Disclaimer: I do not own Game of Thrones or anything related. It belongs to George R.R. Martin, the creator of this wonderful universe and David Benioff and D. B. Weiss who created the show.
Sequel to Lady of Winterfell.
Chapter Two: Tricking the Lannisters.
"Roslin caught a fine fat trout. Her brothers gave her a pair of wolf pelts for her wedding. Signed Walder Frey.' Is that bad poetry, or is it supposed to mean something?" Tyrion asked staring down at the missive that he had been handed upon arriving at the council meeting. He had been summoned to a council meeting and had been a little unnerved when he had found Joffrey nearly bouncing with joy at whatever news had arrived.
Before being summoned to the council meeting, he had been walking around the gardens with his new wife; he still did not know what to make of the fact that his father had forced him to marry Sansa Stark. Though Tyrion had no doubts that it had been done to stop the Tyrells gaining the key to the North as her brother's heir; he was unsure if the rumours that Sanira's child had been lost were true.
"Robb Stark is dead! And his bitch!" Joffrey announced, his pleasure at such news clear to everyone; another King down and one less threat to his throne, he knew just how he wanted to celebrate such news. There would be no more threats to his rule, he was the true King and he would make all those who had doubted that pay; his mother was right, everyone who was not them were the enemies.
Tyrion flinched at his words, he cast a glance to his father trying to determine how he might feel about such a term in regards to his niece. Despite everything, Tyrion had held hope that whatever Tywin might have planned for the Stark King that it might mean that his cousin could be spared; she was family afterall and had Lannister blood in her.
"Write back to Lord Frey. Thank him for his service and command him to send Robb Stark's head. I'm going to serve it to Sansa at my wedding feast." Joffrey continued gleefully, he could not believe it and he looked forward to seeing her face. He was sure it would almost be as fun as when he showed her, the head of her father on a pike along with her Septas; it had been such a great day and he could only imagine how she would take seeing her brother's head especially after what she had said. Joffrey's cruel words were enough to snap Tyrion from his thoughts about his sweet cousin; she was a kind soul and he would pray for her.
"Your Grace, Lady Sansa is your aunt by marriage." Varys tried to caution his King, he looked around concerned not sure how he would be able to dissuade their King from doing such a thing and causing offence. It was hard enough trying to hide Joffrey's cruelty and his impending wedding to the Tyrell girl was coming soon; there was already so much to do especially with the cost of the royal wedding continuing to climb.
"A joke. Joffrey did not mean it," Cersei replied calmly, she leant back in her chair rather pleased that there was one less threat to her son's throne; she very much doubted that Stannis would cause them issues now. After the defeat that he is suffered during the last battle, he had been rather quiet and she hoped he had learned his lesson and had disappeared for good.
"Yes, I did. I'm going to have it served to Sansa at my wedding feast," Joffrey argued shaking his head confused why his mother would say that he was joking; he meant every word that he said. He would take great joy in tormenting her with this, there was no one coming to save her and she would be forever trapped in the capital as his play thing even if they had married her to the imp.
Tyrion frowned at that, apparently not even having Margaery was enough to completely distract him from Sansa; he seemed intent to continue to torment her in any way that he could. He did not know how he would break the devastating news to Sansa that her brother, mother and good-sister had been murdered; even if he held out the smallest hope that Sanira was alive.
"No. She is no longer yours to torment," Tyrion argued glaring at his nephew, he would protect Sansa now that they had been married and he would treat her with the respect that she deserved. As of now she was the last Stark and the key to the North, it was the entire reason that Tywin insisted that he marry her; he would do what he could even if it meant defying his monstrous nephew who no one else seemed to be trying to control.
"Everyone is mine to torment. You'd do well to remember that you little monster," Joffrey stated leaning forward, he didn't care what anyone said he wasn't going to let Sansa go or forget that her brother and father had been traitors to his crown. He would punish her until he was done with her and humiliate her until she realised her worthless place at his court; there would be no escaping for her and his plans for her.
"Oh, I'm a monster? Perhaps you should speak to me more softly, then. Monsters are dangerous and just now kings are dying like flies," Tyrion said before getting down from his chair and walking away from the meeting. He ignored the look his father sent him, knowing he would pay for that comment later but it was worth it for the look on Joffrey's face and he did not regret his decision to speak up. Not even his father seemed to be able to control Joffrey and Tyrion knew that such a thing was not a good sign; the boy was unpopular and with Stannis still out there then they had cause to worry.
By murdering the Northern King, they might not have brought the North to hell instead they might have forced an alliance that could see the North siding with Stannis against them. The North would not forget what had happened to the Starks at the Lannisters hands, they would seek revenge even if for now they were under Bolton control.
Tyrion did not think that flaying every man that would side against him would earn Roose Bolton the trust and loyalty that he wanted like the Starks had done. Despite fighting against them in a war, he had never admired the Starks and he had to admit that he had never thought that Robb Stark would do so well; his father had no choice but to have him murdered at a wedding because he could not defeat him on the battlefield.
Now he had the unfortunate task of informing Sansa of the deaths of her brother, her mother and her good-sister; she had a right to know before anyone, especially Joffrey, cruelly told her the news and taunted her.
"They've taken the bait," Stevron announced stepping into the chamber, he had been worried that his letter to King's Landing might have been discovered to be a fake; he had lied and he was sure that they had been fouled by it. There were no signs of Tywin or his army approaching the Riverlands and for now it seemed like they had the advantage; he glanced nervously at Robb who had been staring at Stannis. Neither King spoke surprised that they had made to convincing everyone South that the slaughter at the wedding had been a success; now they needed to use their element of surprise to their advantage.
"Thank you, Lord Frey," Robb replied leaning back in his seat, it still surprised him that Stevron had turned on his father like that, he had aided in fighting back the Bolton army and those who had betrayed him. There was no ignoring the fact that he owed his life to others and it was not just his life; Sanira was still recovering from her wounds and the loss of their unborn child. It was a great loss but Robb was relieved that it was not greater, the medics had assured him that his wife would recover in time but they had been unable to tell him if she would be able to conceive again.
Stevron bowed, he was not pushing his luck and he knew that his actions and those who had sided him would be judged from now on especially after what his father had done. It had not been officially announced that he would take over as Lord of the Crossing, his father was still alive afterall but he would give no reason for the two Kings to doubt House Freys loyalty again.
"We have the advantage right now. The Lannisters think you are dead and Bolton is in control of the North, we can use that to our advantage," Stannis Baratheon mused sitting across the table from Robb, he stared at the map of Westeros and he knew their next move had to be planned carefully if they wanted to catch the Lannisters unaware. The last thing that he wanted was for the Lannisters to realise that he was not at Dragonstone and had somehow managed to sneak past them and make his way up to the Riverlands.
"Why did you come here?" Robb asked watching the older man, he was not sure quite what to make of Stannis arriving to help especially when he had once backed Renly before he had died though he had thought Renly more likely to support Northern independence.
Sitting quietly for a moment, Stannis stared across at the young man knowing that if they were going to win this war then they needed to work together; he reached into his jacket and pulled out a letter before sliding it across the table to him. He watched Robb take the letter and open it, he knew that it would come as a surprise; though Stannis wondered if Robb realised that if they did not work together now then the Lannisters would win.
"I may be a King but I would reward any man that would deny that woman her desires," Stannis stated with a shake of his head, his aunt was a wonderful woman and knew what she wanted. It had been her letter that had persuaded him to act, she had instructed him to take his army and ride to the Twins if he wished to win the war and remove the bastard from the throne.
"I seem to have found myself in need of an alliance. My brother is gone and a bastard sits on my throne. I believe we can help each other," Stannis replied gruffly, he stared at the fire doubting that Robb would ever know about the letter that he had been sent. Sylvina Tremaine was not a woman to be trifled with and her letter to him had reminded him that no matter what, she was still his beloved aunt and Sanira was his cousin. The North did not seek the Iron Throne, they would allow him to take it if he allowed the North to have their independence; he did not entirely blame them for not wanting Southern rule after what had happened.
"I am willing to accept and acknowledge Northern independence should you help me claim my throne and defeat the Lannisters," Stannis continued, he needed help and he knew that there was no way that he could win now that he had lost so many men. The North had been doing well and Tywin's decision to slaughter Robb and his men at a wedding instead of face him in open battle and lose; he had nearly been widowed by such a move and that could not be forgiven.
Robb was silent taking in what Stannis had said, he had not been expecting it since the last he had heard was Stannis wanted him to bend the knee; though things had changed since then and Stannis had suffered a great loss at the hands of the Lannisters in battle. Something that Robb knew was not possible, his people would never accept him bending the knee after all that had happened; he had been elected their King and he would do his best.
"You are the King in the North and I shall be the King of the South," Stannis continued testing out the title that he had decided on, he would rule from King's Landing while Robb would do the same from Winterfell. Peace would come for the realm and they would make history by bringing peace between their Kingdoms; they would put an end to the fighting even if Westeros was never going to be the same after what happened to Robert and the rule of Joffrey.
"On those terms, I shall happily agree to peace between our families," Stannis continued leaning back in his chair, he had no other options and he could not rule the North. If he attempted to force his will on the region then they would refuse him and fight him at every turn; no Southern could hold the North and Stannis was willing to concede this one for the Iron Throne.
There was a bonus to this, it was his cousin afterall that was Queen in the North; he could not look past that even if she did share blood with the Lannisters. There was also no forgetting that it had been with his help that the Lannister forces that held Aeredale had been dispersed; Arlenna fleeing like the coward she was and Stannis doubted she realised who had helped take back control of Aeredale.
Now the new Lord of Aeredale was free to run his home as he pleased, they did not have to sneak around nor would saving the Northern Lords and their king have been possible. With the Lannister spy in the North disposed of, they could plot and come up with a plan that would allow them to take King's Landing from the Lannisters without having to fear that their plans would be discovered.
Tywin would likely believe what the letter had said, he would assume that the Lannisters were on the rise and nothing would stop them now; whispers spread North that they were happily planning a royal wedding in the capital for the false King and his Tyrell bride. Stannis scoffed at that thought, she had been married to Renly before his demise and he had no doubts that the ambitious upstart had no idea just what sort of monster she was marrying.
Between him and the Starks, they would bring down the proud lions of Lannister in a way that no one would forget.
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