Chap 12

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Robb watched as the men slammed the battering ram into the weakened gate to the Great Keep, they had been at it for several moments and their efforts had begun to show. The iron bars holding the wood together was warped, several nails had been knocked loose, the center of the door was splintered and he could glimpse the interior of the keep.

They had taken the curtain wall and the headland the previous day. They had made the appearance of building two trebuchets but Robb had meant it to mislead the Ironborn to think he was going the same route as Robert had. He instead had nets with hooks and weights attached to them flung over the wall using mangonels in the early morning.

The Ironborn had not suspected the tactic and a group of Robb's men had enough been able to rush the gate house and unbar the gate, allowing the rest of the forces to storm in. The wall had fallen in short order and they drove the Ironborn back to the Great Keep.

Which lead them to where they were now, crowded under shields on the stone bridge waiting for the gate to finally give out. To his left was Smalljon Umber and on his right was Dacey Mormont and Rodrick Forrester. All were quietly waiting for the gate to finally give out.

Then they heard a crack and the two doors finally broke apart in a shower of splinters. The ram was quickly moved to the side and they were greeted with the sight of several dozen fully armed Ironborn charging at them.

"Archers!" Robb yelled out the command and the front rows of shields moved and three ranks of archers drew their arrows. Then they fired into the tightly packed Ironborn, their longbows reaping a bloody toll on the first ranks of the charging defenders. The sudden death of so many caused their charge to stymie and their besiegers took the stolen initiative and charged the ruined gate.

The Ironborn managed to hold them at the door briefly but the sheer number of men pressing against them shoved them backwards into the keep. After that it became a vicious brawl that the Ironborn couldn't hope to win. They were cutdown one by one until Robb noticed a fully armored man standing in the entrance to a corridor so as to funnel the men attacking him. Judging by the bodies nearby he had already killed nearly two dozen men and did not look to be tiring anytime soon. Robb started toward him but Rodrick and Dacey had already stepped up to challenge him.

The Kraken stylized helmet switch between the two, waiting to see who would strike first.

Dacey initiated the fight with a lounge at the man's head which he easily turned aside with his shield and his axe quickly swung at her forcing her to jump backwards. Rodrick then aimed a strike at his knees but the axe intercepted his sword. Just as the man shoved Rodrick back, almost making him lose his footing, Dacey pressed a fresh string of attacks. Her attack gave Rodrick time to get his footing and the two worked in tandem to keep the man on the defensive.

Yet no matter how much they tried the man was unmoving from his position. Robb had no issue in admitting he had to be one of the best fighters he had ever seen in action. He knew very few who could match Dacey or Rodrick one on one, to withstand both is another matter altogether.

He watched the fight drag on until Rodrick misstepped and slipped on a broken axe handle. Suddenly the man shifted the tempo of the fight and unleash a flurry of swings that Dacey barely had time to dodge and forced Rodrick to haphazardly crawl backwards, desperately trying to keep his shield between him and the axe. Unfortunately they were fast enough.

Rodrick let out a cry of pain as the axe smashed aside his shield and its blade smashed into his side. Dacey tried to come to his aid but her mace was knocked aside and a steel clad foot kicked her clean off her feet.

The axe descended again, intent on finishing the Forrester heir. Robb managed to knocked it aside at the last moment and tried to press his attack only to be stonewalled, literally. The man smashed his shield into Robb's chest and he was flung into the nearby, and very solid, wall. Robb felt the air leave his lungs as his helmet was knocked loose and blindly swung at his opponent to buy him time enough to reorient himself and pull off his now hindering helm

He was partly successful, he felt his sword hit his opponent's shield but only narrowly dodged his axe. He picked himself up and saw Rodrick had been pulled aside by one of his guards which helped him have one less thing to worry about. He continued to dodge the axeman's attacks, trying to find an opening to exploit. Yet he found none.

The man was too smart to try a faint, too heavily armored to get close and use a dagger, and his position prevent Robb from flanking him. He was of half a mind to retreat and call in archers to try and bring him down when the Smalljon sprinted past him with a roar.

The Kraken helmed man tried to bring his axe down on his head but Robb managed to divert the blow. Then two collided with a sound that was akin to two boulders smacking into each other. The man was finally knocked off his feet and Robb leapt forward and held the arm holding the axe against the floor. Smalljon struggled with the other arm while he tried using his weight to keep the man pinned.

Dacey then came to their aid, jumping on top of Smalljon, as to add her weight, and stabbed the man with her dagger in the throat.

The man choked and sputtered as his blood leaked onto the floor and the three stayed in their positions, catching their breaths.

"Is he dead?" Dacey asked, her dagger poised for another strike.

"I think so." Robb replied, he pulled the axe out of the man's hand. "He was an impre-"

Suddenly Robb's face exploded with pain as the steel fist of the man smashed into his nose. He fell against the wall and Dacey let out a shout of anger and repeatedly stabbed the man several times in the neck, Smalljon yelling encouragements from beneath her to take his head off.

Robb felt blood falling from his nose and watched as his two friends shout a dozen curses against the now very dead man in mild amusement.

"Well, do you two think he's actually dead now?" Asked Robb through a now bleeding nose.

Dacey stabbed him once more for good measure before sitting up and replying.

"He certainly looks to be my lord. Do you think he is a Greyjoy? It would explain the armor he wore."

"Only one way to find out." responded Smalljon who picked himself up without warning Dacy. Causing her to topple backwards off of him with a curse.

Smalljon then lifted the visor of the helmet and looked at the man's face.

"He certainly looks to be a Greyjoy, I can see a resemblance to Theon. I'd wager good money on this being his uncle Victorian Greyjoy."

Robb looked down at Theon's uncle and thought what Theon would have to say when he learned that House Stark took another member from his family. Robb knew that what they were doing was necessary, but he did not enjoy the thought of killing Theon's remaining family.

"Take the helm, we'll send it and the axe to the king as proof of Victorian's death. Once we have ensured the rest of the keep is secure we will move on two the Kitchen keep and the Sea tower. And find a room for Rodrick one he is seen by a measter so he can rest properly."

His friends both bowed and went to ensure his orders were carried out. Left alone he wiped his face as he turned to check on the wounded and help where he could.

Lord Royce strode through the halls of the Eyrie in his trademark bronze armor with 10 of his knights. He had come to answer a summons from Lady Arryn to discuss the possibility of fostering her son with him.

While he normally would have been honored at being considered for the responsibility. He felt that was not the reason Lysa Arryn really had summoned him. He had sent dozens of ravens during the war and never received and answer. Then suddenly he gets invited for an audience with no mention of his previous letters?

So before he left for the Eyrie, he planned accordingly. He notified the heads of houses he trusted where he was going and why. Gave his son a series of orders for if the worst should come to past. Then picked his best knights to accompany him with an additional two hundred guards waiting for him below at the Gates of the Moon.

When he was finally admitted into the hall of the falcon throne, he immediately noticed the number of guards in the room. Far more than required to greet a loyal vassal, and all armed. Lysa and her son sat upon the throne looking smug, yet a frantic glint was in her eye.

Whatever the situation he never forgot his courtesies and gave his liege a deep bow.

"Lady Arryn. As you have commanded, I have come. How my I be of service to you?"

"Lord Royce, are you loyal to the Vale?"

"Of course my lady." replied Lord Royce

"If what you claim is true then why have I learned of a plot for you to overthrow house Arryn?!"

Lord Royce looked at her incredulously. Treason? Him?

"My lady, I have never been anything but loyal to house Arryn. When your late husband called his banners to fight the mad king I was the first to muster my forces. When he called us to repel the Ironborn, I was there and lead the Vale on behalf of Lord Arryn. Whenever he asked me for advice or aid I was there. I am sworn to House Arryn. Should you or your son require anything of me all you must do is ask."

"Your words are hollow and not but lies!" shrieked Lysa. "You have wanted to take control of the Vale! You wanted my sweet Robin to be your ward so you could kill him!"

The tension in the room growing thick much faster than he wished. His guards had slowly turned to face the men who had been encroaching, both parties had their hands on their hilts.

"My Lady, you seem most certain of my betrayal. What evidence has convinced you of this?"

"Lord Petyr Baelish has told me all about your plot! He's letter told me all I need to know." She stopped speaking, she seemed to reached some sort of decision before smiling at him.

"I will however, give you a chance however to prove your house's loyalty."

Lord Royce looked at her, not liking her smile in the slightest. Nor that she seemed to take the blatant lies from that deplorable weasel as truths from the seven themselves.

"What would you have me do my lady?"

Lysa gestured to one of her knights who pulled the lever to the Moon door and the temperature of the room dropped as the mountain winds sucked out any warmth that had been in the room.

"Jump."

"What?" replied Royce

"If you are loyal then you will obey, if you aren't willing to jump then you're a traitor."

So that was it, she really was mad. Royce had no intention of killing himself to satisfy the raving of this woman nor would he tolerate her dishonoring the memory of his deceased lord and friend.

"Lysa Arryn, I find will do no such thing. You are not fit to rule the Vale, nor are you fit to raise your son. I ask you in the name of the Vale and in memory of Jon Arryn to turn over the rule of the kingdom to a regent to be chosen by the King."

He knew the odds of her accepting were slim to none, but he wanted to avoid a fight. Should there be any fighting it would endanger Lord Robert and he didn't wish any harm to befall the young lord.

Lysa eyes grew wide once Lord Royce's word had finally sunk in. Standing up she shrieked out to her guards.

"Kill them!"

Not all of the men followed her order, about half of them were visible conflicted. That still left the men of Runestone outnumbered but they were not daunted in the slightest.

Lord Royce unsheathed his sword and pulled his axe free as he faced the first man to challenge him. A parry and a swing of his axe removed the man's head in a blink of an eye. The body hadn't reached the floor before he engaged and killed another guard by thrusting his sword through his throat.

A knight with a shield tried to rush him and knock him down. Royce pivoted on his heel with grace that belied his age and the knight missed. He back landed a blow on the knight's helm causing the man to lose his footing and fall through the Moon door with a scream.

Royce had finished off five more opponents before he had the chance to take stock of the situation. So far he had lost three of his knights, with two sporting serious wounds. The guards of Lysa Arryn had lost twenty five in return with several more wounded.

He looked to see if the other half had decided to join in the fight but saw they were no longer looking at him and his knights. Their gaze was fixed on the Falcon throne where Lysa was standing on the stone railing overlooking the Moon door with her son held in her arms. The fighting died down as everyone realized what she was poised to do.

"Lady Arryn," Lord Royce said in a quiet voice. "What are you doing?"

"It isn't safe," She replied shakily, "It isn't safe for my sweet Robin. I have to keep him safe. They won't take him from me." she smiled and made to step of the rail.

"No!" a pair of guards dove forward to stop her. One was able to grab a hold of Robert while the other tried to hold on to Lysa. Lysa however fought against the guard holding her causing her to lose her grip on her son.

The guard fell backwards with the young lord and when Lysa clawed the other in the face making him release her she lost her footing. She fell head first and her head cracked against the unforgiving stone before falling limply though the open door and into the open air.

For a moment no one spoke. Everyone was in shock at the turn of events. Then the bronze Royce stood tall and addressed the room at large.

"Take Lord Arryn to his room and see that he is tended to for any injuries. Then have the Master-at-arms, the steward and the maester meet with me. We have to discuss a regency for our Lord and prepare a letter to King Stannis."

There was a moment of hesitation but than the two who had saved Robert escort the young boy from the hall with six more moving to accompany them. A knight sheathed his sword and nodded for the others to do the same before leaving to do as Lord Royce had ordered.

Their were angry glares from some of the men, unsurprising since they had killed a large number of their friends. Yet they seemed to understand that the reason they died was because of Lysa Arryn was not of sound mind.

Royce sighed at the bodies littering the floor. He didn't like the idea of killing his countrymen, he had a belly full of it during the siege of Gulltown. Being forced to do so again sickened him.

While he waited for the others to arrive and figure out what to do. The rest of the remaining guards and his knights began the task of tending the wounded and seeing to the dead.

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