Whilst the war continued around Westeros not much changed in the way of life at Casterly Rock, Tyrion and I still had lessons and spent time in the library together, we would also walk and explore any hidden passages within the Rock. But there was a thick tension in the air, the servants were getting nervous and whispering rumours of the war. It was as if we were just spectating the rest of the Seven Kingdoms.
Lessons with Father were going well, due to his large network of spies he has he knows everything that is going on within the war and then he would tell me them and question me on whether that was a smart/right thing to do.
Father is also worrying, he hides it though under a stoic face, as well as Tyrion and I, it is no secret that Aerys Targaryen had Rickard Stark burned alive and killed his eldest son Brandon and two hundred Northmen. His actions throughout the war has given him the moniker 'The Mad King' and it has acted as a form of propaganda for the rebels.
We worry for Jaime, he is said to be kept close to the King everyday. Cersei spends most of her day weeping and moaning, and I sympathise with her because Jaime's my brother and he could die anytime but there comes a limit to how much i can take of her mopping around.
Father's the worst, he's one of if not the best military strategist in Westeros and the most powerful man on the continent, he has never been in such a situation of weakness. With Jaime kept as a glorified hostage Father has to be careful, if he joins the rebellion then the war would come to a swift end however Jaime will most likely be burned alive, on the other hand if he joins the loyalists then he has to face the combined strength of four out of the seven kingdoms, Whereas neutrality will most likely allow Jaime to live but gain the ire of whoever wins the war.
Lets go through what has happened in the war so far: The taking of Gulltown kicked off the rebellion, the Graftons of Gulltown remained loyal to the king instead of joining The Vale's warband it prepared for a siege. The city of Gulltown is not a very defendable city from the land, the mountains of the moon make sure any outsider army would find it difficult to march through the Vale, instead Gulltown has throughout the centuries bolstered the naval defences and seawalls.
House Grafton and its vassals can muster around 2,000 men against the rest of the Vales 19,000 men. The siege lasted a week before Robert Baratheon personally slew Lord Marq Grafton. Consolidating full control of the Vale, Jon Arryn takes 12,000 Knights of the Vale and makes camp at the Bloody Gates, leaving the rest of his forces in the Vale as potential reinforcement, where he awaits Eddard Stark to bring his host south down the Kingsroad.
After liberating Gulltown Robert Baratheon sailed to Storms End, where awaited the Stormlander host of 10,000. Lord Owen Merryweather, Hand of the King had hatched a plot where Houses Cafferen, Fell and Grandison, who were all fierce Loyalists, were to rally at the ruins of the Targaryen castle Summerhall where they would then march on Storms End and besiege the fortress.
Robert Baratheon found out about this and marched towards Summerhall, arriving before either of the three houses could get there, Robert destroyed all three armies before they could band together, leading to the death of Lord Fell and the capturing of the other two Lords who pledged fealty to Robert Baratheon.
Now the hard part for Robert Baratheon was linking up with the other rebels north of King's Landing because the Stormlands were isolated. To do that he had to march his host through the outskirts of the Reach, who's Lord Paramount's were fierce Loyalists and have been ever since Harlen Tyrell was promoted from steward to Lord of the Reach.
Robert Baratheon and his host were near Ashford when they encountered the Tyrell vanguard led by Lord Randyll Tarly of Horn Hill. Randyll Tarly is a great field commander and strategist, a man with much more battle experience than Robert. The Tyrell Vanguard overran the Stormlander army, causing Robert to be routed and be forced to head north through the Riverland's.
As the opposition was retreating, Lord Mace Tyrell, The Lord Paramount of the Reach, caught up with the vanguard along with the rest of the Tyrell forces numbering 35,000, he shamelessly took the credit for the battle causing Lord Tarly to turn around and head back to Horn Hill, abandoning the campaign. Father mentioned what a mistake it was to deny Lord Tarly his credit as according to him Randyll Tarly maybe the only commander capable of marshalling such a large force efficiently.
Instead of pursuing the remnants of the Stormlander host, Mace Tyrell marched on Storms End with his vast host and laid siege against a garrison of 500 men, seeking even more glory despite trying to commit a potentially costly challenge. Even to this day months later Mace Tyrell is still outside the walls of the near impenetrable fortress.
By the time the Battle of Ashford had concluded, Eddard Stark had reached Winterfell and marched south with the Northern host where he met Jon Arryn at the Crossroads. the both of them and their now one large army headed west to Riverrun and had successfully negotiated with Lord Hoster Tully for an alliance, swelling the Rebel numbers and betrothing Lord Eddard Stark to Lady Catelyn Tully.
Licking his wounds after a defeat, Robert Baratheon headed north through the Riverland's where he and his army were ambushed by the newly named Hand of the King, Lord Jon Connington. After being separated from his army Robert took refuge in the town of Stoney Sept, a town with no ruling lord and little to no garrison.
Apparently Jon Connington occupied the town and began searching each individual building with the Royal army. The loyalists had failed to find Robert Baratheon by the time the Rebel army arrived, which outnumbered the Loyalist army four-to-one, a battle ensued in which the loyalists were soundly defeated, Ser Myles Mooton, a friend and former squire of Rhaegar Targaryen, and Ser Denys Arryn, the heir to Vale and Eyrie, were both killed and Jon Connington sent into retreat.
Suspicious that Jon Connington had lost the battle on purpose, King Aerys Exiled him and stripped his of his titles, forcing him to go to Essos. Now needing a new Hand, Aerys appoints Lord Qarlton Chelsted who was originally Master of Coin and is a strong supporter of the king.
Now understanding how dire the situation is, King Aerys sends Ser Jonothor Darry and Ser Barristan Selmy of the Kingsguard to rally the remnants of the Loyalist army outside of Stoney Sept, whilst he also sends Lord Commander Ser Gerold Hightower to find the Crown Prince, Rhaegar Targaryen.
Returning to Kings Landing, Rhaegar Targaryen had apparently asked his Father to send a raven to Casterly Rock, asking for my Father's help in front of the whole court. Surprisingly he agreed and sent the raven, which coincidently arrived three days after the rebels had asked my Father for help.
In the next lesson we had with each other he had brought out both messages and had asked me to read and decide and what I thought. By this time both of the forces ready for battle on both sides were equal, discounting the Reach as they were still held up at Storm's End. All it would take to win the war now would be a final deciding battle and the numbers of skilled men the Westerlands could provide would be an overwhelming advantage.
Wanting to keep the war the same as it was before, I told Tywin that neutrality would be best because of Jaime's survival and that the Westerlands most likely wouldn't suffer if we were not involved in the fighting. Of course by the time the Westerlander host would've reached either side, that final deciding battle would have most likely commenced.
Father had gotten a raven from his large network of spies that the battle would start soon as both armies were approaching each other at the Trident. Seeing that would most likely be where the climax of the war would be, Father had set out with an army of 12,000 down the Gold Road to Kings Landing, where he would either pledge his support to Aerys Targaryen or sack the city depending on the outcome of the battle.
The last I had heard of was that the rebels had won the battle, which some people are calling the Battle of the Trident, and Robert Baratheon had slain Price Rhaegar in combat. it had also been relayed to us a week and a half later that father had besieged Kings Landing.
It is also due to a lack of information of the ongoings of the outside world that nearly all the Lannister's that live in Casterly Rock, and aren't in the 12,000 father took with him, are currently within Ser Rylen Algood's study.
Now that father is not present at Casterly Rock, Ser Rylen is in charge of matters at the Rock and manages the household and castle in his stead. Normally these are more the responsibilities of another family member but with all my uncles except Uncle Kevan, who is busy enough as Lord of Lannisport and substitute Warden of the West, with father and the army, it falls to Ser Rylen.
Clearing his throat Ser Rylen starts "I have received word from Lord Tywin, apparently the siege has ended and the war is over, the King is dead ending the Targaryen dynasty." he says with solace, "Jaime is alive and in good health, Cersei is to come to Court as well as my heir, Cerion. Tyrion is to remain at Casterly Rock."
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There's chapter 7, I know that it was just reiterating knowledge some of you already knew but I didn't feel comfortable with skipping the entirety of the rebellion.
Tell me what you thought of the chapter in the comments
[I do not own game of thrones or a song of ice and fire in any way]