A company of armed men was somehow able to make its way through our lands and we only found out about it when it ran into my wife's company?" If I had glasses, I would be pushing them up the bridge of my nose by now. "Lord Brandon, you've served the realm well in your given duty, but we are talking about nearly two score men here."
The Blackwood scion looked apologetic as he leaned heavily on his cane. "I'm well aware Your Grace and believe me, I am getting to the bottom of the matter at hand. Although I can wager as to how they made their way through our lands undetected as much as they did." I didn't speak, but I motioned for him to continue with a slight tilt of the head. He cleared his throat. "They most likely came through southern lands that border the reach, the lands of House Turing and the likes."
I gripped at the armrest of my seat unconsciously as I worked at the implications he was throwing at me. "Are you implying they let them through without notifying Riverrun?"
He shrugged his shoulders as he shifted his cane some. "I can only make guesses at this point in time since I don't know the full facts, but it is possible. The Most Devout does hold great influence in the south-western lands, Your Grace."
"I hope you are not trying to make me unnecessarily suspect my bannermen on the grounds of their religion, Lord Brandon."
"I would never, Your Grace, especially now." He stood straight and right into my eyes. "Now more than ever, the realm has to stand together for the coming dark days."
"Yet you would have me suspect my own bannermen from the words you just told me." I closed my eyes in thought. What was his game here? The Faith and the old gods having been living side by side for centuries in the riverlands with little trouble between any of the Houses that follow either of the two religions, well, barring Humfrey Teague and his own brand of stupidity. "Though I would be a fool to not take your counsel. It might hold some sliver of truth, but that doesn't explain how they were able to move so far into the kingdom."
"That," Lord Brandon licked his lips. "Can most likely be explained that they took the routes less travelled. Trails and roads that had yet to be placed on maps, had not been worked on by Ser Franklyn's work gangs. There are still many paths in the kingdom that we know nothing off."
"Plausible." I said with few reservations. To get as far in as the Swords did, they had to go past lands held by Houses sworn directly to Riverrun and someone would have noticed if they took the more well-known roads. "They had a guide then, or hired someone or forced them." I sighed as I shook my head. It didn't matter anymore but I made a note to get all those paths and trails noted for future reference. They would be quite handy to know.
Not long afterwards, I dismissed the Blackwood lordling and moved onto my next meeting for the day. Although it hadn't been long since that debacle with the Swords, I wasn't so much a fool to think that everyone would be reasonable about all this, even if the Swords were in the wrong by all accounts.
The next to see me was more of a war strategy meeting between me, Lyam, Ser Patrek, Ser Guyard, Olyvar Mallister and Lord Butterwell. We had a lot to do in a short amount of time. I didn't know the particulars but I'm sure that the Faith was going to eventually respond and I had already send a missive to Willas giving my own account of the events and somewhat asking for calm.
I didn't expect much from that avenue of action, but it was better to do something than not do something after all, especially if everything snowballed into a clusterfuck of epic proportions.
Lord Butterwell moped away sweat that had been gathering on his cheeks. "Oh, by the seven, war, you say? With the Faith? Yes, yes, they were in the wrong, acting as they did, but surely nothing will come to that. This Luthor character is already dead and there is no need for further bloodshed."
"They killed one of my knights." Lyam shot a look at the profusely sweating man, his hands crossed sternly over his chest. "A loyal knight that has been serving House Mallister long before I was born. They also held no power in the realm to come and arrest the man. Let's not forget that they also happened to kill many subjects of the crown."
Lord Butterwell looked aghast at the last accusation. "The Swords? Never! They are the truest of knights, sworn to the highest oaths of knighthood! They would never sully their blades like that!"
Ser Guyard snorted. "Knights are merely glorified killers, even if we make vows to gods or men. The task we do is still a bloody one, or do you expect knights to see knights working gardens?"
Ser Patrek watched the man in charge of making sure everyone was well supplied and fed warily. "Are we going to have doubts about your loyalty, my lord?"
"How dare you ser! You question my loyalty to the crown!?" He asked quickly and angrily, face turning red. "I just counsel that we should not rush to dire actions that may very well divide the realm in half so soon after gaining our independence!"
"I don't want that," I cut in calmly. "Nobody wants that, especially me. I've come to like peace and I would enjoy another dozen years of peace, but we would be fools if we ignored something like this. My lord, I have no plans of waging war against the Faith, I only aim to make sure that if the Faith acts against us, we would at the very least, be ready. I only act in the manner that I do in the concern of my subjects, from the highest to the lowest. I hope you can understand me in those regards."
He was quiet for a moment before he rescinded and inclined his head. "I understand Your Grace. What would you ask of me?"
"Well," I glanced back down to the map that we stood around. "Our southern borders are fucked. No natural defences, though we can be pleased that the bulk of any army will have to come from our borders with the reach. We control all the crossings of the Blackwater alongst the border with the stormlands, and I doubt they would come to the aid of the Faith even if they called for action against us." A wry smile came across my lips. "I'm sure most of the stormlords see the Faith as puppets of the Gardeners."
"A bold claim, Your Grace." Ser Guyard said.
I shrugged in turn. "Jaime was kind enough to tell me that throughout the Faith's history, most of the recorded High Septons have come from reacher Houses and most prominently, Houses tied to either the Gardeners or Hightowers through blood and marriage. They might say a few honeyed words here and there, these stormlords, perhaps even a few will answer if Argillac has grown weak to not control his lords, but at the end of the day, I'd think the rivalry and animosity between the reach and the stormlands would be too much to just overcome so easily."
I wondered how Renly would have been able to keep his alliance between the stormlands and the reach working if it wasn't for his charisma? Or when he had to choose between one side and the other.
"Nonetheless," Ser Patrek began. "We must act on the notion that they might very well do so. Though I doubt we shall have to truly face the kingdoms. The Faith could very well marshal out the Swords and Stars to face us."
"Ha! Then we are guaranteed a victory then!" The First Lord declared confidently. "Just errant knights and vagabonds the lot. Would they even have the arms to make a dent in the armour of our own men? I think not."
That was a nice thought, but I doubted it would be so easy. I took to looking at Olyvar. "How is our treasury? I want to make sure it's as healthy as possible. Nothing swallow's gold greedily than wars."
The finance minister had been quiet throughout the meeting, not making any inputs but he spoke up now, voice steady amongst the gathering of lords and king alike. "The treasury is full to bursting Your Grace. We have no need to worry for coin to pay the soldiers, but depending on how long it lasts, we might see finding our stocks of coin lowering. We'll need to make sure that we can bring in as much coin as possible."
"I figured as much." I closed my eyes in thought before something of a plan started to form. "Lord Lyam, write to Winterfell and tell them we will be reducing our shipments of grain to them in the coming future, we'll be needing it more than them for the coming future. Lord Butterwell, if you would kindly start having our stocks transferred from the southern granaries to the central granaries, and some in the northern ones, that would be most obliged. We can't just leave abundant supplies for the enemy if they strike deep enough."
"Your lords won't like that, without a proper explanation, but I shall see to it, Your Grace."
"Considering Winterfell," Lyam asked me. "Should we ask them for aid?"
"No... not yet, but keep the option open just in case."
We continued planning with talks about how many extra men can be raised for the Army without unduly jeopardising the treasury as well as extra ships to be built in Maidenpool and Seagard. The fleet that was being built in Duskendale was coming along nicely by Ser Guyard's account, with only waiting for the last couple of galleys waiting to be built. Hopefully, they would be built before everything went to hell.
Ser Patrek talked of troop movement that included reinforcing the other two regiments with men from his own regiment and sending a detachment to watch the mountain pass that led into the Vale as a just in case. Speaking of mountain passes reminded me of the mountain pass that Robb used to somehow sneak an entire army into the westerlands.
I decided then and there to send some enterprising souls to go find said mountain path. I doubted it would allow me to sneak entire armies into the westerlands, but just enough man to cause trouble in the westerlands if it came down to it. Like an itch that just couldn't be reached if the Kings of the Rock joining the incoming fiasco.
"War, huh." Lyam let out with a long breath, his eyes closed after everyone else had left to take care of their duties. "I suppose it was bound to happen at some point."
I cocked an eyebrow up. "You aren't going on about all the glory you can win?"
He laughed at me. "Coz please. I'm not like that. I have a family now and my thoughts are with them. The notion of going to battle and not coming back haunts me more than it ever did before."
"Can I tell you a secret?" He nodded at my question and I smiled at him. "I'm quite petrified as well. Petrified of fucking it all up and dooming Ciri and Alfie to the wall or the silent sisters or to the depravations of the worst sort of men. I really shouldn't have taken this crown. It's going to be the death of me."
Aegon was a cunt.
Fears of screwing up have always plagued my mind. Every single time something political happened, I couldn't help but wonder how badly it was going to end for me. Now this was happening, and I somehow had to stop this from snowballing before it could get any worse and I didn't hold out any hope of that happening.
Things were going to suck.
I knew it and I was now beginning to regret putting on this damned crown. Accepting it even. I really should have listened to my own words when I said that any House that declared itself King of the Trident was screwed from the get-go.
That had been a mistake. A very bad mistake. I should have lobbied hard for them to just accept being the vassals to some of the other kingdoms, though I doubted it would have been so simple for us in the end.
Man, fuck Aegon.
"I really regret accepting this crown." I muttered as I found myself downing a cup of wine that I had poured for myself. I hated wine, but it was better than nothing to drown the impending headache that was going to come. "That was stupid of me."
Lyam moved an arm and patted me on my back. "Don't be like that. You should give yourself some credit. You have been a good king. You have kept your people well fed and well protected. The riverlands have never been so united before. This," he shook his head. "This is just one of those trials the gods throw at us through life. You'll triumph."
"A trial of the gods huh?" I gave him a bemused look. "You are aware, most of the time, the gods are cunts?"
He gave me quite a toothy grin in return. "And that is why surpassing those trials makes it even sweeter."
"Giving the gods the finger, eh?" My lips twitched to form a smile. "Well, I suppose there can be worser things to strive for.