Epilogue
He had vowed he would outlive Stark and Baratheon, and now he had.
Stark had stolen his last son, and Baratheon had ruined his daughter, and they were both finally dead now. Would that it had been at my hand.
Yet his son had finally returned, a man that Balon hardly recognized. Theon had been shy when he had been taken after the war, yet this Theon seemed to try to be confident.
Some part of him wanted to be glad that his son had returned. For years the only child that had been left to her was Elenei, though she spent most her time caring for her Torwyn, and was not the same girl she had been before the war either.
Once he had tried to foster the boy off with Lord Goodbrother at Hammerhorn, though Elenei had put an end to that notion when she threatened to jump from one of the towers if her son was taken away from her.
'Torwyn is all I have, father, don't take him from me too,' she had said then, pleading with tears in her bright eyes.
Robert Baratheon had claimed her as his own after the castle had fallen, though he had left her behind at Pyke, taking Theon and Asha away, while the bastard grew in her womb for nine months. The birth had proven difficult on Elenei though, and the Maester said she would not be able to bear more children.
The boy was a constant reminder to Balon of one of the men he hated more than anything, yet he allowed him to remain. Elenei was the last of his children that had remained to him after the war, the only one that had not been stolen from him.
I will have my crown again, he had promised himself the day Pyke had fallen, and that day was finally now. He stood hunched over in his solar looking over the map, while his brothers and son had entered.
"The Lannisters will not sit idly whilst you claim your crown father," Theon said to begin their meeting.
Balon had expected him to say something like that. "Nor did I expect them to. This Young Wolf may have won some victories, but he is just a boy against Lord Tywin-"
"-With your help, we will win," Theon interrupted.
"Speak with more respect to your father, and your king," Aeron said to Theon when he was finished.
"There is no we, Theon," Balon told the boy. "Stark may be your friend, but he is not mine."
"He need not be your foe," Theon said.
Balon began to move some of the pieces on the map. "You would have us strike the Westerlands, to sack Lannisport and raid the lands there, yes?"
Theon nodded.
He moved the pieces away from there. "A fool's plan. We will get gold surely, but you could never hope to take the Rock, or strike deep into their lands. It is said one of Lord Tywin's brothers is gathering a host even now only three days ride from Lannisport. We will never be able to hold the West. And when Lord Tywin comes..."
Balon allowed his voice trailing off to say what needed to be said. Lord Tywin was a dangerous man, far more than Robb Stark or Renly Baratheon.
"Then what would you have us do?" Theon asked.
He looked at the map. For a moment he considered attacking the Reach. Lord Renly had crowned himself king with the might of Highgarden and Storm's End behind him.
But the Redwynes might join them, and Renly's claims seemed foolish when both his brothers had sons who would come before him. They might have been able to raid there too, but he remembered how attacking the Reach had gone last time. They had beaten the Tyrells, but the victory had been of little consequence, and cost them dearly despite there being few forces defend.
No, the fruit they would need to pick was further North. Theon would have to prove himself worthy if he thought he would be the heir, and this was the perfect chance for him to be tested.
"Strike against Winterfell," Balon told them. "Stark took his strength south with him, and now the North can easily be ours."
Theon had said there would be none in the Sunset Sea to oppose them. That might have been true, if they didn't know of the fleet being built at Barrowton, and ignored the ships at Seagard. It would be best if they took them out before they were too strong, Balon had decided.
"Winterfell?" Theon asked in some disbelief. "What could you possibly hope to win by attacking there?"
"A land that we can hold," Balon said. "It is said Moat Cailin has never been taken from the south. Victarion will take thirty longships and strike for it, and take it from the West and North, so that when Stark dares to try and return home, he will find his host trapped."
His brother nodded, and Balon wondered if Victarion was eager for the glory of winning Moat Cailin.
"Once we hold the Moat, the rest of the North will fall in time. Euron shall take men to Barrowton, to sack the town, and burn the ships being raised there."
"My wife-" Theon started to say.
Balon felt certain he knew what he was going to say. "-Will be for you to collect. You will take Bear Island, and from there move on Deepwood Motte. You ought to get hostages aplenty to win her back from the Starks."
Theon didn't seem pleased by that answer. "Who is it that you wish to please? The Lannisters will not thank you for this. You will not win their war for them, and Robb is wed to one of the Queen's daughters."
"I do not wish to please them either. Their time will come eventually," Balon said, before he continued on his plan. "Aeron, you will lead some raids along the Stony Shore, and before long we shall begin moving on other castles too."
And the Starks won't be able to resist, he thought to himself, a little satisfied. Their forces were in the south, and Winterfell was held by a boy and a Lannister woman.
His brothers all seemed to approve, even Euron, though Theon was not pleased still. "Leave me," he told all of them, and they did as he was bed, each one exiting the solar quickly, and leaving him alone.
Balon sat down, looking over the map and the pieces, considering them. He wondered whether or not he should lead some men himself in this war.
When he had risen last, he had fought, though only when Stark and Baratheon were assaulting the island, but he had led men in the Reach during Robert's Rebellion.
He was younger than Lord Tywin, he knew, and he was sure he would be able to see the man to the grave. When Lord Tywin was finally dead, they would be able to attack the West too, he decided.
The crown would be his again, and he would be King of the Isles, and the North.
It seemed to be several hours that he sat there, waiting for nothing, occasionally moving the pieces when he heard the door open by someone who hadn't announced themself.
"Father?" He heard a familiar voice call out to him. When he turned he saw Elenei was there, and she sat down at the table.
"Please tell me you do not mean to go forward with this folly," she said.
"Who told you?" Balon asked. He supposed it didn't matter so long as their foes didn't learn of their plans.
She seemed to think on it for a moment, as though she was considering whether or not she should tell. "Theon," she finally said, and he sensed she was telling the truth. Her uncles wouldn't have told her for certain.
"And what part of this is folly?" He asked her.
"All of it," she said sharply. "Why must we have another war? Was losing one not enough for you?"
"Careful," he warned. "We will not lose."
"That was what you said last time, and then you did," Elenei said to him.
"I do not have you to give me council," Balon told his daughter.
"What else can I give you?" Elenei responded. "When we lose, you will lose your head. And you will not be the only one. They'll kill Theon, and our uncles, and me and Torwyn too."
"It is not like it was last time," he tried to assure her.
"It is… Last time you were hoping the realm was not truly behind Robert, yet it was," she said.
"Your son…" Balon started to say, thinking of Theon. He had allowed her to shelter the boy for his whole life. "It is past time he learned how to be a man. War will harden him like he needs… Like Theon needs. He will squire for one of his uncles."
"No!" Elenei said, a tear starting to form in her eyes.
"He will be safe," Balon told her. "He will not be sent to charge into battle if that is what you fear."
She shook her head. "No, I will not part with him. He is my son, not yours."
"And you are my daughter," he reminded her.
Elenei didn't fight, and only ran out of the solar. For a moment Balon thought to pursue her, but he didn't.
"Tell me brother… What is it you wish to achieve?" Another voice said.
"Euron?" Balon asked, confused, wondering when he had entered. His brother emerged from a shadowy area in the corner though all the same.
"Yes…" Euron said back. "What is it that you hope will happen?"
Balon didn't respond.
"I have seen it brother… The world will soon tremble at our feet, but you look the wrong way," Euron said.
"What way should I look?" Balon asked.
"North eventually… But not yet… There are others that require our attention first," Euron said.
Balon only looked confused. He knew Euron had taken many voyages on his Silence, and traveled the world, even gone to Winterfell several times in disguise to visit Theon.
"You've always been a stubborn fool though Balon. You won't listen to your son, so that leaves only me," Euron said.
He's mad, Balon thought, starting to wonder what game he was playing at.
"What do you need?" Balon asked.
"Your death."
Author Notes:
Oh man… Balon is my personal pick for the least intelligent character in the entire series, and writing him proved to be quite a bit of a challenge.
Thank goodness he's dead now, right?
Regarding Euron killing Balon, I don't actually think he did in canon, however here he does because he has actual reasons to do it (Balon being dumber than a doorknob).
Next part of this series is called The House of Wolves, so be on the lookout for when that finally drops. It may be some time as I haven't even really started on the Prologue for it yet.
Anyways, that's that. There's also an appendix that I was only able to get to translate well to AO3, so you can look at that two if you want.
Thanks for reading, and as always, I don't own ASOIAF.