Chapter 38; Demands of surrender;
Characters of the chapter:
Alexander de Rozien, Chevalier of Orlais, Marshal of the Grand Army of Orlais, Supreme commander of the Orlesian invasion of Westeros.
Davos Seaworth Knight of Westeros, Advisor to King Jon
Edmond Brahms, Knight of Nevarra, Military advisor to the court of King Jon
Jon Snow, also known as Aegon Targaryen and Jon Stark, King of the North Kingdom of the Twin Kingdoms
Sansa Stark, Lady of Winterfell and the Eyrie, Wardeness of the North.
Ynessa des Montagnes, Chevalier of Orlais, Duelling Champion to de Rozien, Chosen Sword of Orlais.
Jon continued to stare over the battlements, where a city of tents had grown to existence, illuminated by the morning sun. The first Orlesian units had arrived during the night, their coming heralded by torches. Jon had considered sending skirmishing forces against these scouting parties but had decided against it knowing that he had few enough troops already and that the main Orlesian force was likely right at the heels of the scouts. And so they had watched as the enemy had poured in through the night. The enemy rear guard and the baggage train were still arriving, new tents rising up even as he watched. Everyone at Winterfell had slept lightly during the night, fearful of a surprise attack. Jon and a small force of guards had not slept at all.
The tent city the Orlesians was well ordered, wide straight streets separating blocks of white tents. The Orlesian flag was in evidence everywhere inside the camp, adding splashes of blue among the whiteness, while smoke from thousands of cookfires darkened the skies. The tents came to an abrupt halt just outside arrow range where the Orlesian engineers where building a barricade of earth and sharpened stakes intended to encircle the camp. Wooden watchtowers were rising on the perimeter at regular intervals, and more where the streets of the camp city crossed.
"That's a lot of Orlesians." Edmond said as he joined Jon on the battlements.
"There are. But as long as they are on the other side of the wall, that's all right." Jon replied. "Do you think we can keep it that way?" He asked.
"For a time, perhaps, if we play our cards right, and the enemy behaves as we expect them to." Edmond answered.
"And assuming that Kieran's notion of shielding the castle from magic works as intended. There are a few too many ifs in this situation for my liking." Jon said "But as ever we fight with what we have. If these scum want Winterfell they shall find that the price is heavy indeed." Jon said, his tone defiant.
"My King, a single rider approaching!" A lookout called just then, pointing outside the walls. Edmond and Jon both directed their gaze to where the lookout was pointing, seeing an Orlesian soldier on horseback standing on open ground, unfurling a white banner with no sigil.
"A banner of truce? Curious. It seems that now of all times the Orlesians want to talk." Edmond said.
"Could be a trick." Jon commented.
"Could be." Edmond agreed. "But just as easily this could be genuine. If so it might reflect poorly on us to reject attempts at diplomacy."
Jon considered what to do for a time. "We will meet with them, but we will be taking precautions when we do. We go with guards, and we will go no further than halfway across the killing field. If f they attempt treachery, our archers shall see them feathered with arrows for it.
The King turned to one of his soldiers: "Find Lady Sansa. Tell her…"
"There is no need to look form me. I am right here, and I will be coming with you." Jon heard Sansa say. He turned and saw her walk up to the battlements, with Davos right at her heels.
"I don't think it's a good idea for both of us to go." Jon tried to protest.
"I am the Wardeness of the North and the Lady of Winterfell. If there are to be discussions about the fate of this place, I'd like to be there. I'm willing to take the risk." Sansa said firmly.
Jon opened his mouth to protest, then thought better of it.
"Edmond, you're in charge of the castle while we are out there. Post more archers on the walls and be ready to act if the Orlesians try anything. If we don't come back, defend this castle to the last. Davos, you're with us."
"I understand Your Grace. I shall do my best. Good luck to you." Edmond said. He too would have wanted to go with the King, but he had given a command, and so he had to follow it. In his mind he wondered if the command to remain within the castle had somehow been motivated by his hesitation in previous battles. Then he pushed those concerns aside. Their position was difficult enough as it is without adding imagined slights among their own into the mix.
Jon, Davos and Sansa had horses saddled and rode out through the main gates accompanied by an escort of a dozen Stark guardsmen. They crossed the wooden bridge crossing the trench running around Winterfell. Halfway across the maximum range of their archers they stopped and waited. Eventually an entourage of Orlesians roughly as large as the Westerosi group rode out to meet them. To avoid an incident the soldiers of both sides hanged back while the leaders of both sides met at the center.
"I am Marshal Alexander de Rozien, the commander of this army. Under the authority of Emperor Gaspard of Orlais, the Grand Army of the Empire demands that you surrender yourself, this castle along with its garrison and occupants, and your kingdom."
"This is impossible, as you well know." Jon said, his tone icy.
"Be sensible Your Grace. This war is over. Your lords have scattered to the winds, along with their armies. Your position here is hopeless, even with your castle. For every soldier that you have I have forty. Queen Daenerys and her army are trapped below the neck, she cannot help you. You have fought well, honor has been more than satisfied. So would say any soldier in my army. But now it is time to concede defeat and end this bloodshed with your honor still intact. You will find my terms agreeable." Alexander said.
"And what terms might those be?" Jon asked.
"Upon your surrender you shall be provided a manor in the Orlesian countryside, just outside the capital. There you shall have access to extensive grounds and servants to look after your every need. Your treatment will be in accordance to your position as a king. The members of your family that are here will be permitted to come with you, and once the Queen has capitulated you will be reunited with your remaining family. Meanwhile the governance of your country will be given over to someone the Emperor feels is appropriate to hold such a position. Your lords will be given an option to swear fealty to the Emperor or follow you to exile in Orlais." The Marshal explained.
"As for your forces here, those of noble birth will turn themselves in for later ransom. Of the rest I will ask what I have asked of other prisoners we have captured: that they turn over their weapons and armor, and that they swear an oath to never return to battle under the command of any enemy of Orlais. After that they will be free to return home to their families." He continued.
"Your nation sent infiltrators to this castle. Ones that almost killed me and the crown prince. Many more did die in our defense. At the moment we do not put much stock in any of your promises." Sansa said in accusation.
The Marshall sighed. "If indeed such a thing was ordered, which I do not confirm or deny, it would have been a strategy of war. That war is now coming to a close. After your surrender there shall be no further cause to inflict harm upon you."
"On my honor I swear it to be true. In the name of the Maker and His prophet Andraste I vow that neither the king nor any of his kin shall come to harm should they choose to surrender to our forces. And there it is. A Chevalier's word is his honor, and his honor is his life. In front of witnesses I have taken a holy vow. In accordance with the Chevalier code I cannot break that vow without dishonoring myself and my family in the eyes of all of Orlais. A more potent assurance than that I cannot give." He declared.
Jon took a deep breath. "These are indeed generous conditions, and I thank you for them. However… I am a King, responsible for the peoples of this land. For their sake I cannot accept you terms. For the sake of this kingdom I am compelled to resist you until the end."
"Whether you fight us or not the reality is that these people won't be your responsibility for very much longer. And while I would delight in facing you in honorable combat, I don't see the reason for you to give your life for a cause that is already lost." Ynessa said.
"And who might you be, to tell me so?" Jon asked of her.
"Ynessa des Montagnes, Chevalier and Chosen Sword of Orlais, and a Champion for the Marshal." She replied. "We have met before, or rather you shot an arrow at me." She added.
"And you're his Champion?" He asked, his eyes flashing with recognition.
"Yes. While the Marshal is a Chevalier as well, due to his advanced years it is no longer prudent for him to fight in a duel personally. Thus if someone issues a challenge, I will stand for him." She explained.
"Does this surprise you? I hear you have the same practice, when there is call for it. Perhaps you are merely surprised to see a woman in such a position, since it is so rare for women to fight in Westeros? If that is the case then all I can say is that I am a warrior, one that is yet to fail the Marshal." She added.
"I am less surprised than you might think. I have seen my share of fighting women." He said. "But to answer your question, this war is not over, not while I live and Winterfell remains in our hands. This place is my home, and I am ready to die here if need be."
"Perhaps you are ready to die. But are your soldiers?" The Marshal said. "If any of them wish to leave then I will allow it until the next sunrise, on the same conditions as I have already named. I would appreciate if you relayed these conditions to your troops for their consideration."
"Your generosity continues. I may do as you have asked." Jon said with a nod.
"Our siege will begin at sunrise tomorrow." The Marshal stated matter-of -factly. Return to me before then and I give you my word to honor the terms that I have named. After sunrise, however, we are compelled to seek your destruction. We will offer you no quarter."
"Then we shall not ask for one. My answer will not change. And our talks are at an end." Jon said, beginning to turn his horse around to leave.
"That is unfortunate indeed. I hope you see reason yet, and do the right thing. Many lives depend on it, on both sides." The Marshal said to the King before riding away. Ynessa lingered on for a while longer, facing the King.
"I look forward to facing you in combat, Your Grace. I have heard impressive stories. I trust you will not disappoint me." She said to him before riding away.
"I'm going to wipe that insufferable smirk right out of her face." Jon muttered as he watched the Orlesians ride back to their camp.
"What smirk? She was wearing a mask." Davos asked, confused.
"She was. And she was smirking behind it." Jon said like it was self-evident. "But enough of that. Opinions how we will go about telling the troops about this offer the Marshal made to them?" He asked as he turned his horse back toward Winterfell.
"We won't." Sansa said at once.
"Excuse me?" Jon asked, unsure if he had heard Sansa correctly.
"We can't tell them. We dare not." Sansa said again.
"His offer might actually be genuine, My Lady. For an Orlesian he seems a decent sort. And common soldiers do not matter to him enough for him to betray them." Davos said.
"It may well be genuine, Ser Davos. But just as easily this might be a trick to lure our forces into the open so he can destroy them without braving our fortifications. After everything they have done I have no faith in any promises made by the Orlesians, no matter how pretty words they use." Sansa replied. "And even if this offer is somehow honest, it doesn't matter. We still can't tell them." She added.
Both Jon and Davos stared at her, shocked at her cold, calculating manner.
"If we tell our soldiers about this offer, many will take it. We could lose as much as three quarters of our forces. With that kind of imbalance in numbers we won't have a chance of standing up to the Orlesians. And for every person that leaves our service there will be a dozen others who will start to think that perhaps the notion of Orlesian rule isn't such a bad thing. After all their friends and loved ones were permitted to return home by the Orlesians in exchange for a promise of peace. We can't allow that to happen. If it does we will lose our home, along with everything else we care about, and this time perhaps for good." She explained.
"You think so little of the people in our service?" Jon asked.
"Hardly. It's simple human instinct. People don't want to die for someone else's home, not when there is a way out. This situation is bad, and looks bad. Our people can't have missed that. The only way our people will stand and fight is if they believe that it's the only way they might live. Furthermore we need them desperate. With nothing left to lose they will fight that much harder, which will give us that much better chance of holding until help arrives." She said.
"You honestly expect me to lie to my men?" Jon said, incredulous.
"I only ask that you remain silent. You don't have to do so for long. By sunrise there will be only one choice for them. Jon, please, I know this makes you uncomfortable, but if we are serious about resisting the Orlesians, this is something we must do. And if not, go to the Marshal and surrender to him like he asked you to, while there is still time." She answered.
"It doesn't feel right… but in the end do we have a choice? If Lady Sansa is right about this and our people behave as she thinks they will…" Davos said hesitantly.
Jon didn't like at all what they were considering, although he could feel the truth in their words. "Even if I was willing to entertain that… what of the guards that accompany us? They may well have overheard the conversation." He asked.
"They can be sworn to secrecy. If you command them to be silent they are bound by duty to obey you. And if they fail to follow a direct order you are within your rights to penalize them. But hopefully it won't come to that. If you tell them that this is for the greater good, I think they will believe you." She said.
"So to keep my people fighting we have to keep the truth from them? I can't say I am fond of this." Jon said.
"We do what we have to do to survive. Otherwise we've already lost. Its ugly business, and not something I want to do, but that is where we stand. Surely you can see that?" Sansa said.
"I'm not sure that that makes it any better." Jon said. "Do you think the Marshal was telling the truth about the Queen?" he asked of Davos.
"I'm not sure. I think it entirely possible he was making that up to convince us to surrender." Davos replied.
"And if he was telling the truth?" Jon asked.
"Then we may have a problem." Davos said grimly.
Then the party rode through the gates of Winterfell, finding Edmond already waiting for them.
"So, how did it go?" Edmond asked of them.
"A lot of talk, a lot of demands that ultimately amounted to very little. The rest of it we should discuss somewhere more private. You should be in on the plan as well." Jon said, dismounting, handing the reins of his horse to a stable boy and leading Edmond in the direction of Winterfell's main hall.