Truth

Edmure POV

The ships pierced through the small fleet from Yunkai. Before they could realize what was happening, half of the ships were already on fire. The rest quickly sailed away in fear. I clenched my sword's hilt. The left part of my face and eye started burning in pain. These bastards were waiting to attack Yunkai ships.

There was no way it was coincidental that they started attacking just after I defeated the ground forces. It was clear that they waited for an opportunity to strike. They were somehow watching us. Still, only nine ships were present. Where was the rest of Euron's fleet? Something was wrong, but I would not let him get away if I had a chance to kill him.

"Prepare for battle," I yelled, ordering the men to surround the harbor. "Get princess away."

"But aren't they helping us?" Shireen asked.

"Don't you know these banners? They are the Ironborn. They help no one but themselves."

I was agitated, and my voice trembled. I knew if Euron was coming, it was my chance to kill him, yet I feared him coming. It was hard to make my hand stop shivering in a cold sweat. At most, a thousand men could fit in these nine ships, I had more, yet I was afraid. Before the ships landed, I ordered men to bring the Tattered prince and his men to aid me.

"A white banner," Ser Davos said as a group left the ships and walked towards us. "Lower your weapons. We shall talk with them first."

"It could be a trap. They will get closer to us and kill us, disturbing the order around there," I said.

"Only five people are coming. We have enough to defend ourselves," Ser Davos looked suspiciously at me.

"I will speak with them," Shireen, who hadn't yet left, said.

"Your father had defeated the Iron fleet. Do you think they will be happy to see you here?" I asked.

"For a former slave, you know a lot," Ser Davos said.

"It is common knowledge," I defended myself, getting more agitated with each moment.

"I am Asha Greyjoy, heir of the Iron Islands and captain of Black Wind," They arrived before I could calm myself. "I know that Shireen Baratheon is in the city. I wish to speak with her."

"Let them through," Shireen said.

Hearing that it was Asha Greyjoy, I calmed down but didn't let my guard down. As the Ironborn came, the Tattered prince came with his men too. I trained the former slaves, so I was confident they wouldn't attack me on order. Even though Asha had never seen me, I was worried someone might recognize me, even with half of my face scarred with burn wounds.

"Not closer," I spoke when they came close enough to have talked but too far for any weapon to reach us. "Speak your intentions."

"I have come to princess Shireen to establish an alliance," Asha Greyjoy said. "I have heard what was happening in Volantis. I came to assist you."

"There is no way we should trust an Ironborn," I didn't let Shireen speak.

"That's why I brought gifts," She said before shoving a dwarf in front of her. "He is Tyrion Lannister. I am sure he is a valuable man to many people. I heard he escaped justice. I wonder what Edmure Tully would give for him."

"You only need to ask, bitch," The Dwarf spoke, and I was ready to draw my sword. "He is standing in front of us. I can recognize him even with these horrible scars on his face. Now the question is, what is he doing with the daughter of the man he killed."

"He is helping us to secure Astapor," I was ready to take Shireen hostage, yet she spoke before I could move. "He is our benefactor; it wasn't him who killed my father. The Red Priestess and my mother pushed him to take such actions before the Lord of the Seven Kingdoms rightly punished him."

"Still, isn't it a surprise?" The dwarf asked. "What will you do now, bitch. There stands the man who killed your uncles and father and took your kingdom away."

"Shit," Asha cursed. "I have not heard anything about you, Lord Tully. Tell me what you are doing here."

"You can thank your uncle Euron for that," I said as my nerves calmed down and I became cold as ice. "And for these scars."

"Calm, everyone," Shireen spoke. "There will be no blood. We shall talk in peace."

"We are leaving," Asha said.

"And why do you think we will let you?" I asked.

"Enough, lord Tully. They can leave as they want," Shireen spoke. "But I wish to speak with you, lady Greyjoy. Even if you have bad blood with lord Tully."

"We shall see," Asha said, retreating to her ships.

"You knew?" I asked Shireen.

"We suspected. Ser Davos was more certain about your identity with each day you stayed with us," She explained.

"Yet you didn't kill me?" I asked, shocked.

"I do not wish more blood to be spilled. Lord Stark had died for nothing, then my father, and that not speaking of all the people that had to suffer," She said, sounding more mature than a child her age should. "And you didn't give me a reason to kill you. You helped me in this hopeless and idealistic situation that I created."

"And we know how important you are, lord Tully," Ser Davos spoke, even though he hid his distaste towards me. By this point, we walked some distance from everyone else. "If we killed you and someone found out, we would be hunted by many. You are the King's Hand and Lord Paramount of the Trident."

"Who else knew about me?" I asked, still surprised and not knowing what to do.

"Nobody, but the word will spread soon," Ser Davos said.

I could do nothing but laugh. They were fools. They could have taken me a hostage and bargained to return home. Yet they did not take revenge upon me, but they saved me. I could call them nothing but fools. Yet I wished more people were like them in the world. Especially Shireen, she had no reason to spare my life. It was me who defeated her father and made her run away from home to seek safety.

"Marry my son," I told her and Davos, shocking them both to silence. "Return to Westeros and take the seat of Storms End. My son isn't that younger than you, and it is the only way for you to return home. The kingdom of the Stormlands is gone. It will be given to the Crownlands and Dorne."

"Dorne?" Ser Davos asked. "No lord will accept it. They will fight to the end of their lives against them."

"It must be done. I cannot leave them unpunished. If I show even a bit of mercy, they will rebel again and again. I have to end what I had begun," I explained. "With your return, lady Shireen many could be pacified."

"I will think about it once I am sure Astapor is safe. I will see through it with my own eyes," I could see the longing in her eyes, but she was still determent to help a stranger city.

"Then I will help you," I said. "No matter what, you saved my life. And helping this city might help me to get closer to Daenerys Targaryen."

I had to get to the Queen of the Dragons. After thinking about it for days, a terrifying thought occurred to me. Euron was after the dragons. From the beginning, he didn't care about the ruling. He wanted to destroy the Seven Kingdoms. And using dragons, he will unleash hell upon everyone. That is why he is working with Varys. I had to stop him, or I will have to kill the dragons myself.

…

I was still surprised by her reaction to Shireen. If she only suspected me being Edmure, now she knew. Yet I could not see any malice in her eyes. Even as the day ended and we were alone. I questioned myself if I could have acted similarly to her in the same situation, and I had to admit that I wouldn't have—the idea of taking her as my daughter-in-law sounded more appealing with each moment. To have her by my side, I would gladly dismiss Casterly Rock.

"Are you sure you are okay with this?" Shireen asked.

"It must be done," I replied. "We will accept Asha's offer."

Even if I didn't like it, we needed the small fleet of Asha's. It was now numbered fifteen ships after capturing some Yunkai ships. Euron is probably already in Mereen trying to get closer to Daenerys and her dragons. I needed Asha's help, even if I didn't like it. With my name revealed, the knights loyal to Shireen will soon start showing her hate toward me. It was time I left.

"If what you said is true, why not take more men?" Shireen asked.

"No, the Ironborn and the Tattered prince will be enough," I replied. "You will need men more than I do. Even with the slaves from Yunkai joining you, you need to train more to defend this city."

I finished talking as Asha's ship, Black Wind, came to the harbor. I had to take almost any offer she gave me for her fleet to help me. I needed her ships that desperately. I had already started to form a plan. A plan to kill Euron and for Daenerys to make an alliance with Jaehaerys and end this war before Winter came.

"I have received your message, lord Tully," Asha came and spoke, as I was still deep in thought and planning countless plans to destroy my enemies.

"Seeing as you have not run away, it means that you want something that I can give," I replied. "I need your fleet, so speak your conditions."

"Your head," She said.

"Was I mistaken?" I asked. "I thought you would be different from your father."

"I want the Iron Islands," She said, relenting.

"The Pyke, I will let you have it," I had enough power over the Seven Kingdoms to do so. "But you shall be a vassal house of lord Stark."

"I refuse," Of course, she wouldn't agree so quickly.

"Can you refuse?" I asked. "Do you think you will be able to ever return to the Iron Islands without the other kingdoms trying to hunt you down first?"

"You mention my uncle, Euron. Tell me, what is he doing?"

"He is trying to create chaos," I answered honestly. I didn't know much about Asha, but I hoped she was different from her family. I hoped she cared about her people. "He is probably in Mereen with a boy pretending to be a Targaryen. They are probably trying to convince Daenerys to join them."

"Another pretender? I thought one bastard was enough."

"Watch what you are saying about the King," I snarled. Jaehaerys was a better man than many before him, and part of me liked to teach the boy and see him grow to be a man. "Anyway, his plan is nothing but to wreak chaos. He is just using them as he will be using the Iron Islands. I am not naïve and know how the Ironborn feels towards the King and me."

"Then I shall join him," She said, trying to bait me.

"And destroy the Iron Islands?" I asked. "After all is done, even if he wins some battles. The Iron Islands will be the most hated place in the world. The Seven Kingdoms will unite to destroy it once and for all. Take the chance of serving lord Stark and rebuild your home from the ground."

"No matter how much I rebuilt, it would mean nothing if it belonged to someone else," She was adamant.

"It would belong to you too if you married lord Stark," I had to grab the last straw. "Accept this offer. If not, after I defeat Euron, I will ensure that the Ironborn become nothing but miners and fishermen."

"I will think about it," In the end, at least I got her not to ignore me.

It was fine. I needed to focus on one object at a time. The Tattered prince had already started marching to Mereen. As I have ordered him, he will try to get employed by Daenerys, and I will have a man to defend her and be by her side. It was hard to trust him, but I needed him, and I believed he trusted me to get him Pentos.

With the victory against Yunkai, people started to truly accept Shireen as their ruler. More and more men are joining her, and with the slaves from Yunkai that have surrendered to her, it is enough to defend the city. I will try to move to Daenerys and get closer to her as a benefactor of Shireen.

Only a few knew my true identity, and no word will travel further from Astapor for a while. I will cover my face and pretend to be Oscar, a former slave. I will have to go unnoticed by Euron and Varys. I will have to use Asha to keep an eye on Euron, as even he will not be able to kill her, as in doing so, he will never get the Iron Islands. Even the Ironborn abhor kinslaying.

A.N. As always, If you want more, up to five advanced chapters, you can support me on pa treon. com \ ironwolf852