You are fucking dead, Tully!"
Harren Hoare was a cruel man. This was further punctuated by the fact that he also happened to be cruel looking. Small, dark beady eyes, black as night and empty as space glared at me such a burning passion, I would have taken him for a passionate man. The crown of his head glistened as his hair receded to the back, his skin showing the lines and tear of age and his teeth, whatever were left of them, stained yellow.
Apparently, he didn't believe in taking care of his teeth. I felt sorry for whatever mouth that had to kiss that.
"You know what this is Tully? Treason!" He continued to bellow from the ground where two of my knights were holding him down as he flailed and struggled to stand up. As lean and scrawny as he was, Harren had a hidden strength to him. "Forsaking your fucking oath. When I'm done with you, you are going to wish your whore of a mother had-." Ser Patrek stepped forward and gave Harren a gauntleted back hand.
Several of Harren's yellow teeth were sent flying.
"Shut your filthy mouth." Ser Patrek growled. "You shall not speak of the late lady, like that. Especially a rapist like you."
A glob of blood escaped from Harren's mouth as he spit into Ser Patrek's face. "I should have taken my pleasure with that bitch when I had the chance." He grinned a bloody red smile. "I would have made her moan and scream more than the cockless wonder that was Forrest."
Ser Patrek's face grew red with rage and gave him his back hand again. He was about to strike him again, until I bid him to stop. It wouldn't do for our valuable hostage to be killed like that. "Control yourself, Ser Patrek. He's baiting you." I kneeled and began undoing my left greave and sabaton. Not going to lie, fighting in full plate was less different than I thought it would be. Certainly not what I had expected. "Tell me my lord, do you currently understand your situation?"
Harren glared at me. "It's Your Grace, Tully. Do you understand the position that you are in? Dead. That is what you are."
I stopped for a moment to look at Harren with my Tully blue eyes. "I yet still breath and my heart pumps blood through my body. Dead I think I am not."
"Oh you will be." He gave me a cruel smile then. A smile that would have made me shiver if it wasn't for the fact that Edmyn was made of sterner stuff. "A long, slow, painful death. Traitors only deserve such treatment."
I threw away the last of my leg armour before pulling off the sock underneath. It seemed sufficiently damp enough with sweat and a quick sniff more than told me it had a certain smell to it, enough to fuck with someone.
"To be honest, you were giving everyone plenty reason to rise in rebellion." I aired the sock out for a moment and give it a little whip. To my disappointment, it didn't make a whipping sound. "Now do me a favour, and shut the fuck up." I finished by shoving the sock into his mouth, Harren make it all the more easy leaving that big mouth of his gaping open.
My knights found this particularly amusing. "Well, that's one way to shut him up." Ser Morris Rivers snorted as Harren shouted muffled obscenities of some sorts at them.
Ser Hewyn Tumbler leaned forward slightly to whisper into Harren's ear. "How does that taste, eh? Nice and salty, I hope. Only fitting thing for your black heart, you tyrant."
Ser Patrek nodded his head in approval but he didn't say anything of the sort, but tell me of the current state that we happened to be in. "His sons are going to find out about this."
"I know."
It had been a close one. Far too close for his liking, but Ser Patrek had been right that underneath the two charges into their rear and flank, the ironborn had broke for the hills. Minutes of hard fighting later, more and more started turning and running, especially when word started spreading through the reavers that Harren had fallen in the fire.
A lot of bollocks to be true, since he was right in front of me, but that had been enough to sent these lot running. I spared as much knights as I can to hunt and put them down like the dogs that they were.
"We need to march on Harrenhal as soon as possible." I said, coming to a decision.
Ser Patrek of Fairmarket crossed his arms. "With what army? We lost a good few hundred of us. We can't siege Harrenhal with that sort of numbers."
"What's the closest castle to us?"
"Stone Hedge."
"We sent a rider, as fast as possible ahead of us." I motioned towards the still flailing and muffled Harren. "And we parade our prize. I'm sure the Brackens would like to finally be rid of the riverlands of Harren and his ilk. We then sent as many a ravens to all the castles in the riverlands to gather their strength to help us besiege Harrenhal."
"Think they will answer?" Ser Patrek of Fairmarket asked.
"It's Harren the Black." I deadpanned. "The man's not exactly liked."
And that was probably the understatement of the century.
***
I will admit that when Ser Patrek had told me of Stone Hedge, my mind had wandered over to Stone Henge. The difference after all was a single letter. It would have been somwhat amusing to find a castle surrounded by upright stones, just to drive the point home.
Sadly, this wasn't the case.
Just lying south of the Red Fork, Stone Hedge was a strong castle with a stout keep, and strong looking walls. It was an odd mixture of wood and stone. It didn't exactly live up to it's name of Stone Hedge, but I wasn't one to nit pick the little details.
Surrounding the castle was a fairly large village. I wouldn't call it a town, but I would be half tempted to. The village was also an odd mixture of stone and timber in it's composition, with the better and more solidly built appearing closer to the castle walls.
Unfortunately, this odd mixture didn't serve it well as I saw husks of what had been houses and other buildings.
I glanced back towards Harren as he rode a grey donkey that I had acquisitioned fairly from a nearby farm, hands tied behind his back, sock still stuffed into his mouth, face red with outrage and also, most importantly, naked as the day he was born.
"I see you have been a rather naughty boy." I tsked. "Shame on you. No presents for you, this Christmas."
Harren's face became even redder than it already was. He was beginning to look like a tomato.
Ser Patrek looked at me strangely. "Christmas?"
I waved the question off. "It's a long story."
Dirty, mucky and sad faces stared as me and my men rode by. I had only taken a small group of men with me, leaving the rest of the survivors of the battle to continue running down any ironborn they found. I was positive some of them were going to escape and spread the news about the Tully rebellion, but they were on foot and some on horses.
I think I had the advantage and the fact that I didn't have the equivalent of the entirety of Spain hating my very existence, so I think none of them were going to be making it to Harrenhal or any ironborn stronghold anytime soon.
Lady Anya Bracken was nearing fifty, but she was still very much handsome. She had been waiting for us the moment we made it through the castle gates. I jumped off my horse to the ground beneath. "My lady of Bracken." I greeted with a simple bow.
"My lord of Tully." She looked around and past me. "Do you have him?"
"Him?" I asked before I caught on. I moved aside and pointed a finger towards Naked Harren. "You mean him?"
Her face grew hard and outraged. "Yes. Him." She bulled past me towards Harren, drew her arm back and gave him a powerful slap that reverberated throughout the whole of the courtyard and did I mention that it was hard enough to force him landing on the ground in a dull thud? Lady Anya wasn't done though.
With Harren on the ground, she began to viciously kick him and I think me and the others just stared before we realised that Harren was very valuable and thus, it would be bad, although hilarious, for him to be kicked to death by an outraged woman.
"You vile beast!" Lady Anya hissed, kicking Harren in his mid-section, forcing a couple of winces from the men when she kicked lower. "My husband. My sons."
She was going to kill him so I rushed towards her and put my arms around her waist and began to drag her back, all the while she was flailing. "Leave me be! He has to pay!"
God, the woman was stronger than I had thought. "My lady, calm down! Harren will pay for all his crimes, but we still have need of him!" She continued to struggle against my hold before she began to calm down, her flailing and kicking slowly coming to a stop.
She was breathing hard by the time she stopped and her voice choked. "Him and all his sons." She glared daggers at the beaten and bruised man. "He will feel the pain of losing his own sons. And his line." She finished with a vicious smile. "You can release me my lord, although my actions were unseemly, your hold of me is most inappropriate."
"Uh, okay." I released her as she had asked. I looked towards Ser Patrek who had dismounted and was standing over Harren. "Is he still alive?"
The knight dropped down to a knee and looked over Harren and grunted. "Unconscious, but he will live."
"I received your man." Anya Bracken said as she corrected her hair and smoothed down her skirts. "the ravens have been sent. Whatever strength House Bracken has left shall march with you."
I frowned. "How many men are we talking about?"
"A couple of hundred at best. Mostly green boys and old men." She spit in Harren's direction. "That foul beast had fallen on our forces whilst in they were in the midst of battle against the Blackwoods. Little of them made it home before Harren fell to savage our own lands, holdfasts and castles." She looked at me with a fire in her eyes. "I have been the Lady of Stone Hedge for over thirty years, Lord Edmyn. I know these people. And I know they hunger for vengeance."
"That will do." I said, holding back my disappointment. I would have liked to have more men, but I would take what I could get. "How long will it take to gather the men?"
"I already had sent out the riders when I received your man. They will be here."
"Did you sent one to the Blackwoods?" I asked. I couldn't help but be concerned considering the relationship between the two. "Their strength will also help in this."
She surprised me by waving my concerns of with a single nonchalant wave of the hand. "I married into House Bracken, Lord Edmyn. I do not hold any ill will towards the Blackwoods. I tried to consel my lord husband to stay away from this form of action..." She trailed off before she shook her head. "Of course, if they had done by me wrong, then that would be a different matter."
I nodded. "Thank you my lady. And I hope I won't impose on you by asking for drink and food for my men. We've had a busy couple of hours as of late." I finished as I indicated towards my knights and men-at-arms.
She looked them over as well and gave a single firm nod. "That can be arranged."
***
We came upon Lord Symon Harroway and his host of two thousand men made up of five hundred horse and fifteen hundred infantry two days away from Harrenhal. When he had seen Harren riding the donkey, naked, bruised and scratched, he had laughed and bellowed. "Harren the Black? Ha! He looks a little pale to be as black as men say he is."
Lord Symon was not the only riverlord me and my growing host of men met during the road to Harrenhal. We had come upon the lords of Houses Blanetree, Bigglestone, Butterwell, Chambers, Lychester among many others. All of them bringing men and a burning resolution to put as many of the ironborn to the sword.
They also brought news as well. They told me that all across the riverlands, lords were rising up against the ironborn. Men, lord, knight and smallfolk, killing any ironborn they can get their hands upon.
He had also told me that other houses had already invested in sieging Harrenhal before I had even got there, trapping Harren's main force in the riverlands and his sons inside the great castle.
A castle that I could see dominating the land scape in the distance. Gods, that thing was gigantic, how the fuck did these people building something that might as well have been the equivalent of a giant skyscraper with the technology they had?
"Unnerving isn't it?" Lord Symon asked me once, as he rode beside me at the front of the van. Apparently, I had to do this for some reason. Got to show my lords the proper respect that they deserve.
What I wanted to know was, when did it suddenly become 'my' lords? I wasn't lording over these morons.
"No. I just can't comprehend what the moron was thinking building this thing." I shook my head. "How exactly, did he plan on running that thing after having beggared his kingdom? I would ask him, but I think he has taken a liking to my sock."
A muffled sound came from behind me and I smirked somewhat. Perhaps I was enjoying the suffering of Harren a little too much.
Lord Symon snorted back a laugh. "Harren is a cruel, cruel man. Mayhaps that cruelness got a hold over his good sense. That monstrosity, impressive to look at, but near impossible to run and garrison properly, even with the rich lands around it."
"Ain't that the truth?"
I could now understand why people in the books thought Harrenhal was an empty title. Oh yeah, it sounded good on paper. A great castle not many of it's like, strong, certainly eye catching despite ruining the view that came along with lands rich in fertility and other assorted goodies.
It was just in reality, Harrenhal would have been a bitch to run. All that wealth that was available to you would have been spend just running the castle alone and at full capacity, with enough guards and serving stuff...well, I supposed they would be making break even at the very least.
I think I would be doing every a favour if this pans out rather well to just dismantle it.
***
Harrenhal was certainly under siege that was true. Strangest siege I have ever seen to be honest. Apparently, only one side of the castle was underneath anything resembling a siege. The other three sides that made up the castle had a token force to keep an eye out to make sure the ironborn weren't going to try something funny.
In truth, it made a load of sense. Harrenhal was fucking massive. And there was only so many men the rebels had brought with them. Only the houses surrounding Harrenhal had come to invest in a siege on the castle and between them, they only had a couple of thousand men between them.
Walking through the camp towards the command tent, I was given many a nods by knights and levies, some standing up to cheer for me.
Lord Jason Goodbrook rose up from his side, large and jolly, with a laugh playing his lips. "There he is! The man of the hour!" The other lords in the tent all rose from their seats as well, giving me all kind of greetings and nods.
There was also quite a few ladies among them, Lady Anya included.
"You can all sit down my lords." I said as I took my own seat. It was only belatedly that I realised that it was at the head of the table. I wasn't liking all this symbolism and seeming deference to me for some reason. "Why you are standing is something I quite don't understand."
Lord Wyl Blackwood snorted. "Please, as of right now, you are the most powerful lord in the riverlands. How curious of you to take Harren after he had finished his reaving of Blackwood and Bracken lands."
Eyes drifted between me and Lord Wyl, curious as to how this will be resolved. Lord Wyl had joined the march on Harrenhal. I was sure that he only joined the march because he didn't want people saying that the Brackens had joined the march, with a woman leading them, whilst he sat and brooded in Raventree Hall.
"To be fair to Harren, you and Lord Davis, gods rest his soul, had more than likely ravaged your own lands more than Harren has." I pointed outside. "We can go ask him if you want. He's out there. With all the time in the world."
When I had arrived, I had set up a gibbet right in front of our siege lines, in clear view of the castle walls. So there Harren was, naked and more than likely shivering. I didn't particularly care if he caught a cold, he was going to die anyway at the end of things.
"Are we going to make an assault on the castle then, coz?" My cousin through my mother, Ser Lyam Mallister asked. "Although my lord father gave me assurances, I would rather that we finish this quick so I can take the strength I brought here back to Seagard. I'm sure by now word has reached Vickon Greyjoy in the Iron Islands."
"I wouldn't worry about it too much. Vickon won't move to save the Hoares. They aren't all liked there as well." I told him. I think that was how it went in canon. When Harren was besieged, he sent a message for reinforcements, but no reply ever came back. Or perhaps that was maybe because Vickon was one of the few smart Greyjoys who knew that fighting a dragon was simply stupid. "But you raise a good point. Why would you bring men here? I never asked for Seagard to join the march. Your strength is better served where you were."
"A command by father. You know how he is."
"Sadly, I do." Lord Forrest Mallister was not about to lie down and do nothing when his own blood was marching to battle. "I'll have a message sent to Ser Justin to raise some Riverrun men and reinforce Seagard as a just in case."
Wait, why am I taking charge of this thing? I don't want to be in charge!
I looked around the table of prominent riverlords or their representatives. I had seen the banners of pretty much nearly all the major houses of the Riverlands. The Darrys, Goodbrooks, Mallisters, Brackens, Blackwoods, Freys, Harroway, Mootons and both the branches of the Vances.
"My lords and ladies, right now we need to make a decision."
Lord Samwell Mooton of Maidenpool leaned forward onto the table. "What sort of decision?"
"About the future." I told them, making sure my eyes met every single one of them. I pulled out two letters and laid them down on the table. "These here are letters. Letters I will sent with only your approval."
They eyed the letters, some with curiosity in their eyes and other with suspicion. "Letters for whom, exactly?" Lady Justine Smallwood asked, hands wringing.
"This letter goes to either the Kings of Winter, the Rock, the reach, Mountains and Vale or the Storm." I moved my finger from that letter to the other one. "And this one to be sent to all the kings."
Wyl Blackwood groused. "A declaration of the Kingdom of the Trident I take it? With you as king, no doubt."
I balked. "King of the Trident? Fuck that. House Tully has existed for thousands of years, and I want House Tully to continue existing for thousands of more years. King of the Trident is nothing more than a suicide declaration as far as I'm concerned."
Lord Symon raised an eyebrow. "You do not wish to declare yourself king?"
I nodded. "Out of all the regions of Westeros, the riverlands has had more kingly dynasties than any other land. The ancient Fishers, Mudds, Justmans and the Teagues. Those houses have all been extinguished to the annals of history. House Tully will not be joining them." I leaned back and crossed my arms. "And frankly my lord and ladies, a Kingdom of the Trident is bound to fail no matter what."
The thoughtful looking Ser Franklin Frey shook his head. "House Justman ruled for over a three centuries. It was only unfortunate circumstances that saw the downfall of that particular House."
Bennar Vance of the Atranta branch of House Vance nodded his head in agreement. "The riverlands had never had a royal house stronger than the Justmans. Back then, we could fight off against any and all invaders. If not for that seven damned Qhored, they could very well still be ruling now and our lands would not be plagued by the trash that is the ironborn."
I looked at the lord. "...You are aware that we invited the ironborn, right? I mean, we helped them fight off the Storm King."
"The Storm Kings were tyrants." Bennar Vance replied easily enough. He then took a moment. "Although in hindsight, it was most likely not the best option for our ancestors to think the ironborn would just leave."
Lady Anya snorted. "Our ancestors were fools, my lord. From the wall to Dorne, everyone knows what the ironborn do. Why they thought to help such a people is beyond us."
Bennar Vance bowed in deference at the older lady, but there was a twinkle in his eyes. "Hindsight gives us the right to judge them, my lady. A benefit that they did not have."
Lord Wyl Blackwood who had been quietly brooding then spoke. "So you will not be king, then you suggest we offer ourselves to the other kingdoms then?" He asked. He motioned towards the letters. "I can only assume that is the point of these things."
"Yes." I nodded. "That is the point. We can swear fealty to the north, the Vale, the Rock, the Reach or the Storm."
"Impossible!" Lord Jason growled, suddenly changing from a jolly man to a rather angry looking man. "We offer ourselves to any of them, we risk bringing war to the riverlands! The north will use us to feed their people and who is to say that they will come to our aid when the greenhands, the lions, the falcons and the stags come knocking on our doors? And it is the same for all the other kingdoms as well."
"It doesn't have to be forever." I told him. It just had to be until Aegon decided to get off his right royal arse and start conquering shit. Actually, when was he going to conquer this place? Had Volantis tried it's hand at conquering the other Daughters yet?
"It doesn't have to be now. It doesn't have to be ever." Lord Jason looked around the tent, imploring each and every one of the assembled riverlords with his eyes before speaking. "How long must we suffer the trepidations of others? Is it not enough that our lands and people suffer from the constant fighting of the other kingdoms?"
That was a good question, but he seemed to be forgetting that the riverlords were there own worst enemy as well. They had a tendency to fight amongst themselves.
"I say it's enough!" Lord Jason bellowed to the surprise of many. He then pointed at me. I didn't like the pointing. "We have a young man here. Brave. Bold. And by the looks of it, with a certain low cunning to him. I say we declare for all of Westeros to hear, him King of the Trident!"
The lords murmured and cheered. "King of the Trident!" Some of them shouted. "Tully! Tully!" Others shouted.
"Brilliant." Wyl Blackwood mumbled to himself, yet loud enough to be heard amongst the shouting. "We now have a child leading us. How all of Westeros shall quake the Kingdom of the Trident's rise once more."
Lady Anya rolled her eyes. "Oh must you be so sour? Don't be a fool, Wyl. How many times have the greenhands raided your lands? Our lands? Perhaps it's time for House Bracken and Blackwood to finally stand together with others to safeguard our own."
"Bracken and Blackwood?" Wyl repeated, eyes narrowed. "It should be Blackwood and Bracken. No Bracken will ever come to be first of any Blackwood."
"Seven save us." Lady Anya huffed.
Jason Goodbrook regaled me, seemingly pleased with himself. "There. You have the consent of the lords you gathered. We declare you king."
I did not want this. This was stupid. I didn't want to be king...or did I?
"Me? King?" I said slowly. The thought had come to me that things seemed to be heading in this direction. I was still very much against being King of the Trident because I didn't want the Tullys to be House number five to be faced with destruction after taking the title. Common sense was telling me to say no and pass the baton on to someone else, but..."If you name me king, then there will be changes."
"Every king brings his own changes." Myles Darry told me. "Some good, some bad. Time will only tell which one yours shall be."
"A standing army like those of the Free Cities."
The tent exploded in raised voices. The lords shouted and argued so much that it was rather difficult to tell what their shouting and arguments were on about.
Myles Darry was the one who brought order back to the tent. "As you can see, Lord Tully, the notion of a standing army is not well received. Would you be so kind to give us your reasoning? Perhaps you can sway us."
I began to explain my point. "For starters, we are the most central region of Westeros. This piece of Westeros has seen more battles and wars than any other region. If we are to protect ourselves from invaders, and believe me, we will have invaders, we must have a professional, highly trained, competent army to meet our invaders in the field and turn them back."
"And how we will pay for this army? Or make sure that you don't use it unjustly against your vassals?" Myles Darry continued to prod.
"Well for starters, I would ask that you all give payments of scutage rather than promise men when it comes to the military. That is how I will pay for the men for the defence of the kingdom and your lands. And to stop me from being a tyrant, you can still keep your right to raise your banners if I or any of my descendants overstep themselves or the power goes to their heads. Hopefully, it won't come to that." I rose from my seat. "That is my offer, my lords. If you wish to accept me as king, you must give me leave to create such a force. I shall leave you to discuss it upon yourselves. If no agreement is reached," I pushed the letters forward. "These still stand."
After that, I left them to squabble among themselves. In the shadows that Harrenhal cast.