Chapter 32
Kings Landing
Tyrion
Tyrion always knew that his father was a heartless bastard who did not really care about anyone unless they were of some use to him and his damn legacy, the one thing he actually cared about in this world. So when the great Tywin Lannister decided to wed a helpless girl to one of their family just so he could put a Lannister in charge of Winterfell and the North after Robb Stark has been dealt with Tyrion was appalled by the decision. He saw the logic behind it but it doesn't mean he liked it. Sansa Stark had suffered enough at the hands of his vicious nephew and moronic sister but this just made things worse for the poor girl, now she would never be able to escape the grasp of his family. Father might have ensured that when Tyrek has children that they would have a claim to Winterfell but during his stay in the North he came to several conclusions.
First, even before this whole mess while Robert was still alive, with Cersei as the queen the Northerners disliked the southerners, Lannisters especially after what his father did when he took the city for Robert. Because of those actions the Lannisters and all of their bannermen were seen as nothing more than dishonorable cutthroats by the honorable Northerners. Second, the Starks are almost worshiped by their bannermen, Ned Stark being seen as a saint by his people. The Starks held the North for eight thousand years for a reason, they pushed back all invasions that threatened the North and generally did right by all who lived on their land. And thirdly almost everyone in the North believes that there must be a Stark in Winterfell, a real Stark, not someone whose claim rests on their mother who was forcefully married to their father. Even if Robb Stark dies and the main branch of the Starks is wiped out that still leaves their cadet branch the Karstarks, who by being Starks have the second greatest claim to Winterfell and the North.
If Robb Stark dies there would be little that could stop the Starks of Karhold from pushing their claim and knowing the Northerners they will back their countrymen up. Someone else could also push a claim but their claim would not be as great. Lyssa Arryn could also push a claim for the North due to the blood shared between herself, her son and the Starks but Tyrion doubted that crazy woman would do anything to move from her sanctum where she is still breastfeeding a grown boy, an image that Tyrion is trying hard to forget with little success.
He really pitied Sansa, a person should be happy on their wedding day, he still remembers his, it was the happiest day of his life and his short marriage filled him with happiness until his father intervened. Now Tyrion can't help but think that his father doesn't want anyone to have a happy marriage. Sansa looked beautiful in her wedding gown when he first walked up to the altar in the Great sept and subsequently during the feast. One good thing about the whole thing that there was plenty of wine to go around. He tried to ease the things a bit for the young couple, more for Sansa's sake than more Tyreks but his stupid nephew wouldn't have it and so the young girl was almost stripped naked but luckily Tyrek proved that he is at least somewhat noble and rushed them through the horde of men and women with grabby hands. As the young couple managed to exit the hall something propelled Tyrion to follow them so he excused himself and walked out through one of the side entrances. Carefully following them he could not help but notice that Tyrek was swaying from side to side with Sansa helping him walk. Not a strange thing for a groom on his wedding night but a strange thing for Tyrek. Tyrion's cousin was not one for drink, granted he did partake during the feast but not much, just enough to remain courteous, so the fact that he was obviously drunk picked Tyrion's interest. He knew Tyrek, his cousin way young but was not someone who would be put under the table after just a cup or two of wine.
As he proceeded to follow along he noticed that he wasn't the only one doing so, a Lannister guard was doing the same thing but much closer. Tyrion raised an eyebrow at the man, he was one of his father's guards but why would he be shadowing the new groom and bride. Could his father sent a man to show Tyrek where to put it, Tyrion shook his head and pushed the funny thought out of his mind. Now was not the time for withy comments. After the couple entered their chamber the guard stopped, then a crashing noise was heard and the guard ran in. Tyrion was honestly tempted to join the guard and see what exactly was going on but he stayed back behind the corner. After a short time of waiting the guard emerged from the chamber looking around warily before he proceeded to walk away quickly. Either something embracing happened that Tyrek doesn't want anyone to find out of this guard was up to something, but the question was what and under whose orders, the thing he has been pondering for days now.
"He could be just one of your father's guards sent to make sure everything goes smoothly," said Bronn who was sitting next to Tyrion with a cup of wine in his hand. The pitcher of Arbor red rested on the small wooden table between them, Tyrion's dangled his half-filled cup and as he looked at it.
"Perhaps but I do not think my father would do something like that, sending a measly guard to make sure that everything does as planned in the bed is not his style. Besides my father has some trust in Tyrek not to screw up something as simple as that," Tyrion said.
"A northern spy. Spies are used by all sides during war, I could see them putting one here," said Bronn.
"The Northerners are too set in their ways, too honorable for such things. Besides, I don't think there is someone capable enough to achieve putting a spy in the Lannister guard among the northerners."
"Cersei?" Bronn continued.
"Doubtful, unless she had some stupid idea," Which considering her recent streak was more likely than not. Jaime being back safe and sound, well mostly, from his captivity changed the course of the war and brought a large smile on Tyrion's face. That might be the only thing he and Cersei have in common, they both love Jaime. If their sister was up to something Jaime would know and if not them his brother could easily snoop around, he is the lord commander and he was always on excellent terms with the Lannister guard, knowing a good chunk of them by name, at least the old ones, there are a lot of new faces here.
"The Tyrells, Varys or Barlish?" asked Bronn.
"Possible, either one could have paid off the guard to do something for them but the question is what," There was nothing suspicious found in the chambers the next morning. The servants found the young couple naked with blood on the sheets so by all evidence the deed was done. But that still left the question of what caused the noise and how does the guard fit in all of this.
"Perhaps they wanted a third person to add to the fun," Bronn said smirking and Tyrion shot the sellsword a glare.
"As much as something like that might be appealing to someone like you or me for that part I don't think so. Tyrek is too much like his father and this isn't Dorne my friend. As much as I want it to be." Tyrion said and drank the contents of his cup before putting it down on the table for Bronn to refill it.
"Maybe you are putting too much thought into this, maybe it really is just a guard sent to make sure everything goes as planned, to keep Tyrek on the straight line."
"You forget where we are, this is Kings Landing, nothing is as it seems. I have spent enough time with my father and in this court to know when something is up and there is no such thing as putting too much thought into something, maybe you should try it sometime."
"Oh no I'm just a simple sellsword, I don't need to overthink about the ambitions of nobles I just fight and get paid for it."
"You are an anointed knight in the service of the crown, you are far from a simple sellsword now," Tyrion pointed out.
"Well, you are still paying me to guard your tiny ass, the price of which is now double considering my knighthood. I'm sellsword first, knight second."
"Fine, but still I need to figure out what is going on. I hate when I'm out of the loop," Tyrion said and continued to ponder. It could be anyone the ones they mentioned, each of them could have some end goal that Tyrion doesn't know about yet but can make a guess for the two of them. The Tyrells are friendly with Sansa, especially Margaery so she could have paid the guard to do something, watch over her maybe and when the crash was heard he ran in to see if everything was alright. Then there was Littlefinger who does have an obsession with Sansa's mother, the woman who took Tyrion all the way to the Eyrie, lady Catelyn so perhaps that obsession has been redirected at the younger daughter who is the spitted image of her mother. The very thought of Baelish being with Sansa made Tyrion's skin crawl. It was either one of those or there could be someone else in the Red Keep with ambitions for the Stark girl that Tyrion didn't yet know about.
"This wedding was grand but by what I heard the royal pricks wedding will be even grander, you lot are sure going all out of this considering that there is still a war on. I would use that coin for something smarter than cakes and singers," said Bronn.
"The wedding is a smart ploy, after that the Lannisters and the Tyrells will officially be joined together and their armies will be the crowns, plus their coin," said Tyrion taking a sip of wine from his cup.
"By what I have seen recently the king is quite infatuated with the rose, maybe when she finally spreads her legs for him that might cure what ails him. There is nothing like a good fuck to remove man's frustration."
"Usually that is the rule but the thing about my nephew is that he is not normal. If she succeeded in that endeavor however small the chances may be I will gladly bow before her feet," Tyrion said. He was more or less serious about that, so far the only person who had any success with Joffrey was his father but if lady Margaery could get some semblance of control over Joffrey and at least push some of his worse impulses to the side that would be appreciated. Tyrion continued to look at his cup as he pondered the odds of that happening.
Bronn grinned. "You want to fuck her," Tyrion turned his head to his sellsword friend. "Don't deny it, I know you do. Besides you aren't the only one, every man in this keep wants to plow her, from lords to servants. Even me."
"That is our future queen you are talking about," Tyrion said in moke outrage "if my nephew hears you talk like that he will see it as treason. He will first kill you and then every other man in the keep. Joffrey is not fond of sharing," Tyrion sighed "But yes I would like to if I had an opportunity but I intend to stick with whores, they are a lot safer."
Things are going according to fathers plan just like said they would. That only leaves Robb Stark to be dealt with. There is still an all so small possibility that the Vale might join the Young wolf but father has sent Baelish to see that doesn't happen which a bit surprisingly left the position of the master of coin to be given to him. Tyrion had a snicking suspicion that he wasn't given this position just because of his good work as hand or because he was a Lannister, it was more like it was either him or someone loyal to the Tyrells considering that most of the Westerlands nobles were either commanding the army or being held captive by the northerners. It doesn't really matter, the position is his and he will make most of it until his father inevitably decides to remove him from that position.
Varys
Contrary to the most belief he did not only rely on his little birds for information, quite often he did much of the work himself. He would disguise himself as a dock worker and go listen to members of the Lannister guard in one of the taverns they preferred, he would disguise himself as an old lady that works in the kitchens and even a jailer in the black cells. Each one of his personas has a unique look, body language and smell. Even when he was himself he tried to make sure people connect certain things with him, such as his robes and perfumes. But disguises were not the only way to get information in this city, especially the Red Keep. During his tenure as the spymaster for king Aerys he had discovered the many secret passages going in, out and through the Red Keep, the passages he utilized to their full effect.
They granted him access to almost every crag and crevice in the castle, that is how he found out many of the secrets of those who inhabit it, from the relationship between the queen and her brother during the early days of Robert Baratheons rein, the queen's petty plans to get rid of one person who supposedly slighted her or another and one of the more interesting and recent plans belonging to Tywin Lannister himself. The plan was brilliant even if it was utterly ruthless but what could be expected from a man like him.
Lord Tywin had managed to get the support of the Freys and the Boltons, the two houses would deal with Robb Stark when he arrived at the Twins and in exchange for his head, they would get the lands belonging to their former liege lords. A devious plan that would have definitely worked but it seems that something did not go according to what lord Tywin expected. The Freys have rejoined the fight on the side of the Starks after Black Walder somehow miraculously became the new lord of the Twins after the deaths of his father, brother and old Wolder. The former two were supposedly killed by the Brotherhood without banners and old Wolder died due to stress, his old heart giving up in his sleep. As soon as his title as Lord of the Crossing was secure the new lord Wolder immediately pledged himself and his house to the king in the North and started marching his forces towards Riverrun. Varys originally thought that Black Walder simply killed his kin and took the Twins but his little birds could not find any evidence about that. Or perhaps the son was not so much like his father.
The only thing he knew was that out of three Freys that paid a visit to Riverrun to talk terms with the young king, one was dead, the second was thrown into the dungeons, that being lame Lothar and the third was now lord. If he didn't know any better he would say that Robb Stark somehow found out and dealt with the Freys before they could betray him but according to all information the young Stark had a mind for war, not for the game. Additionally, the boy was much like his father, even if he tried something like that it would have been seen from a mile away.
He would have thought the first thing pure luck but the second thing being that no one has seen or heard from Roose Bolton since he arrived to attend a war council. The best his little birds could find out is that lord Bolton was stricken with summer sickness and was isolated in one of the wings or the Tully castle. The fact that his little birds are having a hard time with getting any information from Riverrun was concerning. With both Freys and Boltons remaining in the firm grip of Robb Stark he has enough manpower to continue this war for months and perhaps even years when the winter inevitably comes. Which was the worse possible outcome in long term in his opinion. War means suffering and suffering is bad for the realm. Many people in power don't care about the true state of the realm and its people but Varys does, he always has, being someone who came from nothing and had spent most of his early life just struggling to survive on the streets. It is true that the death of the Starks would end the war but a part of him felt bad for it, the Starks were good people, honorable fools most of the time but good.
Varys was sure that those two developments being far from coincidences and that the young king has finally learned from his mistakes decided to act in a way that was uncharacteristic for a Stark. Honestly, Varys was impressed how quickly the boy had medicated the issue, but that still left the question of how did he find out about the treason. Could the boy have sent spies to the capitol or had his troops shot down a raven meant for Roose or Wolder and delivered it to their king. Something he would have to find an answer to soon. If the boy had truly started using his mind for more than just battles and instead focused it on the other aspect of war then the Lannisters just might have an even bigger problem at their hands than their first thought.
One thing was certain lord Tywin is not going to be happy once Varys tells him about the new developments that have caused the ruin of his latest skim.
Seven people sat in the council chamber, every member of the council and the queen and Lord Redwyne, the king being not so surprisingly absent. They have spent some time talking about Ser Tyrek's wedding to lady Sansa and the state of the West and the Reach before they finally came to the part Varys was waiting for.
"Varys what do your spies tell you about the situation in the Riverlands? Asked Lord Tywin.
"The crowns forces have reached the southern Riverlands and are moving north," Varys said in a calm, soothing voice. This information that Varys knew that Tywin was aware of, but not the next. "But."
Tywin's eyes narrowed at Varys and everyone's attention turned to the spymaster. "But what?" asked Tywin.
Varys made himself slightly more conformable in his sit. "It seems that the Freys have returned to the side of Robb Stark," The room went silent for a moment and Varys had to hold back a smirk. All eyes were on him, he could see the surprise, anger and even fear in them but the eyes of the hand remained cold as they were before.
"Last time I checked old Walder Frey wasn't really happy that Robb Stark passed down one of his daughters and instead choose Jayne Westerling as his bride. I met the old weasel, he is not someone who lets go of a grudge easily," said lord Tyrion. The little lord would be right in that regard, the old lord of the Twins hold a grudge better than most, probably almost as much as Tywin himself.
"And you would be right my lord, it is not old Walder who decided to once again pledge his house to the Starks and Tullys but his grandson Black Walder," Varys said and everyone looked at him confused.
"Explain," growled Lord Tywin.
"The old Wolder Frey died in his sleep after he received the news of the deaths of his two heirs, Edwyn and his father who were killed by bandits on their way back to their home. After that Black Walder became the new lord and pledged his allegiance and support to King Robb."
"Traitors! We will deal with them and their little king soon," snarled Cersei with half angry and half smug expression. Varys just nodded. The Spider looked at lord Tywin whose stone face betrayed nothing but a hint of anger and frustration could be seen in his eyes.
"Both heirs killed, do you think someone was behind it and that it wasn't really bandits?" asked Lord Redwyne.
"I do not know my lord, but they were taking two very different roads through different parts of the Riverlands, it is possible but uncertain."
"What else?" asked Tywin.
"I have also received news that Lord Bolton has been stricken with summer sickness and is bedridden. He is being treated by a maester in Riverrun but I don't have any more information on that."
"Good, let the traitor die, one less commander to advise the Stark boy and one less enemy," Cersei said. Tywin turned his gaze to her, his eyes were now filled with fury, people in the room might not know the reason for it but Varys knew. The glare Lord Tywin sent his daughter was so intense that she immediately withdrew herself into her seat and lowered her head. If looks could kill lord Tywin would only need to glare at someone once at they would fall dead that very instant. Honestly, if Tywin could do that and used it on his daughter and grandson this war just might have been resulted quickly, but that is not going to happen, yet a man can dream.
"With the Freys bolstering him the Young wolf will become more of an annoyance than he already is. With them, at his side, he still has a good fighting chance. Our forces have entered the southern Riverlands yes?" said Tywin.
"Yes, they have. Lord Tarly and the men under Ser Lyle are heading towards up the kingsroad but have yet to encounter any opposition."
"Treturous cowards, they know they cant beat the crown forces," said Pycelle. The old ass kisser never seems to know when it is the right time for it or not.
"Robb Stark and his ilk are anything but cowards," Tywin turned his gaze to the old man who shifted in his seat. "Our forces number slightly more than twenty thousand, the northern rebels with the aid of the Freys have the same amount. If Robb Stark meets lord Tarly in an open battle I have no doubt that the battle will be a bloody one. Let's hope that the Reachmen can at least bleed the Young wolf."
"My lord I have no doubt in lord Tarly's capabilities as a commander. He will do his duty to the crown," said Mace Tyrell, to which Tywin just nodded.
"Lord Tarly has also been leaving some small detachments under the command of lords and knights to guard kings road and castles that are near it," Varys said. An interesting move, Varys understood the importance of having troops in the rear watching your back but lord Tarly has done this quite often. Perhaps the old commander does not want to be caught by surprise, the Stark boy was proven that he is good at those.
The North
Howland
Seeing his children and the Stark boys safe and sound brought relief to his worried mind. For weeks he had to struggle with the thoughts of something horrible befouling them, being killed by the invaders, eaten by beasts or burned alive during the burning of Winterfell but the gods proved that they still had kind hearts and brought them back all safely to Greywater watch. After some further planning with Galbart and Maege, he finally managed to leave the hall and see his children. Jyanna refused to let them out of her sight for the first two days and Howland has happy that he had his whole family together again. He also spent some time with the Stark boys, the older one Bran was smart even if a bit broody, which was understandable considering his affliction. The young brother Rickon is a fast and wild little thing, never staying in the same place for more than a second. Brooding and the wildness of the wolfsblood both classical traits of the Starks.
What surprised him was the wildling woman who acted as the boy's protector. Wildlings weren't usually welcome south of the Wall, their visits always ending up with their deaths but looks like the Starks made an exception for his one and Howland was glad for it.
Now he, Maege, Gelbart and a small contingent of their forces that they managed to get past the Moat were nearing Barrowton the seat of House Dustin. Barbrey and her father lord Ryswell had the necessary troops they needed to retake the Moat and the rest of the North. The war wasn't just in the south but in the North, to and if the new king was going to take his seat and rule he is going to need his kingdom at least mostly whole. After they push the Iron Born back and the war in the south is over they could focus on finishing the squids once and for all.
Howland had a pretty good guess on how Barbrey will react when she sees him, she hates Ned but also hates him for being the one who survived the fight at the tower. He had heard that she had more than once said that her husband should have been one to make it out alive instead of Ned and Howland.
"You think this will work?" asked Galbart as he rode next to Howland.
"I'm not sure but I will try to appeal to her good side, she is of the North like us and will not allow her home to be ripped apart by pirates and rapists," Howland replied. Galbart gave him a hopeful look and nodded.
"If your words don't work my mace certainly will," Maege said from behind them. Howland just nodded at that and hoped that they won't need to come to blows. As they reached the gates of Barrowtone they were let inside and they rode towards the castle wee they were stopped by the guards.
"Who goes there?" asked one of the guards.
"Lord Howland Reed, Lady Maege Mormont and Lord Galbart Glover, we are here to see lady Dusting concerning an important matter," the guard's eyes went wide for a moment before he bid them enter the keep. They dismounted and followed the same guard inside the castle until they reached the great hall, where they were told that lady Dustin will meet them shortly. The wait wasn't as short as the guard said it would be and Howland was honestly annoyed by the games Barbrey decided to play, people were dying all over the North, they did not have time for this foolishness. When lady Barbrey finally decided to show up and entered the room with a mock smile on her lips.
"Lord Reed, Lord Glover, lady Mormont, what brings you to my home?" she asked in a polite tone.
Howland bowed slightly. He could sugarcoat it but he decided to be blunt on this one. "My lady, we come here to ask of you for aid in pushing back the Iron Born. Robb Stark has sent an army with lord Glover and lady Mormont but they can not pass the Moat without taking heavy losses. We would ask of you to give us troops to attack the Moat from the northern side."
Barbrey raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm aware of the Iron Born just like everyone here in the North but I'm sorry to say that I can not help you. All of my troops and needed to defend my lads from further attacks. The Iron Born have not only attacked the Moat but they tried to attack Barrowton and have since persisted in their attempts at raiding my lands. As a lady, it is my duty to protect them and the people who live there."
Howland looked at her, he knew what she said was only partially true. The Iron Bron have stopped trying to attack the Dustin lands in number for weeks now instead of focusing on less defended areas.
Galbart moved forward, a pleading look on his face."My lady, please my home has been overrun by these bastards, my family is being held captive. We need help."
"I sympathize with you my lord but I'm can't just abandon my people to aid yours. I cant provide troops nut I might provide aid in some other way."
"My lady..." Howland started but did not get to finish.
"I'm sorry my lord but what I said stands," Bargrey said politely but she was glaring at Howland.
"Horseshit!" bellowed Maege and marched to Bargaery and grabbed her by the dress. The guards went for their weapons but none made a move towards the she-bear, yet. "Listen here you, the fucking squids are running amock through our homes, raping and killing whoever they want. Now you are going to either help us deal with them as it is your duty as a woman of the North and vassal of House Stark or should I teach you a lesson in humility."
Barbery was now glaring at Maege with hate-filled eyes. "Your Starks are dead, Ned Stark is dead, his three youngest children are dead, the only ones who are still alive are a girl being held captive and a boy who can't even keep his own castle. The Starks are done, I will not lift a finger to help them in any way, they have disrespected me for far too long to now expect aid. The Greyjoys will be dealt with but I will not do it because a Stark tells me to."
"That's where you are wrong, the Bran and Rickon are alive, they are with my family at Greywater watch," Howland said.
"So the boys fled and let their castle fall," Barbrey said mockingly. "So much of Stark straight."
Maeges grip tightened and she brought lady Dustin closer to herself. "Listen here you self absorbant cunt. You think you are something special because Brandon Stark decided to wet his cock with you one time, you think that because of that you were supposed to be the lady of Winterfell and because that did not happen you consider it a slight by the Starks. Everyone knew who Brandon was, he was a skirt chaser who fucked half of the women in the North before he moved on to the Riverlands. How could you be the lady of Winterfell when you could not hold his attention for longer?"
"I was owed that," Barbrey shouted "I loved that fool with my heart, I was ready to give him anything he asked of me but instead he moved on to a fish. After Brandon left me my father quickly married me off to save face. I did not love my husband but he at least gave me the respect I deserved. Then my new husband went to war and died and the honorable Ned Stark did not even have the decency to bring his body back from Dorne, instead of leaving it to rot in the desert sun. But he did bring back a horse, a damn horse!"
"What happened was indeed unfortunate and you have every reason to be angry but that does not mean that you can just abandon thousands of years of fielty. If the North is to survive this war its people need to stand together, we can't let grudges get the better of us," Howland said.
"Fealty, the Starks swore fealty to the Targaryens after they bent the knee and then rebelled when it soothed them," Barbrey snarled.
"That was different and you know it!" said Maege. "The fucking lunatics burned our lord and his heir alive and kidnapped Lyanna."
Howland looked at Maege after she said the last part, he wanted to tell the people the truth but he knew that time was not right yet.
"I have been slighted, insulted and made a mockery by the Starks and yet everyone still takes their side. You are fools to believe them virtuous and honorable."
"The Starks aren't perfect, no men are, they made plenty of mistakes over the years just like everyone but at least they try to do good. I don't pretend to know lord Eddards mind but he had to have a reason for the thing he did. The only other person who survived the fight at the Tower is Howland, it was improper aye but in war such things happen, I never got the bones belonging to my brother Ethan either," Galbart said, the last part with clear sadness in his voice. Barbrey just continued to exchange insults with Maege for several minutes, while Galbart tried to be the voice of reason. Finally, he could not take it anymore.
"Enough!" Howland shouted, everyone looked at him with shock, he always spoke with a level of calmness so this was out of character for him. "You have let your anger and self-pity consume you up to a point where you would gladly let your own people die because you would rather avenge some slight than do your duty. You say you loved Brandon, what would he say to you if he could see you now, how would your husband react if he could see what you become. Ned felt true guilt because of his actions to you but he or his house are not to be blamed for every bad thing that happened in your life."
For a moment there was silence in the great hall, Howland and Barbrey were glaring at each other and Maege was almost ready to pick her mace up and bludgeon the woman in her hands to death with it. Howland was starting to realize that this endeavor was perhaps pointless. It seems that taking the Moat will be a lot harder than he thought it would be.
"What in seven hells is going on, cant an old man prey in peace. I can hear you lot shouting all the way to the godswood," a booming voice said coming from behind them. Howland turned to look at the door and there stood a large man with mostly grey hair and a beard with few brown hairs remaining. A moon-shaped scar ran across his crooked nose, brown-grey eyes stared at them.
"Lord Denys," Howland said with a bow. Denys Dustin is the uncle of Wiliam, Barbrey's good uncle. "We did not expect to see you here."
The old Dustin started walking towards Howland and Galbart, the sound of large feet meeting stone echoing through the hall. "And why not, this is my home after all."
"We were told that you are your nephews went to assist lords Ryswell and Flint with pushing back the raids on their lands," said Galbart.
"Aye we did, the boys remained with the men but I came back. Now care to tell me why is lady Maege holding my good niece as if she is going to eat her at any moment."
"You see we came here to ask for aid in retaking the Moat from the Iron Born," said Howland.
"The guard told me as much but what seems to be the problem?"
"She is refusing to help," said Maege.
"I will not obey an order of some pup that can not even hold his own lands," protected Barbrey.
"These arent orders from lord Robb, this is my plan. The army cant get past the Moat without heavy losses but if we attack from two sides then we have a better chance of success," said Howland. "The Iron Born have to be driven off our lands if we are to have peace."
Lord Denys gave Howland a thoughtful look, the old man is at least considering what the lord of the Neck has to say.
"How many men are in this army?"
"Two and a half thousand came with lord Glover and lady Mormont, another five hundred arrived several days ago under the command of Markus Flint."
"So you think that with our help you would have enough men to make the Moat?"
"Yours and that of lord Ryswell," answered Howland.
"The guard mentioned something about the Stark boys."
"Aye, they are alive and well. They are currently at Greywater watch. Theon Greyjoy burned two other boys instead of them."
Lord Denys huffed. "It was a mistake on lady Catelyn's part to leave children in charge of Winterfell and the North, not to mention the stupid decision by her son to send Theon fucking Greyjoy back to his father. He was supposed to be a hostage to prevent this very scenario from happening."
"The king is young, he is good on a battlefield but he is still green. He has learned from his mistakes," said Galbart. You got to hand it to lord Glover, the man is staunchly loyal to the Starks and Robb, even ready to defend them at any moment.
Denys gave Howland another steely look before sighing. "The North is my home, it has been the home of my family for thousands of years and I will not allow it to suffer. My honor as a Northman won't allow me," Deyns said and turned his gaze to Barbrey. "We need to help them so they could help us. Together we can push the bastards back into the sea."
"Denys!" lady Dustin shouted in anger.
"Barbery I agree that the most recent streak of the Starks is a mixed bag, half excellent but also half shit. But I remember the days when lord Rickard was alive and those were the good days. Ned Stark was never supposed to be the ruler of the North, all things considered, he did a decent job even if he made mistakes at first. Robb Stark is in the same position his father was at that age, only he does not have the backing of half the realm. Times are hard and my father always said that in times like these the only way for a group to survive is to band together."
"Have you forgotten what happened to Wiliam, have you seriously forgiven that?" asked Barbrey.
Denys shook his head. "I will never forget that nor forgive it but the sins of one man arent the sins of an entire family. I know how you feel about the Stark and I felt similarly for a time but I realized that that rage is a crutch that will only way me down," Lady Dustin was about to say something but Denys continued. "Barbrey, Wiliam would not want us to fight amongst each other when there is a threat knocking on our doors. He respected you and was fond of you, if he lived I have no doubt that you would have made a great husband and wife, a great lord and lady of a house. What would he do if he was here?"
Lady Barbrey just looked at her good uncle for a moment, anger slowly fading from her face. After a moment of silence, a sigh came from her. "He would have done the right thing and helped his fellow Northmen."
Howland looked from the lady to the old lord. "So a decision has been made, House Dustin will help its fellow Northmen in their time of need but know one thing if the boy king gets any ideas I won't go down as easily as lord Karstark, the boy will have to face my axe if he is to take my head," said Denys.
"Noted," said Galbart. "But it won't come to that."
"Know that I'm only going this to honor the memory of my husband, not for the Starks," Barbrey said, a small amount of anger still remaining.
"Good. You can rest here for the night my lords, my lady. I will send a raven to my nephew and lord Ryswell and they will bring the forces needed here, from there we will move to retake the Moat."
Howland thanked the old lord who proceeded to do as he said. He could see that Barbrey was red with rage but would not or could not go against the words of her good uncle. Howland thanked the gods for the mercy they showed them and the North on this day.
The Narrow sea
Loras
He knew that going to the home of the Daynes would be a different experience than anything he did before but to say that the visit to Starfall was unlike he expected would be putting in mildly. The first thing was meeting Lord Dayne, he heard rumors about the Daynes having unique look but seeing it for himself it was something different altogether. Lord Dayne had to be one of the most handsome men Loras had ever met which was only increased due to silverly blond hair and purple eyes. Guess now he had a good picture of how the Targaryens looked like. The second thing was how strange and cryptic the lord acted, not to mention the very fact that he claims that Ser Arthur Dayne is alive and that he knows who Jon's mother is and that he is the one who is meant to tell Jon the truth, not him. Everything just seemed so unexpected and strange.
They stayed at the castle for a day until the ship to take them to Tyrosh was ready. Starfall itself was a beautiful castle made mostly out of white marble and to say that it was lavish wouldn't do it proper justice. Loras knew that the Daynes were kings and that they are a wealthy family but to see it for himself he would have to put them somewhere on the same level as the major houses in the Reach. Being in the home of the greatest swordsman the world has ever seen was exhilarating, for a moment Loras actually felt like he was a little boy again. His excitement only grew when they had their meal in the great hall in which above the main hearth, pinned against the wall was Dawn, the sword forged from a heart of a fallen star. It was magnificent although it was pale white in color, it was not exactly the color of milk glass. Loras just shrugged it off as stories but that didn't diminish the sword's greatness in any way.
Lord Vorion was a gracious host, talking with them about their journey and asking any question they had, apart from those that had anything to do with Jon's parentage. Loras wondered what the reason for all the secrecy was. After their talk with lord Dayne Jon and Loras went to Robar and Grenn and told them about what transpired in the solar and how according to their host their next stop would be Tyrosh. Robar was a bit confused and shocked but the prospect of going to a free city and meeting a legend sturred the lust for adventure in him. Grenn was not so ecstatic as Robar was, mostly due to the prospect of being on a ship again. The thing they were all concerned about was their initial goal that started this journey in the first place, reaching Jon's brother and offering their help, this detour already taking the precious time that they could have used to make their way to the Riverlands. Lord Vorion assured that if lord Robb managed to survive this long he will manage at least a few more moons. He had competent advisers such as the Blackfish and the lords of the North with him after all.
Seeing the reactions of his friends brought a smile and a laugh to Loras. Jon and Robar were much like Loras, with Jon being slightly annoyed but he able to appreciate the wonder that Starfall was while Grenn was just left speechless. The only two real castles he been before were Hasty and Blackhaven but they were poor comparisons to the seat of House Dayne.
Loras also noticed Lord Vorions sister lady Allyria, there was a large difference between them age-wise but it was obvious that Vorion was the dutiful older brother to her. She had long curly raven black hair and eyes the same as her brother, if lady Ashara looked like this it's no wonder Jon's father broke his oath. Loras could easily see men fighting each other just to earn her favor. Beric sure was a lucky man to have her as his betrothed.
Now as Loras lay in his bed abord the Weeping Sun, a ship that lord Vorion organized to take them on the next step of their journey, Loras could not help but wonder how did it all come to this, it was all supposed to be simple, make Renly king, ensure the peace in the realm but here he was now hundreds of kilometers from home aboard a ship crossing the Narrow sea with his best friend, a man he almost killed and a poacher, all going to some free city because of some words from a Dornish lord. Even if what he said was true it still does not make this any less crazy. They went from trying to reach Maidenpool to searching for the supposedly dead but not so dead Sword of the Morning. Willas, Margaery and Garlan would laugh at his luck, nothing can ever be simple, can it?
He missed his siblings, he still blamed them but could not hate them, never hate them. Loras seeing that being alone with his thoughts was slowly making him depressed decided to join the people on the deck. Once he made it up on the deck he saw sailors running around doing their duties, the captain, a dornish bastard by the name of Yandel and Grenn throwing up over the side of the ship with Robar next to him. If traveling by the river was bad for Grenn, traveling by sea was ten times worse. The former poacher was not able to grow his sea legs, Loras just smirked at that. Looking at the front of the ship he saw Jon, resting his hands on the edge looking at the sea in front of him. Ever since their talk with lord Vorion he seemed to have once more become more broody and reserved. Loras slowly walked up to his friend and stood next to him.
"You are annoying me," Loras said.
Jon looked at him. "What did I do to annoy you?"
"This," Loras said waving his hands at Jon. "You are brooding again."
"I'm fine, so leave me be," Jon said.
"I'm not going to do that because it's really starting to annoy me. Every time something which you find that annoys you or makes you angry your brood, well for me its the opposite. Brooding makes me annoyed and angry."
"I know, I just can't help it," Jons paused for a moment." I just feel like every time is set a goal something comes up which derails it. Since we left Kings Landing nothing has gone according to plan, something always goes wrong, or we are forced to take the other longer way. I went to get answers at Starfall only to leave with even more questions. I just want something to go how I want it."
"I agree with you that the road so far has not been like we expected it to be and I think that's not gonna change any time soon, considering our luck but look at the bright side of all of this."
Jon looked at him inquisitively. "What the bright side?"
"We get to meet one of the greatest men to ever live unless we been lied to but lord Dayne seemed truthful to me."
Jon gave him a halfhearted chuckle. "You are right, at least there is that. I still wonder why my father lied and what does ser Arthur have to do with me, apart from maybe being my uncle."
"I can't give you an answer, you are just going to have to be patient and see for yourself. Patience is important."
"You are lecturing me on patience, I still remember what happened at Brightwater."
Loras remembered the event for a moment before he shook his head and shrugged. "Not my proudest moment I will admit."
"If it wasn't for me and Garlan you would have ended like a fool," Jon said smirking.
Loras wanted to say something about when Jon had a bad moment but seeing his friend back to his normal self so quickly stopped him. The best way to get Jon to stop brooding is to back him recall some stupid moment their shared.
After weeks at sea, being stuck on a ship Loras and the rest finally set their sights on Tyrosh. From the distance, they could make out a large port and black walls that surround the city. The city appeared to be large, at least as large as Old Town. He could see ships entering and leaving with various banners on them, from what his guess was Bravossi to ones from Westeros such as one from Gulltown by the look of it.
"So mister knows it all, what can you tell us about Tyrosh?" Loras asked Robar who was standing next to him, watching as they approached the city.
"It was built by the Valyrians as a military outpost but became a trading city soon after. Now it's a wealthy free city and like most free cities is filled with slaves," Robar said. In Westeros slavery was forbidden, one of the greatest taboos. There are different statutes when it comes to people and their standing in society but all are free. No one was the right to take that from you. The very practice was abhorrent and barbaric. "The city is ruled by an arcon. Tyroshi are considered boisterous, flamboyant, and greedy. They love bright colors, dyeing their hair and beards brightly in colors such as blue, green, pink, purple, scarlet and more. They fight with other free cities like Myr over the Disputed lands. They are also known for making intricate and lavish armors, so while we are here I think you would like to visit a smith."
"Why? My armor is fine," Loras said.
"Your armor looks like something that might have been forged here. I think the locals are going to like you."
"Let's just hope we don't end up in any trouble here," said Grenn.
"With our luck, there is a party of sellswords waiting for us on the docks," quipped Robar.
"Let's hope not, I rather not our first visit to the city to be remembered as a slaughter," Jon said while petting Lady bead.
AN: Sorry for the wait, this one took more time to write and edit than usual and I also had other things to do. As always hope you like it and leave a review. In the next chapter, we will see more of Tyrosh, Kings Landing, perhaps Riverrun, or the Basilisk Isles, depending on how long I decided to make the chapter.
Responce:
ClassicXD: I'm glad you like it. There is more than that coming.
Yamajiji: Glad you like the Sansa part, don't worry she will manage, with some help of course. The meeting between Jon and Arthur will be in the next chapter. You are welcome for the response.
BioHazard82: Thanks mate.
jaimerey7000: Ramsey is still running amock but he will be dealt with. Robb will find out but not yet, there is still a battle to win. Victarion will leave but leave a good garrison behind. Sansa will have some help from the inside and Stannis is giving up yet.
Force Smuggler: Glad to see you like it. I'm going to go into how the plot started and how people on the loyalist's side know the truth and how much of it. Not everyone knows the whole truth just pieces.
Guest: happy to see you like it. Don't worry just will be taking the reins soon.
NoobFenrir: Glay you like it mate. I'm not sure anymore about the frequency of the updates from here on. I will try to make it once a week, but if that doesn't happen then it will once every other week. University is calling so.
deathlyhallow0: I'm happy you like it.