Theon crossed his arms as he looked down at the island from the balcony of his room, his gaze directed at the town of Lordsport, where the Iron Fleet was assembling in full for the first time since the Greyjoy Rebellion. One hundred and fifty ships, most of which were three times larger than the standard longship. They were not as big as the dromonds and war galleys that made up the Redwyne Fleet or the Royal Fleet, but they were capable ships that were fast and mobile. Perfect for the ironborn way of fighting and raiding.
The Iron Fleet had once a glorious sight to Theon, who remembered watching the fleet sail off at the start of his father's failed rebellion. He remembered looking at the fleet and wondering how anyone would be able to stand against such a force. Then he had learned about the fleet's destruction off Fair Isle, but he was too young to know the implications of the event. Then, when he had seen the combined might of the North, Stormlands, and Westerlands just outside the castle, he knew that he was seeing a truly unstoppable force.
He still remembered the sound of the non-stop artillery battering down the walls.
There was an uneasy feeling in Theon's stomach that had been bothering him ever since he left his father's solar after the first meeting between his father and him. Theon had pledged himself to his father's cause, not too long after swearing his loyalty to Robb. It weighed on him, how easily his father had broken him. For just a moment during that final fight with his father, he had been tempted to walk out of the solar and not stop till he reached Riverrun. But his desire to finally be accepted by his father, a desire that had been burning in him for years, re-asserted itself and he had chosen his family over the man he had called his brother.
Robb's words rang in Theon's ears. To return to him if his father would not see reason. Now, in the heat of wanting to prove to his father that he was still an ironborn, he had broken his oath to Robb. Theon was no fool. He knew that people from the North took oaths seriously, and by breaking his, Theon had branded himself a traitor and would never be able to return to Winterfell or the life he had before.
Theon had gone through a small transformation to look like a 'true' ironborn. The armor he had worn while fighting alongside Robb in the Riverlands had been cast into the sea by his uncle, the Damphair. He now wore black iron armor, a bronze kraken now embossed proudly on his chest. A sea cloak hung off his shoulders, something many other captains, including his sister, wore while out at sea.
To complete the change from greenlander to ironborn, Theon's father had given him a ship, a standard longship called Sea Bitch. It was not as large or fearsome as his sister's or uncle's ships, but Balon had said that Theon had not proven himself worthy to lead such a vessel.
"You look angry." A voice said from behind Theon.
Asha leaned against the doorway to Theon's room, a slight smirk playing on her lips as she looked at her brother. The two siblings hadn't had many chances to talk, not since their first interaction in Balon's solar. But that was mainly Theon's doing. His sister's and father's words still grated on him more than he wanted to admit.
"I'm not," Theon said, looking back out at the sea. "What do you want?"
Asha frowned. "Is that how you talk to your sister you haven't seen in over a decade?"
"You have no right to ask that," he growled. "Your welcome wasn't exactly the best either."
Asha sighed. "I'm sorry," she said, sounding genuinely remorseful. "I was just having a little fun Theon."
Theon scoffed. "Fun? Humiliating me in front of the father and uncle I hadn't seen in years is your idea of fun?"
Asha let him have that. "Look, I said I was sorry. What else do you want from me?"
Theon didn't hesitate. "Your absence."
Asha shook her head. "You're going to have to get over it some time brother," she said angrily. "After all these years, you still are that young boy who left."
Theon rounded on his sister, gripping his sword. "Left?" He said, his voice dangerously low. "I was taken! I did not have a choice, I didn't even know what was happening. I was a boy amongst wolves."
Asha was surprised by the fire in her brother's eyes. When he had first arrived, he looked like a greenlander. He was dressed in pretty armor and fine clothes and had a nice sword at his side. Asha, as was her personality, immediately pointed the fact out and made a joke, not meaning anything by it.
When she had laid eyes on Theon, she was happy to see him. After the meeting in the solar, she had gone looking for him to give him a proper welcome home and maybe the two of them could reconnect. But she had been unable to find him. Every time after that, when she had seen him, when she had been about to go talk to him, he had left. She had no idea that her words had caused so much anger in her brother.
She nodded. "I understand," she said quietly.
Theon calmed down a little. "What do you want Asha?"
"Father is calling a meeting in his solar. He is demanding that you attend." Asha said.
"This about the attack on the North?" Theon asked.
Asha nodded.
Theon sighed. "Fine. Let's go."
Line Break
"You're late," Balon grumbled as Theon and Asha walked into the solar. Around the table stood a few of the prominent lords of the Iron Islands. Houses Sparr, Blacktyde, Harlaw, Goodbrother, and Drumm were represented in one way or another. Theon didn't care. He didn't know who they were and they probably didn't care about him.
"Sorry," Theon said simply, nodding to his father and then his uncle.
Balon waved aside the apology. "Shut up and get over here."
Theon and Asha joined the circle around the desk where a map of the North was spread out before them. Balon started the meeting, immediately giving orders and instructions like a captain to his crew.
"Victarion will take a third of the fleet and sail up the Wolf Spear river and take Torrhen's Square. My daughter shall take another third and swing west before cutting back east towards Deepwood Motte." Balon said, barking out the orders. "Gorold Goodbrother will take the final third and sail towards the Stoney Shore…."
"He won't make it," Theon said, interrupting his father. "Bowden Hawker will sink him and his men."
Bowden Hawker was the younger brother of Lord Roland Hawker and uncle to Erik, Brandon, and Eyan. The man had spent his entire life on and around ships and had protected the western coast from Bear Island to Flint Cliffs for decades. During the Greyjoy Rebellion, the man had led the assault of Blacktyde and personally slew the father of Baelor Blacktyde, the current Lord of Blacktyde.
He was a man who had been fighting the ironborn all his life and knew many of their tactics and fighting styles. If Balon wanted any chance at attacking the North, he had to deal with Hawker and his ship, the Seahawk. A mighty war galley twice the size of the largest longship in the Iron Fleet. It had a small, maneuverable catapult on the prow, along with six scorpions. Two on either side of the stern, at midship, and the bow. The ship also sported a bronze-plated ram and was manned by a crew of highly skilled sailors and warriors.
The Western Fleet was the smallest of the four great fleets in Westeros. Made up of twenty-five war galleys and seventy-five longships, it was a third the size of the Iron Fleet and half the size of both the Redwyne Fleet and the Royal Fleet. But it was led by a capable commander who knew ironborn tactics and the ships were manned by hardy northern sailors. They would be more than a match for the Iron Fleet if the two went toe-to-toe on the waves.
Balon glared at his son, who attempted to return the gaze, but failed. The message from father to son was clear: do not challenge me again.
"I know that boy." Balon snapped. "Now shut up and listen. Gorold will take the final third and attack Hawker and draw him south. By this time, Victarion will have reached the river and Asha will be able to slip behind the man and round Sea Dragon Point." He snarled. "Now for my son, you will take Bear Island and strip it of anything of use. The Damphair and Dagmer Cleftjaw will go with you to ensure you don't screw up."
Theon frowned. "Bear Island has nothing, father. There's nothing on the island except for salted meat and fucking bears. It's a pointless raid. I would be better suited helping Asha take Deepwood Motte."
Balon once again turned his glare on his son. When he spoke, his voice was dangerously low, daring Theon to question him again.
"That's twice you've challenged my authority, boy. Do so again at your peril. You will do as I say. I. Am. Your. King." Balon snarled.
Balon had been officially crowned King of the Iron Islands a few days ago under the bones of the Grey King's Hall, just as he had when he had raised his banners in rebellion against Robert Baratheon and the Iron Throne. Once again, a crown of driftwood was atop Balon Greyjoy's head.
Theon nodded. "Yes….father."
"Reader!" Balon snapped. "You shall assist my daughter."
The lord of Harlaw crossed his arms. He was an average looking man with brown hair and a well-trimmed beard. He was dressed in sailing leathers with a sword at his side. He was the only man who didn't look pleased to be at the meeting next to Theon.
"What's the point of taking land away from the coast, your grace?" He challenged. "Torrhen's Square and Deepwood are far inland."
"You will take them because I say you will take them," Balon growled.
Theon glanced at his mother's brother, respecting him more than the others because he was the only man with the courage to speak up and against Balon.
Lord Harlaw raised an eyebrow but nodded. "Yes, sire."
Just like that. Theon's only other ally at the table had been snuffed out and silenced.
Line Break
"You don't sound happy with Father's plan," Asha said as the siblings walked away from the meeting.
"It's fucking foolish. The Westerlands is ripe for the taking, and yet Father decides to act like a child and attack the North out of spite." Theon growled. "What a great fucking way to show Westeros how strong we are. Attacking a land where most of their men are away fighting."
Asha raised an eyebrow. "That sounds dangerously close to treason," she warned. "We are ironborn. We don't care about the opinions of the mainlanders. If you don't like Father's plan, go back to your Wolf King."
Theon shook his head angrily. "I'm here. I will do as Father asked. He shouldn't expect me to be happy about it. It makes it worse that he's having our uncle fucking nanny me. I'm a grown man who has fought in battle before, not a babe just taken from his mother's tit."
Asha stopped, turning to look at her brother. "What would you have us do Theon? Throw our lot in behind a boy king?" She asked. "Father would be seen as weak by his bannermen."
"If Father wants to be king, he needs allies." Theon countered. "Robb has been crowned king of both the North and the Riverlands. We couldn't ask for anything better."
Asha scoffed. "Robb Stark is a northern whelp who's gotten lucky," she said. "He's a soft mainlander."
Theon glared at his sister.. "Robb has the Lannisters running scared back to King's Landing. He's more of a problem for Tywin Lannister than the man with a hundred thousand fucking men. He's winning the damn war and we have a chance to profit from it, but we aren't. Besides, Robb promised to allow Father to be king of the Iron Islands."
"A crown given by another man will not make father king. We are ironborn, brother. We take what we want through the iron price." Asha argued.
"But we're taking the wrong thing." Theon shot back, shouldering his way past his sister. "We are giving up gold and jewels for hides and salted meat. I know, I spent the last fucking decade there. Mark my words Asha, this won't end well for our family."
Asha frowned. "How do you know?" She called after him.
"Because the Mad King fucked with the Starks. How'd that go for him?" Theon called back before rounding the corner and disappearing from view, leaving a stunned Asha standing in the hallway.