Riverrun, 282 AC
« Father, you have to help them! »
Hoster Tully is facing his two daughters, Catelyn and Aylis, holding hands, staring stubbornly at their father.
The Rebellion has started since a few months already, but Hoster has not taken a side yet. He knows too well what he risks if he does so. But how could he explain politics to two young girls, who only see the glorious soldiers battling fiercely, when the armies of Riverrun stay home and safe. Catelyn has been the first to pledge for the Rebels, arguing Aerys had killed her betrothed. Which was true of course, but, still, Hoster has no desire to rush in a war which would lead to huge casualties among his men and his land. He thinks about the safety of his people, of course, but also of his children and their future. He could take advantage of a victory, whichever the side, but, for that, he must stay neutral.
The rebels had started by taking the port of Gulltown, after some of Jon Arryn's bannermen refused to followi him in the Rebellion and had decided to remain loyal to the King. Once they had won this battle, Robert Baratheon had joined his brother Stannis in Storm's End, and called for his own bannermen as well. There again, some denied the call, and intended to walk on Storm's End, but Robert heard about their plans, and forestalled them, beating them in Summerhall. With hostages, Robert has left again to Storm's End. The Rebellion could have ended shortly, but, as Robert had left Storm's End to march out, Randyll Tarly, the Lord of Horn Hill, a loyalist to the King, had defeated Robert for the first time. This one had escaped to join Jon Arryn and Eddard Stark, but Lord Tarly, with Lord Tyrell, had marched on Strom's End, and had been besieging the castle since then.
And today, Lord Tully has received messages from Eddard Stark and Jon Arryn, to negotiate his support to their cause. The girls are unaware of this, for the moment. But their enthusiasm to defend them almost makes him smile. He looks at them both, none of them are smiling, the two girls have this same resolved pout, and their blue eyes are darkened by anger. Hoster sits down, facing them:
"You do know our house has pledged an oath to the Targaryens", he explains.
Catelyn protests:
"He has killed my future husband!"
"Because Brandon had threatened his own son to death. What would have you done in his place, Cat?" Hoster asks calmly.
Slightly taken aback, Catelyn looks down but it is Aylis who protests in turn:
"Stannis is besieged! I have tried to send ravens, they do not come back! And I never get an answer! Maybe he is dead, and no one could know about it!"
Her eyes fill with tears but Hoster is not moved and says, a bit harshly:
"Stannis is nothing to you, child. Why would I care if he died?"
Even Cat looks up in a shock, and Aylis gasps loudly, hardly believing her father's words:
"I love him! You know I do!"
"Childish love! You will love your husband, and it is a man I will choose for you! Just like I have chosen Brandon Stark for Cat, and Jaime Lannister for Lysa, before the King decided to name him in the kingsguard!"
The loud voice of their father rumbles in the room and they take a step backwards. Hoster sighs with their reactions, and dismisses them quickly. This time, they do not say anything, and leave silently, Aylis crying softly, and Cat trying to comfort her, sending daggers to her father. Once he is alone, Hoster walks to his window and his eyes scrutinize his land. He knows he cannot escape this war and that, sooner or later, he will have to pick a side. Tywin Lannister, in Casterly Rock, will have to face the same decision. And with this decision would depend the future of their houses. Whoever might win this war will not spare any of the previous enemies. Robert would not care about the fact that Cat has been once betrothed to his best friend's brother. Aerys would not care there was a time where Tullys and Targaryens lived together in peace. This war is too sentimental, too focused on egos: Robert's one on a side, Aerys's on the other. Wars to defend a land are cleaner, in a way. Now, whatever comes out of this, Hoster feels this will remain in the memories as an ugly war, a war that could have been avoided. The Lords fight, but their soldiers die. If he has to pick a side, Hoster wants to be sure it would worth it. He wants to be sure the future of his family, of his children, would be granted. And, to be sure of this, there is no other solution than weighing in his daughters with the negotiation. He has to talk about that with his maester, so he could advise him on the best thing to do. Until now, he will have to check on the ravens of the aviary because the messages his stubborn girl is sending to a besieged man could be a catastrophe, both for him and her.
Aylis has joined her siblings, after wiping her tears away, and stays silently with them as they chat about the war. She hates that her father does not do anything to help Stannis. If he knew she would do anything to free him from the siege, maybe he would end up loving her. Sit on a chair in the children's room; she is knitting with Lysa and Cat, when Edmure is exercising himself with a sword. Unable to concentrate, she sighs, leaves her work and gets at the window to watch Edmure closely. She smiles slightly as she sees his enthusiasm, and wonders if one day, he will have to fight in a war, like their father, or if he will live his whole life in peace. The future Lord of Riverrun, she thinks proudly. She knows that, by saying this, she is talking about their father's death, but she loves her brother, dearly, and is sure he will be a great Lord for their people. Being only one year apart, they have been very close the first years of their lives, but she has scorned him when he mocked her love for Stannis. At this souvenir, she loses her smile and clenches her fists tightly along her ribs. She will prove them wrong, all of them. Her father, her brother, her sisters. Soon enough, they will know that she gets everything she desires.