Chapter 13
A Call To Arms.
I own nothing but the voices in my head saying this will be a good story. Sorry for the wait on this one, been busy and life is life it never stops or waits for anyone to catch their breath.
Catalyn
Catalyn is in her room, the warmest room in Winterfell, brushing her hair, waiting. While Ned is off placating the lords of the North, or putting the conversation off for the morrow. They had meant to have a war council today, to decide if they should go and help with the war of faiths as the small folk were starting to call it.
Cat doesn't know why they haven't waited for Lord Manderly to arrive. Castle Cerwin's master had sent a raven saying Lord Manderly would be there in another day or two depending on how slow he travels. Lord Manderly isn't known as the Lord too fat to ride for no reason. There was no way that he would travel fast.
It only takes an hour after leaving the solar for Ned to arrive. The knock at her door is definitely Ned.
"Cat, can I come in?" Ned asks her through the door.
"Of course." she calls back, not leaving her vanity. Ned enters trepidatiously.
"Will you let me explain before you shut me out of your bed again?" he asks before sitting on her bed. While they dont usually sleep in separate rooms, they do have separate adjoining rooms.
"It better be good." Cat says, turning around on her seat.
"At first we didn't know each other. You were meant to marry my brother and I had promised myself to another." Ned sees her about to say something and raises his hand to stop her. "Wait please I promise this isn't about Ashara. Yes I loved her, and you my brother.
"I wanted to wait and see how you treated Jon before I told you. But then you treated him like a curse. I knew then I couldn't tell you. If I thought if I told you you would turn him into robert. I couldn't risk that. We had a heir you didn't need me anymore you would have been regent. I was young and stupid." Ned says with a sigh.
"You were right if you had told me after the rebellion, when I was that angry at you I would have sent a raven to King Robert. In my mind it would have been to save Rob." Cat admits
"Thank you for admitting that. Then as we got to know each other and I fell for you and my love for you started to overshadow the love I had for Ashara, and my hope that yours for me was stronger than that for my brother. I thought about telling you, but then I thought about how it would look if your behaviour towards Jon changed.
"I know there are spies here, I didn't want word of your change spreading and people starting to dig deeper into it. I couldn't risk it, Sansa had just been born, there were rumours of the Greyjoys about to rebel, I didn't want you to be left alone with the knowledge in case the worse happened." Ned put his head in his hands.
"I was always going to tell you before the boys' sixteenth name days. Knowing by then it would seem more natural for you to let go of your hate towards him. Like what I did in the solar I would have told you everything. Just not with the boys in the room. And before you ask, Jon is older than Rob by two moons. I was able to hide that by the fact he was born too early and so small.
"When I arrived at the tower was when my sister was giving birth. I stayed with her during the whole thing, never letting her hand go. The midwife told me before I even went in there that my sister wouldn't survive due to it being too early. She also said that there was a high chance that Jon wouldn't survive." tears start streaking down Ned's cheeks. At that point Cat got up and went to him. This is hard on both of them.
"Even if you had told me before the Greyjoy rebellion I would have still told Robert. It wasn't until Arya that my hate for your action was over shined by my love for you. Yes I was happy with you and our children but I couldn't stand that you had brought him into our home." Cat admits in a low voice.
"There is something else I have not shown you. Something that I should have shown you. While yes I have shown you one of the escape tunnels out of Winterfell, I haven't shown you the one in the crypts." cat looks shocked at his words.
"I never meant to hurt you by withholding this information. After all, I did show you the main one and the better used one. But this second one is the reason why all the statues on the lowest level are weathered but none of the others are."
"Ned, I have never been that low. I wouldn't have known they were." Ned smiles and cups her cheek before kissing her hairline.
"I know. You dislike the crypt, due I believe to the Tully funeral rites." Cat nods her head at his words. "I thought so that's why I have never brought up this escape route. But come the morrow Arya will be asking why we don't fix the statues there. I don't want you agreeing with her. Now I don't know how it was built so please don't ask. All I know was that Brandon the builder used the same magic he used to build the castle to build it.
"Behind the statue of Azor is a lever pulling on it will open a passageway then will lead you to the White Knife. On the other side of the wall is another lever that will close the wall and flood that lowest level in the crypt with water from the hot spring. Every time a Stark is shown the sword they are also shown that passageway and one other lever. I will show you this on the morrow with the boys. The second lever opens a flood gate of sorts that will wash anyone following you into an underground river many miles below Winterfell.
"If you believe you are being followed you are to use both levers and wash away those that follow. None will survive. If they survive the fall they won't survive the miles between the underground portion of the river and the above ground portion. We Starks don't even know where that river lets out."
"This is important for a different reason isn't it?" Cat asks, staring into Ned's eyes.
"Yes. It was the escape route in case Winterfell is besieged by the dead. While normal White Walkers can't raise the dead, or so we believe. If the Night King ever comes here he can and the Crypts are no place to hide from him like they would be in any other war." Ned says with a very serious look on his face
"How will we escape if we can't go through the crypt?" a horrified look on her face
"There's a reason why there are so many torches in the crypt. Did you never wonder why they are every two feet apart? Fire can kill the walking dead. I will have to go down to the crypt on the morrow before I take you and the boys to see how many I need to replace knowing Arya it will be all of them." Cat gives a strained laugh at this knowing her daughter well this was definitely what he would have to do.
"What will we do about the south, Ned?"
"Whether we help or not will depend on the lords. I believe we will. I have heard from Howland that the red witches have burnt the gods wood in the Red Keep. They also burnt the Sept of Bealor with wildfire." Ned says, pulling her close. "No more of this now I want to hold my wife. Should I send for dinner here? Rob and Jon can entertain the lords."
For the rest of the night they just held each other in her bed. In the morning Cat has to rush to her privy to throw up. She begs off going to the crypt until after the lords have left. Believing it would be rude for the eldest of the family to disappear while they were meant to be hosting.
Just before the noon meal Lord Manderly arrives bearing bad news from the south. Cat didn't go to the meeting after that meal, instead she went to Maester Luwin, she knew the signs well enough after baring five children. She is right, she's with child again. As she is about to rest, Maester Luwin comes into her room again.
"My Lady, I am sorry to interrupt the rest I ordered you to take but Old Nan is about to pass. She's asked for Rob and Jon. there's one more thing, there's a boy who just arrived, says his name is Samwell Tarly, he has no guards, but does look a bit worse for wear."
"Go and tell my lord husband that I will deal with the Tarly boy. I have met enough of that family and I should be able to recognise his features hopefully. Wait, his mother is a Florent. Does he have the ears?" Maester Luwin gives a small chuckle at her words before nodding.
"Yes my lady, his ears are rather big now that I think about it. I guess that does give credence to his being a Tarly or a Florent." with a bow and clinking of his chain Maester Luwin leaves the room.
Jon
As Old Nan enters his Father? Uncle? Left the room. He didn't even know what to call his own family now. Jon was surprised to see her. There wasn't any reason for Old Nan to be there wanting to talk to them.
"I don't have long left to live. I have held on only long enough to see the prince come into his own." Old Nan started before coughing. "There's nothing either of you can do, it's just old age. I'm old. Very old. I will tell you a story and you two will sit and listen and most importantly not interrupt.
"My mothers name was Sansa Stark. I was so honoured when your Lord Father named your sister after my mother. My fathers name was Aegon Targaryen, the fifth of his name, the unlikely. During his wandering with Ser Dunken the Tall he met and fell in love with my mother but the match was not to be, when Ser Dunken was found sleeping with my mothers sister on the night it is believed that I was conceived, they were run out of Winterfell.
"By the time my mother found out she was pregnant it was already too late. My father had married Betha of house Blackwood, while a good man my father fell in love very quickly to any women who opened their legs to him. Even Betha and my mother agree with that assessment of his character. While I am a bastard, I am an acknowledged one. My father claimed me as his. He also gave me this on my tenth name day." as Old Nan says that she pulls out a bronze and yellow dragon egg.
"I know you have Vermax's egg Aemon. Yes, I know your name. The Targaryen blood awoke the green seer trait the Starks have, or maybe the other way around and the Stark blood awoke the dragon dreams. I don't know. But what I do know is that only death can pay for life. Something my father forgot, he also used too much fire, even if the dragons hatched they would have died due to the wildfire.
"Promise me Prince's of house Stark, of house Targaryen you will put me on a pyre and burn me like the Targaryen's of old and that you will put the eggs on there too. Name me my prince's Shira of house Stark and Targaryen, I may not have been my aunt the famed beauty but I was still a beauty worthy of the name."
"We will Old Nan." Rob pledges while Jon nods his head. Old Nan hands Jon the egg.
"In your heart you know what to call him Jon. You have always known. He is the father you have, not the father you have never known. And that one despite his stupidity is your brother." as Old Nan says as she gets up to leave, another servant comes in and cleans away the vomit.
"Will you forgive my stupidity and be my brother again?" Rob asks hopefully.
"What of the hostage?"
"He's not a hostage." Rob says back vehemently.
"Answer me this. Will father have to take his head if that fuckwit Belon Greyjoy rebels again?" Jon asks with an expressionless face.
"Aye." Rob says quietly
"Is he allowed to leave Winterfell without guards?"
"No."
"Then he's a fucking hostages. Wake up Rob. Theon will stab you in the back the first chance he gets. Yes he might be friendly with you now, but think of how he was treated before he became friends with you and how he was treated after." They sit in silence for a long time before Rob nods.
"I will stay friendly with him, but I won't trust him like I did before."
"That's all I ask. Want to go through this chest with me?" Jon says offering the hand of kinship one last time.
For over two hours they go through the chest. Six books, three of them were the diary's, one of them by Denys called Of Dragon Dreams, Of Signs and Portents, in little writing under the title was, don't let my visions of the horrors to come fade into obscurity, another one called Magic and Monstrosities of Old Valyria, the last had no name but after skimming through it they found that it was the tale their father told them.
There are other things in the chest, things that Jon didn't want to see. There were three crowns, one made for a woman, a simple silver coronet decorated with a dragon with red ruby eyes, and a direwolf with blue sapphires for eyes both seem to be locked in an embrace. This must have been meant for his mother.
The next was definitely made for a male, this was also made in silver with square rubies but no other forms of decoration. This must have been his fathers. The last is a well known crown that of Aegon the Conqueror's crown of valyrian steel.
Three valyrian steel daggers one that look like those that had been seen in every painting of the kings, the king's dagger as it was called. The other two look like they are suited for a woman's slender hand. Perhaps his fathers, no sire's, diary will explain the daggers. Ned Stark is his father.
"What if they are the Conquerors and his sister wives daggers Jon, I mean we have both seen the portraits in the books on Targaryens that hilt sure looks like his." Rob says while holding one of the smaller ones.
"You might be right. I wonder where he got it all. I thought the Dornish had Aegon's Crown." Jon says truly wondering how his sire had got everything.
"His diary should tell you." Rob says.
There is a knock at the door. The two boys rush to hide anything overtly Targaryen and the two crowns, as well as the eggs.
"Enter." Rob calls out.
"Lord Rob, your father has requested that you and your brother go to the feast in your parents' steed." the maid that entered says. Rob looks at Jon before nodding to the maid. They clean up the mess, placing everything back in the two chests, then asking one of the guards at the door to take everything to Jon's room, before going to the great hall.
As usual the Lords of the North are a rambunctious group. The evening meal went on well into the night. Every now and then one of the Lord's would look at Jon with a questioning glint in their eyes. GreatJon was the worst for this. The man has sharp eyes that don't miss anything.
Once he has retired to his room he hears something at first it is like a whisper in the back of his mind. To faint to hear. Then they started growing louder. Ignoring everything including the books he should be reading Jon flops himself into his bed. To try and figure out what is happening.
Feed us.
Blood and fire.
Kings blood.
Wake the Dragon.
Over and over again the voices called to him, calling for blood for fire, for him to wake them, or wake the dragon as if he knew what that meant. It didn't take long for Jon to grow annoyed with the voices and finding himself cutting his palm and letting his blood fall on the eggs. With that the eggs fall silent again.
The next day when the war council is called this time Jon is once again hiding from the lords. Trying to take in everything that he learned the night before. That morning Old Nan hadnt left her quarters saying she felt too weak to leave.
Jon didn't want to go through with her last request, especially not after the night before. The eggs woke him three more times, each time demanding more blood. For him to wake them. Jory however was not taking no for an answer and forced him out of the gods wood with threats of setting Lady Stark on him if he refused. Or cutting his fledgling bread off. Jon is not sure which is worse.
Once Jon enters the great hall he sees that his family has left a spot open for him at the high table this is a first, usually Lady Stark will force him to sit at the back of the hall. Perhaps that's the reason why there is a seat for him, Lady Stark isn't present.
"Finally, boy get up there so we can start." Lord GreatJon says from his seat near the high table. After taking his place at the high table the meeting starts.
"Who wants to start the meeting and which topic do we start with?" Father says from his seat on the replica Throne of Winter.
"Will you allow me to get justice for my son and take a party of Bolton men to the Bloody Gate to kill the women who tried to kill my heir?" Lord Bolton asks, remaining seated. This was news to Jon he didn't know that Domeric had almost been killed. Domeric was almost a friend, or at least friendly with Jon on the rare occasions that he had been to Winterfell with either his father or his aunt Lady Dustin.
"I sent you a message about that, you must have been on the road when the Dreadfort received it. I approved you taking your men so long as you sent a message to the Bloody Gate first." his father says back. Lord GreatJon stands next.
"The damn sword, Ned. We all want to know if it is what I think it is." Lord GreatJon's booming voice rings around the hall at his words.
"And what sword do you think it is, GreatJon?" Rob says, raising one of his eyebrows.
"Its Light Bringer isn't it?"
"Aye." is all that Jon says.
"Aye. Aye, that's all you have to say boy?" Lady Mormont yells, getting to her feet. Permafrost howls at her words, causing Lady Mormont to startel and fall back into her seat.
"I understand that this is a bit of a shock to all of you. But this is even more of a shock to my sons, who are a year too early to have even gone through the trials to see if Light Bringer would choose them." Father says into the silence. "And most of you have met my son Jon, you know he is a man of few words unless the topic is something he's well versed in."
"So the walkers are coming back at the end of this summer?" Lord GreatJon says into the silence that follows father's words. There is a great clamour at these words. Another howl from Permafrost stops the shouting.
"Have you been drinking already, GreatJon, to believe the words of your nursemaid?" Lord Whitehill says.
"Come and say that to my face you seven worshipping cunt." Lord GreatJon roars at the man. "The North Remembers. We at Last Hearth know Azor Stark did not kill the Night King, we have records dating back that far. Can any of you cunts say your records date back that far." another round of yelling issues forth at his words. Permafrost and Greywind both annoyed with the yelling growl and howl to silence the hall.
"I never thought I would be thankful for having a direwolf, but they seem to be the only thing to quiet you lot down when you're all about to come to blows. Yes GreatJon, I can say without a shroud of doubt that we Starks have records going back that far. Even the Red kings who burnt Winterfell knew not to burn the Library which is a separate building.
"And before you lot start yelling, and I need to set Permafrost on you all. Yes, the Long Night comes again. The Prophecy is about to come true. We need to prepare. But first we have the issue of the war of faith brewing in the south. I believe that Lord Manderly has something to say about that." Jon is impressed with his father. Not once did he raise his voice but all the lords were listening. Lord Manderly stood at his fathers words.
"My lords, no, my friends, I have had word from my spies in the south. The Faith of R'hllor is back. Despite us repeatedly kicking them out of the North for thousands of years, they haven't learnt their lesson. They have burnt the gods' wood in King's Landing, Blown up the Sept of Baelor with wildfire, and now they plot to Burn the Isle of Faces, our God's Eye. I may follow the Seven but the house Manderly has always been split in half when it comes to religion, but I will protect the old gods just as I would the seven. So despite the old accords with the Andles, Stannis Baratheon has signed off on them burning it once the fiery hand and unsullied arrives in King's Landing. Yes he has sent for slave soldiers."
The yelling that fills the hall at these words, father let's go on this time. So do the direwolves. The lords of the north are rightfully pissed at this news. So is Jon and the rest of his family present. The Southron cunts dare, no these Essosi cunts dare to touch their gods. After a sign from his father Permafrost howls again to gain the attention of the lords.
"I suggest we take a break, let tempers cool, then come back and discuss what we want to do about this."
The lords agree just as Maester Luwin comes running into the room. He whispers into fathers ear as the Lords are walking out of the hall, few stay to see if it is anything important.
"Jon, Rob, Old Nan is calling for you. Luwin says she's close to passing. Go to her, I have an unexpected arrival to deal with." Ned says to the two boys, before nodding to the remaining lord's and leaving the hall.
It didn't take Old Nan long to pass after she saw the two boys. Hodor became unconsolable with the passing of his grandmother. Jon hoped that she had more time before going, and that it wouldn't have been while the lords were there. They had her funeral that day, as per her wishes. Jon only has time to grab the eggs before having to go and attend.
"We are here to celebrate the life of Old Nan and help her spirit find her ancestors. In accordance with her wishes she will have a pyre. Old Nan asked that my son Jon say words before the burning" Ned says before moving away to allow Jon to speak.
"Most of you wont know this but the woman in front of me was the closest thing that my siblings and I had to a grandmother. Her name was Shira Snow Daughter of Sansa Stark and Aegon the Unlikely. She taught me and my siblings all the old legends of the North.
"I remember once when Rob told her that there was no such thing as direwolves and that our sigil was just a wolf. Shira washed Rob's mouth out with soap for that, and well she was proved right in the end. We will miss you Nan but we know that you are in a better place." Jon says before stepping forward and placing the dragon eggs on the pyre to the shock of the Northern lords and lady's. Stepping back to stand next to his father, Rob then walks forward with the torch.
"Old Nan helped to raise us. Never had a bad word to say about the North, many bad words to say about the south, she never did say anything bad about her Targaryen family, not that we knew about her family ties until recently. She was what I hope my future wife will be like, kind, respectful, dutiful. You will be missed Shira." with that Rob throws the torch on the pyre.
Once the pyre was fully engulfed in flames Jon can no longer help himself, he walks forward and climbs on the pyre. The screams of his family hurt him but he can't help it, it's as if he is being controlled by something. Just as he is about to walk back out he hears a crack then four more follow it, then claws digging into his flesh. He looks down at himself and sees five dragons crawling over him.
Walking out of the pyre as it is still burning, with five dragons covering him. Jon realises that he is naked once the cold air hits his flesh. The dazed look doesnt leave his face. Ned and Rob run forward, Ned covering him with his cloak while Rob just yells at him.
"Have you lost your fucking mind?"
"Build more glass houses, they are coming."
That's when everything goes dark for Jon.
Olenna
Olenna paces in her solar, while Mase and Willas both sit in front of her desk. Olenna knows what she wants but getting it is harder.
"I'm sorry Willas, I did try to make you king, the little princess is smarter than I thought." she says as she stops to stare out her window. Margaery is currently walking the gardens with Shireen, clearly visible from the window.
"Grandmother, I am and have always been perfectly content with being Lord of Highgarden after father passes." Willas says not caring that he could have been king.
"As my first born it should have been you Willas, now you will have to take your brothers betrothed as yours, even though I had hopes of marrying you to a Stark." Mace says, without his usual air of pompousness.
"It would have never happened, Mace. Eddard would have seen right through that move and said no. I even tried getting her to marry Loras. She knows far more than we have been led to believe. Mayhaps if the North gets involved in the war Garlen might be able to suggest to Shireen that Margaery marry Rob Stark." Olenna says before sitting in a huff.
"Grandmother, it's better that it's Garlen he will make a better king, for one he's not crippled." Willas says in retort. Only his father and grandmother are still bitter about his injury. Willas has long grown used to it. Willas thinks its a good idea to marry Margaery to the North, even if it is cold there.
"Oh but he won't be king now will he. Shireen has demanded he be King Consort. And to add insult to injury she demands he take her last name." Olenna huffs out before taking a sip of her wine.
"What no. I refuse to give my son and army for so little in return." Mace blusters. "We deserve our name to be the royal name if we are giving her an army."
"Did you not hear and understand the little chits opening salvo? She has a cousin for Lord Paramount, not only that but she can go to the North and Eddard won't ask for a damn thing in return for his army." Mase deflates at his mother's words.
"Father, Grandmother. What we need to be discussing is once we have cleared out the red witches and their slave army, how do we call for a grand council to remove Stannis?" Willas says trying to calm tempers. Taking a sip of his own glass studying his grandmother.
"Don't you worry about Stannis, Willas. I have a plan for that." His grandmother's words only remind him that she is just as dangerous as a snake.
Once her family leaves her office there's a knock at a secret door into her study that her family doesn't know about. Left her guard goes and opens the door.
"The man you requested I bring from the town is here, My Lady." Right says.
"Let him in." Olenna says, straightening her hat.
"You requested me, Lady Thorne."
"Valar morghulis." Olenna replies. Looking at the man with red and white hair.
"Valar dohaeris. What can this man do for you?"
"I wish to ask for the gift to be given." she replies with the words very few know to say.
"A man needs a name."
"Stannis Baratheon." With these words Olenna hopes she paves the way for Garlen to be king.
"For this man the price will be steep. R'hllor has his eyes on this one." the faceless man responds.
"You will have your pick of the orphans of Highgarden and Old Town. I am also willing to offer fifty thousand dragons." Olenna says before taking another drink.
"A man accepts the price. The gift will be given, but it might take time as R'hllors eyes are on him constantly. And R'hllor is known to bring back what he guards. This man will see this challenge and prevail."
"So long as it is done I don't care how or when, but I would prefer that it is before the God's Eye is attacked if at all possible."
"The many face god is not one to be rushed but if at all possible it will be done." with that the faceless man is let back out the secret door.
It has been two months since the Princess and her men arrived in Highgarden, since then it has been nothing but hard work for Olenna, sending out mobilisation orders to their army. Around half of their army was already outside highgarden waiting for the other half to arrive. Which according to the recent ravens should be a sennight after the wedding.
She even took the time to give the Princess some lessons in diplomacy, to not make threats as her opening salvo if nothing more. To also try and teach her that the silk glove lined with steel is easier to rule with than the iron fist. As a woman there are other ways to rule without the need for force. Some of the more womanly things Shireen also needed to learn, as neither her mother nor her septa saw the need for her to learn them.
The wedding is to take place in two days. Margaery and Olenna's good daughter have been helping Shireen to make her maidens cloak. Once the high Septon from the Starry Sept heard that there is to be a royal wedding at Highgarden he made his way there in all haste to make sure it is done correctly. Hoping to persuade them to use the Starry Sept.
The high septon arrived earlier that day and is sitting with Olenna going over the service. Olenna quickly dissuaded the notion of the ceremony being performed anywhere but in the great hall of Highgarden. With all the fighting men on the roads it would take too long to get between Highgarden and Old Town and back.
"On the way here I saw that the army is mobilising. Are you to take out the red faith that has taken root in the capital." he asks with hope of a holy war against all heathens.
"Yes, Septon Rodarick. For the price of a Prince Consort the Princess has our army." Olenna says, just wanting the old man to leave.
"You would sell the army of the cradle of the faith instead of just giving it to the Princess. Let me guess you are also not going to use this opportunity to get rid of the heathen tree worshippers too." he says, starting to bluster just like her son.
"I wanted the Faithfull to know that their coming Queen would be of the faith. So a marriage was needed. There is no way in the seven hells I am throwing away the lives of the men in trying to cleanse the North. It has been tried before and failed before" taking a sip of her wine. "Now I am a very busy woman. I will see you in two days for the wedding." Olenna says all but ordering him out.
Letters have started coming in by raven or rider stating that the army is gathering and will march to Highgarden, before they leave for the Riverlands and the Crown lands.
Olenna had her scribes write more letters to make sure that farmers were not conscripted as food will always be needed whether it be during this war or for the upcoming winter. She also wrote letters to be set out by rider to the closest meat farms be they sheep, cattle or pig to step up breeding to keep up with the demands for meat.
More and more orders were written out and sent off with her many aids. Orders given to her scribes to write out lists of everything from weapon counts to a count of the beasts of burden that would carry the supplies of the army.
War while not something she can fight definitely something she can organise. Very few letters did she write out herself. Those that she did are to Oberyn Martel asking that the Dronish keep an eye out for any ships that the red witches control and asking for a warning if they were spotted
Another to her Brother Paxter Redwyne to make sure the Arbor fleet was at the ready. The High Towers would be at the wedding so Olenna thought to give her good daughter's father his orders in person. While the Redwyne fleet would be used to guard the Dornish waters, the Old Town fleet would be used to guard the Reach shores, bolstered by the Shield Island's fleets.
Given that enough of the men from the Reach would be away at war, the Iron Islanders could use this as an opportunity to raid the rich shores of the Reach. A Letter to the Littlest Lannister was in order asking that the Lanister fleet would keep an eye out for the reavers.
Olenna's spies told her that Lord Tyrion was currently building his fleet to untold heights. Both his merchant fleet and his war fleet. His aim wasn't war as far as Olenna can tell it was to make sure the Westerlands was never threatened by the Iron Born again.
Olenna calls for the Little Princess, once she arrives Olenna asks her.
"Do you have any contact with the Narrow Sea houses or the Crown Lands houses?"
"The Lords of Crack Claw Point I know, and the Lord of Driftmark along with his heir. The rest kept their distance from me. Why?"
"Can you ask them to blockade the Gullet?" Olenna asks, leaning forward on her desk.
"You have not heard, Lady Olenna?" Shireen says with a questioning tone.
"Heard what?" Olenna asks with a waspish tone.
"My father or more likely the Red Witches ordered the war fleets of the houses of the Narrow Sea to be burnt, not long before we left. The fiery hand was sent out to make sure they complied. Lady Velaryon was burnt at the stake for trying to stop them. None of the lords put up any fright after hearing that. The only fleet that is left is the royal fleet that when we left was under the control of Lord Velaryon, but now I'm not sure if the red witches wont have taken it from him." Olenna sighed at these words, but nodded to herself.
"Did Monford truly burn his fleet?" Shireen can't help but giggle.
"That's a funny joke, Lady Olenna, tell me another. Of course he didn't, Aurane Water hid most of their fleet in Bravos or the Step Stones, unfortunately Lady Lenna didn't know that the fleet wasn't at dock as she was bedridden with fever when those red devil's came calling. While Lords Monford and Monterys were in King's Landing she ruled Driftmark." Olenna huffed at her words.
"What of the Northern fleet?" Shireen giggled at those words. Truly baffled that Olenna didn't know the history's.
"The North have been kicking out the faith of R'hllor for thousands of years, no red priest survives there longer than it takes for someone to notice they're there." Shireen gave another giggle. "The fiery hand would be thrown back into the sea if they tried to burn the Manderlys fleet or the Karstarks fleet. I doubt they would go to the western shore of the North without trying to burn all the fleets in between." Olenna nods at her words.
"Very well, return to what you were doing Princess, I need to send a message to Lord Manderly."
"Lady Olenna, not to try telling you what to do, but the Manderlys hate the Tyrells or rather the rulers of the Reach. Most seem to forget the Mander was named after its ruling house the Manderlys. It might be best if I wrote to him." Shireen says with a straight back.
Olenna thinks to herself yes a strong queen indeed.
The wedding like all weddings bored Olenna near to tears. She was shocked to find out that the Princess commissioned a coronet for not only herself but for Garlen. That she was the one to remove Garlens Cloak and Cloak him in her Baratheon cloak makes Olenna giggle a little. Olenna was not informed that there had been two cloaks made for the wedding, that Davos was the one to give Shireen the Cloak for Garlen also made her have to hide an unladylike laugh.
Olenna did have a moment of shock when ArchMaester Marwyn appeared with a gift for the married couple. That the ArchMaester showed at all was surprising to Olenna as he rarely left his dusty tomes unless it was to go off to Essos. The gift itself was two beautifully created glass candles, and a tome on how to use them. He hopes her blood will allow them to use the candles.
During the wedding feast the over zealous Lord of Cider Hall, the apple Lord, Lord Fossoway, called for a bedding, a bedding for a two and ten names day girl. She is glad when Garlen stands in front of the Princess.
"Lord Fossoway! Are you trying to get my wife killed! Just because you would have been my good father that gives you no right to try to kill my wife. There will be no bedding of my two and ten names day bride until well after she flowers and the masters give their blessing that birthing a babe won't kill her, or lead to serious complications."
Olenna agrees with Garlen no use in losing their way to the Throne on the birthing bed if she doesn't survive it. She quickly stands up for the girl even as Shireens own knights gather around her.
"If you lords would stop acting like heathen idiots you will realise that we need the Princess more than we need her to die on the birthing bed. Now sit down and act like the Lord of the cradle of the faith that you are." Olenna yells into the great hall.
"Hear hear." Yells Randyll Tarly. "Any man that thinks forcing a two and ten name days girl into the marriage bed is a good idea will be introduced to Heartsbane."
"My sword will be joining yours. My wife, while she may be a Princess, is still young. Not even the mad king bedded his wife before she was four and ten. " Garlen says, pulling his sword out, the Holy Hundred follows his action and so does Davos. Olenna is shocked that so many swords are actually at the wedding, after all this isnt a Dothraki wedding. Westerosi weddings don't usually have deaths at them.
"Aye mine own too." Davos Seaworth says in agreement. The men of the Holy Hundred also stand closer to their princess keeping anyone who would try to force her away. At this sight the rest of the men in the halls sat and didn't even dare look in the direction of the Princess for the rest of the night.
Most of the Lords of the Reach taking a deeper look at their actions come to the realisation that some traditions could be done away with. The Lord Fossoway shunned for the rest of the night wasn't surprised to find a notice of betrothal breaking the next morning, no longer would Willas be tied to his daughter.
Olenna asks for both Garlen and Randyll Tarly to come to her study the morning after Garlens wedding. Having one of the maids set out a light lunch for the men. Randal is the first one to enter followed by Garlen not five minutes later.
"Gentleman, neither of you need me to tell you we are in for a long war. I do have some unpleasant news. Randal I need you to take the army we currently have gathered here and go into the Riverlands, the unsullied and fiery hand arrived not long ago, I can't be too sure on when as my spy is half mad with hunger after having driven his horse to death. To get this news to us."
Randal nods at this news having expected something like this to happen.
"And me grandmother?" Garlen asks.
"You will stay here and wait for the rest of the army to gather before marching to meet Randyll. Randyll take Loras with you. He needs to get his head back in the game."
"I agree with your grandmother, if you come with me, your father will hold the rest of the army here to make himself look more important." Garlan nods and Randyll's words, knowing the truth of the matter.
"Good with that matter sorted, Randyll when will you be ready to move?"
"By the morrow for certain. If you don't mind I must leave now to ensure that the army is ready." he says leaving the room.
"A man of action, good, I like it." Olenna says shooing her grandson out.
Melisandre
Taking control of the royal fleet from the lord of Driftmark had been easy. After threatening to burn his heir after having his wife killed made him easy to control, what she hadn't expected was for the Lord to pack up his household and leave the Capital. The fiery hand hadn't done anything to stop him from leaving either.
Both the heir and the lord were gone, the fiery hand on the dock had been punished for this action. While she didnt have them burnt as she needed all the men she could get to control the city she did have them whipped in the streets to show who was in control, and that failure has consequences.
When the ships arrived from Volantis she had been happy, but after being all but sidelined by the High Priests that arrived changed her mood rapidly. Watching the disembarkation of all the troops that she had ordered but no longer was in control of makes her want to strangle the head of her order.
High Priest Benerro wasn't the only high priest of her order that came from Volantis, Moqorro also came with him, along with other male priests that look down on her. Both high priests were determined to take control from her. As she is not a high priestess she had no right to refuse them. Her order has a very strict hierarchy and she wasn't anywhere near the top.
Close to thirty thousand of the fiery hand came with them. Along with thirty thousand Unsullied. This amount was close to emptying out every temple in Essos of both the fiery hand and their personal Unsullied. Melisandre knew that Astapor only ever had close to fifteen thousand on hand at any one time, not including those in training. There were odd rumours coming out of Slaver's Bay but she was told to stay away from the topic by Benerro.
In the small council chambers the high priests called for her. A large map of Westeros is laid out on the table. Melisandre is wondering why she was even invited if they aren't going to take her council into account.
"We should send the fleet and half the fiery hand around Dorne to attack the Reach before their army has time to mobilise." Moqorro says pointing at the Arbor and Old Town.
"That sounds like half a plan." Melisandre scoft's as she says that.
"Oh and you have a better idea?" Benerro says.
"Yes, send a letter to the Lord of Pike, saying he can reave the Reach and Riverlands to his heart's content and we won't interfere. Send the half unsullied to the gods eye. Send half the fleet with half the fiery hand to white harbour to keep the north out of this war and the other half around Drone. The last half of the Unsullied stay here to keep our control over the city." she says with a smug look on her face. Her idea is much better than the men that run her order.
Moqorro actually looks impressed with her idea.
"And which army will you command?" Benerro asks.
"Me, command, none of them. My place is here with Azor Ahai." She says full of conviction. "I don't see either of you two willing to share his bed to keep him under our control."
"King Stannis will be coming with me to the gods eye where he will draw forth the true Lightbringer. Not that imitation you have him hold." Benerro says. Melisandre frowns at his words.
"She will stay here. She has no place on the battlefield." Moqorro says. "We have Kleevage and Darklyn, they can lead the fleets while both of us go to the gods eye."
Both men go back to Ignoring her and issuing orders through their aids as Melisandre looks into the flames, she sees the fleet going north sink in a storm shrugging it off not bothering to tell the two men that could look for themselves. She sees a victory near the god's eye and a victory in the Reach, she sees the burning of the Princess to bring the Dragon's back.
Neither man looked into the flames before setting her plan into motion. They sacrificed virgins from Volantis as the virgins of King's Landing were not deemed of good enough stock for their god.
Both fleets left that day while Benerro and Moqorro decided on waiting for a sign for R'hllor before they would set out. The sign would take over a month before it arrives.
Tormund
Successful hunt has Tormund extremely happy. His happiness quickly turns to frustration. Upon arrival at the camp, he sees the children waiting for them to arrive with Mance.
"Whatever it is, the answer is no. Not happening. Go away." Tormund says grabbing two of the fattest snow hares and stomping off.
For the last week Mance and the children of the forest have been trying to ambush him for some reason, only Dalla has been able to stop them from cornering him with whatever they wanted. Tormund believes that it's them wanting him to hunt down a walking dead.
While he would go along with the plan he doesn't want to be the lead on that team, he also wants the clans to be moving towards the wall before he does anything.
"The mighty Tormund hiding behind the Queen beyond the walls skits how bold of you, so brave." Orel says having heard what Tormund said to their king.
Tormund, having enough of the useless cunt, turns around and walks up to him. Orel backs away but not quickly enough. Tormund grabs him by the shirt. Head butting the idiot. Breaking his nose.
"Keep your useless mouth shut, white eyes or I will seal it shut." looking at Mance he turns and stalks off again.
It doesn't take long to make it to Dalla's tent. Handing her the rabbits without a word before stomping his way over to the chairs.
"Are they still trying to corner you?" Dalla says with a twinkle in her eyes. All but laughing at Tormund.
"I won't do it, Dalla. You, your babe to be, and my children need to be safe and on the move before I even consider going after the dead walkers. As it is we don't have enough dragon glass weapons to keep the clans safe on the move." Dalla just sighs at his words knowing they are the truth. Dalla hasn't asked Mance what he wanted Tormund to do, knowing that if Tormund wanted to know he would have asked.
"I want us safe too, Tormund. But I will protect your children like they are mine own, you know this. Plus those lads of yours are near men themselves, and the only reason Munda hasn't been stolen is every man here knows you will cut their balls off if she isn't the one doing the stealing." Tormund huffs at Dalla's words.
"We don't need to show the dead to the Northmen to make us safe, we just need to take an empty castle on the wall. No one would notice." Dalla sighs at the same argument she had been hearing for the last few days. Hanging the pot that she had traded for from a black brother, above the fire and filling it with water before throwing the vegetables Tormund hated but she and Mance loved.
It is then that Mance and the leader of the children enter the tent. Mance takes a seat next to Tormund while the child sits across from him. Mance turning to Tormund shakes his head when he notices that Tormund is steadfastly ignoring him in favour of looking at Dalla as she skins and cleans the hares.
"You can't keep running, Tormund. You also can't keep beating Orel every time he says something you don't like." Mance says. "We need him for now.
"We aren't ready to go after the dead, Mance. And fuck the spineless cunt." Tormund says getting to his feet. Mance grabs his arm and pulls him back down into his seat. The chair squeaks in protest.
"I know that. But by the time you get back from the mission I want to send you on, we will be." The look of shock on Tormund's face makes Dalla laugh. Dalla, to distract herself from the conversation, turns back to her stew.
"You're not sending me after the dead?" Tormund asks with shock in his voice. Mance shakes his head. "then what the fuck are you sending me to do?"
"East of the Fist of the First Men, north of the traitor Crastor and his home, west of the Antler River, in the middle of the haunted forest, is the biggest heart tree north of the wall. Under that heart tree is the renegade band of children, and their newest monster." Oakheart says, Mance looks angered at the words.
"Without the damn riddles Oak." Tormund says.
"My wife is Oak, I am Oakheart. Very well. When the First men first came here and were killing us there were two factions. Mine those who tried for a peaceful resolution, we were so close. Then a smaller group of us, those who wanted to kill all of the First men. Their leader Leaf made the monster, the abomination, known as the Night King. We all know what followed that, what most don't know is that they have made another monster.
"The first was a Stark, one of the first of the first rangers of the Night's Watch, grandson of the builder. The Starks thought the walkers had taken him, as they were still active then but slowly withdrawing into the mountains in the land of always winter. It was the renegades that took the Stark and turned him into a monster. The renegades stand against everything we Singers are. This is why we call them children, not singers.
"There are rules passed down by the gods to be a warg and a green seer. Don't warg into something and mate with another. Don't eat human flesh when warging. Don't warg into another human being. This monster they created when close to death wargs into its apprentice. This monster has what looks to us like a tapestry of souls in his body.
"Orel is the next chosen. We have seen this. There's a mark on him that while you can't see it you have enough magic in your blood you feel it. We beg you don't kill him yet, if you do the monster will choose a Stark son as it's next apprentice. That boy will be the most powerful green seer in this generation. He will help awaken the magic of the Stark blood.
"What needs to happen is you leave him here and while you are dealing with the monster the children made, we Singer's will deal with Orel while he's in the backlash of assimilating the monster's knowledge, before he has a chance to mark the young Stark." listening to the speech Oakheart gave, Tormund rubs his beard.
"So you want me to take some men and go kill the children and the monster?"
"My sister Willowheart and some other Singers will help you with the children, but the monster is rooted to the heart's tree. Once the children have been dealt with the rest of my people can come over the frost fangs. There are just under three thousand of us. Hiding from the monster the children created.
"They believe they are the last of our kind. Mostly because they can no longer have children thanks to the old gods cursing them, partly because the strongest of us have been shielding ourselves from their view, just as we have been shielding your camp from them. All they see is Orel when he's hunting. As he hasn't awakened his green sight yet, they can't communicate with him.
"We know there is another group south of the wall but they are shielding from us. If we didn't know how it felt to shield, we wouldn't know there was a group in the south."
Tormund sat and thought for a moment before saying anything. Watching Dalla again knowing that while Mance wasn't worried about him stealing Dalla away, it does annoy Mance when he watches her for too long. The soothing movements of Dalla help to calm his mind and think of the plan he would need to combat the children of the forest.
"Do I take more men? Or just me? Mance you said by the time I got back the camp would be ready for the move, how?" Tormund knows that there aren't many people among the Freefolk that will want to harm a Child, monstrous or not, the Freefolk believe they are conduits of the gods.
"You can take Ygritte but you won't need any others. The Singers are much faster than we are. While it will take you near two moons to get to the cave. It will only take half a moon for the Singers to get here. They will bring all the Dragon glass we can use." Mance answers him. Mance also knows what the Freefolk are like with the children. Even if most avoided the Singers in the camp they still revered them as symbols of the gods.
"I will do it. But if I come across any dead on the way to you I may try my hand at capturing it. So I'll need a horse or elk to drag the fucker back." Tormund says, staring at Dalla. "You lot better be ready to move by the time I get back."
"We will be." Mance says, clapping a hand on Tormunds shoulder. "I guess you're staying for stew?"
"I didn't see your ass out there hunting with us, you're damn right I'm staying. Munda has some deer from yesterday. My boys will be fed." even if he was thinking on Dallas words from before about his daughter's growing maturity. His sons were not ready to be called men yet. Even if most of them are of the age of men. They are too much like himself. Even now none of his sons have stolen a woman, and moved out leaving Munda to care for them.
Just as he hopes his five southern daughters are like their mother. A feisty she bear. He always makes time to go see his stubborn, horny, she bear even offered to marry her in the southern tradition, or bring her back here to the true North but she's far too independent. Even his now dead Spear wife Vera had loved the times they both shared with his feisty she bear.
Dalla brings him over a bowl breaking him out of his thought of his she bear. She gives him a grin.
"You only have that look on your face when you are thinking of your she bear. Think you will see her when we go south?" she says, shocking Mance as he hadn't known Tormund knew anyone south of the wall.
"Aye, she may be the only one that believes us, hell she would believe us without the dead." Tormund says, getting a goofy look on his face.
"Please tell me you haven't been sleeping with a married woman in the south?" Mance says all but begging.
"Well I did offer to marry her and bring her North, but she refuses every time." Tormund says sighing into his bowl of stew.
"Is she married or not Tormund!" Mance yells, contemplating throwing his bowl at Tormund.
"Course not. I have never slept with a married woman. You know this. Well there was that one giant woman, but I didn't know was married. She had a son and passed it off as the lord's son. Don't know if the boy was mine or not." Mance just yells in frustration throwing his bowl at Tormund before stomping out of the tent.
"Hey, that's a waste of good stew." Tormund yells after him, as Dalla breaks down laughing, even Oakheart has a smile on his face.
"Did you really sleep with a married woman?" Dalla asks through her laughter.
"That's for me to know. Maybe your husband should stop poking his nose where my dick's been." Dalla just laughs more. Sometimes being around the tall talker was a bit much.
Two months of freezing his balls off finally Tormund, Ygritte and the Singers arrive at the cave. Hunting along the way was tough as they couldn't set sneers even at night, but the Singers at least were always able to gather edible food even if it was roots and green leafy things. At least Ygritte was fast with her bow and never let an opportunity pass.
Their brew while not able to get him drunk was able to keep him warm on the long nights they couldn't find true shelter. He still has some of his Goat milk but he's saving it, trying to make it last. Even Ygritte was saving hers and not sharing with him, despite his pleading.
The Singers enter the cave first with Tormund and Ygritte following. Twice the children jumped out at them in pairs from branching tunnels. Only once Tormund and Ygritte need to get involved, and only because they came from in front and behind.
Ygritte hears them behind, turning and pulling her bow out, stepping behind Tormund after seeing that there were two of them. Losing an arrow at one of them as Tormund sends his bone dagger at the other one, both hits the target in the heart. Slitting the children's throats to make sure they don't get back up again.
They make it to a large opening. Tormund sees the man who has become a monster and shudders. The feeling of taint on the man is horrid.
"Finally. You have come man and woman kissed by fire." the man stuck in the tree says. "We have been waiting a long time for you to get here."
"You have been waiting for us?" Ygritte asks, watching as the Singers dispatch the remaining children.
One by one the children die either to dragon glass arrows or the daggers the Singers held. With less than fifty Children and out of them only fifteen able to fight it was a slaughter as the twenty Singers that accompanied them were all the best at their skills be it hand to hand fighting, magic, or with the bow. Only two Singers fell, both of them falling to the one the Singers were calling Leaf, while Leaf was using a Spear those that went against her only had daggers as most of the spears they brought had broken along the way. It took Willowheart to take Leaf down using a dragon glass arrow covered in fire, straight into Leaf's heart.
"We have. Ever since the first. We knew one day the true Singers would come here and kill the monsters and their pet. The children slowly lost all their abilities except their longevity. While we had no control over our actions as we were bound to the one named Leaf, she never asked us if we saw our true death.
"We only have the standing order to find our replacement, mark them and go there before our body is to die." the man gestures around at the roots in the cavern. "Look at us, always drawn here, always trapped. We have made preparations though.
"At the base of each of us there is something you need. Under me is a sword that can kill the others I have seen it. Under the first is the Stark medallion and the first's fire thrower the archer can learn how to use it. That can kill the dead. There weren't a lot of us. This tree, the children perverted it to sustain us. We can live here for between three to seven hundred years. Depending on our own power levels.
"Kill us. And let the Singers kill my replacement. Burn the cursed tree. Tell my nephew at the wall, I'm sorry, that I couldn't stop myself. Tell him blood and fire will bring his eyes back. You will know him by his chain." with that the man fell silent. Ygritte feeling sorry for the man decides to use his own sword. Reaching under the roots and pulling it out she stabs him in the heart.
"We should head back." Willowheart says. "Gather the things the not so monster was talking about. We will burn the tree once we leave. We will not spend the night here."
Freezing his balls off while Ygritte does her best to tempt him is not something he was overjoyed to have to do. Ygritte, while not truly wanting to be stolen by him, did want the warmth. According to the Singers it would be just over half a moon before they rejoined the camp. Not once had they come across the walking dead or their masters.
During this time the Singers have taken the time to teach them how to use the things the not so much monster had been saving for them. The fire thrower is as the name suggests. It straps onto the hands like gloves, by clapping her hands together or snapping her fingers while wearing the gloves a fire ball would appear and she would be able to throw it. The different actions would determine how big the fire is. Ygritte has given him the sword as she isn't a swords woman preferring ranged weapons. There is more than one of those but Tormund has no patience to learn the skill it takes not to burn himself.
Other things such as a few cloaks that can be worn and set a light but the wearer will be perfectly safe. Tormund wonders where the monster got these items from. All useful even if the Singers have to tell them how to use them. A ring that keeps the wearer warm no matter the weather. Ygritte claims that the first chance she got. Even if it does have a recharge time after every use it is still useful.
Tormund had been tempted to reclaim it but let her have it as she is a slight girl and he has extra weight on him to help keep him warm. The fire cloaks will keep him warm enough without needing to resort to laying with a girl he considers one of his own daughters.
Other more practical things they took from the cave were the fire crystals the children made to fight off the walkers. Only the Singers could safely use the fire crystals but that didn't bother Tormund, fire isn't safe around his beard or is it the other way around. There were also a lot of other weapons the children made that were only safe in the hands of the Singers. They took those too as well as all the dragon glass weapons the children crafted over their long years exiled to that tree.
The Singers have told him they wont come across any of the dead not after burning the tree. The walkers would be too invested in investigating why that fire had been set. It might have even been big enough for the walkers to investigate in person, not just sending their minions. Especially as that heart tree was a big source of magic.
Honestly I'm unsatisfied with Melisandre's part of the chapter, mostly because I feel bringing Benerro over has just sidelined her. However I couldn't think of another way of bringing that many fiery hand over without him and his bestie butting in. Hopefully some of you like my idea of Children of the forest vs Singers of earth and water. I have always thought the three eyed raven could have done more to keep magic in the world but didn't because he didn't like being used by the Children. While the books don't say there were more Ravens it is hinted at. Or at least that there had been a Raven for a thousand years. Brynden Rivers is just over 100 or so years old so there had to be more.
To answer InfinityMasks reviews I haven't killed all the bad guys as you put it just bringing more light to the hidden ones in the books and getting rid of the show ones. And thank you for pointing out I killed Loras as I had forgotten that but have now got plans for him so I had to go in and change that. Hopefully this clears up that I have no hard feelings about Rob, but he's a 15 year old boy who had only months before then been tormenting his cousin about sleeping with his dead mother, Jon needed the justice/closure/revenge whichever way you want to put it. And as I said about Stannis I do regret it but I needed him to do out of character things and Davos in the books off hand remarks that the Red witch was able to change his mind more than anyone else. So not completely implausible that she can use that kind of magic.