For those who haven't seen the edit to my end notes in the previous chapter, I apologize. I decided to release the last two chapters of the battle today so that you may enjoy them better together.


TYRION XVII

From a nearby plateau, Tyrion watched as his army pressed forward. Almost forty thousand marched together. A swarm of red, the power of the Westerlands, the kingdom he inherited from his father. There were many ways to have power. Varys may have told him that power resides where men believe it resides, it didn't change the fact that people with armies, lands, gold and titles held the power. How much power they had depended on the way they used their armies, lands, gold and titles.

This army included about half of the forces Tyrion had at his disposal. If he squeezed the population of the Westerlands a little more, he knew he could raise maybe twenty thousand more, or thirty, but then they would start to have real problems with harvests and the production of steel and ships and with trade. Gold couldn't pay for everything. Came a time when there were no more people to buy, or nothing to buy when all resources were fully used.

Tyrion had allowed his enemies to fight each other, to waste their forces in battles that would no longer matter in a few years, or in a few months for that account. Of course, he lost the Battle of the Kingsroad, with minimum losses but still it remained a defeat. And he also lost King's Landing, along with his nephew Joffrey, his sister… and his brother. That was his greatest regret when he left the capital. But he made a choice, and his choice was Margaery. The moment Cersei tried to kill her and he discovered that Joffrey was behind the attempt of assassination on Brandon Stark, they were both doomed. Tyrion still cursed his brother for remaining at their side.

He thought about how proud his father would be, though it brought him no comfort. Tywin Lannister would gladly have let Tyrion die if it had been for the greater good of House Lannister. Tyrion just did the same. He let members of his own family get killed. Joffrey, Cersei, Lancel, Martyn, Willem, Jaime… The list was so long.

He thought about how much they sacrificed as the powerful army went its way under his eyes. Right now, it seemed glorious. The men clad in red armor reflected the might of the Lannisters and their allies. The presence of Riverlands troops, those of the lords in the western part of this kingdom who knelt to Tommen, was a testimony that the tide was on their side. Even the Freys had joined their ranks. Stevron Frey, as old as he might be for an heir, was quite capable. If only the same could be said about all Freys.

They would be at Riverrun soon. They had been informed that Stannis installed his troops in front of the castle yesterday. Surprising him during a siege was an opportunity they couldn't miss. No army was more vulnerable than the one laying siege to Riverrun. If Tyrion hadn't commanded Daven and Stafford to retreat when they besieged it and the Starks approached them from the east, their losses could have been heavy.

"Men are eager to fight," Daven said at his side.

"I'll never understand that. This eagerness to join a battle, to risk your life, to face death… I would rather stay quiet and wait until this war is done." And go back to my wife and our upcoming child, he thought for himself.

"Men are tired of waiting. They just want to be done with this war and go back to their family. The longer this war takes, the longer time there is between battles, the more impression they have that they will not see their wives and children before long. They just want to fight and be done with it."

Tyrion thought about his cousin's words. It was true that he too wanted this war to be over quickly, especially with Margaery waiting for him. "I guess I never looked at it through a soldier's eyes."

"You would, cuz, if you had gone to war at a moment or another."

This was a direct reminder that he was a dwarf. Tyrion ignored it. He didn't choose to be a dwarf. If he never took part to any conflict, they had to ask the gods why they made him this way.

"Have we received any news from Randyll Tarly today?" Tyrion asked his cousin.

"Nothing. Though you can imagine it is hard to communicate between us."

"You're right. I was just wondering where he is as we speak. He might give us additional information on Stannis."

"True, but for now we must rely on our own scouts."

"By the way, Daven, have your plans changed? Have the freckles made you more reluctant to marry Desmera Redwyne?"

" Not more than before. Once this war is over, I shall marry her. The arrangement between you and Lord Redwyne still holds. And with the future Lord of Casterly Rock being the son of a Tyrell, Lord Redwyne won't miss a chance to have a daughter married to a Lannister."

"We don't know yet if the baby will be a boy."

"It doesn't really matter, cuz. Better be a boy anyway, you know that."

Dave patted him on the shoulder. Tyrion had received a lot of congratulations since the news of Margaery's pregnancy became public. Most people wished him a strong and healthy boy.

From a political point of view, Tyrion understood why people wished him to have a son. A son would ensure the continuity of House Lannister and the family name, secure an heir. But personally, would he rather have a boy than a girl? A part of him wished it would be a girl. If children looked like their parents, he was afraid that a boy would suffer the same problems he faced. If they had a girl who looked like Margaery… His wife was not only beautiful. She was intelligent, cunning, kind, generous… No matter the sex of their child, he would rather see him or her inherit Margaery's traits, and he couldn't shake the feeling that a girl was more likely than a boy to look like his wife. Maybe if his child had a sharp tongue like his, however, this would prove very distracting.

Tyrion didn't know what he would do once his child was born. He never truly believed he would have children one day. Before his father's death, he thought the only women who would ever share his bed were whores. Having children with them was of course out of the question. But now that he had a boy or a girl on the way… He didn't know what kind of father he would be. His own father had not really been a good example to draw on.

He thought quite often lately about the other men of his family who had children. Kevan, Stafford, Emmon Frey, Damion… and of course his uncles Tygett and Gerion, even though they were both dead.

Gerion had never been married, though it didn't stop him from having a girl and bringing her inside Casterly Rock, despite the ire of Tyrion's father. Tyrion thought about his little cousin Joy. Aside from his uncles and Jaime, she was probably the relative he had been the closest to, despite the age gap. The little girl had the right name… until Gerion Lannister disappeared. Afterwards, she was a very lonely child, much like Tyrion. But while Gerion was alive…

Tyrion had few memories of his uncle with his daughter. He may have seen them a few times together. Now that he thought about it, he didn't remember Joy being sad in those times. As for Tygett with Tyrek, Tyrion had almost no memory of it. Concerning Emmon, it was useless to say that the man was as transparent to his children as he was to his wife.

In fact, Kevan was probably the most paternal figure Tyrion knew. His last living uncle always had time for his children, no matter where he lived. He knew he regularly wrote to Lancel while they were separated by the Goldroad. He spent a lot of time with Martyn and Willem back at the Rock, and although he made all efforts not to cry in Tyrion's presence when he was freed, Tyrion could see after his freedom how broken he was by the death of his three sons. Tyrion's own father would never have felt such emotions had his son died. Only Janei remained to Kevan now and he had not seen her for an eternity.

Working with Kevan had gotten Tyrion closer to him. He had come to understand why his father trusted Kevan and kept him close to him. It wasn't because Kevan always agreed with his brother. People who said that Kevan Lannister seldom had a thought that Lord Tywin did not have first were wrong. Tyrion's uncle wasn't an advisor who just nodded at everything his brother and lord said. He actually advised and even challenged his lord when necessary, though never in public. Efficient, dynamic, he was the kind of man a lord wanted at his service. And looking at how he treated his children and his wife, he was the kind of father and husband a family dreamed of.

Tyrion did not think the latter without a pinch to his heart. What kind of father would he be? Would he be like his own father? Like Kevan? Like Gerion?

Just as these thoughts went through his mind, a man cried at him.

"My lord! My lord!"

He rode straight to them at a frenzied pace and reined just in time to not collide with them. Tyrion recognized him as one of the scouts they sent ahead of their troops.

"My lord, forgive me. There's a battle at Riverrun. Stannis and the Starks are fighting."

Tyrion and Daven looked at each other. The knights who stood guard around them looked just as surprised as they were. Tyrion thought very quickly. Within only a moment, he had made a decision.

"Daven, ride with the cavalry as quickly as you can. And you, tell Ser Kevan and the other officers to make a forced march towards Riverrun. No pause on the way. We must get to the castle as quickly as possible. We cannot let an opportunity like that escape," he added to the messenger.

"Yes, my lord."

He then turned to his personal guards. "We're riding with the cavalry. I have to see that."

In a very short time, Tyrion was riding to the east with thousands of horsemen, mostly knights. Most of them came from the Westerlands, but some were from the Riverlands, such as the knights of House Mallister.

They could not push their horses too much. They had to be strong enough for the upcoming battle. Tyrion managed to join Daven.

"How many do we have?"

"Men on horses? About four thousand, I would say," Daven answered.

"And we know Stannis and his allies from the Vale have approximately five thousand, and the Starks may have about a thousand left at best. We must add to it about thirty thousand men on foot on Stannis' side, and maybe ten or fifteen thousand for Robb Stark, remnants from his defeat at King's Landing and the river lords who still fight for him."

"Numbers don't win battles, cuz. Though it can help."

"Come with me, Daven. I want to see how this battle is going. That's a chance we cannot miss."

Daven obeyed and called up some of the officers near him. They rode forward with Tyrion and his guards, more quickly than the rest of the cavalry. As the towers of Riverrun appeared on the horizon, Tyrion heard a clamor far away.

"There, a hill, my lord," one of his men indicated.

"Let's go there," he ordered.

Tywin Lannister always positioned himself on the top of a hill to see how a battle evolved. Tyrion did the same as his father. The previous Lord of Casterly Rock might have been a terrible father, but he was cunning, intelligent and very good at ruling. Tyrion would never reject the whole of his father's actions.

As they approached, Tyrion had noticed some red and orange spots on the castle. Arrived at the top of the hill, Tyrion could take in a whole view, even though they were still at quite some distance. Riverrun was surrounded on every side by a wooden palisade. For a moment, Tyrion believed they were camps Robb Stark established outside the castle since its walls could not contain the whole of his forces, as diminished as they were. He quickly realized this was in fact an additional fortification. The Lord of Winterfell had shut himself behind a line of defense that surrounded the whole castle.

Tyrion wondered why Robb Stark had done such a thing. It was as if he was ready to hold a siege with over ten thousand men. Castles could never contain enough provisions for so many soldiers. Such a siege could never be maintained for long. Perhaps he was just trying to gain time, waiting for the Knights of the Vale to come to the rescue while he held Stannis back. If that was the case, then Robb Stark was deceived.

The battle raged outside the walls and the second line of defenses. South or southeast of Riverrun, two armies fought, entangled with each other, while some fires were visible in Riverrun and inside the camps settled right outside of its walls. From time to time, a burst of green flames erupted among the existing fires. Tyrion knew what it was. He saw it in King's Landing and the Guild of the Alchemists prepared more, ignoring he would never get the chance to use it. Stannis had decided to use wildfire to his own advantage. Not all of it was lost when the capital was attacked, it seemed. Someone would have to explain why he couldn't find this out.

"Cuz, they're still keeping troops in reserve. On both sides," Daven said.

"How much time before our infantry arrives?"

"I don't know. Maybe they'll be too late."

Tyrion gritted his teeth. They would not get another opportunity like this. Their enemies were fighting each other, unaware of the third approaching army. Standards were all mingled together. Parts of the battlefield was occupied by Stannis, another right next to it by the Starks, then the next by Stannis, creating the illusion they were surrounded if one only looked at one point. That was without the other battalion pressing Stannis' men from the other side. It was as both armies tried to turn the other one after another. In the meantime, knights on horses fought each other in the middle of the melee. Tyrion knew this was very bad for them. If horsemen were immobilized, they lost their main advantages on infantry and became vulnerable. Looking at Stannis' reserves, he found there were too few horsemen left in the back, free to move from one point of the battlefield to the other.

Tyrion remembered a battle that happened during a civil war in the Ghiscari Empire. One of the generals, with inferior forces, his cavalry outnumbered six to one, positioned his horsemen to stop the charge of the enemy when he tried to attack him from behind. Swordsmen and pikemen were hidden behind his cavalry. Once the charge of the enemy cavalry broke against his own, he sent his men on foot who slaughtered the enemy horsemen who could no longer move. The enemy cavalry ran away and the general won the battle, despite having less than half the forces of his opponent. Maybe Robb Stark had just done the same thing, trapping Stannis' superior cavalry between his infantry units.

Tyrion took away his eyes from the ongoing battle and looked behind. The Lannister cavalry was close. He could send them to battle right away.

"Daven, lead our men to battle. Bring three thousand with you. Attack their left flank. I keep one thousand back just in case."

"Are you sure, cousin?"

"Yes, Daven."

"I hope you know what you're doing," Daven said before he rode away to his men.

"I hope so me too," Tyrion whispered for himself. At the same time, he sent another rider ahead.

He only had to wait a short time before he witnessed his cavalry riding to battle. A wave of red rushed towards a mix of blue, yellow and white banners. Looking attentively, Tyrion discerned white banners fighting blue ones where his horsemen were heading. The right flank of the Stark army, if you could call it a flank, fought against the left flank of Stannis, again if you could call it a flank. The latter consisted of banners from the Vale.

A sea of red armors, along with a few spots of Riverlands banners, covered the field below. Tyrion felt a small shaking under his horse's hooves. The two enemies ahead were too occupied fighting among each other, unaware that a third player had just come into the game. As Tyrion's men neared the melee, it became obvious to even the dumbest observer that it moved to the right. It crashed against the forces of the Vale.

If there had been one good decision Robb Stark took since that war started, it had been when he beheaded Rickard Karstark, the man who murdered Martyn and Willem Lannister.

"A Lannister always pays his debts," Tyrion whispered.

The debt was paid in fresh Lannister swords hacking through the ranks of Stannis and his allies, bringing unexpected relief to the troops of the North. These were the men who fought the Northerners at the Kingsroad and besieged this very castle only a few months ago. Now they were defending it and its defenders.

The strong cavalry of the Westerlands pushed Stannis' troops backward, giving breath to the Northerners and their allies, overthrowing the proud Knights of the Vale. Tyrion thought not without irony that Robb Stark was betrayed by an ally he accepted, only to be saved by an enemy he refused to make peace with.

"How much time before the infantry arrives?" he asked an officer.

"They're still some distance away, my lord."

"Go and tell them to hurry."

The man rode away as if his life was in the balance. Tyrion kept watching as the battle evolved. Stannis sent the remainder of his cavalry to support his failing lines. Tyrion noticed some more troops were getting out of Riverrun, leaving from a side gate to not attack the enemy on the front.

"Get ready the rest of our horsemen. We might need them soon," he told another of his men.

"Yes, my lord."

Tyrion gripped the axe he bore at his side. He never used it, but he wouldn't hesitate if it came to that.

A horn sounded far away. Tyrion knew this sound. He heard it the day Margaery arrived at Casterly Rock for the first time. It was a Tyrell horn. In the far distance, coming from the east, a green wave was rushing towards Stannis in his back. Tyrion smiled. Chance was truly on his side today. Randyll Tarly was there.


For those interested, the battle Tyrion refers to with one cavalry outnumbering the other six to one is what happened at the Battle of Pharsalus in 48 BC. This was Caesar's master move in this battle that allowed him to defeat Pompeius and to win the civil war that gave him control over Rome.

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Next chapter : Jon (and the end of the battle)