TDC: Missing Scenes and What If Scenarios
By
Arrow4131
And
Leilani972
Summary:
This work is inspired by the The Dragon Cub by Alperez, with the permission of the author. Each chapter is missing scene from key moments in the original story and a chance for us to answer a few what if questions. If you haven't read this story, please check it first.
Ser Donnel Waynwood of Ironoak was squired under Ser Brynden Tully, aka, The Blackfish. He was taught to always stand firm for a cause he believed. But what happens when the man at the head of that cause starts to show his true colors?
War has come once again to the Seven Kingdoms, and as acting Knight of the Bloody Gate, Donnel must make difficult decisions that show how being honorable and doing the right thing can be two very different things.
(See the end of the work for more notes.)
Chapter 1 : Honor or Dishonor, That is the Question
Bloody Gate, 298 A.C
During the gathering of the Vale Army
Ser Donnel Waynwood, Acting Knight of the Gate
Hard to believe that the world has changed so drastically in just a few short moons. It was not too long ago that Ser Brynden was making me acting Knight of the Gate while he and his nephew took a trip to Winterfell for his fathers wedding. I'll admit, I had mixed feelings about them leaving. On one hand I was happy to be given such a great responsibility, but on the other hand I was not a fan of Lord Stark remarrying since it goes against the Seven. To be fair, I didn't know why he had decided to set Lady Catelyn aside in the first place and he could very well have had a good reason but kept it quiet for his children's sake. After all Ned Stark was known for being a very honorable man.
Which is why I felt so conflicted about this war. Something just hadn't sat right with me since we received the call to arms. The feeling had started when word had spread about the Hidden Dragon known as Jon Snow. The stories I'd heard about him seemed too incredible to be believed. Up until recent events I did not think that it was possible for a bastard to rise so high outside of the Night's Watch and the Citadel. But low and behold he was able to do so. The numerous times I'd heard from small folk, merchants and other travelers about the boy's accomplishments and his compassion for the poor and downtrodden made me believe to the point of wanting to meet him properly someday. Mostly so I could judge his character for myself.
Now I might never get that chance since we are now at war.
I didn't understand what was going on at first. We received, as the other holds in the Vale, a shocking raven from Jon Arryn. I read it so many times that I could recite it word by word.
By the order of his grace, King Robert Baratheon the first of his name, King of the Andals, Rhoynar and First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm. We hereby declare that Joffrey Waters, Myrcella Waters, and Tommen Waters are bastards and not of the king's line and are stripped of all claim and rank. Furthermore, they and their mother have been charged and convicted of treason.
Jon Arryn,
Hand of the King.
Those words had confused me and filled me with so many questions. How did they know? Were they certain? Had there been a trial? Was there any proof?
The last question was the one that stumped me the most. I had seen the children myself and I knew that they looked more like their mother than Robert, but that didn't necessarily mean that they were bastards. After all, by all accounts Robb Stark looked more like a Tully than a Stark and yet no one had ever disputed his legitimacy. Hair and eyes are not adequate enough evidence so unless Cersei had confessed that her children are bastards then Robert had no legal way to make this declaration without starting a war with the West. I might not know much about politics, but I know a political fuck up when I see one. Especially when it involves a family as wealthy as the Lannisters. So why did Lord Arryn go along with this?
The raven that came later made the situation even more unstable.
To the Lords of the Vale,
By Order of his grace, Robert Baratheon The First of his Name, King of the Andals, Rhoynar and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm. I, Jon Arryn, Hand of the King and Lord Paramount of the Vale, do hereby call all banners to defend the King's honor against House Lannister and their allies, who failed to follow the orders given to hand over Tommen Waters so that he could face justice, and had also managed to steal Myrcella Waters away from our custody. Prepare for war, my Lords, and may the Seven lead us to victory.
Lord Jon Arryn,
Hand of the King
At that point I have more questions that fill my mind with worry. For starters, should we really be surprised that the Lannisters were refusing to hand their kin over to be punished? After all, Lord Arryn had refused to hand over his wards and they were not of his blood. How was what he did honorable and good but when the Lions did the exact same thing they were deemed traitors? It sounded a bit hypocritical. It also didn't help that Tommen and Myrcella were 6 and 7 namedays old so I really did not feel comfortable going to war just so we could put two little children on trial because their mother was apparently cuckolding the king.
"Will we go to war, Ser?" Sandor Frey, my squire, had asked after I relayed the announcement to our garrison.
"I don't know," I answered truthfully. "But in any case, we should train more if we are to go to the front with the army."
The sparring yard had been crowded for days and even nights, so much that I had to set a schedule for training so everyone could use it equally. Our garrison was eager to prove their worth in battle, myself included. It had been a long time since my last tourney and there weren't a lot of action around here. Added to our numbers were those of the forces traveling to the Eyrie to answer the call. I watched proudly as most of the Houses of the Vale went through the gates, and I was even prouder to be the one to let them through. But with the men also came the rumors of what had happened in Kings Landing.
Robert's Rage, they'd called it.
Robert's madness, I'd thought. People were divided on the subject and I had to break up more than one fight in the resting areas. Some thought that the king was right to do so, as all those people who were in the know of Queen Cersei's adultery and didn't divulge it to the King, were traitors. Others thought that to accuse a woman of adultery was one thing, but to have an entire household and two Kingsguards executed without any form of trial was shameful.
The most appalling rumor to me was the fate of Joffrey Waters.
I had heard a lot about the former prince turned bastard. That he was cocky, spoiled, arrogant and, simply put, not really pleasant to be around. That his mother doted on him and he wasn't very good with a blade, which made him completely defenseless. That his former father had beaten him to death in front of his mother, to make her pay for humiliating him had sickened me to my core. But some believed that since he was a bastard, it was not something too tragic and that nobody other than the Lannisters would mourn him.
My conscience was telling me otherwise and I found my will to go to the front dwindling as the days passed.
The raven with the Three Headed Dragon's seal transformed this already complicated situation into a true nightmare.
To all the houses of Westeros who fought for Robert Baratheon.
Four and ten years ago, you fought, bled and died in order to depose a monster that sat on the throne. What you've failed to realize then was that you had been used by a few ambitious men to place another monster on it. A monster who showed his true colors by killing dozens of innocents because he'd felt wronged and is now threatening to do the same to two innocent children who had the misfortune to be born bastards.
Some people saw what kind of person Robert Baratheon was when he'd laughed over the bodies of two babes and their mother to get what he wanted, to end a family legacy and take control of the Realm. My uncle, the king's best friend and brother by choice, couldn't accept it and out of fear for my safety, perpetrated his own lie. So the trueborn son of Rhaegar and Lyanna Targaryen, who had married in front of the Seven after Elia Martell gave her blessing to have her marriage annulled by the High Septon himself, became a bastard called Jon Snow. The cover of bastardy protected me from Robert's wrath, until today.
For House Targaryen who had been wronged by the usurper and his Hand, for those innocents who perished during Robert's Rage, I have to let the bastard die and my father's son take his place. For my mother, my father, my grandmother who had lost their lives for a lie perpetrated by Jon Arryn and Robert Bratheon, for my uncle, my aunt who had suffered needlessly because of this. For my brother and sister, for Elia Martell whose deaths have received no justice from the usurper. I rise and I call for you to raise your arms, to once more remove a monster from his throne, and claim justice for those who cannot.
Jaehaerys Targaryen.
With that one raven the war with the Lannisters went from possible victory to extremely difficult. Even before this letter came I had a feeling that Lord Stark would not be calling his banners for two reasons. The first is because he and Robert had a near falling out over the bodies of Elia Martell and her children. The second being that his bastard had been fostered at Casterly Rock for years so he would not want to take the chance of going to battle against his own son. But this letter just changed things for the worst, for we are now badly outnumbered.
If a similar letter to this was sent out to every house in the realm then all of the houses who had supported the dragons during the rebellion will be answering his call. The Lords of the Narrow Sea would more than likely rise, as will half of the Riverlords, and the Reach. Add in the Northern Lords who were extremely loyal to House Stark and would gladly fight for a king that had Stark blood…
The septon has had to give me medicine for headaches on more than one occasion thanks to this mess.
Even in our own ranks the chaos was visible. We, at the Bloody Gate, with the exception of Ser Brynden, came from all regions of the Vale. There were a few hedge knights in our midst, but the rest of the knights and men-at-arms were from houses more or less important: most of the garrison came from the two branches of House Royce, some from my house, House Waynwood, and the rest came from House Redfort, House Templeton and House Grafton. While we were assigned to guard the Gate, we were also bound to follow our House's lead. The spirit of the garrison, already on edge, went overboard when word came that House Grafton was not answering Lord Arryn's call. Some of our men were called traitors and I was asked to send them to the Eyrie so that they could be imprisoned. I didn't feel that they should be punished for the decision of the head of their House, so I gave them leave to go back to Gulltown. They decided to stay at their post, probably to prove that they weren't traitors, and their commitment softened the view of their comrades for the moment.
House Redfort's silence began to raise questions when House Waynwood arrived at the gates. The Redfort was closer to Ironoaks and it seemed strange that our retinue would arrive sooner than theirs. I greeted my mother, brother and the master-at-arm and asked them how their journey was.
"I dream of a warm bath!" Harrold, my cousin, said almost casually.
"I don't think you'll have one on the battlefield, cousin," my brother retorted.
"Then I might as well try my luck here!" Harrold grumbled.
"It will be difficult to accommodate you," I said. "The barracks are full and everyone is trying to settle between here and the Gates of the Moon while they wait for Lord Arryn to arrive."
"A shame, truly," Harrold spat before walking away.
"Nice to see that he hasn't changed since I last saw him." I said sarcastically. Being Ser Brynden's squire when I was growing up may have been the main reason why I lived and served here, but if I were to be completely honest with myself. Being away from Harry the Arse was another main reason. That idiot will never grow up and if those rumors about Lady Lysa and Littlefinger are true then I fear for the Vale under Harry's leadership.
Mother didn't stay long, preferring to travel as quickly as possible to the Eyrie when the soldiers were settled. Thankfully, I didn't have to suffer Harry's attitude, since he was too busy parading with his friends and bragging about having a chance to put Lions and and a certain Bastard down where they belonged. I was glad to spend some time with Morton. My brother was a good man who didn't dream of glory like most of the knights I knew. He reminded me of Mother with how he treated his son and I was relieved to see Roland wasn't to fight this war.
"He was really eager to come, especially since Harry wouldn't shut up about it. But Roland is my heir and I need him to rule Ironoaks if I fall." Morton stated.
"At least Wallace will not whine since he isn't the only one staying home!" I chuckled, not wanting to think about anything happening to my brother.
"He tried to ask Mother to let him escort her, but she said she knew him too well to give him a chance to travel to the front with the army by accident." Morton japed.
We had a good laugh imagining the situation and were still bantering when the Royces arrived at the Gates.
Seeing the gravity of Lord Yohn's face when he told some of the other Lords that the Redforts wouldn't come was something I would never forget. Insults flew all around the barracks, words I would never have guessed some of the most respectable Knights knew to be honest.
I didn't know what to think. The Redforts were level headed, so what had motivated Lord Redfort to sit out of the conflict? Why wouldn't Jasper or Mychel reason him? Were they fighting for the other side? Would Valemen fight against Valemen? The possibility worried me more than I would have imagined.
"We should go to these traitors and show them what it costs to defy the might of the Vale!" Harry had all but spat.
"I thought Mychel was your friend," I pointed out absent-mindedly.
"When it comes to war, we cannot be sentimental. Moreover, Mychel got softer after the Tourney of King's Landing. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that he turned traitor, this one. Always moaning about honor like he was the only one who was in the right."
"What do you mean?"
"Oh, don't mind me. It's just that we got into a silly banter about how things went wrong during the Tourney and why. Knowing his traitorous heart by now, I feel he deliberately made us lose to the bastard."
I snorted, slightly amused by Harry's presomption. Jon Snow's swordsmanship was renowned in all Seven Kingdoms since he won the squires tourney in Lannisport. Come to think of it, I wouldn't be surprised if Jaime Lannister hadn't created this only to show off young Snow's skills and build up his squire's legend.
Who wouldn't love the story of the kind-hearted bastard squire turned Dragon Prince, after all?
I remembered how angry Ser Brynden had been when he had heard the Kingslayer taking the proof of his niece's dishonor under his wing. I heard him say that as much he was relieved to see the boy go, he didn't understand why someone like Jaime Lannister would take interest in a bastard. The answer was clear now. Whatever he saw in Jon Snow must have reminded him of Prince Rhaegar, and for him to claim his heritage so boldly, he must have had solid evidence to prove it.
"Do you believe what he says? Jon Snow, I mean, Jaehaerys Targaryen?" I asked Morton, who didn't have time to answer.
"Don't be ridiculous!" Harry huffed. "This is clearly a plot between the Lannisters and the Starks to weaken our ranks and try to claim the throne!"
"Ned Stark isn't one to crave power," my brother disagreed.
"Ned Stark is a Northern heathen and his bastard is even worse. He didn't deserve to be knighted and it is against everything we stand for!"
"That bastard was knighted after he won the melee at the Tourney of Highgarden by our own King's hands. Tell me Harrold, when have you ever won anything at a tourney?" I asked him with a little bite since I never believed that this fool ever should've been knighted in the first place.
"Might I remind you that I have earned my Knighthood after winning the squire's tourney of Runestone, cousin?" Harry answered disdainfully.
"Forgive me, cousin. I forgot all about your exploits against the horde of Frey squires you've so valiantly vanquished" I japed. "I mean no offense, Sandor."
"None taken, Ser," my squire smiled graciously.
"How I won this tourney is a moot point." Harry retorted. "We were talking about Jon Snow and he is like all bastards, willing to do everything, even sully his aunt's memory, to rise above his status."
"I don't think -"
"Do you believe a faithless bastard over the word of your Liege Lord, Ser Donnel?" Harry yelled, visibly affronted. "Lord Jon Arryn, Defender of the Vale, Hand of the King, is going to war to restore the truth and set things right in the Seven Kingdoms."
I heard grumbles of assent around me and found myself surrounded by unfriendly looks. Not wanting to escalate the situation, I shook my head and, after a quick apology, excused myself from the room.
To say I was shaken by this ordeal was clearly an understatement. My point wasn't to discredit Lord Arryn's character, but by defending Jon Snow's I ending up doing just that. I should have realized that by believing the tale of the Hidden Dragon, I was also implying that my liege's word wasn't trustworthy. To speak that carelessly has almost made me look like a traitor and I should take more care about my words from this moment on.
My brother came to see me before heading to sleep and assured me that my argument with Harry was forgotten as soon as some music had been played and the barracks boasted with songs and laughter.
The last of the army arrived a few days later with Lord Arryn. He greeted his forces warmly, thanking them for answering the call, then asked some of the Lords to meet with him. I was surprised to be invited to this meeting, but he simply stated that I should be involved as the Knight of the Gate.
The Hand of the King looked far older than he should and his emotions were displayed clearly on his face if someone took the time to look closely.
"Firstly, some of you may have heard that damnable song." he said.
"A scandal, my Lords!"
"A disgrace!"
"We cannot let this slander stand!"
Lord Arryn lifted his hand and took a moment to try to school his features, in vain. I could still read the disgust and hatred, if not on the face, in how his words slurred as if they were laced with venom.
"I thank you my lords, but it pains me to say it's true, Robert is not my son, Lysa and Littlefinger have been involved behind my back."
"My lord, your heir?" Lord Hunter asked.
"Is standing in this very tent, Harrold, step forward young man. My great-nephew Ser Harrold Hardyng is hereby named officially as my heir. Nestor has the paperwork and a copy has been sent to Lady Anya." he said.
"I thank you uncle, I shall endeavor to make you proud of me." Harry bowed theatrically and I looked at my brother who was trying hard not to roll his eyes like me.
"I'm sure you will nephew, but for now though I need you to ride back to Nestor and the Eyrie, you cannot ride with us. I've already lost far too much blood, I cannot risk my line ending." Harry wanted to protest but Lord Arryn gave him no chance to do so. "I cannot Harrold, go, take some of Lady Anya's men, but go, for House Arryn, you must."
"As you say uncle." Harry grumbling, visibly unhappy, before leaving the tent.
"We ride to the Riverlands my lords, to put that to rights and await the king and his reinforcements." Lord Arryn stated.
"Reinforcements, the Stormlords ride?" Lord Yohn asked.
"Under Lord Stannis yes, the king rides with a different larger army, the Golden Company, my Lords." he said to gasps and then smiles.
"They've come from Essos my lord, why?" Lord Lyonel Corbray said and I was glad he did.
"Our dealings with Magister Illyrio have been most helpful, thanks to his own arrangements with the Golden Company they fight on our side." he said seeing the nods around the room.
I tensed, as did Morton. Apparently we might have thought the same thing. The Golden Company was a formidable force consisting of a lot of disgraced Lords exiled from Westeros or bastards in quest of riches and glory. Contrary to the Wall, they put their military training not to protect but to gain wealth.
"The North my lord?" Lord Belmore asked.
"May have their own troubles soon enough," Lord Arryn's small smile sent shivers down my spine. "I've heard the Iron Born mean to take advantage of the armies of the western shoreline marching, surely they'll attack the North first. However, we'll need outriders behind us just in case, it may come down to us having to face the Northern army.".
"Then we'll cut through them my lord, savages are no match for the Knights of the Vale." Lord Egen said.
"If it comes to that aye, we will. We ride my lords, for our king, we ride."
Cheers rose inside the tent as a bad feeling did in my heart. The way Lord Arryn talked about the Ironborn and his assurance that they would go North first was almost as if he had called for them to wreak havoc on them. Did the Crown associate with the faithless reavers? The support of mercenaries like the Golden Company was already too much for me. I found it distasteful to recruit people who were used to fight for slavers to do their dirty work. But the Ironborn were the scum of the realm, they couldn't be trusted nor should they ever.
I was about to leave the tent when Lord Arryn called my name.
"Walk with me, please, Ser Donnel."
Startled, I nodded and followed his lead nervously. We walked in silence for a moment, while around us soldiers were packing to leave. Lord Arryn seemed to enjoy the commotion and the opportunity to appraise the numbers of his force.
"You've done well so far, Ser." he said.
"My… My Lord?" I blabbered, not understanding.
"Some of the Lords have praised your handling of their settling in during this particular situation. I know you are just acting Knight of the Gate for now, but I commend your quick thinking. Ser Brynden was right to choose you."
"I… Thank you, my Lord."
"Who knows, maybe, if you continue to serve the Vale so faithfully, your role will be more permanent when this war is over."
"But… Ser Brynden -"
"Isn't here, Ser. And, to be honest, with the recent events and his ties to the North and my dishonorable wife, I am more comfortable with you taking the lead. To think we could have had a Stark hostage to keep Ned from declaring against us…"
Lord Arryn's words shocked me literally into silence.
"Lord Baelish is still missing. I gave Lord Nestor orders to have him apprehended as soon as he is seen. I would give you the same orders, Ser Donnel. Bring the man to the Gates of the Moon and do not let him go."
"I… It will be done, my Lord."
"Some of your comrades had expressed the wish to join us in war. I would prefer if the Bloody Gate was fully manned. We don't know if the rebels would not try to take the Eyrie."
"I understand. We will be vigilant, my Lord."
"You have men from both the Redfort and Gulltown am I correct?"
"Yes my Lord, 5 and 30 of them total."
"Have you had any problems with them."
"No my Lord. Other than a few squabbles because some of the other men saw them as traitors and wanted them to be locked up in the Eyrie there haven't been any problems. Mostly because when I gave the men of Gulltown leave to return to their homes, they declined and were determined to stay and do their duty to the Gate. Since then, the rest of the garrison has been treating them with respect."
"I'm assuming that the same thing happened with the Redfort men?"
"Yes. The men of this garrison are loyal to each other and will never abandon the other. We are like a brotherhood here."
"Oh I have no doubts of their loyalty to their comrades, but I do have plenty of doubts about their loyalty to my House."
"I can understand that my Lord, but with all due respect, those men are duty bound to follow their houses lead. They are not responsible for the actions of their head of house, so it would be unfair to punish them in any way when they have committed no crime."
"Oh I agree, but just in case, I want you to confiscate their weapons and keep a close eye on them. If they do cause any problems, they'll be easy to gather into one place until I return and deal with them."
Lord Jon then stopped walking, turned to face me and said, "Guard the Gate well Ser and do your house proud. I'll send a raven with more instructions to you once I have put my former ward in his place." As he turned to leave for his horse, the bad feeling I had been having in the pit of my stomach for weeks now was suddenly back with a vengeance. But now it felt a little different because I was also feeling anger towards the man. To order me to treat some of the men under my care differently than the rest just because they had the misfortune to be sworn to the wrong house. No, I wouldn't do it, but I couldn't tell him that, or else I'd be accused of treason and stripped of my position. But that didn't mean I couldn't do something about this, though. But first...
"My Lord? Before you go, Just out of curiosity, what will happen to Grafton and Redfort after the war is done and you are able to return?" I said with a calmness that I hoped and prayed hid my worry and anger.
Lord Arryn without turning around answered in a voice of steel and a sense of finality that I had never heard from him before, "His Grace and I gave them a second chance after the rebellion and they squandered it. They do not get anymore chances." He then walked away leaving me behind as I still tried to grasp what had just happened.
This conversation overwhelmed me with a great feeling of dread for my friend and my former mentor. Two just and honorable men who didn't deserve to be sentenced for the mistakes of others. With how Lord Arryn had spoken, I was certain Ser Brynden and little Brandon would have been imprisoned had they been at the Bloody Gate. For this I gave a little thanks to the Gods for where their journey had led them.
Jasper and the Redforts, on the other hand, were in immediate danger. As night settled on the barracks, I was still thinking about Lord Arryn's words. I wanted to warn my friend about what loomed over their heads. With luck, he would be able to convince his father to send some troops to the front. Being late was better than not showing up and would probably save their lives, at least I hoped it would.
That evening, long after my brother and the rest of the army had passed through the Bloody Gate, I sat in my solar mulling over how best to help my friend and get some answers to the questions that burn the hottest in my mind. The Ironborn issue was one of such, mostly because I did not believe that Jon Snow would send a raven to Pyke since he would know better than anyone that those reavers could not be trusted, since Lord Stark had housed a Greyjoy hostage at one time. So how could Balon Greyjoy have known that the realm was at war and the North would be defenseless? The only answer I could come up with is that either Robert or or Lord Jon gave him permission to reave along the western coast. Unfortunately that would have to wait for a time since I didn't know anyone on the Small Council and they would be the only people who would know for certain if my theory was correct.
I did have some distant kin through my mother in the Stormlands who would be able to tell me about Lord Stannis' army and their whereabouts. Morton had told me before he had left that something felt odd about the Stormlands since he was very certain that a few Stormhouses would refuse to answer the call because of Robert's actions and because they had a decent relationship with the Lannisters. So hopefully I would be able to find out for certain. I also have an acquaintance who lived in Kingslanding, a knight in service to the City Watch and the Captain of the River Gate, Jacelyn Bywater. A good and honorable man who would never tolerate the injustice of Roberts Rage. If anyone could tell me what had happened with Lady Lysa and provide me with more reliable information about the war then it would be him.
But I'll have to choose my words carefully with both letters along with the one I intend to send Jasper.
The letter to Ser Jacelyn would be the hardest because while he might not approve of Robert's actions, I had no way of knowing if his house would support the dragons or not. Lady Shyra's would be a bit easier since her son Sebastian is about the same age as Morton, so all I have to do was express a hope for the two of them to watch each other's back during the conflict. I would then ask her if she knew how long it would take before Stannis met up with the Vale army. If I'm lucky then she'll be able to confirm Morton's suspicions without even realizing that she's in fact outing Lord Jon as a liar.
My letter to Jasper on the other hand would be both the hardest and easiest to write since I'd be writing as a friend who was speaking from the heart.
So for the next 3 days I spent all of my spare time writing these letters until I had finally found the right words for each recipient. I then gave the sealed scrolls to Sandor with instructions to be discreet since the garrison was still slightly on edge. My squire did raise his eyebrows at me when I told him that one of the scrolls was bound for the Redfort but he thankfully did not question it since he knew Jasper and I were friends.
'Now the only thing to do is wait and hope that the response I recieve is the one I want.'
2 Weeks Later
"A raven, Ser. From the Redfort."
Dread and curiosity battled in my mind as I accepted the missive from my squire and went to read it away from prying eyes. It was the first response I had received from anyone but it was the one I was more eagerly waiting for. As it had been some time since I had sent the Raven to Redfort and as more and more time passed, I was afraid that I would receive no response. But I continued to wait and prayed constantly for an answer. For I did not want to receive orders from my liege to march on my friend. If that had happened then I would've refused and resigned from my post. Harry may not have any qualms about fighting a friend, but I do. And if that was treason then I wanted no part of a kingdom saying so.
So it was with great nervousness and anticipation that I opened the letter and read words that would change my life forever.
"My friend,
It is with a heavy heart that I write this letter, knowing that you might judge me or my family unfavorably for not answering the call to arms our liege has sent.
I bid you to consider the words I am about to write for the sake of friendship we once bore.
After hearing some rumors following Robert's rage, my brother shared with us some evidence that Lord Arryn might not be the best person to follow. He all but confirmed what we heard about the tourney of King's Landing. Those events made us doubt Lord Arryn's sincerity and character and I'm afraid those rumors we heard about what he did to Lady Lysa and Lord Robert are mostly true, even worse than we could have imagined.
I thank you for your warning. It comforts me in my choices. In any case, I cannot in good conscience follow someone who would use a knight to hurt children, or people based on the Houses they come from. My trust in my liege and his motives are compromised and I've asked my father to wait before sending any forces.
We are ready to face the consequences of our actions should the Dragon fall, but I know in my heart that it was the right thing to do.
I hope you can forgive me and I wish you good fortune my friend.
Seven blessings,
Ser Jasper of House Redfort, Heir to the Redfort."
My heart pounded and I almost collapsed as Jasper's word confirmed my suspicions. I couldn't fault his reasoning but I wasn't sure I would have made the same choice. My family was close to Lord Arryn's, kin through Harrold and whether I liked it or not, the fact that the latter was Jon Arryn's heir would make it impossible to refuse our liege's command.
Thinking about Lord Arryn almost made my blood boil. He was a model for a lot of people, a hero to the young ones. A man of honor who didn't hesitate to go to war to protect his wards from the Mad King. A firm believer of the Seven and in chivalry. Has his time in King's Landing as Hand of the King changed him that much?
I shall ask no service of you that might bring you dishonor.
To ask young knights to hurt someone, even a bastard, without any cause was against everything I've learned. It was dishonorable and I didn't know if I was more angry at those who tried to follow these orders or at the one who ordered them. The Gods would not look favorably upon those involved in this dishonorable act. That they didn't succeed to harm Loras Tyrell and Jon Snow… Jaehaerys Targaryen… didn't lessen anything.
In the name of the Mother I charge you to defend the young and innocent.
That my liege didn't say anything during Robert's Rage was something that also disturbed me greatly.
What King Robert had done to Queen Cersei, Prince Joffrey and their retinue was atrocious. Lord Arryn did not even condemn it, he excused it on behalf of the Seven, had called for Tommen Water's head and what's worse is that he had borrowed a page in Robert's book to commit the same atrocities.
The knowledge that Lord Arryn had actually thrown Lady Lysa and her son into the Black Cells without a trial makes me want to scream in rage. Even more so if the rumors about them being put in separate cells were true. I could understand punishing his wife but her son did not deserve to be punished for his mother's betrayal. Fully grown men have been known to barely survive a relatively short stay in the Cells with their minds mostly intact. A small sickly child however would more than likely not survive more than a fortnight let alone the many moons that it would take for this war to end and for Lord Arryn to return to King's Landing in order to give his wife an actual trial. As far as I was concerned, Jon Arryn had already sentenced that poor boy to die for the crime of being born a bastard.
I shall ask no service of you that might bring you dishonor.
I couldn't help but to feel there is something else we don't know. That Jon Arryn's motives weren't those he claimed. As Knights of the Vale we were supposed to protect those who cannot defend themselves, but there we were fighting the West, the North and the Reach so the King could kill two children.
In the name of the Mother I charge you to defend the young and innocent.
House Lannister rose justly to protect Tommen and Myrcella. They didn't ask to be born nor did they choose whose parents they have. Everyone in the Vale knew how Robert Baratheon was. Stories of his exploits and misdeeds had been told ever since I could remember. Poor Mya Stone was a living example of his indiscretions, as was Edric Storm, but it could be overlooked since a lot of noble men have had bastards. Even Ned Stark, who was cited as the spiritual heir of Lord Arryn when people spoke about honor, was believed to father one and not criticized for it. But Robert didn't care about being king other than to have a court of whores at his disposal and it was common knowledge than Jon Arryn ruled in his stead while trying to curb his former ward's appetites and temperament. He was the one in charge and he chose to go to war after having initiated it. Thousands of people would die for the fate of two bastards. Three, if we counted Jon Snow.
'But he isn't a bastard, is he?'
Jon Snow, Jaehaerys Targaryen, whatever name he had, seemed to me more honorable than my liege lord. He condemned Robert's behavior and demanded justice for those killed during Robert's rage and also for his brother, sister, and Elia Martell's murders during the sack of King's Landing. Another crime committed and not condemned by Lord Arryn. The more I thought about my liege's actions, or lack of in this case, the more I believed he wasn't who we thought he were.
I shall ask no service of you that might bring you dishonor.
I stored the missive in a safe place and got back to my post. Those conflicting thoughts don't leave me and I tried my best not to show my turmoil. I sparred with Sandor, taking in the moment to forget about everything and release the tension gripping my whole body. The poor boy is exhausted but I'm proud of him, even if I won't say it out loud. He's made a lot of progress so far and takes his role seriously.
My emotions came back as soon as I stopped fighting, so did the tension. I missed having Ser Brynden there. He would know what to think and what to do. For the moment I was glad to stay at my post. I guessed I could understand Jasper's stance. I didn't know if I would be able to fight for someone I didn't trust, and I certainly could no longer believe a single thing Jon Arryn has said or would say as of late.
I really needed to talk to someone, to ease this burden weighing on my shoulders, but I feared the others' reactions. Would they think me a traitor, as they did Jasper? Would they understand my internal conflict? I found myself not even trusting my brothers in arms, those I trained, ate, laughed and cried with. I feared I was going mad with all these thoughts.
The little sept was welcoming, as usual, when I used to feel the need to pray for guidance. I knelt in front of the Mother and longed for mine at that instant.
Lady Anya Waynwood might be a woman, but she knew how to rule her lands as well, if not better than the other Lords. After Lady Lysa in her time, she might have been the most influential Lady in the Vale. She is a practical woman and people look up to her when things go dire. Most of all, she would do anything to see our family in its rightful place. If there was someone beside Ser Brynden whose opinion would be indisputable, it was her.
I knew that my mother was in the Eyrie, watching over the new heir of the Vale, but I couldn't leave my post since I was the Knight of the Gate, so I sent word for her to come to me. In the note that sent her I expressed the need for urgency and hoped and prayed that she would be able to come today.
Three days later, not long after Sandor and I had finished our midday meal, my mother had arrived with several Waynwood guards to escort her down pass.
A part of me was glad to see the concern in her eyes when I helped her dismount, while I felt a little bit of guilt to have her worried so.
"I thank you for coming on such short notice, Mother." I said as we arrived in my temporary solar.
"You said it was urgent and you needed me."
"I do. Mother, the Redforts…"
"Have chosen not to answer the call. I know." Mother cut me abruptly. "Is there something else we should know? Have they pledged themselves to the Targaryen?"
I grabbed the letter and gave it to her. After a long moment of excruciating silence, she let out a huge sigh and sat down, still lost in her thoughts. After a few more moments she finally turned to me and spoke words that I never imagined she would ever say in a voice I had never heard before. Almost like a mixture of sadness, relief and anger.
"I'll be completely honest with you Donnel, I don't know what to think about this. Truly, my mind is in a strange state of both confusion and clarity."
"I'm not sure I understand mother."
"You were but a little boy when the Rebellion happened," Mother started. "But I remember it clearly as if it was yesterday. How people were stunned to learn that Prince Rhaegar had kidnapped Lady Lyanna, myself included. He was the clear opposite of his father and we had faith that he would be a great king, greater than any other Targaryen before him. Your father… He was at the Tourney of Harrenhal. While he'd found Prince Rhaegar's actions shameful, he also saw Robert Baratheon's actions as not being any better and in some ways much worse. As usual, he'd led servants and charmed other ladies to his bed, while claiming his undying love for Lyanna Stark. Jon Arryn was quick to judge Prince Rhaegar as a disgraceful and dishonorable man who was showing how careless he was for the people of the realm. He was quick to inform all the Lords of the Vale of what had happened at Harrenhal, painting the prince as someone covetous and selfish, saying that it was the first step of madness and that he was scared of the future of the Seven Kingdoms. Then, almost as if fate would have it, a young maid came while Lord Arryn was hearing petitions. She said that was a servant in the Crossroad Inn looking for Robert because she was with his child and she'd been cast out of her parent's house. She wanted nothing for herself, just to be sure that her child would be taken care of when the time would come, because she wouldn't be able to do it herself."
"We all know Robert has a lot of bastards," I intervened. "What does it have to do with the matter of the letter?"
"If you'd let me finish, you would understand my point." she answered curtly, making me shiver with how cold her voice became. "We never heard of the girl or her child after this. She simply… vanished. And when asked about the subject, Lord Arryn dismissed it as if it was nothing. I always suspected he'd taken… radical actions to solve the matter. Mya Stone was problematic enough for him and he never hid his displeasure about having to care for Robert's bastard."
"You… You think he'd killed the maid?" I blubbered, dumbfounded. "And you've said nothing about it?"
"Would you have believed it before this letter, Son?"
I was about to answer, affronted, but froze when our gaze met. The truth is, I don't know if I would have. Jon Arryn was someone I admired and who I aspired to resemble one day. It took until I had received this letter for my opinion to change but I still have moments of denial. But those moments were slowly but surely dwindling into nothingness. Hearing my mothers words however is making the wall of denial crumble even faster than I dared to think possible.
I then closed my eyes, took a calming breath and said with a voice of defeat, " No, I wouldn't have. Not if I hadn't written to Jasper and gotten his response."
"It was after your father's death that everything made sense to me," she continued. "Your father was a good man. Never had I met someone so true in my life. We had our differences, assuredly, but he never made me feel my opinions were less important than his because I was a woman. You were already squiring when he died, so you're probably not even aware of all of this, but even if you were it wouldn't have changed anything. You cannot imagine how many fights I had with Lord Arryn because I didn't want to remarry. It wasn't my place to rule my lands, according to him, even if I was the heir to Ironoaks. A woman had no say about her role in society. She was there only to produce heirs and fulfill her womanly duties, as the Seven Pointed Stars taught us. I argued that my children would be at risk if I ever had a new husband, I heard too many stories of greedy men usurping their wife's sons to take a chance of that happening to Morton or even yourself. Jon Arryn threatened to force me to marry. I told him that if he didn't believe me to be capable of ruling Ironoaks, to give it to Morton instead, but I would stand my ground for the safety of my children. I was shunned by a lot of people. More than you can imagine. I feel like I got a taste of the Seven hells all because I was a woman who was reaching too high according to Lord Arryn."
She almost spat her last words and I could feel years of suffering, resentment and contained anger in this frail woman who was my mother. I didn't know how much she'd endured and I felt guilty for not thinking about it either.
She must have perceived my emotions because she took my hand and gave me a small smile.
"See how we've grown. Our lands prosper, my son is the Knight of the Gate and soon our kin is going to be the next Lord Paramount of the Vale. That's more than I could have asked the Seven and I'm certain there's more for us in the future." she said assuredly.
"But, Lord Arryn... The war..."
"Trust me, I hate to have to follow his orders, knowing his true character. But we don't have the luxury to behave as the Redforts. We are between a rock and a hard place, my son, but Jon Arryn's fury will unleash way worse on us because he's already prejudiced towards our family."
"I understand that mother, but even if Lord Arryn does return victorious he's not going to be able keep what he did to Lady Lysa and her son a secret. That boy has always been sickly looking and does not deserve to be in the Black Cells. He'll die from being down there separated from his mother. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he's already dead."
"How did you get this information?" she asked, frowning.
"This is not the point! He… Wait. You knew about it?"
I stopped to take a breath when I realized that I was starting to raise my voice at her. I can't take the risk that someone will hear us and get too curious for their own good. But more importantly, I had come very close to raising my voice to my own mother.
"Mother I'm sorry."
"There's nothing to forgive son. You're not the only one asking around for more details from other Kingdoms, although I wish you would be more cautious when you talk to people who aren't family." Mother said. "I understand your frustration, more than you can ever imagine. But unfortunately there's nothing we can do about this. If Lord Arryn wins this war, he will twist the truth as he always does, and people would be too afraid to rise against him. "This is the way of the world. Those who have power can do anything they want. Remember, it was because of the ties of the North, the Riverlands, the Stormlands and the Vale that we rose against the Mad king. He's been burning people for years before anyone dared to oppose him."
"But Rickard and Brandon Stark, Elbert Arryn, Kyle Royce... You rose to avenge them, right?"
"We rose because the time was right to do so and we were supported by three other realms. Had we not then I'm certain Jon Arryn would have given up on his wards to keep his head."
"It was the right thing to do!" I stubbornly retorted in shock. "He was honor bound to protect his wards!"
"My sweet, sweet boy," she tutted as one of her hands rose to caress my cheek. "Sometimes I forget how naive men can be. Do you think it's honor that made Jon Arryn wed Lysa Tully before heading to war? Or Ned Stark, Catelyn Tully? As far as I know, they had ample reasons to rebel without having to wed. No, it was to solidify alliances and to make sure that no one would go back on their word. Honor had nothing to do with the Rebellion. The betrothals had been set a long time before the Rebellion. Hoster Tully, Jon Arryn, Robert Baratheon and Rickard Stark were all waiting for the right moment to strike, and Prince Rhaegar had served them an excuse on a silver platter."
To hear my mother confirm that the rebellion was based on a lie was hard for me to hear. Even more so knowing that my father had died doing what everyone had believed to be a conflict meant to keep Lord Arryn's wards safe from harm and to avenge those who had been murdered by a tyrant.
But wait, if mother had deduced all of this before the Rebellion, did that mean father had known as well? The answer to that question was one that I dreaded, but I needed to know for certain.
"Mother, did father know that the rebellion was a lie? Did he know about Lord Arryn's true nature?"
"No, not entirely at least. Your father and I suspected that there was more to the story than just simply revenge, justice and a rescue. But we didn't have any proof and at the time we felt that this was the only way to make the Mad King pay for his many crimes. Moreover, your father was a Knight of the Vale, honor bound to answer the call. It was extremely difficult for him not to question his liege's orders, especially after the taking of Gulltown. It broke his heart to be forced to fight against Valemen. The Graftons were, are good people and I admire how the son follows in his father's steps. Robert Baratheon killed Lord Marq and the Graftons to this day have suffered much worse than we ever did. I cannot fault Ser Gerold for not wanting to join the ranks."
"But you would have us to follow Jon Arryn even after all of this?"
"I would have my family to survive," she countered. "Believe me, I wish that Morton didn't have to go. I want you all to be safe."
"We won't be safe if the Dragon wins."
"If what we heard about this boy is true, we have more chances of a pardon for following our liege's orders than for Jon Arryn to forgive us should we stay out of it. I do not think you realize how dangerous this man is. As Hand of the King, he has more influence than anyone in the Seven Kingdoms. And he has shaped the fate of the realm for far longer than he's been hand. This man has seen the ruin of the Targaryens, the death of Prince Rhaegar. For I know for a fact that he wanted Rhaegar dead."
"How? How would you know?"
"I am but a woman, but I know the rules of war. Wouldn't Ned Stark ask for a parlay before the battle of the Trident? Wouldn't he try to ask the one who kidnapped his sister his reasons to do so, or at least if Lady Lyanna was alive? Wouldn't Rhaegar ask for a parlay in order to speak and appease Lord Stark?"
"You think Lord Arryn is responsible for the lack of parlay?"
"Don't underestimate Jon Arryn's cunning, Donnel. He's so well respected that nobody would question his motives. This… thing with Lady Lysa and her son just shows how people are not even contemplating the possibility of Lord Arryn lying. His word is law and this, my son, is the root of the problem."
Mother was getting more and more agitated and I felt she was on the verge of losing her calm. I've rarely seen her scared as far as I remembered. Maybe during tourneys when we were competing, Morton, I, and more recently Wallace, but never to this extent. The thought of anyone making my mother feel this way angers me. But anger is not what she needs, so I need to hold it in until I can spar again. So instead, I knelt down to her level and took her hand in my own to give her some of my strength and as much comfort as possible. I can't imagine how difficult these last 4 and 10 years have been for her. To lose your husband in a war caused by an ambitious, dishonorable man who has purposely failed to live up his house words and to then be in the uncomfortable position to continue serving such a man.
"As High as Dishonor" should be the new words of House Arryn. I pray to all the Seven that the falcon will pay for his crimes. But the only way that will happen is if he and Robert lose this war and a dragon sits on the throne again. But will that happen? Is it possible? It might be since Robert is facing far greater odds than he did before.
"Mother? Do you believe that Robert and Lord Arryn will be victorious?"
"I honestly don't know son. Only the gods know what will happen in this war."
"But that doesn't mean we can't speculate about the outcome, mother."
I grabbed a map of Westeros and laid it out for her to see.
"Take a look at this. Both the Lannisters and the Tyrells have very large formidable armies with capable commanders and large enough coffers to keep them sustained for years if it was necessary. The Tully's will have an even harder time rallying their bannermen compared to Lord Hoster since his son is such a dislikable idiot. And if the Northern forces are as fierce in battle as they are during tourneys, then our forces are certain to suffer great losses when they engage them. While Robert has a few Riverlords that can give him 8-10,000 men at best. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if the numbers are even lower than that."
"After what happened in Kings Landing with the honor joust and the fool actually raising a toast to a dead child you are probably right." She said with a small smile.
I laughed, glad to see that she's feeling less agitated now. "As for Robert's forces, the crownlands can only call on so many men and there are several Stormlords who will not answer the call for various reasons. So about 10,000 men in the crownlands, 15-20,000 for the Stormlands, and 20,000 men of the Golden Company. If His Grace is very lucky, then he is evenly matched in terms of the number of men that are answering the call. But the Demon of the Trident has gotten very fat so if he were to face the dragon head on in a one on one fight then he would lose."
I could only hope that it wouldn't be my brothers or any of the Vale men that I have come to know and be friends with over the years that would fall in this war. When I looked at my Mothers face I could tell that she was lost in her thoughts, probably thinking about Morton and what he was about to face.
"Come," I said softly to her, walking to the door. "Let us go to the Sept and pray for a moment. Then I'll bring you to your room. You need some rest."
She followed me in silence and seemed to welcome the offer as much as I did. Whatever we were feeling and hoping, we would let the Gods decide our fate. For now, we needed to find some peace in our hearts as people were depending on us.
The next morning saw my mother and her guards preparing their journey back to the Eyrie. I had one last question to ask her. A question that I had been asking myself for years but never actually spoke the words to her face. After everything she had told me about Lord Arryn's true nature and her past interactions with him, the answer started to form in my mind, but I needed to know for certain.
"Before you leave mother, there's something I've been wanting to ask you. Did Lord Jon's nature and past treatment of our house have anything to do with why you put up with Harry's stupidity and arrogance? You never put up with either Morton, Wallace or myself behaving like him."
She turned to me, showing me her eyes filled with regret and some shame. "To be completely honest," she said with a voice that matched her eyes. "I had tried to curb Harry's behavior in the past with very little success for several reasons. But it was mostly because I was always worried that any act that would've had done far more to set him right beyond a simple slap and lecture duet would have more than likely have been reported to our liege."
"Reported by who, our servants? Surely not!"
"No, not our servants. They have always been loyal to our family. Harry on the other hand was always writing letters to Lord Jon telling him about his progress as our ward. That boy may be a fool but he does have some awareness as to how much I needed him for our house to prosper. Believe me, if he wasn't our kin and I thought for one moment that our house could function properly without having to put up with his arrogant behavior, nor would I have to worry about a falcon looking over our shoulder, then I would've done far more to keep him in line over the years. Unfortunately I never had that luxury."
I Shook my head and said, "Knowing him, that makes perfect sense to me."
I then grabbed Mother's hand and smiled sadly. I wasn't jealous of the attention she'd given Harry over the years, but I felt like we'd grown closer since I learned about all she went through and I welcomed the thought. If I had to find one good thing out of this ordeal, it would be this.
"I wish I could do something to ease your burden," I said truthfully.
The words I spoke put a small smile on her face but this one looked far truer than any I had ever seen her wear.
"I carry this burden gladly knowing that doing so keeps my family safe and happy. You never need to worry about me. There are only two things you need to focus on, taking care of your men and praying for your brother's safety. Whatever happens with this war, know that I love you and I will support you in whatever you decide for your life."
And with that, she kissed my cheek and walked over to her horse where one of her guards was waiting to help her up. After she was settled into her saddle, she turned to me and said, "One more thing before I go son. Everything I have told you yesterday and today. I never told anyone, not even Morton."
"What? Why? Why me?" I asked, feeling a bit dumbfounded.
"Because before the rebellion your father was the only person I felt that I could talk to about anything and everything. When he died I didn't think that there was anyone else I could talk to about my burdens. Plus I didn't want you or your brothers to ever have to worry about me. But now, I think I have found someone. Someone who has his father's heart and his strong sense of justice. Know that he is looking down on you with pride. Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise." She then gave me one last smile before she turned her horse to lead her men back to the Eyrie.
I was probably grinning like a fool, rooted in place, watching her silhouette disappear in the horizon. My heart swelled with this feeling I couldn't quite explain. It was as if I was craving for my mother's approval all my life and, while knowing that I never disappointed her, to hear it from her was wonderful and rewarding. She had compared me to my father and it was no small feat for me. All in one I was right to call for her, as her visit had solidified my point of view about the situation and also had lifted my spirits for a long moment.
Or so I thought, until dark wings once again shook my world to its very core. If I had proof before that Lord Arryn was a despicable man, at that exact moment I had everything to bring him down in front of the Lords of the Vale. I was no fool, I knew I needed to bid my time to expose the truth, but I would make it my mission to denounce every lie Jon Arryn had perpetrated.
For honor, for justice, for my family, should it be the last thing I'll ever do, I swear it on the Seven.
"Ser! Ser! You have to come, quick!" Sandor yelled, barging into the solar.
"What is it?"
"Banners, Ser! From House Royce of Runestone! They're approaching the gates!"
I all but ran to the bridge, my heart pulsating so fast I could hear it, and I tried to compose myself while watching the convoy stop at a reasonable distance.
"Who would pass the Bloody Gate?"
Notes:
I hope that you all enjoyed the first chapter of many in this new adventure that Arrow4131 and I, Leilani972 were able to create together.
We will post a new chapter every Saturday and we already have a lot planned for future chapters. But please let us know in the comments and on discord if there is something you would like to see. Have a wonderful weekend.