AN: Hope you all had a safe and happy Christmas. Here's the next chapter so enjoy.

Coming of the Red Anchor

Discussions and Truths

Sheppard

Blackwater Bay

They had been at sea for two days now and were soon to approach the fortress that was Dragonstone far on the horizon. With its Valyrian style method of construction and high solid stone walls it was a very defensible structure which guarded the mouth of the bay. Messages still came from Stoney Shore but took a few minutes longer than Kings Landing. One message for Ser Barristan and Lord Stark was one of great importance.

The two men in question were at the bow of the ship standing silently as they watched their approach to the Targaryen stronghold. "Lord Stark, Ser Barristan, a moment of your time please before we arrive?" Sheppard said as she neared them. The two men turned to face her and she glanced about to make sure they was no one close by. "First of all, Lord Stark I can tell you that your son has called the banners and is currently encamped at Moat Cailin, he will head to the Twins tomorrow. He has a host of nineteen thousand with another host being shipped south by the fleet numbering about seven thousand."

"How do we have so many? The most the North can field quickly is around twenty thousand" Stark asked with some confusion.

"The fleet has around five thousand troops, most are marines but they can also form an army also. The rest comes from Houses Mormont, Glover and their vassals. The marines will mostly stay with the fleet however. As for the main host, the population of the North has grown somewhat with the increase in trade, jobs and improved roads. Now Ser Barristan, before we meet Lord Stannis, who do you wish to serve?" Sheppard asked turning to the older man who stood silently for a moment, not expecting the question. He looked thoughtful before answering.

"That is something I have greatly considered since being dismissed. I had thought Lord Stannis, even you Lord Stark" Ned smiled appreciatively. "But truly? I think I will go find Lady Daenerys. I will protect her like I couldn't her brother and father. I will guide her to be a better person and tell her of her family. Assuming I can find her. She disappeared before her wedding in Pentos. No one knows where she is but I will start in Pentos and search for her" he replied, his face looking longingly at the eastern horizon.

"Lord Stark?" Sheppard asked.

"I will pledge to Lord Stannis. Given the bastard status of Cersei's children, Stannis is next in line." Ser Baristan looked shocked at the news while Major Sheppard barely batted an eye.

"You knew already Major?" Ned asked in surprise.

"My superiors informed me of a number of things prior to coming to Kings Landing, this was one of them" Sheppard replied smugly.

"He is a bastard?" Ser Barristan asked incredulously.

"Aye Ser Barristan, they all are" Ned replied sadly. "Jaime and Cersei Lannister are Joffrey's, Myrcellar's and Tommen's real parents."

"B-By the Seven! That's a scandal! Cersei is an adulteress? And with Ser Jaime, he's... no true knight, he has forsworn his white cloak for the last time" Barristan growled out. "How dare that, that oath-breaking son of a cur. If I was still Lord Commander and the monarch had some honour… I had no idea it was that bad, but why Stannis and not Lady Daenaerys?" Barristan questioned while trying to calm himself.

"Westeros will not suffer another mad Targaryen. Their days are over" Lord Stark said firmly. "Stannis has the greater claim via Right of Conquest from Robert's rebellion. Even if she is a kind and good person the lords will not accept a queen in her own right" he added softly.

"My Lord, Ser Barristan, one of the things I was informed of was that Lady Daenerys is safe and well at Stoney Shore" Sheppard informed them, seeing it a good point to interrupt. Both men gaped at her before Ned turned red in anger.

"What have you done?!" asked the furious lord. "We could have Lannisters and gods knows who else after you and the North if people find out she is there."

"We are already at war with the Lannisters Lord Stark, it will hardly change anything" Sheppard pointed out. "Besides, who will tell people that she is there? You?"

"It will make allying with Stannis difficult" Stark said in an annoyed tone. Sheppard scoffed.

"Why? Who says he needs to know? She is in our city under observation and has said that she wants nothing to do with the throne. She just wants to be home. Plus she is out of sight where no one can find her except for loyal members of our military and House."

"Was that all that you wished to inform me of?" Barristan asked hopefully.

"Indeed Ser, though there is one other thing which I did not know before but was briefed on by Lord Warrington a few hours ago. We found another."

"Another?" Barristan said in shock and confusion though Ned started to pale at the direction the conversation was taking.

"Another Targaryen, hidden in plain sight and obvious once looked hard at though lacking in colouring admittedly. Proven by blood and circumstance. Isn't that right Lord Stark? When they told me who it was, I was as surprised as Ser Barristan here" Sheppard said with a smirk.

"You will remain silent on it" Ned started threateningly. "You will forget everything you think you know and tell Lord Warrington that -"

"What do you mean Major?" Ser Barristan interrupted quizically. "Why would Lord Stark have a Targaryen?"

"He would if it was his nephew."

"Be silent!" Stark said, almost pleadingly. "The cost in blood if it got out -"

"The cost? What cost Lord Stark? We are already at war, a Targaryen in the mix will not change that. In fact, according to Lord Warrington, our chances could be improved by rallying the remaining loyalists."

"The cost will be awful; both rebellions ended countless lives and were pointless on top my rebellion being based on a lie" Ned explained, terrified of what people would think or do. "My own lords will hate me for harbouring a dragon, the south hate the Targaryens as well so throwing in a trueborn son will cause more chaos and extend the war by adding further factions. No, if we can take the capital quickly and defeat Tywin in the Riverlands we can then force him to stand down" he finished hopefully.

"Lord Stark that will not happen. You will need to wage a bloody war right to the walls of Casterly Rock before Tywin Lannister will surrender the throne" Barristan said sadly, shaking his head in disagreement.

"But surely -"

"Power and family legacy are all that exist to that man my lord" Barristan added. "Trust me I've known him a long time through my service as a Kingsguard. He was the best Hand we had, he knew politics and power like the back of his hand, pardon the pun it was unintentional. He did much good for the realm under Aerys but then brought it down and repaid it when he felt slighted. He will not surrender until he and his family is dead, not when his grandson sits on the throne." With that pronouncement Ned slumped to the ground breathing rapidly and shallowly, broken and tired. The sudden collapse of the strong, stoic northerner was quite the shock and Sheppard had to call for a few men to carry the Lord to his quarters to recover while his daughters rushed over and looked on worriedly.

"A panic attack. I think we now know what has driven him to keep quiet on his nephew. He is afraid of a long and bloody war which will end so many lives. I think he must have also been scared of what King Robert and the Lannisters could have done if they found out and didn't want to be forced to choose between his friend who is almost a brother and his nephew by blood. A long bloody war would have been the result and would likely break the realm more than it already was" Sheppard commented. "That said the realm is already torn part from this new war so it doesn't really change anything."

"Indeed, I can understand wanting no further war but the prince should know the truth and decide his own fate" Ser Barristan said firmly, watching Lord Stark be carried away. "Does the boy know?"

"Not yet. We'd hoped Lord Stark would tell him first."

"Then we must."

"I leave that for Lord Warrington to deal with Ser."

"If the boy is really Rhaegar's then I will go to train and speak with the boy. Where is he currently?"

"With the fleet. He has been learning strategy and command from both Admiral Cosmo and General Marks along with Lord Warrington" Sheppard answered.

"That's a good start, I assume he will fight with them from the front as well?" Ser Barristan asked.

"Aye he will. Well, we should be arriving in an hour or so, best get ready to meet Lord Stannis" she replied before walking off to ready herself to meet another lord.

Lord Stark had recovered somewhat by the time they pulled into the harbour at Dragonstone, standing stiffly on the deck watching the slowly sinking sun on the horizon. Meeting them by the readied gangplank was a middle aged man with slowly greying hair who had a small leather pouch around his neck. He also seemed to be missing a few finger tips from his right hand, Sheppard shivered slightly at the thought of loosing her fingers or even a hand. "Greetings, I'm Ser Davos Seaworth, I serve Lord Stannis. Who comes to Dragonstone?" he asked, his thick Fleabottom accent still noticeable even after many years away.

"I am Lord Eddard Stark, this is Major Hannah Sheppard from House Britanican and this is Ser Barristan Selmy. He was dismissed by Cersei and Joffrey. I come to pledge my House and the North to his side following my discoveries about Robert's so called children."

"Aye, Lord Stannis wondered if you'd work it out. Since returning here he's been gathering his forces to take Kings Landing. Well you best come in, Lord Stannis'll be seeing you." The man then led the three visitors through the harbour and then up the long walk where they went single file to the castle gates.

Before long they were walking through the stone corridors of the main keep, locally known as the Stone Drum, and as they went they saw numerous dragon statues and carvings. The group soon came to a pair of wooden doors, guarded by two men in Baratheon livery, and went inside to see a large stone room with a few dragon carvings on the slitted walls. Sheppard appreciated the dragon carvings more because otherwise it was a rather boring grey, almost black, stone room compared to the Merman Court of House Manderly or the throne room in the Red Keep. Davos led them past the throne, which appeared to have been worked from a single piece or rock as it seemed to rise from the ground and wall behind it, to a staircase up the tower. In the room atop the tower they found a man with short, almost thin, black hair, which was going bald and grey in places, standing by a fifty foot long wooden table and which was painted with a detailed map of Westeros, from just beyond the Wall right down to Dorne.

"Your Grace, may I present Lord Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North along with Ser Barristan Selmy of the Kingsguard and Major Hannah Sheppard of House Britanican" Davo said before stepping back to one side. Stannis Baratheon turned around and Lord Stark knelt, Sheppard and Barristan just bowed respectfully. Her orders were to see just who Stannis was and if he was worthy of being King or if he needed to be removed, not bow and scrape.

"Lord Stark, it seems your bannerman while knowing respect does not kneel before her king. Ser Barristan, what is your excuse?"

"I am here merely because Lord Stark is, I plan to pledge myself to someone else, someone with a better claim."

"No one has a better claim. Not my deluded brother Renly who plays at being a knight and now plays at being king and certainly not those incest ridden Lannister bastards in Kings Landing. Who then, is it you feel has better claim than I?"

"Rhaegar Targaryen's son" Selmy said simply. Sheppard had to give Selmy points for saying it to the man's face, though also restrain herself from face palming too at revealing such information. Ned gulped nervously and paled slightly.

"All of the Prince's children are dead, killed by the tyrant Tywin" Stannis retorted. "That doesn't also include the fact that by Right of Conquest the throne is now Baratheon. The Targaryens would need an army to reconquer Westeros and the only known claimant is a girl barely flowered who has since vanished and an old blind Maester freezing up at The Wall. I am the only one by right to take the throne. I am bound to my brother's Right of Conquest and as his legal heir due to the bastardy of his supposed trueborn children. No one would accept a girl on the throne either so please, who do you plan to bending the knee to Ser?" he asked with added bite.

"Rhaegar's son by Lyanna Stark, hidden as a bastard son by Lord Stark" Selmy replied resulting in Lord Stark glaring at the knight for revealing such knowledge. Stannis' eyes widened in shock momentarily before narrowing sternly and he ground his teeth again before then glaring at an equally furious Stark lord. Sheppard was tempted to ask him to stop grinding his teeth since he'd only ruin them but thought better of it.

"Is this true Lord Stark?" Stannis asked coldly after a few more moments of silence. Lord Stark hung his head sadly before nodding.

"Aye, it is. The rebellion was built on a lie. Lyanna and Rhaegar ran off and got married by High Septon Maynard according to Lyanna's last words and a letter she left for me" Ned explained tiredly. "Elia apparently also knew and approved since she could no longer carry children due to the high risk of death. With only two children Rhaegar felt it was not enough to secure the dynasty nor fulfil some prophesy that the prince believed in."

"He set her aside?" Ser Davos asked in surprise.

"Nay, it was to replicate the two wives policy that the older Targaryen kings had followed from what little Lyanna told me."

"What prophesy?" Stannis asked sharply, he seemed intrigued by that point Sheppard felt.

"Something about ice and fire if I remember correctly" Eddard replied vaguely, frowning in thought.

"I believe you mean The Prince That Was Promised Lord Stark. I remember Rhaegar talking of it with myself and Ser Arthur" Ser Barristan added helpfully. "The Prince comes from the union of ice and fire I believe though I may be mistaken. I never thought much of prophesy." Stannis hummed thoughtfully.

"Lord Stannis, you are Robert's heir, I and the North will back you. Command us" Ned said firmly.

"And what of this supposed trueborn son Lord Stark? I can't ignore that claim. It is a valid claim though contestable due to Right of Conquest, but it is one that could make or break the realm. Added to that is this prophesy, I have a red priestess here who has made claims related to it, she even claimed it was me who was the Prince. And yet, Rhaegar believed it to be his son, of which only the boy you raised remains. So who know what implications this could all have. Who else knows of the boy?" Ned gulped slightly before answering.

"I know not now. Originally just myself and one other. Now it includes yourself, Ser Barristan, Ser Davos and Major Sheppard plus whoever in House Britanican. Jon does not know though."

"Who told you?" Stannis asked, turning sharply to Sheppard.

"I was merely informed of the situation by my superiors, nothing more."

"Who knows in your house then?" Stannis pressed. Sheppard shifted slightly on her feet uncomfortably.

"From my understanding most of the leadership; Lord Warrington, both admirals and our land forces commander too." Both Lord Stark and Stannis seemed to slump upon realising that a fair few people knew of the prince. Stannis then sighed irritably.

"It seems then I have a choice; take the throne I am duty bound to take as my right as Robert's heir or support a Targaryen prince raised as a bastard. What a mess. Does the boy have a name?" the man grumbled and seemed to grind his teeth some more.

"Jon Snow Lord Stannis."

"A Targaryen name, surely your sister or Rhaegar gave him one?"

"Oh. Aye my sister named him after insisting that Rhaegar have a male name in case it was a boy. They called him Jaehaerys after the Conciliator since he is still well liked by many around the Seven Kingdoms including the North" Ned replied.

"Huh, a good name then, one we can work with" Stannis muttered.

"Lord Stannis, if I may m'lord?" Ser Davos spoke up and Stannis nodded. "Why not support him? Many still call Prince Rhaegar a good man, the boy merely proves that, plus you could have the Targaryen supporting families around the kingdoms rise for him. Not to mention the North, the Riverlands and maybe the Vale under Lord Stark. Possibly some in the Crownlands too. The Stormlands would need to be sorted out however, and Renly dealt with, while the Dornish and the Tyrells would need to be placated somehow" Ser Davos spoke, getting to the heart of the matter, hence why Stannis kept him around.

"What have the Tyrells done? And Renly for that matter?" Lord Stark asked in confusion.

"Renly married Margery Tyrell to gain the support of the Reach. He has also taken nearly all the Stormlands to his side and declared himself King" Stannis said bitterly.

"It is said Lord Stark, that he has near a hundred thousand men or soon will thanks to both kingdoms" Ser Davos added.

"I see, things have changed much since my imprisonment. My son is camped by Moat Cailin with around twenty thousand and travels to The Twins tomorrow, he is to arrive there in a week." Stannis nodded glancing at the table map before them.

"Good work, he's marching fast then."

"Aye, it took almost ten days when I came south with Robert but we were slowed due to Cersei's carriage and the baggage train. Additionally, according to a short message I got from Lord Warrington, our spies report that the Lannister army has split in two. One host of fifteen thousand is near Riverrun though is not yet besieging it merely encamped nearby. The other host is twenty thousand strong and under the command of Tywin Lannister, it is camped by the Ruby Ford waiting for Robb to come to the capital, though with my escape that will no doubt change various plans somewhat." Stannis nodded again and looked down at the map.

"It seems I have much to think on. Hmm, I will sleep on what to do, I have not yet sent ravens out declaring anything so for now you will have quarters prepared and meals sent to you. Good night Lord Stark, Ser Barristan, Major."

The following day the group met again though this time a copper haired, pale skinned woman in a blood-red silk dress joined them. Sheppard glanced at her and saw a red jewelled choker around her neck and that her robes had a rather plunging neck line to reveal full breasts that would be the envy of many women. She quickly averted her gaze and saw the woman looking at the three of them in turn before the two women then took the measure of each other. She felt like she was being examined under a microscope given the unsettling red eyes the woman had.

"This is Melisandre, the Red Priestess who came to my court from Essos. She knows of the prophesy and wished to meet with you as well" Stannis said by way of greeting when he entered the room. The group slowly took their seats with Stannis sitting at the head of the table.

"I have seen into the flames many times and I have seen Stannis as the Prince. Never once did I see Rhaegar or Rhaegar's child."

"What did you see my lady?" Ser Barristan asked though Ned seemed to scoff at the idea of looking into fire. Sheppard mostly agreed, magic was something that those from Britain and America had dismissed but the tales and relative proof of the Long Night found in the crypts and vault under the rebuilt Stonefort had broadened their minds a bit.

"When I prayed to be shown Azor Ahai last night I only saw Snow, and the sea on fire after that" she answered with a confused expression. "Before now I have been shown what I thought must be this island as it is salt and smoke by virtue of the sea and the fire mountain. The prophesy says; that when the red star bleeds and the darkness gathers, Azor Ahai shall be born again amidst smoke and salt to wake dragons out of stone. Stannis lives in the home of dragons and so here Azor Ahai shall be reborn. Stannis is that man" she said, her voice melodic with her fervency though weakened by her confusion from earlier.

"Aye but that is open to much interpretation, I could paint my nephew to fit that. Arthur Dayne died outside the Tower of Joy bleeding; the Daynes have a falling star for a banner. I called him Jon Snow and the salt and smoke could be from the dust thrown up by the sand during the fight and my arrival and the bloodied valyrian steel of my ancestral sword Ice. Equally he is becoming the man we want as part of a fleet that will attack our enemies so more salt and smoke there. And finally he is the product of ice and fire; Stark and Targaryen. So what use is your fires if I can predict things as well as you" Ned challenged and Sheppard smirked at the annoyed but also surprised expression Melisandre wore. Stannis too arched an eyebrow while Davos seemed to chuckle before coughing slightly to hide it from the priestess.

"It would seem I have much to think and pray on. Excuse me while I consult the fires" she nodded politely and stood to walk over to the hearth along the left side of the room before then gazing into the flames. As she did the others returned to their talk.

"Lord Stannis, have you decide on what you wish to do?" asked Ser Barristan, Ned sat nervously beside him to Stannis' left while Davos watched from his seat on Stannis' right.

"I have thought long and hard on it. Even spoke with Ser Davos about it and the Lady Melisandre. I believe that if he is true as claimed then he should be placed on the throne. I only stood because I believed I was the only one with a true claim via my brother Robert not because I wanted it, but if he is Rhaegar's… As Ser Davos said yesterday many still love the prince, so with the boy, any loyalists and your own forces Lord Stark, the Lannisters will face serious opposition. Dorne and the Tyrells along with my brother still remain as obstacles however" Stannis said, grinding his teeth again in anger at his brother.

"Could Dorne be satisfied with the heads of Clegane and Lorch?" Sheppard suggested. "Many would love to kill them for what they did during the Sack." The others nodded in agreement.

"That would likely only their gain neutrality but worth the offer. No, Doran's blood would need to be on the throne for an alliance most likely" Stannis commented. "I will go to my brother and the Tyrells and offer an alliance to join with us though. Perhaps positions in the small council for Renly and the Tyrells to tempt them."

"Aye that should do, plus the Tyrells have a number of loyalists for bannermen such as Randyl Tarly and the Hightowers" Ned pointed out.

"Good then we have a plan. I will seek out my brother while you go rally the North and Riverlands. Try to gain the Vale through your wife and goodsister and you should do well."

"I will send a raven to Lysa from Riverrun. Hopefully my goodbrother will be able to convince her as well." Suddenly a gasp drew their attention and they saw Melisandre take a few steps away from the fire in shock.

"What did you see?" Stannis asked sternly.

"Snow, only Snow. The boy is the Prince" she answered in a quiet awed voice.

Warrington

The march south from Moat Cailin was slow, mostly due to the Kingsroad being a narrow road through the bogs and swamps of the Neck, but they made good progress with the horse having gone ahead and secured a good position on a hill just north of the Twins allowing for the foot to catch up and rest. In all it took about six days thanks to good roads and hard riding or marching.

The Twins was blocked on his side; the gates and portcullis were in place while archers manned the battlements. It was not a favourable position. That was until he saw another camp on the far side baring the sigils of House Mormont, Glover, Glover vassals and House Britanican. The other host had arrived. Warrington smiled softly, 'well at least Robb can use it to pressure old Frey to yield' he thought hopefully.

"Bah it's no good to us Lord Robb, we cannae get near it with the way their looking and a siege will be costly" Lord Umber complained from beside him to the young man nearby after looking it over. Other lords nearby muttered in agreement. "At least we have two forces, though I don't see what use a bunch of sailors will be and bears are only good in a straight fight not a siege" he added dismissive of the forces on the other side.

"Oh I don't know Lord Umber, we have a few tools at our disposal which I've asked deployed for this campaign. Tools which have been on our vessels for some time but we wanted to perfect it before using on land" Warrington said with a smirk and in defence of his people. "According to General Marks the cannons are ready Lord Robb, at your command we can knock down one of those castles and storm the remnants." Robb hummed thoughtfully.

"No, as Lord Umber said, a siege will cost time a lives, something we can ill afford."

"Perhaps I could negotiate with Lord Frey Robb? I am the daughter of his liege lord he will not harm me" Lady Stark spoke up from beside them.

"My lady are you sure? Lord Frey is not known for being hospitable -" started Lord Karstark.

"I will be fine, he will respect me enough to let me pass." The lords grumbled but abided by it, a negotiation would be better than besieging the castle they knew.

"Mother I want you to take Lord Warrington and Lord Umber with you. Warrington knows how these southerners think better than most and Umber is large, loud and intimidating. That should help" Robb finally said. The other lords all clamoured for the right to go but the GreatJon just shouted them down and Warrington nodded. "Lord Warrington, how many sit on the other side?"

"Over four thousand Lord Robb. One thousand from my house, nine hundred or so Mormonts, just over one thousand five hundred from House Glover and their vassals plus nine hundred from Seagard and other nearby Riverland houses."

"Good, good. And the rest of your troops?"

"With the fleet at Seagard, we were thinking of conducting raids along the Westerlands coast."

"Do it, it will distract Tywin and prevent him from drawing a fresh host from there due to your raids. If you can sack Lannisport" Robb commanded with a grin.

They rode inside the squat castle which sat on the east bank, its dank miserable atmosphere dampening even the GreatJon who looked about suspiciously at the weasel faced Freys. Catelyn Stark stood tall and authoritative when they were brought before Walder Fey, Lord of the Crossing, while Warrington and the GreatJon just watched their surroundings and guarded her. The man sat in the throne-like chair looked old, in his eighties at least, with straggly hair while all around them sat his various sons and grandsons along with a few daughters. "So who comes before me to represent the wolf pup?" the man croaked out.

"Lady Catelyn Stark, daughter of Hoster Tully, your liege lord. A liege lord under threat by Lannisters" Lady Stark replied evenly.

"Bah the Lannister are no threat, they are merely keeping the kings peace, a peace that your boy would ruin" Walder Frey retorted. "Only those who have resisted have been fought and trounced. So why do you bring your war to me? Why not carry on down the Kingsroad and sort your problems out with the Lannisters there?"

"We need to get to Riverrun quickly and bring the forces of the Riverlands there to aid my father and brother."

"If they do not cause any problems they will be fine" Walder replied with a dismissive wave. "The only one here looking for fight is your son. Send the pup back to his den and don't bring your northern rubbish south again Lady Stark. If your boy wants a fight go down the Kingsroad instead. The Twins will not let you pass" he said firmly and with a grin.

"Lord Frey, if I may?"

"And who are you? Why do you speak you northern twat, think I care what you barbarians think?" Lord Frey grumbled.

"I am James Warrington, Lord of the Stoney Shore. You may have noticed my forces on the other side of the river, placing you between two large hosts. I believe you only have around three thousand men? I have five thousand on that bank with another twenty odd led by Lord Robb Stark, do you truly wish to face that might?"

"A-are you threatening me foreigner? In my own keep? How dare you, guards!" Walder shouted angrily.

"Merely stating fact my lord. Besides I wouldn't have your guards seize us, by a single command the keep on the west bank will be levelled, signalling Lord Robb to attack the east. So do you want to reconsider?

"You expect me to believe such rubbish? Guards seize him and send Lady Stark back to her pup."

"Lord Frey!" Catelyn protested. Warrington barely reacted beyond reaching to his ear and speaking.

"Fire at will Colonel" he simply said. The GreatJon meanwhile growled fiercely and took a fighting stance. BOOM! The noise came suddenly ringing and echoing around the room. The hall shook enough to knock a few guards off their feet while causing others to panic as a few bits of plaster fell from the ceiling. BOOM! Came the noise again like thunder in a storm. It was followed by another and another until it had occurred five times in total, each time seemingly worse than before. A Frey man-at-arms ran into the room gasping for air while looking terrified and stricken.

"Well? What is it? What is going on you idiot?" Walder said impatiently.

"M-M-my lord, the western castle, it's been, been -"

"Yes yes, get on with it man, by the Seven are any of my sons and grandsons capable of spitting out a sentence" Lord Frey grumbled.

"It's been heavily damaged!" the man exclaimed. "Walls have been breached and turrets demolished. The gatehouse itself is a ruin with the gate and portcullis in pieces! Orders my lord?" The various Freys stood gobsmacked at the damage five booming sounds had made. Some started to panic more now that the gatehouse was destroyed and the walls breached allowing any to access the bridge. Walder Frey looked a mixture of extremely pissed off and terrified out of his wits.

"You!" he screamed at Warrington. "You did this! How?"

"Yes my people did. And we will do more if you do not allow us passage. We tried being reasonable but you wouldn't listen. Now we try it the hard way, the way of force and might. Let us through or we will level both castles and use them to make a few bridges across the river meaning that no one can place a toll on them ever again" Warrington commanded fiercely. Lord Frey looked furious at the command. He was Lord of the Crossing, someone to be respected and yet no one did. Well, that would have to change.

"No, you're bluffing. You northerners crow on and on about honour, where is the honour in destroying me eh?"

"You seem to forget barely five minutes ago you called me and my house foreigners. My people know war and politics far more intimately than this primitive land. If you want a fight I will give you one. Now stand down and let us cross or I will order my people to destroy the Twins."

"NO! You shall not pass" Walder said, part smugly and part terrified. A number of Freys muttered mutinously, clearly rather just wanting to let the northern host pass than chance their home being demolished.

"So be it. Colonel Cartwright, continuous fire, destroy the west castle" Warrington spoke into his radio. A few seconds later a loud BOOM filled the air and screams could just be made out along with the sounds of crumbling masonry. BOOM came again along with more screams.

"Alright cease your weapons I submit. I submit Seven curse you!" Walder screamed desperately. Warrington nodded with a smug smile.

"Colonel cease fire" he spoke into his radio before turning to Lord Frey. "A pleasure doing business with you Lord Frey. To make sure there are no hard feelings, Lord Robb is willing to take a son or grandson as a squire as well as have two other join his younger brothers in Winterfell to foster." Lord Frey just looked like he had sucked on a lemon but nodded stiffly at the offer. "Excellent, we shall make our way to Lord Robb and inform him of the terms. Pleasant day to you Lord Frey." with that James nodded and left the room with the GreatJon and Lady Stark following; the gruff northerner both bemused and frightened, while Lady Stark was angry her negotiations had both failed and been usurped. Plus with Walder having been both insulted and threatened in his own home it meant that he'd be a very tenuous ally if that.

"Did you have to do that?" she asked as they rode back to meet Robb. "He is prickly at the best of times, he will be unbearable now and will not take the slight lying down."

"Aye she's not wrong, though that you were going to level his castle really got me going haha. Were you gonna do it?" Umber asked worriedly. James just smiled mysteriously. "Y-y-you were?"

"Only in his mind. We wouldn't have done more than the two further shots before stopping so it was a close run thing. We wouldn't just demolish it there and then unless at war with them, Lord Frey just didn't need to know that" he finally answered with a smirk which got Umber laughing again at the big bluff Warrington had played on Lord Frey. They soon approached Robb and reported back on the terms and the usage of cannons.

"I wish you hadn't threatened him Lord Warrington but I doubt he would have budged through any other means. As for those, cans?"

"Cannons" Warrington corrected.

"Ah yes cannons, them, how many do you have?"

"Five adapted for field operations. They are horse drawn and have been made strong and light but are still slow moving, say foot marching pace?" Robb nodded in understanding.

"Good, I'll take them when we cross and head to Riverrun to save my grandfather and uncle from the Lannisters, they may have use with their long range. Warrington, you will take your fleet and raid Lannisport and their shores, it will distract them and keep them from assembling another host." James nodded at the command. "Lord Bolton, as discussed you will take most of the foot and one tenth of the horse and distract Tywin Lannister. He is expecting a green boy so give him what he wants. You need only distract him and keep him occupied so we can get to Riverrun, do not throw away lives needlessly. If timed right you need only engage for a few minutes before retreating back up here." Lord Bolton nodded in acceptance, his cold eyes glancing at Warrington before moving on to others. "Excellent, we ride at dawn then. For now make camp on our respective sides of the river. Dismissed" Robb concluded and the lords began mumbling and muttering while glancing at Warrington in slight fear and concern as they left the meeting. War was coming to the Riverlands, one way or another.

AN: Some will no doubt say Stannis is stubborn and will not bend but it is said, I believe, that in one book or season he told Davos that he only stood to be king because it was his duty and not because he wanted it. Thus if a superior claimant that he felt he could support appeared I would wager that he would bend the knee to them, especially since he hadn't announced his throne to the realm yet so there was no backing down required. Hope you enjoyed it and I hope you all have a happy New Year.