As soon as the ruins of Harrenhal came into view, a smile spread across Robb's face as he saw the banner of House Stark, the grey direwolf and a field of snow, flying from the tallest tower, the banner of House Tyrell flying from the second tallest. That's all he needed to know that Margaery had already made it and was waiting for him.
"I must admit, I thought I would have darker thoughts of this place," Garlan said, riding next to Robb.
The northern king nodded. "Same here."
From the gates rode a small group of warriors. At their head was an older man with a well-groomed beard, wearing a tabard bearing a red castle. Behind him was a tall, broad-shouldered man armored in steel-plate and wearing a tabard with a broken wheel on a field of green.
"Lord Horton Redfort and Ser Morton Waynwood." Lord Royce said quietly to Robb as the two groups approached.
"Your grace!" The old man said with an easy smile. "Harrenhal is yours."
Robb bowed slightly to the man. "Lord Redfort, it is a pleasure to finally meet you," he nodded to the other man. "Ser Morton, same to you."
"We have twenty thousand men ready to march." Lord Horton said. "I have had our scouts go as far as Maidenpool. The road is clear."
"Tywin has probably pulled all his forces into King's Landing," Robb said as his column rode towards the ruins, the lord of Redfort on his left with Ser Morton taking a place on Garlan's right. "The men of the Vale have arrived just in time."
"We wish we would have arrived sooner." Ser Morton grumbled.
"Better late than never," Garlan replied with a grin.
"You must be Ser Garlan." Lord Horton said, leaning forward and nodding to the second son of Mace Tyrell. "Ser Loras and your sister the queen arrived yesterday."
"How does my brother look?" Garlan asked curiously. The last time he had seen Loras, the young knight had been close to death.
"He's rearing to finish the fight." Lord Horton said kindly. "He's already dueled Ser Morton and all his brothers."
"Sounds like Loras." Garlan chuckled as the column rode through the gate and into the castle.
"Lord Royce, if you and Ser Brynden can make sure everyone is settled, I would like to find my wife," Robb said, glancing over his shoulder at the two older men.
The lord of Runestone nodded. "Of course, your grace."
"I'll find Loras and meet you both later," Garlan added.
"I will bring you to the queen, sire." Ser Morton said as they all dismounted.
"Thank you, ser," Robb said, following the Vale knight.
Margaery was in the Lord's solar near the top of the highest tower. She and her grandmother were both inside and wore grim expressions. Ser Loras was inside as well, wearing full armor. He looked a lot better than the last time Robb had seen him.
"Robb!" Margaery said as soon as Robb entered, rushing to him and throwing her arms around him.
"My lady." Robb joked with a small smile, returning the hug before lightly kissing Margaery. "I told you I would be back."
"We will give you some time." Lady Olenna said, bowing slightly and dragging Loras from the room, closing the door behind them.
"I've missed you," Robb whispered, still not letting go of his wife.
"When Loras returned to Riverrun….I feared the worst." Margaery admitted sadly. "I heard from the survivors what you planned to do. It was suicide," she said, slapping him lightly.
Robb chuckled slightly. "Not my smartest plan, I'll admit, but I couldn't run. I had to face Tywin in the open. Thanks to the Lords of the Vale, we won."
"You heard what happened to Lady Lysa?" Margaery asked, stepping away and pouring them both drinks. Water for herself and watered wine for Robb.
"Aye, I did," Robb responded. "After hearing it, I can't say I'm all that saddened by her death. She was family, but she would have become my enemy."
"Lord Redfort spoke highly of the new lord Arryn," Margaery commented. There was a noticeable swell in her stomach that Robb reminded himself to get to.
"He seems like a good enough man." Robb agreed. "How's the babe?"
A different kind of smile was now on Margaery's face. It was the kind Robb noticed his mother had when she had watched him spar or Sansa sew. It was a motherly smile full of love, warmth, and care.
"The babe is great," Margaery answered. "My grandmother sent for the best maester as soon as she found out. He arrived a few weeks ago and he's been tremendous."
Robb took her hand, kneeling next to her chair. "That is great to hear."
The two kissed once more before Robb took a seat across from her, quickly drinking the wine. "What have you been up to since I've been away?"
Margaery shot him an amused look. "You have many territories that need a constant watch. Not to mention war on four fronts."
"Four?" Robb asked. He knew that Jon was in the North, and Tarly's in the west technically counted as one since the Westerlands were all his territory save for Casterly Rock and the invasion into the Iron Islands should begin any day now. The final war front was between him and Tywin.
Margaery's amused look immediately disappeared. "There's been word from my father in the Reach. Oldtown has been sacked by the ironborn."
"They've gone from the North?" Robb asked, confused.
"So it would seem." Margaery sighed. "My father and his host are marching towards the city now."
"We'll need to get word to Lord Tarly that the ironborn are not where we thought they were," Robb said. "Since they're not in the North, that should make Jon's work easier."
"More than you know," Margaery said, an excited smile spreading across her face. "I received this from Lord Manderly the day before I left for Harrenhal." She explained, sliding a raven message across the desk to Robb.
The northern king raised an eyebrow, but took the scroll and opened it. It said:
Your Grace
Before I begin, Ser Davos and Lord Velaryon have arrived in the North with their fleet. They await the king's instructions.
The Company of the Rose had arrived in the North as well. 4,000 men in total.
They are led by Eddard Stark. The king's father.
Signed,
Lord Wyman Manderly, Lord of White Harbor
Robb's hands were shaking as he put down the message. He looked at his wife, who had tears of joy.
"My….my father's alive?" Robb asked quietly, still not sure how to react. It was just like when Jon had revealed his true parentage to him. There was a mixture of emotion and Robb wasn't which one to pick. One part of him wanted to break down and cry, the other wanted to laugh and cheer wildly.
"I couldn't believe it myself," Margaery admitted quietly before pulling out a small stack of parchments. "This found its way here the day I arrived. It's the full report on what happened to your father and it also contains information about the Company of the Rose that you should know."
Robb shook his head. "I'll read it tonight. I can't….there will be a war council tonight. Do you think you can give a summary?"
Margaery nodded. "Gladly."
Robb leaned forward, resting his head in his hands. He stayed like that for a while. He could feel Margaery's eyes on him, losing their excitement. He knew that she meant well. This was amazing news. But there was no way he could have prepared to hear it. He and Jon had mourned together after they had heard the news. They had mentally accepted their father's 'death'.
"Robb, are you alright?" Margaery asked worriedly.
Robb nodded. "I'm fine. Is there anything else that I need to know about?"
Margaery shook her head. "No, nothing else. Lord Tarly is preparing his attack on the Iron Islands. Jon has passed Moat Cailin and is in the North. As far as I or my grandmother's sources, none of the other northern houses have gone over to the Boltons. We don't know what's happened in King's Landing. Lord Horton's men have only gone as far as Maidenpool."
Robb nodded. "He told me. I'll send out some men with a couple thousand men to take the Antlers, Duskendale, and Rosby. We'll need to secure those castles before we attack King's Landing."
"Do you expect them to resist?" Margaery asked.
Robb shook his head. "No. Tywin's power is broken. I doubt he can muster more than twelve thousand men. He pooled all his manpower together when we first fought. That took a big hit during that battle and again at High Heart."
Margaery nodded. "Should we call a war council now?"
Robb shook his head again as reached out and grabbed Margaery's hand. "No, we'll have it tonight. Right now I just want to send out a few messages and spend time with you."
Line Break
For the rest of the day, Robb spent his time in the solar with Margaery. They ate lunch and dinner together as Robb wrote messages to Jon, Lord Tarly, and his good-father. Margaery and her grandmother had done an amazing job managing the rest of the realm, including the merging of the Vale to the rest of the northern territories. All that was left was the war, which Robb was more than capable of handling.
Garlan had interrupted briefly during their dinner to see his sister, both with massive grins on their faces. By this time, Robb had gotten over the shock of his father's reappearance and had invited his good-brother to join them for dinner, but Garlan had respectfully declined, stating that he was going to eat with his grandmother and Loras, allowing Robb and Margaery to have their time together before they were all once again thrown into the war.
Now Garlan knocked on the door, poking his head in.
"The council is ready."
Robb nodded and helped Margaery, escorting her out of the room and through the castle, Garlan right behind them. Harrenhal was a massive castle, but the trio eventually found themselves in the meeting room where all of Robb's commanders were assembled. Three chairs had been left at the head of the table and on its immediate right and left for Garlan, Robb, and Margaery to sit in.
After helping his wife into her seat, Robb stood in front of his.
"My lords, I am sorry for the lateness of this meeting. It has been a while since I have seen my wife." Robb apologized. "Once again, I must thank the Lords of the Vale for capturing the castle."
"It was the least we could do, your grace." Lord Redfort replied easily with a smile that seemed just a bit too happy.
"Indeed," Robb said, nodding to the man. "Now, to business. The queen has helped me get caught up with all that is happening. Lord Tarly turned over the siege of Casterly Rock to his son, Dickon, while he prepares his men for an invasion of the Iron Islands."
The group of lords clapped politely, happy to know that the raiders will soon be dealt with. None of them had suffered as the northern lords had, but they all had a general dislike for the seafaring people. Hearing that the ironborn would soon be brought to heel was a relief if nothing else.
"While the ironborn will soon be dealt with, I'm afraid that they have hit my lands once again," Robb said, his voice growing grave as he spoke. "The Iron Fleet has sacked Oldtown. Lord Tyrell is currently marching towards the city with his host of ten thousand to re-take the city or help rebuild it if the raiders have moved on."
"The Shield Islands have also been made aware of the attack and have assembled as much of their fleet as possible to protect their keeps," Margaery added, her voice matching her husbands.
"Does this mean that the ironborn are out of the North?" Ser Brynden asked.
Robb nodded. "To my understanding, yet. That also leads to my next point. My brother, Jon has made it past Moat Cailin and now has ten thousand men to retake the North."
"How many men do the Boltons have?" Garlan asked.
"Nine thousand." Ser Morton grunted. "Five thousand sieging Eagle's Roost and another four thousand between Bolton himself and a small host attacking the Last Hearth."
"The White Wolf will be hard-pressed to defeat them all." Lord Yohn rumbled. "It is not impossible, but the cost will be high."
Robb shared a glance with his wife before responding to the older lord. "Perhaps not, Lord Royce. When I arrived, my wife gave me some miraculous news that I now get to share with you all."
"What's that, your grace?" Ser Brynden asked, one eyebrow raised.
"My father, Eddard Stark, is alive," Robb stated.
The room somehow grew quieter after Robb dropped the news. The lords looked around at themselves, unsure if they had heard their king right. They all knew Ned Stark was dead. Now he was alive?
"I understand that this is very confusing to hear, my lords," Margaery said smoothly, stepping in to fill the silence. "Not only do we have a message from Lord Wyman, but we have also been delivered a written account of what actually happened."
The lords looked towards Robb, who shook his head and gestured to his wife.
"She will explain, I was just as confused as you all," he admitted, sinking into his chair.
Margaery stood up, giving Robb a slight smile before folding her hands in front of her and addressing the group of older, grizzled men.
"I think it best to explain the Company of the Rose before I get into the hand they play in all this." Margaery started. "As most of you probably know or remember, the sellsword company was formed after Torrhen Stark bent the knee to Aegon Targaryen. History states that they did this because they did not want to be ruled by the Targaryens. That is all a lie. In secret, the last king in the North formed the company of second and third sons, even cousins, of all the great northern houses. It was to ensure that they, the houses. could live on should the Targaryens ever attack the North. The company had two missions: to survive and to return when a Stark was king once again. That is what the Company of the Rose did for three hundred years. It survived, as did all of the original houses it was comprised of, and bided its time for when a Stark once again wore the Cown of Winter."
Margaery took a small break to take a drink of water before continuing.
"The company built up a reputation as a solid company that took on contracts where victory was all but certain. During that time, it also built up a lot of gold and agents all across Essos and Westeros." Margaery explained. "It was the agents of the company that broke into the Black Cells and rescued Lord Stark, found his daughter Arya, and reclaimed the ancestral sword of House Stark, Ice, before sending all three to Braavos, where the headquarters of the Company is located."
Robb's head snapped up when he heard that Arya had been captured, but all Margaery gave him was a glance. The look told him that now was not the time to bring up the fact that she had forgotten to mention his sister. Robb leaned back in his chair and waited for Margaery to proceed, reminding himself that he would have known that information had he read the full report.
"Upon reaching Braavos, Lord Stark and his daughter were protected and hidden from the world by the company. Now they have returned to the North to help Jon free the North." Margaery finished.
The table was silent for a second as the others took in the information. It was easy to understand, thanks to the way the queen had laid it all out, but at the same time, it was still hard to comprehend.
"Who led the Company while it was in Essos?" Ser Brynden asked finally.
"A man by the name of Derren Stark," Margaery answered. "He is related to Torrhen's Stark's youngest son if I am not mistaken."
"And Ned is truly with them?" Lord Royce asked.
"Wyman wouldn't lie." Lord Forrester answered quietly. "If he said that Ned was with them, then he was. Lord Stark is truly alive."
"Lord Bolton must be shitting himself." Lord Blackwood chuckled darkly. "We all were there. Ned was the most dangerous of Hoster, Robert, and Jon."
"The company has four thousand men to add to my brother's force," Robb said. "Jon now has more than enough men to take back the North."
"All that leaves is King's Landing." Harrold Arryn said.
"Indeed," Robb said. "We leave in two days. Lords Royce, Forrester, and Blackwood shall march out with two thousand men each and take the castles of Rook's Rest, Duskendale, and Antlers. Lord Royce, Antlers, Blackwood will take Rook's Rest, and Lord Forrester Duskendale."
"Not Rosby, your grace?" Garlan asked.
Robb shook his head. "It's too close to the city for my liking. We'll take it when our host makes it there." The king turned his attention back to the council. "That will be all."
Line Break
Robb, Smalljon, and Dacey strode out of the castle and down towards the banks of the God's Eye. The two northern nobles kept a respectful distance as Robb led the way, Greywind lopping easily at his side. The only person happier to see Margaery than Robb had been the giant wolf.
The night air was cool and crisp, and the moon and stars above shone on the waters of the lake, turning them black and silver. The Isle of Faces was a dark haze in the distance. Robb promised himself that he would travel there one day before he died and see where the pact between Man and the Children of the Forest was signed.
"Smalljon, Dacey, do you mind staying here?" Robb asked kindly. They were about twenty yards from the edge of the lake.
The two warriors nodded and stayed where they were as Robb strode down to the water, kneeling at the edge and bowing his head.
"Uncle Brandon, Aunt Lyanna, thank you," Robb whispered under his breath, staring at the Isle of Faces in the distance.
He knew that Smalljon and Dacey wouldn't have been able to hear him if they were closer, but Robb didn't want them to somehow overhear what he was saying. It would be hard to explain.
"You did well Nephew." Brandon's voice whispered in Robb's head.
"The fight is not over yet Robb." Lyanna's voice said this time. "Make sure you know when to end it."
Robb frowned but nodded slightly as he stood up. "I will," he promised.