2nd Month of 300 A.C. King's Landing
King Tommen I Baratheon
The day had finally come, the day he had been waiting for since he had met Sansa, things between them had not been easy to begin with, but they had overcome those challenges and were now married. Tommen felt happy, as happy as he had ever felt with anything in his life. Sansa looked absolutely stunning in her dress, and when her brother had led her down toward him in the Great Sept, Tommen had felt his heart begin to quicken. She was truly, truly quite beautiful, and he felt like the luckiest man alive. They had said their vows, and when they had kissed, gods Tommen had felt something shoot through him, and he knew from the way Sansa had gasped that she had felt the same way.
From the sept they had moved onto the throne room where they were now feasting. The feast was not as grand as the one arranged for Joffrey's wedding, but Tommen did not care, all he cared about was that the woman by his side, who was now his wife was happy. He turns to her and whispers. "You are well my love?"
His wife, gods that word feels so good nods. "I am my love, are you?"
Tommen smiles. "I am now that I am with you." he takes her hand and kisses their linked fingers, his smile widens when she blushes.
"As am I. Now there is no need for us to hide our love for one another, my love, my king. Tell me husband, what do you plan on doing for me?" his wife asks.
"Whatever you wish my love, you are my queen, whatever you want, you need only name it and I shall give it to you." Tommen says.
His wife hesitates a moment and then replies. "I want to see Winterfell. Once all is settled and well, I would like to go north, to see it one more time. I want to see my childhood home, and dance within its hall, and sing again."
Tommen looks at Sansa then, truly looks at her, and in her face he can see no hint of a lie or ulterior motive, and though he knows he should not think so of his wife, he cannot help but think that her brother kept himself hidden all this time, what other secrets is he hiding. Still he pushes such thoughts away and merely says. "Of course my love, when all is settled and safe there, we will all go north."
His wife smiles at him then and leans over to kiss his cheek. "Thank you my love."
She turns back to face the crowd, but their hands remained linked. Tommen watches proceedings with somewhat of a tired eye, the Tyrells are unhappy about this marriage he knows, but if he is being honest with himself, he does not care. He has far too much on them for them to be able to act negatively toward him, and it is with that in mind that he turns to Lord Mace and says. "Thank you my lord, for being so patient. I know you desire to return home to deal with the Ironborn and once the festivities are done here, I shall grant you and your men leave to return to your home to drive off the Ironborn. I will send Randyll Tarly off to Storm's End to take the castle, as well as negotiate a settlement."
Tyrell looks surprised a moment and then says. "Thank you, Your Grace. If you do require any further assistance during the war, please do not hesitate to ask. We are as always the crown's most faithful servants."
Tommen nods and then says. "There is one thing I do require of you, your daughter Lady Margaery shall remain here in King's Landing to serve as a lady in waiting to my wife the Queen. I think it only fitting that we allow their friendship to continue, would you not say?"
Tommen feels Sansa squeeze his hand, and he smirks slightly, Tyrell looks as if he wishes to protest, but instead he merely says. "Of course Your Grace, a great honour, and one I know my daughter shall be most happy with."
Tommen nods, and then turns his attention to his goodbrother. "Tell me Lord Stark, have you thought on who you shall wed once all of this is done and settled? After all the north is a big place, and you are in need of heirs."
His goodbrother smiles, and his smile reminds Tommen of a wolf. "Yes Your Grace, I have been considering my options, and I do think in light of recent circumstances a marriage into the north would be for the best. There are many eligible girls within the north that might peak my interest, and as such it seems the time is right for such a marriage."
"Very good my lord, tell me then, what news has there been from the north? If I am to send assistance to you, I would know just what it is I am sending men into." Tommen replies.
Stark looks pained for a moment and then he replies. "From what my sources tell me, Deepwood Motte is secure once more, and is now flying Stark Banners, as for Moat Cailin, that too has been retaken and has been flying Stark banners as well. Stannis Baratheon and Ramsay Snow continue to fight amongst themselves, waging intermittent warfare and destroying their forces."
Tommen considers this a moment and then asks. "Then it might well seem that you shall be arriving as a winning lord no? Without the need for many reinforcements?"
Stark smiles a moment, and Tommen is once again reminded of a wolf. "Oh I would not say so, there is much and more going on within the north, and as such any assistance the crown could provide would be most useful to me Your Grace."
Tommen looks at Stark, and he suspects that there is something more going on here. He grins a moment and then replies. "Very well."
Last Hills
King Stannis I Baratheon
His chest hurt, by the gods did it hurt, but not as much as his pride did. Beaten, beaten by the bastard of Bolton who had no more than five hundred men that boy was causing him more and more trouble with each and every passing day, that the bastard was out there, doing gods alone knew what. Stannis did not know how he was going to beat the boy and his men, Snow was disappearing into the darkness every time Stannis tried to come near him, and the northmen were disappearing, he did not know why, but they were going, but not flocking toward Snow that was for sure. He just did not know where they were going, and it was driving him mad.
"What word has there been from your scouts Karstark?" Stannis growls.
Arnolf Karstark had at one point been a useful tool, but his usefulness has since run out and Stannis still wonders why he uses him. "From what we can tell Your Grace, the bastard of Bolton is using somewhere close to the Dreadfort as a hideout, his men are camped around there, but they disperse whenever my scouts come close by."
"Have they been flying my banners?" Stannis asks.
"No Your Grace. They have done as you instructed and have been riding without banners. And yet something has always alerted Snow's men to their coming. I do not know what it might be, considering Snow and his men believe you to be dead." Karstark replies.
"And how likely are they to truly believe that damned rumour then? It is claimed that there is Stark wandering these lands once more. Rickon Stark if I remember correctly. How did you not see that, considering I asked you to?" Stannis demands.
Karstark looks somewhat shamed. "I did all I could. And yet it seems Manderly was more devious than I thought. He knew more about their escape then he let on. And now he refuses to allow the boy out of his sight."
"Manderly is a traitor who must be shown the error of his ways. Allow me to send word to my brethren and we can have him sorted out my king." Melisandre says, the beam at her throat gleaming.
Stannis looks at her and then responds. "Very well, do it, but make sure you have them arrive within the city. I want Manderly killed and his daughters and the boy brought before me." He pauses a moment and then looks at Karstark. "And I want you to go and find out more about this boy. I want to know where he was hiding."
Karstark is silent a moment and then he replies. "The Haunted Castle Your Grace. It is an old settlement where Rickon Stark, the heir of Cregan Stark once used as a base during his invasions of Skaagos. It is a place known for some sort of treachery or the other. It was there he hid, and it was there he was found."
"And why pray tell did it take Manderly to find him. Is this castle not on your lands?" Stannis asks pointing at the map.
Karstark shakes his head. "No Your Grace, that is another abandoned castle, built for Artos Stark and his family in the days of old. That is where an old man who once was a great warrior lives."
Stannis looks at the man and then snorts before turning his attention back to the present. "Snow is camped near the Dreadfort you say? Why does he not simply enter that castle?"
"Because he is trying to lure more men toward him and his cause. And he is trying tempt Your Grace to attack him. He wants you to fall for his trap." Karstark says.
"The fool, I am not Robert, I will not go marching into territory I know nothing of. No it is better if he comes to us. The bastard has shown himself to be impatient and as such I mean to make use of that." Stannis says.
"If I might ask, how do you intend to do that Your Grace?" Karstark's grandson asks.
Stannis looks at the boy and replies. "Through sending some men to the Last River. Snow will need to prove himself to these men of his, otherwise they will desert him. I will force him to cross the river, and then when the time comes, I shall hit him and hit him hard."
There is a moment's silence and then Karstark speaks. "A sound plan Your Grace. And one that is sure to lure the bastard into a false sense of pride and confidence. He is a man who relies on action, the waiting he is currently undergoing will not sit well with him. Exploiting that is in your best interests."
Stannis merely nods and then turns his attention to another one of Karstark's sons, gods he is surrounded by them. "What word of the rest of the north? Are Ryswell and Dustin still being obstinate?"
"Yes Your Grace. They continue to state they are fighting for the Starks and none else. Any resistance to Stark rule is being crushed on the western coast. Any Ironborn presence is being dealt with severely." Karstark's son replies.
Stannis grits his teeth and then says. "More fool them, when I am done with Bolton I shall see to them, and when I do, they shall know no mercy. It is time we ended this farce. We shall march out soon enough. Has there been word from the south?"
Ser Justin Massey speaks then. "Limited word Your Grace. The Redwyne fleet is currently docked in King's Landing. And as such does not seem to be preparing to move out anytime soon. Furthermore, it appears all is secure within the Riverlands, it seems the Lannisters have held firm."
Stannis considers this and then looks at Melisandre briefly, he knows what she would have him do. Though he finds it abhorrent, he knows that sometimes one must put ones duty above one's own wants. He knows soon enough he shall have a son, Melisandre has told him as such, and so he looks at his knight and tells him. "Send word for my daughter and wife to join us. It is time they came down from the wall."