Ellyn Reyne was truly pregnant.

She had begun showing a bloody bump. The Maester had confirmed she was pregnant.

She wasn't faking it.

SHE BLOODY WASN'T FAKING HER PREGNANCY.

I don't know what changed. I know she was faking it in the canon and trying to seduce Tytos. Maybe I had pissed off Tion and her so much that they tried much harder in order to remove me from being Tion's heir.

I don't know. What I knew was most of my plans had been derailed. I had been so shocked after the confirmation that I had no freaking idea what to do.

Ser Rupert had been the one to set me straight by reminding me my father won't live forever. If I remember right, he is going to die within the next 8 years.

Which was bad for me.

If Tion had lived I could at least count on my father to hammer enough sense into him that he won't actively try to kill me after he becomes lord of Casterly Rock.

I did not have the same assurance with Ellyn. She and her brothers hated me and I am always going to be a danger to them.

So when Ser Rupert suggested I attempt to gain the favour of the Lords, I readily agreed. If I could install myself as Regent after my father's death I would be quite safe. Plus if I could even have a small part in raising my future niece/nephew, I might be able to steer them the right way.

The good thing was that Bittersteel was officially dead. He had died of his wounds just after reaching Tyrosh.

Which made me more popular among the lords as the killer of the most prominent member of the Blackfyre cause.

It was easier to convince the Lords to follow the killer of a legend than a weak-willed man. I was sure I could persuade many of the Lords to my side. I knew most would easily prefer me over Reynes as Regent.

Unless you were related to the Reynes, you had no reason to like them. It was actually a pity.

Robert Reyne, the previous Lord, was fondly remembered by most of the Lords. He was a clever and genial man. There was a reason he was able to betroth Ellyn to Tywald after all. Compared to him Rogar was seen as a confrontational and arrogant man. Many people were not all that fond of the way Ellyn had been married to Tion either.

After staying at the Rock for a month Jeyne and I departed towards the Golden Tooth.

The Marbrands and their allies had guaranteed I have the support of lords from the Northern Westerlands. So Our plan was to meet with the Eastern lords and travel throughout the Westerlands meeting all the major Lords.

Getting the Leffords to my side was important. They were easily the third strongest house in the region.

The Golden Tooth despite its stellar reputation, was a small, stout castle. It guarded the only major pass between the Westerlands and the Riverlands. From this position the Leffords had made themselves quite a fortune due to their mines and through their control of the River Road in this area.

Loren Lefford, the current Lord of Golden Tooth, was an old man in his late sixties. By all reports the man was bedridden.

He had lost most of his sons and grandsons to either Blackfyres or to diseases. His current heir was his grandson of ten years.

We were greeted warmly by the boy's mother Lady Johanna. She was the wife of Lord Loren's fourth son who had died during Peake uprising.

Our stay was relaxed. Jeyne spent her time familiarizing herself with Lefford heir's mother. While I toured the lands. We even travelled the goat paths that Robb Stark had used in the books to bypass the Golden Tooth. Before the conquest, my guide informed me, Lannister Kings used to send their men through these paths to pillage and raid the Riverlands.

I don't know what the Leffords were doing during the War of Five Kings, because these paths are full of natural choke points. A hundred well-placed men could have easily repelled Robb's army or at least stalled them long enough for reinforcements to arrive.

After a week of double talk and going around the topic, Lord Loren and I finally reached an agreement. Once young Adrian Lefford turns twelve he will become my squire and I will do everything in my power to protect his claim in case his grandfather perishes before him reaching adulthood and his cousins try to usurp him. In return, the Leffords will be at my side if I ever need them.

After the Golden Tooth, our next destination was Hornvale.

The seat of House Brax was bigger than that of Leffords. The castle was situated on a hilly terrain surrounded by several hills and mountains making it easily defensible. The current Lord of Hornvale, Flement Brax was serving King Aegon in his small council as Master of Laws.

In his absence, his heir Wilbert ruled his lands. There was no need for me to try to gain favor of the Braxs. I knew for a fact they were utterly loyal to my father and would do as he commands. So I feasted, hunted and sparred with the Brax family. Wilbert was actually married to Lord Roland Lydden's sister.

We did not stay there too long. Our next stop was going to be Deep Den. Lord Roland and I had hit it off quite well, and I considered him a friend.

But as I have said nothing goes according to plan in Westeros.

When a rider wearing the colors of House Lydden arrived to meet me with urgent news, while we were just a day away from Deep Den, I had a feeling something had gone horribly wrong.

I was, of course, proven right.