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Chapter 69: The Lion and Duskendale.
🕑 Added 2024-10-22 07:22:16 +0000 UTCRobb Stark.
Harrenhal.
"Is it done, maester?" I asked the older man who was working on his solar.
"Aye, your grace," he replied, "I have already sent all the ravens you asked me to."
Nodding in thanks, I stood up, "Walk with us, maester. Tell me, what do you think of the castle now that the curse has been lifted?"
"I'm a follower of the seven, your grace. I have always been, but I cannot deny that the Old Gods exist after that day." The maester shook his head in wonder. "I believe that the citadel would lose their minds if they were to hear about what happened here."
Dacey snorted at hearing that, "The South has always called us barbarians for following our gods, but I see more proof about them existing than the seven."
"Enough, Dacey," I ordered, glaring at her softly; this had been somewhat of a problem since last week when Sylvyrn and the rest of the Green Men did the cleansing ritual. After so long of being marginalized, the northerners acted all high and mighty after showing proof that our religion was real. I have done the best I could at curbing this, but some of them managed to slip. Thankfully, it did not advance more than a couple of japes since I clarified that I did not wish to force faith on anyone, but some people have been discussing it even after my intervention.
The faith of the Old Gods grew exponentially after the ritual, and while some of the septas have been disgruntled about it, they couldn't tint the action as black magic since it was used to cleanse something that no one thought possible. News had already reached us from the few spies some Lords of the Riverlands had in King's Landing, at how the faith started preaching about the unnaturalness of our cause, of how we were using vile sorcery to win the battles, and that was the reason why the just king Joffrey is losing.
I admit the situation could have been worse. But the actions of the green men, along with mine, helped. The public reception was mostly positive in the Riverlands, and the North did not care about what they thought. To be honest, I don't believe that the news reached that far, and if it had, Lord Manderly would know what to do. He, while a follower of the seven, would not allow them to tarnish the name of my house in the North.
The first crop had already finished the transportation from the North, and the smallfolk, even the firmest believer of the seven, was thankful for it. News about Winter came in the last couple of days, and while the Riverlands did not suffer much of famine as the North, people always suffered. My special fertilizer and the help of the green men helped a lot in that regard since it gave the crops everything they needed to grow healthy while Sylvyrn and the rest accelerated their growth with their magic.
"You know that I allow my subjects to follow whatever faith they wish as long as they don't hurt anyone with their beliefs." I continued, "Let the man be, please."
Dacey nodded and cast her gaze downward in shame, and while I doubted it meant much, the maester just laughed softly, "I understand the feeling, my lady. I acted the same when I was an acolyte in the citadel. There was a highly-discussed topic when I studied there, and when I showed the rest of the maesters that my answer was correct, I could not stop and act the same as you in this circumstance."
"But yes, it's marvelous, your grace." He smiled at my side. "The air feels lighter, and I feel at peace. Even if I were to die soon, I would do it with a smile on my face. I'm sure Lady Whent is feeling the same as I do. She has always dreamed about it, and her desire was provided thanks to you and the Green men."
I smiled at that. It always felt good to hear about how my actions helped people, even if it was a singular person. The support of the lady of the castle always helped, and the smallfolk and knights of the surrounding area appreciated it, even if it did not affect them much.
"That's good to hear, maester. Now, I asked you to follow me because I needed you to help our hostages for the raven to the Westerlands." I said softly, "I want the ones who have behaved in their stay with us to write personal messages toward their houses. The ones who like to make problems will not receive this boom, so they won't be able to say anything to their families."
The maester nodded, "Your will be done, your grace. I will depart to the camp in that case."
"Good, search for SmallJon; he has the list of the approved noblemen. I want a summary after dinner about what they wrote. You can send messages to their houses as long as they write nothing bad about us. Tell them to write for their heirs to stop participating in this war if they wish to see them in the future." I continued, "I wish for us to be free of their reprisal, and there are more important things than the throne for our future."
The maester made a face at that, "I still cannot believe that the others are real," he shuddered, "If what you said about their abilities is true, then we will need all the kingdoms together under one banner to defeat them."
"Aye." I nodded Seriously. "If we don't wish to suffer many losses, we need to plan ahead. I hope to finish this war in less than two years with as little blood spilled as possible. I still need to plan some things, but I think we will manage victory at last."
"If anyone can do it, I know it's you, your grace." the maester said firmly, "I've been alive a long time, and I still remember what Aerys did during his reign. Robert Baratheon was not mad like him, but he was still a bad king. I hope you can learn from their mistakes and avoid them when sitting in that monstrosity everyone calls a throne."
I hoped for that, too. My dreams have been plagued with death and suffering since the war started, and while I knew it was inevitable, that didn't mean that the conflict did not upset me. The war had intensified in the Reach and the Crownlands, with Renly and his brother fighting multiple times in the last few days. I knew that if Stannis wished, he could stop it with Mellissandre's help, but I did not understand why he had abstained from using the shadows.
If everything went according to Canon, Renly's death would happen soon. That meant I needed to move fast if I wished to have the Vale under my control before that could happen. My main plan for now consisted of obtaining the Vale support and dealing with the Ironborn after that. The last few days, I had been deep in thought about how I could do that, and a plan began forming in my mind.
For now, I needed to finish dealing with the Westerlands so that I could focus only on this part of Westeros for the next couple of months.
"Go on, then. I will wait until tonight for the report of the hostages, maester." I finished our conversation, and the maester hurried across the courtyard.
"I'm tired," I admitted to Dacey. She was the one tasked with my protection during our relaxing time in Harrenhal; Jon was busy along with Uncle Brynden with the troops. They focused on their training so that our men didn't lose their edge while they weren't fighting. The Blackfish strategic mind was something no one could deny, and he worked in different ways to use our men during battle. Jon focused mainly on the physical training; thanks to the same boons I gave myself with my insects, he had been growing stronger at a more sedate pace than me.
I was more physically imposing than him, probably thanks to my father's genes. I was a lot stronger than him, even without my insects, but he was faster and way more agile than me. I believed that we were like our fathers in that regard. My father was an excellent fighter that I could not deny, but he fought like a knight, which did not suit us that much.
We were Starks. The Wolfblood was strong in us, and focusing on the technical parts of fighting lowered our strength. No, we were wild. Focusing and taming our rage was the way we should fight. In my last life, I could compare us to a barbarian more than a knight in video games.
I could feel something going on with my body after the cleansing ritual, I was waking up sore and sweaty, and I had no idea why. The maester requested that I avoid practicing and battling until that went away since he did not understand the problems I had. My guards had been told to keep it a secret since I didn't wish for my afflictions to lower the morale of our men, who were still high with their victories. Thankfully, Uncle Edmure left before he could notice anything, along with most of the riverlords.
When I asked Sylvyrn about it, he just smirked and kept silent, making me wonder if it had something to do with the old gods and their mark on me. When asked, he just replied that it would pass soon and that I didn't need to worry about it, but he did not wish to ruin the surprise. I knew he would if I ordered him to tell me, but I trusted him enough to give him some leeway. Either way, he said it wouldn't be anything terrible, so I let it be.
That was why we were still in Harrenhal and not marching to Duskendale, but I couldn't waste more time. We were leaving tomorrow. Four days ago, a raven went toward Duskendale with a message to Lord Rykkar, and while we have not received an answer yet, I hoped that the Lord would welcome us with open arms.
I planned to take a third of my remaining forces to the crown lands, and since I was going with them, my insects were more than enough to take a keep. The only reason I was going to take men was to man it afterward.
"Do you still feel ill, your grace?" Dacey asked me with a frown. I know you trust Lord Sylvyrn, but I still think you should order him to tell you what's going on."
"I understand, Dacey; believe me, I do. But even if he were to tell me about it, he would already tell me that there is nothing he can do to help me. I don't lose much playing his games, and I am the champion of the Old Gods. I doubt he wishes for me to come to harm," I said while coming to a stop where the complicated Hostages were held.
Dacey's frown deepened, but I didn't say anything else. I hoped it would end soon since I needed to move out of this castle to continue my plans.
"I think it is time to talk with our esteemed Lion." I smiled at her sharply. "I think he will end up doing something foolish if I were to keep him waiting; I think his pride is sore enough."
"Ha!" Dacey laughed and nodded, "Aye, I think he has been dreaming of the rain of Castamere with you as his enemy, Robb. I'm sure he is suffering more from being ignored than if you were torturing him during his stay with us."
I snorted at that. It was true, after all. Tywin Lannister was someone who focused more on his legacy than anything else. I was sure he expected me to gloat on his face about my victory, something that I dearly wished to do, but I tried very hard to contain my gleefulness. I was still not sure what to do with him after all. I knew that he needed to die, but I was unsure as to how to do it.
An Alliance with the Dornish would be the best possible outcome… But I did not trust them at all. Doran and Arianne believed themselves to be more intelligent than everyone else, and I did not doubt that they would try to manipulate me for their ends. While I was sure that my alliance with Daenerys would come to fruition, there was FAegon to jeopardize everything.
If Dorn followed him with the promise to back him against everyone, as long as he gave them justice, a lot of things would change. I did not wish to commit genocide after all. There were better ways to do it in the case of Dorn. The Ironborn were omitted since I wanted to end their religion once and for all, no matter the cost. Theon will have to suck it up and rule a new iron island in my stead.
Nodding to Harrion who was in charge of this castle segment, we three entered the cells. Here were the prisoners who were not cooperating with us and Tywin, mainly for his own security. He has been silent all this time, but even then, many of the Lords in the Riverlands were hungry for his blood. Having him in a place only my men and I could enter helped cool their tempers since they knew I did not wish to harm him, at least for now.
Other notable names were the Mountain, Armory Lorch, and the BravossI sellswords. The sellswords were the next in line to join the wall. I was just waiting for some recruiter of the night watch to come so that I could get rid of them. A whole contingent of men from the night watch were coming here in the following weeks. The Lord Commander was ecstatic to have so much help from us.
"How are things down here, Harrion?" I asked while we walked. The stairs and walls were painted black, and the air felt heavy. If I hadn't been present during the cleansing ritual, I would have doubted that it worked when I entered this place, but it appeared that the oppressive feeling was not due to the curse. It was cold, way colder than the outside.
Harrion had spent almost all his time in Harrenhal in these horrible conditions, but according to him, he was all right with it. I always took some time from the day to check everything here just to make sure he was telling the truth. Surprisingly, he was. He enjoyed his work as a warden, a just one at that. He was not needlessly cruel with the prisoners, but he was firm when it was needed.
"Everything is well, your grace," he replied Seriously, looking ahead to the different cells illuminated with our torches. Each cell was filled with prisoners, and there were two guards per cell to ensure everyone was under surveillance at all times. Over sixty guards took turns of eight hours each to protect and bring order to the dungeons.
"After the last example with Malaro the Swift, the rest started to behave themselves," Harrion snorted. "You need to give me more ideas, your grace. Waterboarding, as you called it, works like nothing I have ever seen or heard. After hearing his screams, no one else has tried anything for the last two days."
I cringed at that. If I had known that Harrion enjoyed his work so much, I would not have uttered a word about different ways to keep the prisoners in line without damaging their flesh. Attacking the minds of our enemies was not something done in Planetos, and I feared that I brought evil to the world with my different ideas.
"That's good to hear… I guess." I said, a little conflicted, and Dacey, who was at my side, looked a little concerned about the situation.
"Oh yes, your grace." Harrion gushed… He gushed like a girl, for fuck sake… "I would have never thought about using sound to keep them in line. When you told me about that so-called white noise and how it affected people, I was doubtful, but I can't say that it doesn't work. The soldiers taking care of the night shift are always using it, and since they started doing it, the prisoners' energy plummeted."
I shuddered… I already regretted giving him this work. Vowing to myself to keep my mouth shut about psychological torture in the future, I nodded at him, trying to act as if everything was under my control.
"Good… good," I said tight-lipped, trying to ignore what I had unleashed on the world. "What about the old Lion?"
"You will love what we have done to him, Robb," Harrion said, forgetting about keeping the pretense. Dacey snorted at his excitement. We have not harmed him as ordered… at least physically," he finished murmuring.
"What was that?" I asked him, glaring a bit, and he just rubbed the back of his neck.
"He just lost a bit of sleep, that's all," he said happily.
Sighing, I hurried through the corridor, finally reaching the last cell. It was being guarded by four guards at all times.
"Lord Tywin," I said softly to the man trying to sleep on the floor with a single thin quill on his body.
Tywin groaned from the floor while he tried to stand up but failed. He was thinner than average, even if we provided him with a regular quantity of food since he did not make trouble for us, but I could see that he was on his last legs.
His eyes were hollow; the ones that were firm in their belief when I first saw him in the battle at Riverrun were bloodshot, and he was constantly looking around with cautiousness. Dark circles hang beneath them, thanks to the 'little bit of sleep' that he lost thanks to Harrion's orders.
He was also chalky white due to stress and the lack of sunlight. It was hard to watch, if I were to be honest. I did not know if it affected me like that because I used to like his actor in the Series or what, but seeing him like this brought some uncomfortable feelings that I did my best to squash before they could take root.
Life came back to his eyes at seeing me, but that soon turned into a burning hatred.
"Stark," he spat. "Finally out of your high horse? Am I finally worth talking to?" he asked harshly, the fire in his eyes burning hotter by the second.
"I've been busy; being a king does that to people. Not that you would know, of course." I laughed softly. "But yes, I'm leaving the castle soon, so I wanted to talk to you for a bit before my departure."
Tywin scowled, "What do you plan to do with me, boy?"
"I'm still not sure if I were to be honest, Lord Tywin." I admitted, "You will die, of course. You are too dangerous to leave alive, I'm sure that now the only reason you stay sane is the hatred you have for my family."
He nodded with a harsh scowl, "The Starks ruined everything. Thanks to me, the Lannister name would be the most important one in Westeros until your father said that lie and made me act."
"It is not a lie," I said firmly. There is no reason for me to lie to you. You lost, and nothing you can do will change what will happen. Your Daughter will die shamed, and so will Joffrey. Your family name will have to do too much if they wish to return to where they were before."
"What about the rest of my family?" he asked, the fire finally dimming.
"It depends." I shrugged, "Jaime will pay for his crimes, but he will have the chance to die fighting against a greater cause. The war for the living is approaching, and he is one of the best swords in the country; if he manages to survive, I will think of what punishment he deserves, but he will not die by my hands if I can help it."
Tywin scoffed, "Grumpkins and snarks."
"Aye, but a true threat after all. I doubt you will manage to see it, but we know that it will happen."
"What about the rest? Tommen, myrcella?" he asked, gritting his teeth, "Kevan, Tyguett, Gemma?"
"They are good children; I still remember when they visited Winterfell before all went to shit. They will live, and I will see that they have a place to live in the future, maybe squire Tommen to someone in my bannermen before he returns to Casterly Rock. I have no need to harm children to win, Lord Tywin; that's not how we do things in the North." I replied calmly, "As for your brothers and sister, Kevanan will live but he will be stripped of his power. He is still loyal to you, after all. And I'm afraid Tyguett died to my uncle's sword in Mummer's'Ford. Your sister will be protected."
"You know, I find it funny. You asked for everyone, and you understand that your life is forfeit, but you have not asked a single time for Tyrion." I continued shaking my head, "How can you hate him so much for something he had no control over."
"That thing is no son of mine." he spat, "He is probably dead in the sewers of kingslanding."
Snorting at that, his eyes locked into mine, "He is with you," he murmured.
"I knew you were intelligent, my Lord," I smirked. He will be the Lannister who gains the most in the future."
"You would give him Casterly rock as a final insult to me?" he spat.
"No, no, I would not waste him in that place. He will be in the small council after all." With that final line, I started leaving the cells.
Tywin trashed in his cell, but he could not do anything more than that. He shouted for me to return and then cursed me to the high heavens, but I ignored him. My curiosity was satiated, and I did not need him anymore.
"Harrion," I called out, "Make sure he doesn't die while I am away. Call for Elyndra so that she can check his health."
"Your will be done, your grace." he bowed before returning to his solar.
Five Days Later
Outskirts of Duskandale.
Arriving at the castle where it all began was something that I dreaded. While thankfully, Dragonstone was empty since Stannis was fighting his brother somewhere close to the Bitterbridge, I was angsty at being so close to the island. The rumors were that a red-hooded woman was following him, so at least we were free of them. I did not know exactly where he landed and what path he took to Bitterbridge without alerting Aegon, or if the mummer dragon let him pass without a problem so that he could take time to plan his conquest or what, but this location was perfect for me to pass this opportunity.
Controlling Duskendale allowed me to have a harbor that the meanders could reach easily, giving us men and provisions if they were needed. I planned to control everything under the Riverlands in under three months before dealing with the Ironborn.
The maester at Harrenhal sent a raven to Winterfell just for that. In the message, I ordered Father to obtain all the ships he could from the Ironborn so that we could use them to attack the islands directly. I was going to take the fight against them for the last time. It wasn't even a hard decision, and decimating them helped me on multiple fronts.
If I were to control the iron islands, I could use those ships to bring Daenerys to Westeros sooner than I expected, something that I hoped to do. Or at least sending some Lords or experienced castellans all the way to Astapor so that they can help with everything going on there before the dragons are grown enough.
My army and I were five miles away from the castle, close enough to see everything in there with my insects.
"They are sending a small group of people," I said to my generals while we were waiting. They had already received the raven from me, and hiding my army was almost impossible without using the Green Men's magic, so I let them be for now.
There was a lot of movement in the castle, Servants running inside, soldiers arming themselves, and the Lord waiting in the courtyard.
After some minutes of waiting, a small group appeared in our vision. They were carrying a white flag and asking for a parley, which I gracefully accepted.
"Your grace," the man in the lead said formally, "It's a pleasure to have you here. My name is Lorian Rykker, son of Gareth Rykker and his heir."
"A pleasure to meet you, Ser Lorian." I smiled at him, trying to ease him into the conversation. "I trust you received my raven?"
"Aye, your grace." he nodded, "The honor of the Starks is unquestionable, but he wanted to make sure that my family will not be harmed during your stay here. I know we supported the Baratheons of King's Landing, but so did almost everyone in the crownlands."
"Do not fret, Ser." I nodded at him, "I know that you must have heard a lot of my exploits, but I promise that as long as your family stops with that, you will be welcome under my banners. I do not wish to bring ruin if I can help it, but I will do so if I have no other choice."
Ser Lorian gulped, and I could see the sweat on his face. "The war is costly, your grace. And with Winter here, the food is scarce. I'm afraid that if you wish for us to provide that, we will fail in that endeavor. The Reach stopped selling crops when they knelt to Renly, and the Riverlands were under the Lannisters before you liberated them."
Waving my hand, I smirked, "One of the advantages of kneeling to me is that the same way I can bring death everywhere I desire, I can also bring prosperity, Ser Lorian."
Calling for SmallJon, I turned again to the heir of Duskendale. "As you may have heard, the North does not need the Reach anymore for food, and the Riverlands started using the same method we use in the North. No one will suffer famine under my rule; of that, I promise."
Smalljon came inside with multiple soldiers carrying chests filled with food, from bread to meat to vegetables. All of it was fresh, and the other chests were filled to the brim with multiple types of seeds.
"What do you say, Ser Lorian?" I asked out loud, and I could see the emotion in the eyes of the crownlanders that accompanied him.
"I will return first, your grace," he said shakily. " I'm sure I can make Father see things your way. Not that he needs much persuasion," he finished hastily.
"We will start moving in two hours so that he has time to prepare, Ser Lorian." I nodded, "I give my word as a stark and as king that no harm will befall your family as long as you Serve me loyally."
With that over, I just observed Ser Lorian galloping toward the castle at his maximum speed, and I wished him luck in making Lord Rykker see things our way.
Two hours later.
Duskendale.
"I offer you bread and salt, your grace." Gareth Rykker said grandly from the middle of the courtyard. The Servants had done a magnificent job cleaning the place and preparing it for my arrival, for which I was thankful.
With a signal, my man approached the Rykkers with all the chests we had at hand, "A gift, my Lord. Like I told your son before, no one will suffer from hunger as long as I am here."
His wife, Lady Cassandra Rykker, wept before us, trying to keep her neutral face and falling.
"Thank you, your grace. You have no idea how much it means for my family." Lord Rykker said thankfully, "My wife… She cares a lot for the smallfolk, and with how it started, we can see that this WinterWinter will be particularly gruesome."
"Of that, you have no idea, my Lord," I said Seriously, signaling Dacey to bring the wight.
"The reason I am pushing for the throne is related to it." I waited for the cage to arrive, "As you can see, the legend of the long night was true, and we will need to be united to fight for survival."
Everyone, from the highborn to the smallfolk, gasped in fright, seeing something out of song in the flesh.
"It appears we have much to talk about, your grace." Lord Rykkar said, "I would not believe this without seeing it, but you will have our swords from this day onward."
With a deep breath, he kneeled along with the rest of the people present. "Long may you reign, King Robb Stark."
"Long may he reign!" the rest said with emotion.
"Rise, everyone. It's time for celebration; a new house joins our brethren!" I shouted with a smile, happy to have avoided bloodshed for people who did not deserve it. "Take our gifts! Prepare a feast! Everyone is invited, no matter their station."
"As you order, your grace." Lady Cassandra smiled brightly.
