"You find something funny about my question Lieutenant Commander Umber." Lord Blackwood asks with some anger in his voice.

"Yes, I find it funny that the man who lost over a third of the men he was charged with leading would ask such a stupid question." Smalljon says.

Standing up quickly in anger Lord Blackwood is about to say something when Smalljon interrupts him. "Because of the losses you suffered Lord Blackwood our army of 27,000 is now an army of 16,000. We couldn't hope to take the Golden Tooth with the number of men we have and even if we did, we couldn't hold it for long."

Lord Blackwood looked like he was about to blow up like a boom-stick till Robb speaks up. "Lieutenant Commander Umber I will have to ask you to refrain from throwing out such insults. Despite the losses suffered Lord Blackwood did a fine job given the circumstances."

"I agree Lieutenant Commander you go too far with your words. We all got the same reports that stated that Lord Lannister was training his men for war but none of us were prepared for how good they would really be." 5000-man commander Arthur Rivers says to Smalljon.

Looking at the man who had become his 2nd in command over the years Smalljon eyes look like they wanted to burn a hole in the man. He hated Arthur almost as much as he respected the man. For every weakness he had Arthur made up for it with his own abilities. The fact that he would reprimand his superior in front of others was also a point in the man's favor. Yes-men were useless pieces of shit, but still would it kill the man to take his side from time to time.

Taking deep breaths to calm his own anger Smalljon makes a half-hearted apology. "They are correct Lord Blackwood. Under the circumstances you did very well. My apologies."

Knowing this was not the place or the time to hold a grudge Lord Blackwood says, "Your apology is accepted Lieutenant Commander."

Seeing that this little situation has been somewhat settled Robb says, "To answer your question Lord Blackwood the answer is we dig in and wait for reinforcements. Despite not agreeing with how Lieutenant Commander Umber said it he was not wrong. The losses we suffered will not allow us to attack the Golden Tooth with any amount of success."

"But milord Tully the boom-sticks proved their effectiveness during the siege. Surely we have enough to blow the gates off the Golden Tooth." Lord Jason Mallister of Seagard says.

"That they did Lord Mallister but let us not forget the Westerlands' army escaped the last battle with minimum casualties. Our current estimates put them at 10 to 11,000 men. More than enough to hold us off till Lord Lannister shows up with the rest of his men." Robb says to the man.

"And let us not forget we didn't gain anything after we beat those traitorous river lords. Of the 20,000 rivermen they had on the battlefield more than 12,000 are now dead with an additional 4 or 5,000 wounded. In total we have gained a little less than 3,000 fighting men who themselves are in no shape to fight." Theon says after Robb.

After Lord Lefford quit the field the battle had become extremely one-sided. Those that did not run from the field had chosen to fight to the bitter end in hopes of pulling out a victory. Most likely that was due to what Robb had done to those three minor houses. It was a double-edged sword when you showed your more vicious side, and it had come back to bite them in the ass in away.

Everybody is quiet at this news for a time till Lord Blackwood speaks up. "What about Lord Stark? Can he not send us any more men from the Northern Army?"

"Sadly, no. With the political situation being what it is my brother has had to put his desire for revenge to the side in favor of keeping the kingdom from breaking apart do to this little fight between the Baratheon brothers." Robb says.

"Damn that Renly. It is bad enough that those fucking Lannisters are trying to usurp the throne, but now he decides to try and do the same. Does that boy have no honor?" Ser Robin Ryger says out loud.

"Take heart Ser Ryger. With our victory Lord Renly will have to rethink his actions now. By pushing the Westerlands out of the Riverlands we have freed up my brother to move the Northern Army to intercede between the two Baratheon brothers. So hopefully this matter will come to an end soon." Robb says to the man.

"That is all well and good milord but that does not exactly help us. As you said milord, we have little in the way of men and though we have pushed them out for now the Westerlands will be back and in greater numbers. Lieutenant Commander can the Northern Navy not do anything for us? Perhaps attack the ports of the Westerlands to draw Lord Tywin's attention away from us?" Lord Blackwood asks.

Running his hand through his beard Smalljon thinks for a moment. "Sadly, no. Most of the Northern Navy is at White Harbor. Only a small force of ships is kept at Bear Island in order to protect the North's western shores but that is all. My lord has said something or the other about approaching the Iron Born to see if they will fight for him but as far as I know that has not happen as of yet."

At hearing this Theon's eyes narrow. He may not have had a lot to do with the Northern Navy but that didn't sound right to him. During his time with the Wolf Pack he had gotten to know a few of the sailors that were station on Bear Island, and he was told there were more than 60 ships there. 60 ships that he knew had cannons on them. Plus, he knew for a fact that the frigate Little Bear and that monster of a ship that the Mormonts called the Grizzly was there too. He had only gotten to look at the unfinished ship once, but the name Grizzly was very fitting for a ship that would one day carry over 100 cannons. But even though he knows the truth Theon says nothing. He knew the rules about talking about the new types of ships and was not foolish enough to break those rules. Still what was Lelouch trying to do by lying about the size of the navy?

"Well that is disappointing to hear." Blackwood says.

"Indeed, it is Lord Blackwood, but it doesn't change our plans. We dig in and wait for my brother to send reinforcements. Now all of you go do what is needed to prepare the defenses." Robb orders.

"Yes milord." They all say at once.

-Gold Road a week later-

As he rode on his horse towards King's Landing with the 10,000 men his father had sent to reinforce it Tyrion thought about how it had all come to this. For years, House Stark and his own had been going at it in the shadows but finally it had spilled over to the light of day. His family was now at war with them and it was a war he honestly could not see his family winning. Lord Lelouch had allies with three of the great houses, and his had none to speak of. It would take several miracles for his family to come out on top of this war and even than he had his doubts it would be enough. Really, a miracle had already happen seeing as he was able to get out of the North with his head still on his shoulders thanks to Lord Lelouch.

-Flashback-

Breathing heavily with a bag over his head and hands tied behind his back Tyrion could honestly say he was the most scared he had ever been in his life. He didn't quite remember what had happen but one moment he was riding with guards from his house towards home when all of a sudden, they were ambushed by armed men. Last thing he could remember before blacking out was the screams of the guards before they died followed by a pain in his head. When he had finally awoken it was to the darkness that the bag over his head gave him. He had tried to find out what was happening when he woke up by way of bribes and threats but not once did his abductors speak to him.

Such discipline would have been impressive if it were not so unnerving. But in a way that was the clue he needed to figure out what was happening. The discipline these men were showing was clearly not that of a common bandit and the skill they used to dispatch his guards was too great as well. So, after a few days of thinking on it he came to one very unnerving conclusion. These men were the so-called special forces of the North, or better known as the Wolf Pack. He had heard about them in King's Landing after Lord Lelouch's visit there some years. And if these were indeed those men that could only mean one thing. That Lord Lelouch had sent them to capture him and that most likely House Stark was at war with his own.

He would find out if he guessed right soon enough and after a couple of days traveling hard on horseback they had finally stop before night fall. He was led through what he guessed was a courtyard than a stone walkway till he heard a couple of doors open. Once they passed through the doors, he was tossed to the ground hard and heard a voice say, "Now, now my good men there is no need for violence. Please stand him up and get rid of that bag over his head and unbind his hands."

Feeling his hands being cut free and the bag being removed from his head Tyrion feels somewhat relieved. That is in till he comes face to face with a wolf whose head is the size of a bear. "Seven fucking hells!" Tyrion yells out than starts to back away quickly.

"Fenrir stop that. Get away from him." Lelouch commands his wolf.

Looking back at his master than back at Tyrion like he would make a wonderful snack Fenrir turns and starts to make his way to Lelouch's side. And as he does Tyrion gets a good look at the giant wolf. He had seen Fenrir once before when he had first come to Winterfell, but the beast was laying down at the time, so he didn't get a good look at its size. Now that he could he really wished he had not. Tyrion had read books on the dire wolves and none of them had mentioned anything about them becoming this big.

"I do apologize for my wolf Lord Tyrion and for the behavior of my men. Please take a seat and dine with me." Lelouch says as he points to a table where there is some food set out.

With the wolf no longer in his face Tyrion take stock of the situation and looks around to see where he was. A quick look around confirms he was in the Great Hall of Winterfell and there was indeed a table with food and wine on it. Knowing that acting the fool or like some innocent victim in front of this man will not help him he gets up with all the grace he can muster and walks towards the table.

"Thank you Lord Lelouch. Don't mind if I do." He says as he sits down and picks up a jug of wine. His hands are shaking a bit, but he is able to pour himself a glass of wine. Then he downs it in one go so as to take the edge off.

With a small chuckle Lelouch goes and sits down himself across from Tyrion and says, "You are being awfully trusting Lord Tyrion to eat from the table of someone who is clearly your enemy."

Pouring himself another glass of wine Tyrion says, "Not really Lord Lelouch. I already figured out that if you wished to kill me you would have done so by now. Plus, I always figured I die of drunkenness someday anyways which is as you know a type of poison."

Lelouch smiles at this and says, "That is true Lord Tyrion. Many great men have been brought down by drunkenness and I do hope that you are not one of them. But tell me you have already figured out I am not going to kill you, but what else have you figured out?"

"That the Westerlands and the North are at war and that King Robert is most likely dead." Tyrion says to him in a flat tone of voice.

Still smiling Lelouch says, "I have to admit Lord Tyrion I am slightly disappointed in you. I was half expecting you to play the fool when you were brought here, but it would seem you do not feel the need to."

"There is no need to wear a mask when the man you sit before has already seen past it Lord Lelouch." Tyrion says and tears off a bit of the chicken that was on his plate and eats it.

"That is true. People like us will always wear masks to hide our liars' tongue and disfigured faces, behind a rose-colored façade for the play we call life. But when we are amongst each other and have nothing to gain we can remove them and end the play." Lelouch says to him.

"All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players." Tyrion says with a small smile.

"You read a lot of my books I see." Lelouch says and picks up his own glass of wine.

"Indeed, I have." Tyrion says but does not elaborate.

Taking a sip of his wine first Lelouch waits to speak again for only a moment. "Your right King Robert is dead, as is my father. Your sister had them killed."

Pausing for a bit at hearing this Tyrion lets what Lelouch said sink in. Taking another big drink of wine Tyrion says, "I see and am I to believe I am here as a hostage?"

"Would I gain anything from taking The Imp of House Lannister hostage?" Lelouch asks back

"I suppose not, but than that begs the question of why I am here. You are not going to kill me, and I am not being taken hostage, so why am I here?" Tyrion asks.

"Because I want to make sure you get out of the North and the Riverlands alive. Your family owes me a debt. A debt that will be paid with the heads of your father, sister, and nephew Joffrey. As for you I hold no ill will towards you and there forward have no reason to wish to see you dead. So, the least I could do is make sure you make it back home in one piece." Lelouch says in a calm yet deadly voice that sends shivers down Tyrion's back.

"And my brother Jaime?" Tyrion asks.

"I have not decided yet. It will depend on his actions in the future." Lelouch says to him.

"When do I leave?" Tyrion asks.

"As soon as you are ready to leave." Lelouch tells him.

"Then I shell leave in the morning." Tyrion says to Lelouch.

"Then I will see to it that the men are ready to go when you are up." Lelouch says to him.

Getting up from his seat Tyrion starts to walk towards the guest rooms but before he can get far Lelouch speaks once more. "Lord Tyrion there will come a time where you will have to decide if you are to perish with your house or live to see another day. I truly hope you pick the latter. It would be ashamed to see one such as yourself die so young."

Looking back at Lelouch, Tyrion says, "You are so sure of victory?"

Lelouch just looks at Tyrion and says nothing to him. Seeing that Tyrion walks away more unnerved than he was before.

-Flash forward-

The next day the new Lord Stark did exactly as he said he would and sent him home with a heavy guard, and he was thankful that he did. By the looks the people of Winterfell were giving him and by the same look the Widow Stark gave him he would not have lived long without it. If he were left alone for even a moment it would have been his last. Yet the question remained did the Black Wolf let him leave?

While it was true that Lord Stark had nothing to gain by killing him that didn't mean that he shouldn't. Most people would have jumped at the opportunity for a quick revenge no matter how small it was. Yet the Black Wolf didn't and clearly had some bigger plan for him. Did Lord Lelouch really believe he would betray his family? Tyrion didn't know but he did know he would have to watch for any traps the Black Wolf may have set for him.

-Flashback Winterfell the day Tyrion left.-

"Stop sulking mother. I already told you before I capture him that I would be letting Lord Tyrion go." Lelouch says to his mother who has not stopped giving him a disapproving look since Tyrion had left.

Giving her son an angry look Cat says, "Yes, yes you did but you still have not told me why. Why did you let him go son? We could have held him for ransom or…"

"Or what mother? Exacted revenge on him?" Lelouch asks.

"Yes." Is his mother's simple answer.

"You need to learn to be more patient mother. We will have our revenge soon enough but not on Tyrion Lannister." Lelouch tells her.

"And why not?" Cat asks in an upset voice.

"Because Tyrion Lannister is too valuable an individual to waste on something like revenge." Lelouch says to her.

"That Imp valuable?" Cat asks with a disbelieving tone.

"Yes, mother valuable. You cannot see it because you have not yet learned to look underneath the mask, he shows the world. But I have and let me tell you mother underneath that mask is a man whose worth is more than all the gold mines in the Westerlands. There are only ever a few people like him that are born in each generation and Tywin was to stupid to see his son's real worth. I on the other hand have and would make use of it if I can." Lelouch tells his mother.

Looking at her son like he is crazy Cat says, "It you truly believe he is that valuable than would it not have been better to kill him so he can't be used against you?"

"No, it wouldn't be." Is all Lelouch says than says no more.

- 1 months later Dragonstone-

Sitting down and looking over the Painted Table Stannis Baratheon thought about what his next move should be. When the news had come that Lelouch Stark was backing his claim for the throne he had at first taken it as good news. The Starks had a long list of allies and with them backing his claim he also had the Vale, Riverlands, and Dorne as well. But that good news quickly took a turn when word came that Lord Stark was not willing to commit his men to fight on his behalf for the throne. The young man wanted peace between him and his brother and had made it clear that if one attacked the other, he would attack them in turn.

The audacity of Lord Stark's threat angered him greatly, but it was a threat that Stannis was taking very seriously. From the very moment Stannis met Lelouch Stark he had dismissed the young man as little more than a summer child who only knew how to build and make things for his people but knew nothing of war. That thought had changed however when he saw the army the young man was mostly responsible for making. His brother had been a fool to allow the North to build a standing army. He thought that from the very start, and he thought it even more when he paid them a small visit when it first began. What he saw that day he would never forget for it made his blood run cold.

Never before had he thought men at arms could move with such discipline and order, but on that day, he saw 10,000 men move in near perfect order at the commands of their leader. The military commander in him was both awed by the site and frighten. He would even go so far as to call what he saw a work of art and it was a work of art he knew he could not beat. He knew right then that if he had to fight these kinds of men in any great number he would lose and lose badly.

So, for the first time in his life he was actually considering compromising his honor in favor of the peace. He may not have like being forced into making peace with his brother, but it would lead him to gaining what was rightfully his. His brother Renly was a fool to challenge him, but he was not so much a fool to not realize what was happing around him. With the victory over the Westerlands' Army by the Young Wolf Robb Stark Tully, Lord Stark was free to move his army east into the Riverlands. This positioned the Northern Army in the perfect spot to stop any battle that he and his brother may have had.

Renly may have had an ally that could bring up a total of seventy thousand swords and an additional thirty thousand from the Stormlands. But that army would have to be split apart if he continued down the course he had set. On the other hand, so long as he was not the one to throw the first punch and simply waited Stannis would have an army numbering more than enough to take his brother on. And he would also have an ally already in position to attack his enemies in the back in the form of Dorne. Really the war was already won so long as he made it clear that he accepted Lord Starks terms. As well as made sure to keep Melisandre on a tight leash.

That was right now the one thing he worried about the most. After the night Melisandre had burnt all those spies during one of her rituals she had changed and not for the better. It all started when she was hit with an unexplained affliction that came over her during her ritual. One moment she was praying to the Red God and then next thing anyone knew she was standing completely still with tears of blood running down her eyes. It took three days for Melisandre to come out of it but when she did, she kept shouting something about a great wolf eating the sun. By the time she fully came out of it the mysterious, serene, and powerful woman he had known was gone and in her place was a crazed woman who didn't sleep at night.

Her fanaticism was also becoming too much to bear, but as she became more crazed so did her followers. He would have just done away with her by now if it were not for the fact that many of those followers were his own men. Because of that he was trap with trying to make her understand that it was in his best interest to seek peace with the Black Wolf. With Lord Stark's backing, Renly had little choice but to accept him as king. But still the woman didn't see it that way. He would have to find away to get rid of her when this was all over, he knew that now.

"Ser Davos." Stannis calls out.

"Yes, my king." Davos says as he comes forward.

"I want you to make ready to travel to the Riverlands to meet with Lord Stark. And when you do I what you to tell him that I accept his terms in making peace with my brother." Stannis says to him.

"Yes milord." Davos says with a relieved look on his face. He was afraid his king would side with that mad woman and make war against the North. A war he fully knew they could not win.

As Ser Davos leaves Stannis believes he had made the right choice. He could not beat the Black Wolf with the men he had but nor could Renly. So, a forced peace was the best he could hope for. What was unknown to him was that in the far corner of the room hiding in the shadows Melisandre had heard his order and her eyes narrow.

-The Summer Sea-

Leaning with his arms crossed on the side of the ship the Black Pearl, Sandor Clegane thought about how he ended up onbored this ship. If he was pressed to say it was because he did not have much of a choice in the matter. From the moment he had betrayed Lord Lannister to head North and meet with this so-called Knight of Orange he knew he was only going to live so long as Lord Lelouch willed it. But it was a betrayal he did not regret. He needed to meet the man who had all but killed his brother and fight him to see where he stood against the man. All his life he wanted to be the one to kill his brother for what he believed he did to their father and sister and that was saying nothing about his face. But before he could even get the chance this Knight of Orange showed up and did it instead in the form of crippling his brother from the neck down.

For nights on end after the tournament it had haunted him at how easily Ser Gottwald had brought down the so-called Mountain That Rides. The speed that Gottwald had shown that day was the stuff you only heard in fairy tales and the strength he had used to stab through his brothers plate armor was beyond what a man of his size should have been able to do. And yet he along with everyone else had seen Gottwald do it. Such speed and strength could have been real, and he believed that all the way up till the day he got permission to fight Ser Gottwald. For on that day he found out what a real monster was and that Gottwald was one of them.

That man was no man at all but more like the Warrior given human form. If he were a believer of the Faith than he would have honestly thought that, but it was a good thing he wasn't. For if he was, he would have to question what Lord Lelouch was. If Ser Gottwald was some kind of war god than what was the person who gave the orders to the war god. That was something he didn't wish to think about at all. What he did know was that after Ser Gottwald got done beating the shit out of him Sandor had started to train with the man whenever he could. During those times Sandor could feel his skills growing by leaps and bounds and within a few months he knew that if his brother was still alive, he could kill him with his own hands.

The gap between him and Ser Gottwald however never closed. On the same day Sandor realized that he was now more than skilled enough to kill his brother was the same day he realized that Gottwald had held back a lot during his own fight with his brother. He also realized that was because Gottwald's aim that day was not to kill Gregor but to make him suffer. Most likely on the order of his lord who after Sandor had asked about it admitted that his brothers suffering was a gift to his lovely wife.

It almost made him laugh to think that his brother who was the most feared knight in the Seven Kingdoms was thought of as little more than a wedding gift to this man. That was what his life was worth to Lord Lelouch. Gregor was of no other use than to be sacrificed to please the wife of the man who Sandor was thinking was more along the lines of a demon. Sandor could honestly say he was never afraid of Tywin Lannister. Intimidated sure but never afraid, but after that little talk, he could say he was afraid of Lelouch Stark. Just standing in front of the man was like standing before death and feeling its icy grip around his throat. By the Old and New Gods was he happy to be away from that man. He much preferred to be around his new charge.

"Good morning Lord Clegane." The sweet voice of Lady Sansa Stark called out to him.

Turning around and spotting the beautiful young woman Sandor had to take a moment to gather his wits. Sense the moment he had met her that day on the road Sandor had kept a close eye on Sansa Stark. Not for any lustful reasons, though she was beautiful, but because she was dangerous in her own right. They say some women have thorns on them. Well Lady Sansa had spikes on her as she had shown during her water dancing training.

"Milady good morning." Sandor says with the up most respect.

"It is unusual to find you up so early Lord Clegane. Did you have trouble sleeping?" Sansa asks him.

"Not at all milady. Just trying to get use to waking up earlier seeing as you are always up a dawn." Sandor says in the most respectful way a person like him can.

"There is no need for that Lord Clegane." Sansa says with a smile.

"I disagree milady. Your brother Lord Stark has ordered me to protect you at all cost and I plan to do so. But I can hardly do so if you are up before I am." Sandor says.

Giving one of the sweetest laughs Sandor had ever heard Sansa says, "I suppose that is true but really there is no need to rush. After all we are on a ship and I have the additional protection of perhaps the greatest knight of the Seven Kingdoms for the time being. And a good morning to you too Sir Selmy."

"Good morning Lady Stark." Barristan Selmy says as he walks down from the top deck.

"Ser Selmy please like I told you before just call me Sansa or at least Lady Sansa. I don't wish to be confused with my mother or my good-sister." Sansa says with a smile.

"My apologies Lady Sansa. It will take me sometime to get use to doing so." Barristan says to her and bows his head.

"No apologies are needed Ser Selmy. After all you are doing me a great service by agreeing to be my bodyguard until we arrive in Qarth." Sansa says to him, then thought about how she had met the fame knight.

After the death of her father her brother Lelouch had come to her with a mission that he needed her to do for him. A mission that would require both cunning and no small amount of bravery on her part. The mission was at its core quite simple. Go east, meet up with the banished princess now Queen of Qarth Daenerys Targaryen and help her conquer Slavers Bay. Now the news of this mission had shock Sansa down to the bone. Not because Lelouch was willing to send her into a dangerous situation but because she had no idea that he was even in contact with the exiled princess. Really even that should not have been a surprise seeing as her brother's shadow stretched far and wide but still, she had no idea it stretched that far.

She did not know why he wanted to help Queen Daenerys, but at the same time she didn't really care. She was simply happy to be given something to do and a chance to use the skills Lelouch had taught her sense she was a little girl. Plus, it also got her away from her mother who had become too overbearing for her liking. She loved her mother, she really did, but ever sense father had passed away she had become obsessed with seeing her married as soon as possible. That was why she was all too happy to put herself in danger by going on this mission. If she had to listen to her mother talk about who would make a good match for her one more time, she would most likely go crazy.

But back to the mission on hand. According to her brother Daenerys with the help of Ezio Auditore was now in control of the city of Qarth but had become dangerously low on funds and also found herself short on people who could advise her on how to run a city. Now Sansa had met Ezio Auditore many times over the years and knew the man to be very charming and highly capable when it came to his profession but was no politician. He was a spy and an assassin of great skill but that was all. He could advise Daenerys on who her enemies were and how to kill them but not on how to navigate the waters of the political landscape. The simple fact was you could not kill everyone and ruling through fear was a sure way of dying a quick death. What Daenerys needed was someone who could show her how to get what she wanted through compromise and political maneuvering. After all it was easy to conquer a city but ruling one was much harder.

Sansa however was under no delusion that the Targaryen woman would readily accept her help if she just showed up empty handed. First, she would need to get a few things that would help entice the woman to accept her help. To do that Sansa had first stopped at Braavos to pick up the funds Daenerys desperately needed. Her brother didn't really give her any instructions on how to go about getting close to Daenerys, but he had told her she had permission to use what Stark resources were available. That included permission to use their family's gold and silver that was inside the Iron Bank.

Ever sense Lelouch had invested in the Iron Bank and Margaret Andre better known as Peggy Andre took over said investment the gold had literally rolled in. What was once a small investment now had tens of millions of gold and silver coins in it. So, when she showed up at the Iron Bank and asked for a million gold dragons Peggy only asked for a letter showing that her brother was alright with her taking that much. Really Sansa would have taken a lot less if Peggy had agreed to come with her to Qarth but sadly with her father ill and being a new mother Peggy had no wish to leave Braavos.

That was where Ser Barristan Selmy had step in, kind of. Before she was able to leave Braavos, Peggy had approached her with a letter from Diana. When she first got the letter, Sansa had thought it was little more than a reply to the letter she had sent to Diana that confessed her love for the woman. It was but it was also a letter that expressed Diana's wish for her to return back to Winterfell where she would be safe. Sansa would have found the letter insulting if Diana had not started the letter with her own confession of love for her in turn. Well that and at the end of the letter Diana had informed her that Ser Barristan was seen asking questions in Braavos about Daenerys Targaryen. It didn't take a genius to figure out why he was looking for the woman and Diana advised that she trade a ride to the would-be queen in exchange for his protection. Now Sansa felt like she had more than adequate protection with the Hound and two units of the Wolf Pack by her side. But Diana had made it very clear that if she was unwilling to return home than she would feel better knowing her love was also protected by the Seven Kingdoms greatest knight.

Knowing full well that Diana had access to the spy network that her brother ran and being touched by her lover's concern Sansa had sought the man out. The man was honestly not hard to find and after a long talk the old knight had agreed to be her bodyguard. However, it was only on the condition that she swear on her father's grave that she meant Daenerys no harm. It would seem the man didn't trust her brother and her by extension.

"There is no need to thank me Lady Sansa. In truth you are the one doing me a great service." He says with a respectful bow of his head.

Barristan didn't trust this girl one little bit, but he needed to get to Queen Daenerys as quickly as he could, and this young woman knew where she was. It was for that fact and that fact only that he was here on this ship. Unlike Lord Eddard Stark, Barristan knew that Lelouch Stark was an untrustworthy individual no matter what mask he put on and that led him to question how trustworthy the young woman in front of him was. He truly hoped she was as honorable and decent as she appeared, but something told him she wasn't. All he could do was hope he was wrong for if he wasn't than this trip would be his last.

-Qarth-

Sitting on a throne overlooking her court in the Hall of a Thousand Thrones Queen Daenerys Targaryen of Qarth felt a horrible headache coming on. Things had not gone as she had envisioned when Ezio had promised her a city late last year. It didn't take very long for her to realize he meant Qarth, but at the time she had thought that he was going to try and make her some puppet ruler that he would in turn use to rule the city on his lords behalf. Oh, how wrong she had been on that. No sooner had Ezio made her queen of the city than did he completely back off and let her rule the city as she saw fit. A task that she had learn quickly was far harder than she had ever imagined and one that she realized she was ill suited to do.

Nothing in her life had prepared her to rule a city and her most trusted advisor Ser Jorah despite having ruled his own land was of no help. As for Ezio the little shit was all too happy to watch her struggle with the day to day problems of ruling a city with a big smile on his face. Sure, he would give his opinion if asked for it, but she had quickly learned that he too knew nothing about ruling a city or anything about politics in general. It truly amazed her that the same man who had taken over a city than gave it to her to rule would know nothing about ruling one. Something of which she often pointed out to him, but then he would in turn say that she was the queen of Qarth not him, so it fell to her to rule it or lose it.

Oh, how she hated Ezio and wanted to send him away but was unable to do so. With him being the vassal of Lelouch Stark she had no power over what he did or where he went. And even if she did have the power to send him away, she still wouldn't be able to. Ezio was one of the few allies she had in this city and along with the three merchants' princes that he controlled she desperately needed him. For without him she would have become a puppet ruler long ago or worse would have been killed.

Speaking of the three merchant princes she really come to count on them. Despite knowing that they were not loyal to her they had really been a great help. With Qarth being a city of merchants, the people of the city only really cared for one thing and that was profits. They didn't care who ruled them so long as they could go about their business as usual. So, it was easy to sell them the story that Xaro Xhoan Daxos and Pyat Pree were the villains that plotted to kill off the ruling class in a bid for power and her as the savior who put down their evil plan. But the upper class on the other hand were far more complicated. Those that had survived Ezio's purge didn't fully believe the story or didn't believe it at all and that is where the three merchant princes came in. With Ezio's help they were in the perfect position to take up the reins of power and keep those survivals in check for her.

Still that didn't make them her allies and left her only in power so long as Ezio was around. She had no doubt that once he left, they would turn on her and take what power she had for themselves. To try and fix that she had tried to buy the loyalty of the surviving nobles with the gold she took from the nobles that Ezio had killed but that hadn't worked out like she had hoped. All that had accomplished was to make her short on funds during a time when she desperately need them and the news just got worse from there.

Just a few months ago Ezio had brought her news that the Usurper was dead, as was his hand Lord Eddard Stark. It was good news to her at first which was even followed by better news when he told her before he died Lord Eddard had sent out letters along with proof that Robert's heir was in reality little more than a bastard with no rightful claim to the throne. Now the two brothers of the Usurper were at each other's throats fighting over a throne that didn't belong to them in the first place. To her it was the perfect time to set out for the Seven Kingdoms and take her rightful place as queen, but then she was not so gently reminded by Ezio that she had no way to do that. She had no army, no money to buy an army with and no ships to get there. Not to mention she had no allies in the Seven Kingdoms as well. All she would accomplish by going there was getting herself killed. It was a fact that she had to accept after she thought about it for a time.

Jorah had pointed out to her that she did technically have the better claim now that the Usurper was dead and could most likely find someone to ally herself with. Or she could even approach Lelouch Stark himself with an offer of alliance, but she had quickly dismissed both ideas. Even if her claimant was able to find her a strong ally all it would do was put someone else on the throne instead of herself. As for the Black Wolf, well going by their private conversation in that horrible place he wouldn't consider allying with her unless she had something real to offer him. And seeing as he already had an army, money and political power she really had nothing to offer him. There were her dragons, but he didn't care for them and saw them as worthless as they were. Maybe when they were bigger, he would start taking her seriously but till than she had nothing that would make her seem important in his eyes.

"Let me make sure I understand this Lord Auditore. Lord Stark is sending his oldest sister here to Qarth without my permission and you have known about this for weeks?" Daenerys asks in an angry tone of voice.

"That is right Dany." Ezio says with a smile on his face.

With her eye twitching at hearing the nickname her brother had called her she takes a few deep breaths before asking, "And why is he doing this?"

"Because he has heard about your recent troubles here and Qarth in feels you could use the help in the form of someone more trained in the ways of court life." Ezio says to her.

"And how did he learn of my troubles?" She asks with venom in her voice.

"Well I told him of course." Ezio answers with a happy tone of voice.

Gripping her throne tightly Daenerys is about to yell at him but is saved from losing her temper by Jorah who says, "And you see nothing wrong with reporting on our queen Lord Auditore?"

Smiling at the angry looking knight Ezio says, "Your queen, not mine Ser Mormont. I have never once hidden my loyalties from you or Dany. So as far as I am concerned, I am simply doing my duty to my lord. No more and no less."

It is at those words that Daenerys feels herself calm down. It was true he never did hide the fact that he was only loyal to Lelouch Stark. Still she would prefer it if he did not send the Black Wolf reports on her. "Lord Auditore while I accept the fact that you are sending reports to me to your lord seeing as you never hid the fact that you were doing so I will forgive it. But I expect you to keep me informed about things like this from now on.."

"Of course, Dany. My apologies I will try and make sure it doesn't happen again." Ezio says with a small and respectful bow.

"Be sure to do so." Daenerys says and gives him a hard look that does not affect him at all.

"Now tell me what I am to do about this." Daenerys says to him.

"What do you mean my lovely queen?" Ezio asks.

Feeling her eye twitch even more Daenerys elaborates, "I mean how am I to guarantee the young woman's safety here. Qarth is not exactly in my full control right now Lord Auditore or have you forgotten that."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that Dany. People can say what they want about Lord Stark, but he would never send his sister anywhere without a strong escort. Plus, as I have reported there have been many attempts on your life sense you became queen, and none have gotten close to you." Ezio says to her.

"I guess that is true." Daenerys says to him.

From the second she became queen of Qarth Daenerys had worried about assassination attempts but Ezio had assured her that none would ever get close. And he was as good as his word in this regard. She may not like the man, but he was a master of his craft and any who dared to try to have her killed ended up dead themselves.

"Still Lord Auditore that doesn't tell me what I am to do with the girl." Daenerys says to him.

"Hardly a girl Dany. Lady Sansa is and excuse me for saying far more qualified to be a queen than you are." Ezio says to her.

"Lord Auditore I will ask you to watch what you say to Queen Daenerys. She may not be your queen, but she is still a queen." Jorah says in anger but Ezio just ignores him.

Daenerys however is not as angry. She feels insulted but she reminds herself that Ezio has yet to lie to her and simply asks, "What do you mean?"

Answering Daenerys question Ezio says, "Lady Sansa has been taught everything she would ever need to know about the world sense she was a little girl. She has been trained in everything from politics, to money management, and even combat. She is truly what one would call a rose with thorns on it and would even go so far as to call her one of most dangerous women in the world."

"So, the girl is a snake?" Jorah asks.

"The girl as you so put it is what ever she needs to be. There is a story in Winterfell that at the age of 13 namedays Lady Sansa was told that she needed to judge if a man was guilty of the crime of murder as one of her lessons. Using her charm on the man not only did she get him to admit his guilt but also executed him herself by beheading." Ezio says to them.

"The man who passes the sentence should swing the sword." Jorah says after he hears this than adds, "But she is no man. How could she be allowed to do this."

"I don't know if the story is true Ser Mormont. All I do know is that all of the older Stark children are deadly in their own way." Ezio says to him.

"And you what me to accept this girl even though you know this?" Daenerys asks as she is still trying to get over the shock that a girl who to the best of her knowledge is younger than her has already taken a life.

"No offense Dany but let's face facts. You were never given a proper education when it came to the dealings of court life. Your brother was so busy jumping at shadows and chasing a dream that he had no way of accomplishing that he never took the time to educate himself or you in the ways of politics. If he had he may have been able to find the allies he so desperately wanted when he was still alive. But he didn't and when people saw him, they only saw a crazy boy who even if they had help gain the Iron Throne wouldn't be able to keep it long enough to benefit them. And my dear Dany is what politics is all about. Double talk and who has what and how can one benefit from the other." Ezio says to her.

"So, your saying I need her because she can do this for me or teach me to do it myself." Daenerys asks.

"Well that and the gold dragons she happens to be bringing along with her." Ezio says to her.

"Gold dragons?" Ser Jorah asks in confusion.

Looking over at the knight Ezio says, "Yes Ser Jorah gold dragons. You know that little gold coin that everyone wants but few have. She is bringing with her over a million gold dragons. More than enough to help you Dany with your little financial problem."

This information silences Daenerys for a time as she thinks on it. With Ezio's help she had gained a city and a spy network but that was as far as his talent went. Ser Jorah brought his loyalty and his military experience but despite his ex-lordship of Bear Island he knew little about the inner workings of court politics. The young woman who was coming did have those skills and they were skills she needed. But still she was hesitant on accepting her when she showed up. Lelouch Stark was not a man to be trusted so that most likely meant the same about his siblings, but the biggest reason she was hesitating was that dream she had at the House of the Undying.

Finally, after thinking about it some more she says to Ezio, "I will make up my mind about the girl when she arrives Ezio and no sooner. Till than start finding away for me to get an army."

Bowing his head to Daenerys, Ezio says, "Of course Dany I will start looking right away."

-Hardhome-

"Fire!" A voice cries out when the wildlings that were attacking Hardhome came within close range of its cannons' grapeshots.

And like a great thunderstorm all twenty-three cannons let loose their deadly shots into the wildlings with out mercy or pity. Thousands of iron balls tear through the flesh and bone of its victims casting a grisly site for the eyes to see. Arms, Legs, intestines, brain matter and blood erupted like some sick volcano. And at the top of the wall of Hardhome watching it all take place was the Governor Jon Stark.

As he watched this so-called battle take place with his now close friend Sam Tarly by his side, he couldn't help but feel a sense of dread pass over him. Such carnage and mindless slaughter could hardly be called a battle and made him wonder was it even needed. From the moment they stepped into what he called the kill zone they had become little more than pigs, and him the butcher. That thought alone made him want to stop the cannons from firing another shot, but he didn't. He just stood there and watched as his friend Sam tossed up his breakfast next to him and Roose Bolton who was standing on the other side of him smiled.

"Lord Jon perhaps we should bring this façade of a battle to a close now." Lord Commander Jeor Mormont said with a heavy frown on his face.

Even to his old eyes that had seen many battlefields full of dead men found this hard to stomach. He had come here to fight in a battle with some of his men but found instead he was part of a slaughter. There was no honor in this and those cannons with their little iron balls were the weapon of demons not men. He may have understood that to fight the Others they would have to be demons as well but this, this was too much.

"I agree Lord Commander. Let us bring this to a close and I humbly ask that you order your men to give our enemies a quick death. I sure as hell am going to." Jon says to him than starts to walk towards the command of the infantry.

"I will do so Lord Jon. After all we are not animals, and as much as I hate them, neither are they." Jeor says than turns to Roose and gives the order.

After the cannons stop firing their deadly packages the next few hours pass by too slowly for Jon who does not take to the battlefield. Call it his conscience, honor, or soft heartedness but he did not what to be any more involved in this tragic loss of life more than he was. It is around sunset when things start coming to a close. He had stood there all day watching as the wildlings were killed and their bodies carted off to be burned so the Others could not bring them back from the dead. The man who passes the sentence should swing the sword after all. He had sentenced these men and women to death, and he had been the one to swing the sword by giving the order for the cannons to fire. The least he could do was stand here till the deed was done.

As he does, he sees something on the horizon of the battlefield. Turning to one of the captains of the cannons Jon asks, "Captain do you have a spyglass on you?"

"Yes milord." The unnamed captain says to him.

"Look towards the southeast of the battlefield and tell me if you see anything." Jon orders.

"Yes milord." The soldier says and takes his spyglass and looks towards the southeast.

After a moment of waiting the soldier says, "I see a man milord. He is carrying a white flag and riding towards us. Should I order the men to reload the cannons?"

Narrowing his eyes Jon says, "No, there has been enough death this day. Send some men to go out and meet him and bring him back unmolested."

"Right away milord." The soldier says and goes to do as he is told as Jon watches on wondering what this is about.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

And we are done with this chapter. Tell me what you thought and leave a review and please if you are only going to complain about my spelling and grammar than keep it to yourself. I am tired of reading about it. I know it sucks and if you don't like it write your own story.

Now to another subject I am not happy about the battle (air quotes) with the wildlings but really with them having no idea about the cannons and grapeshot and no way of knowing about them it was will going to be one side. With that said Mance is not dead. In fact, I am taking a idea from one of my favorite stories that got discontinued or abandon and using it for my own story. Hopefully it goes well.

See you all next time.