Chapter 48: Planning the future

300 AC

Robb

He sat down at the head of the large table in his large command tent outside the city. His lords had found it safer for him to remain outside with the army than be inside with thousands of starving citizens. Among those people there were almost definitely spies or people desperate enough to do anything to feed their families. Not that he could really blame them, but it still meant he was forced to remain in his tents.

He took a deep breath and went over the things he would want to say in his head again. Jon, Greatjon, both his uncles, Domeric, Harrion, Lady Mormont, Ser Wylis and Lords Bracken, Mallister and Blackwood were seated with him at the table. He had composed the group of his most trusted advisors, as well the most important Lords of the North and Riverlands. To strengthen his claim over the Northern Crownlands, he had also offered Lord Lothar Mallery and Ser Rupert Brune a seat.

Together they awaited the arrival of the Vale lords. A lot had to be discussed today. He was a little annoyed about the fact he had to deal with Ser Andar and not his father or Lord Arryn, but it would do. The Royce heir had gotten command and the ability to negotiate over most things from both his father and his liege, so they could at least solve some of the questions together.

Soon, Ser Andar and six other Vale nobles were led inside by a guard. He thanked the guard that brought them in and offered the Vale lords a seat. Ser Andar sat across from him, while the other nobles filled in at the table, which seats had been counted out beforehand.

To the Vale knight's left sat Lord Qarl Melcolm. Lord Melcolm had stayed neutral for most of the civil war, only joining in at the end. Yet, he had sworn himself to Lord Harrold and had raised a significant part of his troops and ships for the expedition south now. He had also been a very respected noble in Jon Arryn's former court and had the respect of most of his countrymen.

To Ser Andar's right sat Lord Symond Templeton. He had been one of the instigators of the war in the Vale and it came as no surprise to see him seated as the Royce heir's right hand. Although only recently being raised to a lordship, the man had more than enough experience and prowess in both war and politics.

The rest of the Vale delegation was made up of equally important nobles. There was Ser Morton Waynwood, who sat next to Lord Templeton. Next to him sat Jasper Redfort, the heir to his house and former foster brother of Domeric. Next to Lord Melcolm sat Lord Donniger, another noble who had been neutral through most of the war. Lord Donniger had been the first to let go of his neutrality after the deciding battle against Littlefinger, a thing many seemed to appreciate. Lastly, there was Lord Ruthermont, another neutral lord.

The symbolism of the delegation hadn't gone lost on him. Firstly, they arrived with seven members, a nod to their staunch support for the Faith. Secondly, the delegation was made up of three victorious lords and heirs, opposed by three neutral lords, with Ser Andar at the head. The message was clear, the Vale is united and strong.

He could respect the thinking behind it, and he made a mental note not to underestimate the Royce heir. Both men looked at each other, before he started speaking. He welcomed all of them personally and congratulated them on their victory over Lysa and Littlefinger, a thing that brought much bigger smiles on the faces of one side of the table than the other. He also thanked them for coming to help them here in King's Landing. Perfectly timed at the end of his words, bread and salt was brought forward by his servants to each of his guests. Wine was also brought to wash down the food with. Secretly, it had another purpose. If he could convince the Vale nobles to drink the wine, maybe he could get them a little looser during the negotiations.

Ser Andar grinned at the display and spoke in turn. "Thank you, King Robb. I hope to honor the alliance our fathers and our late liege lord made during the Rebellion. May the North, the Riverlands and the Vale remain on such good terms for many a generation."

He nodded thankfully at the words and gestured they could eat. All of them ate a significant piece, as a gesture of good faith, and washed it down with significant gulps of the fine Arbor Red. After all the formalities had taken place, they went down to business.

"I have invited you here today to discuss multiple things concerning the war and its aftermath. As the war with the Lannisters is reaching its last phase, we hear of new enemies arriving. This 'Aegon', has already captured big parts of the Stormlands and Dorne is expected to join him. We also received rumors that his supposed aunt, Daenerys Targaryen, might be on her way to Westeros from Slaver's Bay. All reports talk about her having dragons, a thing that is almost unimaginable. She would also have an army of freed slave soldiers with her, if the stories are to be believed. Whatever the case, this Aegon seems to believe she is coming and that she will join him. He sent me a letter, which arrived this morning. I expect he send one to the Eyrie as well." He started the meeting.

All Vale lords looked at him seriously. All had heard everything, except for the letter, before. "The letter contained an … offer. He basically orders me to place my armies under his command to march against the west and the ironborn and to let go of all my claims on kingship and lands below the Neck. In return, he would forgive the sins of my father against his family and grant me the tile of Warden of the North." He paused for a second there, looking in the eyes of all the Vale attendants. "it is safe to say that I will reject this proposal with the full support of all my lords. There is no way any one of us will ever bow down to a Targaryen again. Especially not one who's identity is unsure. I would ask were the Vale stands on this."

Ser Andar looked at his fellow Vale lords, before replying to him. "The Vale remembers the Rebellion and the necessity of it. Aerys was a madman and Rhaegar was no better. Who's to say Rhaegar's son will be any different, if this Aegon is in fact his son that is. I think it more likely that he is the son of some washed up Lyseni whore that is being used for political purposes by powerful men. I will not bow down to him, nor will my fellow lords." This was confirmed by all the lords nodding in agreement.

He smiled. "Good, then we are on the same page there. Do you know what the intentions of the Vale lords and Lord Harrold are? Does he wish to pledge to someone else, does he want to form his own kingdom?"

Ser Andar hesitated, before looking over to Lord Templeton. "In this matter we are still divided. Your recent acquisition of Crackclaw Point and some of the lords south of it has also changed the situation. I would need to speak to my liege personally before I can answer that question."

He nodded, having expected this answer. "Can I count on the Vale to aid me and mine against this 'Aegon'? It is clear he will not stop at my lands. You would be next on his list of conquest."

"That I can say with certainty. We will not bow down to a Targaryen Pretender. I have already sent a raven to the Eyrie, asking for the authority to march against him with you, should the need arise. I expect the answer to come back positive." The Royce heir answered.

Now he smiled more openly. Having the eight thousand Vale troops join him, would mean that he could muster thirty thousand men. More than enough to deal with the Golden Company. The only problem would be if the Dornish spears joined him. He said as much. "With our combined number, the scattered Golden Company would stand no chance. The Stormlords have lost too many troops already to be a significant factor and some still hold strong to their allegiance to House Baratheon. The only problem would be if, although I think it is more of a when, Dorne joins this pretender. Dorne could raise his number to our strength, a thing I don't look forward too."

Most of the lords on both sides of the table seemed to agree. "I propose that we send a letter today to Doran Martell. The chance is slim, but maybe we could dissuade him from starting this folly. If we send it together, he will see what he is up against and maybe think twice about it."

Lord Templeton scoffed at that. "I don't think the Prince of Dorne would overly care about our opinions but if it can avoid a war from escalating, I don't mind trying I guess." This seemed to be the general opinion of everyone at the table.

"Can't we offer them Clegane's and Lorch's head to sweeten the deal? Everyone knows it was them that killed Princess Elia and her children." Lord Mallister spoke up.

"We could try." He agreed.

"What will you do if this letter doesn't work? The Dornish have already marched from their passes. It won't be long before they unite with this Aegon, if that is what they intend to do." Ser Morton Waynwood spoke up.

"I would suppose we march on them. King's Landing is indefensible and staying here would only strengthen his cause. It would allow him to gather more supporters from the Reach, as well as sow dissent in the ranks of the Crown- and Riverlanders in my army. He needs to be removed, as no Targaryen will be allowed on the Iron Throne ever again. It would be a constant threat to my realm and my descendants." He answered.

With this, many seemed to agree. However, now the Greatjon spoke up. "Forgive me, Your Grace, but I don't think it's only the Targaryens you should worry about doing that."

"What do you mean, Lord Umber?" He responded, as the whole table frowned at his comment.

"Well, who this pretender is and whether he comes from Lys, Tyrosh or Pisswater Bend doesn't actually matter. All that matters, is that he has purple eyes and silver hair. Hundreds of those can be found on Dragonstone alone. The Targaryens have spread their seed everywhere in the Seven Kingdoms and multiple houses can boast descend from them, most notably House Baratheon which they did in the Rebellion. If we end the remaining Targaryens, others, fake or of bastard descent, will just take their place. As long as that damned chair exists, lords will raise someone to sit on it for their personal gain. Be it a Targaryen or Baratheon, a bastard or the son of Lyseni whore, doesn't matter." The giant lord boomed.

"What do you propose then?" He asked. He was annoyed, as he didn't knew where his commander was going. A thing that greatly reminded him of a night in Riverrun's Godswood.

"We destroy it and everything it stands for." The Greatjon just shrugged.

He saw the mouths of half the table fall open. "What do you mean with destroying it, Lord Umber?" Ser Andar asked, seemingly interested.

"Well, there was a time before the dragons came. A time where Northerners, Valemen and Stormlanders had their own kingdoms. Why wouldn't we be able to go back to that? We have already declared independence, why wouldn't the others be able to do so too? As long as the rest of the South remains united, our kingdoms will never be safe from them. If we break them up, they will never have the strength to conquer us again. The North and Vale have never fallen to other kingdoms, while the Riverlands will have Northern armies helping against possible invaders. The way I see it, our only option is to destroy that chair and the dragon unity it stands for, together with the dragons, if we are to have any sustainable freedom in the decades to come." The Lord of Last Hearth made his speech.

The tent fell silent after that. No one quite sure on how to respond. Suddenly, his uncle Brynden spoke up. "Well, I won't say anything about Lord Umber's other plans, but he has a point on some of the things he says. A united southern kingdom, containing of the Reach, Westerlands, Dorne and the Stormlands, will never stop until they conquer the Riverlands, possibly even the North and the Vale. Our independence won't be able to last for a century if such a kingdom exists. He also has a point about the pretenders. Anyone with purple eyes could be used as a puppet to claim control over the other kingdoms."

"Yes, the Riverlands will never be able to stand against the combined might of the Westerlands, Reach and Stormlands." The new Lord Blackwood agreed.

"What do you suppose then? Offer Willas Tyrell and Tywin Lannister a crown?" Lord Ruthermont spoke up.

"No," he himself hissed, "we won't offer anything to Tywin Lannister except the execution block!" With this, all of his Northern- and Riverlords agreed while Lord Mallery and Ser Rupert Brune stayed neutral.

"How would you accomplish this then and what to do with this 'Aegon'?" Lord Melcolm jumped in.

"We get rid of him, like we get rid of Tommen Waters." Harrion spoke up. He looked into the eyes of his good-brother and it seemed he was agreeing with the Greatjon.

The Karstark heir elaborated. "We get rid of the main claimants, Cersei's children, the Targaryens, maybe the Baratheon girl, … After that we abolish the realm and make sure none of the other kingdoms is powerful enough to put a claim on it. We tear down all symbols of unity. We destroy that chair, tear down the Red Keep, … We might even burn this godforsaken city, not that there is much left to begin with."

Lady Maege also threw her support behind the proposal. "Who we offer the other crowns to doesn't really matter. If Willas Tyrell doesn't take it, I expect the Florents will. Same goes for the Stormlands. Many houses descend from a female line of the Baratheons, we could put one of those on the throne in Storm's End. Someone who is agreeable to our demands. We could even raise one of Robert Baratheon's many bastards to the Durrandon's old position. If we manage to do that, the Martells will become isolated and take their own throne. Someone like the Red Viper will jump at the possibility, I reckon. Doran will see that there is no other option and proclaim himself independent."

"What with the Westerlands?" Lord Templeton asked.

"We put one of Tywin's nephews or distant cousins on the throne. Someone we can control for the time being. We take Tywin's head and wealth and we get out of there. The last part we already did before, why not do it again." Harry answered, apparently managing to win over Domeric and Lord Blackwood in the process, as they nodded along.

"So that's your idea? You tear down all unity. Within a century, we will have war between the kingdoms again." Lord Donniger spoke up.

Now Lady Maege scoffed. "That's not really an argument, Lord Donniger. Like we didn't have those before? What do you think Robert's Rebellion, the Blackfyre Rebellions or the Dance of Dragons were? Kingdoms or lords went head to head against each other under the Targaryens, Tyrells and Baratheons just the same as they did under the Gardeners and Durrandons. The only difference was the amount of power they fought for and for who."

He had to acknowledge she had a point there and it seemed all agreed on that. Although smaller wars happened less often under the Targaryens, grand scale conflicts happened every two or generations or so. "What are your plans for the Vale then?" Ser Andar finally joined in.

"Quite simple", the Greatjon shrugged. "Either you join us, or you declare your Lord Harrold king. I suppose it's quite a chance in a year's time for him, but I don't think he would mind."

Now, Ser Andar peaked up. It would of course mean that his sister would marry a king, not just a lord. It would also make his father, and after that himself, the most powerful lord behind the king, with no way of outside intervention. A thing neither he, nor Ser Andar, seemed to fail to notice.

Mumbling started among the Vale lords, but the Royce heir diplomatically cut it off. "I already declared that our future must be discussed with our liege lord."

He nodded at that, making use of the moment to gain control over the conversation again. "So, that's what you want?" He asked his northern most lords. The heads of Houses Umber, Mormont, Karstark and Bolton all nodded, while Lord Blackwood also joined them. "What do you think?" He asked his other nobles.

Jon and Ser Brynden looked deep in thought and remained silent. It was Lord Mallister that spoke up. "I agree with Ser Brynden that not doing it would raise its fair share of problems, but so would actually doing it. We Mallisters live of trade to Seaguard. If the ironborn become independent again, they will reave and plunder our coasts. Maybe even more importantly, they will destroy trade. Besides, trade with who? Can we only trade with the North from then on? I don't mean to insult anyone, but you don't even have a real port on the western side to trade with."

it seemed that the trade argument was shared by Ser Wyilis as well, not surprising, given the Manderlys trade network. Lords Melcolm and Donniger, also from maritime houses, seemed to follow this reasoning too.

He thought about that. The unity had brought peace and prosperity to all and had increased trade massively, but it had also created massive wars like this one they were in now. It had already resulted in close to two million deaths combined in all the kingdoms, an incomprehensible number of people. He had read about the depopulations after the Rebellion and especially after the Dance of Dragons, notably the fate of Tumbleton. Except for the Riverlands, this was an onslaught the other kingdoms hadn't experienced since the coming of the Andals and such a war happened every fifty to a hundred years under the Targaryens.

Still, trade was too important. He couldn't impoverish his people. For some lords in other regions this would mean a loss of power or prestige, in the North this meant the death of thousands of your smallfolk through starvation.

"It wouldn't." The Greatjon simply responded.

"Why?" Lord Jason Mallister simply replied.

"Because by then, we would have put a puppet in Casterly Rock who would give us a favorable trade agreement. A thing Seaguard, as the only western port, would greatly be able to exploit. Similar thing for the other side. If you destroy King's Landing, you only have White Harbor, Gulltown and Duskendale who are of any significance. Between them you have smaller ports like Sisterton, Saltpans and Widowswatch, but the same goes for them. Favorable trade would flow between the North, Vale, Crownlands and a puppet in the Stormlands. An added benefit is that we can decide which taxes to raise on Essosi ships on our own. Hell, you could have the Braavosi pay a fortune or they risk losing half Westeros' market to Pentos. You also have to pay less tax altogether anyway, because you don't need to pay to both your Lord Paramount and the king in King's Landing anymore." The Umber giant replied.

He was impressed. It was clear the Greatjon had stippled out this plan much earlier and in much more detail than any of them had expected from the Lord of Last Hearth. He knew the man to be an ardent supporter of Northern independence, but this was beyond anything he had expected. However, the attitude of Lady Mormont made him believe that maybe this plan had not only been an Umber idea.

What surprised him even more was how quickly his friends Harry and Domeric had joined in. It even looked as they might have known of this plan beforehand. That was something he could have expected from their fathers, seeing their sons do the same was something to take note off.

"Trade agreement or not, if the ironborn control the bay no ship will ever come back to my port." Lord Jason replied stiffly.

"If I have anything to say about it, there won't be any ironborn left by that time." The Umber Lord just growled, and he was remembered of his promise to deal with the ironborn after the Lannisters.

The Greatjon's aggressive stance shocked most of the Vale lords, so he decided to intervene. "We have suffered much from the ironborn in the North. My own sister Arya was horribly injured by Theon Greyjoy, while Lord Umber's daughter Allara died heroically whilst protecting her. A reckoning will come for the ironborn, sooner or later. First, we deal with the mainland, after that we will look how to deal with those pirates. If we're lucky, half of them have died in the Reach by the time we intervene."

"Then the other half's mine." The Greatjon grunted.

He nodded slowly, signaling the Umber lord that he had not forgotten about his revenge, whilst also forcing him to calm down.

Lord Mallister was the only one that seemed happy about the agressive interruption. "I would gladly offer some trade up to end those ratchet pirates. Too long have us Mallisters suffered from them. If you promise to put them down significantly, I can agree with the plan. It will make both our lands and our trade safer in the long run." Lord Jason said, looking him directly in the eye.

He just nodded, whilst looking at the other nobles. Lord Bracken just shrugged. "I don't see the benefit of it. The way I see it, the Riverlands will be the scene of war in the future in either scenario. Not very encouraging if you ask me." He saw how his uncle Edmure apparently agreed with that.

To this he responded himself. "No matter which scenario, I plan to strengthen the Riverlands defenses. This is the main reason why I wanted to push the kingdoms border south towards the Blackwater. The river will act as a natural boundary, just like the Red Fork did with the Lannisters last year. Other things will be implemented as well, but today is not the right moment to discuss those."

"Hmmn, if you push the border in the south and southeast towards there, Stone Hedge would be much safer." Lord Jonos Bracken responded.

He nodded. He knew how much the lord cared for his home. Lord Jonos had used all the political power he had to demand him to be allowed to reclaim his keep. In the end, they had agreed that his nephew Hendry had been able to go reclaim it with a small force. By now, most of his soldiers had already returned back to the army and what remained of the keep was once again in control of House Bracken.

"Well, to hold that defense you need King's Landing, or at least its ruins. I don't think that will ever be possible without the other kingdoms breaking up. The plan has my support." Lord Bracken summarized, to his complete shock. The Brackens on the same side as the Blackwoods on this … plan? What was happening?

Now, Ser Brynden spoke up. "I agree with Lord Jonos. There is no other way to achieve that. Besides, we are already at war with the Iron Isles, Westerlands and the Reach at the moment, while Dorne might declare on us any day. What's the real difference, except not letting them join together after we defeat them? It is clear both Tywin and this 'Aegon' will only understand total defeat. Putting our own puppet on the thrones of the neighboring kingdoms might bring great prosperity to us, as well as peace for two, maybe even three generations."

At this, he saw multiple Vale lords nod deep in thought. "Maybe it's for the best that this city disappears. If the wind came from here, you could almost smell it in Riverrun or the Eyrie." The Blackfish added, as he wrinkled his nose in joke.

This made many of them smile. He had heard many stories about the smell of the capital, before coming here. When he had finally arrived, even with over half the population and the famous Flea Bottom gone, it had still smelled like … actual shit.

He looked over his own lords and realized in shock that Lord Umber and Lady Mormont had managed to convince them all, all except him and Jon. He looked towards his brother for help.

"The plan has its merits. It would be as if the dragons never set foot on Westerosi shores." Jon answered. His brother's face was a mask, but his eyes betrayed the inner conflict that raged behind them.

He seemed to be the only one to have noticed, as the Greatjon boomed enthusiastically. "Exactly! What have the dragons ever done for us? Why wouldn't we destroy their legacy?"

He looked over to Ser Andar and the Vale lords. "What do you think about this?"

"Well', the Vale knight responded deep in thought. "I personally like the idea of puppets, we put together in the Westerlands and Stormlands, a lot more than a united realm to our South. Especially if that realm is ruled by some angry Targaryen Pretender that believes he has claims to our land."

"This theoretical planning is all good and well, but what would you do concretely from here to achieve this?" Lord Templeton asked his lords.

"First, we capture the Red Keep. We hang Cersei and her incest bastard. After that, we destroy Maegor's creepy castle with all its tunnels and secrets that made the court so corruptible. Secondly, we transport more of its people to other places in the Vale and Riverlands so the city declines further. We can decide what to do with the ruins later, if there are no people living here anymore the problem is already solved." Lady Mormont started explaining their plan.

She had most of the people with her on that. Everybody wanted to see Cersei Lannister dead. Ser Andar had not forgotten the dead of his brother on her orders, just like he hadn't forgotten about his father.

"And then?" Lord Templeton asked.

"Then we march on this … 'Aegon'. We take him and his forces down before his aunt can arrive. If we're lucky, this Daenerys will think better of it after she sees all her house's supporters dealt with. Most of those still willing to join the dragons would be defeated with Aegon and the others would think better of it after his defeat. It will starve her of any meaningful support on the continent." The Lady of Bear Island continued.

He had to admit that the plan had merit. If Daenerys had an army, both her and 'Aegon' shouldn't be allowed to link up. Most houses still supporting the Targaryens in Dorne, the Reach and the Stormlands would have been defeated with the pretender. At the same time, those traitors in the Riverlands and Crownlands, that would risk turning their cloaks, would have been identified and dealt with too by that point.

He was certain he could beat this 'Aegon', even if Dorne joined him. He wasn't so sure he could beat both him and Daenerys together, especially in the unlikely event that she indeed had dragons.

He saw Lord Templeton nod, deep in thought. "Continue", he simply motioned to the Lady of Bear Island.

She shrugged. "Then we look for a Stormland noble with Baratheon descent or one of Robert's bastards, again someone malleable. Shouldn't be too difficult if you hear the stories about our late king. We put him on the throne in Storm's End, march back and plan the same with Casterly Rock."

"The Reach?" Ser Jasper Redfort asked.

She shrugged. "I personally don't feel anything for fighting against them again. If we manage the Stormlands and Westerlands, only Dorne remains for them to join with. Dorne and the Reach will never agree on a claimant that binds them together. Let them figure it out themselves, I say."

That didn't seem to entirely convince the Vale lords, nor him. The Reach was a huge adversary. Letting them be with the possibility they attack you in the back was … dangerous.

"There is another option. We could offer the crown to both sides and watch them destroy each other. We can negotiate with the weakened victor afterwards?" Domeric proposed. This seemed to convince at least a few of the Vale lords. He must admit it mitigated at least some of the risk.

"Why can't we just ally with the Baratheons?" Lord Qarl Melcolm asked. "I mean they are just there at the other side of the bay. We blockade them for now, but they still have ships and a few hundred men. More importantly, they have Shireen Baratheon and more than a few lords in the Stormlands and Southern Crownlands still support her. Some do it openly, much more of them do it secretly. This would give us a lot of extra men, but much more importantly it would give us legitimacy in the Stormlands, locals scouts and keeps from which to construct a secure supply route towards Storm's End."

"There will also be those that wouldn't follow simply her because she's a woman, an underage one at that." Lord Donniger countered, which got him a nasty look from both Lady Mormont and, surprisingly, also from the heir of House Waynwood. The knight clearly respected his lady mother very much, if he dared to openly criticize a lord like that in what looked like her defense.

Lord Melcolm just waved it off. "Let her marry one of her bastard cousins. I heard Renly raised one, who's mother is a Florent besides. Both parents were nobles and he was raised by their last liege before the war, that should endear them to the remaining Stormlords. They could rule together for what I care. If it would mean a few thousand Stormlanders in our army and long-lasting peace with good trade opportunities for us, what do I care if it is woman or a couple on the throne."

That wasn't actually such a bad idea, although there were their claims on Westeros. "What would you do with their claims? Both could lay claim the Iron Throne." He joined in.

"Yes, but every bastard of Robert theoretically could. The Stormlands army has been decimated, many of its nobles have died and now their lands have been ravaged by war. The kingdom won't be strong enough to do anything for decades. Even if it reaches its full strength, they couldn't do much. Aside from maybe Dorne and the Iron isles they probably have the lowest army numbers in Westeros." Lord Melcolm retorted.

"Those army numbers still conquered the Riverlands and Crownlands before." His uncle Edmure remarked.

"Not really, they were only able to do so in the past because the Riverlands were once again divided. Houses like the Blackwoods joined the Durrandons at the time, if that hadn't happened they wouldn't have stood a chance. Besides, you forget you now have thousands of Northmen to come to your rescue and an alliance with us besides." Lord Melcolm countered.

Uncle Brynden signaled uncle Edmure subtly that the Vale Lord was right, so the Lord of Riverrun dropped the discussion.

"The bastard's Florent ancestry would also help to drive another rift between them and Highgarden. Especially with Shireen's mother also being a Florent." Lord Mallister mused aloud.

Lord Melcolm speech was now directed towards him. "If you could write to Dragonstone and offer her the Baratheon ancestral castle, as well the Stormlands, in return for help against a Targaryen pretender, wouldn't that work? You could even go as far as to demand she marries her cousin. Maybe even have her drop her claims on the rest of Westeros? I think it's clear with everyone now she isn't winning the throne."

"It could work." He simply replied.

"What about the Crownlands?" Many still follow her in that region as well. That could spell disaster for the future." Lord Bracken interrupted.

"Not really", Lord Mallery spoke up. It was the first time he had spoken since the beginning of the discussion and he was very interested to hear what the man would have to say.

"Almost all houses that staunchly supported Stannis were either situated on the islands around Dragonstone or south of the Blackwater. Only one house, House Chyttering, still remains loyal to her north of the river. The ancient Storm Kingdom of the Durrandons didn't stop in the Kingswood. It ran all the way to the Blackwater River and Massey's Hook. If you offer her those ancestral lands, all of those houses would be incorporated and only the Chytterings would be out of place. It could also have the added benefit of having the Baratheons deal with the few left in the region that still support the Targaryens or Lannisters." Lord Lothar explained.

This plan seemed to placate all factions equally. The Northerners and Riverlanders didn't really care about the lands to begin with, while it could convince the Crownlanders of stability and procure their alliance with more allies. It might also help convince the Baratheons of the merit of their proposal. The added historical legitimacy of the borders at the time of Aegon's Conquest was another interesting point to use. Still, he wasn't entirely convinced. Neither was Jon, but it seemed they were about the only ones left. Except for them, there was one who still strongly opposed the plan.

"Why wouldn't you just put your king on the Iron Throne and be done with it? You already have the North, the Riverlands and half the Crownlands, and you are planning on at least invading the other half, the Stormlands, the Westerlands and the Iron Isles anyway. Why not just take all of it for yourself?" Lord Donniger asked, first to his lords and lastly to him.

He looked the Valeman straight in the eyes and replied easily. "Because I don't want it. No Stark has ever thrived in King's Landing. My father, grandfather, uncle and aunt all died when they marched passed the Neck, three of them in this damned capital. Cregan Stark was the only one to survive marching south of it for an extended period of time until now, but his son and heir Rickon died when he followed the Young Dragon to Dorne three decades later. A tragedy that weakened House Stark for generations and was lamented all over the North. We Starks aren't made for this, nor should we ever be. All this court intrigue with its spies, lies and secret passageways disgusts me. I do not wish to become a more successful version of Tywin Lannister, my lord. I wish to go home to my family and rule over my lands justly. I wish to do my duty to my people and do proud to the legacy of my father and all the other Starks that came before him. My people have called me king and wish for their independence. I will not shame their trust in me, yet I will never become what is needed to rule the South. That is not who I am. It is not what my father would ever have wanted me to become."

After his speech, all fell silent. He could see how his Northern lords looked upon him with pride, and they were joined in this by his uncle Brynden and Lord Mallister, who had both known his father well. The other Riverlanders and Crownlanders under his command looked at him with surprise and interest. It was clear some of them would have never let this opportunity go by, nonetheless they seemed to accept his choice.

The Vale lords looked at him differently. He could see respect in the eyes of Ser Andar, Lord Templeton and Ser Jasper Redfort. The others were less convinced. Lord Donniger spoke again. "What difference would it make? With you ruling over the Riverlands and half the Crownlands, you would have to do that anyway."

He looked upon the Vale lord once more. "No, I don't. They chose me as king, for who I am and for who my grandfather was. I may be a Northman, but the blood of the Riverlands runs in my veins too. I have never ruled them any other way than I would rule my Northern subjects, nor will I ever start with that. They have chosen this path for themselves and seem to accept it. For them, much may change, but I believe it is to everyone's betterment."

The Valeman looked sceptically at him, but he was silenced by the loud support from his uncles and Lord Mallister. When, finally, both Lords Blackwood and Bracken also joined in, a feat that was thought of as something resembling a miracle, he seemed to accept it.

He looked over the room at all nineteen other nobles present. "This is what you want? If we do this, there is no turning back. We either succeed or risk everything."

All his Northern lords nodded, even Ser Wylis Manderly eagerly joined in. Then he looked at the Riverlords, placing great importance on the Blackfish's opinion. When all seemed to agree, his great-uncle gave him a slight nod telling him he was on board. He then looked to Lord Mallery and Ser Rupert Brune. The last still had to speak his first words in the meeting but he did now as he stood up.

"It is no secret that the Clawmen have always been loyal dragon supporters. The Targaryens freed us from subsequent tyranny we endured at the hands of the Riverlanders, Stormlanders and Ironborn. Yet, neither I nor the other nobles of the peninsula believe this 'Aegon' to be a true Targaryen. The Golden Company, the heirs of Bittersteel, would never follow him, if he was. Daenerys Stormborn is another story, however she has many things going against her. She is not only in Essos for the moment, she is also the daughter of the Mad King. Aerys had two sons, both of them turned to be mad in their own ways. One was like his father, the other was obsessed with prophecy. Who is to say that his daughter is any different? Who is to say she will not show signs of madness, in whatever way it may manifest itself? Rhaegar seemed well for years, but his final actions led many of our people to their deaths at the Trident. We do not wish this to repeat itself. King Robb has treated us with respect and proven his ability to lead tenfold. The Clawmen will agree that the time of the Dragons has come to an end, we will gladly follow the Wolf from now on."

He nodded to the heir of Dyre Den in respect of his words. The knight simply bowed to him and sat back down. Lord Mallery kept it shorter. "I will follow this vision. Most of the Crownlanders north of the Blackwater will do so as well, although some will need to be convinced to turn against the Dragons. Destroying the Red Keep may help a lot in achieving this."

Lastly, he looked at the delegation from the Vale. Ser Andar gestured for the other nobles to answer first. Ser Jasper Redfort looked at Domeric and nodded, "I agree, the time of the Dragons and the Seven Kingdoms is over." The Waynwood heir next to him joined him, as did Lords Ruthermont, Melcolm and Templeton. The only one remaining was Lord Donniger. The Valeman looked puzzlingly at his countrymen but nodded too.

"It seems we are all in agreement here." The Royce heir concluded.

"Not everyone has agreed yet, Ser Andar." He interrupted the heir to Runestone, as he turned to his brother seated on his right. "Jon?"

He could see the conflict in his brother's eyes and understood it well. If there only was a slight chance that this 'Aegon' truly was his brother, he would be fighting against his own kin. Kin he never knew, but kin nonetheless. They looked at each other for a long while, to the surprise of many of the nobles present. At last, Jon answered. "I agree, the time of the Targaryens is over."

He nodded towards his brother in respect. Jon had already told him he didn't want anything to do with his father's legacy, but this was different. He knew that under the shadow of King's Landing and the Red Keep, this legacy seemed more pressing than it had ever been for his brother. There was also no turning back from this decision. After this, no claim from him would ever be taken seriously by anyone in this army and they both knew it.

He looked back towards the rest of the table. "Very well. I will draft up a letter for Shireen Baratheon tonight. I will have Ser Andar read it and cosign it, before I send it off. I will also draft a letter to Willas Tyrell, offering him the crown of the Gardeners in return for an agreement against the Targaryens and Ironborn. I expect he will reject this. if he does, we send the same offer to the Florents. Either way I don't think any of the main Reach houses will be able to join the Targaryens for now, although some minor ones might." All at the table agreed.

"Don't forget to write to the Martells to dissuade them from joining Aegon, Your Grace." The Blackfish noted helpfully. He thanked his uncle, before looking back towards the present nobles.

"This then concludes our meeting, my lords. Although before we part, I wish to invite you to see the progress on the trebuchets." He said to all, as he stood up first.

Not much later, all were following him through the camp. When they reached the edge of it, he proudly presented them with his weapons of destructions.

His engineers had wanted to build seven of them, but after a year and a half in the South he couldn't stand their religious symbolism any longer. As such, he had ordered them to make another one. Eight great trebuchets, some of the larger ones that he had personally seen, were now in the earlier stages of development.

"When will they be ready?" Lord Templeton asked.

"With enough ammunition to keep up the barrage on the Red Keep? A fortnight at the earliest, could take another week the engineers warned me.

"A fortnight …" Lord Mallister whispered.

"Aye, then it ends, one way or another. I plan to give them an ultimatum to surrender once the trebuchets are in position. If they don't, the keep gets pelted with everyone inside. It will be up to them if they survive or not." He said, as his eyes looked upon the Red Keep in the distance. Most of the nobles noticed how his eyes looked hard as steel and none doubted if he would do it. He himself, on the other hand, only thought about the head of his father that was resting up a pike somewhere above that gate he saw in the distance. He would make them understand what they had done … and what would be the consequences of it.

Everyone would remember Lord Eddard Stark as a good man and a great lord. They would also remember his fate and the whole of Westeros would remember that it was his execution that doomed the fate of the Seven Kingdoms forever. This would be his legacy and as his son it was his job to see it through, to the bitter end.


This is it for this chapter.

Not much actually happens, yet the whole political situation changes. Robb's nobles convince him to shatter the Realm and the Vale agrees to join them.

Robb's plan is to capture the Red Keep in the next three weeks. Either by forcing them to surrender or pummel the entire structure into the ground until barely anyone is left. (This could take multiple days or more of non-stop firing at least)

Not many stories have played with the idea that the Seven Kingdoms just fall apart, but to me it makes the most sense if Robb, who in this story is heavily influenced by Karstark and Umber ideas (of Northern indepence), wins here. Having one giant kingdom to the south, while Robb has the Riverlands and North is just unsustainable.

Even if Robb achieves peace like this, the big kingdom would just come back in two decades and conquer the Riverlands with a massive invasion from all sides. They might even be able to take over the entire Riverlands before the North can muster its troops and march south of Moat Cailin … After this, the Vale would fall from the sea and leave the North isolated, to be either conquered or raided from every side by Ironborn, Wildlings and Valemen until the kingdom breaks down and falls into line again. Be it decades or centuries down the line, it would fall and maybe the Starks with it. You don't have to be a great strategist or politician to know this future wouldn't be preferable to Robb or any of his supporters. They have to keep the Westerlands, Reach and Stormlands (who all border the Riverlands) from uniting and will try to do so, while also destroying all things that hint at that unity in the process.

Hope you enjoy this 'turn', although I have been hinting at it for a while.

Next chapter will be from a completely new POV, any ideas which one?

P.S. Yes, the EdricxShireen is double incest (cousins through their father's side and second cousins through their mother's side). Although gross, far more common in medieval times than you would expect.

Thank you for the support!

Fannic


Reviews:

- Kuman: Haha, that might be an idea!

- George Christian810: Thank you! I think you mean Amory Lorch, not Locke? (F)Aegon is absolutely in a bind, although the choice is pretty easy. It's not much of a choice between an unscathed Dorne and a Reach that is in the midst of a civil war, whilst its heartland is being invaded by ironborn. He will always have to go with Dorne.

- LordRhyolith: No, as you see here, he doesn't want the crown. He wants his independent kingdom to survive. To do that, he must destroy the Targaryen legacy, including King's Landing and certainly the Red Keep. Otherwise pretenders or those who wish to unite Westeros will always threaten his kingdom and his descendants. How it now stands, he will rather tear down the city and only occupy its lands because of the strategic positioning of the Blackwater river. The debt will come into place later on, as you are right it can't be ignored.

He can't just retreat into the Riverlands. Those lands are too damaged by war already and the land lacks natural defenses except for the rivers. Letting Aegon have the ruins would just mean you postpone the war. Maybe for a year, maybe even a decade, but after that a unified army will come to claim the Riverlands and Robb would be unable to stop them.

- LectorHistoria: The Red Keep is the symbol for the Lannister and Targaryen power. By capturing Tommen (with Myrcella a hostage in Dorne), you effectively destroy the whole Lannister cause. From then on out, the West only fights for survival. If you offer the Westerlords survival without a fight, they will more easily rebel against Tywin. By destroying it, you also send a shockwave through Westeros clearly telling everyone the unity is over and there is no reason to ever join with the Targaryens again. Robb and the Vale are making a point here: the era of the Targaryens and their Westerosi unity is over.

- Kingmanaena: Thank you!

- Jaimerey7000: Answered in PM.

- Force Smuggler: She'll hang around for a while, the Red Keep is truly formidable. As you can see here, the clash between them is going to be spectacular.

- Anindhitania238: Sansa is in Winterfell. She stays there happily with Catelyn, Arya, Brandon, Rickon, Alys and Eddara. She also has her friend Jeyne Poole with her. She helps raise her niece and is being educated further in the ways of a lady. Ned saved her life by sending her back home, Robb will keep her there at all cost so she can heal from the traumatic experiences in the South.

- Wolflord456: King's Landing is 100% indefensible. However, Robb could also choose to meet him in the open field. He has a force of 20k Northerners and Riverlands, 3-5 thousand Kingslanders (with Cracklaw Point) and now also 8k Valemen under his command. He could easily overpower the Golden Company with his numbers, also remember that 20k of those are hardened veterans of multiple campaigns, while the Cracklaws, Crownlanders and half the Valemen also have some battlefield/campaign experience. Robb's army won't be pushed over by the Golden Company professionals.

- Mlcool86: It could never be that simple. No Targaryen will allow the North to ever be independent. The ending of season 8 is completely impossible and would never stand. Either you have one big kingdom that does everything to conquer the others, or you have a mess of different smaller kingdoms like before Aegon's Conquest. I have always been perplexed by people trying that, as anyone should know (including your protagonist) that that kingdom will be subjugated within one or two decades.

- Arian Arch: Thank you so much for the kind words and I'm glad you like the story. To answer your questions, I send you a PM.

- Poly19hum: Thank you! That will remain a mystery for now.

- Guest1: Robb literally has the leader of the Faith captured, nor does he believe in the religion. He doesn't care, except for the political relevance/consequences. Secondly, the Old Gods believers indeed do not acknowledge polygamy. However, when faced with two marriages which one would they pick? The one made in the Great Sept or the one made (and consummated) in front of a Hearth Tree? Rhaegar never married Elia before the Old Gods, they could simply put forward that to the Old Gods he wasn't married at all. Of course this has huge consequences and I'm not saying I will go this line, but why would an Umber believe the word of a High Septon (that is in their own jail!) over a (to them) sacred oath before a Hearth Tree? An oath made before the Old Gods is binding, despite another marriage in another religion.

- Guest2: Never thought about Dara, but it's a good idea. Maybe, different people could give her different nicknames?