Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Game of Thrones.
Hello again, hope you are all well and thank you to those that read and reviewed the last chapter!
Since I am not exactly sure just when Shireen was born and, in the books, she is roughly the same age as Arya those two characters are now thirteen.
Review Responses from the last chapter…
KingInTheNorth27 - Thank you! I always try to do something different with each story I write and I only wish House of the Dragon had come out when I was writing 'The Peverell Legacy' since they have the same setting. Reborn as a Targaryen? I have two concepts for my next story and one of them is as Targaryen. Haven't really decided which to go for next.
frankieu - Cheers! I know, I think it is an important step though, like they are conquering it.
EP - Merci
Puffgirl1952 -Thought about? Yes, but I am not sure of the rules on that site.
Jebest4781 - Thank you! Appreciate it!
JustAnotherFan217 - I agree but thank you for saying that! I know, this isn't the kind of story where everything goes right for the good guys and nothing bad happens. The Wildlings Mance brought are the worst of their people and the Iron Born are hardly any better.
cameron1812 - I really appreciate you saying that! It means a lot the support from you guys!
badknight - I know, that was a big example of it. The cold is what killed the people in the water after the Titanic went down, very few drowned that night. I went through a phase where I was really interested in all sorts of accident investigation and how they solved all these disasters and in marine ones 'cold incapacitation' is a big factor in why people died.
KEZZ 1 - Thanks!
Foxy-Floof - She didn't mean too. Restoring magic is a good thing but she isn't completely responsible for all those ones you mentioned. Lorra really should have dealt with Mance but him being denied the full numbers of the Free Folk forced him to be more cunning. I mean to be honest I don't know why he didn't do that in the show? He knew which castles were manned and which weren't and yet he decides to charge against the one that is? Why? Why pick a fight when you can just sneak through one of the unguarded passages into the North? The Faceless Men aren't a real threat to the Starks unless someone hires them to be.
raw666 - Glad to hear you liked it! Thank you!
theunseenwizard - I really appreciate you comment and thank you! I try to update both stories once a month and when I release them depends on how fast I can get them done.
Blaze1992 - I know but things are about to get better for the North and in a weird way. Mance and his people had made a critical error and so has the Iron Born.
BioHazard82 - Thanks!
Sky - I know, a lot's going on and thank you for your comment!
Joe02 - I know, Theon has forgotten Arya perhaps but he will realise his mistake soon enough. Interesting what you said about the Iron Islands. All I can say is keep watching. Thank you for reading and reviewing. I really appreciate your support. You are incredible! How did you know!? Well done, as for the idea of breeding a sledding dog, maybe in the future as for your other ideas! Awesome.
aesir21 - I think you mean the Weeper but while he won't get burned alive, he will get his comeuppance.
rmw5763 - I'm not an expert on cold incapacitation and was just going by my own limited knowledge, but given how cold the Bering Sea is you are probably right. Its just why Survival/Immersion suits and staying out of the water is so important.
AnimeFan13579 - Loki's endgame is known only to Loki alone, the Walkers were a threat to him and he isn't one to dirty his own hands in dealing with them, he cursed their friends to force them to do his bidding and it isn't the last time he will mess with Meera in the future. He has an endgame and he is using Meera and the Starks to get it.
Fluffylover93 - I know, Meera is not like Margaery who just manipulates him. She actually gets him to think and take things a bit more seriously which actually makes him a better king than even Robert was. Joffrey is largely the way he is because of Cersei spoiling him literally rotten and teaching him such stupid lessons not to mention Robert not taking an interest.
musicluver246 - Thanks!
Guest - Thank you! I appreciate you saying that! I know, grammar is always a problem for me but I do try my best.
917brat - The Dragon Eggs will be to be revisited very soon and as for gunpowder? There is a plan for that as Meera is going to be using it soon. Thank you for the support! I am glad you like it!
ironspike68 - I know, Mance if he had been a bit smarter, I think could actually have been a big help in the series for the Starks as to be honest I have no idea just why he felt the need to try and force his way through at Castle Black when he could have sneaked through one of the abandoned castles elsewhere. If he had done then I think he would likely have sided with the Starks to reclaim Winterfell if they let him settle his people. But as you will see in this chapter, his actions have another motive. Oh, Theon is really going to regret just what he has coming for him, Balon too will really regret trying to attack the North soon enough so will Yara. To be honest Balon is a big narcissist and the only person in his world that matters is himself. He doesn't care about any of his children really and if something goes wrong its always that they failed him or someone else's fault rather than his own. Yara's suffering doesn't mean a thing to him.
Guest - I know, the pairing was always something I was unsure on. Pairings worry me a lot when I write because they can make or break a story. Probably not but it's an interesting idea. Tywin is doing what he always does which is making the best out of a bad situation. Making this deal with the Tyrells is more of a long-term investment and he is wary of the North as they are now unknown to them the richest family in Westeros and if they ever figure that out, they would have Tywin over a barrel and he knows it. The Tyrells are more desperate than they would be and a quicker option, remember Joffrey only has Tommen as an heir right now while Stannis has a daughter to wed off and a son to hand his throne too and is a skilled general. Not to mention married with the chance of producing more children.
On with the chapter…
Chapter 27 - New Heights
The Wall, the North…
The cold and intimidating structure ahead was honestly terrifying the closer you got as it seemed to grow before their eyes the closer, they got until they could no longer stretch their necks back enough to see the top.
Meera and Jon were both extremely nervous at what they were about to attempt. Neither of them had ever climbed anything even remotely this big before and Meera was running through all the magic she knew just in case a spell in there would help but unfortunately most witches and wizards would just use brooms for something like this or portkeys, neither of which was available to her. She knew flight with purely magic was possible but unfortunately that seemed to be one of the few gaps in her knowledge. Maybe Voldemort had discovered that one she thought with worry.
So, taking a steadying breath, they all stepped forward and Squirrel took her climbing axes out and seeing the rope told them.
"Right. Groups of three, tie the rope around your waists. Firm." She told them sternly and Meera tied herself into the rope with Jon and Ygritte while Squirrel did the same and the other climbers. "Dig the axe in tight and only when you are sure its going to hold you pull the other free. If you fall you will drag the others down with you so make sure its firm." Squirrel told them, her face completely serious as she knew what they were facing. They all nodded, all having agreed to follow her orders on this one.
"Right." Squirrel said, taking a steadying breath herself. "When we are up there, no talking! Unless its bloody important you stay quiet. Focus on what you are doing. Got it?" She said with an edge to her voice.
They all nodded and then turned to the wall and Meera who was the first of her small group went to plant the axe in the Wall as high as she could, striking with some of her enhanced strength in went in a good way before she managed to pull herself up on it and then swing her second axe into the Wall and pull her first axe free and then hoisted herself up on the second one, then repeating the process, using her spiked boots to anchor herself into the Wall as she went. Nearby Squirrel and another of the Free Folk climbers did the same, pulling themselves slowly up the Wall and soon the second climber in the chain, Jon in their case began to pull himself up the same way followed by Ygritte as they got further and further up.
The wind thankfully was calm and while cold, their furs along with some discreet warming charms applied by Meera kept them from losing feeling in their hands which would be fatal as they got higher.
- x -
An hour or two later they were half way up the Wall when the wind began to pick up.
The cold biting winds began to overwhelm the warming charms that Meera had applied. She did her best to reapply them but the further away they were the less effect it had. She also felt the magic of the Wall right next to her which seemed to be negating the warming charms. Meera realised the magical defences of the Wall negated all magic that was not a part of Wall when it was constructed, that was why the warming charms were failing so fast. And why she couldn't maintain warging through it now magic had been partly restored.
"Maybe we should turn back? Come back another day." One of the climbers said, not sure that it was a good idea to keep going while the winds were so strong but Squirrel shouted to him.
"It always gets worse the higher you go, at least until you reach the top. Going back is a waste of our time, just tighten your grip and keep going! We'll reach the top soon enough." Squirrel reassured them but none of them shared her confidence. The winds were getting stronger and colder, making it harder and harder for them to keep their grip.
Inevitably when they were finally two thirds of the way up the Wall, it happened.
One of the wildlings, possibly through the horrible cold, made worse by the wind chill factor or perhaps just their muscles straining with hours of hard work or maybe just missing their axe swing but one of the climbers in the centre group lost their grip.
He yelled out as he fell backwards but worse was that when he fell, the sudden jerk on the rope that tied him to the others in his small group was too hard for them to hold on and they were pulled free of the Wall one by one. Their screams filling the air as they plummeted towards the ground and certain death. Meera and the others all stayed still for a moment, as if in mourning of their fellows but they still had a good way to go.
So, they kept on going, Meera was now having to recast the warming charms every ten minutes or so, like the higher they went the harder the Wall was trying to get rid of them. The winds were picking up too and then Meera felt a jerk from blow her and dug into the Wall hard, hoping that when she risked a look down that she wouldn't see what she expected too.
Ygritte had slipped! She dangling precariously on the rope and the only thing that had saved her and Meera and Jon from the same fate that had befallen their fellow climbers was that Meera and Jon were both enhanced by their special weapons. It gave them the strength and endurance to hold on and prevent Ygritte from pulling them down.
"Anchor back in!" Jon yelled to Ygritte, doing his best to help swing the rope closer to the Wall while Ygritte who had not batted an eye when facing White Walkers and Mammoths was momentarily frozen, not able to understand or respond in the moment of absolute terror at hanging nearly seven hundred feet in the air by a single rope. Thankfully she managed to come to her senses and used the climbing axes she had at least not let go of to anchor herself back into the Wall. She was still breathing rapidly as she struggled to get her racing heart under control. She looked at them who were staring with concern and gritted her teeth at the idea of them even Jon seeing her vulnerable and shouted angrily.
"DON'T SAY A WORD!" She demanded, not wanting anyone to speak about what just happened.
Meera and Jon stared then just shook their heads and kept on climbing. Smirking to themselves at her stubbornness and just glad she was alright.
The wind was however finally easing off as they reached the top, the sight of it was so close you could almost reach out and touch it but Meera and Squirrel kept serious as they weren't safe yet, if anything they realised this was the most dangerous part. They were at the highest point from the ground and exhausted from the long climb. This was the time when mistakes were most likely to happen and sadly this was proved true only a moment later.
The climber at the bottom of Squirrel's group saw the top of the Wall and was so excited by the end of the hard climb that he impatiently started trying to climb faster, eagerly swinging his axe to get there quicker. But his overly enthusiastic swinging had a tragic consequence, as the axe hit the wall the handle broke from the metal point and just as the man was trying to pull himself up on it.
The sudden lunge through him off balance and he slipped, his grip on the second axe slipping and with a horrible moment of realisation he started falling backwards. Yelling in terror but his greater weight and fact his rope was slightly frayed made it snap. While this saved Squirrel and the other member of her group from falling it left the poor man screaming as he fell backwards towards the ground. They all stopped as it happened, hearing his awful scream but could do nothing to help him.
With renewed determination though that it not all be in vain, Meera swung her axe one more time into the Wall and managed with effort to get it right into the top of the Wall itself. Not wasting time in feeling good about it, Meera climbed over the edge and used her second axe to pull herself onto the top of the Wall and to safety. Pulling herself as far into the middle and therefore as far away from the edge as possible, Meera sat with her back to one of the ice trenches that the Watch had dug into the top.
She was breathing hard with effort of the last few hours, even with her enhanced body that had been a real challenge but the sight of Jon and then Ygritte just behind him as they pulled themselves up the same way she had and joined her leaning against the trench wall still tied together, all breathing hard was incredible to her.
Squirrel and the remaining member of her group now reached the top themselves and crawled over to sit by them to rest. Just at that moment as if it was a reward from the Gods themselves, the clouds that had been over the Wall from the moment that they had begun their climb began to part and the sun started shining through.
The warmth the sun gave them after all they had endured climbing the Wall was like a tonic to their strained nerves, giving them the energy that moments ago they had been lacking. Ygritte meanwhile, having never been up this high saw her homeland for the first time from the top of the Wall. Seeing the great mountains and snow-covered forests in the distance was an incredible sight for those that had already seen it but for Ygritte it was extra special. Her home seen from such a height made all the petty squabbles and rivalries seem so silly now. But as Jon got to his feet and held his hand to her, she took it and followed him to the other side where again for the first time, Ygritte saw the rest of Westeros beyond.
The green fields like she had never seen before and similar green forests not to mention more mountains in the distance. Seeing these new lands and those that her lover had come from was again an experience for her like she had never dared dream of.
She turned to Jon who without wasting a moment kissed her hard on the mouth and Ygritte caught up in the passion kissed him right back. Meera discreetly cut the rope free and left the two of them to their private moment as she looked at her homeland again for the first time in what felt like an age.
She smiled, thinking of all the 'adventures' as some might call them that they had had so far. Fighting undead ice monsters and their zombie puppets, climbing the Wall which no Stark had ever done before and been named as an ancient warrior goddess by the Free Folk. Whether she was Harry or Meera she thought with amusement, life was rarely ever dull.
Squirrel and her only surviving climber came up to her and saw the lands beyond and told her.
"We still have to climb down the other side, so don't get too happy." Squirrel told her and Meera gritted her teeth at the idea of having to the exact same climb only in reverse.
"At least the Wall should protect us from the winds this time." Meera thought trying to be positive about the difficult climb down but then Jon who had finally stopped kissing Ygritte overheard them and had a better idea.
"Actually, there is another way. We can just use the lift down." Jon told them and all of them looked at him like he was crazy.
"We'll be caught." Ygritte said, punching him on the arm which he took with good grace before explaining.
"There is a working lift at Oakenshield. The Night's Watch maintained it just in case the one at Castle Black broke so they could move men between the top of the Wall and ground since the castles are so close. At least till the main one was fixed." Jon told them, having learned that during his time at Castle Black.
"That would be a lot safer and get us down a lot faster." Meera said with some relief, much safer as climbing up was probably a lot easier than climbing down.
"What?! Fucking hell!" Squirrel said with annoyance as she had been looking forward to the climb down. But even she would privately admit to herself that a lift down would be a welcome relief, that climb had been the hardest she'd ever done since the very first time.
"Come on. Let's get moving, we still have a fair way to go before we get to the ground and then to Last Hearth." Meera said with a tired sigh. Readying themselves they started walking towards the lift at Oakenshield and hopefully a faster and safer way down.
The Red Keep, King's Landing…
Tywin Lannister had a face like a stone.
Rarely ever did he let emotion cross it, he would never permit such weakness even with himself in private.
So now, sitting in the solar in the Tower of the Hand he was keeping up that stony veneer. Even as two of his children sat at the desk. Jaime and Tyrion both sat there, Jaime to his great relief wasn't drinking and more surprisingly neither was Tyrion. He had in fact been acting more like a Lannister for some years now, as pointless as he felt the theatre was Tyrion had actually proven to be a capable playwright and made a good income off of it. Not to mention he now owned much land within Kings Landing and much of the commerce of the city was under his thumb. That again added to his wealth and recently Tyrion had been picking up more land and businesses in Lannisport and a few other places in Westeros including valuable farmland. He had a fair network of informants and retainers to draw on and much of the Small Council although it galled Tywin to say this was in his pocket.
He was becoming a powerful man of property and wealth.
Tywin would never think well of Tyrion, he was a dwarf and a disgrace to House Lannister that had killed his mother when he had come into the world. But even he had to admit it was impressive what Tyrion had achieved. More so that he had managed to hold Joffrey in check and keep his sadist tendencies under wraps as much as possible, something even he himself had been struggling to do.
Tywin would never admit it, but sometimes it was quite evident that of all his children…Tyrion was not only the most capable of ruling, but also more worrying given their mutual hatred for each other perhaps the most like him.
Tywin refused however to accept it even if he knew in the back of his mind it was true, he could never think anything good about Tyrion and even if he could then, he would never consider anyone an actual rival for him.
"The Tyrells are not exactly making a good impression at court." Tyrion said with a bleak frankness. "Between Joffrey's quite public dismissal of Margaery, Mace Tyrell is being extremely boastful of his supposed great successes in the war when everyone knows how badly the Reach faired and them having little to offer the crown many are questioning what we are doing by allying ourselves with them. The only real benefit to us is if Loras Tyrell does not return, marry and produce an heir then any children Margaery and Joffrey might have will inherit Highgarden and therefore the Reach. If Joffrey even consents to marry her." Tyrion concluded which was admittedly a great benefit to House Lannister.
"Is that what we are aiming for by joining with them? After all, we get little else." Jaime asked, sounding rather serious for once and actually asking an intelligent question.
"Perhaps." Tywin admitted quietly as he poured himself some Arbor Gold which thankfully was still in good supply since the Arbor was untouched by the war. "The Tyrells, are our only real rivals in terms of resources. And we need them on our side." Tywin asked, not entirely sure if that comment was truly accurate anymore but when the Reach recovered it would be true.
"Maybe but gold is hardly in good supply for either our family or theirs right now." Tyrion said with a raised eyebrow.
"Robert was hardly wealthy either." Jaime felt compelled to say, fully aware of how badly in debt Robert had gotten himself.
"Robert had me funding him. Wars swallow gold like a pit in the earth." Tywin said sipped his wine, deciding on this occasion to be open with his sons about the real reason for the alliance. "How much gold do you think was mined in the Westerlands in the last year?"
Both Jaime and Tyrion looked confused at the sudden question.
"Not a clue." Jaime said, not caring about such things beyond the necessity of keeping his equipment up to scratch.
"No, go on. Your best guess?" Tywin asked, not wanting to admit the truth but knew it wouldn't stay a secret forever.
"Pounds? Tons? Ounces?" Tyrion asked.
"Doesn't matter, the answers the same." Tywin said with slightly gritted teeth.
The silence that followed that moment was telling, Tyrion it seemed understood far quicker and looked shocked as the implications sank in. Jaime was slower to get there but then it dawned on him as well.
"That…that cannot be." Jaime said in shock while Tyrion sat with a pondering look on his face.
"Our last working mine ran dry three years ago." Tywin said with some bitterness. He of course had to be the Lord of Casterly Rock at the moment the mines ran dry. The burden of not having the limitless wealth his ancestors had enjoyed infuriated him. His own idiotic and weak father certainly hadn't helped by squandering so much of their wealth when he could have been saving it and wars had dried it down to almost nothing.
"How can we pay for anything?" Tyrion asked with guarded curiosity. Jaime too having much the same thought nodded, wanting to know too.
"The crown owes the Iron Bank of Braavos, a tremendous amount of money." Tywin told them and Tyrion honestly put his head in his hands at the news.
"So, perhaps the most dangerous money lender in the entire known world has the king and by extension you by the balls. Are we right in that?" Tyrion asked, coarsely but with exasperation at the situation.
"As you so roughly put it, yes. They have us by the balls." Tywin said a disgusted sneer at such language. Sitting down and sipping his wine in distaste.
"Isn't there someone you can talk to there? Come to some arrangement?" Jaime asked, not understanding the situation as clearly as Tyrion did.
"The Iron Bank is the Iron Bank there is no someone." Tywin told Jaime who clearly was still lagging behind.
"But people do work there? Surely someone there must…" Whatever Jaime had been about to say was cut off by Tywin who told him sternly so he wouldn't ask anymore stupid questions.
"And a temple is comprised of stones, one stone might crumble and another one takes its place. And the temple holds its form for a thousand years or more." Tywin told him with firmness. "And that is what the Iron Bank is, a temple. We all live in its shadow and almost none of us know it. You can't run from them. You can't cheat them. You can't sway them with excuses. If you owe them money, you don't want to crumble yourself. You pay it back. Vesting the Tyrells in the crown will help a good deal in this regard." Tywin said with a frown as that would prove difficult.
"Hardly. The Tyrells are near broken by the war regardless of what Mace Tyrell might boast, their damaged army is the only thing they have to trade on and a fleet I suppose. One that is proving far less useful against Stannis who still holds the Stormlands and we have yet to break through." Tyrion remarked, the Tyrells had little coin to spare right now and few crops to sell either.
"I have my own plans for dealing with Stannis." Tywin said with a cold look in his eye. One that promised he had something in the works that would likely destroy the Baratheon and his claim to the throne in a vicious and rather brutal manner.
"Well, we shall see. Now I feel I must take stock of the situation, if things are as bad as you say…it is important to make sure the economy is strong to repay that debt." Tyrion said and left to see how things were going.
Jaime followed him not long later, wondering just how the crown was going to manage such a large debt and owed to such a dangerous beast as the Iron Bank of Braavos.
- x -
Dragon Hill Theatre, Kings Landing…
Tyrion retreated to his theatre, glad his information on the state of the Westerlands had been accurate but deeply troubled at the idea that his father had gotten them deep into debt with the Iron Bank.
If he had been any other man Tyrion would have thought him a fool, hells it might be a sign that his father curse him, Tyrion thought with cold disgust was not as smart a man as Tyrion had always thought him. He knew better than that though and wondered just how desperate Tywin must be to make such deals as he had with the Iron Bank and the Tyrells.
Three years though? Tyrion pondered, that information was new. He had known the mines went dry but not when and with all the struggles of the war so far and funding Robert Baratheon would have drained much of it away. Tyrion smirked, impressed a little that his own acting surprised had seemingly fooled his father which would put him off guard. Perhaps he had missed a career in the theatre himself as an actor he thought with mocking humour. Besides the lack of gold his father had would make replacing him a great deal easier Tyrion reasoned.
Still, he thought becoming sober all of a sudden. A debt that large owed to the Iron Bank meant he would potentially need to alter his plans. He certainly didn't want the Iron Bank coming after him Tyrion thought knowing he could run to the ends of the world and still they would find him. So, he may have to find some way to pay it back on his own.
Or make sure to divorce himself completely from House Lannister if needed.
Neither option filled him with much hope.
Still, he gathered his own 'inner circle' such as they were to check on his own operations. Bronn sat at the table, looking quite pleased with himself as he now had the castle he always wanted. Hayford had been deprived of its future lady by a sickness that had apparently swept through the castle after it was visited by some soldiers coming back from the front. Bronn for his service had been given ownership of the castle as its new lord, something that made him quite happy.
Lord Lynthorne and Marei were also present having enjoyed the birth of their first child and expansion of their own lands and holdings in recent months, becoming far wealthier and more influential. Lord Lynthorne had been named as a potential ambassador for the Iron Throne to foreign nations. It was a hard game they were all playing and one that they all had to take great care with, less they lose their heads, literally Tyrion thought with worry.
Not to mention he was also worried about what his father had said, that he had a plan to deal with Stannis Baratheon. While Tyrion cared little for the dour and hard man, he was providing a useful distraction for eliminating his enemies and securing his own claim should Stannis by some miracle win the war. It was in his own best interests to ensure Stannis, for now stayed healthy and more importantly kept on fighting the Lannisters and Tyrells, more so now his few Reach vassals had come crawling back on their knees to the Tyrells, costing him their food and men.
It was unlike his father to boast so Tyrion knew to take the threat seriously and would send a message to Stannis warning him of the threat as quickly as possible although who knew what form that threat could take. His father had given no details and Tyrion knew with his father's cunning it could be anything. Tywin Lannister had no morals to hold him back and nothing was sacred to him, it could come from any direction and they would not likely know which until it was too late.
Tyrion frowned before turning back to the matter at hand, specifically their holdings.
"So how are our assets in the city and beyond doing? Tyrion said cutting straight to the point.
"Very well." Marei mentioned with calmness. "All are turning a healthy profit and our reserves grow day by day."
"And the number of men that we can command is rising. Freeriders willing to swear themselves to us. A hundred knights and we can double that if needed." Bronn said with a smirk. Not a huge fighting force but a good one all the same.
"Not to mention the farmlands we control are now producing good crops. Good stocks of barley, wheat, grain, beef, pork." Lord Lynthorne said calmly, something he shared with his wife. "We can feed and house a large fighting force and double it if required."
"Good." Tyrion with a considering look. "Winter cheapens the cost of land so we might be able to purchase more good land both farming and otherwise. When winter is done, we will be safe and with more to profit off." Tyrion said, ruthless maybe but many would sell off extra land in winter to ensure they had the coin to buy food. An opportunity that he could take advantage of.
Mind you, Tyrion thought with a dark amusement. His pleasant situation was far better than the hell Cersei was enduring right now.
- x -
Secured Room, the Red Keep…
Cersei was now bound with ropes and tied to a bed, largely to stop herself from being able to hurt herself or resist as they forced food down her throat. She screamed at the top of her lungs but no-one would let her free.
The torture she had been enduring before this must have been one of the outer circles of the hells. Cersei thought with anger and pain as her body was purified of all that assailed it without her consent. She cursed her father again and again as he forced her to go through this, she thought with huge anxiety and exhaustion plaguing every bone in her body. Even if she had not been tied up, she would have found it nearly impossible to move.
Shaking and cold sweats ran through and over her body. Her head was pounding like a drum and her mouth was as dry as Dorne's deserts. She was only given water and basic food but it was regular and forced into her whether she wanted it or not.
She vowed to herself that she would get out of this bed whatever it took and give her father some suffering of his own to worry about Cersei thought with raging hot venom as her anger grew within her. Boiling hot enough that her heart was struggling to cope and her headache worsened considerably.
- x -
Despite Lord Tywin's best efforts, the court learned what was happening in regards to the Queen Mother, it quickly became a matter of gossip. Both nobles and servants, guards and knights chatted about it in quiet corners, in the courtyards even within the throne room itself.
The excuse that she was only sick did not hide the truth for long. That she was being forced to clean up her habits and some even went to get a look only to be turned away although hearing her screaming in rage was proof enough.
Scoffing at the weakness of Cersei was becoming a new trend at court, everyone mocking her largely due to how much she was hated before.
Joffrey gritted his teeth at this and was this close to having her sent to Casterly Rock and kept there indefinitely to no longer be an embarrassment to him.
He on the other hand had a far more annoying issue to deal with…his future wife. She simply would not leave him in peace and now was trying to interfere in the one thing that he actually enjoyed.
"Would you care to demonstrate it your grace?" Margaery said with a doe like look in her eyes, holding one of his crossbows in hand. "It must…thrilling to use it."
Joffrey just rolled his eyes, clearly seeing her attempts at manipulation a mile away. She had never had any interest in weaponry before and her hands told him she was not used to using them for anything other than writing. He had seen this before even if Varys had warned him of it, and he would have walked out if his grandfather had not forced him to spent time with her.
She was nothing more than an ambitious noble woman whose only skill was manipulation. She only wanted more power for herself and saw him as a means to do it. Playing to his ego and pretending to try and make her seem more than she was. Margaery was merely better at it than other women who had tried to entice him over the years.
Oh, why couldn't he have a woman that was actually of some use to him? Joffrey thought with rage, anger at being stuck with this woman as his queen rather than one that would actually be useful and make his days worthwhile? His thoughts briefly going to another woman that he would rather be there in the Great Sept with him.
Joffrey instead of putting up with this any longer just walked out of the room to attend the Small Council meeting that he was calling merely to get out of spending any more time with Margaery. Her face fell as he left but he didn't give a damn and was just glad to be away from her.
He was almost glad when they sat in the chamber and everyone gave him their full attention, feeling much better at their attention and recognition of his royal title.
"I feel we must reward the Tullys for their role in helping feed the capital in preparation for winter since the Reach was first our enemy and now a near useless ally." Joffrey said which surprised them all as he was hardly one to reward anyone for doing anything. In truth he was really only doing this to spite the Tyrells for their prior betrayal and entitlement now. "They are the lands on which many wars have been fought and so in accordance with their prior loyalty and their efforts with the North to keep the Iron Born at bay, I will name Lord Tully as Marshal of the Rivers for his service. Also, with the extinction of House Whent, who holds the lands of Harrenhal?" Joffrey asked Grandmaester Pycelle who looked confused at the question and looked to Lord Tywin before answering.
"No-one your grace. No new house has been granted the considerable land held by Harrenhal." Pycelle told him and Joffrey nodded before saying.
"Then I will have the lands placed into the care of House Tully. The land, not the castle. Perhaps we shall see if the curse is rooted into the castle rather than the land." Joffrey said, actually wondering if the supposed curse of the ruined giant castle was true or not. Maybe House Tully would be lucky enough to escape it but he would be amused if they didn't Joffrey thought with some dark humour. If they didn't then House Stark could take over the Riverlands, they were their kin Joffrey thought.
The entire council looked surprised and he saw his grandfather's eyes narrowing but Joffrey kept his gaze. He wasn't blind to the fact that his grandfather would likely have given that to some distant cousin or some such to take it for House Lannister but he knew it would be wiser to reward the Starks and Tullys for their efforts. Without them the Iron Born would have wreaked havoc all along the coast and they wouldn't have been able to feed the city.
Far more than the Tyrells have ever done.
- x -
Olenna Tyrell sat in one of the gardens of the Red Keep, enjoying the warm breeze and good views as best she could while being waited on by her little birds as she thought of them. Handmaidens, some of which were her extended family.
But her heart was simply not in it, she thought with a sigh. She was deeply concerned about recent events, their implications for her family were truly worrying.
While the Reach houses that had defected to Stannis had come crawling back now the war had turned against him and their farming land helped the situation greatly there was barely going to be enough food to get through the coming winter and the damaged farmland was going to take years to recover. That meant they couldn't spare any food for the capital which had been a major selling point for the alliance and coin was hardly any better. It galled her to admit this but they might have to consider buying as much glass as possible from the Northerners to make glass houses for themselves.
Many of their vassals were as badly off as they were and many grumbled which only made her worry more for a potential uprising especially as the supposed heir to the house was now publicly known as a pillow biter and had run off with his lover to hide rather than do the smart thing and denounce Renly to save himself.
That meant they had no heir and Highgarden would need to pass through Margaery's children which meant the future of House Tyrell would be born of Lannister bastards. Oh, why couldn't Cersei have just fucked Robert Baratheon and gotten pregnant by him at least once? Olenna thought thinking the woman a complete idiot for the situation she had created. This entire war would likely have never happened if she had just had one bloody true Baratheon son! Olenna thought with disgust at her stupidity and selfishness.
To make matters worse Stannis hadn't been defeated yet, he was always going to be a problem till they found some way to deal with him. Which made tying themselves to the crown all the more important, where they faced yet another problem.
Joffrey was far from being easily led as she had been led to believe. He wasn't smart although he had his moments and seemed to want to entirely ignore Margaery no matter what she did. The poor girl was at her wits end with him and not any closer to getting him around her finger as they had hoped. He seemed to resent her, intentionally spurning her as if she had done him some wrong when they had never met before.
The Stark Girl! She realised with frustration making her almost frown but she controlled it. He was still lusting after her and was punishing Margaery solely because she wasn't Meera Stark.
She had always known the blasted child was going to be a problem even if she had been quiet in recent months. Joffrey would no doubt call her down to Kings Landing the first chance he got and then she and her family would find themselves out in the cold, Olenna realised with anger. The Starks were now unknown to everyone the richest family in all of Westeros and if they realised that it would spell doom for them all.
She had to get rid of them! Olenna decided there and then knowing she and her family had no chance of achieving their goals if the Starks lived. Meera Stark especially she thought with anger and if that led to a war with the North then it would make the Lannisters more dependant on the Tyrells than ever.
It would be the best way to ensure they got themselves firmly entrenched she thought, but only if the Tyrells were not seen to have done it. She knew Tywin Lannister had cultivated an ally in the North for just such an occasion although which house this was, she had no idea. Her own potential ally the Boltons had ruined themselves years ago so she would need to make use of the Lannister's puppet. Tywin would never tell her just who that was but she knew a Lannister who was foolish enough to make use of them without his permission.
At the same time Olenna thought ruthlessly, Joffrey was proving too capable and uncontrollable to be useful to House Tyrell. Perhaps it was time for another to sit upon the throne she thought, working out her plans in her head as she had a lot to do.
Dragonstone, the Narrow Sea…
Princess Shireen Baratheon sat on the stone throne that had once belonged to Aegon the Conqueror, it was easily the most uncomfortable seat she had ever experienced and as she struggled not to shuffle to try and make her more comfort as she held court here. However, the throne she was using was the least of her problems.
She had the entire island at her command and all the responsibilities that came with it she though with some dread. The Conningtons were gone, all of them had been ordered by her father to go to him at Storm's End and she had been left here. She couldn't help but feel hurt that her father had not wanted her to come with them to Storm's End, the ancestral home of House Baratheon.
Like he didn't want her she thought with sadness.
Instead, she had been left here again, she thought with a sigh. No one wanted her she thought with depression.
She saw Ser Davos look at her with worry, he knew her so well that she thought wondering if the concern he gave her was what a father actually did? She had so little contact with her father even on a good day she wasn't really sure.
"Your grace? Is there something you would like to eat? I could have the kitchens send something up." Davos suggested and Shireen just shook her head.
"No Ser Davos. But maybe you could answer a question for me." She asked him and he slowly turned his head before answering.
"I am an uneducated man but if it is known to me, I will do my best your grace." Ser Davos said and Shireen just wished for a moment that he could see himself as she did. A wise and kind man who was more deserving of ruling than nearly all the nobles in all the Seven Kingdoms! He was far too humble she thought with some exasperation but asked him what she needed to know.
"Is my father disappointed with me? Is that why he leaves me here? While he keeps my stepmother and half-brother with him?" Shireen asked Davos, not sure if she wanted the answer or not but she had to know where she stood.
Davos was heartbroken at the girl thinking that her father had abandoned her in favour of her stepmother and half-brother. The Conningtons had done much to blight the relationship she had been building with her father and he was cursing them under his breath, just glad they were not here to whisper their poisonous words in her ear any longer.
"Not at all your grace." Davos said, desperate to reassure her. "Your father must sire more children to secure his line and ensure his heir has the right education to follow him on the Iron Throne. They must be with him but you are being entrusted with the care and rulership of Dragonstone. He believes you are not only capable of ruling this island in his stead but that you are smart enough to continue your training without his supervision. He has given you charge of the place where he anchors most of his fleet and more importantly where the blockade of Kings Landing can be enforced." Davos, aware of that the responsibility that now rested on her shoulders was far more than any girl her age should have to manage but he had no doubt she could do it, with a little help from him and Maester Cressan.
Shireen looked worried at the idea that her father was entrusting her with so much power and responsibility. It was daunting to a girl now only just turning three and ten years of age to face such responsibility but her stubbornness would serve her well here he thought with a proud smile. She had the dark hair and blue eyes of a Baratheon but more so she had her father's dogged determination to succeed no matter what.
He would do his best to help her and would speak to Ser Rolland Storm about her martial training, she might be a lady but she was a fierce Stormlander at heart he thought with pride.
Storm's End, the Stormlands…
Stannis was impatiently waiting for his wife and son to arrive, he had little care for his wife, she like his first wife had been a practical choice but his son…that was another matter altogether.
The wheelhouse thankfully appeared under escort of Baratheon and Connington men, Stannis stood with his men to meet it and when at last his wife and child emerged, he was relieved.
Steffon had grown so much, he thought with despair at not having been there to see it. He was now up to his knee and walking! And he had not been there to see any of it, Stannis raged at the situation but put that aside. As duty expected, he kissed his wife but then eagerly he dropped down on one knee and picked up his son who smiled and started laughing as he found the new height funny. Stannis smiled which shocked many around him as many had thought he was simply not capable of such a thing but Stannis cared nothing for what they thought and spun his son around with great care not to drop him just so the boy would laugh again.
Stannis as he held his son in his arms was happy and the only thing, that he would wish more was that he had both of his children here with him. He wanted Shireen and Steffon to be true siblings, ones who loved and trusted each other and he knew his Connington in laws were making trouble and trying to drive a wedge between them which was one of the reasons he had brought all of them here. So, he could keep an eye on them and more to the point stop them making his son hate his sister.
Not to mention he needed more children, Stannis thought with practicality. He, his daughter and his son were the only true Baratheons left in this world and he knew children died whether by nature or by human hands. He had already nearly lost Shireen once he thought with a ghost of that old fear coming back to haunt him. He would not let anything endanger her or his son and would ensure they had many brothers and sisters to make sure that his bloodline survived.
He put his arm around his wife's middle, pulling her close to him and she blushed like a girl not yet flowered. He steered them all into the castle and later that night would lock himself in a room with his wife and neither of them would be leaving till he was sure that he put another child in her belly.
Castle Black, the Wall…
Mance Rayder was worried.
He had a clear plan in his mind, make sure his people were safe on the other side of the Wall when the Walkers came and never let anything living or dead cross it again. Pretend to be the Night's Watch and keep the Northern lords from finding out about the destruction of the Order they were pretending to be to make sure that until he could prove the real danger to them, he and his people would be safe from their wrath and when they did learn of the real threat, they would ally with him and his people to survive.
Those that had not shared his vision, well they would likely be a part of the Army of the Dead by now so there was little that could be done for them beyond a merciful true death. He thought grimly but they had refused to follow him and while that had allowed him to evolve a new and better plan than his original idea, he would not permit them to cross the Wall even if did show up. They would pay the price for not believing in the true danger of the Walkers.
He meanwhile had his own concerns, he thought with anxiety. It seemed that his people had taken to raiding the lands that were formerly held by the Watch and taking what they wanted without worry or care and that was dangerous he thought knowing if the Northern lords heard of it then they would know something was up.
So, he called all of the leaders of the various groups that had joined him; Harma the Dogshead, the Lord of Bones, The Weeper and Alfyn the Crowkiller. They were the strongest of those that had agreed to follow them. They were also the roughest and most violent of all Free Folk and he had to be firm with them so he stood at the head of the table where they met and told them.
"Are you trying to get us all killed?" He said with a snarl. They all looked pissed that he was questioning them. "We could have let the villages feed us without lifting a finger but your raiding has broken them all. Who do you intend to raid for food now they are all gone?" Mance said with a cold and angry voice.
They all tried to glare at him but he managed to hold them all down with the force of his personality and Alfyn smirked broadly.
"We go further south. Hit the Northern villages, they'll never see us comin." Alfyn said with a confident look in his eyes. Mance honestly wondered if he should have left him on the other side of the Wall with the others for a moment given how stupid he was being.
"Do you want the North to come and kill us all?" He asked with anger blazing in his eyes. "They would break us so fast and slaughter us like cattle! We have to keep this ruse because if they learn the Watch is gone…they will destroy us. We are no match for them! Heavy horse! Archers! Men in armour! They would crush us like bugs!" Mance said almost slamming his hands down on the table which made all those around the table want to step back given how intense he was being. Even Alfyn was now looking rather shaken at his words.
"Now we have to learn to farm because if we go raiding for food, they will catch us. DO NOT FUCK THIS UP!" He said loudly and they all eventually nodded in slight fear.
Last Hearth, the North…
The castle held by House Umber was far from the most impressive in even the North but the sight of it was a huge relief to Jon and Meera who had been dodging Wildlings for a good few miles after the Wall and then through the New Gift, seeing the ruined villages as they passed them and leaving them with a bitter anger in their guts for those that had done this.
Squirrel and her remaining climber had decided given the hatred held by House Umber towards her kind to stay well back till they were sure they would be accepted. Ygritte however, always the bold one had accompanied her and Jon to the gates of the castle. Guards there immediately challenged them the moment they were noticed.
"Halt! Who goes there?" The Umber guard called out, easily a man of six foot five and heavily muscled with armour on. Ygritte wisely stayed quiet while Jon turned to Meera who stepped forward and identified herself, pulling her gold Stark Medallion as proof of her identity.
"I am Lady Meera Stark. I seek an audience with Lord Umber with important news." Meera said calmly and seriously. The guard looked at the medallion and then Gungnir which was visibly strapped to her back and judged it, not sure for a moment if she was who she said she was but he nodded and bowed before saying.
"Welcome Lady Stark. Please follow me." The guard said and Meera nodded before following him through the gates, Jon and Ygritte a step behind her. Jon was only mildly curious about the castle as he had grown up in one and seen many both big and small. Ygritte on the other hand was actually looking around with a hidden eagerness, she wanted to see just what was so great about castles that made the southerners as she thought of them want them so much.
It would be easy to defend she thought, seeing the large and sturdy walls which would likely give great protection from the wind. She was almost jealous except they had started getting walls on their side of the Wall now, they might be simple wood but they were a start.
As they entered the castle's keep, they saw many men at arms, held back in case of any trouble on the eastern coast or of course the Wildlings came down and the Night's Watch needed help. Thankfully for them Lord Umber himself was in residence and greeted them as they entered the hall.
"Lady Stark!" Lord Umber said in his big boom voice, standing up to his full seven plus feet height. Ygritte blinked, uncomfortable given the reputation the Umbers had among her people but thankfully it seemed Lord Umber hadn't realised just what she was. "We were most worried when you disappeared? Where have you been? And what happened to your party? I see only your half-brother and an archer with you now?" He asked her and Meera was far from being annoyed at his questions smiled, glad to be here in the home of one of her family's most trusted vassals.
"It has been quite an adventure Lord Umber. When we crossed the Wall, we ended up facing the North's ancient enemy." Meera said with a sigh at how much had happened in the last couple of months.
"The Wildlings?" Lord Umber asked with confusion but Ygritte just rolled her eyes and Jon frowned but Meera just shook her head and told him.
"Not them, the other one. But that is a story for another time. The important thing is that while we were on the other side of the Wall, a group of Free Folk led by Mance Rayder a former brother of the Night's Watch managed to gain entry to one of the sealed passages through the Wall. Once he had his people through, he attacked the Night's Watch castles. Their defences on the southern side were overwhelmed and swarmed. The Night's Watch has fallen." Meera told him grimly.
The silence in the hall at her announcement was immediate. No one could understand or wanted to believe that the Order that had kept the North safe for thousands of years and survived countless invasions had finally been broken.
"That cannot be true, not all of the all castles?" Lord Umber said, looking humbler than they had ever seen the man but Jon confirmed the worst.
"All of them. The only man of the Watch that still lives as far as we know is my uncle Benjen who is now stuck on the other side of the Wall with the rest of our party. We had to climb the Wall to get here and warn all of the North." Jon said with a tired sigh given how hard the climb had been.
Lord Umber, while still struggling to wrap his head around the Night's Watch falling smirked at how they had gotten here and laughed.
"Climbed the Wall? That is something straight out of your Uncle Brandon or Aunt Lyanna's book! You are true Starks alright. I'll summon Lord Karstark, together we will resolve this. For now, you will all want a change of clothes and a bath, I am sure. A room for each of you will be prepared." He said with renewed confidence and went to see the castle's maester while servants scrambled to do as he had commanded.
While it was meant as a compliment Lord Umber had unnerved Meera and Jon a little, Jon more so as Lyanna had been his mother. Meera was just concerned as look where her aunt and uncle had ended up and they still had a lot of work to do.
But first she would send a message to Winterfell immediately and inform them of her and Jon's safety, she thought, annoyed as Wylla was likely to have had her child by now and she had missed it! She fumed and was determined to get back home as soon as this business was dealt with.
- x -
Flint's Finger, the North…
Theon's raiders spread outward from the village where they had made their base. The villages further in land were not as alert to potential raids and were caught off guard as the raiders came but not used to long journeys on horseback the Iron Born exhausted themselves trying to carry their spoils back to their ships, weighed down by the heavy amount of goods that they had taken.
But this exhaustion made them slow and sloppy, men and women who ran from the villages they attacked went straight to the nearest castle, Flint's Finger named after the place where it was based and more importantly the noble house that ruled the area to let them know what had happened.
But more evidence came from patrols that caught sight of the Iron Born and some of whom followed them at a distance till they were sure of where they were going.
The Iron Born, not used to being on land forgot to keep watch for someone following them, to caught up in their own success to consider their survival and continued raiding depended on not being discovered by the Northerners.
- x -
Theon, in the early hours of the morning was staggering to his feet, stumbling out of a house and he was dealing with a horrendous headache after spending a night drinking with his sister. She had needed the courage it gave her as she had been forced to receive her future husband Erik, the supposed 'Anvil-breaker' who was even older than they had thought and unable to walk. He had to be carried in a chair by his men and was unable to swing his arms nearly as well if it was even possible.
Theon could just about remember that he had slapped Yara on the arse and even grabbed for her breasts before she backhanded him. The old man had been left with a broken nose for his trouble but seemed only to laugh, saying he would enjoy returning the favour when he went balls deep in her.
After that they had all gotten very drunk on Northern vodka that had been seized in a raid, he couldn't really remember much but was pretty sure he had fucked somebody but who he wasn't sure. Gods, he hoped it wasn't Yara he thought feeling rather ill as she was one of the very few women around here. Could it have been a man? Theon thought with confusion and then feeling very unsettled at that, he didn't want to think about him fucking some guy in the arse or had he been the one receiving? He wondered with worry. He went looking only to sigh with relief as he saw that one of his sister's crew, Nell the Singer was in the bed he had used. That was a relief he thought, not his sister or a man.
But then he remembered Yara had disappeared half way through the night and then he started getting worried about what she might have done. He went looking and couldn't find her for quite some time until at last he stumbled upon her passed out in the doorway of one of the houses. He saw she was well out of it so he picked up, again astonished at how light she was and carried her to her bed and tucked her in.
Gods he thought, hoping none of the men had seen him or he would be forever labelled as a mother hen! He thought with dismay, putting his sister to bed and tucking her in. He was confused at the blood on her hands though as she wasn't hurt as far as he could see and wondered just where it came from. Going back to the house he had found her outside of he carefully opened the door.
He was open mouthed at what he saw when the wooden door finally parted, feeling a great sense of dread as he realised just what his sister had been up to last night.
Erik the Anvil-Breaker was lying in bed with his enormous war hammer planted firmly in his chest, caving in his entire chest! Around him his four or five men were all lying on the floor with various wounds and blood covered everything. It looked horrific he thought with sweat dripping down his forehead.
He reluctantly walked inside and looked around for anything that might indicate his sister was the guilty party and saw one of her throwing axes buried in the chest of one of Erik's men, thankfully it was the only thing that would link Yara to this but he uncomfortably had to pull it free from his rib cage and then quickly and as quietly as he could retreated till, he could clean the blood off the axe and hid it back with her other weapons. He knew he had said she could always kill the old prick before he had a chance to try and fuck her…try being the key word he had never thought she would be so bold about it.
He frowned as he washed the axe clean and hid it, glad that the celebration last night had kept most of the people in bed with hangovers and that he had managed to rise early. He just hoped no-one had seen her last night or she could end up causing a major rift in their people.
One thing for sure, Theon thought with some ironic humour. She wasn't going to get married now.
Winterfell, the North…
The people of Winter Town were out in force to see Robb Stark and his men return from the Riverlands where finally things had become quiet enough for him to return.
They cheered as he and the rest of their warriors returned victorious and emboldened by their experience. Robb, being a young lord had never really experienced this before. The only other time had been when they had removed the Freys and taken the Twins for the North as it were. He had been riding at his father's side that day and was somewhat depressed that this time he was the one leading the procession.
He played the part of the victorious lord but his heart simply wasn't in it, instead he was focused on the welcome sight of Winterfell ahead. As he rode through the gates his eyes were keenly scanning the crowd that had gathered to meet him and saw his family standing there. Sansa with Harrion who was beaming from ear to ear and Arya who was smirking in her usual way but he saw the bags under their eyes and knew the pair must have spent more than a few sleepless nights recently.
Rickon was there with Arya, gods he had grown taller while Robb was away. Robb thought with melancholy.
But his eyes were immediately drawn to his lady wife who stood there proudly with a bundle in her arms while Lanna at her side held another. His breath was momentarily stolen as he came over and saw their small faces for the first time and immediately smitten with his two children. Wylla caught his eye and smiled as she spoke.
"Welcome home my lord husband. Now this is Eddard and this is Eve." Wylla said proudly as she introduced their children. Robb was keen to take Eddard from her arms, a good name he thought with pride. After the man that had helped teach him to be a man and brought their family back from the point of extinction. He reluctantly gave him back to his mother before taking his daughter who had the most incredible deep brown hair and grey eyes just like her brother. Both babes snuggled into his chest when he held them, knowing somehow that they were safe with him.
His heart was honestly ready to burst as he held his two children, not able to fully believe they were real for quite some time before finally he turned to Wylla and kissed her deeply which she eagerly returned before to spare the yard the sight of their reunion as man and wife, went inside with the rest of the family to find some privacy.
"They are such good children." Wylla said with a warm smile as they settled into the lords solar. Robb had reluctantly allowed Lanna and Wylla to put the twins down to sleep and Lanna left to spend time with Jory.
"I'm just glad you're home safe." Sansa said with relief clear in her voice. She sat there with Harrion's arm around her shoulder. He smiled at his future good brother who smiled back.
"I should probably warn you; our mother made it her business to stick close to me in the Riverlands." Robb said with a frown. "So, she will probably be writing to all of you soon."
His siblings did not like the sound of that, he saw the angry looks on their faces and despite her claims of the red wisp influencing her actions Robb wasn't entirely convinced by it even if Jaime Lannister had said something similar.
"I can only apologize for failing you, Lord Stark." Harrion said knowing he had bad news to give him. "The Iron Born have managed to secure a foothold in the North. They landed in Flint's Finger and are attacking local villages in the area. I have dispatched what men we could from the eastern coast to reinforce the area though."
Robb grimaced; this was exactly what he had been afraid would happen. Flint's Finger had become the greatest vulnerable spot in their western defences as they hadn't managed to properly reinforce it yet. Rickon then asked a question that really showed how much he had grown since Robb had last seen him.
"How did they know to attack there? I mean, no-one really lives there. How did they know?" Rickon asked in confusion and the rest of them and Sansa blinked when she figured out the only real way the Iron Born could have known to strike there.
"They could have spies in the North but not likely as they never bothered with that before. Only the lords of the North really knew of the vulnerability of the Flint's Finger…and those that live with lords. Like ward or hostage who was treated as a member of the family." She said with angry bitterness.
Her words hung in the air as they all took them in and it was a while before Arya finally voiced the only way the Iron Born could have known about the North's weak spot.
"Theon!" She almost hissed in anger, he had lived in Winterfell for years and been there when their late father had talked with other lords about their coastal defences, not to mention Robb had rather loose lips about it she thought anger. He was the only possible one who could have told the Iron Born about it. "I'll kill him!" She snarled when she realised how many had likely been killed or who knows what because he had betrayed them.
"Theon?!" Robb said, not wanting to believe it. Theon had been his friend for years and almost a member of the family, yet if he thought about it and there were no spies what other reason could there be?
"If Greyjoy is behind this, then we will need to make sure he is brought to justice." Wylla said with anger. She had never liked the creep and he had done his level best to try and get her sister drunk to fuck her when they had last met. Thankfully her sister had the wits to avoid that but it had left them both with nothing but contempt for the prick.
Their discussion however was interrupted when Maester Luwin entered the room. He bowed to Robb and smiled slightly.
"My lord, I am sorry for not being there to greet you on your return. I was caught up in some work but a message just arrived from Last Hearth." Luwin said and handed the young lord the message. Robb gave a nod to the Maester and opened the message, reading it quickly while everyone looked on to see just what Lord Umber had to say. However, Robb's face while initially smiling as he read the note, clearly showing he liked the first part became solemn and grave as he read the second part. He frowned deeply at the news and turned to his family before saying.
"Meera has returned to the North and she's brought Jon back." Robb said which made Arya and Rickon sigh with relief as they hadn't heard any word of their missing brother and sister for some time. Sansa however remained cautious as she had seen his expression and knew there must be bad news too.
"However, the rest of their party, Uncle Benjen and the Dornish are still trapped on the other side of the Wall. Because the Night's Watch has fallen. The Wall is now in the hands of the Wildlings." Robb told them with great worry.
His siblings and the rest of the people in the room blinked in shock, like those at Last Hearth none of them had ever imagined that the Night's Watch could be destroyed and the Wall taken by the Wildlings. It didn't seem real and if it had not been from their sister, they would have dismissed it out of hand. But Meera was not one to lie about this sort of thing or exaggerate, so reluctantly they accepted it.
Luwin himself was shaken by the idea that they might soon have tens of thousands of violent, screaming wildlings to deal with and asked him.
"Does the Lady Meera have any information on their numbers? My lord, we may need to pull men from the Riverlands if they number too many." Luwin advised. Robb nodded before saying.
"Apparently this is a rogue group led by a former brother of the Watch, Mance Rayder managed to open one of the sealed tunnels and march through before blocking it off. Jon and Meera apparently had to climb the Wall to get back, but they learned he has only around eight thousand men. The Umbers and the Karstarks should be able to retake it on their own. This should be resolved soon." Robb said and despite the reassurance of his sister that she and Jon could handle it he and the others worried they might have a bigger problem than before.
Last Hearth, the North…Two Days Later…
It was thankfully not that difficult for House Umber and House Karstark to gather their forces, both had already been on alert just in case they were needed to quickly move west or south as required but now they would need to head north and retake Castle Black from the Wildlings.
Lord Karstark was always a man to lead his men and would likely until it killed him. He rode his horse into the castle alongside his two youngest sons Torrhen and Eddard. Alys his daughter had stayed behind to defend Karhold should they fail to stop the Wildlings. He and his sons wore black chain mail and their men had iron halfhelms. Rickard was a battle-hardened man, having faced many battles in Robert's Rebellion and the Greyjoy's 1st Rebellion. He dismounted his horse with ease and walked over to Lord Umber, Meera and Jon without wasting any time. He bent his head slightly to Meera.
"Lady Stark. It is a great relief to see you back in the North. I only wish it were under better circumstances. Lord Umber." Lord Karstark said, acknowledging the other lord present after addressing her and completely ignoring Jon altogether. Jon was sadly used to it but Meera felt a spike of anger at the blatant dismissal of Jon but now was not the time to start an argument and so she bit her tongue and followed Lord Umber to the lords solar. They had a rough map of Castle Black open on the table and Meera without wasting another moment got down to business.
"Mance has about eight thousand wildlings at his command but they are all made up of different tribes and are divided between the four occupied castles. Castle Black holds the leaders and the majority of them." Meera said seriously, she might not be as good at strategy and tactics as Robb was but she could plan a battle.
"They lack discipline and cohesion; our aunt has promised…" Jon said which confused Lord Umber and Lord Karstark and Meera sighed as she had not had a chance to explain about the situation on the other side of the Wall.
"I doubt Lysa Tully is in a position to promise anything." Lord Karstark said with a dismissive edge, his confusion understandable as Lysa Tully had been removed as her son's regent and sent to Riverrun but had failed to arrive as the Hill Tribes had ambushed her escort and killed her and her guards.
"My lords, my brother does not speak of my mother's family." Meera said not sure just how she was going to tell them that her lord grandfather had fathered a bastard. "But our father's…you see, it seems not long after our Uncle Benjen was born and our grandmother died, he took up with another woman." Meera said but was interrupted by Lord Umber who looked startled.
"Lorra Snow is still alive?" He asked in shock and Lord Karstark too looked surprised but recognition of the name was clear in his expression.
"You know?" Meera asked, astonished and confused as she doubted her grandfather would have simply announced his bastard daughter to the North, otherwise her existence would hardly have been a surprise to the Starks otherwise.
"Aye, when she was carried off by the wildlings your lord grandfather admitted her existence and had us all looking for her. Broke him when we couldn't." Lord Umber said with a sad look on his face that they hadn't been able to find his late lord's daughter. "It seemed cruel to mention her around him and when he died, we figured it best not to give your father another person to mourn. But you say she is still alive?" Lord Umber asked intently. Ygritte answered with a snort.
"Of course, she is. She is the Queen Beyond the Wall. Took control of the Free Folk and made them into a people who can be masters of their own lands." Ygritte said with pride. Umber who hated Wildlings was still not comfortable having one so close but laughed when he heard that.
"A Stark that can tame the Wildlings?! That is something I have to see." Umber barked out with a big belly laugh while Lord Karstark raised an eyebrow and looked on with concerned consideration. He was aware of the dangers this posed but also aware that if Lorra Snow was allied with her trueborn family, then it might change the balance of power in all of Westeros. Both sides of the Wall standing together would be an extremely powerful force to be reckoned with.
Castle Black, A Day Later…Night…
It had been decided to try and take the castle at night due to the wildlings being less alert at this time. The cover of darkness also allowed them to move their army more easily and get closer to Castle Black undetected. Due to where they would be fighting horses wouldn't be any use here and they weren't even allowed torches, following the one in front of you to find your way to the castle. All swore to keep as quiet as possible as they approached and hoped that the wildlings wouldn't detect them until they were ready.
Jon, Meera and Ygritte were at the head of the formation and saw to their worry the gates had been closed and locked. Clearly Mance was more careful than they had hoped but Meera who unfortunately had been forced to leave her excellent Valyrian steel armour on the other side of the Wall as climbing with it would have been too difficult and now fought in borrowed leather armour as she came to stop and all the column stopped behind her turned to Jon and whispered to him.
"That door will still be wood and not that thick. Jon, use your sword's power break it open. Then we can rush inside." Meera told him, it should be enough to break the gate open. Jon looked surprised at her being so open his sword's power but she whispered to reassure him. "We'll say we coated it with a special oil to make it burn if anyone asks."
"Strike right at the centre, hit it hard." Ygritte said, eagerly smiling to see her lover's sword break down a castle's gate. Jon nodded and with a steadying breath they all prepared themselves before with a battle cry they charged at the gates.
The cry was the signal to all of their men to begin the attack and so they joined them in charged forward. Their battle cries filled the air and the wildlings in the castle all heard it given the number of people all at once.
The archers on the walls of Castle Black began to fire arrows at them but Meera with her dragon ring as her foci cast the shield charm in front of them, she smirked as the arrows that would have managed to hit them bounced harmlessly off the shield, keeping their people safe while they advanced closer to the gate.
Jon and Meera were thanks to their greater stamina able to reach it first and Jon called on his sword's power, the blade suddenly igniting with bright blue and searing flames. Jon then with all the strength he had, swung Hofund down hard at the centre of the gates. Just how hot the flames were couldn't be ascertained but it cleaved straight through the oak door and crucially the bar that kept it closed.
Jon looked astonished at how easy that had been before Meera with her own enhanced strength put a hand on each side of the gates and pushed with all her might, forcing the heavy wooden doors open and with them, the path into the castle. The wildlings in the courtyard they could see were shocked at the sudden breaking of the gates but not for long as the Northerners caught up and joined with Jon and Meera as they charged into the castle.
Lord Umber with Red Rain in his hands swung straight through a man's neck with a single effortless strike, then punched another so hard his nose must have been pulverised. Lord Karstark who did not let his advancing age stop him swung his sword around with far more precision and impaled another wildling in the chest.
The Northern army poured in through the open gates, all of them eager to avenge the Night's Watch. Ygritte, wearing a Karstark white sun doublet to help her stand out and keep her safe from the Northerners who might confuse her for the enemy, was in her element, drawing and shooting at a speed and accuracy which seemed inhuman to many, never missing a shot or failing to make it count.
Jon and Meera though were in a class of their own.
Jon had Hofund and was using the enhanced strength it gave him not to mention its incredible speed and sharpness to break through whatever weapon came against him. A man came up screaming, wielding a steel sword which had belonged to the Night's Watch only for Jon with a simple powerful strike to sunder the blade at the hilt. The wildling who had been so proud of his steel sword looked at the now broken blade while the hilt was still in his hand but not for long as Jon stabbed him straight in the heart.
The Lord of Bones and Harma despite the animosity of being former rivals stood fighting side by side against the seemingly endless tide of North men, neither in their full armour due to it being in the middle of the night. None of the wildlings had been expecting an attack and were hardly prepared for it. But by working together Harma and the Lord of Bones were able to stand their ground against the onslaught, until Ygritte almost without a second thought put an arrow straight between Harma's eyes.
The woman's body fell to the ground and the Lord of Bones found himself standing apart from his men but worse was that Lord Umber, the GreatJon as he was know approached and without a second's hesitation started battering him with Red Rain, not prepared for the furious assault the Lord of Bones found that bones provided little protection and had his head cleaved from his body.
The Weeper was swiping his great scythe around with vicious abandon, cutting down the men that dared come close to him but Jon seeing this was infuriated and charged at the Weeper. The man smirked with complete confidence in himself and tried doing the same to Jon who with reflexes beyond that of a normal man grabbed the wooden pole of the scythe and held it firm. The Weeper blinked in surprise having never seen someone do that before but it was the last thing he would ever see as Jon thrust his sword straight through the man's mouth and then pulled it free.
Lord Karstark was busy too and with two of his sons had engaged Alfyn the Crowkiller who was proving his own skill as despite being outnumbered, he held them off but only just. He was looking for a way out of his present situation when suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his right arm. One of Karstark's sons had gotten a strike on his arm and left it bleeding, Alfyn was used to fighting with both his hands and never against more than one opponent at a time and now was confronted by three highly skilled ones who didn't fight exactly as the Rangers he was used to fighting.
Try as he might it was no good and soon Lord Karstark's son Torrhen to stab his sword straight into Alfyn's chest.
Mance from the back closest to the Wall itself looked around in dismay, all he had dreamt of and worked for was now crashing down around his ears, just as he had feared the Northerners had come and destroyed them due to them not holding to the ruse.
Mance then saw a girl in leather armour with a rather impressive golden spear in her hand move with grace among the fighting and was gripped with an incredible hatred. He couldn't explain it but this girl was the source of his problems and he charged at her, Longclaw his new sword in hand.
The girl noticed him immediately and began to twirl her spear in a defensive motion, easily blocking and deflecting his attacks away from her which annoyed Mance considerably who continued his relentless assault.
The girl seemed surprised by his speed, Mance himself was a bit surprised as he had never managed to move or strike as quickly as he was doing now even as a young man. He was however completely caught up in his fury and just kept on slashing and hacking at her.
Meera to her credit kept up with him easily, she was confused however at how this man in his late thirties and of only average height and reasonable built was hitting almost as hard as the GreatJon and move faster than a professional sprinter? He wasn't tiring either she realised with confusion, given his build and the effort he was putting in he should at least be showing some sign of it? Sweat or exhaustion but he was showing nothing of the sort.
Either way Meera thought it was time to end this, she angled her spear so the next strike could be deflected hard to her left, at the same moment it hit she sidestepped and let the momentum of his strike send him stumbling forward. This moment of weakness let her twirl her spear around and impale him in the back before he could move out of the way.
However, as he died, a red wisp burst free from his mouth shocking her and then it dissipated into nothing as all those before it had done. She looked on as Ygritte came over and looked down at the man she had just killed and smirked.
"You killed Mance Rayder! Oh, Lorra is going to love this." Ygritte said with a glint in her eye.
Meera however was confused, the leader of the Wildlings who had brought thousands of his people to the other side of the Wall had been under the influence of Surtr? Why if he fed on death and destruction, why would he save people? She pondered, maybe not all of his decisions had been guided by the wisp within him or perhaps it was to cause destruction and death in the North that had been the goal here. Or if she allowed herself to be presumptuous perhaps it was trap her and Gungnir on the other side of the Wall where they would not be able to threaten him. She picked up Longclaw from Mance's body, recognising the distinctive bear head pommel and vowed to return it to House Mormont as soon as possible.
She was unable to think more on this as she looked to see some people being brought out of the Ice Cells, looking rather worse for wear but incredibly still alive.
"Lord Commander Mormont? Maester Aemon?" Jon said almost in disbelief at them still being alive. The two older men had admittedly looked better but they were still alive and now were with support making their way out into the courtyard.
"Lord Karstark! Lord Umber. Lady Stark. I am truly grateful for your actions today." Jeor said with a tired look in his eye. "I must however make it clear that this woman is the one that ensured we were fed and endured till our liberation, so if you would please treat her with curtesy." He asked them and behind him every one saw a very beautiful blonde-haired woman. Dressed in white coloured cloth she had her dark honey blonde hair in a long single braid that fell over one shoulder, her figure was slender but she was fully figured and the way that all male eyes fell on made Meera and Ygritte, the only women present roll their eyes before Ygritte spoke up.
"Val. She's one of ours, the spy in the camp." Ygritte said with pride and the two women came together and clasped arms.
"Is the way needed? Do our people need to flee?" Val asked Ygritte suddenly serious. The North men looked worried at the thought more wildlings coming through but Ygritte shook her head.
"No, the Others! They're dead! She killed the Night King!" Ygritte said with pride, nodding her head in Meera's direction. Val looked at Meera with disbelief at first wondering if the other woman was trying to make a fool of her. But Ygritte just stared until Val realised that she was telling the truth and Val's eyes opened wide in shock and then looked at Meera with a slightly open mouth before smiling.
Lord Umber and Lord Karstark not to mention a few of the other men present looked on in confusion, Meera and Jon having thought it best not to tell them about their adventure in the far north and both wondered just how to explain it but Meera took over and walked up the steps to the stands above so she could be seen by all. All the wildlings were dead by now and so she called out to all the North men who were standing there.
"Well done to you all. Thanks to your efforts, Castle Black is in friendly hands again! We will reclaim the other three castles soon but while the work to reopen the passage begins to bring those still trapped up there home, we will eat, drink and celebrate our victory!" Meera said with her magic augmenting her voice so all could be heard. It was strange to have these spells available to her again but very reassuring.
The men cheered and roared with triumph; Meera was just glad they were making sure their lands were secure again and being home was big relief.
- x -
A short time later after the supply wagons they had brought caught up they had taken over the hall of Castle Black where the men were all sitting, eating and drinking. The noise was loud and the room packed to the rafters but it was full of joy and laughter too.
At the head of the table Meera sat with Jon and Ygritte but also there was Lords Umber and Karstark, Lord Commander Jeor (who Meera had gladly given Longclaw back too) and Maester Aemon. The pair looked better already as they helped themselves to more food than was normal in hopes of regaining their strength, Jeor was just glad to have Longclaw back at his side. Lord Umber who was still wondering just what they had meant when the wildling girl as he thought of her had mentioned the Night King. He was a thing of legend surely but for one like him who believed in the old myths wondered if there wasn't some truth in it.
However, the GreatJon pushed that aside for another time and decided to make a statement.
"You did well in battle boy! Like father and his family before him. You may not have the name but you are a proud Stark warrior to your core!" The GreatJon said to Jon who smiled a little at the statement and before he could be humble the GreatJon continued speaking. "I will nominate you as a paladin!"
"Paladin?" Jon asked, confused as was Ygritte and Meera who knew not what the word meant although Meera knew it was an old word for knight. Ygritte who had perched herself on Jon's lap and was enjoying snogging him in front of everyone.
"Something your brother started as a reward for the greatest Northern warriors." The GreatJon said with pride in his big booming voice. "Only a lord can nominate you and only Lord Stark can agree to it but their deeds are kept in a book, a copy of which is kept in each Northern stronghold."
"A great honour." Meera said with a nod and inside was congratulating her twin for his good idea. It cost them little and helped them find the best of the best in the North. "I will nominate your son too, since he caved in many of Mance's people I saw. And Torrhen who did likewise." She said with a smile to both lords and the GreatJon laughed while he cast his eyes to his eldest who was drinking with his friends quite happily and laughing loudly at some story that was being told.
"I would be proud to see my son's achievements recorded for all time and to be one of the first to receive the title." The GreatJon said with pride and Lord Karstark too nodded with a smile on his face.
"It would mean a great deal to Torrhen too." Lord Karstark said with pride in his own son.
Meera however knew there was a rather difficult issue to address.
"With my uncle, there are now only three serving members of the Watch still alive." Meera said with a grim look on her face. Jeor and Aemon looked depressed at that, they were the last members of the Watch left alive and three of their castles were still in the hands of the Wildlings although that would soon change. "It would be near impossible now to rebuild the order back from this, so in the terms of the charter that established the Watch and gave it the lands it holds, they fall back into Northern hands." Meera said with a frown.
The GreatJon and Lord Karstark were shocked as were Jeor and Aemon but it was true. The charter did say that if the Watch dropped down to a number not large enough to hold one castle it would be dissolved and the lands would fall back into the hands of the North. That included the New Gift they had been given by Alysanne Targaryen, probably the only concession they had gotten in that deal, none of the North had been happy at her decision there but now it was being put back in their care.
"I had felt this was coming but I just hoped that it wouldn't be so." Jeor said with a horrible grief. "That I wouldn't be the last Lord Commander of the Night's Watch."
"But you did a greater job that any of us could Jeor." The GreatJon said sadly, seeing his old friend's pain.
"And House Stark will gladly see you set up wherever you wish." Meera said, eager to help the old man who had given his life to serve some reward for his efforts. Jeor and Aemon however had something else in mind.
"If possible, we would like to serve at Winterfell my lady." Aemon said with a somewhat curious expression on his face. "I would like nothing more than to spend my remaining days debating with your Maester Luwin and yourself. Jeor I am sure would like nothing more than to see to beating sense into new recruits." Aemon smiled; his blind eyes unseeing but you couldn't help but feel he saw you in ways that others could not.
"And we would be honoured to have you." Jon said with a proud smile, glad to see the two men settled but also remembering that Aemon was his many times great-uncle and he wasn't sure if he should tell him or not. Would he expect him to reclaim the throne? Jon thought with dread, being king was to his mind a fate worse than death. He never wanted that kind of responsibility he thought with certainty.
Only for Meera to spring something on him that meant he was not getting off so easily.
"The division of land will of course be decided by my lord brother but I think that a portion of the New Gift will certainly be allocated to the Umbers. However, the Free Folk who my Aunt Lorra rules want to trade with the North and for that we will need a road to trade through. Castle Black will be that point. A place our two peoples can meet and trade. And with a Free Folk girl at his side, there can be only one person to rule here and secure agreement between our two peoples…my half-brother Jon Snow." Meera said with a smirk knowing she had him, Jon looked at her in surprise but after a considering look the GreatJon, Lord Karstark and Ygritte all laughed while Jeor and Aemon smirked. All of them knew he was the best person for the job, a strong fighter with a moral code as firm as the Wall itself. Someone who had the education to run a castle and manage relations between the North and the Free Folk.
Jon meanwhile was wishing he could just sink into the ground, or kill his sister which ever was easier he thought with great annoyance at being put on the spot so much.
Dothraki Camp, Essos…
"So, the boats are now traveling the length of the rivers to the port and back Khaleesi." Irri told her proudly as she gave her a report on her latest expansion.
Daenerys nodded with pride, the pair were walking at the edge of the camp to stretch their legs while they talked and their mood was good as everything seemed to be going well. The mood in camp was good and they were considering riding to the Free Cities in the west to see if they could find some good pickings. While Daenerys did not like the raiding, she knew better than to challenge it, at least for now. It was their way of life she reasoned sadly and they had little reason to change. It would take a generation or two before anything like that happened, which was why she was doing her best to give her people all the options she could so perhaps they might realise that there were other paths in life.
However as both were still within the camp, the guards that Daenerys would usually have where not here with her as they should be, her husband was busy with their bloodriders. Her son and dragons were being guarded but she herself was not. Irri was her only guard and the woman while one of her warriors was not their most skilled however well she got on with her Khaleesi.
Neither noticed it at first, that there were shadows creeping up on them. They moved soundlessly and they were more alert to more conventional forms of attack than what they were about to be hit with.
A half a dozen shadows moved across the rough ground before finally they struck.
Three shadows swarmed around Irri first, the girl was so caught off guard that she had no chance react as the shadows formed into more solid figures. They looked now like they were more smoke than physical beings and one wrapped his hand around Irri's throat and snapped her neck like it was the most fragile twig.
Daenerys had very little time to react before the other three shadows came at her but she managed to draw her Valyrian steel dagger, the only weapon she had on her to her shame having grown far too complacent with so much success. Irri to her shame had paid the price for that and all Daenerys could do was stab at one of the shadow figures even if she was convinced it would do no good. Much to her surprise the dagger actually made contact with the target and a terrible screeching echoed around as the shadow began a physical man before her eyes. Bald with skin as white as freshly fallen snow but she was unable to study him more as the other five shadows swarmed her all at once. She felt her world become dark as she slipped into unconsciousness and the dagger fell from her hands before she was carried off by the shadows at great speed.
There we are, hope you enjoyed it! Please review and let me know what you thought.
Next Chapter - Daenerys finds herself alone in an unfamiliar place, Meera returns home with Jon and the North now turns its attention towards the Iron Born.
