Queen of the Iron Islands Chapter 12
Victarion Greyjoy succumbs to his wounds sustained during his duel with Euron Greyjoy. The line of succession passes down to Asha Greyjoy. All recognisable ASOIAF characters, locations, and concepts rightfully belong to George R.R. Martin and HBO. This is just a work of fan fiction which tries to imagine an alternate history of the World of Ice and Fire.
Asha: Lines of Succession
Night had fallen on Old Wyk. In the wake of Euron's failed bid to seize power, the victors had begun to tend to the wounded and dying. Over five hundred men, women, and children had fallen that day. While many had fallen to the sword, others succumbed to wounds they had sustained during the fighting. The makeshift hospital camp rang with the agonizing cries of the wounded and dying.
Outside the tent, men and thralls were gathering up the bodies of the dead to be buried at sea. There, the dead would dine in the halls of the Drowned God for all eternity. More likely, their corpses would be food for the fish. Or their bodies might be washed up the following day. Traditions were hard to die in the Iron Islands, one of the most conservative places in the Seven Kingdoms. While burying or burning the bodies would help to ward off disease, the idea of burial or cremation was still taboo to many Ironborn. Only the bodies of Euron's mutes, mongrels, and traitors were to be burnt and scattered to the ashes, per Victarion's orders.
The Lord Captain of the Iron Fleet lay on a bed, covered under several layers of linen. He had a pale green, sickly look on his face. Despite the best efforts of Lord Rodrik's maester, Uncle Victarion's condition was deteriorating. The wounds on his hamstring and chest refused to clot and continued to seep out black gangrenous blood which stained his bandages. His chest had turned an ugly black and a deep gaping hole had opened where Euron's sword had struck. Maester Cornelius had given him milk of the poppy to soothe the pain. But it would do little to stop the poisoning. Euron had seen to that by breaching Victarion's chest.
Asha had escaped the carnage relatively unscathed apart from a flesh cut on her left cheek; a flesh cut given by one of Euron's Unsullied warriors. The tent flap lifted and in strode her two other uncles, Rodrik and Aeron. Rodrik was carrying the Crow's Eye's Valyrian steel sword, Nagga the Devourer, while Aeron was struggling to carry a great horn. The horn was over six feet long and had strange glyphs written all over it. It had a black gleam and was banded with red and gold Valyrian steel. While its surface was shiny, it gave a twisted reflection that made everything in the room look twisted. Aeron placed the horn at the foot of Euron's bed.
"Just as I suspected," sighed Rodrik "The Crow's Eye had coated his sword with manticore venom… one of the deadliest poisons in the world?"
"You mean one of those creep scarab like creatures with scorpion tails," asked Asha. Asha remembered reading about manticores in Uncle Rodrik's library during one cold winter's day. Manticores were deadly insects with unsettling human-like faces with tails that could deliver a deadly sting. They were rumoured to live in the islands of the distant Jade Sea. Manticore venom was one of the most deadly poisons in the Known World and was highly sought after by alchemists and maesters. Their poison could kill humans the instant it reach the heart unless a clotting agent was used to thicken and delay its effects.
"The Crow's Eye must have bought one of these devilish creatures during his travels in Essos," added Rodrik "Those warlocks must have helped him brew it into a poison."
"His gifts are always poison," chuckled Victarion, who tried to remain in great humour despite his rapidly deteriorating situation "Trust the Crow's Eye not to fight dirty."
"The reports are the same from all of the other men who fought the Crow's Eye," added Maester Cornelius "All of them have succumbed to similar wounds; those that don't clot. We have run out of medicine and have only one more bale of bandages."
"How long before supplies arrive from Norne Goodbrother's castle," asked Asha
"It won't be till early morning at least," sighed Aeron "The road conditions are dangerous and the night is dark and full of terrors."
"What's that, Uncle," asked Asha, pointing to the great horn lying at the foot of Victarion's bed
There was something deeply unsettling about that object's presence.
"I've just interrogated one of Euron's saltwives and she says it's a dragonbinder," replied Aeron "Something used to by the Valyrians to bind dragons. Dark sorcery! One of my men blew it and it led out a deafening cry like the scream of a thousand souls. The man collapsed to the ground and died. He had blister on his lips and his lungs were charred as black as soot."
"So that was what the noise was about," replied Asha. Scarcely an hour ago, everyone had heard a loud deafening blast coming from Euron's former camp. It was the loudest and most unearthly trumpet cry that Asha had ever heard. The dogs had started baying and all the babies in the tent had started wailing.
"Destroy it," growled Victarion in a low, guttural voice "That's the wonder weapon that Euron's been talking about for the past few days prior to your coming, Asha."
"He must have somehow obtained it during his travels to Valyria, if that tale is to believed," commented Rodrik "But, no true Ironborn King would wield such a sorcerous weapon."
"For the first time, I have to agree with you, Rodrik the Reader," added Aeron "All of the Crow's Eye's gifts are cursed and his dragon horn is no exception. I say we burn it on a great pyre along with Euron's body."
"Aye," muttered Victarion
"Aye," added Rodrik
"Aye," finished off Asha. If such a weapon could kill its wielder, surely it was too dangerous for an Iron King to have in his arsenal.
Aeron ordered several men to add the accursed horn to the great pyre of bodies. The removal of the horn from the tent brought a sense of peace and serenity into Victarion's tent. It was growing late and Victarion did not have much longer to live. By the time, the medicine arrived in the morning from Lord Goodbrother's castle, it would be too little too late. Victarion had resigned himself to his fate with the solemn dignity of a dedicated soldier.
"It seems that the Drowned God has need of another oar's man to row his longboat," joked Victarion
"I thought he took more than enough men today," replied Asha
"That was the doing of the Storm God," intoned Aeron solemnly "Now enough with this bantering and let's move on to more urgent matters."
The four relatives were alone in Victaron's tent together. Aeron and Rodrik had seen to it that the guards were outside of the tent.
"What urgent matters," asked Asha "It's been a long day already and I'm growing tired. Ila wants me to tell her another bedtime story about how the Targayens conquered Dorne."
"No, that can wait," replied Rodrik "What we are going to talk about will determine the future of the Iron Islands and Westeros. And it concerns you, Asha. Come on my niece, you're always wanted to sit on the Seastone Chair. Now it seems that the Drowned God has opened the door up for you."
"What do you mean," asked Asha, whose eyes were growing weary
"Now that's a rhetorical question, my niece," said Aeron gruffly "Hasn't it occurred to you that, now with both Theon and Euron dead and Victarion dying, that're you're next in line to sit on the Seastone Chair."
Suddenly, the realisation dawned upon Asha. Since Euron's failed attempt to kill all his opponents at the trial and their battle experiences during that long dead, all thought of sitting on the Seastone Chair had temporarily gone out of Asha's mind. Now, they flowed back into the recesses of her head like a wave sweeping the shore at high tide.
"But Uncle, aren't you older than me," asked Asha "And haven't you forgotten that I'm just a woman."
Asha had remembered all her uncles' long, tiresome lectures that it was not a woman's place to rule the Iron Islands and that they should stay at home, cook, sew, and produce more Ironborn children.
"I have committed my life to serving the Drowned God," replied Aeron "I stay clear of politics. All I do is preach and guide the people in the Old Ways like a shepherd leading his flock."
"What about all of the other candidates from the kingsmoot," asked Asha "Gylbert, Erik, and Drumm?"
"Well, they're dead," said Rodrik "Euron's mongrels and mutes murdered them in cold blood. Asha, my dear niece, this is what you're always wanted: to rule. So, where is your passion and enthusiasm?"
"The Ironborn have had enough of fighting and haggling," added Victarion, as he struggled to speak "They want a strong leader who will guide our people to success and victory. With your brother Theon dead, Aeron serving the Drowned God, and I myself going to join the Drowned God soon, you are the last hope for House Greyjoy. So I say grab this opportunity with both hands. Or risk House Greyjoy losing the Seastone Chair."
Suddenly, the full weight of her new responsibilities and position dawned on her. Asha was now not merely the daughter of Balon Greyjoy the Ninth of His Name since the Grey King. She was no longer just the Captain of the Black Wind and the ruler of Deepwood Motte. She was now Asha, Queen of the Iron Islands and the North. The First of Her Name since the Grey King! The first woman to ever sit on the Seastone Chair.
"I suggest that you go back to your tent and have a long serious think about it," said Rodrik
"You have my blessing," said Victarion "I was wrong to underestimate you my niece."
"Me too," added Aeron "Tomorrow, we will have a kingsmoot. I, my brother, and half-brother have been discussing it. I and Rodrik have agreed to stand as your champions. Nute the Barber will stand in Victarion's place."
The more the merrier, thought Asha. That would certainly to Tristifier Botley and Ser Harras Harlaw. But, a ruler would still need help to rule the Iron Islands.
"I warmly accept your nominations," said Asha, with a smile "But I have a few small requests."
Endnotes
I decided to use the Manticore's poison element as a means of "killing off" Victarion, thus paving the way for Asha to sit on the Seastone Chair. I gathered that someone as unscrupulous as Euron Greyjoy would coat his sword with Manticore's poison. But, he didn't count on one of his saltwives killing him to avenge the death of her daughter. Her painful method can be described as a form of "phallic appropriation": a trope in horror slasher films which refers to the last woman to confront the killer.
Victarion's death would clear the way for Asha to sit on the Seastone Chair. Everyone thinks that Theon Greyjoy (aka. Reek) is dead until the events of A Dance with Dragons. Aeron Greyjoy probably won't ascend to the Seastone Chair because he is a priest of the Drowned God and it's against protocol for clergy to assume the mantle of political leadership in most societies, whether in the real world or fantasy. Asha would still probably need help. Aeron could be her religious advisor while Rodrik could be her Hand.