Chapter 89: Dealing with rotten fish
28 AF
Robb
He sat upon his grey horse, as they rode through the Western Riverlands. These lands had largely been spared the devastating raids that had hurt the rest of the Riverlands. He himself could have looted the Piper lands, but that would have only been counterproductive in his efforts to help fortify the border.
His talks at the Golden Tooth had been a success. Unfortunately, he had had to ransom his two principal prisoners from the Westerlands, knowing full-well that they had been some of the instigators of this rebellion, but it was a small sacrifice in the name of peace.
The objections of his vassals had been stopped before they had really started by harshly dealing with the other prisoners. All knights from the Reach, who didn't belong to the Faith Militant, had been sent to the Wall together with many foot soldiers. All members of the order had been executed, before he had ever left.
He had also dealt with Elmar's supporters in the Riverlands. He had sent hundreds of them north to join the Watch. Nonetheless, two main problems remained. The first one was his young cousin himself. Elmar still resided in the dungeons of his former foster home. Even in the days after the battle, he had never had the stomach to visit him. He knew Hoster had visited him once, and he had come back angrier than he had ever seen the Tully.
Nevertheless, he couldn't postpone it anymore. He would have to deal with his unruly kinsman. He also had to hope that his Footly bride hadn't fallen pregnant, or the Reach could have a claimant for Riverrun to mold as their own for the next twenty years.
His second problem was all the lords that had remained neutral. Many had already bent the knee. All had been punished with extra taxes, and their men and sons were now being forced into his army by Ricky and Rickon.
Nevertheless, the most important one of them remained silent. Lord Oscar Tully still kept himself locked up in Harrenhal. It was about time that he had a conversation with his cousin, but first he would need to talk to his younger brother.
He rode through the gates of Pinkmaiden with the afternoon sun shining upon his hair. At the gate, he was greeted by his eldest son and some of the nobles that had been left behind to advise him. He talked with them for an hour, before freshening himself up.
He adorned his crown, while dressing himself in a regal tunic and trousers in Stark colors. When he deemed himself ready, he descended the stairs to the Piper dungeons. He went in almost alone, with only Torr and Grey Wind as his protectors. Nobody needed to hear this conversation except for them.
He nodded at the guardsmen he passed along the way, until he finally reached the most restricted and guarded section of the dungeons. A soldier wearing the livery of his own house opened the cell door for him, before marching off towards back of the hallway.
Torr walked into the small room first, to make sure that no weapons were inside of any kind. After he deemed it to be safe, he walked out and took position at the outside of the door. The door was closed, and he found himself in a room with only Grey and Elmar.
He looked upon his young cousin, as he tried to ignore the stench in the cell. It smelled like sweat and piss, but most of all it smelled like feces. The culprit most likely being the filthy bucket standing in the corner.
Elmar sat in the opposite corner in some hay. His once auburn hair had become brown and grey due to sweat and filth. Upon his brow, a scar could be found that hadn't been there when he was younger. He seemed to be well-fed, as he showed no signs of malnourishment.
"Elmar", he began.
"Did you finally find it worthy of your time to pay me a visit, cousin?" The words were laced with venom, but he ignored them.
"It was time we talked." He simply replied, as he walked over to him. Grey never leaving his side.
"You mean to say that you want answers." The Tully scoffed.
He nodded. "Why did you do it?"
"What? Why did I raise an army? Because Hoster is nothing more than your puppet, much like father had been all those years. Hos was even worse, as his education in Winterfell clouded his judgement. I rose up against him because somebody had to. Otherwise, the Riverlands would fall into the hands of your treelovers and savages." He spat back.
The boy in front of him truly seemed to believe every word he said. Who had poisoned his mind so thoroughly?
"Is that what Lord Piper told you?" He asked.
Now his cousin just laughed. "That's what everybody says. Most are just too scared of you to act."
"Everybody?"
"Yes, everybody!" Elmar almost screamed. "Piper, Vance, Lychester, Oscar, Terrick, Stokeworth, Rollingford, … even my grandfather said it out loud many times. Nonetheless, even he was scared of Robb Stark and his vengeance. Just mentioning House Frey made them tremble. If they hadn't betrayed me, I would have won."
He looked in those blue Tully eyes filled with hatred but felt nothing more than pity. "You truly believe that don't you?" He asked, which seemed to perplex his cousin.
"Of course, I almost had you in the final battle. If I had only broken your left sooner, I would have won!" He countered.
He shook his head. "No, you wouldn't. I wanted you to attack my left infantry. I reinforced it long before you tried charging it. While you and your reserve cavalry were stuck there, I rolled up your entire line. I was in control for the entirety of the battle. You stood no chance."
His cousin seemed both shocked and angry. "You let your men on the left to die, so you could destroy my position?"
"Aye, I did. It was a small sacrifice to ensure a quick end to this conflict. I knew you were young and rash and that you would commit too early and too thoroughly. Although, I had thought that you would have attacked my Northmen on the right. I was surprised that you spend your last efforts trying to kill your own countrymen." He shrugged.
"There were Northmen there too." Elmar growled.
"Only the reinforcements I sent there. They were heavily outnumbered by Riverlanders. The men you killed with your charges mostly hailed from the lands of Houses Mallister, Blackwood and Riverrun itself. You killed the people you swore to protect." He pointed out, which seemed to enrage the young Tully.
"We also killed Northmen. If not for those vile beasts, there would be at least one Stark less today." He spat.
"By defeating you, Rickon saved you. You would have become a kinslayer if you had managed to kill Bryn." He confronted Elmar.
"Bah, I would not have become a Kinslayer in the eyes of the Gods. You savages don't count. The High Septon wrote me a letter to personally reassure me of that fact." The reply came.
"Let's say that you had won the battle. Let us forget the fact that your army consisted of a mixed group of fanatics, mercenaries and lords from all over with no sort of cohesion and that thousands of your troops were untrained peasants. What would you have done? You could have never killed me, Ricky, Jon, Bryn, Rickon, Jon and Hoster at the same time. Those who survived would have regrouped at the Twins and awaited a new army to come down from Moat Cailin. Then they would have defeated you."
Elmar smiled and shook his head. "No, they wouldn't. By that time, the Tyrells would have accepted me as the King of the Riverlands. They would have marched into the Riverlands to protect my sovereignty and beaten you wolves back to the North with your tails between your legs."
"You had an agreement to become a puppet of the Tyrells?" He exclaimed in shock. He had expected their involvement, but not that they had gone this far.
"Delivered to me personally, from the hands of one of the Most Devout. Now you see that if I had managed to break your left flank that I would have won." The Tully replied with a devious grin.
"But you didn't." That smile disappeared from his face as soon as it had gotten there. "You never would have. You fell prey to an easy and simplistic battle plan and your whole army got destroyed. You were never general or statesman enough to take me on. Even if you had won the battle, you would have been reduced to a Tyrell vassal. You would have probably given him half the Riverlands directly too."
Elmar shook his head passionately. "No, I would have returned the lands you took from the Reach, but otherwise no lands would have been exchanged. All other objectives aligned. They wanted all Northern settlers out of Blackwater Bay, their lands back and revenge on House Stark. It was the perfect alliance."
He shook his head. "You are more gullible than I would have ever imagined Elmar. Garlan Tyrell would never stop there. The Riverlands would have been reduced to the Reach's milk cow. You, your family and your people will pay the price for what you have done."
He looked his cousin directly in his eyes, as he proclaimed his verdict. "On the morrow, you will leave for the Wall to join ranks with your former friends and allies. In your camp letters were found where your sister Celia promised you to open the gates of House Ryger's keep to your forces. She will be forced to join the Silent Sisters as punishment."
"Over two hundred fifty thousand Riverlanders have died, dooming your homeland again to years of recovery. Ironically Blackwater Bay's entire population has been hit exceptionally hard, both believers of the Old Gods and the New. After the war, thousands of settlers from the North will be sent to the area to repopulate it and restart production. This will make the area more Northern and Old Gods believing than I had ever planned it to be."
Elmar's eyes went wide, as he realized what his fruitless rebellion had caused. "Houses Piper, Perryn, Terrick, Keath, Lolliston, Cressey, Rollingford and Stokeworth will be punished harshly. Some will stop to be relevant, while others like House Stokeworth will end. The houses that remained neutral will all pay extra taxes for the next few decades, which will serve to make sure the North and its settlers prosper. This will ensure the prosperity and survival of Northerners and Old Gods' believers in great numbers south of the Neck."
Elmar started to become red with anger. "You can't do that! The Riverlands will rebel again! The Tyrells will stop you!"
He shrugged. "The Riverlands may revolt again, but without you or your allies they will be far weaker and lack a figurehead to rally around. The North would crush them easily, whether it is led by me or my sons won't matter." He pointed out.
"If the Tyrells want to attack me, let them come. I have twenty thousand extra Northerners coming down from Moat Cailin. I have written to the Arryns, Royces and Baratheons for aid against the Reach, and I will force the neutral houses into the army against them. It may take months, and many Riverlanders may die, but I will win. Those deaths will be upon your head, not on mine. You will be held accountable for those when the time comes to reach your gods. The benefit is that you will have lots of time to make peace with them at the Wall."
He left Elmar raging in his cell, as anger and despair took hold of his young cousin. It was a shame. The boy could have had a bright future, which he would have supported vigorously. Now, at only seventeen years old, the boy was doomed to a life at the Wall. He shook his head at how unnecessary and senseless it all was. However, he would save the Tully family. In honor of his grandfather, great-uncle Brynden and Uncle Edmure he would bring House Tully again to glory. However, to do that, he needed to weed out the traitors and troublemakers first.
(Two weeks later)
He found himself in front of the gates of Harrenhal, together with his army of fourteen thousand men. The sun shone on the surrounding lands, which were some of the most fertile in all of Westeros. It was also one of the only areas in the Riverlands that hadn't been destroyed by zealots, which in itself said a lot about its ruler's stance during the conflict. Nevertheless, the local population had also lost some of its sons. Hundreds had joined the raids upon the surrounding areas, with some three hundred lower nobles and soldiers even joining Elmar's army for the Battle of Pinkmaiden.
Birds chirped, and the wheat, barley, bean and pea on the fields were plentiful. Everything pointed to a bountiful harvest. An interesting thing for his army, but it was not the reason why he had come here.
He stood upon his stirrups, as he looked how Ser Lyonel, Lord Damwell Dedding's third son, rode towards the closed gates of the gigantic fortress. The walls and towers were lined with soldiers, who looked intently upon the army in front of them.
Lyonel shouted the words he had given him loudly. "Lord Oscar Tully, both your king and liege lord are in front of your gates. In their generosity, they are willing to give you one chance to open your gates. If you don't, they will see this as an attack on their sovereignty and immediately begin a siege of the castle and its town. You, your family and your people would be branded as traitors and face the consequences for that decision."
No reply came, and after a while Ser Lyonel rode back to the army. "Your Grace, shall I begin preparations for the siege?" Lord Umber asked him. He raised his hand. "Not yet, Smalljon. We will give him a little more time to come to their senses."
This proved to be the right decision, as the gates opened a few minutes later. Seven riders rode out of the castle, another clear provocation from House Tully's second son. Nonetheless, he would keep his calm.
Not much later, the seven riders found themselves in front of him. Four were guards, while three others were nobles. His cousin rode in the front, with two men his age flanking him.
All three dismounted, as they went to one knee before him and Hoster. "Your Grace, I welcome you to Harrenhal. The castle and its lands are yours."
He nodded approvingly, masking his real thoughts well. "Rise, Lord Oscar." The broad-shouldered auburn-haired man rose. His cousin was tall, muscular and handsome. He held himself with poise and had a calm sense of authority and confidence around him. It was easy to see how some would find themselves drawn to follow him.
"I expected you at the Twins, where I had written you my army would assemble. Afterwards, my son expected you to join him while marching on House Lolliston. Lastly, we expected you at Pinkmaiden. Yet, you were never there." He spoke the thoughts of his army. His voice reaching far and wide in this clear spring air.
"That is true, Your Grace. However, how could I be expected to choose between any of my brothers. Family, Duty, Honor, those are the Tully words. Whom do you side with if family fights family? I found it my duty to save as much Riverlander blood as I could, by staying out of this conflict." The ruler of Harrenhal responded.
"In doing so, you reneged on the promises and oaths you made to me and your elder brother." He countered. It was not a question. It was a fact.
"I am aware, Your Grace. I am of course willing to pay the price for that and will accept your punishment for this decision like the other houses that stayed out of the fighting." The second Tully replied. The brat had the balls to try and compare himself to the likes of Houses Roote, Mallery or Buckwell. That would not stand. Yet, it seemed that his plans had worked. By being relatively lenient in his verdicts of the other houses, he had convinced the proud Oscar Tully to open his gates.
"Very well, Lord Tully. Let us take this discussion to your solar. I have been in the saddle for days and wish to see the hospitality of Harrenhal." This seemed to surprise his younger cousin, but he gladly agreed.
"Of course, Your Grace." He replied with a charming smile. Many of his lords looked very uncomfortable, as they knew that they wouldn't be able to get him out. Lords Umber and Blackwood even went as far as to mention this aloud. A thing he had counted upon.
"Lord Oscar, you have to understand the hesitation that my lords are feeling as your gates were closed and your walls lined with soldiers when we arrived. Maybe you could allow some of them inside first to show them that their feelings of worry are unfounded? I would join you inside a few minutes later."
The young Tully looked at the lords in question for a while, before seemingly assessing that their worry was genuine. "Of course, Your Grace. I will gladly invite them and their men inside. I do this to prove you of my allegiance to you."
"I am very thankful, Lord Tully." He replied, while trying not to curse at the man's audacity.
He looked at Lords Umber, Flint and Goodwood. "Smalljon, Timotty and Lucas you can take three hundred of your own men with you each and march inside the castle. Once you assess that it is safe, I will follow you with a small guard. Meanwhile, we will set up camp outside of the castle."
"It would be my pleasure, Your Grace." Smalljon replied, a thing which was repeated by Lords Flint and Blackwood. They walked away, and shouted orders to their men. He had chosen those particular lords, as their men had marched in the vanguard and wouldn't be far away. They would also be staunchly loyal, and their lords were capable.
Not much later, nine hundred men walked behind Oscar Tully towards his castle. Only when the first of those men had passed under the portcullis did he explain his plan to his lords and family members. By the time he had finished, all were grinning. The happiest about it all seemed to be his cousin Hoster and son Ricky. He knew both to be close, and he knew that Hoster had asked his heir for royal aid against Oscar. This way, he freed his son from having to act upon that request.
A few minutes later, a rider dressed in Flint livery arrived telling him that he was free to enter whenever he liked. He slowly rode towards the gate, his Kingsguard and fifty more Winterfell guards around him.
He rode through the gates, recognizing men in Goodwood livery atop it with hundreds of Umber and Flint men defensively standing around the gate. He smiled. Half his Winterfell guards fell in line with those, as two ran over to Lords Flint and Umber to relay his orders. This happened largely unseen, as all eyes were on him as he regally rode past the lines of troops.
At the end of the courtyard, Lord Tully awaited him with his household and advisors. "I hope you accept this proof of my loyalty, Your Grace." He voiced, as he spread his arms to show how he had let hundreds of his men into his home. He remained silent, until suddenly war horns were heard behind him.
"What is the meaning of this?" Lord Oscar asked loudly, as he looked upon him. "I came inside to discuss your punishment, Lord Tully. Well, I find you guilty of conspiring with the enemies of House Stark. I have proof that you actively send your trusted companion Ser Henly Chaser with three hundred men to reinforce your brother at Pinkmaiden. You thought to remain behind in the shadows, but you didn't. Guards arrest his man and his advisors!" He ordered.
Within seconds, dozens of Stark and Flint men moved forward. The surprised Harrenhal household actions were disunified. Two men ren away, four others pulled out their swords, but most, including Oscar, were rooted to the ground in shock.
His men took them captive quickly, as they pushed them to the ground. One of those with their swords out was engaged by Torr, who unceremoniously slit his throat. After that, the others threw down their weapons as well.
The commotion of the troops around him felt almost palpable in the air. Most of their commanders had just been taken into his custody with their lord, which left them largely leaderless. Nonetheless, some serjeants managed to get ahold of their men and attacked his soldiers. They in turn went in defensive stances around his own position and the gate.
Fighting started, and he saw a Flint man in front of him die to an enemy axe. In return, the axeman was struck down by two other Flint men. Harrenhal soldiers were closing in on his position, as Flint and Winterfell guards protectively made a ring around him and the prisoners. Grey Wind went into a defensive position, ready to strike.
A large melee was threatening to ensue, but at that moment hundreds of men poured into the courtyard through the gates. At the sight of his Northmen storming in and reinforcing the Umbers and Goodwoods at the gate, most of Harrenhal's garrison lost the courage to fight. A few minutes later, the garrison had surrendered.
Eighty-two Harrenhal soldiers had been killed in the short melee, opposed to fifty-three of his own. Fifty-three men to take Harrenhal was a trade-off he would always make. He dismounted and walked over towards his cousin, who was being held on the ground by Torr.
"Ser Henly was captured alive after the Battle of Pinkmaiden. Under torture, he confessed everything to me. He also confessed how you logistically helped Lord Rollinford to plan his trap at Sow's Horn. You will be sent to the Wall for those crimes. I only grant you this mercy because we are kin. Your advisors will be put on the block. You will travel together with Elmar and the Riverlands will be freed from the brothers that have brought it so much strife and destruction." Oscar's eyes widened more and more as he told him all of this.
"In memory of your father's will, your three-year-old son will inherit Harrenhal after you. However, he will be raised by your elder brother in Riverrun to learn the true values of what it means to be a Tully. The same goes for your newborn daughter. For the next thirteen years, Harrenhal will be ruled by a representative of the Crown. I can ensure you that by the time that your son comes of age, no remnants of your old rule and its zealous hand that stretched over the Riverlands will have remained here." He declared.
Oscar kept looking at him in shock, before he let his head hang in silence. The charismatic second born son of his Uncle Edmure had been brought to heel, forever.
He walked over to Oscar's wife, who was protectively holding her two small children with her. "Prepare everything that you need to travel for you and your children. You can take one trusted maid with you until Riverrun, after which you and the maid will have to leave. You are free to go back to your mother's lands, but neither in Harrenhal nor in Riverrun will there be a place for you." He told her harshly.
Lady Marianne Tully, formerly Vance, had been a pivotal player in this rebellion. Her husband and mother, Lady Liane Vance of Wayfarer's Rest, had retained a veil of neutrality, but one of her brothers, Ser Ronnel, and many of her Piper and Perryn cousins had fought against him at Pinkmaiden. Most of them, including her brother had died there that day. The power position that the Vances of Wayfarer's Rest had held for years was no more, and her children would be raised by their uncle in Riverrun.
The woman started crying loudly, but he paid her no mind. He looked at a Winterfell guardsman that he knew well. "Crenard, escort the lady inside. Make sure that she packs everything necessary for her and the children. Whatever you do, don't let her out of your sight."
"Certainly, Your Grace!" The man proclaimed proudly, before he pulled her up and pushed her gently towards the keep.
He looked over the rest of Elmar's household. "Escort the septon, the steward, the maester, all head servants and Oscar's noble companions to the dungeons. Leave the others be." He ordered a Flint serjeant, who quickly ordered his men to get to work.
By that time, Ricky rode through the gate together with Jon. His brother looked around and raised an eyebrow, while his eldest son simply laughed at the scene of hundreds of disarmed Riverlanders standing around in groups.
He greeted both of them. "I want this business finished quickly. Ricky, I want you to take a thousand men. March into the town that has been settled inside these walls. Disarm the town guard and take control of all granaries, storage houses and other important buildings. Post guards at the inner and outer gates and on the walls. Kill anyone that fights back, leave all others, including the guards, alive. Act regally and do it swiftly. I want them to see the power of House Stark as you do it."
"It will be done, father." His heir voiced, before shouting at battalions of incoming Manderly and Mallister men to follow him. He looked upon this with approval. The North needed a king that acted decisively, and it seemed like his oldest son had what it took in that regard.
He turned to his brother. "Jon, there will be at least fifteen hundred disarmed Riverlander soldiers here in the castle. We need to force all of them into our army, but we need to do it right." He told him.
"I want you to take care of all the serjeants. Have them hanged or send them to the Wall, I don't care. Work together with Hoster to replace them with loyal men from Riverrun, Seaguard and Raventree. Once that is done, you settle them into our camp but far away from the Tully encampment, close to the Northmen. You will also start the mission of finding a suitable Riverlander to command them. In no way will they be commanded by Hoster. The chance of him getting assassinated would be too large. We need to quickly and decisively forge the contingent into something we can use."
Jon scratched his beard, as he looked around. "I'll see what I can do, brother."
"Thank you, Jon. I know that I ask a lot." He told him, as he put a hand on his shoulder.
He walked over to Lord Umber, Lord Flint and Lady Mormont. "Can I count on you three to secure the castle?" He asked them all. "The Godswood needs to be cleared, as well as all the halls and rooms."
Smalljon looked at him. "Me and my men will clear the inside, Your Grace."
Mormont and Flint were equally eager to serve. "We will comb through the Godswood, Your Grace. Anyone hiding there will be found."
"Thank you. I know that I can always count on you three." They smiled at his compliment, before going their own ways.
He slowly turned around, taking in the towers and walls of Harrenhal. When Tywin Lannister had occupied it, he hadn't been able to attack it for months. Now, all of this had been taken in an hour. Whatever they may think of themselves, these Tully boys were no worthy opponents. If any of them had been the firstborn, they would have brought House Tully only ruin.
(Two days later)
He found himself in the solar of Harrenhal with Rickard for the second day in a row. Many letters he had since then found that damned Oscar Tully ten times over. Letters with nobles from the Reach, the High Septon, Riverlords and much more. In his vanity, he had kept it all hidden away in a locked wooden chest inside of his desk. Locked the small chest may have been, it was no match against a Northern axe.
Since his cousin's fall, he had set his lands in order. Many of the knightly houses sworn to Harrenhall also proved to be complicit. He thought about sending all those whom he found proof against to accompany their lord on his march to the Wall but decided against it. Already, many hundreds of Elmar and Osric's followers would be joining the Watch. He didn't want their numbers to swell even more and give them an opportunity to take over the watch in time. No, the vassals that were found guilty would be hanged.
This would leave Harrenhall without leadership. He had already decided to fill in the positions of the household with a mixture of Northmen and Riverlanders. He would choose the Northmen, while Hoster chose the Riverlanders.
Harrenhal had also been the last settlement in the hands of the enemy, now that Rickon had also taken Stoney Sept. He had ordered his younger brother to bring back order to the town, while awaiting his and his army's arrival.
Meanwhile, in this solar, he had made his verdicts about what to do with the rebels. This all needed to be dealt with quickly, and by now he had heard his advisors' opinions. Together with his son, he made harsh, but necessary, judgements. They had dealt with each rebel house individually, one by one.
First, they had dealt with the earliest houses that had fallen, Houses Terrick and Lolliston. Rickon's assault of Falconry Tower had resulted in the deaths of all adult Terrick males. The young heir was seven years old and would be fostered at Maidenpool under the new Lord Mooton and his future bride, Bran's youngest daughter Marna. Castellan of Falconry Tower would be a trusted advisor of the late Lord Mooton. On top of that, House Terrick would lose half its lands and the entirety of its treasury, leaving it weakened and broke.
The Lolliston's fate would be similar. The heir was deemed complicit to his late father's treachery and sent to the Wall together with two of his brothers. That only left one of Lord Lolliston's sons, the one who had surrender Lolliston Grove to Ricky. His son told him that this fourth son was weak and easily controlled. Because of this, he would rule the remaining Lolliston lands as regent for his underaged nephew. The nephew in question, Lord Harrold Lolliston, would be raised in Castle Darry by his neighbor Lord Lyman Darry. He would also lose half his lands and his entire treasury.
House Perryn's heir was fourteen years old and would serve Ser Robb Paege, the new Knight of Fairmarket, as a squire for a few years. The Perryns would lose most of their lands, together with their lordly title. The same would happen to the Keaths. Lord Keath and his eldest son were already travelling to the Wall. His second and third son would regain their freedom and were to be given their remaining family's lands. Two thirds of their lands would be taken and distributed among loyal allies, the remaining third would be split between the two brothers effectively rendering them both powerless. On top of that, their treasury had also been expropriated.
The Cresseys lost half their lands, while the Cressey heir would see his two sons fostered at Riverport and Hayford. House Rollingford, due to their flight, were declared outlaws. Their lands, wealth and titles were forfeited, and their heirs disinherited.
House Stokeworth would cease to exist. He had saved the house after the wars in his youth by marrying its heiress Lollys to Ser Desmond Grell, a Riverlander knight Uncle Edmure had trusted greatly. Only a few years after Ser Desmond's death, the couple's sons had rebelled against him. Their two daughters would be given away in marriage to men of his own choosing, with the husband of the eldest receiving most of their lands and their keep to start a new house. He would not save them twice in as many generations.
House Piper was a difficult one. Its considerable wealth was seized, and it was decided that the new Lord Piper would be raised in Raventree. Meanwhile, the boy's sister would be raised in Riverrun. Yet, its lands were important. They needed a strong house upon their western border to face off against future raids from the Westerlands. Because of this, it had been decided that the Pipers would only lose ten percent of their lands. In turn, A hefty fifteen percent extra tax would be implanted upon them for fifty years and hostages would be expected not only in this generation but also the next. They would also need the agreement of Lord Tully before engaging in any marriages.
Lastly, he had uprooted thirty-eight knightly houses in the Riverlands. All of them had fought aside the rebels in contrast to their liege lords. Fourteen were vassals of Houses Hayford and Rosby. The others were spread out over the Riverlands from the lands of Houses Mallister, Bracken, Vance, Lychester, Mooton and many others.
All neutral houses had by this point bend the knee. Before he had left to come here, he had met Lady Liane Vance. The Lady of Wayfarer's Rest was the elder sister of Lady Piper and had personally come to Pinkmaiden to swear fealty to him. Her youngest son Ronnel had fought for the enemy with three hundred of her men. Most of them, including her idiotic son, had died. The others had been sent to the Wall. This had greatly weakened her power, and rightfully so.
Her punishment had already been stipulated by then, which had been substantial because of the large role House Vance of Wayfarer's Rest had played in the web of alliances that had formed against Hoster in the Riverlands.
She had eventually been allowed back into the kingdom's fold but had had to relinquish five border hamlets and villages and their surrounding lands to House Goodwood as reparations for her son's actions there. Her youngest daughter was also sent to Seaguard as a hostage until she came of age. On top of that, House Vance of Wayfarer's Rest's taxes for the next thirty years would be raised with five percent.
The last stipulation was one that would be forced upon all neutral houses, one of Ricky's ideas. Five percent would not doom those houses and let the Riverlands fall into ruin. Nonetheless, it would be certainly felt by them. More than that, it would bring much needed coin to Riverrun, which it could use to rebuild its own lands or those of its allies that were hit during the war. It would also be a big boon to the Crown's finances, as part of those taxes would be transferred to Winterfell's coffers.
All neutral houses would have to pay the five percent for thirty years, most would need to send hostages as well. A few specific ones would have to give up small parts of their lands to surrounding loyal lords.
This war didn't just have losers. It also had winners. All loyal houses would gain coin, and their houses would be considered in his council for the offices for the Riverlands. Yet, most gained much more than that.
One of the biggest benefiters of the war would be House Darry. After Robert's Rebellion, the Darrys had lost half their lands. Some had been returned twenty-five years ago, but now they would not only regain all lands given to the Terricks and Lollistons but acquire extra lands from them. Because of this, House Darry would in time recover to be one of the strongest houses in the Riverlands. Why not? Lord Lyman Darry was a dependable and capable man, and his heir would soon marry Bran's eldest daughter Aregelle.
Other loyal houses would also see their power increase, Riverrun, among others, would see its direct lands increasing once again. Raventree was granted a lot of coin to rebuild its territory, as well as a very valuable hostages in the new Lord Piper and a member of House Roote. Ser Edmund Blackwood would also be given knightly lands in Blackwater Bay sworn to Rosby. They had belonged to one of the uprooted houses, and Rosby was in dire need of strong Old Gods' believing vassals.
The Freys regained the handful of villages they had lost to House Shawney twenty-five years ago. The Mallisters were given the lands and wealth of a powerful knightly house sworn to them who had rebelled against them and a hostage from House Vance of Wayfarer's Rest, in addition to coin to expand their fleet. House Deddings were given small tracts of lands in all directions and Lord Damwell's third son Ser Lyonel had been given a place in his Wolfgsguard, as a replacement for Ser Benedict Blackwood.
House Goodwood's lands were expanded, with a promise of coin and Northern migrants to resettle and rebuild their ravaged lands. They would also get a hostage from House Vance of Atranta. House Rykker gained borderlands from House Stokeworth and trade benefits. House Mooton similarly gained trade benefits in contrast to the neutral House Cox in Saltpans.
House Paege gained several exclusive trade concessions for Fairmarket on the Blue Fork, allowing it to grow in contrast to some of its neutral competitors. On top of that they gained coin, offices and the guardianship over the Perryn heir.
The Brackens were given only a modest amount of coin for their efforts but were not punished for Lucon's behavior. House Ryger, who had lost its lord and heir, were given borderlands and its second son was knighted and given lavish honors by Lord Tully.
The tax exemption made for the houses from Cracklaw Point was extended for another ten years, while the Crown made a promise to actively promote trade throughout the region by financing the construction of infrastructure.
House Greensnake gained lands, while House Morass gained coin and court positions. Both gained hostages, coming from neutral Houses Lychester and Grell.
Lastly, you had the houses of Blackwater Bay. House Mossbridge's lands were expanded. The same happened to Houses Rosby and Hayford. House Sumber was given exclusive trade contracts to the Stormlands and Dorne. All three were allowed and encouraged to attract Northern settlers to boost their population and given coin to help with constructing new settlements for them. Hostages also came their way.
On top of that, an enormous number of new houses needed to be established. Thirty-eight knightly houses had been uprooted, the lands of five of those were given to their loyal overlords to do with as they wished. The other thirty-three needed new owners. On top of that, twelve knightly houses on his side had gone extinct in the male line. Sadly, ten of those had been on their side, nine of them Northern vassals of Houses Rosby and Hayford.
All those positions in the lands of Houses Rosby, Hayford and Stokeworth were given to Northmen. Some were Northmen from humble origins that he wished to honor. Nonetheless, most of those who were rewarded with lands there were younger sons, brothers and cousins from all houses of the North. They were either given the lands outright or given the hands in marriage of their heiresses.
This served three purposes at the same time. First and foremost, it would populate the lands with loyal bannermen. All of them would bring small groups of smallfolk with them from their homeland, which would in turn repopulate the area. Secondly, it was a way to reward his Northern vassals. Thirdly, it gave almost all Northern houses, big or very small, a stake in the Riverlands in the future. If another Seven revolt were to erupt, the nobles of the North would feel blood bound to defend those lands. This would ensure his sons and grandsons the support of the North to keep the Riverlands at all costs.
In total, twenty-seven of those smaller tracts of lands were given to Northmen and the twenty-eight one was given to Ser Edmund Blackwood. The hand of the heiress of House Stokeworth he would hold off on. The lands in Blackwater Bay would only be given out after this mess with the Reach was sorted out. Maybe one of the candidates could impress him in the meantime.
He had offered it to Rickon, but his brother had rejected the proposal. He had told him that he would claim a substantial part of the spoils, but that he did not wish to marry or become a lord. His brother was the proud owner of a single trading ship that was travelling back and forth between White Harbor and Essos. He desired to expand that and create a small trading fleet of his own. He would need coin for that, and lots of it. He would make sure to give it to him.
The other sixteen would be awarded to loyal Riverlanders. He would give Hoster a large say in this, as he imagined that he wouldn't be happy with the, to varying degrees, de facto colonization of four lordships around Blackwater Bay by his Northmen.
Ironically, the least Northern region would be Riverport, as no organized resistance had come there against the Sumbers. This meant that they kept all their Andal vassals. In Rosby and Hayford, over half of those left were now uprooted. In Stokeworth, soon one third of the new nobility would hail from the North as well.
Together, Riverport, Rosby and Hayford had proven themselves strong, but just not strong enough. He hoped that the addition of Stokeworth would strengthen the block enough for it to be able to survive in the future.
For the lordship of Rollingford, he would consider only Rivermen. High upon his list stood Ser Roland Rivers, who had capably served his son in the Riverlands and had also proven himself to him during the Battle of Pinkmaiden. Nonetheless, Hoster's opinion on the matter would be important.
All in all, the face of the Riverlands would change significantly. The number of Old Gods believers among the nobility, especially the lower echelons, would surge. As all of those are expected to help repopulate the area, they would all bring smallfolk with them from the North. This would in turn raise the number of Old Gods believers in the Riverlands.
Lord Lucas Goodwood had also inquired personally if any of the Northern veterans would wish to settle on his lands when all of this was done. It seemed that the man had more trust in Northmen than his own countrymen. Something that was reflected by his marriage policies. His eldest daughter Mariya had married the eldest of the Sumber twins just before the war, whilst his heir Robb had married Bethany Rosby, a daughter of Alaric Karstark, past winter. Both the Blackwoods and Goodwoods had gone far to intertwine themselves with the existing elite of Northern descent.
The power dynamics in the Riverlands would be interesting after this conflict had been concluded. He longed to explore the possibilities there, but he didn't have time for that yet. First, he needed to prepare for all possible scenarios against the Reach.
Tyrell's forces at Bitterbridge already numbered fifty thousand men, and they were still growing. His spies told him the force seemed organized and its supply lines well-established. The young Tyrell king must have been preparing this for years during the winter. He doubted that the man would back off again, after accepting to punish his vassals and those who fled to his court.
If he refused to do so, war would become inevitable. He would not allow the instigators of this civil war to go unpunished. This would create resentment amongst his people and allow the enemy to regroup and plan further incursions in the future. That could not stand. As such, he needed to prepare. Both for peace, and for war.
This is it for this chapter!
Robb returns from the Westerlands. He finally deals with his rebellious cousin. He tells Elmar how idiotic and useless his rebellion has been, while he learns of his alliance with the Reach.
Afterwards, Robb deals with his his other rebellious cousin. Oscar thought him gullible and himself the master politician. The Lord of Harrenhal wanted to lay low, while preparing another rebellion in the shadows to finally take "his rightful throne in Riverrun". Robb shut it down, and he too will spent his life in the freezing colds upon the Wall soon.
Robb, together with Rickard, also set his lands in order. He punished the treacherous houses harshly to make an example. The neutral houses were punished as well, albeit less severe. He contemplates the future of the Riverlands and what the effects of the civil war will have been, as he plans to reward many of his followers. Consequently, he will change the demographics of Blackwater Bay once more, making the Northern enclave there even stronger.
Thank you for your support.
Fannic
Reviews:
- Scifiromance: Thank you so much! Yes, Rickon is his own man with his own experience now. For now, the alliance is secure. What the future holds for Westeros is very uncertain, especially with Garlan Tyrell marching from Highgarden.
-Rebfan90: Thank you so much for your continued support.
- Yogurt9928: Thanks! Yes, Willem has certainly grown. For now, Casterly Rock has been the greatest winner of the Tully civil war. No raids have been performed inside their kingdom, while they have again established control over the eastside of their kingdom. I won't spoil anything for the next few chapters, but action will be coming.
They have some really good commanders. You have forgotten others as well, such as Halys Hornwood and Cley Cerwyn. Dorne is reasonably neutral towards the North. They trade, but not a lot. Dorne is much more concerned with the Reach, Stormlands and Essos. However, due to the Baratheon - Stark alliance, they keep themselves on friendly terms with House Stark. They probably aren't a fan of Jon, but no other strong opinions would have existed.
- Foxy-Floof: It is. Sunspear and Winterfell have nothing in common. Without dragons, the area is too big and too diverse to govern.
CadetMarshal: Thank you! Next chapter will show you insights in the Reach. There is not a big naval component. However, trade and supply by ship in lesser quantities happens. Elmar had no navy, so no battles happen there and Robb has total control over the seas. Supplies will have been coming in at Seaguard, Maidenpool, Duskendale and Riverport.
It would. However, House Stark doesn't have the navy on the westside to contest any of the Reach 3 navies (Tyrell/Shield Islands, Hightower and Redwyne). They won't be able to do so.
- Supremus85: Next chapter will show you everything you need to know about Garlan.
- RomanOrtega: If Rickard or Rickon get the chance to do so, they wil not hesitate. Whether they get that chance or not, will become clear in the next few chapters.
- Force Smuggler: Thanks!
- Poly19hum: Thank you so much for the kind review. I will keep you in suspense about the Reach for now.
- Timdoe: Bedankt! Blij om te horen dat je die conversatie geapprecieerd hebt. De Night's Watch krijgt inderdaad weer heel wat nieuwe rekruten. Een significant deel van de voorige rekruten (25-28 jaar geleden) zullen nu gestorven zijn van de koude of ouderdom. Op deze manier is een continue instroom en blijft de orde sterk. De diversiteit wordt inderdaad ook groter.
- Iacopo Passerini: No worries, thank you for still following the story! I don't think Robb would even want to control the whole of the South. However, he will try to strengthen his position.