TDC: Missing Scenes and What If Scenarios

By

Arrow4131

And

Leilani972

Chapter 18: What If Edmure had been captured? Part 2

Summary: More hard truths are revealed to Edmure in the aftermath of Littlefinger's shocking coup in Riverrun. Some he'll continue to deny and others he'll be forced to accept.

This work is inspired by The Dragon Cub by Alperez16. Each chapter is a missing scene from key moments in the original story and a chance for us to answer a few what-if questions.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

The Lannister camp outside of Riverrun, 298 AC

Edmure Tully, aka, The Floppy Fish

Edmure hadn't uttered a word since they left Riverrun and got back in the camp. The shock of what happened was still too fresh in his mind.

They had fired arrows at him. His own men. Those he'd grown up with and seen training in his courtyard actually tried to have him killed. People he'd thought he could trust his life with actually tried to end him.

They had turned on him and he had his sister to thank for that feat. Well, mostly her new husband.

Those who had been loyal to him had been executed mercilessly by Littlefinger's guards. Edmure couldn't still figure out how the Mockingbird had planned it all. Most of the guards that were on the parapets had come with the former Master of Coin when he arrived while Edmure was away. The others had probably been bribed and it made Edmure angry to think that he had hosted so many turncloaks. Those who were loyal to him were either dead or imprisoned at that moment.

Gerion Lannister had been quick to react when he saw the coup happen. Edmure couldn't think of another word for what had transpired at Riverrun. The Lord of Castamere had grabbed him and ordered a retreat as Littlefinger commanded his guards to loose their arrows.

His thoughts went to Utherydes and he almost cried. He felt the loss of the steward more than he did his father's and part of him was surprised that he was so heartbroken. He didn't realize how much he'd taken things and people for granted before this.

Utherydes didn't deserve his fate. Neither did Desmond. They were both loved by the people of Riverrun and Edmure was certain that Littlefinger would have a hard time keeping the smallfolk in line, even with all the money of the world.

He saw Gerion Lannister come into the tent he had been settled in but didn't make any sign of acknowledgement of his presence.

"'My men have found the bodies," Lannister said, making Edmure wince. "I thought you should know and pay your respects before we send them to the nearest Sept."

Edmure nodded numbly and followed his captor without a word. They had prepared a place in the rear of the camp for the wounded and the dead in case of a siege and Edmure made a mental note that they had been really well prepared.

He had been surprised to see Ronald and Hugo Vance stand vigil in front of the tent, but given the situation, he knew that every prisoner had been given more leeway than they should. Ser Desmond had taught them so much through the years that he understood why they would ask to pay homage to his former master at arms.

Desmond seemed peaceful, like he had accepted his fate as soon as he got stabbed. He'd fought like a demon, Edmure had seen him from where he'd stood, and he hoped he at least wounded one or two of the traitors before breathing his last. In the end, he had been outnumbered and overwhelmed.

Your force is not in your strength, Edmure, for you have none in training so none will be expected of you during battle. Numbers. Keep yourself surrounded by your friends and those who fight better than you. The more you get, the more chances you'll get to defeat your foes, even the stronger ones.

Edmure had tried to apply Desmond's advice more than once. During tourneys, spars, and it never worked out for him, so much so that he didn't believe it would in any case. Until that moment. The irony was not lost on him but he hated how he had been proven wrong.

His gaze traveled to Utherydes and his breath caught into his throat. Whereas Desmond looked serene, the late stewart of Riverrun looked anything but. His eyes were still open and he could imagine by his stuck face expression how he'd felt before his death. Shock, disappointment, fear… The same expressions Hoster had displayed when Edmure left him to die.

He felt as if the Gods were punishing him for what he did to his father and, for the first time in a while, Edmure felt remorseful.

He hadn't shed a tear at his father's death because of what had been said between them, but there, before Utherydes' body, his last nerves crumbled and he wept. For the man, for the failure his family had become, and for the loss of everything the Tullys stood for.

Family, Duty, Honor. None of those words were upheld by any of the members of this family, save the Blackfish if he was still alive.

Lysa never really considered them family once she left for the Vale and dishonoured herself by sinning with Littlefinger out of all people.

Catelyn had spat on every family member she could to get what she wanted, making him lose the respect of his men, his father, and even himself at that point.

Edmure had never thought about what his duty entailed until he saw one of the truest servants he'd ever known being killed for doing his.

Utherydes didn't deserve this. He had tried to do what was right, to follow his Lord's order, and to be killed because of it was more than unfair.

Edmure's anger rose while he remembered Littlefinger's face.

"I'm sorry, Edmure, but you're not in charge anymore. I am."

"What… Why did you do this?"

"I will not allow you nor anyone willing to hurt my wife inside those walls. As of right now, anyone who would try to raise the drawbridge without my permission will lose their head!"

"I will gut you, Littlefinger! I swear by the Seven, I will kill you!"

"Well, from my perspective, you're the one about to be killed. You have five seconds to go back to your camp, else my guards will shoot you."

"You -"

Littlefinger's started to count and all hell broke loose again.

Not only did Edmure have to thank Lannister for having saved his life, but he also needed to wipe that smirk off Baelish's face.

He needed to get what was his back, and if he couldn't do that, he would at least make sure that neither Catelyn would.

With this resolution, he got out of the camp and asked for one of the guards to lead him to Gerion's tent.

The Lord of Castamere was talking with some of the other Lords and looked surprised to see him.

"What are your plans? For Riverrun?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"What do you plan to do to get them out of Riverrun?" Edmure insisted.

"You are not allowed to hear of our battle plans, Floppy!" Gerion retorted. "Until further notice, you are still a prisoner."

"What if I tell you that I have a way to get inside?"

Gerion frowned and seemed to ponder whether he should trust Edmure.

"You have nothing to lose by hearing me out." the latter said, hoping he would sound convincing.

"And what will you gain by telling me this?"

"Revenge and justice. That is all I want."

"You wouldn't even want to keep your head?"

"Why, yes, if you think getting Riverrun quickly can make me valuable, I -"

"No."

"But -"

"If it were up to me, you would be dead on that riverbank right now. I would have thrown you into the Red Fork myself, you sad excuse of a man!"

"I won't tolerate -"

"I do not care what you tolerate or not. Are you really that dense to be oblivious to what is going on around you? People died today, good people, because of your and your sister's entitlement!"

"It was all her fault! I was in my right -"

"Out, all of you. I need to settle things with the prisoner." Gerion cut him once again with that stern voice that gave Edmure chills.

The Lords complied quickly, while Brandon's son, as Edmure couldn't remember his name, lingered as if to ensure all would be well.

"I won't hurt him, Cregan. At least not physically. I swear." was all Gerion had to say for the lad to disappear.

"Let me tell you some hard truths, Tully. Your sister is not completely at fault for your situation, your incompetence has been a problem for you long before your honor dual with King Jaehaerys. You are an entitled, spoiled child who should have never inherited such a high position. If that was a crime then half the lords of the realm would've been sent to the Wall by now. But unlike most lords, your entitlement has caused your people to suffer and die as a result."

"I didn't mean for any of this to happen! How was I supposed to know that Littlefinger would turn my guards against -"

"How about the men who died in Stone Hedge? Have you spared a thought on those who followed you on a fool's errand?"

"We would have won if the Blackwoods -"

"You are so full of excuses. You have one for everything. Do you have an excuse for the smallfolk who died on your lands when you were supposed to take care of them?"

"Why do you talk about the smallfolk now? What does this have to do with all of this?"

"Everything, Lord Edmure. Do you remember a day, nine years ago, when bandits were roaming on your lands, raping women and children and killing everyone who got on their way?"

Edmure frowned and shook his head.

"How could I remember something happening nine years ago? Why do you even care?"

"Because of you, people I cared about died. People who warned you that there was danger for the smallfolk. Remember the name Briony? She was the one brave enough to confront your father about this, so much so that Hoster Tully deemed it necessary for his son and heir to intervene. And what did you do? Nothing!"

The name didn't evoke any memories, but the situation did. Hoster had been greatly adamant in sending Edmure to solve the problem, so he rode with Marq Pyper, Lymond Goodbrooke, and Tristan Ryger to where the bandits had been seen last, stopping at an inn to rest and wait for the moment they would hear from them. He had, of course, enjoyed his time with some servants and the innkeeper's daughters who had come to him looking for a favor or two and had been surprised to see some of his fathers' men a few days later.

Edmure had felt that the scolding he had received when he got back to Riverrun had been disproportionate. After all, his father's men had caught the bandits and sent some of them to the Wall, while the leader had been executed. According to Hoster, he should have roamed the roads on horse to capture them by himself, but how was he supposed to know that? His plan was sure and sound, for him and his men, but Hoster hadn't seen the things the same way.

But how did Gerion Lannister know about this event? Why did he seem to care so much?

"I can see a glimmer of recognition in your eyes. So you remember, do you?"

"I do not see your point in reminding me of that incident. What is it to you?"

"My daughter's mother was the one who went to your father about the bandits. Everyone in her village was too scared to go out their doors but not her. She begged your father to do his duty and protect her village from the bandits. When he promised her that he would, she went home believing that her people and her family would be safe soon. That they would no longer have to live in fear for their lives. But you never came, your laziness and incompetence kept you from doing your duty. Which resulted in the bandits finding out what she had done, going back to her village to find her, and then… I won't speak on what they did to her before they finally killed her but I was told that she suffered horribly before she died.

The only reason why so few people know about what you did is because your father covered it up by bribing Briony's family and neighbors into silence. Because he knew that if word got out that your incompetence had gotten innocent people killed, the other Riverlords would never follow you. In fact, he probably would've been forced to disinherit you and name your nephew Bran as his heir in order to save face."

Edmure was startled at the end of Gerion's statement, the reality of those words being too hurtful for him to bear. He was brought back to that fateful day, to the moment his father disinherited him minutes before dying. He could feel the hurt and the disappointment he felt back then, could remember Hoster's haunting gaze when he told him that Bran would be the next heir, the fear his father showed and the satisfaction he had that the Gods had seen fit that no one else had heard of their discussion.

"You've left me with no choice Edmure, I must save you from yourself, save our house from ruin."

He knew that Hoster had said more, but those were the last words Edmure had heard from his father. Before the hatred came over and before he saw him breathe his last. Had their fall out started with the incident recalled by Gerion Lannister? He had always done his best to support his family.

Hoster. Catelyn. They all wanted to take from him what was his by right. They all thought he wasn't good enough, and now Lannister wanted him to feel the same. He clenched his fists, bowed his head, and said nothing, knowing that whatever excuse he would give would be taken badly. He didn't deserve an explanation for the death of a lowborn he didn't want in his lands in the first place.

Who knows what would have happened to his so-called beloved bastard girl if her mother was still alive?

Suddenly, the Lannister snapped him out of his thoughts.

"I can see it in your eyes that you want to give me another pitiful excuse for your lack of actions but you also know that it'll just make me angry. Good, maybe you are capable of thinking. In any case, if you want Baelish to pay for what he did to your men then you'll tell me what you know freely and for once in your sorry life, care about someone other than yourself. If you don't, then more of your people's blood will be on your hands."

"Of course I want him to pay!"

"You will be given a fair trial at the end of the war. That is all I can guarantee and better than you deserve."

"What if you lose? Will you let me go?"

"If we ever lose, my Lord, then yes, I will give you Riverrun back."

"Swear it."

Gerion rolled his eyes but complied nonetheless, even though his smirk didn't sit well with Edmure.

'"There's a passage, known only by the steward and the Lord of the Keep. You will need a small boat to get to it, but it will not be guarded."

"A hidden passage? How can you be sure that Littlefinger wouldn't have it guarded?"

"Because Catelyn can claim as much as she wants that she is the Lady of the keep, but there was only one way to learn of this passage and they killed it before your eyes. Do you think Utherydes, as dutiful as he seemed, would have said anything to Cat and her husband?"

Gerion stood silently in front of Edmure and, after what seemed like long agonizing minutes, he walked back over to his map.

"Show me."

Edmure had insisted on going with them. He wanted to be there to see Littlefinger's face when they arrived and arrested him. To his great surprise, the Lannister allowed it, saying that he had been planning on bringing him along since he wanted his prisoner right where he could see him. At first, he had been happy and excited until his captor made it very clear that Edmure would not be allowed to carry any weapons at all. That made him very angry but he was thankfully able to keep himself from saying anything less he would be denied the chance to see the Mockingbird fall. So he instead focused on the fight that was to come and went back to feeling excited.

But when they began making preparations, he found that his excitement would not last long when they received an unexpected visitor.

"Lord Gerion."

"Ser Richard, I had expected you to still be In King's Landing."

As soon as Edmure heard the name, he knew exactly who this man was. Ser Richard Lonmouth, Rhaegar's former squire. A man who was by all accounts dead was standing right in front of him.

How is this possible?

"Good, I'm supposed to be where you don't expect me to be." the dead man said with a chuckle towards the Lannister, but to Edmure he only had steely glares.

"What brings you here Ser?" Gerion asked.

"A passing visit, here." Ser Richard said, handing him the piece of paper.

"What's that?" he asked.

"Your way in, make sure your men don't become monsters inside Gerion, I have people in the keep I'd see protected," Richard said and then almost as quickly as he appeared he was gone.

When Edmure got over his shock at seeing a ghost, he turned back to his captor to ask what he had been given. But what he saw confused him even more. Lord Gerion first had a look of confusion which morphed into a huge smile when he turned towards him.

"So, a secret passage huh? Not as secret as you thought it was, though?" He said to Edmure with a knowing look in his eyes.

"If he is a spymaster as you said, then it shouldn't surprise you to see him informed."

"Exactly, but he hasn't been the only one that we know of with spies roaming around the Seven kingdoms. If Ser Richard has known from his lips about this passage, it means that Littlefinger also knows about it."

"Nonsense! Everyone knows not to talk to whores Littlefinger provides."

"What of those you don't know came from him? The servant who's willing to pour you more drink in order to loosen your tongue?"

Edmure froze and shook his head vehemently.

"I know how to hold myself around wine, Lannister."

"Apparently not enough, and certainly not around friends."

"This conversation isn't going anywhere." Edmure deflected and started walking away.

"If one of my men dies because of your so-called secret not being one, you'll see where this conversation will lead you."

The threat was not lost on Edmure, who gulped and nodded, suddenly not so much certain of his sound plan anymore

The presence of the direwolf unnerved him. It kept staring at him, as if waiting for any misstep that would give it an excuse to pounce on him. Edmure figured the lad owning him caused it to have something against him, not only because of his supposed cousin, but also because of the name Edmure shared with his father's betrothed.

The plan was that the majority of the army would distract the guards while a small number of men in a few boats would row very quietly across the water towards the water gate. According to Ser Richard, he had some people in the keep who would be able to open the gate from the inside just high enough that could slip in by swimming underneath. Edmure couldn't understand why these traitorous spies couldn't open it all the way and prevent him from getting soaked. But when he asked Lannister that question right as the siege was about to start, he was told that they had to do it this way to prevent Littlefinger and any patrolling guards from noticing the intrusion. It made sense for Edmure, even if he still found the thought of him having to swim infuriating.

"And how did you plan to make it to the other side, my Lord? Would you have waited for us to open the gate for you?" Gerion asked mockingly. "A Trout afraid of water! Now that is something I would have never imagined!"

All around him the men involved in the mission started chuckling and snorting in laughter at him causing him to once again be humiliated in front of both his enemies and men who were supposed to be his allies. Even the direwolf seemed to laugh at him.

He swallowed his anger and shame to guide them through the river. The Tumblestone was eerily calm, save for the movements caused by those rowing their embarcation. The diversion lightened their path to the Water Gate and Edmure felt his excitement grow, until he spotted something unusual. The beast apparently felt that something wasn't right either, as its hackles raised and it started growling in the direction of a small light near the Water Gate.

"That light shouldn't be there…" he said, making the other men perk up.

"Figures. Looks like Baelish does know about the passage and is planning on leaving. He knows that there's no hope of holding the keep from us for very long, he may be arrogant but he's not an idiot." Lannister said with a glare pointed his way.

"That doesn't mean…"

"It doesn't matter what you think Tully. My men are going in expecting company and you better hope that none of them die from this fight or you'll be finding out how good of a swimmer you are while bound and gagged."

Not wanting to anger the man further, Edmure decided that it would be best to keep his mouth shut. At least for now. After all, this war wasn't over yet. Robert could still win since he's beaten a dragon before and Rhaegar was a grown man. While the bastard was no true dragon and was simply a mere green boy who had only gotten lucky in tourneys.

But those thoughts could be saved for later, for now, he had to focus on watching as the Mockingbird be brought down low for he did to his family.

So he watched as Gerion signaled the men to be ready and the boats rowed closer to the walls. Before they could get close enough to start swimming, the gate started to rise and voices could be heard. At first, whoever was speaking was too far away to be heard clearly, but the closer they got, the more it became clear who was speaking and to whom.

"Get her in the boat quickly." He heard Littlefinger say to his men.

"We're trying m'Lord but she's much stronger than she looks."

"I'm paying you to do your job, not whine about it. Besides, it's your own fault that she's like this when we could have given her dreamwine. But of course, you had to go and lose the Maester."

"We had no way of knowing that he would run and hide with the other servants. Maesters don't usually do that."

"That's beside the point, but there's no point in any one of us complaining about it. We need to instead focus on leaving before the Lannisters finish their siege."

"How long do you think that'll take?"

"Considering that Edmure had stupidly only left 300 men at most to defend the keep and our coup dwindled their numbers, a sennight would be a miracle from the Gods. So more than likely it'll be three days at most."

"In that case, we'll have plenty enough of a head start to get to your whorehouse. No one will ever think to look for us there. Especially when we're traveling with such a pious woman like the Lady here."

Those last words caused Edmure to feel a shiver shoot down his spine when he realized that the nearest whorehouse was half a day's ride. And judging by the glares that were being thrown his way, it seemed that some of the men with him had figured it out as well.

"Do not make things more difficult for us, Cat. If you want to keep your head, you will have to stop fighting for dead men who would have sold you out to the bastard and start trusting me more." Edmure heard his goodbrother say. "And I will not have you stay here and destroy your chance at survival. You mean too much to me, and even more to your sons and daughters. They will be devastated if something should happen to you, so be a good mother and do not let this occur!"

Edmure didn't need to watch Littlefinger's face to know it was an unveiled threat. He had no sympathy for his sister, though. After the way she'd treated him, she could very well disappear for all he cared. He was however surprised to see the small boat come out as quickly as it did.

"Halt! You cannot go anywhere!" he yelled desperately.

Littlefinger turned toward him, shock clearly visible on his face, but it was short-lived and soon his annoying calculating look took over.

"I had thought you wouldn't remember the passage and that even if you had, you wouldn't think of using it. Oh well, guess you are not as stupid as your sister thought you were!"

"That's what you get for underestimating me," Edmure glared at the man.

"It's over, Littlefinger. Surrender now and no harm will come to you and your wife." Gerion declared.

"I have always hated you for giving me this moniker, Edmure. We were children and you always thought you were special. You thought it was clever of you to call me Littlefinger and that cursed name stuck to this day like a reminder of your arrogance. Of the Tullys arrogance and contempt for what was beneath them. Look where you are now, selling your remaining family for a chance of not being killed. You are pitiful. You always have been and you always will be pitiful. And I hope you will be able to live with that."

Without warning, Littlefinger forced a bound and gagged Catelyn to rise before sending her overboard, to Edmure and the other men's consternation. The Lady's cries were quickly drowned by the water as she sank down, unable to move due to the restraints put on her body.

Edmure watched as some men dove into the water after her, but his focus went back on Littlefinger's escaping boat.

"Get him! Get the bastard before it's too late!"

"But, Edmure! Your sister!"

"Who cares about the bitch? Don't let him leave before -"

He found himself on his knees, startled and dizzy, and a deep pain blossomed on his jaw as he realized that he had been hit.

"You really only care about yourself, do you? I hate your sister probably as much as I hate you, but I'm starting to think that with people like you around her, she is to be pitied rather than hated." Gerion spat.

"Littlefinger -"

"Is already being dealt with," Gerion said, pointing at the two archers in their boat aiming at the fleeing one.

They loosened their arrows and Edmure watched in awe as they hit their targets despite the darkness. The sound of Littlefinger's curse words rang with delight in his ears and almost softened the pain he still felt in his jaw.

If it hadn't been for the direwolf swimming back to the shore with a yelling and kicking Catelyn, Edmure wouldn't have glanced at his sister. It was a funny spectacle and the panic in her voice at the idea of getting eaten by the huge beast while he was in fact saving her life made all this scene even more amusing.

"A very lovely husband you got there, sister." Edmure japed. "Do you love him more now that he tried to drown you?"

"All of this... is your fault," she hissed between coughing fits.

"Anyways, m'lords, Riverrun is yours," a servant he knew was one of Catelyn's welcomed them when they got through the water gate.

"Thank you, Peach."

"It's Pearl, m'lord, and I was welcoming the Lannister Lord, not you."

"I thank you for the welcome, Pearl. Will we have anything to fear from the men inside?" Gerion asked while throwing a smirk at the trout who was simmering in anger.

"Not at all. They were pretty pissed to see the Lord and Lady trying to flee so some of them went to the drawbridge lever and are waiting for your orders to open the gate."

"Are these the same men that were bribed by Baelish into attacking their own men?"

"No, milord. They have been dealt with by the Maester's help. Dreamwine is pretty effective and we gave it to them as soon as we heard about the Mockingbird wanting to leave."

"In that case, we owe you and the others involved greatly, Pearl,"

"Just make sure that no lowborn is hurt when you take over and we will be even."

Gerion nodded to the woman, who curtsied at him and started leaving, not without sending a glare to Edmure.

"Before you leave, can you send us someone who would show us the way to the cells? As soon as the others get back with Littlefinger, we will lock him and the Tullys in the dungeons."

"What?" Edmure gasped, dumbfounded. "But I… I thought… I mean... I helped you get to the Gate!"

"And I told you that you would be given a fair trial. You will not stay there for long, just the night I think. Now that Riverrun is ours, we have somewhere else to be. But before we do that, there is something we need to clear up first." he retorted, gesturing to the angry but also confused Edmure to follow.

The two men walked over to Cat who had been wrapped up in what looked like several heavy blankets with the direwolf standing guard near her. When she looked up at them with hate in her eyes Gerion asked her a question that had an answer that both surprised and angered him.

"Tell me Lady Catelyn, it's obvious to everyone how your husband found out about the Water Gate, but how did you find out? Your dear brother told me that there was no possible way that you knew about it since Utherydes would've only told the Lord of the keep."

"Oh he did, did he?" She asked sarcastically and started chuckling. "I'm not surprised that he said that. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't dare speak to you but I might as well humor myself just so I can see the look on his face when hears this hard truth. I found out about the Gate years ago during the rebellion when I was pregnant with Robb. When father was getting ready to ride off to war he told me so I could take Edmure and escape in case Riverrun was ever attacked."

"What! Why didn't you ever tell me!" Edmure asked, feeling outraged that his sister would keep something that important from him and that his father never trusted him with the information.

"Simple, he made me swear on the Seven-pointed Star that I would never tell anyone about the passage, not Ned, not my children, and not even you Edmure. I was to only tell you in the event that both father and Utherydes died before they had an opportunity to tell you themselves. So you could imagine my shock when Petyr started dragging me to the passage earlier. He told me that you weren't very good at keeping secrets when you've been drinking in a whorehouse that just so happened to be nearby and under his control. Which makes me pretty certain that the main reason father didn't tell you himself is because he didn't trust you to be able to keep your mouth shut before you became the new Lord. Obviously, his worry was well-founded." She responded whilst glaring at him.

"I had a feeling that was the case when your brother told me about the passage but I had to be sure. But in any case, these men will escort you to the Maester to be treated and allowed to warm up. Once he is finished, you will be taken to one of the cells where you will remain until the war is finished and then you will be brought to Kings Landing for your trial. But before they do that, there is someone you need to meet first."

Suddenly the boy Cregan came forward with several other soldiers and when he smiled, that's when he truly saw the resemblance to Brandon, something that Cat noticed as well.

"Who is that boy?" Catelyn asked loudly.

"My name is Cregan Stark, trueborn son of Brandon and Ashara Stark," Cregan said, stepping forward.

"You can't, he wouldn't, you lie!" Catelyn said her eyes moving rapidly from the boy Cregan to the wolf he was stroking.

"No my lady I do not, my father never wished to marry you, even your own father knew of this. My father married another, a woman he actually loved." Cregan said.

"Lies, lies, you're a bastard, just like the other one!" She cried out loudly before letting out a blood-curdling scream when the direwolf advanced on her. "Get that thing far away from me!"

"He just saved your life, my Lady," one of the men pointed out.

"I do not want it near me! Those cursed beasts are abominations!" she screeched.

"Escort the Lady to the Maester and ask him to come to see Littlefinger once he's done with her," Gerion ordered.

"Come, Dusk. I will give you some meat to erase the nastiness of the ungrateful trout you fished out of the water." the boy said, and Edmure would have laughed if he wasn't angry at those who, once again, were treating him like he was beneath them.

He didn't hear much of Catelyn afterward. She was so agitated that they had to give her dreamwine so she couldn't hurt herself or anyone around her. Littlefinger was locked in a cell next to his but was unconscious because of the milk of the Poppy they gave him after he got hurt.

A Few Days Later

Traveling to the Trident was just as humiliating as the ride to Riverrun had been. Once again he was bound and gagged for the journey and also once again, forced to ride behind his bannermen. The only source of comfort he had was the fact that Littlefinger was forced into the same position he was in and that this time he had given a horse to ride instead of a donkey. Not for comfort or respect for his position as Lord Paramount of The Trident, but for convenience. Apparently, his captors were having a couple of tumbrels built for him and Littlefinger to ride in once the war was over and it was time to be escorted to King's Landing. But for now they needed to ride to the next battle as quickly as possible so any donkeys and cages for their prisoners would've impeded their progress.

Throughout the journey to the Trident, he was served foul food that was often eaten by the lowborn. He was also mocked and belittled on an almost daily basis when some of the men would sing those accursed songs right to his face. Unfortunately for him, there was nothing he could do about it. Every demand he gave for the respect he deserved was met with laughter and more insults. Plus it didn't help that he was surrounded by almost 8,000 men on horses so he couldn't teach any of them a lesson or escape from their clutches.

However, despite his discomfort, there were a few upsides to traveling to the Trident. For starters, he would have a chance to confront Lord Jon about Lysa, but that can wait until after the Knights of the Vale have utterly defeated the Northern barbarians. Gerion Lannister could say what he wanted, the Vale Knights had a fearsome reputation for a reason. Defeat was not a concept that they were capable of understanding so once they arrived at the battle he'd have a chance to escape and wreak vengeance on his enemies.

"The both of you better eat and rest while you can, we'll be leaving after everyone has finished their midday meal if we wish to arrive on time," Gerion said, carrying two plates of more filth for them to eat and once again wearing a Lannister smirk on his face. And while Edmure really wanted to take the plate and throw it at his captor's face, his stomach protested forcing him to reluctantly accept the plate. At least, Littlefinger was just as miserable as he was, so this was something he could bear for a little longer.

"How much longer must we travel with you? And I still don't understand why we have to go with you in the first place. You could've just left us back in Riverrun." Littlefinger asked while glaring at the food in disgust.

"And have you miss the greatest battle in history? Oh, I can assure you that you would have regretted it if I had."

Littlefinger ignored Gerion's japes and tried to make small talk with some of the men guarding him. Edmure knew the man enough to see what plans he had in mind. He would try to bribe them with anything he could afford to give them in exchange for their support. But Edmure also knew it wouldn't work this time. They were loyal to the Lannister, more so to Gerion, to Jaime Lannister and the King he protected. So he watched with amusement the attempts of small talk and the rebuttal of the men to anything Littlefingr would suggest.

"You know, I used to be a commoner just like you. Then I was lucky to capitalize on my friendships and that led me to be the Master of Coin, with great influence."

"Aye, you used to be like us, then got lucky and ended up with an arrow on the butt. Your friendships mean nothing in war." one of the men at arms spat.

"Maybe not at the end, but I still have a lot of money. How would you like a great manse in Essos?"

"Essos?"

"Yes. You could be the one in charge of your household, over there. What do you own here? Do you have a craft you're good at?"

"I'm a tinker."

"Excellent! They have plenty of need for tinkers in Essos! I could buy you a manse and give you everything so you can start your craftsmanship. Do you have a family?"

"Aye, a wife and a son," the man answered, and Edmure could feel his attention had been piqued as Littlefinger did, since the latter's smile grew larger.

"Think about it. All the work you'll have over there, all you will be able to provide for your wife and child. Your wife will also be able to get a trade, and maybe in a year or two, you will own slaves who will do the work for you. You'll get richer and richer and will never have to look back at Westeros."

"What's the catch, Mockingbird?"

"There's no catch. All you'll have to do is to help me out when the time is right. The offer is open to all of you, good men. Anyone willing to let me go will be bought a passage to Essos and given a manse so they would prosper over there. I am a man of my word. Ask any men or women working for me. I know some of you might know them."

Edmure couldn't believe his ears. He knew that Littlefinger was conniving and had a lot of resources, but to offer those boons to those willing to help him escape showed how far he was willing to go to save his head. He also knew that the man had money, probably more than he could offer to be freed by those men. Would he have thought of that before…

"Here's my offer to you, Mockingbird. If you shut up, I will not shoot you on your other buttcheek. How does it sound?" one of the archers yelled, making the other men laugh out loud.

Littlefinger's smirk never left his face and Edmure swore to watch him even more. He would not let him get away after all the trouble he'd put him through, even if it was the last thing he would do in this life.

They rode very early the next morning, as the Lannister forces didn't want to dally in case they would be needed. Edmure still clung onto the hope that the Knights of the Vale would defeat the Northern forces, and that hope grew when they met some of them riding toward them. Lannister hastily put up a parley flag and rode with him still bound to the other party.

"Lord Royce, are we to give battle today?" Gerion Lannister asked as they rode out to the parley.

"No, my lord, on that you have my oath. House Royce stands down and will play no part in this war." Yohn Royce said, to Edmure's disbelief, before looking at him with a frown. "What is he doing here and why is he gagged?"

"He is a prisoner of war and one I will not let out of my sight."

"So you've taken Riverrun?"

"Aye, my Lord."

"The Lady Catelyn?"

"Has also been taken into custody, as was her husband, but a battlefield isn't suited for a Lady."

"Did you just say 'husband'?" Yohn Royce asked, his frown deepening.

"Aye, my Lord. She wed Lord Baelish in Riverrun, but I don't think the marriage will last long, seeing that he tried to kill her to save his skin."

"Baelish? By the Gods, what do all the Tully sisters want with him? Anyway, that will be a matter for your king to settle. When he takes his throne, I'll present myself for his judgment, it was my choice to ride, my fault and blame to bear."

"Did you spill blood, my lord?" Gerion asked.

"No."

"Then you'll find his grace a far more forgiving king than you may imagine. Good fortune to you Lord Royce, when next we meet I'll stand for you." Gerion said and Yohn looked at him and nodded before riding away.

"Still convinced that your camp will win, my Lord?" Brandon's son asked with a smile as they themselves turned to ride back.

Edmure rolled his eyes, annoyed and perplexed about the situation.

Why would Yohn Royce, one of the most skilled and honorable Knight of the Vale, walk out of the war like that?

Had he been bribed by Jaehaerys Targaryen? He had named him king after all, and bastards are conniving enough to sway honest Lords to further their plot.

Gods, I sound like Catelyn now.

"What do you think happened for them to be willing to leave their camp, Gerion?" Cregan asked.

"I don't know. Maybe they've seen Lygaron and decided that they would surrender."

"In that case, we should get some rest. If Lygaron is already at the front, then the fight is over for the Vale."

"Normally I would agree with you but it would be best if we keep moving. I could very well be wrong in my theory since Lord Yohn looked way too calm for someone fleeing from our forces. It's possible that the battle hasn't even started yet, so if that's the case then I want to be able to stop any retreating forces by being another anvil for them to smash against.

Edmure perked at those words. Lygaron? Was that their secret weapon? What was it exactly? Was that why they were so certain of their victory?

What could possibly scare Lord Yohn to the point of deserting his post?

"I can see the cogs turning inside your head, Floppy. You will know soon enough what we are talking about, and if you had any doubt left about Jaehaerys being who he claims he is, you will not soon. I will warn you, though. Try not to soil yourself as you did with Dusk."

When they returned, Lannister told the other Lords what had happened and gave orders for the men not to impede the Vale Knights in any way. The two armies then proceeded to almost go out of their way not to slow each other's march and Edmure continued to stare at them in perplexity when the last of them had made their way through and continued on their way back to the Bloody Gate.

After that was done, his gag was removed and Littlefinger was brought up to the front to ride next to him. Gerion japed that he wanted to see the looks on their faces when they came across the battlefield.

When they started to continue forward, Edmure looked over at his… goodbrother, and saw that he too was very confused and looked just as worried as he felt. But there was something else there on his face. Something that he couldn't quite figure out and it piqued his curiosity enough that he decided to ask despite not wanting to talk to the despicable man at all.

"Why do you show signs of worry but at the same time you don't seem entirely surprised by what just happened?"

At first, the man looked hesitant to answer but then his worry seemed to win out and he said, "Well I was shocked just like you at first, after all, House Royce has always been fiercely loyal to House Arryn for generations and Yohn is a very honorable man so it doesn't make sense for him to just leave like this. But then I realized something that might explain a few things. I'm assuming that you heard about Stannis?"

"You mean that he was defeated and captured? Yes, I heard about it after I was brought to Riverrun."

"And I was informed by contacts in the Stormlands right before I arrived myself. So if we heard about it, then it would be safe to assume that Robert and Jon have heard about it as well. After all, Storm's End wasn't directly attacked so they would have been able to send a raven to the Red Keep informing Renly and Ser Lomas of what happened."

"Not necessarily, we are at war, and ravens can get lost or killed courtesy of enemy forces. So they may not have heard the news."

"And normally you would be correct except Lomas is very good at his job and the Dornish attacked long before the Vale Knights passed the Bloody Gate. It would be terrible luck for Lord Jon not to have received any warnings and with everything that has happened with this war, I doubt it would be as simple as that."

"Very well, but I still don't see your point."

"Think about it, what makes the Bloody Gate so formidable?"

"Its defenses are hard to pass."

"Exactly. It would have made more sense, knowing the force the North could muster, for the Knights of the Vale to stay behind the Bloody Gate and let them come."

"But surely the Knights of the Vale are more experienced and it would make no difference against those barbarians from the North!"

Littlefinger's face darkened and he instinctively put his hand on his collar.

"Never underestimate the Northerns, Edmure. They may be fools, but they are brutes, and on the battlefield, brute force is more efficient than the cleverest strategy."

Edmure nodded numbly. If Littlefinger wasn't sure of their victory, it wouldn't bode well for them either...

The closer they were getting to the Trident, the wider the Lannister forces spread. Edmure didn't understand his strategy until he saw lone riders scarcely running toward them, yelling as if they had seen the Stranger itself. One by one they got caught in the enemy's nest and Edmure wondered how they could have known how to act. Was their plan really that infallible?

Then he heard it. A sound that was louder than anything he had ever heard before. Despite its unfamiliarity, that sound terrified him in ways that he could've never imagined.

"What… What was that?" He asked, barely noticing let alone caring that his voice had trembled in fear.

"Meet Lygaron my Lords!" Gerion responded with laughter and pointed up to the sky.

At first, Edmure briefly thought that his captor had gone mad, but when he looked up along with Littlefinger, what he saw was so impossible that he thought that maybe he had gone insane himself. But when he pinched himself, he knew that the dragon was real and that he and the Vale were fucked.

The creature was almost beautiful, the sun reflecting off scales that looked like fire itself. Its wings barely moving as it covered the ground and then the true horror of the situation he was in revealed itself. The flames that the dragon breathed down below hit the ground behind the men who were fleeing and even from such a distance he could feel the heat as he saw one unlucky rider get caught up in the flames when he hadn't ridden fast enough. Then, as the dragon came closer, he saw some arrows being shot at it and its rider. And as he saw those arrows fly, he felt his hope soar until that hope was smashed to pieces when they simply bounced off the dragon and caused it to roar even louder than before. Then it turned towards the archers that had been hiding amongst some broken rocks and proceeded to breathe its flames down on them. This time, the flames seemed much hotter and brighter than they had been before and it soon became obvious that none of those men had survived.

When the dragon was finished, he saw it fly back where it came from, straight towards the Trident where the rest of the Vale was probably burnt to ashes.

"That's… That's impossible!" he heard Littlefinger stammer.

"Well, you saw it with your own eyes. Did you want proof of Jaehaerys Targaryen's legitimacy? Dragons are back in this world, thanks to him. And the one you've seen isn't the largest of the batch."

"You mean…"

"Jaehaerys is probably riding his dragon to battle as we speak." Gerion said proudly.

Edmure's heartbeat quickened with shock and fear.

Dragons.

As in more than one.

And the one he thought was a bastard coming from Ned Stark's loins was riding the biggest of them.

"Fuck!" was all he could say before feeling his world turn black once again and he heard the cackle of Gerion Lannister before he hit the ground.

You owe me ten gold dragons, Cregan! I told you he would soil himself!

Notes:

This chapter was supposed to be the end, but we had so much fun writing about Edmure's delusions and sense of immense entitlement that we just couldn't stop with just 2 parts.
So we decided to write a part 3 for next weeks update.

Next Chapter: Edmure hears more truths, a new song, gets confronted by one of his goodbrothers, and is taken to King's Landing to face a dragon that he long believed to be beneath him. There he receives an unexpected punishment and his ultimate fate finally catches up to him.