CHAPTER 15: Rights

War progressed quickly.

"Here, here and here," Robb was saying to his war room.

He was bent over a table upon which a map of the river lands and the north had been thrown. He pushed a few small wooden figures around as he spoke. "Lord Tywin is moving north again, now that Joffrey has married Margaery Tyrell. Her father is staying in King's Landing, which was a good move for Tywin because I've heard Mace Tyrell is strategically a moron."

There were nervous laughs around the table from his assembled men. For the first time, Jon was present at his meetings, and he had been conspicuously shunned by most of the river lords, most notably Lord Edmure and Ser Brynden.

But he was embraced by the northern lords, especially Lord Howland Reed who seemed overjoyed to see him yesterday, when Jon had made his first public appearance at Riverrun. Robb didn't know what to make of that, but hadn't asked the man.

When the laughter abated, Robb continued, "But Tywin has Randyll Tarly, Paxter Redwyne, and Ser Tanton Fossoway marching with him as commanders of the Tyrell army. Of his own army, his son Jamie has been restored to him and has lingered in King's Landing. But we can expect him to retake the field soon. Tywin also has Kevan Lannister, his brother, and Ser Gregor Clegane acting as his captains."

Jon's brow furrowed at mention of the Mountain, but if the name held much significance to him, he gave no indication. Robb, knowing that there was significance and further, what it was, was careful not to look at Jon, the better to keep attention from him.

"Which Fossoway is that?" asked Jonos Bracken.

Robb consulted a small paper he'd had from a raven that morning. "Tanton is a red apple Fossoway. Does it matter?"

"Not particularly."

The Greatjon snorted.

"We can anticipate Tywin moving his army along here," Robb pointed along a thin road (labeled the Searoad) that led directly from Lannisport to Riverrun. "It's predictable, but that's because it makes sense. Unless he wants to take his men roundaboutly though forests, where they'd be easy to break and flush out and take out, he's got no other choice. Which means," he continued, "That he'll try and make up for it by preventing us from falling on his men until they control where the fight will be. Here," he pointed again. "Is northeast of Ashemark. And here there are small hills that we can turn to our advantage. We'd do better to attack him before he attacks us."

Jon peered at the map. Indeed, where Robb pointed (just slightly northeast of Ashemark, which was a small black diamond (the key told him this was a castle) off the Searoad with no road to it) there were two clusters of hills drawn. It was the hills Robb was pointing enthusiastically to now.

"Think about it," Robb pressed. "We'd be bearing down on them, and if we timed it right, we could cut right through their armies. We'd be mounted, too."

Patrek Mallister was nodding as was Lord Edmure next to him.

"The plan certainly has merit," said the Blackfish consideringly.

"I like it," declared Ser Wendel Manderley. He was a youth of hardly a few years older than Robb and had been knighted in the battle they took Jaime Lannister captive in. Rickard Karstark stood close to Robb and nodded his agreement.

Robb looked to Jon, who was yet to say a thing. The look of fury on his face startled Robb.

"My lords," Robb said, "I fear I must see to another matter. We will convene a war council tomorrow to finalize these plans and others. Thank you."

They read that for the clear dismissal it had been and filed out of the room. Lord Edmure and Ser Bryndon left. Ser Bryndon drifted toward the door slowly, looking at Robb questioningly.

"Stay, Jon. Ser Brynden, I'll speak to you later," Robb told him, and the man nodded. He shut the door behind him. "What is it, Jon?"

Jon cleared his face and looked at Robb questioningly, though they both knew the other knew it was a façade and nothing more. "What do you mean, Your Grace?"

Robb threw him an irritated glance at the title and Jon grinned. That at least, seemed mostly genuine. "I mean why were you glowering at the map for the last five minutes?"

Jon didn't say anything.

Robb sighed and changed the subject. He didn't wish to speak of Tywin or the Mountain anyway, which he knew was the source of Jon's fury. "What do you think of the plan?"

"I thought it was good. The details need to be sorted and I'd like to see the hills for myself, see what we're working with, but I think it's solid."

"Will you lead an army on your own if I give you one?" This was the tricky part. Jon had been announced after his arrival yesterday as Robb's heir, although Jon had staunchly refused to be legitimized and made a Stark.

"Sure," Jon shrugged. "If that's what you want me to do. Happily. I'm your heir after all. In this battle?" There was the smallest bit of resentment in his voice as he mentioned being his heir. He pointed at the map.

Robb didn't look directly at him. "Aye, I think."

"Where will you be?"

"Well… Theon has to be dealt with, Jon, then things won't have to be hidden how they are now. I mean to retake Winterfell and the North and deal with him."

Jon nodded his agreement slowly. "Will you take Theon alive?"

"I don't know. Maybe. His life is mine by rights."

"It is. But he was like a brother to you, once."

"Once. Then he betrayed me, killed innocent children, for all intents and purposes killed our brothers-"

Jon said nothing, only looked at him.

Robb stared at him. "Would you kill the men that killed you? On the Wall?"

"Oh, yes."

"Well, they were your brothers too, weren't they? On the Wall?"

Jon smiled slightly, sadly. "It isn't the same, Robb."

"No. It's not," Robb said coldly. "No, I won't kill Theon unless I face him in battle. I'll drag him back here in chains and chip away at him piece by piece."

That didn't faze Jon, who just nodded. "Aye. Tell me where to be with Tywin and I'll fight him. I'd love to actually, see if I can't get my hands on the Mountain and Tywin both…"

"Great. Great." Robb was relieved. He shoved Theon from his mind and made his tone gentler than it had been. "And about last night…"

Before dinner and the announcement of Jon as Robb's heir, after Jon had told him everything as he'd sworn to (the only mentions of Ygritte had been "a woman of the free folk I befriended" who "rode with us for a short while" before "departing"), they had argued. Badly. Robb had wanted to move forward and make him a Stark once and for all. Ned had been a father to him no matter who sired him, and he was blood and Robb's brother beside. Jon had refused. Vehemently.

Jon sighed. "I don't want to talk about it, Robb. I've made up my mind." His voice was quiet though, and Robb sensed no true anger from him.

"Fine. What if we don't make you a Stark but make you a Targaryen, then?"

Jon looked at him sharply.

"I mean, you already are one, aren't you? So all we'd really need to do was make an announcement and have Maester Aldrin look over the marriage certification of Prince Rhaegar and Aunt Lyanna and say it's legitimate and that would be it, right?"

"If we did that, Robb," Jon began slowly. "You have to know what it would mean, don't you?"

"What do you mean?" Robb played the oblivious fool better than Jon had previously.

Jon threw him an irritated glance, and Robb smirked. "If I openly claimed to be the son of Prince Rhaegar, I would be laying claim to the Iron Throne as well."

"You would. And to the Targaryen banners and sigil and all the lords that stayed loyal to the Targaryens and those that would prefer to see Rhaegar's son on the throne over Robert's. Forgive me if I don't see any downsides to this."

Jon stood up abruptly and turned away from the table. "I do! I would have to be king!"

"You would have to be a king," Robb said lightly. "I'm not keen on giving up my crown anytime soon, so you needn't fear on that account. You would be Jon of House Targaryen or Jaeherys or whichever you want, king of the Six Kingdoms and protector of the realm. I would be your brother, Robb of House Stark, King in the North."

"I don't know what to do," Jon said after a long silence. "Aemon wants me to do the same thing. Well, not the Six Kingdoms part, but the king part. But I'm no king, Robb. I'm not."

Robb shrugged. "I'm a king and you and I grew up together. We were raised by the same man. Unless you attribute all my royalness to my mother, I'm afraid you've probably got it too. And besides, you were actually born for it. Your grandfather was a king!"

"Yes," Jon said quietly. "And such a terrible one he was murdered by his own kingsguard. And don't forget, Grandfather Aerys burned our grandfather alive and killed our uncle as well."

Robb winced at the reminder and Jon's tone. "Well, yes," he admitted. "But you would be a much better king that he was." Jon started to protest but Robb spoke over him. "Do you enjoy hurting innocent people, Jon?"

"No!"

"Would you hurt innocent people?"

"No, you know I wouldn't, Robb."

Robb plowed on. "Would you go out of your way to protect them, then?"

Jon thought of the old man he refused to kill but didn't stop Ygritte from killing. "I'll do my best."

"And would you see justice done in all matters?"

"Yes!" Jon was exasperated but hadn't caught on to what Robb was getting at yet.

"Do you think you're prone to drinking, whoring or long stretches of inaction or bad action?"

"No," Jon said indignantly, and still bewildered.

"Well, then I think you'll be much better than Aerys. And Robert too, from what I hear."

"But Robb, I just can't!"

"Why not?" Jon was pacing now, his face turned away from his brother. Robb could sense they were getting down to some of Jon's serious compunctions now. He said calmingly, "You'd be a great king, Jon. And any way it will likely be years before you ever sit the throne. We have to take it first, remember?"

"I can't!"

"Why not?"

Jon sighed harshly. His hand had risen to touch his heart where he'd been stabbed. Robb thought perhaps it was a soothing gesture… he hadn't realized how upset Jon was getting. "I was raised a bastard, Robb, how can I rule anything?"

"Well, for one, Jon, you'd be a much better ruler than you're giving yourself credit for. And for another, well, that's what advisors are for. You just need to decide between the options they give you. And you can have a Hand to do most everything for you, anyway. The King in the North rules alone, but down South you'd be mocked without a Hand."

"So what? I would just be a face to wear the crown and sign my name on it? No, I would need it to be my own."

Robb shrugged. "Then make it your own. Please, brother, let's announce it tonight!"

Jon had calmed slightly. But still he shook his head. "Robb I just… I don't know…"

Robb saw the opportunity to push and push he did. "Okay, then tell me what I'm supposed to do," he snapped. "I'm in open rebellion against the Iron Throne, and if I have it my way, I'll march right to King's Landing to get Sansa, and I can't allow the Lannisters to continue to rule after that. After any of this. Who should I put on the Throne?"

"I don't-" he cut himself off with a sigh.

"Please, Jon, take your rightful place and rule with me. The throne is yours by rights!"

"Rights," Jon said and then was silent.

"Please, Jon. It is yours by rights."

Jon's face was almost as tired as it had seemed last night. But he was nodding, and Robb hurried to embrace him.

"Thank you," he said into Jon's shoulder. Relief tumbled over him like a ton of bricks. Robb just felt instinctually that this was how it was meant to be. He and Jon, kings together.

"I'm not going to enjoy it, though," said Jon.

"I wouldn't expect you too," Robb said with a laugh. He pulled back and drew a reluctant smile from Jon. "But, if I can say so myself, it's actually not so bad being a king."

Jon was apparently thinking hard. "We should wait to announce it until after you've taken Winterfell back and I've bested Tywin in the field."

"Why?'

"Just a gut feeling I have."

Well Robb could hardly argue with that. Still smiling, he agreed.