Chapter 16:
They sat beside each other in separate chairs in front of the roaring fire pit, watching the sun set and waiting for the stars to come out from the balcony of the Hand's Tower. It was a traditional ritual that Jon Arryn and his daughter would do when every full moon approached. It was a time for the father and daughter to bond due to Jon Arryn's growing responsibilities as Hand of the King, which often left Isabel alone in the Red Keep.
Jon, often times felt guilty at leaving both his children without proper company. Though Robert had his mother to dote on, he felt like his son should not be absent of a father figure. His eldest daughter, Isabel had recently been formally introduced to court and had been offered to be a lady-in-waiting in the Queen's household. Though a generous offer, he did not want her to tend to the Queen because it meant that he would see very little of her.
Since her mother died, he had made a special effort to ensure her well-being.
"Who was that man you were speaking in such close proximity today?" he asked.
"The eldest son of the Prince of Dorne, He is the strangest man I've ever met...I really can't see why all the ladies at court think he is so likable," she replied.
"I heard that they arrived in King's Landing a few days prior…I had not been given the chance to seek a private audience. Tell me…did he show any interest in you? Has he sought your company more than once?" he asked hesitantly.
"Father!" she replied in disbelief.
"Isabel, I know you are at that age to be courted now. With your betrothal to Robb Stark now broken, you will have new suitors that will seek your hand in marriage. Strange and foreign men will come to seek your favour, whether you'll want their attention or not." he explained.
"They can try," she sarcastically replied and gave her father a devilish smirk, revealing her growing rebellious nature that she found recently to be quite liberating. She had made every effort to return to her normal life since cutting of all contact with Robb Stark. She smiled harder, laughed more and even introduced herself in court. She did everything she could to try and fill the small void in her heart, but found little solace in the frivolous things around her.
The only motivation she had in life, was to make her father proud and prove her own worth to him.
"Isabel," he said sternly.
"He was a total brute anyways," she said coolly.
"You will have to marry one day," he said earnestly, "I sincerely hope you know that I do want to see grandchildren in my future."
She let out a warm laugh that did not quite meet her eyes, but she leaped over from her chair to give her father an affectionate kiss on his brow. "In time, my dear father…but I must confess you might be disappointed with me."
He gave her a long stare as if he was trying to scold her, but found himself laughing at her, unable to take their conversation seriously anymore. "You remind me so much of your mother. I see glimpses of her when you smile, when you cry, when you laugh."
"Do you miss her?" she asked.
His smile faltered as a passing moment of sadness swept through his body. "Dearly," he said truthfully.
"I miss her everyday," she whispered to herself.
Jon stroked his daughter's cheek and swiped his thumb across her skin to rid of the single tear that fell from her dark lashes. "This past year has been difficult for you, my sweet daughter. I am truly sorry for the heartache I put you through. My marriage to Lysa must not have been easy for you to accept…but you needed a mother…and the Vale needed an alliance. My greatest hope is that you will warm up to your step-mother and become a loving sister to your baby brother."
"You know that she and I simply do not get along," she explained.
"She is family now," he scolded, "I expect you to treat them with the utmost respect and adoration."
"That woman does not like me," she said defiantly.
"Isabel Arryn," he commanded.
Letting out a huge sigh, she caved in to her father's request. "I promise," she said, "I will treat my step-mother and brother as if their were my own kin…as long the same affection is returned to me."
The journey across the Riverlands was far more dangerous than Isabel had thought. Even though she rode across Westeros with one thousand men, at times she felt exposed and vulnerable to attack. With word that the Lannister army now rode to Riverrun, she did not feel safe travelling on King's Road. They rode through burning villages and saw the numerous displaced villagers that were now travelling south, in hopes to find refuge and safety.
The ravens were sent ahead of her party to inform the Lannister camp of their arrival and outlined that her visit was on behalf of the King Robert and as such, she would have the guest right and be free from harm. Her men, she would explain, were to protect her party from any attack while travelling through the Riverlands.
It was a diplomatic mission for peace – even Tywin Lannister could not turn her away.
She watched the red banners that bore the roaring lion emerge in the distant horizon as they approached the Lannister camp. Upon closer inspection, she noticed a small party was now riding towards her presumably to meet and escort her for the duration of her journey.
Her lords were not happy with her decision, but they agreed to provide her the necessary resources. She saw their reason and worry, yet deep down in her heart she knew she had to do this. She needed to prove to herself that she had the strength to face fear head-on and not cower, though she knew of the dangerous risk she brought upon her shoulders. But she could not see any other way to prove to her lords that she was just as capable as her father. Jon Arryn once defied a king and rose to rebellion, knowing full well the risks and consequences it had. Why couldn't her lords put the same trust and faith in Isabel?
Besides, she wasn't starting a war – she was very damn well trying to stop it.
Riding into the Lannister camp made her slightly uncomfortable as the eyes of their bannermen and knights suspiciously looked at their party, unsure of her reason for visit. She saw that some of the knights had unsheathed their swords, ready to attack if any of the Valemen chose to follow suit. She gripped her reins even tighter; suddenly aware of the dangerous position she had willingly placed herself in.
As they arrived in front of Tywin Lannister's tent, the Lannister knight who was tasked to escort said nothing to her party and impatiently waited for her to unsaddle her horse. He gave her a low grunt before he moved to the side to allow her to pass to speak with his lord. Isabel motioned forward, but immediately noticed that he had stopped Ser Tommas from proceeding. Stopping she turned around and stared curiously at the Lannister knight.
"Not him," he roughly instructed.
She hesitantly proceeded, but not before she gave a worry glance to her sworn knight. He gave her a silent nod of reassurance, and gestured her to carry on.
The two Lannister brothers, Tywin and Kevan sat on either end of the table conversing over a battle map when Isabel entered. Neither man had noticed her, and it was only until she coughed to break the silence did Ser Kevan Lannister, the younger of the two turned towards her. He stood up and gave a respectable bow, while Tywin only nodded his head to her.
"My Lords," she began and curtseyed, "I thank you for granting me such an audience in these circumstances."
"You ride through pillaged lands to speak to us," Ser Kevan Lannister remarked, "A most dangerous and admirable feat. Your business with us must be urgent then."
"It is," she stated, "But I think my Lord Tywin Lannister already knows why I am standing here."
His face gave no emotions away, making it difficult for Isabel to read him. He was tall and thin, and his face chiseled and cold as the years of war within politics and swords had greatly worn him down. Isabel barely knew him, but his reputation was infamous throughout the realm.
And his reputation made Isabel slightly nervous.
"A most foolish quest that your king has sent you on," he mockingly remarked.
"The quest for peace is not foolish, my Lord, but is a quest that most men will not undertake for it is only foolish in their eyes because it entails the absence of war; the very thing that most men seek for glory and power," she explained.
"You seemed to already have answered your own question then."
"Most men fail to see that some wars are not fought with swords."
"You have nothing to offer me," he challenged, "this is not your war girl. Take my advice and leave while you still can."
"Your feud with the Starks will send this entire realm into war. You are correct, my Lord…this is not my war. But your war will spread like a disease and infect the innocent like the plague it is. The King demands a peaceful resolution."
"How I defend my family's honour is not of the king's business!" he roared.
"You don't have to start a war to avenge your honour. There are other ways to seek vengeance. "
"And become a little shrewd spider like yourself? Tell me, Lady Isabel Arryn…how did you persuade the King to grant you a dispensation when he had publicly denied you only a few days prior? Who did you spread your legs for?"
The insult felt like a punch to the face, and left Isabel completely speechless. She clenched her fists with such ferocity that she had felt her nails dig deep into her skin in an effort not to slap Tywin Lannister across his face.
"Not every woman has to sell her body for power," she seethed.
"And yet all women do."
"I did not come here for you to insult my honour, my Lord."
"And why did you come here?" he roughly asked. "Asking for peace? Asking me to stop my men from harming that Stark boy of yours? And why would I grant you such a favour?"
"You know of my reasons. I come here on behalf of the king…he orders you to stop this war before it escalates any further."
"I don't believe the king has anymore say in this."
He took a letter from the table and handed it over to her. "I don't think the king is going to be around for much longer."
She unfolded the parchment and skimmed over its contents and a dark unsettled feeling dropped to the pit of her stomach. "W..when did you receive this?" she hesitantly asked.
"This morning, before your arrival," he explained. "A hunting accident…a rather serious injury, so I'm told. The Grand Maester has already begun to administer the milk of poppy."
She immediately understood his meaning and she tensed up, slowly feeling the sense of defeat. If Robert Baratheon died, then Joffrey would succeed into the throne. With his grandson sitting on the Iron Throne, this war could not be stopped. On the contrary, Joffrey Baratheon would support the Lannisters and have the Starks and Tullys submit to defeat.
It was a lost battle, and Isabel had unknowingly walked into the lion's mouth. Tywin Lannister merely smirked at her, before retrieving the letter and placing it back on the table. He had already known this, and still allowed Isabel to plead her case, making a fool out of herself.
"I suppose there is no room for negotiation. It seems like we have wasted each other's time," she said in defeat, having the sudden loss for words.
"Perhaps not an entire waste of our time," Ser Kevan Lannister added.
"What more is there to say between us, Ser Kevan?"
"What my dear brother means, my Lady…you are not a foolish woman. I see the hunger for power in your eyes. This war would be advantageous to your cause in the Vale. Allying yourself with the stronger side would be the wisest choice."
"You offer me another alliance, when I have already given you my answer?"
"The game has changed, Lady Isabel – your king is dying, and war is already upon us. How will you comfort your lords when you tell them their king is dead? Who will support you now?"
She recognized his threat and she narrowed her eyes at him. With Joffrey on the throne, he could easily denounce her claims and give her brother his inheritance, and she would lose many of the support she had worked so hard to gain.
"The game has changed indeed," she agreed, "but so have the rules…and the players. You greatly underestimate my ability to battle. I may not have the strength or ferocity of a lion, but I can strike my enemies from above, underneath the darkness of shadows."
"Powerful words for someone who pretends to know the intricacies of war," he mused, "Is this your decision then, Lady Isabel? Instead of friendship, you offer me animosity?"
"I offer you nothing," she clarified.
"So be it."
Before she realized it, two guards roughly grabbed each of her forearms, causing her to wrestle and struggled out of their grips. Their strength proved to much for her, and their grip only tightened around her skin, making her yell in pain.
"Let me go!" she yelled, "What is the meaning of this?"
"The game has changed," he said, echoing her words, "Did you foolishly think I'd let you leave so you can go running back to that wolf lover of yours? You ask to play with men during times of war? Then I shall gladly show you what war is truly like. There are no rules during times of war. There is no honour and there is no justice. You ride into my camp with one thousand men, and that is a sizable threat in my eyes. You're smart Lady Isabel…but you're not that smart."
"Are you to execute to me then? For threatening you?"
"You will be my honoured guest here, for the time being…to ensure good behaviour from your lords and from Robb Stark. You will then accompany Tyrion Lannister back to King's Landing, where you will remain until you are given leave to return home."
"And my men?"
"I should kill them all."
Before giving her a chance to say anything more, he motioned for his guards to take her away. She squirmed and resisted as they dragged her out of the tent, suddenly becoming afraid that Tywin would try to end her own life. Her screams and pleas were left on empty ears, as no one would help her.
Father, what I have done?
The riders came arrived underneath the darkness of night to Moat's Cailin, seeking Robb Stark's audience. The young wolf had called his father's bannermen to aide his mother's house when the ravens came announcing that Riverrun had been taken by an army led by Ser Jamie Lannister. It didn't take long for Robb to call his bannermen, and march south towards the Riverlands.
The riders did not bear any sigils that he could recognize and when Robb had asked who had sent them, they had declined to give him their names – and this did not sit well with Robb at all.
He unfolded the letter and his eyes scanned its contents and almost immediately he threw the letter on the ground and grabbed the rider's cloak and shook him.
"Where did you get this?" he demanded.
The mysterious man refused to answer which only caused Robb's anger to grow. He unsheathed a dagger and pointed it at the man's throat and repeated his question. "Answer me now, or I will show no mercy to you."
Greywind, Robb's direwolf sensing the tension in the air, immediately appeared at the young wolf's side and gave the rider a dangerous and low growl. It was at the sight of the great direwolf that the rider gave in.
"Courtesy of the Lannisters….my Lord," he whispered.
He shoved the rider to the floor, disgusted at the sound of the lion's name. He heard footsteps in the distance, and could guess it was Lord Jon Umber and Lord Roose Bolton who had come to see what commotion was disrupting the night.
"What is it, my Lord?" asked Lord Jon Umber.
"A Lannister messenger," he spat.
"Then we should kill him. He's no doubt here to spy on our army," stated Lord Bolton.
"No," Robb objected, "He will live…and he will tell his master that the wolves are coming for him."
The guards roughly shoved the rider back to the gates, with Greywind closely following to ensure that they would leave and not come back. After making sure that the Lannister scout was no longer in their sight, Robb reached down the picked up the crumpled letter off the floor and handed it to Lord Jon Umber.
"Why would Lady Isabel Arryn write a letter and have the Lannisters deliver it for her?"
"Perhaps she has allied herself with them," Lord Jon Umber wondered.
"Impossible. She would never do that. They must have gotten to her…they must have threatened her."
"The letter doesn't indicate she is in any danger, my Lord. She claims they are treating her as an honored guest and she is perfectly safe from danger."
"It still doesn't explain why she rode into their camp, and now has decided to stay there. She has no reason to be there. Something is wrong, I just know it," he worriedly said.
"Have you written to the Lady recently? Did she mention anything to suggest an alliance with the Lannisters?"
Their letters came less frequently ever since his father was injured. Everything was unfolding so fast between them, that he had seemingly forgot to write to her. The last letter he had received was just before he left Winterfell, and she had told him that she was returning to the Vale and was not likely to ever to return to King's Landing in the near future.
Where are you Isabel?
"She had personal matters to attend to at home," he explained. "She's supposed to be at the Eyrie."
"Then, someone is lying," Lord Bolton suggested, "Either the Lannisters are trying to undermine you, or Lady Isabel Aryyn is playing two sides to this war. Neither should be trusted…it would be wise to ignore this altogether."
Robb took a deep breathe and closed his eyes for a moment. He refused to believe that Isabel would betray him. He knew that she would never side with the Lannisters, no matter what kind of alliance they would offer her. The rider, the letter…it was all suspicious and his gut instinct made him think that Isabel was in danger and Tywin Lannister was threatening him with her life.
"We will write to our friends at the Eyrie…to confirm the legitimacy of this letter. I do not believe in an instant that Lady Isabel would strike a friendship with the Lannisters."
"She's lived in the King's Landing for nearly her entire life," Lord Bolton commented, "You can't trust those southerners. Their hearts are as black as ink and souls as dark as death."
"Careful, my Lord," whispered Lord Jon Umber, "You cannot let your emotions cloud your judgment…especially in times of war. Losing a war over a woman is not the wisest thing to do."
"And what if she's really in danger? Then I would have ignored a warning and send her to her death?"
"It's a sacrifice that has to be made. This is not worth fretting over – it's exactly what Tywin wants you to do. You cannot let him have the upper hand. He's already winning…he's besieged Riverrun and Ser Jamie now rides north towards the Twins. We need to focus on stopping his army, and stop worrying about these frivolous things. Let the Vale handle this matter; it is not our concern. If they come to us, then so be it. We'd double our men practically overnight…but if they choose to settle this matter privately, then we will not push them. We don't need to be fighting another family."
"Besides," Lord Bolton added, "The Vale stands divided and broken. We don't need anymore soldiers who don't know who to pledge their house and allegiance to. The last thing we need in our army is internal strife."
His heart was telling him to dig for the truth and make sure she was okay, but his head was agreeing with his Northern Lords. They were right – there were too many things at stake and he needed to focus in leading his army.
Sacrifices must be made, the wind whispered in the air.
If this was the right thing to do, then why did feel so wrong?
He felt death looming in the air, hovering above their heads as if it was patiently choosing which life to take. Winter is coming¸ he heard his father whisper.
But whose life will be taken?
"I will not let those lions think I cannot fight my own battles," he found himself saying. "We continue to march south and meet their armies head on. So be it, let us seal our fates in this war then."
A/N: Enjoy :)