Chapter 37; A strange curse;
Characters of the chapter
Agatha, Bard of Orlais
Alerie, Bard of Orlais
Brienne of Tarth Knight of the Twin Kingdoms
Bronn Blackwater, Lord of Highgarden, Lord Paramount of the Reach
Jaime Lannister, Lord of Casterly Rock, Warden of the West
Podric Payne, Knight of the Twin Kingdoms, formerly squire to Brienne of Tarth
Roslin Tully, Lady of Riverrun, widow to Edmure Tully, the former Lord of Riverrun
Ser Kenton, Knight in the service of House Kronos
Cursive/Bold text is in Orlesian
"This is damn peculiar." Jaime said, rubbing his chin. He was now staring at Riverrun, the Lannister and Reach armies arrayed behind him.
"The castle appears to be completely deserted." Podrick commented at his side.
"It does. At first glance. But the drawbridge is raised and the moat is full. It's as if the castle is ready for battle. How or why would that be if the castle had been abandoned?" Jaime said.
"And yet… there's no movement on the walls. No banners. If this castle is prepared for a siege, where are all the defenders?" Brienne joined in.
"Isn't it possible to escape Riverrun by boat?" Bronn asked.
"It is. But that still leaves a lot of questions." Jaime said. "If his people were in control of the castle and decided to leave why not just walk through the front door?"
"Perhaps Lord Edmure's people weren't in control of the castle then? The survivors from House Sea were fleeing in this direction. Maybe they came here?" Podrick suggested.
"Could be. But where are they all now? And if they had Riverrun and decided they couldn't hold it, why did they leave the castle locked up before leaving?" Jaime asked.
"Maybe to mess with us, and make it that much harder to take the castle back?" Brienne offered.
"Or maybe they're just hiding?" Bronn said.
"Maybe, maybe…" Jaime, said thoughtful. Then he gave a shake of his head. "Well, we're not going to solve this staring at the castle all the way over here. Lord Bronn, if you wouldn't mind watching over my troops for a moment while Brienne, Podric and I go to take a closer look?"
"Sure." Bronn said.
Brienne meanwhile turned to one of the Lannister commanders nearby. "Call up a company of archers to come with us as we investigate." She told him. "Just in case the castle really isn't abandoned, like Bronn guessed." She then explained to Jaime.
The commander turned to Jaime for confirmation of the order, him being the general of the Lannister army after all. Jaime nodded to him and the commander moved to carry out the order at once. Once the archers were assembled the trio of them set off toward the castle in a slow trot, the company of soldiers jogging beside them to keep up. At a safe distance from Riverrun's walls they paused and dismounted, handing the reins to some of the soldiers that were with them, and walked the rest of the way. At the edge of the moat they stopped looking up at the battlements, while the archers waited further back, nocking arrows to their bows. Still they could not see any movement.
"Hello! Is there anyone there!?" Jaime decided to shout in the absence of better ideas about what to do. He received no response to his to his shout.
As the trio were trying to figure out how best to approach their investigation, the current occupants of Riverrun were lurking behind the crenellations, taking care to make no noises or show their head above the battlements. They were a motley crew of bards, knights of House Kronos, surviving soldiers from House Sea and bribed guards that had formerly belonged to House Tully who had not had anywhere else to go under the current circumstances. There were only some hundreds of them, far outnumbered by the army now parked outside their gates.
"Doesn't look like they're leaving." Kenton said in a low voice. The hope had been that if their enemies saw no activity at the castle they would decide there was nothing there worth their time and would move on. Apparently luck was not with them on that.
"No. It doesn't look like they are." Agatha replied equally as quietly, cursing in her mind. "But we still have the element of surprise. Let's make the best of it."
"I recognize the man in the middle. The one with the golden hand. Jaime Lannister. Lord of Casterly Rock, and Warden of the West." Kenton said.
"So an important fellow then? And probably their general too." Agatha contemplated.
"Ma'am? I could…?" Alerie said, raising her crossbow a fraction.
Agatha considered. "Do it. Another Lord for you. But you will only get one shot. Don't miss." She then said with a nod.
"Why? I have archers in my command. They can…" Kenton argued.
"She is better than any of them. And less likely to be spotted before she fires. More sure to result in a kill. Let her make her attempt first. But be ready." Agatha countered.
Kenton grimaced with displeasure, but nodded. Agatha nodded to Alerie again. The elf loaded her weapon, then cautiously peered over the battlements, quickly dropping herself back.
"Left from the stone in the moat…" She whispered to herself, eyes closed in concentration. Then, in a flurry of motion her eyes opened, she stood up, aimed quickly and loosed the bolt.
By some stroke of fortune Podrick happened to be looking at exactly the right section of the wall at exactly the right time, seeing the bolt take flight. "Look out!" He shouted, giving Jaime a sharp shove to the shoulder, pushing him to the ground. Podrick screamed as the bolt pierced his arm. But if not for the shove he had given that bolt would have been embedded in Jaime's throat instead.
"Bloody incompetents!" Kenton snarled and turned to his archers.
"Podrick!" Brienne yelled, going to his aid. Podrick was groaning, the pain making him double over, his other hand grasping the bolt that had punctured his arm just below the wrist.
"Archers, shoot, shoot, shoot!" Jaime shouted, still on the ground, motioning furiously at the castle. The Lannister archers raised their bows and sent a cloud of arrows towards the walls.
"Archers! Nock! Draw!" Kenton was shouting at his own bowmen at that same moment. He was about to give the order loose when he saw that the Lannister archers had managed it before him.
"Down! Down! Take cover!" Kenton screamed. He and the other people on the wall hid behind the crenellations again, hugging the stones that arrows were now clattering against. A few of the archers that had been preparing to fire weren't quick enough to follow the given order and were slain. By the time the arrows stopped flying Brienne, Jaime and Podric had managed to make it out of easy reach of arrow fire. Brienne led Podrickin the direction of the main group of the army to have his wound seen to, while Jaime remained with the archers. Meanwhile Agatha, realizing that the rain of arrows had ceased, grabbed Alerie by the shoulder and slammed her against the crenellations, making the elf gasp is surprise.
"The next time I tell you not to miss… don't. Miss." Agatha hissed, pissed off that Alerie had messed matters up yet again, even more so because in so doing so the elf had managed to embarrass her in front of Kenton.
"Not my fault. The bolt travelled where I intended it to go. But the conditions on the receiving end changed. I have no control over those. No one could have done better." Alerie argued coolly, defiance in her eyes.
Agatha looked sour, but she had to concede that the other woman had a point. Eventually she sighed reluctantly and nodded, releasing the elf from her grip.
"Every time you are put in charge of something it seems to backfire most spectacularly. I don't even know why I bother with you people anymore." Kenton grumbled as he walked to them.
"Because you know you need us. Without our contributions your odds of survival are even worse than they are now." Agatha replied, turning to him.
"You let her get away with murdering Lord Edmure. Now she has failed again, and this time it has cost me the lives of some of my men. I demand that you correct the mistake you made in letting her live the first time! I want her head for this!" Kenton said, pointing at Alerie.
"You don't get to make that kind of demands of me." Agatha said, moving closer to the knight. "That choice is mine alone to make, and there are far too few of us here for us to start slaughtering us over the mistakes we make. I have told you before, I do not interfere with your people and I will not have you interfering with mine. You will not lay a finger on her without getting permission from me first."
Kenton glared at both women, but backed off, going to talk to his people. Meanwhile Alerie smiled, glad that despite her disappointment Agatha was keeping her side when it came to the Westerosi. The two of them might not always see eye to eye, but at least her Bardmaster was loyal to the people she commanded, including Alerie.
"Bring Lady Roslin here. It is time to try our other plan." Agatha told Alerie.
While this was happening Jaime was discussing the situation with the sergeant of the archer company. One of the archers had already been sent back to tell his army to make camp and start making preparations for a siege. Now Jaime was trying to wrap his head around the situation he now faced. Brienne soon returned to him as well.
"How's Podrick doing?" Jaime asked of her.
"As well as can be hoped. His wound was seen to and there's no immediate danger anymore I'm told. But he took a pretty bad hit, and unfortunately to his sword arm. It will have to be treated just right or he will end up losing it" She replied.
"I'll have my Maester tend to him. At my expense, of course. Seems like the least I can do to as thanks for saving my life. That bolt was meant for me after all." Jaime decided.
"Well, there are certainly people inside Riverrun, and they are certainly not happy to see us. But why? Is the castle under enemy occupation, or was this just a misunderstanding?" He pondered aloud.
"Well unless we learn otherwise it looks like we are going to have to besiege this castle. Again…" Jaime said dryly.
"Again, My Lord?" The Sergeant asked, surprised at his tone.
"This happens to be the fourth time I have dad to do this." Jaime explained. "The first time was just at the beginning of the War of the Five Kings. That whole business ended with my army scattered, and me captured by the soon to be King in the North, Robb Stark."
"From that began a chain of events that cost me a hand, and many more things over the years… but it gained me something else. Something that at first I was not smart enough to appreciate, but eventually I came to see that it was the most precious thing that I could ever have found." He continued, giving Brienne a warm look, making her blush and smile shyly.
"The second case was the one I was involved with, isn't it?" Brienne said, trying to sound formal, although a redness lingered on her cheeks.
"Yes, the time I was to take the castle from the Tully's and deliver it to House Frey. Hmmh, nasty business that, I ended up saying and doing things I regretted later in life, but at least I succeeded in taking the castle without a lot of casualties for either side. After that events managed to conspire in a way that I had to take the castle yet again, this time in the name of King Jon and Queen Daenerys. In a delicious bit of irony I ended up taking the castle away from the Freys and giving it right back to the Tullys. And that time sadly was far bloodier. I can only be thankful for Lord Edmure for helping me. His knowledge went a long way in limiting the lives lost." He continued.
"And now I'm here yet again, doing the same thing all over." He said, his tone turning playful. "I'm starting to think I'm somehow cursed, forced to spend the rest of my days laying siege to the same old castle over and over."
"That would be a very strange curse, Jaime." Brienne said, and the two couldn't help but have a laugh over the matter.
It was then his musings were interrupted by movement on the wall, the levity of the moment passing as quickly as it had come.
"Hold." Jaime said holding up his remaining hand just as the archers were about to fire again. He had noticed that the movement came from a white, featureless banner being raised over the battlements.
"Are they surrendering?" The Sergeant asked.
"They aren't opening their gates… my guess is no. But apparently they wish to parlay with us." Jaime said. Moments later a figure appeared atop the wall. Squinting, Jaime thought he could recognize who it was.
"…Lady Roslin? Curious." Jaime said, then moved to his horse still being kept nearby.
"You're going to go there again aren't you? I don't think you should. Considering what just happened, this could be another trick."Brienne said, guessing his intent.
"We have to understand what is going on. Lady Roslin might be one of the only people that might give us some much needed answers. And if the ones occupying the castle want to treat with us we might as well hear what they have to say." Jaime said.
"You could send someone else. Bronn perhaps?" Brienne tried to suggest.
"I'm the commander of this army, and the one who will have command of the siege I'm the one with the authority to treat with them. It's my responsibility. And it's not right for me to ask Bronn to take this risk if I wouldn't, not to mention there's nothing I could say or do to make him do this. In his heart he is still a sellsword, which means he won't take chances he considers unnecessary. If I want answers I'll have to do this myself." He explained.
"At least let me come with you when you go." She tried again.
"You being there won't make difference, and there's no sense in putting both of us in danger. And I'll need you alive to lead my army… in case." He countered. "If it comes to that, can you do that for me?" He asked.
Brienne wanted to continue arguing, but realized there was no turning Jaime's head. She nodded reluctantly.
"Thank you Brienne." Jaime said quietly.
"I need you to keep your troops ready. If anyone other than the Lady show up on the wall, shoot them." Jaime told the Sergeant.
"Very good My Lord. We'll keep you well protected, you'll see." The sergeant replied.
"…I hope you won't need the instructions, but in case you do I want to make it known that my final orders to my army will be to take this castle. The safety of Lord Edmure and his family is paramount. If they are alive they are to be set free from any state of confinement they might be under and restored as the ruling family of Riverrun. You may follow your own judgment on how to deal with the remaining occupants in the castle, but the enemies of The Twin Kingdoms should not be allowed to escape." He told Brienne after a moment of hesitation. Considering the possibility of his own death wasn't a topic he delighted in discussing. For all his thoughts about fading away he was not interested in having his life ended just yet. Not while he still had things to live for. But Brienne had been right. This could be a trick, and so he needed to consider all possibilities.
"I understand." Brienne said, putting on a brave face, but Jaime could see the hidden look of concern in her eyes. She too was reluctant to consider the possibility of his death it seemed. As he started is way towards the castle he spared a thought on how, despite his many regrets and bouts of brooding and self-loathing, he was a very fortunate man. To have found someone to love that cared for him so. Before her he had never had that, although at times he had thought he did. He still thought he didn't really deserve to have that, yet all the same it was his. He only hoped he could do enough to reciprocate that love. She deserved nothing less.
Finally Jaime stopped before the walls of Riverrun, just in front of the Moat, close enough for words to be exchanged without difficulty. He chose to remain on horseback so he could get away quickly if things went sour. Directing his eyes to the battlements he could see that Lady Roslin was apparently unhurt, but looked sad and defeated. Jaime had seen that look before. Edmure had had that look when he had sent him inside this very castle years ago to make the garrison yield. It was the look of submission, of yielding to an unpleasant task under duress. That look alone gave him cause for concern.
"Lord Jaime." She greeted him.
"Lady Roslin." Jaime responded. "Before we begin, I'm sure you have others there with you. They should not show themselves. My soldiers have been instructed to fire the moment anyone besides you does so." He added as Roslin was about to speak again, nodding behind him at the company of Lannister archers.
"I understand My Lord. As do the others." Roslin replied.
"Would you mind explaining what has happened here?" He asked.
Roslin turned her head to look at Agatha, who was currently hidden from Jaime's view. The bard nodded to the other woman.
"I regret to tell you that Riverrun has been seized by forces loyal to the Orlesian Empire. My family has been taken captive by them." Roslin said.
Jaime nodded as gravely. "I thought that might be the case after the reception I got. But I must admit I'm surprised to see that it is you who is here to greet me. Where is Lord Edmure? I would speak with him about this turn of events."
Rosling glanced at Agatha again, and this time the bard shook her head.
"I… I'm afraid my husband is unwell. He is unable to come speak with you. For the time being I will speak for my family." Roslin said, forcing back the tears that were welling in her eyes.
"However, the safety of my family has been guaranteed for the time being. But the presence of your army is the most immediate threat to that guarantee. As such I must insist that your army depart the vicinity of this castle immediately and leave us in peace." She told him, adopting a formal tone.
Jaime shook his head, sighing. So that was the reason behind her expression. Her family had knives to their throats. "I understand your reasons for giving that command, but I'm afraid I cannot do as you ask My Lady. My orders were to investigate what had transpired at this castle, and to reclaim this place if necessary. That necessity has arisen."
"I cannot permit you to put the life of my son in danger! This castle and its attendant lands are the property of House Tully. It is we who decide who is allowed to be here. You and your army are trespassing, and on those grounds I command your army to depart immediately! You will not be permitted to enter. Any attempt to force your way in will be met with resistance and will be done without my blessing because what you will endanger. I say again, leave immediately!" She said, trying to sound stern but clearly scared of something.
"Just your son? No mention of your husband? Hmm, could be just a slip of the tongue, but that seems to confirm what I suspected. Unwell indeed…" Jaime thought to himself.
"I regret that our actions may put your family at risk. You have my word that my forces will be instructed not to harm them. If your captors fail to do the same I will promise you justice at the end of this. But this castle is part of the South Kingdom. We cannot allow foreign adversaries to remain in control of it not even under conditions such as this. We are here by the authority of Queen Daenerys. Her orders outrank yours, particularly as you are a prisoner and so unable to give a command that could be considered valid. Unless your captors surrender we will be forced to take action. I am truly sorry." He said aloud, then turned his around and galloped away as fast as possible in case someone was tempted to shoot him in the back.
"My Lady, please. I tried to convince him to go away. I did my best, but he wouldn't listen. Please do not harm…" Roslin pleaded back at the wall.
"Shush!" Agatha said impatiently, holding up her hand, not turning her attention from watching the Lannister Lord ride away.
"I'm satisfied with your performance. You did your best. I'll keep my word to you as long as that continues to be the case." Agatha said then.
"Thank you My Lady." Roslin said, overcome with relief.
"Take the Lady back to her rooms. If she wants to see her son I'll permit a one hour visit today." Agatha told some of her bards.
"Surprise, surprise, your schemes prove useless yet again. So now what?" Kenton said, walking over as the Lady of Riverrun was escorted away.
"Now? Now we hold." Agatha replied.
When Jaime got back to the army he found Brienne and Bronn waiting for him. He smiled at her, a smile which she immediately returned, relieved.
"So?" Bronn asked.
"Riverrun's in enemy hands, no question. They didn't admit it directly, but I have reason to believe Lord Edmure is dead. Lady Roslin is obviously still alive, as is her son." Jaime replied, his expression turning serious.
"It will be a siege then?" Bronn asked.
"For the Lannister forces. Yours are still needed with the Queen." Jaime said.
"Are you sure? I think you could use us." Bronn said.
"Our forces will be sufficient, and she needs you more. Even if we can't take the castle by assault there will be more than enough of us to keep them bottled inside until reinforcements become available."
"I think I'd prefer a nice, quiet siege myself. But oh alright…" Bronn said and rode off.
Jaime meanwhile turned his eyes back towards Riverrun, the castle his army would now have to lay siege to.
"Yet. Again." He muttered dryly.