Chapter 62: The emergence of kings
301 AC
Robb
He curiously looked around at the remnants of the city from the top of his white destrier. They had just entered King's Landing from the Mud Gate. Most of his army would camp outside the city on the former tourney grounds. He himself entered the city with three hundred soldiers and a lot of his highest-ranking nobles.
He rode at the front of their column, after uncle Brynden and most of his scouts had long entered the city and announced their imminent arrival. At the front with him rode Jon, Domeric, Smalljon, Ser Donnel and Torr. Other high-ranking nobles were right behind him or were setting up camp. All the Vale troops had directly gone to set up camp too, as there was nothing in the city for them. Two prominent vassals were still absent, Greatjon and Ser Wylis. Both had been given command over six hundred horseman and they were currently plundering everything between Grassy Vale and Tumbleton.
They had received simple orders. They were to avoid any confrontation with any substantial force. They were to pillage as much as possible and bring home all the food and livestock they could get their hands on. Lastly, they were to avoid any keeps in doing so. Small holdfasts of knightly houses could be taken if they deemed it possible, but no sieges or costly attacks could take place.
Their main focus was to bring back food for the army and local population of the area, but it had many other benefits as well. It would show Willas Tyrell that they were a power that could not be ignored. It weakened the Reach as a whole, as it was one of the areas that were touched the least by their civil war. By stealing their provisions here, it would be harder to rebuild or supply armies in the Reach.
It weakened the Reach on their border with the Stormlands as well, which made an invasion or even successful border skirmishes less likely. The Roseroad also ran through the area, so if they wanted to attack him at King's Landing their supply lines, without any of the stocks of tha area left, would be stretched much further back.
The Stormlanders had been so fond of the idea that they had dispatched three groups of four hundred riders each to do the same in the area between the Cockleswhent and the Blueburn rivers. The weaker the Reach became the better. Lord Morrigen had also told him it served to get some of the more hot-blooded lords to let off some steam. Some wouldn't return and others would be satisfied with some more plunder and action. In the long term, it would help stabilize the region and keep the lords happy.
The raiding had been a great idea and the man responsible for it found himself in front of him, as they reached the top of Visenya's Hill. Lord Deddings had taken the ruins as his headquarters in the city, as Aegon's Hill was blown up and the Dragonpit on the Hill of Rhaenys was being deconstructed.
He jumped of his horse and the lord and all other nobles behind him went to one knee. "Your Grace, it is good to see you!" The Riverlord called out.
"It is equally good to see you, my lord. Please everyone, stand up." He laughed and walked over towards them. He greeted the other nobles that were standing in behind before walking inside with Deddings.
He gave him a detailed report on everything that had happened in the last couple of months, as well as the amount of food and supplies they had stolen from the Reach. In the end he could do nothing more than sincerely thank and congratulate the man. He would be very richly rewarded. He would make sure of that.
Together they walked into the ruins of the Sept of Baelor. The remaining relics and valuables had been gathered and were safely locked away. What was left of the building had gotten a make-shift wooden roof and was now used as a command center.
They sat down at a simple hardwood table. In the next half an hour, he told the Riverlord everything that had happened in the Stormlands. He was saddened by the demise of some of war companions but congratulated him on their victories.
"There have also been other developments in the city, Your Grace. The most notable one was found deep under the ruins of the Dragonpit. The workers tried to take the foundations down and after taking down a substantial part, a lot of old rubble was discovered deep in the ground. It is believed it was rubble from when the Dragonpit collapsed during the Dance of Dragons. In the days after, most of it was cleared and a sword was found. One made of Valyrian Steel."
He looked up. The only Valyrian Steel sword that had been lost during that time was that of House Royce. Finding that would do them a world of good with the Vale.
His assumptions were soon confirmed. "We believe the sword to be Lamentation, the sword of House Royce. Its scabbard is lost and the pummel and crossguard are destroyed, but the blade itself is intact."
He laughed at his vassal. "If you are willing, I propose we gift it to Ser Andar together tonight at the feast. I think he will appreciate it." The Riverlord was taken aback by the fact he would be included but grinned all the same. "I believe he will."
They talked some more about the state of the city and its inhabitants. The worst excesses had been mitigated. Food supply had been restored and this had helped many people heal from sicknesses ramping through its population. Yet, some four thousand had died before that and many were still weak. Just under one hundred and ten thousand people remained, but they couldn't all stay here.
He had thought long and hard on what to do with King's Landing. He had decided that he wanted it to be a small, but strong border city. Preferably some thirty to thirty-five thousand people in size. That meant that two thirds of the current population still needed to go. Before he had left, he had gotten the agreement from House Baratheon to send fifteen thousand people to their Storm Kingdom, which they would spread around and use to replenish losses in small towns all over its territory.
He told his vassal as much and they discussed how this could practically be achieved. Lord Deddings had also tried to identify the orphans in the city. The result was that he guessed around three thousand more were scattered around the ruins. During the ride here, Houses Mormont, Flint of Flint's Finger, Karstark and Bolton had showed interest in the orphan solution. He would discuss with them the possibility to send some two hundred orphans each their way and to build accommodations for them. Others would go to Wintertown or Barrowton. He would speak to Ser Marlon Manderly to start organizing their transport.
Another idea of him was much more substantial. He would make the Night's Watch an offer. He would offer to buy the New Gift from them for a substantial amount and as an extra on top he would offer to build and organize two giant orphanages in one of the villages along the Kingsroad. One for those of noble birth and one for the common folk. He would pay the costs to run them for a single decade, after which it would fall to the Black Brothers. In turn, they could provide a constant influx of brothers to the order. Brothers that they can raise themselves to fill the needs of their organization. It would also give a very convenient solution for the young sons of bandits or traitors or even the bastard sons of his own nobles.
Another thirty thousand civilians would be taken with him deeper into the Riverlands. He would spread them around his lords so they could repopulate their villages and petty towns, without creating dissent anywhere as they would only arrive in small groups.
That left around sixty-five thousand inhabitants, still more than double the amount he wanted there to be. However, he would look into that more when he was settled in Riverrun. For now, he would just need to organize where that smaller town would exist. He wanted to incorporate a lot of the houses still standing in the new town and parts of the walls as well. Other parts of the city would need to get torn down and the walls with them. However, this work would take years, more than planning couldn't be done for now. Most would have to wait until spring. The only benefit would be that they could use the stone from the wall to build a new fortress to oversee the mouth of the Blackwater.
(One month later)
They had been in Riverrun for three days now. Parts of his forces had been dispersed along the way. All Riverlanders had gone to their homes, a lot of them with groups of a few dozen or a few hundred smallfolk in tow. He had asked all of them to send a report back on the state of their keeps, as many had been damaged by the Lannisters. The Crownlanders and the Clawmen had also dispersed, but they would also be the first ones to come back.
He still needed his forces, as another campaign to the Westerlands would soon have to be undertaken. For now, he was trying to put the Riverlands in order and to ensure the supply lines for the army when it finally left.
This morning he had beheaded the last of the male Frey prisoners and their allies. Only three had preferred death, the others were sent on their way towards the Wall. He had also spent most of last day debating on what they wanted to do with the Lannisters and the Westerlands. He had talked with his advisors and vassals, but also with some of the lords of the West themselves. Yet, the implementation of their plan had had to wait as other more urgent news had come in.
While he and his advisors had been debating the Westerlands, the lords of the Vale had debated their own fate. Lord Harrold had followed him to Riverrun with most of his forces, letting only the wounded and those that had lost too much already go home under the leadership of Lord Redfort.
Yesterday evening, Harrold Arryn had been proclaimed King of the Mountain and the Vale by his vassals in the camp outside of the castle. The Vale had officially announced their independence and because of that he was now waiting on the newly proclaimed king to iron out an alliance between their two kingdoms. Unlike some of his vassals, he thought them proclaiming their independence was a good thing. The only problems were the future defense of the eastern portion of the Riverlands and trade. Things he wanted to get sorted out now.
Not much later, the new king arrived. Together they got to work. Most of the clauses were pretty standard. The Vale had to recognize the dissolution of the Iron Throne in perpetuity and they had to mutually recognize each other's kingdoms. The Vale would also need to recognize the Storm Kingdom and the new Westerlands Kingdom, on the condition they do the same to him. The only difficult part about this was the Westerlands but after he explained his plan with it, Harrold agreed.
They officially agreed upon a defensive alliance between their kingdoms. In case any of their lands would be attacked, be it by the Tyrells, Lannisters, Essosi or others then the other was honor bound to come to their aid. To strengthen this, they talked about marriages between their kingdom. The only problem was that Harrold was already married and he had no siblings to marry off either. To accommodate this, they promised to discuss marriages between their future offspring or that of House Royce.
Marriages between other houses were also considered, especially Houses Manderly, Flint of Widowswatch and Locke. These three houses had helped in the civil war in the Vale and were strategically closest to them. The only real unwed possibilities were Ser Robin Flint, heir to his house, and Ser Rodrik Locke, nephew to Lord Malladhor. Maybe one of Lord Wyman's granddaughters could also be considered, but that still had to be seen. They promised each other to encourage their vassals and look into it more in time.
These three houses would also be rewarded by House Arryn. As a gesture for helping them defeat House Sunderland and helping on the Fingers and with the fighting against Houses Lynderly and Corbray. An agreement was reached that all merchants of their respective kingdoms would have the same tax rates they had had to pay under the Iron Throne for the next fifty years. The only exception were the merchants of these three houses, whose tax rates in the Vale would be lowered by half for the next twenty-five years.
This would lead to growth in trade between their kingdoms. It would also give these three houses a de facto monopoly on trade with the Vale, as others wouldn't be able to easily match their prices with the extra taxes. It would serve as his own reward to those houses, as all three had loyally followed him for two years and done everything he had asked for them. They had even invaded the Vale together on his orders.
The borders between their kingdoms were also officially set as the borders of the Vale before the start at the war. Designated fishing and shipping areas were decided upon. All negotiations went easily, as it was all standard stuff. They also started negotiations about lumber, wool and pelts sales to the Vale for this winter, while they would look to sell food to the Riverlands and the North if the losses during the civil war would permit it. Wickenden, Saltpans, Maidenpool, Gulltown and Duskendale would also be encouraged to form a trading network together, with the latter two serving as a gateway to big Essosi trade. Driftmark, Dragonstone and what was left of King's Landing could possibly join it as well.
Lastly, they debated debts and incomes. King Harrold reaffirmed his promise to pay a ninth of the debt to Braavos, totaling at one hundred and thirty-six thousand golden dragons. The Vale was again promised a third of war indemnity payed by the Martells as well as a big share from the campaign in the Westerlands, which they planned to join. Their share would be relative to the amount of troops they delivered, as well as the amount of heavy lifting they would do.
Satisfied, they toasted on their cooperation with a great bottle of Arbor Red, courtesy of the Greatjon who had stolen it from some knightly holdfast a few leagues south of Tumbleton.
With the most perfect timing he had ever seen, Maester Vyman then entered the solar. "A letter has arrived for you, Your Grace. It bears the sigil of House Martell." He simply raised his eyebrow at the letter and reached for it, after putting his wineglass on the table.
He opened the letter, which was addressed to him and him alone. A dirty old trick to try to play him and his allies apart, not that it would work.
"To Robb Stark, King in the North and of the Trident
I have received your offer for peace and share the sentiment that enough bloodshed has already been spilled between our peoples. I too wish for this conflict to end. However, I cannot agree to the terms you laid out to me. As such, here you can find the terms of my counteroffer:
As asked, we will recognize the independent kingdoms of the North and the Riverlands, the Vale and the Stormlands and their borders and the abolishment of the Iron Throne, if they all in turn recognize Dorne, with its current borders, as independent with the head of House Martell as its monarch.
I will accept your proposal to ransom our soldiers at one silver stag per soldier. The eight thousand four hundred and thirty tree silverlings will be on their way from the moment an agreement is reached. They will be transported to a site of your choosing. In turn, I ask that my men are either to be transported towards the Boneway or by ship to Sunspear.
You will promise to turn over the bones of Gregor Clegane and Armory Lorch, as you suggested, but you will also do the same for my brother and every Dornish soldier that lost his lives, highborn or lowborn.
Dorne agrees to pay its share of the Iron Bank debt, to keep our good relations with the trading city. On the condition a banker from the city comes to us to hammer out the details, we will pay off the requested one hundred and thirty-six thousand dragons.
Dorne also agrees to pay a war indemnity for its share in the destruction of the Stormlands , but only of two hundred thousand golden dragons. They will be paid off in installments within a total of five years. During the first month of each year forty thousand golden dragons will be delivered to you how you see fit.
Ransom offers will be made by the individual houses. In the case of my daughter and niece I offer you a total sum of ten thousand golden dragons for the both of them.
As a token of my sincerity, I'm willing to hand Myrcella Baratheon over to your care once the deal has been finalized.
If you accept, a diplomat and guard will be sent to free my daughter and guide her in negotiating a trade deal with your kingdom and those of your allies.
With the highest esteem,
Doran Martell, Lord of Sunspear and Prince of an independent Dorne
He read the letter quickly, before he gave it to King Harrold. The Valeman read over it as well and looked up at him. "What are the things he changed from the proposal? Two hundred thousand instead of three hundred thousand dragons for the war indemnity? What else?"
He looked over the letter once more and thought about it. "He wants all Dornish bones delivered. Technically possible, but that will take some work. He also rejects our demand to give lands to the lords of the Marches. He wants the integrity of Dorne recognized. Instead he offers us Myrcella Waters. Removing the last claimant might be a good idea."
"If we accept, that might be a difficult pill to swallow for some of the Stormlords there." Harrold remarked.
"You're right. However, it might be too good to let it pass. Peace and trade would be most welcome for all of us. A third of two hundred thousand is not a lot for a war, but Dorne is poor and we need peace anyway. Better to have something instead of nothing. They were never our primary enemy." He responded.
"Yes, and the ransoms for the nobles will make good on the lower indemnity for most of our lords."
"Exactly! Besides, if we haggle the princess enough, we can partly make up for it with that trade agreement he wants. He'll probably want to sign and ratify it as soon as possible. He will want it to help gather the funds to pay us the next five years."
"So, we accept the proposal?" The King of the Mountain and the Vale asked him.
"I would. The only problem is how the Baratheons will react. They get less coin, no border lands and will have to organize transports with the bones of the Dornishmen."
"Can't we sweeten the deal by sharing in the costs of the transport and put Lord Davos under pressure to accept the rest?" Harrold questioned.
"Not a bad idea, will you write up the letter? I'll look it over tomorrow morning."
"I will. Now I guess it's time to finally deal with the Westerlands."
"Aye, it's time. Would you like to accompany me?" The Valeman nodded and they left the solar. He asked one of his guardsmen to order Jon and Harrion to organize the prisoners. Afterwards, they walked to the second floor to a room with two guardsmen in front of it. Both men saluted him and let him go inside.
"Young Willem Lannister, it is time we have a chat." He called out to the fourteen-year-old boy in front of him. Next to him sat his twin brother Martyn. Both hadn't lacked for anything during their captivity and he had allowed them each other's company as well.
Both boys quickly acknowledged his presence. "Welcome, King Robb. What do you want to talk about?" Willem asked. "Who is your companion?" His brother Martyn asked.
"My name is Harrold Arryn, Lord of the Eyrie and King of the Mountain and the Vale. Pleased to make your acquaintance." Harrold smoothly replied. This immediately took the boys by surprise, which was always a good thing.
"Aye, the Vale has recently declared its independence. The Stormlands and Dorne have done the same thing. The Iron Throne is done for, now we must decide what to do with the Westerlands. For that, your presence is needed." He added.
"Our presence? What can we possibly say or do that makes our presence worthwhile? I have been your prisoner for almost two years, my brother only a few months less than that. We barely know what's going on in the outside world. What do you need us for?" Willem demanded to know.
"Well, to put it in simple terms, you are Tywin Lannisters only clear heirs. That's why we need you." He responded.
Both boys' mouths fell open. "We are what?" Martyn asked.
He rolled his eyes at the theatrics. "All three of your cousins are dead. Joffrey is dead, Tommen is our captive and Myrcella is off in Dorne somewhere and will soon be delivered to us. However, the latter doesn't even matter as they are all bastard born. This makes it so that Tywin's legitimate line is extinct. The next legitimate line to descend from Tytos Lannister is your father's. However, after his death and the death of your older brother, only you two remain together with your little sister. If something were to happen to Tywin, Willem would succeed him and Martyn you would become heir. That's why we need your presence now."
"Our presence where?" Willem asked, trying to shield his younger brother.
"Many of the Westerlands nobles have been taken prisoner over the duration of the war. We have gathered them all here at Riverrun to decide the fate of the country and House Lannister. So, unless you want us to decide the fate of your entire house, including your own, without anyone from House Lannister present, you should follow us now." He replied, his patience running thin.
Both boys looked at each other. "We'll follow you."
"Very well, thank you." He replied, as he turned around and walked out of the door with Harrold. The two boys followed behind them. After them, the two guards joined them to make sure they didn't try anything stupid.
When they arrived at the great hall of Riverrun, it was filled to the brim with prisoners from the West. It was lined along the walls with guards from Houses Tully and Stark. One useful guardsman handed him a list of everybody who was in the room. He glossed over the names. In the hall were representatives, most of the times the lord or heir, from Houses Banefort, Estren, Westerling, Brax, Greenfield, Crakehall, Jast, Vikary, Marbrand, Sarsfield, Stackspear, Lefford, Kenning, Serrett, Broom, Hamell, Lydden, Payne, Clifton, Bettley, Heatherspoon, Foote, Ferren, Turnberry and Algood. They had had even more prisoners, but most were from insignificant knightly houses and weren't invited to the meeting.
The Westerlords were loudly talking amongst each other, but all quieted down when they saw him enter with Ser Kevan's sons. Jon quickly walked to his side. "Quite a gathering ey?" He laughed. He simply nodded. "Aye, this will do nicely."
He had already talked with many of the more important lords and heirs here. He had had talks with Ser Addam Marbrand, heir to Ashemark, whos father had been allowed back to the Westerlands to wage war against his cousin Tywin. Others that had been allowed back had been the heirs of Houses Brax, Jast, Westerling and an uncle of Lord Sarsfield and a younger son to Lord Crakehall. Together they had been organizing resistance to Tywin for months now.
In the last few days, he had also talked with Lords Crakehall, Sarsfield, Serrett, Brax and Westerling one to one. Lastly, he had discussed things with Lady Lefford. He had talked about their vision for their homeland and what he demanded from a peace deal. Out of all that he had now prepared his proposal. It was time they got serious and ended the Old Lion's power forever.
"Good, well I think you all know who I am." He started, to the soft laughter of many of his friends and soldiers. "Next to me is Harrold Arryn, King of the Mountain and the Vale and I think you all know who the boys are. So, I think we can commence our talks."
"Has the Vale also declared its independence?" Lord Regenard Estren shouted, voicing what many of the Westerlords were asking themselves.
"Yes, we have. As has the Stormlands and Dorne is in the process of doing the same. The Iron Throne and the Seven Kingdoms are no more. Now it has become time to decide what you want for the Westerlands." King Harrold replied.
"What we want? What you want, you mean! You have us all in captivity, have ravaged a third of the country and have put some of us in open rebellion against our liege lord. You don't care about what we want!" Ser Jon Bettley screamed. Some murmured in agreement, while others hissed at him to shut up.
"On the contrary, Ser Bettley." He responded. The knight was quickly taken aback by the use of his name, he had probably hoped to scream something in relative anonymity. "What I want is peace and stability in Westeros for the next thirty years. Yes, I could invade your homeland sack your keeps one by one and take off with all your plunder and livestock. It would benefit me greatly for a while, but after that I would have a cumbersome neighbor with constant rebellions, uprisings and wars that would spill over my borders. I want peace and stability, which means I will take into account what the local nobility wants."
This led to a lot of murmuring in the hall. He let them be for a while, before speaking up again. "There are a few avenues that can be taken from here. What is non-negotiable is the fact that the Westerlands will become independent. To do so and not descent into chaos you'll need a monarch."
"A monarch?" Someone screamed. "You want to crown Tywin?" Another yelled.
"No. That is another thing that is non-negotiable. Tywin Lannister dies." He reacted quickly. This led to more murmurs. "Who then?" Lord Hamell asked loudly.
"Tywin's legitimate heir." He responded matter-of-factly. "You want to put Tommen on the throne of Casterly Rock?" Ser Cedric Payne asked in shock.
"I said legitimate heir. Tommen Waters is nothing more than a bastard born from incest. He will not rule anything ever again, nor will his sister. Tywin's heirs are standing next to me. Except for him, they are the last legitimate male line heirs of Tytos Lannister." He answered, waving towards the two blonde boys.
"You want to crown them? While Tywin is still alive? He'll just kill them both." Lord Moreland jumped up.
"He won't have the opportunity. Not with my army to protect them. If you agree to it, I will help you install them on the throne and defeat Tywin."
"What would you get out of all that?" Ser Gareth Clifton asked.
"The long-term peace and stability I desire. I will also get guarantees that a peace agreement, we will make, will be followed." He answered seriously.
"A peace agreement? You mean some forced deal heavily in your favor?" Ser Jon Bettley spat out.
"Look around you, Ser. The whole nobility of your kingdom is in captivity. Your lands are in turmoil and relatively undefendxed. Three of your armies have been smashed to pieces by the Starks. Tywin's children are all dead. King's Landing is lost. Tywin barely controls a third of the Westerlands, while all the rest of Westeros is lost. The Vale stands with the North and the Riverlands and we can attack your homeland at a moment's notice. Of course, the peace deal won't be to your benefit. You lost the damn war! King Robb should ask for your unconditional surrender and claim the scalp of every Lannister alive for what they did to his father, or I for my brother-in-law Ser Robar Royce. We offer you a way out with dignity. A way to keep your lands and to go home to your families. A way to build a future. If you want to follow Tywin to the end then that is noble of you and I respect it, but it will only lead to an early grave." King Harrold spoke up.
"All of that for a lord who abandoned all of you at the God's Eye. Tywin left you all to die. He left his own brother to die for him so he could escape. He would turn his coat on any of you without a thought if it would benefit his precious legacy." Jon added.
This led to a lot of murmurs. From his side Willem Lannister suddenly spoke up. "Is it true? Did uncle Tywin leave my father to die?"
He turned around to answer, but Willem screamed. "No, I don't want to hear it from you or your vassals! I want to hear it from them!" The boy walked over to Lord Serrett, who had been a known battle companion of his father. "Is it true?"
The older lord shot his eyes down to the ground and stumbled over his words. "Young Willem, it's … it's not that easy, it's …"
"Is it true, Lord Serrett?" Martyn Lannister also implored, coming to stand next to his twin-brother.
"Yes, … yes, it is. Lord Tywin abandoned us all at the God's Eye. Your father kept on fighting, never losing trust in his brother, but he died in the end. We only surrendered after he had fallen."
He could see the anger and hurt in the faces of both boys. "What would you have us do?" Willem Lannister asked meekly.
"I would have you contest your uncle for the domination of the Westerlands. I would have you take up the leadership of House Lannister and the crown of the Westerlands that your family lost to the Targaryens three hundred years ago. You will guarantee both your safety and your house's survival in doing so." He responded.
"And if we refuse?" Martyn Lannister spoke up. "Then you will both be sent to the Wall and we will find another to do so. If we don't find anyone, the Westerlands will be plunged into chaos for decades." He answered matter-of-factly. It had no use lying to any of them. They should know what they were getting into and what was on the line.
Both boys looked at him in shock, as did many of the Westerlords. "You would sent them to the Wall? They are only fourteen years old and innocent of Tywin's crimes!" Lord Alyn Stackspear called out.
"Aye, they are, but this is war. They would be rival claimants to the new ruler of the Westerlands and would need to be removed. You are all intelligent enough to understand that. I will not kill them, so the Wall is the only solution. There they may live out their lives, they could even gain fame and standing there." He shrugged. He would not lose sleep over sending Lannisters to the Wall. The whole family was responsible for the death of his father, his father-in-law, his brother-in-law and many more loyal friends, vassals and subjects. His offer was generous, if they refused it than that was their problem.
Most lords grumbled, but they understood. "So, it's either a crown and fighting against Lord Tywin or the Wall?" Willem Lannister asked.
"Aye, that is your choice."
The older brother looked to his younger twin. "I cannot condemn my brother to the Wall. I will do it, but … I don't know how. I will need help."
"A council will be appointed from the lords here present. A regent will also be chosen for you until you come of age. Your countrymen will help guide you and my lords and generals will help you win against Tywin."
The elder boy nodded in agreement. "You will allow us to make up that council?" Lord Tytos Broom asked.
"Aye, I will. I will choose its members and make sure it functions, but it will consist solely of nobles from the Westerlands. I do not wish to annex you, directly or indirectly. You will decide your own internal affairs." This reply seemed to be appreciated by the majority of the lords present.
"Who will it consist of?" Ser Cedric Payne asked suspiciously.
"For now, I was thinking Lords Crakehall, Serrett, Brax and Sarsfield, as well as Ser Addam Marbrand and Ser Forley Prester, once he joins you. A seventh position will remain open for the boy's grandfather Ser Harys Swift, if he is willing to abandon Tywin. I thought you would appreciate the symbolism of seven council members." He explained. He had chosen the names with care. They came from all over the Westerlands and consisted of some of the most important houses of the kingdom. No one would be able to stand against them if they backed this plan.
His considerations hadn't been fruitless, as many seemed to be considering the option. "House Crakehall accepts." Lord Roland finally shouted above all others. He had known he would accept of course, as he had already discussed this with him. The same went for Lords Serrett, Brax and Sarsfield, as well as Ser Addam Marbrand. All voiced their support one by one. This seemed to sway many of their countrymen, as most others in the room relented.
"Who would be the regent?" Lord Lewys Lydden asked. House Lydden was a powerful house and they controlled the Gold Road from their fortress at Deep Den. It was very important that they join them. However, they were also fiercely loyal to Casterly Rock. For that reason alone, he hadn't included them.
"Lord Gawen Westerling, on the condition Willem Lannister agrees to marry his daughter. He will only be the regent until Willem comes of age in one and a half years.
This caused much more controversy. Lord Gawen wasn't a powerful lord. His house had lost a lot from his invasion and his daughter was of questionable stock, as their mother had come from a house originally from the merchant classes. This too was no coincidence. It would deprave Willem from the support of stronger houses when trying to rebuild his kingdom. It might also alienate his children from some of their vassals due to the blood of their mother. He wanted the Westerlands to be stable, not for them to become strong again.
Besides, Lord Gawen wasn't incapable but he wasn't a great light either. He would do a decent, but not an excellent job. This was exactly what he wanted. The man had also warmed up to him. After the betrayal of his wife and brother-in-law, he could have ended his house and children, but he hadn't. He had even allowed his eldest son to return to the Crag and take command of it before leaving for the Stormlands. They had had a few talks since then and the lord seemed thankful for all of this. He also seemed disillusioned with Tywin. The fact that the man had schemed with his former wife and had risked his entire family had greatly angered Lord Westerling. The fact both had wanted his daughter to disgrace herself had had him fuming.
This all served his purpose. If he wasn't careful, Willem could rebuild the Westerlands to its pre-war strength in less than two decades. He would have huge wealth at his disposal through his mines and the existence of Lannisport could bring in goods, manpower and trade relations as well. Especially now that Oldtown was damaged and House Redwyne's ports sacked. He didn't want House Lannister to invade the Riverlands again for revenge any time soon and so a delicate balance would need to be constructed. Strong enough to keep it together and oppose Tywin in the beginning, but not strong enough to achieve the full potential the region had to offer in the long term. Lord Gawen would do exactly that.
"I would have to marry Jeyne?" The oldest Lannister asked.
"Aye, it would be one of the conditions." He nodded. Both boys shared a look, but in the end they relented. She was a pretty girl, he could do worse.
"What would be the other conditions?" They asked him. This seemed to silence the room, as many wanted to know.
He signaled for a servant to bring a document. "This is a draft for a peace agreement between Houses Stark, Tully, Arryn and Baratheon on the one side and House Lannister on the other side. If you sign this, we will get you your throne and homeland. We will make sure your family, including your mother and little sister, will be safe and that both our lands will be rid of any form of aggression from the other."
All lords peaked forward, trying to catch a glimpse of its content. Of course, some already knew parts of it. All future council members and the future regent had heard parts of the agreement during the past days. He had used their reactions to measure the feasibility of his demands. He would now use this to his advantage.
He sat down at the head of a table at the foot of the seat of the Lord of Riverrun. Jon, both his uncles and Lords Karstark, Mallister, Bracken and Bolton took place. To his right, in the place of honor, King Harrold sat down. "I would invite all of the appointed council members and the regent to take a seat together with both Willem and Martyn Lannister to complete negotiations of the treaty. I will do this in the presence of all of you, to show you my goodwill and the fact I do not secretly wish to take control of your homeland."
"And if we refuse to acknowledge the peace treaty?" Ser Philip Foote asked.
"Then you will have a chance to send over warmer clothing from your seat to keep you warm at the Wall. It's a courtesy Tywin wouldn't have given me or any of my lords." He responded in an icy tone. That shut most of them up. They had to understand that what he was doing here was a very generous offer. If rejected, their fates would be dire.
All six of the nobles he had appointed walked over and took a seat at the table. He had wine, bread and salt brought over as signs of goodwill before the negotiations.
He took the document in his hands and looked it over as he began to explain his demands. "First of all, you will recognize the independence of Kingdom of the North and the Trident, the Kingdom of the Mountain and the Vale and the Storm Kingdom. You will also recognize Houses Stark, Arryn and Baratheon as their respective rulers."
All lords simply nodded. "You will recognize the dissolvement of the Iron Throne in perpetuity." All agreed once more. One or two curses could be heard from inside the group of nobles in front of him, but they were quickly silenced.
"Willem Lannister will agree to marry Jeyne Westerling one week after the recapture of Casterly Rock. His future father-in-law Lord Gawen will serve as a regent, while houses Crakehall, Marbrand, Serrett, Brax, Prester, Sarsfield and Swyft will make up a council of seven to aid them in rebuilding the Westerlands. If Ser Harys Swift rejects the offer, the present council members may choose another member from among their peers themselves."
All lords at the table eagerly agreed. They saw their power rise in the new kingdom before it had even been founded. This led to grumbling from some of the other powerful houses like Lydden, Banefort and Payne but nothing major.
"House Lannister and the Westerlands will accept the fate of House Frey. All members will be sent to the Wall or the Sept. This includes the progeny of Lady Genna Frey, your aunt. Her underage sons and grandsons will be raised in Winterfell until they are old enough to join the Night's Watch. Her son Ser Lyonel will be sent there immediately after his capture." He said to the two Lannister boys. Now, the lords quickly came into action and agreed. Understandably so, if you thought about it. After deposing Tywin, Genna would be out for blood. Taking away her power and family would ensure no retaliation could be made. To his surprise both boys didn't seem to care too much for their Frey cousins. Yet, it made the decision a lot easier.
"The Westerlands will agree to pay one ninth of the current debt Westeros owes to the Iron Bank. As one of the nine constituent regions of the continent, we ask that you pay off your share." This surprised many of them. Most probably thought he would dump the whole debt of them, while others had forgotten about it all together.
"How much is one ninth of this debt?" Lord Crakehall asked.
"This totals at just over one hundred and thirty-six thousand golden dragons." He replied.
"This is all you ask us to repay from foreign debt?" Lord Jason Sarsfield asked.
"Aye, it is."
All men quickly agreed, thinking they had come off very easily. To be fair, they had. However, they only had because other demands would be much more controversial. They would soon realize this.
"House Lannister agrees to waive all of its current debts to the Iron Throne as it doesn't exist anymore. No houses will ever be held accountable for it." He continued.
Now the lords looked more uneasy, as all knew this sum exceeded three million golden dragons. In the end, they all agreed as they knew they could not demand any of it back. This would greatly weaken House Lannister, as it would take many decades before they could rebuild such reserves through their mines.
"House Lannister agrees to pay a total war indemnity of one million two hundred thousand golden dragons to Houses Stark and Arryn over the course of ten years. This is to repay the damages they have done with their invasion of the Riverlands and their supported invasion of the Vale. At the start of every year one hundred and twenty thousand golden dragons will be delivered to Riverrun." He read aloud. Only one hundred and fifty thousand would go to the Valemen, he would receive the rest as they had suffered much more because of them.
This shocked all of them. First of all, it was unclear if House Lannister even had such sums available after the war and forgiving their debts to the Iron Throne. Second of all, it was a real fortune and it would slow down rebuilding the Westerlands considerably. This was exactly his intent. He wanted to slow down their development, as well as accelerate his own. The funds would be used to rebuild and repopulate the Riverlands, as well as strengthen and populate parts of the North.
"I'm unsure if we can agree to that, seeing how we don't know what the current earnings of House Lannister are." Lord Serrett smartly tried to negotiate. However, he would have none of it.
"House Lannister has seen fit to lend over three million golden dragons to King's Landing in the last fifteen years. During the the same period, they managed to rebuild their fleet after the Greyjoy Rebellion and raise a force to aid King Robert in putting it down. After all that, they still had enough funds to raise forty-five thousand soldiers to invade the lands of the Riverlands. I think this sum will be entirely reasonable for Casterly Rock to procure yearly, as Lannisport and its trading fleet remain unharmed and all of its private mines untouched. If any complications arrive, you vassals could loan your monarch the expected amount."
A lot of the lords seemed taken back by his hardhanded approach, but he could see their hesitation to say something about it. The nobles at the back did not have this problem though and some of them started shouting against him.
He simply raised his eyebrow. "It looks like some houses are already fighting amongst themselves to loan you the money if you need it, Your Grace." He nonchalantly said to Willem Lannister.
This seemed to silence some of those shouting, but also made the boy really uncomfortable. He looked left and right for the support of the council members. In the end, Lord Westerling agreed to it, but he asked if a possible extension would be allowed if the finances didn't add up.
He looked over the new regent and agreed reluctantly. "If you can prove there are legitimate problems to pay it in the agreed installments, you will be allowed to pay it off in fifteen years instead of ten. This would lower the installments from one hundred and twenty thousand a year to eighty thousand a year."
This seemed to placate the council somewhat at least and they moved on. "The Westerlands will agree to hand over some of its border lands. All along the border with the Riverlands, the border will move ten miles to the west. The only exceptions will be strategic locations which will be agreed upon in negotiations with the local lords."
This finally undid all cooperation from the room, as he knew it would. If they agreed to this, many houses would lose lands. Houses Brax, Lefford, Payne chief among them, but many other smaller ones as well. Ser Cedric Payne could be heard shouting and Lady Lefford, who had been mostly agreeable with his plans until now, seemed to look disapprovingly towards him. Lord Brax voiced the sentiment at the table.
"King Robb, with all due respect but this would greatly weaken many houses present here among them my own. I ask myself for what? To prove us a lesson? These borders have been locked in for centuries. Changing that is controversial to say the least. You say you wish to avoid chaos and anarchy on our borders. You also say you don't want to rule us, but still you encroach on our lands. It makes one wonder your intentions." The Lord of Hornvale addressed him.
He looked over to him. "Might I remind you, Lord Tytos, that before the conquests these borders frequently moved a few miles this way or that way. These borders are coincidentally the ones that were in use when Loren Lannister gave up his crown, nothing more. I think your previous campaign has shown that the Riverlands are too easily invaded from your kingdom. By moving the border, you wouldn't be able to move so quickly towards our heartland. It has nothing to do with revenge."
"What will ten miles make for difference in that manner? That is a purely symbolic measure!" Lord Serrett joined the conversation. Lord Tytos Brax quickly agreed with him.
"Aye, it might be. Some of my vassals told me much the same thing. They proposed that I fully annex the Golden Tooth and maybe even the Hornvale and all lands east of it to hold the mountains against any future invasions. I had previously rejected this proposal, because I did not want to create any revanchism in your kingdom. Yet, if you agree with my vassals that it isn't far going enough then I will lay that idea on the table as well." He waved over to Lords Mallister, Bracken and Tully while saying so as to emphasize his point. All three nodded greedily at the proposal.
"You, you can't do that! You won't take my lands! The Hornvale has been my family's home for thousands of years." Lord Brax sputtered out.
"My lord? I thought you agreed that ten miles would be only symbolic. This is a clear and unsymbolic measure." He feigned ignorance.
The lord in question seemed to completely shut down when he heard those words and before he did something stupid, Lord Crakehall cut him off. "King Stark, this last proposal would indeed create revanchism and endanger any lasting peace between our peoples. Because of that, I ask you to go back to the premise of your earlier proposal. Even so, I think ten miles is rather harsh for some houses involved.
He looked into the eyes of Lord Roland. This was a capable man. He was also feared on the battlefield. The reason he had pressed for Lord Westerling to be made regent was so lords like Crakehall wouldn't be given the position.
"What do you propose as an alternative then, Lord Roland?" He retorted.
The big-boned lord looked around him for support of his fellow lords. After receiving encouraging nods from Lords Westerling, Serrett and Sarsfield, he spoke up.
"Maybe five miles would have the same effect? It would lengthen supply lines and put extra hours of marching between the border and the nearest keeps of the Riverlords. It could also help increase the revenue of your border lords as to better protect their borders."
He silently looked upon the strong, older lord. He had counted upon those ten miles to make his defense, but was it really necessary? He pictured the map of the Westerlands in his mind's eye and ran over all the fields, creeks and hills he remembered. He had studied the map so frequently that he knew it like the back of his hand. The older lord seemed to have garnered support from many of his countrymen for the offer. By accident, he had now also supported the idea of changing the borders just not by how much.
He remembered important creeks, hills and villages who were a little more than five miles out on certain places, so he simply countered the offer. "I can agree with your take that it would create revanchism and I want our kingdoms to live in peace together. Yet, five miles is not enough. If you were to agree to seven miles, then I would be able to adjust my proposal."
Lord Crakehall looked around the table and the room for support. In the end Lord Brax seemed to give in, as did a few other border lords. He made a great show of changing ten to seven miles on the paper as to emphasize their will in these negotiations. In the end, it would matter little.
"Willem Lannister will personally rally the Westerlords against Lord Tywin in the upcoming campaign." He read aloud. He looked towards the boy, who quickly accepted.
"The Westerlands will ally with us against the Greyjoys in the future and will allow us use of their fleet when the opportunity presents itself." He continued. Before anyone could intervene, he explained himself. "The ironborn have crowned their own king again. You all know what happens when they do this. Only a decade ago, they burned your fleet in the harbor and sacked Fair Isle and other coastal areas. They will do so again if they are not stopped. History has shown us as much over the last three hundred years."
Here the group seemed mixed, but aid came from an unexpected source. Ser Gareth Clifton, brother-in-law to Lord Farman, loudly vocalized his support to bring down the ironborn. Others, like Lord Banefort, supported this idea too as they feared even more damage to their lands in the future from the sea. In the end, the council agreed.
"The Westerlands will agree to a defensive alliance with the Kingdom of the North and the Trident, the Kingdom of the Mountain and the Vale and the Storm Kingdom in the case of an attack by the Reach. This will only count if the Reach is the attacker. In turn, we pledge to help if any aggression is made upon your lands from the Reach." Now the Westerlords under the leadership of Lord Crakehall quickly agreed. They all wanted peace and war with the Reach would mean a catastrophe. They also knew that he could defeat the Reach, as he had done so twice before.
"Lastly, you agree to to forbid the Faith Militant's existence in your kingdom as your first decree as king." He said to Ser Kevan's son, as he rolled up the paper. All lords simply shrugged and quickly accepted. None of the council members cared for the order and all were eager to get rid of a possible opponent to their goals.
All lords seemed glad that this seemed to be the end of his list of demands, but he decided to sneak in his last condition. "To ensure your cooperation in all of this, your brother Martyn will remain as a guest in Riverrun until you come of age. After that, he will be released and escorted back to Casterly Rock."
Now he captured both boys' attention. "You can't do this!" Willem almost shouted. "I need my brother."
Lord Westerling quickly put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "He wants to keep your brother to ensure you rally the Westerlords, hand over the lands and start paying the indemnity. After that the year will be almost up. He won't hurt him in any way or form. Sadly, it's a very standard practice."
"You can't allow him to stay in captivity here!" Willem once again protested.
"He won't be, I promise. He will be free to roam the castle and get the best education possible, as long as you both promise that he won't ever try to leave before his time." His uncle Edmure spoke up.
Willem seemed to hesitate, so his uncle continued. "I would even be willing to foster another son of a Westerlord to make sure he feels more at home and is connected to his people. This son could come and go when he wants to."
"I would like that." Martyn Lannister weakly responded. He then turned to his brother. "It means that we will be safe, Willem. It means we can see mother, grandfather and Janei again. It won't be too long. We have been longer here already than the time still left before we come of age."
The new king of the Westerlands looked up to him. "Can he be visited? Can I or my mother or grandfather visit him in Riverrun."
He looked into the young boy's eyes. It almost broke his heart to separate the twin brothers, but he had to for the safety of his people. He could at least give him this. "Aye, you can visit. He can also get a companion like my uncle proposed, if that's what you want. You can decide with your vassals who will suit the role."
The eldest boy looked at his younger brother. "This is all? No more clauses or demands?"
"None."
"Then we accept on the condition you help me win Casterly Rock and defeat my uncle." The young boy sighed.
He formally stood up and clasped the boy's arm. "Then we are in agreement King Willem." The boy seemed surprised at the title, but he said nothing.
He looked across the hall. "Is there anyone who doesn't support this peace?"
The words hang in the air like an unvoiced threat and no one spoke out against the proposal. "Good, then I suppose you all bow to your new monarch. Willem Lannister, King of the Rock."
All nobles went to their knees. He looked over the spectacle. Now Westeros is at last completely broken up. Tywin's line and legacy have ended today in this very hall. Soon, no one would remember the Old Lion for anything else than his failures.
This is it for this chapter!
A lot of talking in this chapter, after multiple chapters of action. Robb deals more with the situation in King's Landing and marches to Riverrun. Peace with Dorne is achieved. The Vale finally declares their independence and the alliance between Houses Stark and Arryn is negotiated.
Willem Lannister is crowned King of the Rock and a peace agreement is signed between Houses Stark and Lannister. The deal is heavily in Robb's favor, while not being harsh enough that the Westerlands would want (immediate) revenge. Every clause is meticulously thought out by Robb to either benefit his own people/causes or slow down recovery of the Westerlands so they don't become a threat any time soon. Soon the campaign against Tywin will commence.
Thank you for all the support.
Fannic
Reviews:
- Alek Sands: Jon wants to be Northern and stay (relatively) close to Robb/the pack. If he gets lands it will be in the North. However, the name might still work and is an interesting suggestion. A new castle will be built there anyway, but it won't be Jon's.
- George Cristian810: It will have caused some resentment with some lords from the Vale and Stormlands. However, all their most important houses still respect Robb. This is especially the case in the Vale with Houses Arryn, Royce, Redfort, Templeton, Waynwood, … This alliance will hold. The Stormlands is more nuanced. House Baratheon, both Estermonts, Hammersmith (+ Celtigar and Velaryon), Morrigen, Seaworth, Dondarrion, … will still support the alliance, yet others will dislike it. It will be a different exercise for Davos/Shireen to manage. Besides, by ensuring the Stormlanders and Valemen got their portions of dragonbone, most of the crisis was averted.
Robb only gave away his own spoils from the war with Daenerys. He still gets a very big portion of the other spoils (from the Westerlands, Riverlander traitors, Crownlands, (F)Aegon, …). All of these probably had more coin and jewels than Daenerys. He has more than enough to pay them without any of this.
- Kuman: Yeah it took me 1.5 years, but I finally got the achievement. :D Thank you!
- Andy2800: Thank you so much! Glad you liked it.
- Roselockhall: Wow, thank you for the dedication and compliments! I'm elated that the chapter had such an emotional impact. It was my intend, but you never know if you get it well enough across or not. Haha, you don't want to know how many hours I spent thinking about things like that since I started writing this story! It's getting embarrassing. I don't get those negative people either, but it won't get to me I find it rather funny.
- Foxy-Floof: You'll see a lot more of his administrating side the next few chapters. Although I understand what you mean, it was never kingslaying. In patrilineal line the Karstarks are 50 or so generations away from him. Through the female lines he is much more closely related to Houses Umber, Cerwyn, Locke, Blackwood and Flint of the mountains than them for example.
- Force Smuggler: Jon never was a unifying factor, Robb's legend, military capacity and strength are unifying them. Robb's legend (Jon's is also growing large but still a lot smaller) will scare many of the lords into obedience for now. The Stormlords know that if they antagonize him, he will defeat them and destroy their lands, the Crownlanders know the same. The Vale could maybe hold out behind the Bloody Gate, but they would lose fortunes in trade because of it. It's just not worth it to them for now.
How do you mean too little too late? He emotionally honors the dead, this has nothing to do with politics for Jon. Of course, lords will soon squabble over land, power and influence again soon, but none of them are stupid enough to do so while the Northern force is still in the South. Besides they are much too weakened and fatigued to start another war outright and the Lannisters (threat to them all) and the Tyrells (threat to the Stormlands and Riverlands) are still at war with them and in power.
- Galwidanatitud: That's one of the best compliments I, as a writer, could ever get! Thank you so much.
- CadetMarshal: Dragonbone is a widely sought-after luxury good and it is very limited in resource as there have not been any dragons in Essos for 350+ years and in Westeros 150+ years until now. The bones in that dragon's body are worth an absolute fortune, they aren't simple trophies if you cut them up and use them to make bows, sword handles, daggers, … etc.
- Rebfan90: Thank you!
- Poly19hum: It wasn't easy no, but I'm glad with the result. From now on I can do much more worldbuilding which I have missed.
- Supremus85: Is it? We'll have to wait and see what this means for the rest of Westeros.
- Greatazuredragon: An interesting question! I will think about it. Thank you for the support!
- Farroljgk: Thank you so much for all the kind words! You are completely right in your analysis of the chapter. Missandei probably died in the sack of the camp. If she survived, she was killed in the aftermath of hunting the army down. No Westerosi really knew or cared for her significance sadly enough. Robb will make sure that they know everything of Dany's deeds to know more of the current situation of the world.
This is not the end yet, but it is close. Tywin and the ironborn are still here. Besides, I'm writing beyond the actual war so you can see the aftermath of everything. The book is a very interesting suggestion. If passed down, it would go to his heir (a son or Bran), not to his daughter.
- Maelwys5: Interesting take! Queen Alysanne Targaren and he dragon visited the Wall, but I don't think she ever flew to the other side so your point still stands.
- Guest: Thank you very much!