Hi guys, sorry for the delay.
I'm trying out something new, this chapter has a lot of words, in fact I'm publishing together what would previously have been three separate chapters.
As for the Val, Orryn and Ciri love triangle... it's not something I'm going to change, as I said before, the story is finished.
At the time it was fun to have Orryn bedding some women, yes, but in this case I was planning something more.
Orryn
Winterfell
The door slammed behind me, leaving me naked and staring at Val. We stayed like that for a while until she walked over to the bed.
I thought she was going to lie down, but she didn't... Pulling her bone knife from under the fur, Val attacked me with ferocity. The same kind of ferocity she had when I first met her.
I dodged and managed to grab his arm, but I did it so hard that I'd probably leave a purple mark there.
That didn't stop her from fighting, kicking and punching. Val managed to hit me with a headbutt and I felt blood trickle down my nose.
Annoyed, I pushed her against the wall. She went down with a thud and I managed to pull the knife out of her hand.
I was still angry and she was still hungry for a fight. As she tried to attack me with her nails, I grabbed her by the throat and threw her hard to the bed.
Val fell into the furs and stayed there, breathing heavily. I stopped to look at the scratch she'd left on my chest with disgust and didn't go any closer.
"I think you tried to kill me before we were married, Val."
The duty of any wildling woman is to fight the man who kidnapped her." She replied, sitting down with her arms behind her, which made her breasts more out.
"I don't intend to fight all night Val, in fact I don't intend to fight at all."
"Then just come." She said with her arms open and as I approached it was Val who stepped forward to kiss me. It was a good, a hot kiss and soon we were lying down cuddling.
Biting my ear, Val whispered. "I want you to do it to me the way you do it to her."
"What?" I asked, confused.
"You know what I meant and who I meant it to." She smiled and kissed me again.
And I tried to do what she asked. I tried to do to her what I had done to Ciri. Val moaned loudly in the position we were in. Leaning on her elbows, she arched her back and the faster I thrust, the tighter she squeezed me.
I squeezed her hips hard, feeling my time coming, and after three more hard thrusts I shot my seed into her.
Finally stretching, Val lay down on her stomach and I lay down next to her, but with my belly up.
"I will give you strong sons, Orryn, good Baratheon warriors like in the stories your sister tells me".
I smiled at that. "It's good to see you get along with my sister."
"Yes, she tells many things, also about her home. But let me ask you something, Orryn..." She spoke as she turned sideways to me, her blue eyes focused on mine.
"What?".
"Let me teach our daughters my ways too, Alla's tradition must not die. In fact, it will only grow stronger!"
"How can it get stronger? I thought your tradition was to tell stories..." I asked confused and Val smiled at me.
"Would you like to hear the story of my 'house'?"
"I would." I replied and Val nodded. In a show of more affection than I had expected, she lay down on my chest and began to speak softly.
"Long ago, when the Wall was new, when the Watch was strong and the Ravens remembered their true oath, a man commanded them. He was the son of the Winter King, born out of wedlock but loved nonetheless."
"He was a Stark bastard..." I said quietly and Val nodded.
"The Commander had his name erased long ago, even from my stories, but it is known that he was brave, fearless, and intelligent. Everyone in the Watch loved him, and he... he loved the enemy back." She spoke mysteriously, and I let her continue.
"He saw her among the trees, day after day, and his courage urged him to go. He found a woman among the Others, so beautiful, so angelic, that he fell in love. He married her, and the Watch... the Watch followed him into this disaster because the Watch loved him."
"I thought the Others were the white walkers" I commented curiously and Val nodded.
"They resurrect the dead, yes, but the 'pure' Others, they are beautiful and flawless. But they're from another world altogether, and the man learned that. No one would accept what he did, not even his father or the King beyond the Wall at the time."
"Joramum, isn't it?"
"Yes, it is." Val smiled in recognition. "They banded together, defeated the Watch, but not without first making a discovery... the children."
"Did they have children? The commander and the Other?"
"The King, he was called, the King of the Night's Watch. But yes, they had two children, twins. Joramum wanted to take the children with him, he saw the children's blue eyes, he knew their power. The Winter King wanted the same, no one knows if it was out of power or out of guilt for his son's actions."
Val stroked the wound she had made on my chest and looked at the blood mark on her finger.
"They each took a girl, and the ice ran in both bloodlines. The Starks have ice in their veins from the girl whose name we never knew."
"And you have the ice in your veins that comes from Alla, the woman in white." I deduced correctly.
"Yes, it is the duty of the white woman to lead the freefolk away from the Others, to do everything possible to prevent them from returning. That's what my family has done for so many years, and that's what I want to teach our daughters."
"And why didn't Alla join the Others?"
"That's what I said, she was from another world, and for those who follow the Others faithfully, great sacrifices must be made... that's what happened to the king. He was cursed".
"Cursed?"
"Cursed to wander the lands beyond the Wall, trapped between two worlds and condemned to fight the Others, to defend every crow he meets. Without rest, without pause, he will have done his duty only when the Others no longer exist."
"The Coldhands... the one that helped Samwell.
"The king still does his duty even though he's been dead for a long time." Val said, running her hand over my belly.
"I will allow you to raise our daughters, but I intend to win the war against the Others, so there will be no need for more Ladies in White."
"As long as there is Winter Orryn... there will always be the Others." Val smiled bitterly. "I want you to make a child of me today."
Under her kisses and caresses I hardened again. I had a job to do with my wife,
both she and I needed heirs.
Breakfast was peaceful, even more so than I had expected. I ate with Val in our room, but I didn't dare stay too long and test my father's patience.
I saw my mother first, she seemed more radiant than usual, excited beyond belief for some reason that went beyond my wedding. I saw no sign of Shireen or Arya and that worried me, but soon my father's summons came.
"I hope it was a good night's sleep, my prince." Lord Davos joked, but I saw no trace of humor on my father's face.
"I have an order for you, Orryn. The men of the freefolk are nearby now, under Tormund's command. You will take the bulk of this army south, the Reeds are already aware of your journey and will join you."
"Yes, sir." I answered seriously. "Is there anything we need to discuss with the Freys?
"Death is what they will get. Then I leave it to you to get through the Twins. Just don't make the same mistake as the young wolf...".
"I won't... but it will be difficult."
"Do what you can, my prince, we'll join you soon." Lord Davos reassured me. "Many things still need to be resolved at the Wall, and if the king leaves these lands immediately, there is no guarantee that the agreement between the northern lords and the wildlings will be honored."
"I'll take my wife, you know why..." I said a little embarrassed. "The Stark boy has to accompany me as well, so it would be good if Arya and Shireen came too".
"Out of the question." My father said categorically.
"My mother will form her own court with the ladies of the North, but my wife must not be alone. Arya and Shireen are the best choices to accompany her."
"He's right, Your Grace." Lord Davos supported me. "Having his sister with him will make the Stark boy more manageable."
My father remained silent for a while: "Take Greyjoy too, it will be better if her people don't return to the North in retaliation for her capture."
"That... yes, sir." I answered a little hesitantly and got a hard look from my father.
"Just remember Orryn, don't embarrass yourself or your wife." Those were my father's harsh words before he dismissed me, I didn't dare wonder if he knew what had happened between me and Asha.
Shortly after, I ran into Asha practicing with her bow and arrow, and she completely ignored me.
"Strange that you're acting like this, especially since you practically gave me a hand job while helping me 'undress' yesterday, isn't it?" I scoffed.
"Some habits never die." She replied with a shrug.
"You're coming south with me, Asha, my father's orders, not mine." I said and she turned to me.
"Look at that, how splendid. Am I to be your wild woman's lady-in-waiting now?".
"More or less." I said with a bitter smile. "Now come, I want to show you something."
She said nothing, but followed me. We walked to a remote lodge in Winterfell, a place still half destroyed by the battle, but good enough to store some supplies.
"If you want to fuck me, Orryn, just know that..." Asha began to mutter and I interrupted her.
"I keep my promises Asha, I expect you to keep yours". I said before entering the room.
There was only one person there, an ordinary looking man, the kind of man you'd see anywhere. He was sipping thick soup with some difficulty, his coordination very poor.
"Who's the idiot drooling like a baby?" Asha asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Your brother, Theon."
She looked at me like I was Maelys Blackfire with another head sticking out of my neck.
"Have you gone mad, Orryn?"
"Theon, take off the necklace." I told the man, who sighed heavily but did as ordered.
There was no brilliant transformation, no melting mist. One second he was an ordinary man, the next he was Theon Greyjoy, mangled and ragged.
"That... that's not possible." Asha said in shock.
"The red woman has power, Asha, I always said so. As long as he wears the necklace, no one will see his appearance."
"How do I know he's real?". She asked, holding out her hand to her brother.
"Talk to him, but don't exhaust him too much". I said neutrally. "He will be your responsibility from now on."
I turned to leave, but Asha grabbed my arm. "Orryn... why?".
"I think that worm still has a lot of paying to do." I said, looking at Theon with hard eyes. "But for all intents and purposes, Theon Greyjoy burned to death in the Godswood of Winterfell."
"That still doesn't explain anything..." Asha said with a grimace.
"What do you say, Ironborn?" I said thoughtfully, talking more to myself than to Asha. "What is dead may never die? Theon here is living proof of that, Ramsay killed his spirit, I killed his his 'name', now I want you to prove to me, if this proverb is really true. Show me the courage of a warrior with nothing left to lose."
And for the first time since I captured him, Theon looked at me, a spark of strength returning to his eyes.
One thing I learned from Lady Melissandre is that even the strongest flames always begin with a spark, and I hoped it would be the same with Theon Greyjoy.
Orryn
Somewhere near to the Riverlands
The march through the Neck swamps was difficult. The Reeds helped us, but the army was too big and too slow, 35,000 was no small number, and that didn't include the attachés following the army.
"If we knock on the Freys' doors, I doubt they'll listen..." I was informed by Lord Bryce Caron.
I preferred the company of his bastard brother, Ser Rolland Storm, but the grim-faced knight remained in the North.
Ser Richard Horpe and Ser Rolland Storm remained with my father. Ser Justin went to Braavos with Tycho Nestorys, and aside from Brienne, I didn't have many to confide in. It was at times like this that I missed Hugh... him and Ser Boris.
"I don't intend to stop bringing justice to the Freys, and they should know that". I said without much encouragement.
"Surely we can maneuver these issues better, don't you think? The king beyond the wall got the trial postponed, the Freys could be the same...". My grandfather said expectantly, but I gave him a less than warm look.
"My father's orders are clear and objective."
"Ha! Good luck then teaching the horses to walk underwater, or the giant ships you have to cross the waters of the Trident." Hugo Wull sneered.
Lord Davos also instructed me to mingle more with these lords, to make more contacts, to listen to their wishes and everything else that came with being Crown Prince.
Lord Bryce was one of them, he had clung to my father after the Battle of the Blackwater and now he was doing the same with me, surely wanting some advantage. Lord Mertyns had died in the battle, and his son and heir, Michel Mertyns, accompanied me along with his younger brothers.
There was also a good collection of Rogers, Morrigens and Estermonts. The Estermonts did their best to remind me of our "close" relationship. And worst of all, my maternal grandfather, Lord Alaster Florent.
"I bet, Lord Bryce, but it's up to us men of honor to negotiate properly. Spitting on that duty is what our enemies do, not us."
"We can negotiate the return of the captured Freys..." Mathos Mertyns offered. He was a skilled rider, not very experienced and not much older than I.
"I don't think Walder Frey would move a straw for his imprisoned kin." I said with disgust, and many had dark expressions as well.
"But we have to cross, it's the only way to get through with an army this size." Ser Lomas Estermont said the obvious, probably trying to teach me along with his great-nephew, Ser Allyn.
The young heir of House Estermont was a little older than I was, and his rivalry with Mathos Mertyns was evident. Not because of longstanding disputes between their houses, but to win my favor in the decision over Shireen's marriage.
With me married, the chances of Shireen being the heir to Storm's End were great.
Her marriage then became essential for any house that wanted to rise to power in the Stormlands.
I honestly tried not to think about it too much, and fortunately my father had kept Lord Eldon Estermont's true heir, Ser Aemon, with him at the Wall. It would have been terrible to have another lord talking in my head.
I pondered these words and ignored the fight that broke out between my 'followers'. I watched the still waters, the way they flowed and their speed. I only realized what was happening when I heard Tormund's loud laughter.
"You're fighting over an insult for nothing, the prince doesn't even bother to look at the argument!". He said before laughing again and I laughed dryly, many of whom seemed ashamed of their actions.
"You're right Tormund, I just don't appreciate my loyal men fighting. But maybe I'm just tired... inform the Reeds of my desire to camp in the best possible position." I said simply, and many nodded, probably running around trying to figure out who would be the first to deliver my orders, who would claim to be the most loyal there.
Shortly after, we stopped in a flatter, less flooded area, indicating that we were getting closer to the end of the Neck. I ate with Val, Shireen, Arya, and Rickon. The wolves were all under the table chewing on their meals, the damned beasts were already too big for my liking.
"I still can't believe the wolves are back..." I said, stroking Lady's ears. Sansa's wolf was the only one who felt a little comfortable receiving affection from someone other than Stark, she was also the smallest of the trio, a quartet if you counted Jon's wolf.
Shaggydog was a different story, he just followed Rickon around, obeying only the boy. I didn't dare try anything with him. As for Nymeria... she had bitten me, even broken my arm, but she was like Arya, very accepting of affection as long as no one was looking.
"I'm good at tracking, what can I say!" Arya said, her chest puffed out with pride.
"It was me and the Shaggydog who found the wolves!" Rickon shouted in defiance and soon he and Arya were arguing to the point of almost throwing food at each other.
"Enough!". I shouted, they stopped fighting directly but not grumbling into their plates.
"Rickon, isn't it good to have more wolves... more brothers, all by your side?" Shireen asked and the boy nodded reluctantly. "Then it doesn't matter who found who, what matters is that you two are together again."
Rickon nodded, and only after some encouragement from Shireen did he return to eating in silence. He seemed to take her reassuring words well... I guess she had experience in taming wolf blood after all, Arya being his oldest friend.
"Can you think of any way to get past the Twins?." Val asked me, putting her cutlery down perfectly. I often wondered how she had such etiquette for someone who grew up among the wildlings.
"I thought of something...daring, to say the least. There's a good chance it won't work, and an even better chance it will go horribly wrong."
"And?". She asked me with a raised eyebrow.
"And that's it... there aren't many ways to get through the damn castle without the Freys letting us through."
"So make your idea work, what's with all the inactivity?" Val asked me rudely.
"I don't know if we can...".
"Who knows if you don't try? You can maintain the siege while you prepare this plan of yours, who knows what it is...". Val answered curiously, she probably wanted to know, but I didn't tell her, it was the kind of plan where the less said the better.
"It was something Hugo Wull said to me, something that made me think, and the more I think about it, the more I like it...".
"Say what you want Orryn!" Arya shouted before tossing a bone to Nymeria, the wolf jumping up and catching it in mid-air.
"I will build a bridge for the army to cross." I said simply, and everyone looked at me as if I were mad.
"That would take too long Orryn, we don't have the time or the resources." Shireen said worriedly, she didn't want to compete with me like that, but she couldn't help but speak up.
"I know how to make it work, I just need the help of one person...".
"Who?" Val asked curiously.
"Asha... and that's why I'm afraid to put the plan into action."
"She might run away if she has too much freedom..." Val argued.
"She can also come back. She already has the freedom to walk around...". I replied.
"If you think she can do it, if you think she will really do her part, Orryn... then send her." Shireen said seriously. "If she runs away, we won't be the ones to break the deal and in the end we won't owe the Greyjoys anything more than the executioner's block."
I sighed and closed my eyes, thinking in silence for a while. The Freys were cunning, self-serving weasels. Rich and fat because of their bridge, I would use that against them.
If I wanted to get through, I'd have to be smarter, I'd have to trick them into opening the damn gates, and finally, I'd have to do it all without sullying myself with dishonor like they did.
"Send for Asha, I need to talk to her alone." I said as I stood up and went to my tent. Val wouldn't be coming until later, so it was understood that our attempt to conceive an heir could wait a few more hours.
I looked at the simple stone tower before me. The Twins were indeed a unique 'castle', two opposing towers on either side of the green fork of the trident. Without much ornamentation, it's true, identical in every way and without much inspiration.
The walls were thick, the gates strong, the moats deep, and everything that was simple about each tower was resistant. It was impossible to surround one side without bringing supplies across the bridge, impossible to cross the river for hundreds of miles in either direction, let alone with an army.
My banner swayed in the wind and I kept my gaze cool, a white flag fluttering just above the crowned stag.
A group of knights emerged from one of the towers, their numbers matching mine. The Freys, despite their tarnished reputation, still had a modicum of decency.
"Greetings... to what do I owe this visit?". A thin, black-haired man with a hard face and serious demeanor replied, but with less respect than he should have.
"Nothing, I just came to offer my terms. I don't want people to say that I was dishonest in this situation". I said insolently and the man just stared at me.
"I'll listen to your conditions, I'll relay everything you say, but I tell you, we will not negotiate with traitors to the crown." He said it seriously, and for a moment I almost believed him.
"Impressive, a fine speech. Now I'll make mine." I said, clearing my throat.
"House Frey, as the traitors to the Crown that they are, violators of 'guests rights' and many other crimes, are ordered to open the castle gates and hand over all those who had a hand in the act, now known as the Red Wedding."
"If we don't?" The man asked me, not very intimidated.
"Let's put it this way, if I take the castle by force, believe me when I say that everyone in this rotten lineage will die." I spoke harshly, and sighs could be heard among my own men. "If you surrender now... only the majority will die, but a Frey will still rule these lands.
"Those are very nice and well-crafted terms, 'Prince' Orryn." The man said, the word "prince" almost a mockery on his lips.
"I'm glad you know me, since we didn't introduce ourselves properly. But it doesn't matter, your name should be Walder anyway." I scoffed and must have hit a nerve, because the man tightened his grip on the horse's reins.
"Is that all you have to say?"
"I think so... oh, I remembered something! You have one day to send me your answer." I said and turned, the horse already at a half gallop before Walder's reply even reached my ears.
"Your army is large, but it will never cross this river. As for us... don't think we'll fight this battle alone!".
"That's what I hope, call the lions to play". I said to myself, smiling.
Clearing his throat, Lord Caron was the only one to speak. "I believe everything went according to plan, didn't it, my prince?".
"Yes, I just wanted to provoke them and I think I succeeded...".
"That doesn't change the fact that we have to cross the river and with that bridge will be much faster." Hugo Wull grumbled and was joined by Sigvald Crow of Skaagos.
"I know that, I know that. I want the trees cut down, I want the siege weapons set up. Make camp and begin the siege. Believe me my lords, in a few days we will have crossed the river."
"If you say so, boy... but I will believe it when I see it." Tormund grumbled, never stopping to stare at the castle, and I just smiled back.
"Did you find it impressive?
"Winterfell is much bigger." Tormund replied quietly.
"Soon, Tormund, you will see Harrenhall. Then you'll know what a castle of giants is." I joked and the wildling leader looked at me fearfully.
The Twins
From inside the castle, Walder surveyed the northern army. They were camped out, building weapons for the siege. Of course, they rejected the Prince's proposal, there was no way he could take The Twins.
"Still, the army prevents me from going to Seagard to solve the problem with the Mallisters and their resistance". Walder thought bitterly.
They had written to the Iron Throne, telling them everything that had happened, and Walder couldn't help but feel a chill in his stomach. Everyone said how wise Orryn Baratheon was, but the arrogance he displayed was out of the ordinary.
'He must have something up his sleeve...' Walder thought, he had to prepare.
Almost a week passed, Walder almost imagined he was wrong, almost gave up on any countermeasures he'd taken, and then the boats came.
Fishing boats, small, yes, but in great numbers and of different sizes.
"Look! That idiot wants to bring the soldiers across by boat! It'll take him a lifetime to get them all!". One of his half-brothers scoffed.
"If we just wait for them to land! We'll slaughter those idiots as soon as the first foot
steps on the other shore." This time it was one of his nephews who laughed. Walder remained silent.
No matter how hard he looked, more and more boats were coming. Walder wondered where they were coming from.
The laughing idiots were right, they had no way of getting across by boat... something was wrong, but what was it?
Ten days had passed since the boats arrived, 10 days of men working on something far enough away that the garrison couldn't see it or stop it in any way.
Some scouts claimed they saw the boats being caulked, that the northern army was repairing them for the crossing, but nothing was guaranteed, not from a distance.
Walder could keep an army on standby across the river to prevent the landing, but it was impossible to clear the castle garrison of so many troops.
'We have trouble everywhere. Men have followed Bolton north, some are in Riverun, and if I weaken the garrison even more, I might give Orryn the chance to finally attack...'.
Walder thought angrily, the prince had put them in a difficult position, all because of his father's inaction, all because of the damned idea that the Twins were impenetrable.
That night, the guards reported that the torches in the camp were not extinguished, that the men continued to work on whatever the prince's project was.
They reported that often, in the darkness of the night, some torches seemed to dance in the middle of the lake rather than on the shore. Walder had looked at the river at night many times, he knew that this kind of mirage could happen, but it wasn't common...
It was then, with the morning sun, that the men cried out in alarm and the castle went on full alert.
From a distance, Walder could see the boats tied together with planks to form a deck.
Somehow they held together and held firm, it helped that the current was weak at this time of almost winter.
More than 2,000 men stood on the opposite bank, surely having crossed the night before, hidden in the shadows. As for the Prince…
Orryn rode from one side of the 'bridge' to the other, waving his banner and teasing every eye in the castle. More and more men joined their companions on the other side, and they were already outnumbered.
"What are we going to do, Uncle?" The idiot nephew, the same one who had taunted the men the night before, asked.
"Tell my father to wake up, he must be aware of this. As for us... we should negotiate again."
Val
I looked at the peace flag the Frey men carried. Orryn was the same, the serious look returning to his face as he greeted the men.
"Greetings, my prince. We come here in peace...". The man with the beard and black hair spoke politely, probably the same man who had dealt with Orryn before.
"I realize that, I just don't see the point in negotiating now...". Orryn spoke with a frown.
"You had a bridge I was interested in... now I have one too, I don't think I need you anymore. In fact, I remember well what I promised when I said I would take the castle by force."
"And we've come here to make sure it doesn't come to that, my prince. Our bridge is safer, wider, and can carry all your men more quickly. That is... with the proper guarantees." The man spoke suggestively.
Everything he said was true. Orryn's boat bridge had been ingenious up to a point, but it wasn't safe enough for loaded wagons to cross, and the Freys knew it.
They probably would have stopped it if everything had been revealed beforehand, but everything happened so fast... Asha Greyjoy "commandeered" all the boats from the Trident to almost the land of the Darry's, according to Orryn. Her band of horsemen had worked quickly and all the boats had been caulked, planks nailed to form a gangway, and strung together like a string of pearls.
Lord Caron had been against the idea, saying that the boats would be dragged away, that the bridge would be unstable, but then Orryn showed his wisdom once again.
Each boat had a stone anchor on each side and a wooden post in the middle of the planks.
When everything was rolled out, when the bridge touched the other shore in the middle of the night, the passing men would stretch out a rope.
The rope ran along the posts, and once it was taut on the opposite bank, the bridge barely moved, and more than 2,000 people crossed.
"What kind of guarantees do you have in mind, Ser?" Orryn asked and my attention returned to the conversation.
"I guarantee my family a fair trial. Some of them did indeed plot against House Stark, they overstepped the authority of my father, an old and weak man. They must be judged harshly, but many others... many didn't even know about it...". The man said without shame.
"You will open the gates, you will let my army through, and I swear on my honor, on my father's honor, and on the Baratheon blood that runs pure in my veins that neither I nor my father will move against House Frey." Orryn swore to the astonishment of everyone.
"My Lord, I think we need a firmer agreement than that..."
"Is it my honor that is on trial here, or that of your house? As far as I know, you are the only one who has violated the guest rights here, so I don't see any reason to promise much more…"
Orryn said through clenched teeth, sounding much like his father.
"My army goes first, and I keep my word. Depending on how things turn out and your future involvement, something else may be given." Orryn went on, emphasizing the word give and not promise.
Whether they wanted to or not, the Freys opened the gates soon after, they were the ones who followed the tide, Shireen had told me. Between facing Orryn here and now, besieging both sides of the river, and waiting for a Lannister army that might never come... it was easy to see what they would choose.
That afternoon, the men sang a song about the hammer of the gods' falling in judgment.
Once a large number had crossed over to the other side, the attack began... on our side.
"You promised them you wouldn't do anything..." I commented next to Orryn, both of us standing on the opposite shore watching the chaos unfold.
"And I didn't do it, I didn't do anything. I didn't give any orders, I didn't plan anything, and in the end... I didn't stop the men of the North from getting their justice. Believe me Val, I will bring the weight of justice down on those who overdo it, because I know the men will overdo it today and I will do nothing to stop it this time".
Orryn replied and turned to where our tent was being set up, and I followed him, oblivious to the shouts of the ongoing battle.
The army was celebrating after what had happened, especially the northern men who had seen their friends and family slaughtered along with the young wolf.
I had another night of pleasure with Orryn, again he made me scream, again he gave me his seed and again I hoped I'd become pregnant, it should have happened, but still nothing...
He doesn't trust me completely, he didn't tell me about the bridge plan, but he did it for Greyjoy. Probably for Brienne and Ciri too... but not for me. With a child, that will change, I thought to myself as I got up from our bed.
Ciri has to trust me too, if she does, Orryn will too.
Orryn was fast asleep and I easily slipped past the guards in the darkness.
I moved like a ghost through the tents and wagons to a simpler area and there I found whom I wanted.
"Qyburn..." I greeted the gray mouse.
"Princess." He returned it weakly.
Talented in many arts, Qyburn was spared after the capture of Winterfell. His 'friends' from the Brave Companions were killed without a second thought, but I saw talent in the old man.
"We can pick up where we left off yesterday, Qyburn."
He didn't answer, unwilling to participate today as far as I could tell.
"What's the point, my lady, of you promising me something if your husband can take it all back? The knowledge I gave you won't be taken away, I know that."
"I pay my debts, Qyburn, and I know... you know much about the mysteries of life and death. I know you can help me fight the evil that the Others and their creations represent... and for that Qyburn, you will be handsomely rewarded... in time."
"In due time..." He repeated, giving me a bitter smile before beginning his lesson.
Qyburn was a true genius and I had no intention of discarding him, not with the real war yet to come, but to truly reward him, I needed Orryn by my side.
Ciri
The situation was chaotic. From the first rays of the sun, Orryn began his judgments and there seemed to be no end to them.
All the soldiers knew better than to go too far, the King had already imposed discipline on his troops, and though Orryn said he wouldn't interfere in the North's vengeance, many men loyal to Dragonstone joined in, hoping to "control" the situation, he never admitted it was on his orders, but I knew it was.
Perhaps that was why Lady Roslyn Frey, now Tully, was still alive and unharmed. Of course, I knew that many of the castle's servants or other Frey women couldn't say the same, but Orryn would judge everyone with an iron fist.
Walder Frey's head was on a stake at the entrance to the bridge, as were many of his sons who had been too slow to hide. The most prolific family in the Seven Kingdoms was now reduced to a handful, and every hour more bodies were pulled from the river.
It didn't matter, I just had to keep the court Orryn had formed running, which was proving to be a bigger job than I had expected. Arya and Shireen whispered in the corners while Rickon ate his breakfast, or half of it, the other half being devoured by Shaggy.
In a way, the boy had to be Orryn's squire, partly to take the wildness out of him, partly as a hostage, but I would have to talk to the esteemed prince. Orryn claimed that Rickon was too young for his formal squire training, which he was, so he didn't spend much time with the boy outside of dinner.
Asha Greyjoy was also supposed to be around, but the damned woman was rarely found, something else Orryn should have known, if he didn't already... She had gained a lot of respect for getting the boats across the river.
I got tired of the two girls whispering and decided to get closer. It was easy to see Shireen's red ears even from a distance.
"I'm telling you, that's how it is..." Arya said with a mischievous grin.
"That's how it is?" I asked behind her and the girls froze.
"Nothing." Arya spoke quickly and Shireen nodded hastily.
I narrowed my eyes. "I want the truth, now."
"It's nothing, I swear!" Arya said with a good interpretation and I didn't believe her one bit.
"Rickon, would you please take the rod of punishment?" I asked the boy, he was thrilled not to be the one to be punished this time, ran to get the stick and handed it to me expectantly.
"Ciri here!
"Thank you, darling." I said, ruffling her already unruly hair even more. "As for you two... do you want to talk about what you were up to or not?".
"It was just some dirty jokes Arya heard around!" Shireen said quickly and Arya nodded in agreement.
"I had gone to see Gendry at the forge... then I saw Orryn talking to him, they were sitting and telling some jokes that soldiers tell and laughing, I repeated them to Shireen."
"Is that all?" I asked skeptically, it was probably true, but there was more to it.
Shireen, with Arya's help, was getting good at telling half-truths to avoid punishment, if Orryn would punish her at all.
"Yes, Ciri, there is nothing else." Arya said with a smile and I finally caught her lie.
"And how do you even understand these jokes?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. "I don't think you've been taught such things..."
"I don't..." Shireen said with a yelp and Arya blushed without saying anything.
"Hold out your hand Arya." I said with the stick ready, Rickon had a satisfied smile on his little face.
"I might have... I might have seen Orryn and Val in a corner of the camp." She said hurriedly.
"So... I got the joke after that."
I sighed in disgust and pinched the bridge of my nose. There were many things I had to take back to Orryn, things I hadn't said because of the pressure of the campaign, but this? This time I had to say it.
"You three will behave, and don't think Orryn won't know." I said with narrowed eyes and the girls swallowed. "It's wrong to snoop on others, Arya, especially in an intimate situation."
"Ciri, where are you going?" Shireen asked, worried that I would interrupt Orryn's trial just to talk about it.
"I'm going to have a chat with our dear 'Princess'. Trying to get Val to come to her senses, so no fooling around." I ordered and started to leave.
"Ciri... you're still holding the stick..." Arya said, a little uncertain.
" As if I'm going to leave it here for you to disappear with... again." I said with a grimace and Arya had the decency to look at the ground.
Of course it's still tempting to use it on Val. I thought to myself as I walked to where I thought she would be.
I walked through the camp to a more secluded area and finally found Val with the supposed maester she had been seeing so much of lately.
"Princess, there are matters that require your immediate attention." I spoke politely, and Val only replied with a raised eyebrow before saying goodbye to the strange maester.
"And what requires my attention, Ciri?" Val asked after a while and I didn't answer her, I just went into an even more private corner.
"I can't believe you took me to a corner where you were going to attack me, can you?". She continued to be amused, and I was already more than a little irritated by her 'noble' behavior.
"The 'princess' situation is due to your lack of decorum and description. You know very well how much work Orryn has on his hands, and I, as the governess of the maids, shouldn't be doing all of it for you right now." I said harshly.
"But I can and must come here and scold you. Arya can be a nuisance when she wants to be, but if she saw you and Orryn being intimate, more people might see it." I continued quickly, and when I finished, Val looked at me with debauchery.
"Let her see, maybe then she'll know what to expect when she gets married and what to do to please her husband. I just don't understand you and your... petulance."
"I told you, I have to avoid taking domestic problems to him, and you as a wife are supposed to help me, not talk to some strange old maester."
Smiling at me, Val took a few steps closer, her height already dwarfing mine. "You know what I think? I think you're jealous..."
I snorted in response and kept my eyes on hers, maintaining my scowl as Val's hand rested on my chin, pulling my face up.
"Your green eyes are beautiful, did you know that?"
"And yours are like ice, maybe they're a reflection of your heart?" I said back.
"Why are you so angry with me, Ciri? Don't you see? I want to be your friend...". Val told me with a face of false sadness.
"If you did your duty, I wouldn't antagonize you."
"I would too." Val said smiling and I just looked at her, what she said was probably true.
"I told you before, Ciri, I wouldn't mind sharing Orryn with you... if he would share you with me." She said, moving closer and I could feel her cool breath on my cheek. "I need your help, you know... until now I thought everything would be all right."
"Would everything be okay?" I asked.
"That I already had a child growing inside of me... that's why I'm visiting Qyburn." Val replied and I felt a shiver run down my neck, she was probably lying but how could I really know?
I didn't know anything about Val, not really. No one really did, but here she was, the Crown Prince's wife.
"I just don't understand what I would be helping you with?" I said apprehensively.
"My mother used to tell me something, you know? If a woman focuses too much on giving her husband children, she probably won't make it, she said you just have to enjoy the process."
"Are you saying it's not enjoyable?" I asked with a frown.
"Of course it is, you know that." She replied with a knowing smile. "But I have other tastes..."
As she said this, Val came forward and kissed me. The first time she had been more reserved, but this time she didn't hold back.
I used all my strength and pushed her away from me, both of us breathing heavily.
"It is common among my people for leaders, men like Orryn, even if they are married, to have children with other women. I would accept anyone you carried among mine...".
Looking into my eyes, Val held out her hand. "We'll have fun, we'll be allies or even more... Orryn is the hero who will defeat the Others, the red woman and I agree on that, but he needs guidance, he needs me and he needs you."
I knew what she wanted from me, desire yes, but she wanted someone to undermine the defenses Orryn had against her.
'Too bad, wild princess, that my poison is stronger than you think. I can melt his defenses, yes, but I'm sure I'll do the same to your mask'. I thought to myself.
I looked at Val and pressed my lips together. After some hesitation, I finally accepted their offer.
Margaery
King's Landing
A meeting of the small council was called after the news from the Riverlands.
"Then we confirm the news of Stannis' victory in the North." Lord Twin, Hand of King Tommen, said gravely.
"Yes, Lord Hand, some 30,000 men on the banks of the Green Fork, led by Orryn himself." Varys said in his honeyed, bored voice.
The discussion continued, Lord Twin and Lord Tyrion, the only ones who really had opinions that mattered, remained silent, probably wondering what this all meant. My father always made a point of showing his displeasure with the Ironborn attacks on the Reach.
I had long since made my way to the meetings, not with my father of course, but with my husband. Cersei had no power in this city, not with Lord Twin here, and though the old lion was harsh and strict in Tommen's teachings, he tended to accept some of his wishes; he was the king, after all, and his word was law.
A few exchanges of caresses in the evening, a few wet kisses and vows of love made Tommen agree to let me accompany him to the meetings. I couldn't speak, I couldn't give an opinion, I couldn't ask questions, I was just the beautiful and foolish queen, but there I was, understanding everything more than my dear husband.
Squeezing Tommen's hand, he stiffened a little, knowing exactly what needed to do.
"May I? How complicated is the situation really? 30,000 soldiers is no small thing, even if they can't cross quickly, they'd still be dangerous." Tommen asked, just as I had taught him.
Tyrion and Lord Twin looked at each other before the old lion nodded to his son. They obviously didn't like each other, but Tyrion was competent and no one could deny that, especially after his winning strategy at the Battle of the Blackwater.
"It's a dangerous number of rebels...but let's assume they cross over, since the Frey loyalties are somewhat fluid. The Lannister army stationed in the Riverlands has suffered heavy casualties and is split into several sieges throughout the area." Tyrion said gravely.
"If they break through, will we lose battles? Yes. Will we be in a precarious position? No, on the contrary, we'll still have the advantage."
I squeezed Tommen's hand again. "Why should we have the advantage?" He asked, probably as curious as I was.
"The letters from the Night's Watch claimed that the wildlings had 100,000 beyond the Wall. A large part of that army must be wildlings, poorly armed and unprepared men. The Iron Bank can help with that, thanks to Joffrey, but apart from White Port, Stannis doesn't have a nearby supply line like we do."
Tyrion let the words sink in for a moment before continuing. "We have the advantage of not fighting in the south, Dorne won't move and neither will the Stormlands, not with Stannis so far away and Renly dead. We have more men coming out of camp and much more food for the winter. The Ironborn are as much a problem to us as they are to them, and..."
"And?". Tommen asked expectantly, this time alone.
"Lord Baelish and Lady Lysa are running the Vale until Robert Arryn comes of age. He's loyal to us... in a way. Can he not march to support us? Of course, he's a treacherous weasel, but Orryn can't advance too far, not without fear of a rearguard attack from the Vale's knights or a break in the supply line if the king's road is blocked".
'He has to split the army, he can't stop advancing, and under no circumstances can he lose a single battle1. I thought to myself, the situation was in our favor, but 30,000 was still too many rebels.
Just then, there was a knock at the door, and when it opened, a young maester rushed in.
"Forgive the intrusion, Your Grace, but some disturbing news has just arrived."
The young maester showed a letter that was immediately handed to Lord Twin.
He read it slowly, without showing any emotion. When he had finished, he handed it to Tyrion and waited for the dwarf to finish.
A heavy sigh came from him, followed by a large gulp of wine from his glass.
"The banners of the Golden Company have been sighted in the Stormlands. We don't know the reason for this attack or how many men they have, but one thing is certain... the banner of the Three-Headed Dragon is leading the invasion."
The silence was heavy, many there knew that if the Targaryens returned, they would never be allies of the Lannisters.
"The color... what color?" I asked, unable to contain myself as no one asked the question.
I got a piercing look from Lord Twin and Tyrion, but the dwarf answered me anyway.
"Red dragon, black background. No Blackfyres this time...". He said with dark humor.
"Is there anything else besides this letter?" Lord Twin asked the messenger harshly.
"No, Lord Hand."
"It's been ten days since the letter was written... maybe they were destroyed or..." Tyrion began.
"Or taken all the poorly garrisoned castles on their way to the capital if they don't bring a Dornish army in tow." Lord Twin said, disgust clear in his voice.
"For a letter to take ten days to arrive from the Stormlands, there must have been some sort of culling of crows by the Golden Company, which means they've taken more castles than we know". I fished out the hidden meaning of his words.
That night, as I stroked Tommen's golden curls and sang a little song, I feared for 'our' decisions.
'Ten days is a long time... If Orryn has crossed the green fork, then we are threatened by this invasion from the south'. I thought to myself, our garden is weakening, the creases are growing, and it would only take one angry stag or a dragon spitting flames to destroy everything we have sown.
"May the gods help us." I said quietly as Tommem slept.
