Chapter 52: Battle of Moat Cailin

Different POVs

Morning of the next day…

Fever River...

They finally reached the Fever River, which was only a few miles away from Moat Cailin and Jon could see what a bloody battle it was. Even though it seems it was more bloody for the enemy than for the Stark army. Many of them were in chains others were dead.

While the Northern army continued its march towards Moat Cailin, through the muddy and bloody ground, Jon stopped to talk to Gary Worm and see who the captured prisoners were.

(In Valyrian…)

"Some important names, Grey Worm?"

"Bracken. Vance. The only important names they revealed. But we have half of them, prisoners,"

"I want the dead bodies to be put on sticks along the river, Grey Worm. Everyone needs to know what happens when the north is invaded, and that I am not a kindly king."

"My king," the Commander of the Unsullied bowed, and as he was leaving, Jon stopped him, saying, "I'm sorry for Missandei, Grey worm. I know she was important to you."

"Her death will be avenged," was all he said before leaving, as Jon headed towards the prisoners.

(End of Valyrian…)

On the ground in chains, he saw a man, with brown hair and brown eyes, stripped of the armour, but on his chest, there was a red stallion upon a gold shield, on a brown field.

"This is Lord Bracken, your grace," Arthur said.

"We will get a good ransom for this Lord if they will accept of course."

"King Edmure is coming for you, bastard," said the man spitting on the ground.

"Actually, I'm going to him," Jon said, lowering himself, smiling. "But you will go to Winterfell as prisoners. If they don't pay the ransom, then you will have two choices. Wall or death."

Getting up, he started to move towards his horse with Arthur and some other member of the Wolfsguard with him. He hoped that the enemy didn't breach the fortress before Daenerys and the dragon arrive.

Moat Cailin…

After the events of the previous night, at first light, Edmure gathered all the lords who had joined him in the invasion, and now he was sitting in silence at the table where the war council was sitting too, with the map in the middle, and stroking his chin.

Releasing a long-frustrated sigh, Edmure said, "Now that we lost the siege weapons, we don't have the support of the long rage cover. That means that the only thing we could do is attack the walls with the ladders, conquer them and open the gates from inside," said Edmure trying to be as convincing as possible knowing perfectly what they thought about his warfare skills.

They all hesitantly nodded, leaving the tent to go and take the position to attack the fortress, and Edmure did the same, or rather, he left the tent with his Kingsguard, but only to get on his horse and oversee the battle from a good distance of protection. He wasn't stupid enough to risk his life in this.

As the men with ladders in their hands were running towards the walls of the fortress with difficulty because of the mud and swamps, Edmure could see fireballs come from the fortress.

"Prepare for battle," Rhaegar said as the archers were deployed in line on the walls, and the sellsword there too, right behind, ready to fight the enemy should they get on the wall, while the men at arms of Moat Cailin were in the courtyard right before the gates.

"I want rain of arrows on these fuckers, boys!" shouted Rhaegar, as the men started to laugh. "Nock the arrows!"

He took a glance at his men and then at the enemy who was running towards the walls, with great difficulty. Swamps and muds were their advantages against the number of the enemy. Once they were at the range of the archers, Rhaegar shouted, "Loose!"

And a rain of arrows started to fall on the enemy, with the men trying to shelter under the shield, and screaming those who got hit by it.

"Ready for another wave!" shouted Rhaegar, as the enemy started to approach the wall again, running, and trying to shoot their arrows, hitting some of his men, but not as many as they did thanks to the advantage of natural defences.

His men keep shooting the enemy, who slowly reached their walls, and started to put the ladders.

"Ladders! Ladders!"

And some of the archers went behind, while the men at arms started to throw stones, push the ladders and stab those who managed to reach the top of the walls. Rhaegar in the meantime was fighting them too, and commanding the wall, and once he heard that the enemy started to hit the gates with the battering ram.

"Maegor! The gates!" Rhaegar shouted leaning over the wooden railings of the wall and saw the old warrior shout orders to the men and they were trying to hold the gates.

Suddenly a trail of fire started to fall on the enemy all around the castle, when, looking up, Rhaegar saw it was a dragon. Her sister's dragon.

Looking behind he saw her ride in and the dragon, after leaving the outside men burn, landed in. Looking at him, Rhaegar couldn't believe his eyes. The dragon was much bigger than the last time he saw it. Bigger than a foal, but for sure not enough to ride.

However, he needs to turn his attention back to the enemy, and looking outside the walls, he saw them running away in fire.

Outside Moat Cailin…

Jon was on his horse, sword in hand, and looking at the enemy. Outside the fortress there were trails of fires all around, men screaming, burned dead bodies. That means Daenerys and her dragon was there.

But now it was up to him to break the siege and make sure that no one leaves the North alive without a ransom of course.

Turning to his lords, Jon said, "Lord Mormont. To you the chivalry. Lord Glover. To you the vanguard and the first taste of battle. Lord Umber-"

"Your grace. Look," interrupted him Karstark, pointing the finger, and Jon immediately turned around seeing a white banner being waved.

"The southern cunts are afraid of the northern sword, eh!" laughed Umber and with him, the others too did the same.

"What do we do, your grace?" asked Mormont.

"Follow the orders," Jon replied, snapping the reins forward, with some of the Wolfsguard following him.

Edmure was waiting to see if the boy will accept the meeting, and once he saw him riding towards them, he too got on his horse, and holding the Banner, rode out the cap, ignoring everyone who started to talk.

As he was riding forward to the middle between their two deployments, Edmure saw the enemy's army moving, and precisely the cavalry. For sure they had fewer men than his, but the army of the Riverlands was tired and plenty of wounded, even though some weren't badly.

He halted his horse at a good distance, glancing behind him, seeing that the Kingsguard had their hands on the hilt of their swords ready to fight.

The enemy too stopped at a few steps away from him, but the boy king was approaching now alone, and snapping the reins, Edmure too started to approach.

They looked at each other, in silence, and Jon waited for the Tully to speak first, but he didn't. There was hatred, contempt, and perhaps even a hint of a desire for revenge in his gaze, but Jon knew that they had more important things to do than dealing with the southern, and said, "I think you know by now that there is no victory for you and your army here at Moat Cailin and that I will not let you return alive and unharmed back South. So, let's get straight to the point. I demand your surrenders, and I will make sure to ask a reasonable ransom for you and your men."

The Tully started to laugh at him, shaking his head, saying, "I'm not here to surrender. I'm here to challenge you to one on one. If you lose you give me back my sister, my niece, and step aside for my nephew to rule the north-"

"I stope you right there. You think you are in a high position to ask or demand, but you aren't. Before the end of this day, you and your army will be food for the crows."

"I always knew you Northern are cowards. But I would have never thought you would be the most coward of them all," the Tully said, before stopping to take a breath, and Jon knew what he was trying to do. "For your father, the life of his men was important, but it seems for you it isn't."

"If it's a fight what you want, then it's a fight you will have. Here and now. Once you are dead, your army will be slaughtered till the last men," Jon replied.

"No. If you win, you leave them to go home. They-"

"They will be my prisoners!" shouted Jon, getting down from the horse, and taking off the cloak. Drawing out the swords, he said, "What are you waiting for?"

The Tully King got down from the horse. Took the helmet, that resembles a trout and placed it on his head. After that, he took a rounded shield and pull out the sword.

"You will die today, boy!" screamed the men, before pulling down the visor, and charging at him.

Jon managed to avoid him, and at the same time, with turning he strike the man on the back, with both his sword, receiving a scream, and seeing that there was an opening, pierced his leg before Edmure Tully could even react to the stunning back attack.

The man fell to his knee because of the wound, and Jon pushed him to the ground, yelling, "Is this all the great trout can give?!"

Edmure groaned as he tried to get up, and singing the word in the void, but Jon just avoided his blade easily. The southern King was dirty with mud, breathing fast and wounded. Jon give him another strike on the helmet, making him fall again to the ground, and this time he the Tully lost his sword. "Yield!" as another blow of sword made contact with the enemy's armour.

Jon give a glance to the Kingsguard whose face was full of anger, and he was sure they wanted to intervene, but his Wolfsguard too was ready and above them all, his uncle. The Sword of the morning.

And so, taking off his helmet and throwing it to the ground, Jon jumped on the Tully's arm, breaking it, and receiving a long scream of pain.

"You bastard!" shouted someone, and Jon managed to turn in time to see the seven Kingsguard charge at him with sword drawn.

They started to attack him, all at the same time, and Jon struggled to parry, until he slipped, falling to the ground. But right before the blade touches his neck, Arthur came to save him, blocking the blade and pushing it away before starting to attack them all at once with Dawn.

"Jon?" Viserys asked helping him up, as the other members of the Wolfsguard were fighting the Kingsguard.

"So, you are the famous sword of the morning?" asked the men moving away as they break to take some breath after the intense fight they had.

"Yes. And you are a dead man," Arthur said, but in that same moment another one attacked him, and Arthur dogged it in time, before cutting his head off and returning the attention back to the man.

"Impressive. I'm Ser Oswell Went, but everyone calls me the Batman," the men said twirling the sword as around them the others were fighting.

"You speak to much," Arthur said, starting to strike the men who tried to pair but in vain. There were plenty of openings, and right when he tried to pair his attack from the high, his sword break at the contact with Dawn, and its blade stuck in his neck, right where the armour was weak.

You won," Whent said, as blood was coming down from his mouth. "Give me the last blow. Give me a knight's death."

And Arthur nodded, as the man took his sword, kissing it, and Dawn falling on his neck, cutting his head. Blood splashed on his face, and he started to breathe fast, as in the background, Jon started to speak loudly, "Is this how the southern honours the fight one on one before the eyes of the Gods?!" turning around, he saw the members of the Kingsguard lying dead on the ground, while some of his brothers were wounded.

Riding with his horse forward, Jon keeps speaking loudly, "From this day till the day of your ransom, you will be our prisoners! I want the high ranked men to show themselves before dusk came!"

And Arthur sighed, looking behind, seeing the northern army approach as the southern drop their sword down surrendering.

They are going to live another day. Hurrah. But he is going to leave the North anyway. He cannot stay in the place where the one he loves the most hates the most.

The Reach...

Jaime Lannister POV

The sun was high in the sky when they reached the citadel, tired and bloodied, but without an enemy on their path. He had received news regarding the cat that his brother Tyrion and the Dothraki, have already landed on the shores of Dorne, and started to pillage the coastal settlements

Stopping on a small hill that oversees the great city, Jaime starts to watch it. Every wall, every part and weakest point, with a Myrish's eye. It was a very big city and he was sure it was even more difficult to conquer from land than Highgarden. The Hightower in the middle was tall and the fire still burned. Lord Hightower for sure was standing at one of the windows and asking himself what wrongdoing he had son, or maybe he was doing some sorcery.

"What are we going to do, Prince Jaime?" asked the young Dickon Tarly, stopping next to him.

"Well, we are going to surround the city, siege it and hop that Lord Hightower is wise enough to bend the knee and open the gates," replied Jaime glancing at the boy, who had a quite worried expression on his face, and he didn't blame him for that. Jaime himself hopped that the Lannister ships will come to block the harbour, but he doubts it. They were sinking on the bottom of Sunset or in the bay.

"What about the prisoners, your grace?"

"Well, once the siege will be ready, and the man in position, we will show him to Lord Hightower."

The boy added nothing else, but as he was ready to ride forward, the Tarly boy, said, "Do you think he will use sorcery against us? Tales say that is why he never leaves the great tower."

Jaime laughed at the nonsenses, before turning his horse, and leaning forward, said, "If Hightower was a sorcerer, by now would have been king of this world."

With that, he rode away not wanting to hear other nonsense.

Leyton Hightower POV

Leyton was standing at one of the windows of the Hightower, and that was facing the lands outside Oldtown, watching as the enemy's army was deploying on the lines far away enough from the walls, and ready to start the siege. There were more than fifty thousand men outside, with ladders and trebuchets.

Since their defeat on the way to Highgarden, Leyton has received no news about his firstborn, Baelor, while his second son was held prisoner by the enemy.

"What are we going to do, father?" asked Lynesse approaching him.

"Nothing. We will surrender, you will marry someone from the Westerlands, and maybe try to seduce the Prince. If you succeed, we will kill his wife, and you will rule next to him, If you fail, we will die for sure. But for now, we need to free your brother."

His daughter looked down for a moment, before sighing, replied, "I will do my duty to the future of this house, father."

"Or maybe we can use the ancient spells wrote in these books," came the voice of his first-born daughter, who stepped inside the room, with a book in hands, before placing it open on the table.

"You are mad sister, if you think the spells of your books will help us defeat the enemy," Lynesse replied, filling herself a goblet of sweet red Arbor wine.

"Perhaps you should have opened your legs to a propitious alliance, little bitch, so we wouldn't be in such a situation," replied Malora, Leyton saw his youngest daughter charge against his eldest, he slammed his palm against the table, "Enough!"

And they both turned towards him.

"This is not the time of spells, Malora. Live today fight tomorrow, this is the way we will take," Leyton said looking between the daughters.

"But-"

"No. We bend the knee because right now there is nothing else, we can do," cut her off, before turning back to the window and looking out the city, as he saw riders head towards the main gates. They want to negotiate, for sure.

Jaime Lannister POV

Dusk was approaching as Jaime from the top of his horse was watching his men dig trenches a few hundred yards from the city, and others went on hunting, but with the precis order to keep eyes open because there were castles around that, they didn't conquer.

"Prince Jaime! Riders are coming from the city," he heard Lord Crakehall yell, and ride towards him. "They want to negotiate." And Jaime saw a group of riders in the distance under a white banner.

"Bring them to the main tent," he said snapping the reins and riding to the tent of command.

A few moments later…

Jaime was sitting at the head of the table, with the lords and knights at his side, and the soldiers ready to defend him. Not that he needed. Just the orders they had from his father.

He saw the tent open and entering a group of men. One was wearing the colour of House Hightower. HE was young, shaved, and with quite an innocent look. The others not so much, but that doesn't mean he will back away.

"You are in the Presence of Prince Jaime of House Lannister, Lord of Castamere, and heir of the Kingdom of the Rock. Conqueror of the reach," Ser Adam Malborne said announcing him, before turning to the one who entered saying, "Introduce yourselves, my lords."

The boy looked at the ones who were with him, before stepping forward, and stammering he said, "I-I'm…. Ser Hu-Humfrey Hightower."

"Welcome to my humble tent, Ser Humfrey. Please take a seat," Jaime said, smirking, and waving with the hand. Leaning forward he asked, "I'm sure you are here to surrender, so I will say let's get to the point."

"Yes but-"

"End of resistance throughout all the reach. Twenty thousand soldiers billeted on the Oldtown population. And 200 thousand gold dragons for the war costs incurred-"

"Do you want us to pay you for invading our kingdom and attacking our city?" asked young Hightower, standing up, as Jaime continued to smirk.

"With all due respect my prince, but 500,000 gold dragons are not enough. I would say that the military expenses cost at least twice as much," Lord Crakehall intervened.

"So, 1 million gold dragoons then?"

"And I would demand as token of good faith, hostages," Crakehall said, and when he looked at young Hightower, Jaime saw him turn white as a ghost.

" With all due respect, Prince Jaime, but these demands are unaccountable harsh," said a man of advanced age who looked like a Master of the Citadel.

"Well, Master of the Citadel. These are our conditions. If you should refuse, we shall look forward to the battle," Jaime answered standing up, and still grinning added, "After all, as you may have seen, my army covers the horizon and is thirsty for blood."

After that the envoys and Hightower left the tent, however, Jaime followed immediately behind and shouting, said, "Ser Humfrey. Look at them and find the answer to the condition." Pointing at the lords that were taken prisoner during the battle, among whom was one of his brothers.

They left immediately riding back to Oldtown, and Jaime hears Ser Adam Malborne ask, "Was it wise to push them that forward?"

"Yes, it was. And they would be a fool to not accept. They have no escape," Jaime replied, seeing at that moment, their fleet approach. That means they conquered the two towers at the mouth.

Winterfell...

Aerys Targaryen POV

After the fall and destruction of the Dreadfort, Aerys with a dozen of men rode back to Winterfell, to prepare the North for the enemy that lies beyond the wall. It had been days since the sun was high in the sky, and this day was not different.

As he was approaching the city, Aerys could see destruction all around it and wondered who could have done such a thing, since no words of an enemy attacking Winterfell have come to the Dreadfort.

Snapping the reins of the horse, Aerys began to gallop towards Wintertown, with the banner of the direwolf raised so that everyone could see that they were not the enemy. He rode through a destroyed town, with people frozen on the streets who had an expression of shock on their face, while the houses themselves had slabs and edges of ice on them.

The men who accompanied him started whispering among themselves in fear for sure, and Aerys himself was quite confused and terrified by what he was seeing.

He continued to ride forward till the gates of Winterfell finding them closed and without guards outside.

"Open the gates in the name of the King!" shouted Aerys and saw from the wall a soldier peaking down.

"Who are you, Ser?" shouted the man down.

"Aerys of House Targaryen. Previously Hand of the King!"

"Open the gates to Lord Aerys!" shouted the man the great gates opened, letting them in. Inside the courtyard, Aerys saw terrified soldiers and common people, trying to hide themselves.

"Soldier. What happened?" asked

"A beast came from the sky spitting ice around Winterfell and killing people, my lord."

"Aerys!" he heard him call, and turning around, he saw his wife running at him and clash against him, and at the same time wrapping her arms around his neck, as he did the same but around her waist. It has been so long since he has held his wife in his arms, and he had missed her dearly. "What happened?"

"A dragon," was the only thing she said, as he broke the hug and looked down at her in the eyes confused since the only dragon alive was her daughter's.

As they were walking towards the keep, with him slowly, his wife informed him about the latest news. Thorren square has fallen to the hand of a sellsword company at the orders of Ramsey Bolton but once news reached them that Bolton was dead, they and the army was marching back to Winterfell they surrendered and now were in chain at the castle. He will have to pay a visit to Thorren Square.

"How are our grandchildren?"

"In good health, but since they reunited, they never left each other's hands," his wife replied and Aerys chuckled.

Rhaella Targaryen POV

"Look at him. He already has the warrior look on his face," Aerys said with proudness, rising Aeinon up, and the little boy only released pleasant nose of baby, smiling, and the grandfather pulled him down for a kiss, before giving him back to Ashara, ho started to play with him and rock. "And the Princess?" he said, turning his attention to their granddaughter, who was squeezing some of her silver locks. "She is as beautiful as her mother."

Bending down to kiss her forehead and cares the little dark hairs she had on her head for now. "But now with your permission my lady, your grace. I need to retire. The past weeks were hard, and I need a good and hot bath to warm m dragon blood."

With that her husband left the room, limping and holding to the wooden stuff.

"Do you think he is all right?" asked Ashara, once they were alone, and Rhaella, placing the little girl in the cradle, looked at her friend confusedly.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know. It's just that he seems quite different," she said, placing Aeinon in the cradle too.

"Well, too many events happened lately, I'm sure it changed him, but not in bad," Rhaella replied, at least she hoped that.

A few hours later…

Rhaella was returning back to the room that she will share with her husband, and Ashara's words still ring in her head, putting her heart in uneasy.

Upon entering, she saw that the candles were all off, and the bed empty. However, looking towards the fireplace, she saw her husband sit on a chair, leg crossed, and a goblet in hand.

She slowly started to approach him, and hear her husband mumbling words that she couldn't quite understand, but some of them did and she was quite terrified by the last thing he said. 'Burn them all.'

"Aerys? Is everything all right?"

"Shouldn't you be already asleep, sweet sister?" he asked in a quite cold voice, making her skin shudder for a moment. It was long since she has heard him say that.

"What is happening?" she asked, stopping on his side, seeing one face light by the fire while the other no.

"The dead are coming," he said turning towards her, with blue eyes, a rotten face, and sharp ice teeth.

Rhaella screamed, and woke up, panting, and all sweaty. She strokes her sleepily eyes and saw it was dark in the room. Looking at her side, she saw that her husband was sleeping deeply, and she released a long sigh. It was just a dream. A nightmare to be more precise.

Getting up, Rhaella went to the table, purring herself a goblet of wine and drinking all the content in one breath. Her hands were still shaking because of the great frighten she got from the nightmare and didn't know what to do of it.

Tightening her nightgown, Rhaella headed to the window, opening the curtains, feeling how the moonlight hit her in plain. And she sighed looked outside, thinking how her daughter was right now. She hoped she was all right and soon will come back to Winterfell. She longest to hold her in her arms.