Chapter 31: Reaching For These Lies
Flightless Man
Versed in the lewd.
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Chapter 31: Reaching For These Lies
Garlan Tyrell
Garlan Tyrell
Father claps me on the back as soon as we catch sight of Fair Isle and lets out a snickering laugh. The waiting fleet is larger than I had expected though, making relief settle in my bones. The feeling doesn't last for more than a few moments and I take a closer look at the ships that are definitely not flying Westerland sails.
"I suppose it's time to fill you in on your grandmother's plan." His smirk makes my stomach sink as I finish counting the Ironborn ships encircling Fair Isle. Sixty of Quellon's new long-cogs create the base of the fleet surrounding the now visibly smoking island. With at least a hundred of the more standard long ships creating a fleet nearly equal in mass to our own.
"You and Willas really made us look like traitors to the true King of the Seven Kingdons." What are you even talking about? "It took Mother years to convince them it was all an accident. But you can make it up to us by subduing Lord Jaime… I was quite impressed watching you dismantle him in the training yard back at Casterly Rock."
Are you really as dense as Grandmother constantly mocks? "He was teaching me a better way to riposte. He's still years beyond me beating him fairly."
With a cocky grin on his face, my father just laughs. "I guess we aren't going to be fighting fair. The Lannistter men will be quite surprised when we hand them over to the Ironborn." And I think you'll be quite surprised at how hard they're going to be fighting back once this betrayal is made clear.
We barely have a few thousand more soldiers and the Westerland forces have a very good chance of taking over the Redwynne fleet. Rolling his eyes at my defiant tone, Father let's me know exactly how far my regent's reach really is.
"I know you're still angry about Viserys but he wasn't supposed to be in any danger." The lie sounds obvious with my knowledge of how many days Father spent cursing my friend for Willas' leg.
"He was supposed to be rescued by our allies at Summerhall but Viserys fought back, unaware he was really slaying those sworn to his family." Viserys doesn't really take the time to get a second opinion… he does kind of just charge in headfirst. "In his memory, we need to prove our families loyalty to King Aegon."
"What are we going to do with Lord Jaime and those who wont surrender?"
As his lips pucker in distaste, Father considers the question carefully. "He'll be held in your tower's dungeon until the war is over and given the choice between death and the Wall. He already gave Lynesse and heir and now that her spare is on the way… the Hightowers see no reason to keep him around."
"What?" Father sighs heavily at my incredulity and tuts his tongue.
"Mother said you only cared about your lance and sword but even I would have noticed something going on under my nose after all these years." He snorts at my red face and teases me playfully despite the awkward timing. "Maybe I should leave Margaery with you two for a few years. She can help your grandmother put some knowledge in that thick head of yours."
He notices my eyes widen in shock and snorts. "Don't let all of Mother's mockery ruin your idea of me. I was quite the good looking tourney fighter in my day, swooned over by many maidens in the Reach and beyond."
The clanging of steel and yells of battle start to filter into my ears from the surrounding ships. "Well it seems we've lost the element of surprise. You better go help Lord Tarly deal with Jaime and Tygett, we may lose the flagship otherwise." He draws his own sword shocking me.
"Have you even used one of those since my birth?" What I wanted to be a silent thought ends up becoming a blurted comment.
Father thankfully isn't offended and reinforces why we need Lord Jaime in chains. "Jaime Lannister is the one who convinced Viserys to give up his families dynasty and marry his niece off to such a deformed beast as Tyrion. It was he alone who whispered in Viserys' ear and had him surrender himself to the rebels."
… That actually makes a lot of sense. My frown softens as his words convince me of Viserys not having all the facts when he was made to give up his crown.
"If Viserys hadn't been so stubborn, Lord Tywin would have been able to lock down the city and marry Viserys off to Cersei." His explanation continues even as I'm forced to swiftly cut down a charging Lannister. "We can't make things right for your friend but his family can be restored."
The Baratheons and Lannisters stole everything from the Targaryens and all Viserys wanted was for his family to live. "I hope you aren't opposed to a marriage of your own, we do need to secure ourselves after all. I've gotten you the hand of Balon Greyjoy's only daughter so our shores will be safe from any future reaving."
"Careful," Warns one of Lord Tarly's men when we reach the group. "They've got the captain's cabin secured and we've already lost four men trying to force our way in."
Father seems stumped and Randall is going to keep wasting lives until he's inside, which makes me bellow my own command. "Dump out a few of the water barrels and start a fire inside each one! We can prop each one against the open windows and fill the room with smoke." The wet wood should give us enough time to prevent a fire from spreading.
Men rush to obey and soon we can hear choking coughs from inside the cabin. "Ready yourselves, they can't take much more of this!" I share a nod with Lord Tarly and raise my long sword to a guard position.
"Take the ship!" Lord Jaime roars in defiance as the door is kicked open, sending a dozen of his men charging out onto the deck. "We need to warn the mainland!"
"This is all you're fault!" Randall swings his two-handed sword with both ferocity and far more grace than I had believed him capable of only moments ago. "You handed King Viserys right to the rebels!"
No matter how good he is, Lord Jaime is just that much better. In the time it takes me to carve through three men in red, the Lord of Hornhill roars in agony as his left shoulder is skewered.
"I was the only one willing to keep him safe from the Mad King." Growls the panting Lannister. "You sat outside a castle and let the Baratheons take the Kingdom!"
Before the Reach's best military commander can have his head removed, he sees my approach. Narrowing his eyes at Jaime as the sword is pulled free, Randall makes sure to keep the swordsman in golden plate distracted.
"I was the only one to win a battle, shame is not something I have reason to feel." He spits in Jaime's face, enraging the golden haired warrior enough to end things.
He raises his longsword up to remove the best military commander in the Reach's head and I am finally close enough to act. My blade flicks down even faster than Jaime's and sends it rolling across the deck with his right hand.
None of us react for half a second but when the pain registers, Jaime starts to scream in horror and flail his bloody stump. Warm crimson splashes across my face and I don't even notice in the haze of my shocking win. The din of clashing steel starts to die down and I don't even notice when the Lannister men have finally all be killed or clapped in chains.
…
"I suppose it's time to fill you in on your grandmother's plan." His smirk makes my stomach sink as I finish counting the Ironborn ships encircling Fair Isle. Sixty of Quellon's new long-cogs create the base of the fleet surrounding the now visibly smoking island. With at least a hundred of the more standard long ships creating a fleet nearly equal in mass to our own.
"You and Willas really made us look like traitors to the true King of the Seven Kingdons." What are you even talking about? "It took Mother years to convince them it was all an accident. But you can make it up to us by subduing Lord Jaime… I was quite impressed watching you dismantle him in the training yard back at Casterly Rock."
Are you really as dense as Grandmother constantly mocks? "He was teaching me a better way to riposte. He's still years beyond me beating him fairly."
With a cocky grin on his face, my father just laughs. "I guess we aren't going to be fighting fair. The Lannistter men will be quite surprised when we hand them over to the Ironborn." And I think you'll be quite surprised at how hard they're going to be fighting back once this betrayal is made clear.
We barely have a few thousand more soldiers and the Westerland forces have a very good chance of taking over the Redwynne fleet. Rolling his eyes at my defiant tone, Father let's me know exactly how far my regent's reach really is.
"I know you're still angry about Viserys but he wasn't supposed to be in any danger." The lie sounds obvious with my knowledge of how many days Father spent cursing my friend for Willas' leg.
"He was supposed to be rescued by our allies at Summerhall but Viserys fought back, unaware he was really slaying those sworn to his family." Viserys doesn't really take the time to get a second opinion… he does kind of just charge in headfirst. "In his memory, we need to prove our families loyalty to King Aegon."
"What are we going to do with Lord Jaime and those who wont surrender?"
As his lips pucker in distaste, Father considers the question carefully. "He'll be held in your tower's dungeon until the war is over and given the choice between death and the Wall. He already gave Lynesse and heir and now that her spare is on the way… the Hightowers see no reason to keep him around."
"What?" Father sighs heavily at my incredulity and tuts his tongue.
"Mother said you only cared about your lance and sword but even I would have noticed something going on under my nose after all these years." He snorts at my red face and teases me playfully despite the awkward timing. "Maybe I should leave Margaery with you two for a few years. She can help your grandmother put some knowledge in that thick head of yours."
He notices my eyes widen in shock and snorts. "Don't let all of Mother's mockery ruin your idea of me. I was quite the good looking tourney fighter in my day, swooned over by many maidens in the Reach and beyond."
The clanging of steel and yells of battle start to filter into my ears from the surrounding ships. "Well it seems we've lost the element of surprise. You better go help Lord Tarly deal with Jaime and Tygett, we may lose the flagship otherwise." He draws his own sword shocking me.
"Have you even used one of those since my birth?" What I wanted to be a silent thought ends up becoming a blurted comment.
Father thankfully isn't offended and reinforces why we need Lord Jaime in chains. "Jaime Lannister is the one who convinced Viserys to give up his families dynasty and marry his niece off to such a deformed beast as Tyrion. It was he alone who whispered in Viserys' ear and had him surrender himself to the rebels."
… That actually makes a lot of sense. My frown softens as his words convince me of Viserys not having all the facts when he was made to give up his crown.
"If Viserys hadn't been so stubborn, Lord Tywin would have been able to lock down the city and marry Viserys off to Cersei." His explanation continues even as I'm forced to swiftly cut down a charging Lannister. "We can't make things right for your friend but his family can be restored."
The Baratheons and Lannisters stole everything from the Targaryens and all Viserys wanted was for his family to live. "I hope you aren't opposed to a marriage of your own, we do need to secure ourselves after all. I've gotten you the hand of Balon Greyjoy's only daughter so our shores will be safe from any future reaving."
"Careful," Warns one of Lord Tarly's men when we reach the group. "They've got the captain's cabin secured and we've already lost four men trying to force our way in."
Father seems stumped and Randall is going to keep wasting lives until he's inside, which makes me bellow my own command. "Dump out a few of the water barrels and start a fire inside each one! We can prop each one against the open windows and fill the room with smoke." The wet wood should give us enough time to prevent a fire from spreading.
Men rush to obey and soon we can hear choking coughs from inside the cabin. "Ready yourselves, they can't take much more of this!" I share a nod with Lord Tarly and raise my long sword to a guard position.
"Take the ship!" Lord Jaime roars in defiance as the door is kicked open, sending a dozen of his men charging out onto the deck. "We need to warn the mainland!"
"This is all you're fault!" Randall swings his two-handed sword with both ferocity and far more grace than I had believed him capable of only moments ago. "You handed King Viserys right to the rebels!"
No matter how good he is, Lord Jaime is just that much better. In the time it takes me to carve through three men in red, the Lord of Hornhill roars in agony as his left shoulder is skewered.
"I was the only one willing to keep him safe from the Mad King." Growls the panting Lannister. "You sat outside a castle and let the Baratheons take the Kingdom!"
Before the Reach's best military commander can have his head removed, he sees my approach. Narrowing his eyes at Jaime as the sword is pulled free, Randall makes sure to keep the swordsman in golden plate distracted.
"I was the only one to win a battle, shame is not something I have reason to feel." He spits in Jaime's face, enraging the golden haired warrior enough to end things.
He raises his longsword up to remove the best military commander in the Reach's head and I am finally close enough to act. My blade flicks down even faster than Jaime's and sends it rolling across the deck with his right hand.
None of us react for half a second but when the pain registers, Jaime starts to scream in horror and flail his bloody stump. Warm crimson splashes across my face and I don't even notice in the haze of my shocking win. The din of clashing steel starts to die down and I don't even notice when the Lannister men have finally all be killed or clapped in chains.
…
Robb Stark
"If the savages aren't going to attack fortified structures and only flee from any kind of organized force, we need to slip armed men into the villages being pillaged." Domeric's father exchanges heated words with the other lords during my own father's war council.
A dozen of his most trusted lords sit beside mother and the at the head table, while the lesser lords and Mormont women take up two whole table to themselves. The wives and children occupy my own table and I try not to roll my eyes at Domeric over the bickering between Edith and Sansa.
I know this is important, I'm just frustrated at having to be on my best behavior for the third straight week. My best friend always turns into a boring stick in the mud when his Lord Father visits, but this time it's not even a social call.
Why do Domeric and I have to listen to all this talking, we aren't going to come on any of your raids. Why can't we take the Alys Karstark and the Manderly sisters exploring, instead of all this boring talking that goes nowhere? Domeric says girls can be fun and as long as I don't squeal, he might even tell me how.
Wildlings are swarming across the entirety of the North in bands ranging between half a dozen men, all the way up to a few that seem closer in number to a hundred. It's forced those who live more secluded lives to cluster in overfilled villages, leaving far to much of our food stores free to raiding.
"Victarion hasn't made a move since he ferried these ones around the Wall," Father reminds the grim faced Bolton of the real threat. "He can keep bringing more wildlings into our lands until we deal with Skagos. I don't want the wildlings to have enough men to start thinking of taking a keep."
"You want the Squid to pay and I'm all for that kind of plan," Bellows the Great Jon Umber, his voice cutting through the rising clamor of over a dozen arguing men. "But not if my lands are going to be burning for years. The wildlings are stealing what food and supplies they can and setting flame to anything else."
"Don't forget all the horses they've been taking. I'm starting to think they don't even like women beyond the Wall, no matter what my father claims." Adds Lord Jorah Mormont, getting cackles of laughter from all across the head table.
The smallest one of them all speaks in between voices and somehow everyone listens to Lord Howland Reed. "Let Lords Bolton, Umber, and I handle the defense against the wildling's hit and run tactics. While you Lord Stark end this false King of Skagos' reign."
All this talking in circles just makes my head hurt but I do my best to pay attention to everything said. Mother told me this was important and I won't disappoint her by missing one of the lords being sneaky.
"All this does is give the King beyond the Wall to grow his own forces!" Lord Hornwood roars with red cheeks that Mother says come from drinking too much. "His offer to subdue these 'traitors' working with Victarion, is nothing but lies to get the rest of his army below the wall in a single move!"
Father said this Mance Rayder only asked for the isles of Skagos and his army of fifty thousand would ally with our own. I don't know why everyone is ignoring such an offer.
Why don't we let Mance attack Skagos himself? It'll whittle his men down enough that trouble will be a few decades off at least. Adults just make everything so complicated. We have two enemies and someone who might be. All we need to do is make the maybes fight one of our for sure foes… and it's probably better if we have the fight strangers off the northern mainland.
A dozen of his most trusted lords sit beside mother and the at the head table, while the lesser lords and Mormont women take up two whole table to themselves. The wives and children occupy my own table and I try not to roll my eyes at Domeric over the bickering between Edith and Sansa.
I know this is important, I'm just frustrated at having to be on my best behavior for the third straight week. My best friend always turns into a boring stick in the mud when his Lord Father visits, but this time it's not even a social call.
Why do Domeric and I have to listen to all this talking, we aren't going to come on any of your raids. Why can't we take the Alys Karstark and the Manderly sisters exploring, instead of all this boring talking that goes nowhere? Domeric says girls can be fun and as long as I don't squeal, he might even tell me how.
Wildlings are swarming across the entirety of the North in bands ranging between half a dozen men, all the way up to a few that seem closer in number to a hundred. It's forced those who live more secluded lives to cluster in overfilled villages, leaving far to much of our food stores free to raiding.
"Victarion hasn't made a move since he ferried these ones around the Wall," Father reminds the grim faced Bolton of the real threat. "He can keep bringing more wildlings into our lands until we deal with Skagos. I don't want the wildlings to have enough men to start thinking of taking a keep."
"You want the Squid to pay and I'm all for that kind of plan," Bellows the Great Jon Umber, his voice cutting through the rising clamor of over a dozen arguing men. "But not if my lands are going to be burning for years. The wildlings are stealing what food and supplies they can and setting flame to anything else."
"Don't forget all the horses they've been taking. I'm starting to think they don't even like women beyond the Wall, no matter what my father claims." Adds Lord Jorah Mormont, getting cackles of laughter from all across the head table.
The smallest one of them all speaks in between voices and somehow everyone listens to Lord Howland Reed. "Let Lords Bolton, Umber, and I handle the defense against the wildling's hit and run tactics. While you Lord Stark end this false King of Skagos' reign."
All this talking in circles just makes my head hurt but I do my best to pay attention to everything said. Mother told me this was important and I won't disappoint her by missing one of the lords being sneaky.
"All this does is give the King beyond the Wall to grow his own forces!" Lord Hornwood roars with red cheeks that Mother says come from drinking too much. "His offer to subdue these 'traitors' working with Victarion, is nothing but lies to get the rest of his army below the wall in a single move!"
Father said this Mance Rayder only asked for the isles of Skagos and his army of fifty thousand would ally with our own. I don't know why everyone is ignoring such an offer.
Why don't we let Mance attack Skagos himself? It'll whittle his men down enough that trouble will be a few decades off at least. Adults just make everything so complicated. We have two enemies and someone who might be. All we need to do is make the maybes fight one of our for sure foes… and it's probably better if we have the fight strangers off the northern mainland.
