Chapter 7 – War in the Riverlands
Godric's Hollow, the Riverlands…
Meleys, the fierce she-dragon known sometimes as the Red Queen circled the merchant town which had been the place chosen to keep Rhaenyra's three youngest children as it had the advantage of being a well-fortified town with now two dragons too protect it. Rani and Meleys would be a dangerous combination in battle and make the town now Vhagar was back on Dragonstone too strong to attack.
Rhaenys carefully guided her dragon in to land in the courtyard of her great niece's castle, the sight of Rani nearby did much to steady her nerves, which had been sorely tried by the presence of Aegon, Viserys and Alysanne not to mention having to fly slower than normal due to the much smaller dragon Stormcloud following behind them. Aegon could not bare to be parted from his dragon especially now his elder brother was dead and so he had to come.
Visenya was thankfully standing there to greet them and walked over to meet her younger siblings, Rhaenys saw her eyes were slightly bloodshot, she'd been crying and was now trying not to let it show Rhaenys realised and greeted her with a nod before bending down to catch her two younger brothers as they ran straight into her arms.
-x-
Visenya honestly wanted nothing more than to hold her little brothers close, the pain of losing Lucerys stabbing at her heart and making her hate Aegon, Aemond and her mother even more for starting the war that had killed him. She feared deeply for Jacaerys and Joffrey who had stayed where it was the most dangerous, either out gathering allies or at their mother's side and swore to herself that she would keep her youngest siblings safe.
Still her heart yearned for Harry, he like her other two brothers was out there fighting this pointless war and now Rhaenys and her dragon were here felt safe enough leaving her son with his grandparents for a short time. Seeing the still very young Alysanne in her great aunt's arms made Visenya smile, she had never even seen her before today but the fact that her youngest siblings would be safe here, protected by her dragon and the magic of its ruling family would hopefully keep the nightmares of losing her whole family from becoming a reality.
Near the Ruby Ford, The Riverlands…
The long column of the 'Black' Riverlands army marched up the King's Road with men full of song, many eager for a fight especially one that they were near certain to win. Despite the recent defections they had far more men than their enemy and had the advantage of high moral and better equipment.
At the head of the column Harry and the other lords looked ahead and saw a second column of men coming from the east, he and the rest of the men were uneasy at first but then saw the banners and who was leading them. The brown shield with black studs and runes around it showing it was being led by House Royce specifically Lord Robar Royce, his father's cousin. Behind him were the banners of all the First Men Vale houses and surprisingly a number of Arryn knights too.
They rode right up too them and nodded in greeting which Harry and his Riverland allies returned.
"Lord Peverell. I hope we are not too late to join the fighting since our opposites in the Vale have ridden to join the remaining Greens." Robar said with a smile, Harry returned it and said with confidence.
"Not at all Lord Royce you are most welcome and just in time to join the battle." Harry told him, now feeling their chances were even stronger.
-x-
The Ruby Ford, the following day…
The Green Army now joined with their Vale counterparts were all standing ready for battle, nerves were strained as most if not all of them were aware of the odds against them. They had counted on aid from their king but it seemed that with the recent death of his brother and the fact the Blacks now had a weapon that could take down a dragon that they had been abandoned and would now have to face them alone.
Lord Corbray had become leader of the Vale Knights in the formation. He and his family had once been in favour of the Blacks but since the Peverells fought for Rhaenyra they had defected to the Greens. Family pride would never allow them to side with the thieves that had tortured their kin to death and stolen their precious family sword for themselves. This was only compounded by the fact that the plan to assassinate Harry Peverell had failed and their only friends in the enemy camp had been exposed so now stood with them in what honestly felt like a last stand.
When the enemy finally appeared it honestly scared him and the rest of the men more than anything they had faced before.
The Blacks had a colossal army, men on foot and on horseback seemed to stretch out for a mile across, Corbray looked behind him and saw the fast flowing river that was far too deep and strong to swim easily which was pointless as he and most of the men here could not swim. Looking to Lord Vance who was now leading the Riverlands men in their force they shared a look of resignation, neither man was going to simply surrender, it was too great an insult to their personal honour.
So they stood their ground.
-x-
Harry now again in his battle armour stood with his men on foot, where he was at his best and in the thick of it with them. Around him stood many men, focused and ready to fight along with the more eager and inexperienced newcomers on the wings. The Greens had he expected intended to try and cross the river to make sure that they would have to follow and get them in the water and weaken them that way not to mention wait for Aemond's support. But sudden rainfall upstream had made the river far stronger than normal and by now Aemond was either dead or wishing he was.
Dark clouds gathered overhead as the rain moved down with the wind, however the Blacks did not immediately charge. As the dismounted knights and heavy infantry of the Greens lined up in front to repel the expected charge the Peverell men lined up and took their unusual spears in hand and with well practised aim, threw them towards the enemy lines. Many struck true, most hitting shields rather than people but the damage was done. As designed the spears bent and became stuck in the enemy shields despite fierce attempts by the soldiers to pull them free and most simply threw the now near useless shields aside which they would soon learn was a very bad move, especially as their shield wall had many holes in it.
With that done Harry and the rest of the men started marching forward towards the trapped Greens who resigned, turned to face them and make their stand.
They finally met with fierce clash of steel and blood, neither side having the time to form a strategy and soon it became a close quarter splatter fest. However most of the vanguard greens found themselves easy prey for the Blacks without a shield to protect them and cohesion very quickly started to break down.
Harry and his men were some of the first in, Harry felt a knight bash an undamaged shield into his but without any real force behind it and he easily pushed it aside to deliver a sword to the mouth before quickly pulling it out to counter another man coming at him from the side.
The sound of the nearby rushing water was quickly drowned out by the noise of men fighting, steel and wood bashing together with screams of men and horses as they were injured or killed.
Many of the Greens at the rear took their chance and fled towards the river, willing to risk the water than face the overwhelming wave of men coming straight at them. The river was fast flowing and these men soon discovered, far too deep to simply wade through. Those in armour also made the mistake of trying to continue while wearing it, its weight dragging them down into the water while those that could not swim were overwhelmed by the current and depth, sinking beneath its surface.
Some however did stand and fight but were slowly forced back towards the water, no longer able to create a solid line of defence their men were being cut off from each other into smaller and smaller groups.
Harry himself was fighting with a group of his men that were more or less at the heart of the fighting, a sudden cry of his family name though attracted his attention.
"PEVERELL! THAT SWORD BELONGS TO MY FAMILY!"
Turning quickly to look he saw a knight or possibly a lord wearing the heraldry of House Corbray and Harry gritted his teeth with annoyance. Not this again he thought with anger, they had attacked his family and lost, but they still played the victim like his family were the bad guys. Harry growled in with anger and gesturing with a flick of his sword towards the offender.
"COME AND GET IT!" He challenged and the Corbray did just that, throwing his shield aside and charged like an enraged bull, Harry just frowned and ducked slightly to avoid the slash sent at his head, before smashing his shield into the man's legs, hitting him in the back of the knee sending him falling head first into the mud. Harry did not even give him a chance to recover before stabbing him straight in the back of the neck.
The sight of their leader's easy defeat completely broke the Valemen that saw it and many abandoned the fight to either run for the river and take their chances there or surrender.
Harry however noticed that Forrest Frey was in trouble, he was locked in a duel with Lord Vance and had already been injured. Harry wasted no time in rushing to his aid and blocked a strike that would have probably have impaled the Lord of the Crossing, the distraction caused by his sudden appearance enabled Lord Frey to get a good jab in-between the gaps of Lord Vance's armour, stabbing him straight into the neck.
Forrest gave him a grateful smile which Harry returned before they got back to the fighting, there was still work to be done.
The sight of the largest battle the Riverlands had seen in decades if not centuries would have turned your stomach, the banks of the river were covered with the dead while slightly further in land dead men and horses littered the ground. The prisoners taken during battle had been given the gruesome job under the watch of their new masters of gathering the bodies of the dead and throwing them on pyres to burn and avoid the spread of disease before throwing whatever was left in mass graves.
In the command tent of the Blacks Harry gathered the Riverlanders and the Valemen that had fought with him and asked his comrades.
"How many dead?" He said, needing to know how costly the battle had been. Many of the lords and knights were still in a little state of shock given they had never truly seen battle before but Lord Frey who was nursing his injured arm told him.
"Two thousand for us, twelve thousand for them."
Fourteen thousand men dead in a single battle on the altar of two power crazed siblings Harry thought with anger, the only good thing that came from it was that the Riverlands and Vale were now completely with the Blacks or would be when they had secured all the remaining Green strongholds which with their armies defeated shouldn't be too difficult. Either they would surrender and bend the knee or be brought under siege.
Harry nodded in thanks and turned to the other lords gathered in the tent, he was surprised to have apparently emerged as leader of their army and the looks of expectation being sent his way made him more than a little uncomfortable but concentrated on what he needed to say.
"Since there are still castles and towns that support the Greens we will need to deal with them as a threat before we are truly secure. To that end, we will break our forces into smaller groups that will ride or march to the enemy strongholds. Either they bend the knee or we bring them under siege, if that happens alert those closest too you and call for support. If they resist then you have within reason the right to do as you see fit, however if they surrender then you are to take the hostages and nothing more...understood?" Harry asked and many nodded with eager smiles, seeing the opportunity to grab castles or towns as their own.
Harry began pointing out different places in the Riverlands and Vale and directing certain groups towards them while he would lead his own army to Maidenpool. His reasons for going after that target were both military, political and economic. It would serve to both neutralise a potential place for a foreign army to land in support of the Greens if they came by sea, not to mention as a statement of his family and their power which secured his position as leader.
However the other reasons were far more self-serving, House Mooton had always kept a distance from his family and charged them high tolls to trade through their port if he conquered the town and took it as his own it would stop and let them trade more cheaply but also it gave his younger brother a potential seat of his own in the future if he wanted it.
He was about to dismiss the lords when the sound of large wings and a small roar appeared, shocking them all and more than a few looked scared, wondering if Aegon had come to burn them all but as Harry raced outside to see the source of the disturbance he smiled.
The silver scales of his wife's dragon shone in the sun as she landed, the men stared in complete astonishment and awe as easily the most beautiful woman they had ever seen dismounted the dragon. Her long silver hair arrived in looped ponytails to keep it from flying in her face while flying and her incredible figure was covered in black chain-mail and leather that did nothing to hide her shape. Her purple eyes hypnotic as she strode forward with confidence and poise that made her seem like a goddess amongst men.
Seeing the lust in men's eyes honestly brought a glare to his eyes that made many instantly realise just who this was...Visenya Peverell and instantly looked away save bringing her or her husband's wrath down on them. Harry then walked forward and the moment his wife was within reach pulled her into as passionate a kiss as he could manage. She responded with just as much fire as he, wrapping her arms around his neck while his went around her waist.
They stayed like that for as long as they were able, taking comfort in each other but mindful of their audience they had to end it and went the relative privacy of Harry's personal tent. Once inside they asked each other the exact same question at the exact same time.
"Are you alright?"
Both just stared at each other for a moment, neither willing to speak till Harry saw the tears threatening to fall in her eyes and took her in his arms, as she let them fall she clung to him the pain of losing her little brother coming out and her fear for the rest of her family with it. Harry just held her, letting her get all of it out rather than hold it in any more.
When she finally ran out of tears they stood there in silence before he told her words she needed to hear.
"We protect our own, whatever it takes."
"Agreed." She said and some of the anger she had suppressed started coming out, she needed to let it out somehow and given she had a dragon they both knew how that was going to go. "Anywhere I can deal with?"
Harry was about to say no but a thought popped into his head, there was something she could do that would help.
"I need Whitewalls dealing with. The Butterwells betrayed us and their castle is perfectly located to attack Godric's Hollow. It has to be dealt with, captured if possible as a layer of defence and it has a lot of dairy farms which would provide cattle for the dragons."
"Done." She said glad to let her anger out on something and protect her home at the same time. "I'll need a thousand men."
"Are you sure that's enough?" Harry asked, not sure she should be doing this or if he should be asking this of her.
"More than enough." She reassured him and pulled him into another kiss, he returned it and without even thinking lifted her up so she could wrap her legs around his waist.
Winterfell, the North…
Jacaerys was astonished at how cold the North even outside of winter turned out to be. He was wrapped up in thick furs and still he was shivering and if not for the heat his dragon naturally made from its inner fire he would have passed out from the cold winds long ago.
So the sight of the largest stronghold in the North was a welcome sight when it finally came into view. It was an impressive castle Jacaerys thought, far older than nearly any other castle in Westeros and had been built before the rise of the Freehold yet was still standing! It was rather grim looking but he saw how well fortified the castle was and knew any force trying to attack it would suffer greatly, especially if winter came at the wrong moment and they were outside the protection of the large walls.
A shiver ran through him that had nothing to do with the cold, what did make him feel better was the sight of Silverwing and Moonchaser flying above the castle. They noticed him and Vermax, letting out friendly growls of welcome as they descended towards the open courtyard where Jacaerys saw a crowd had gathered. As Vermax touched down he saw Lord Stark standing there with his future goodsister Rhaena and their household servants and his future wife Baela was there too. She did not look pleased to see him Jacaerys thought which did not bode well for their coming marriage he thought with worry.
He did not allow himself to dwell on it as he had to meet his hosts, they knelt at his feet and he bid them.
"Rise Lord Stark, we are soon to be goodbrothers and family need not bow to each other." He said politely and Lord Cregan rose to his feet and stood to his full height which was at least a head or two more than Jacaerys.
"Welcome to Winterfell your grace, our home and the North are yours." Cregan told him and Jacaerys mindful of his manners took Rhaena's hand and placed a kiss upon it.
"Lady Stark, it warms my heart to see you again. But where is your son Eddard?" He asked eager to see his nephew but a stern look of rebuke came from Baela who told him.
"He is still far too young to be out in the cold and neither should Rhaena since we have just learnt she is pregnant again." Baela said with great annoyance aimed squarely at him.
Jacaerys was taken aback and not sure of what to say given how coldly Baela was treating him, ironic given their current location he thought with slight amusement. But that quickly passed and he said, noticing the largely empty godwood nearby.
"Excuse me Lord and Lady Stark, I require some privacy with my betrothed." Jacaerys said as tactfully as he could manage and grabbed hold of Baela by the hand, dragging her into the godwood. She didn't resist and when they were alone faced each other with a glare for each other.
"What is going on Baela? What have I done to warrant such anger?" He asked with annoyance only to be shocked when she slapped him and gave him a look that could have killed a bear.
"Who the hell do you think you are?! You are as full of their own importance as my father!" Baela said furious. "It has nothing to do with you! Its the fact that Cregan is now duty bound to march south and leave Rhaena when she needs him most! He was here with her when Eddard was born and is likely to never see the birth of his next child! Like Harry in the south will miss most of his son's early years because of this rather than be with him and Visenya! That is what is making me angry!" She started shouting at him and Jacaerys instantly felt guilty, he had never really been faced with something like this and his own anger over what had happened to Lucerys had blinded him to the fact that families were being torn apart by this war and many would not be coming home.
It hung on his shoulders just how much this war was going to change all of them and knew he would need to do what he could to make it as short as possible.
So he would fight...his mother wanted him back on Dragonstone as soon as possible but he and his dragon could make all the difference in this fight so when the Northern army marched south he would go with them.
-x-
Cregan and Rhaena meanwhile had returned to their rooms and the moment the door was closed Cregan took his wife in his arms and kissed her deeply, Rhaena responded and wrapped her arms around his neck and shoulders.
"Come back to me." Rhaena said with fear that today and tonight might be all they had left together. Little Eddard was so young and Rickon not much older, they needed their father and so would their daughter when she was born. Granted there was no way to be certain that this baby inside her was a girl but in her gut she knew. Regardless she did not want to deny them the love of their father, for all his fierce exterior there was no man that loved as deeply or completely than Cregan. From the first night when she had seen the passion that lurked beneath that grim facade to the day that their son had been born he gave himself fully to everything he did. Their children would never know a moment of fear or horror if he could help it and if someone harmed them, Cregan would never let it go till those responsible were punished as harshly as he could. Even if he had to go to the ends of the world to do it.
"I will." He told her gently and stroked her cheek, which made her smile a little. Any animosity from before forgotten.
They stayed like that for a long time, just taking comfort from the presence of the other. Regretfully though they had to go down the hall for dinner, before they left however a letter was delivered. Cregan and Rhaena both studied it with confusion when they saw it had the seal of two large smith hammers crossed in yellow coloured wax. Opening the letter with curiosity Cregan carefully read the contents.
To the honourable Lord Cregan Stark,
It is with the greatest urgency and need that I write this letter and beg for your aid. I am Lord Joel Patroni, the current head of House Patroni located in the Stormlands. My family have always been a loyal subject of House Baratheon but the current lord is attempting to seize our family's land for his own purposes and I have no support to fight him. I fear deeply for my family and are desperately in need of shelter in lands where we would be safe from his wrath.
I am aware that I am asking for much in return for seemingly nothing but I am more than willing to swear undying fealty to you and your family and would serve you well if given the opportunity. My family are expert craftsmen and have considerable skill in engineering that we will gladly place at your command.
I appreciate your time in reading this letter and dearly hope to be granted an audience in a setting of your own choosing.
With the utmost respect,
Lord Joel Patroni, Lord of Boneway Hold.
Cregan was too say the least surprised at the unexpected letter as was Rhaena who managed to glimpse the contents, one of the Marsh Lords that defended the Stormlands from attacks by Dorne House Patroni had a small gold mine that made them a frequent target for raids from both sides of the border and had only a small fighting force, that meant to keep themselves safe they had been forced to devise ever more inventive and solid defences against attack so Lord Patroni was not lying when he said they had considerable skill in engineering and architecture. They were worth granting a small audience when he and his army got south, they could meet him in the Riverlands.
Not to mention the last time House Stark had given sanctuary to a family from the south that was in trouble they had gained not only one of their most loyal and dependable vassals who still stayed true to their word to this day but also a small city and port that served as the great hub of Northern trade both in and out of the country.
Perhaps he thought as he composed his response to meet him in the Riverlands, they might get lucky once again.
Riverrun, the Riverlands…
As news spread about the Green's defeat at the Battle of the Ruby Ford many presumed the war in the Riverlands was over and likewise in the Vale given they had fought here too.
However one of the most important houses in the region had yet to get involved in events, they had not rallied when news of the Small Council's coup and puppet king had come to light nor when war was being fought on their own lands.
The reason was squarely down to one thing, a stubborn old lord and two equally difficult much younger sons.
Grover Tully was now far older and his body failing after such a long life, he was stuck in bed and unable to move but still as stubborn as ever and refusing to give even the slightest authority to his grandson or great-grandson Elmo and Kermit respectively. Grover was a traditionalist and wanted to fight for Aegon purely because he had a cock while Elmo and Kermit favoured Rhaenyra as queen, feeling she was the one chosen by the late king and at least was standing on her own as opposed to being a puppet. The three men all refused to move or compromise on their positions and their inaction was becoming a major slight by House Tully towards both the two potential claimants and their own vassals who had noted their lack of involvement.
"She cannot succeed, no one will let her rule. Aegon will be the one that wins in the end when all of Westeros realises her unsuitability." Grover insisted from his bed while the Maester brought him another of the wretched concoctions that were supposed to help.
Elmo however was getting increasingly exasperated by his grandfather's attitude, whereas years ago he had been more moderate in his views as proven when he had respected Lily Strong's claim to her family seat as the last member of her family nowadays he seemed unwilling to give women the slightest credit. He would never allow a woman to hold anything and refused to budge on this position that women were weak and could never handle the strain of ruling.
The two younger men began to wonder if it were some affliction that was causing this but did not dwell on it and continued to argue.
"She is winning this war! The Green supporters in both the Vale and our own lands have been defeated and the North has now sent word its army is coming south to join the fighting and at least she is no puppet of the Small Council or a kinslayer." Elmo said sharply but Grover just glared at him and countered.
"Men won those battles and time will prove me right about the usurper, she is a woman what can she know?" He said but Kermit broke in.
"Our vassals have been fighting while we stay idle, they have noticed our absence and it reflects badly on our house. We have little chance of leading the Riverlands army in this war now! They think us cowards!" Kermit nearly shouted but however passionate or forceful his words did nothing to weaken Grover's position.
"They wouldn't if you had rode out to fight for Aegon as I ordered! They would not have lost if you honoured your lord." Grover said not willing to admit he might have misjudged the situation or be wrong in any way. Elmo and Kermit exchanged a look of disgust in his direction before Elmo turned back and said with a look of stern resolve that could have matched Grover's.
"I thought you might say that and not understand the danger you are placing us in with your stubbornness and lack of forethought so you leave me no choice but to take matters into my own hands." Elmo told him and turned to the maester and said with annoyance. "Ensure that Lord Grover is comfortable and is not troubled unduly by the staff, he is in need of rest and peace."
"As you wish Ser Tully." The Maester said with complete obedience and Grover for a moment looked confused but soon caught on to what was happening.
"I am Lord of Riverrun…I command." He said as stress made his voice and breathing more laboured. Elmo however with his son at his side just stared before saying.
"I will not allow your opinions to bring us to ruin and risk our home, you are safe for we are not kin slayers but all the servants which will attend to you are my people. I meanwhile will declare our fealty and join the rest of the Black army once it reassembles to make sure there is no doubt on which side we stand."
Grover was so taken aback by the sudden coup by his own family that he instantly started coughing heavily as some kind of 'attack' began, the Maester quickly started treated him while Elmo and Kermit left to see to their duties and try to restore confidence in the leadership of their house.
Whitewalls, the Riverlands…
The castle known as Whitewalls got that name from the white stone used in its construction, taken from the Vale. Inside there was marble walls and floors while pillars of the same material were lined with gold and trucks of Weirwood trees had been used for the rafters. It had been costly to build and House Butterwell who were made rich by the large milk farms on their lands selling butter and milk had been very proud of their castle.
But with the defeat of their army and the brutal execution of their lord all that was about to change, a thousand Peverell heavy infantry marched towards the walls and above them was the very large form of Rani with Visenya astride. His young widow had already fled to her family in the Crownlands for protection and the guards and servants that remained didn't even put up the slightest resistance, bending the knee in defeat and opening the gates immediately rather than be burnt by the dragon.
Only one man dared to try and rally the men to resist, the new Lord of Whitewalls Ambrose Waters, the bastard brother of the deceased lord. However his overweight and loud voice did nothing to stir the men and he soon found himself being thrown to the ground in front of the Peverell soldiers. Out of desperation he tried to get to his feet and run back inside but one of the Butterwell guards actually stabbed him with a spear to prevent him getting them all killed.
Visenya was nonplussed about the scene given what their house had tried to do to her husband but decided to let the guards and servants live and her men took possession of the castle while two hundred rode to each of the large farms in the area to ensure they were compliant with the new rulers.
A bit anti-climatic Visenya thought without much emotion but a satisfying ending all the same.
-x-
Dragonstone, the Narrow Sea…
Daemon smiled in satisfaction as word from his men came from the mainland, it had been done and he had achieved what he had promised to Rhaenyra.
An eye for an eye, a son for a son.
He had the head of Jaehaerys, Aegon's six year old boy and his heir in front of him and felt only a sense of accomplishment. Not only had they killed Aegon's son in the heart of the Red Keep but put the fear of the gods in Helaena, Jaehaera and Maelor the latter now knowing his mother had chosen for him to die rather than his elder brother. He also admired his new ring, made from the sapphire that had once been Aemond's fake eye, a symbol of revenge and the many hours he had spent working the vicious prince over before finally allowing him to die.
When Rhaenyra finally entered the room and saw the sight of Jaehaerys' severed head before her, she stared for a moment before coming over and smiling before kissing him with great passion. She dragged him away to their bed chamber where she would show him her appreciation but those serving who saw the sight and learnt of what had happened all were truly sickened at the sight of the young boy's head and the depths to which Daemon would sink.
-x-
The Red Keep, Kings Landing…
Aegon's mood was incredibly dark as he sat on the Iron Throne, he had not moved in hours as the basket containing his brother's head sat in front of him and the corpse of his eldest son was being prepared for burial without a head.
He didn't really feel anything at first as he sank into what could only be described as a dark pit that seemed to have no end. Grief swallowing his mind whole and yet no tears could fall, he had nothing left in him as his most beloved brother and the son that had been one of the few truly bright spots in his life were ripped from him on the same day.
His wife he cared little for anyway but she and his two surviving children seemed to be lost in their own worlds and no longer cared about anything he did or anything in general. His mother likewise seemed to have lost any kind of emotion other than sadness and grief especially after her father Otto had finally passed due to his great injuries.
Aegon personally still carried the scars from his fight with Rhaenyra's bastard and his hatred of her and all her family only grew stronger with each passing moment. He wanted to kill all of them!
That was the sole thought running through his mind but his love for his dragon, his most loyal companion stopped him as Sunfyre could not hope to handle all the dragons around Dragonstone by himself, not while he was still healing. But he could fly and breathe fire still Aegon thought with no real joy but a kind of satisfaction as a plan to send a message to his sister and her supporters expanded in his mind, already he had contracted a Faceless Man to strike a blow on his behalf but this would show all of Westeros what it meant to cross him. He turned to Ser Rickard Thorne who stood on guard nearby, the temporary head of his Kingsguard till Daeron returned.
"Prepare a horse."
"As you command your grace." Thorne responded and sent the orders arranging it, following him to the Dragonpit where his dragon sensed his mood and rubbed his scales against him. Aegon gently rubbed them back and with some help mounted his dragon before taking flight.
The wind was strangely soothing as he rode through the air but despite that he didn't take any real pleasure from it. He just concentrated on flying north towards his target, seeing it after only half an hour's ride. A large merchant port town that seemed insignificant to him now, he was incredibly detached as he called his dragon to dive.
The men on the walls did not realise the dragon was there at first, the dark of the night obscured its approach, only when it began its dive did they realise it was there and could only shout as they had no chance of getting ready in the short amount of time they had left.
Moments later they were engulfed by a massive blast of fire screaming down on them, destroying their bodies with its sheer heat.
Aegon did not stop though, his rage demanded more.
So he dived again and let our more flames but these fell on the houses, the port, the castle and every structure big enough for him to see until the entire town was ablaze beneath him.
Ships attempting to escape the harbour did little better, the moment he saw them Aegon dived and set them ablaze too.
The Blaze of Duskendale could be seen for miles around such was the greatness of the fire and would see many Crownlords fold rather than fight any further. It would go down in history as one of the greatest slaughters in history, worst than the Burning of Harrenhal over a century earlier. Thousands of men, women and children burnt to satisfy Aegon's rage.
-x-
Meanwhile another dragon, this one smaller with blue scales descended into the Dragonpit and its rider quickly dismounted and called for a horse to take him to the Red Keep.
Prince Daeron Targaryen urged his horse on when it finally came, desperate to ensure his family did not suffer any more loss in this war.
Maidenpool, the Riverlands…
Harry and his men had arrived at the port town earlier that morning, terms had been offered but ignored and a folk of ravens dispatched no doubt bearing cries for help.
Harry said nothing at first, wondering if they intended to flee by ship but lookouts reported no ships seemed to be in a rush to leave, he guessed they intended to hold him here till help from the south could arrive or a dragon from the Greens.
He just shook his head, wondering why House Mooton, a mere infant of a house compared to his own in terms of strength and history would sneer at him this way. He resolved to make sure they and all others learnt the error of their ways.
So he turned to his men and ordered them to built trebuchets, wagons they had dragged with them from the beginning of the campaign carried prepared framework and rope and only needed to be assembled.
Which took his men only a day to do.
Other men took to gathering rocks from nearby and by the following dawn, they were prepared.
The Mooton soldiers who had stayed behind while their fellows had followed their lord into battle were astonished to see the war machines up so quickly and panicked when they started firing. Another advantage the Peverells held over their fellow houses was by maintaining a professional army was their soldiers had far greater practice with aiming and using siege weapons in general, so they found their mark far sooner than expected.
A section of the pink stone walls collapsed under less than an hour of their assault, leaving a large gap in their defences.
Harry and his men wasted no time and on either horse back or on foot charged straight into the town while the trebuchets turned their attention to the castle at the town's centre. The few men at arms who tried to defy them fell to their squad of horse archers which rode ahead and most of the others simply threw down their weapons and surrendered.
Harry was with the heavy infantry and cavalry as they forced their way into the castle which was the seat of House Mooton. The few remaining men scattered at their approach except for one man who stood with sword in hand ready to meet him. Manfryd Mooton, the brother of the late lord and now Lord of Maidenpool. He snarled at Harry who dismounted with his men before staring him down. Manfryd just glared back and shouted.
"YOU WILL NEVER HAVE MAIDENPOOL!" He screamed with spit flying everywhere and charged like a man possessed at Harry who just raised an eyebrow while one of his men fired a bolt from their crossbow straight into the man's eye.
"Good shot." Harry said to the man in question who graciously accepted the compliment before Harry gave his orders. "Cut down the Mooton banners and put Peverell ones in their place. Next summon stonemasons to repair the walls, now it is ours I will not let the enemy reclaim it." Harry said, accomplishment filling him up as the best port in the Riverlands now belonged to his family, a garrison would need to be left here but no longer would they need to pay the exorbitant fees of the Mootons to trade through here. Not to mention giving his younger brother a potential seat if he wanted it.
He had no doubt other houses might do the same as his but as long as those taken prisoner were treated well and an act of surrender honoured, he was satisfied. This war was far from over and he knew much bloodshed lay ahead but for the moment things were looking good for them.
However when he reached the lord's solar and read the message that had apparently just arrived his face went from calm and relieved to twisted with disgusted horror in the blink of an eye as he absorbed its contents.
By the Gods he thought when falling back into the chair as the weight of what had happened in Kings Landing and Duskendale, they were both worst than he had ever believed. To do that to a six year old boy! And to a town full of innocent people!
He would need to speak with the rest of the Blacks from the Riverlands and Vale when they met again in a moon's cycle. The situation had grown considerably darker and more unstable as the gloves came off and all out war descended on them all.
Unknown Location, Dorne…
Bellatrix was used to heat, the temperatures of Essos in the various places she's been were hardly any worse than Dorne's rough and harsh terrain. Cooling charms were such a useful invention she thought.
Still her search for magic was not going well, it seemed little of it remained here and she wondered if the Seven were to blame. She scoffed at their pathetic beliefs and ideas, crushing anything even remotely different. They only stifled themselves, hence why even after centuries life was still the same for all the people here rich or poor.
However their fear of her was something she could relish, looking at the twisted corpses of the family whose house she had taken and smiled at how much she had enjoyed terrorising them and making their last few days a living hell.
But that still hadn't helped her find any magic so she wondered if the local capital Sunspear might be worth a try. She took a sip of the Dornish Red and sighed with contentment, while she might not have found much magic she could take some much needed enjoyment in casual torment.
-x-
Sunspear, Dorne…
Meria Martell was uncomfortable as she sat with her baby growing inside her, she was sick most of the day and could hardly ever sleep and would be very glad when at last this baby came out which should only be in a few days. Still she thought with a smile, Cedric had been doting on her all the time always there to rub her feet or shoulders, finding food whatever she craved. He was the one bright spark about this whole thing and she could well imagine how much he would do for the baby when it was born. He was going to be an amazing father she thought with a happy smile.
The war in the north for control of the Iron Throne was far from all of their minds here, it mattered little which would be king or queen sat on it since they would not bow to anyone Meria thought with a grin remembering her house's words and ones that those who crossed House Martell had not lived to understand.
Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken.
No outsider would ever conquer Dorne while they stood.
But the reports of both Aegon and Rhaenyra made her wonder if they would stand true to the treaty that they had signed with Jaehaerys years ago. It had secured peace and she would rather not have her child grow up in a time of war if either decided to invade Dorne when their civil war was done.
So no one in her family thought much of the Triarchy fleet that had been sighted heading up towards Dragonstone. It did not concern them but given Rhaenyra seemed to be winning the war so far Meria had started to think differently.
If she did nothing then there was a very good chance that the Triarchy fleet would destroy the Velaryons group of ships and deliver a decisive blow to her chances of gaining the throne. But if Meria sent a warning to Rhaenyra in good faith that she would honour the treaty made by her grandfather with them it could secure peace for another few decades.
A gamble and one that could land her in hot water with the rest of her family but in her mind it was worth it to get peace for her child's life time.
So she dipped her quill in some ink and started writing her message. Just as she finished and gave it to the maester to sent though a sudden rush of water hit her feet and with a yell for the servants she went into labour.
One Moon Later, the Riverlands…
Columns of men had been arriving all day as the Black Army came back together after securing the Vale and Riverlands for their side. The soldiers all laughed and joked, many drunkenly boasting of their achievements while apart which were large exaggerations at best but the mood in the camp was by large happy and confident.
However in the large tent where the commanders of the army were meeting the atmosphere was very different.
While glad to see each other again the news of what Daemon had done and Rhaenyra's agreement to it, not to mention the complete destruction of Duskendale and all its people had shaken them all. And now they had to decide just what to do about it.
"Surrender is out of the question." Samwell Blackwood said as they sat around the table. "Aegon would burn us all anyway, he clearly doesn't care about who he burns." He said with his mind drifting to the thousands slaughtered in the burning. Lord Bracken at his side nodding in agreement, one of the few times in history when their houses had been on the same page about anything.
"But Daemon is no better." Forrest Frey said with anger at the disgusting display the rogue prince had put on. "Killing a helpless child in front of his mother and siblings and then taking the head to give a gift to his wife, our queen. How can we serve a man like that? Or a woman who would not only accept it but reward him for it?" Forrest said looking disgusted about it, his own strong sense of integrity refusing to accept the idea of taking orders from such a man.
The men in front of him continued to argue while Harry who sat at the head of the table just looked on, a thought running through his mind that might solve this issue with their disgust of Daemon and Rhaenyra. So he took his metal goblet and banged it hard on the table several times till they had all stopped arguing. They all looked to him and waited for him to speak and now that he had their full attention he said in a clear and calm voice.
"You are all correct, we cannot surrender nor can we follow Daemon. His desertion of the army when we needed him and careless leadership other than that make him far too unreliable to say the least, not to mention his morals are clearly not that different from Aegon and Aemond. So we will continue to fight but no longer will we take orders from him, Prince Jacaerys is coming south with the Northern army and he too has a dragon. I have met him and know he is a smart and honourable young man, he would accept our council and not have us commit the sort of crimes that Daemon would. Besides Rhaenyra can hardly find fault in us following her son, can she?" He posed and the rest of them all looked uncertain but glad of the chance to avoid following Daemon.
Harry was aware this was dangerous, Rhaenyra and Daemon would not quickly forget it but with most of her army behind them and Jacaerys at the head of their forces it would be a move Rhaenyra would find hard to criticise and something she could be proud of. Her son leading her army to victory and would do the boy good to establish some credibility for when he took the throne.
Harry saw that the gathered knights and lords agreed with his plan and Lord Royce in particular who now sat with his 'block'. It did his own anxiety good to see that he now had the Royces and therefore most of the Vale forces on side. He knew using Jacaerys was a gamble but short of killing Daemon there was little else that could be done.
So when he found himself sitting having a small meal with Tyland Lannister he explained his viewpoint to the interested Lannister.
"Men like Daemon are never satisfied without a large scale slaughter, Jacaerys is no monster and even if he were just a figurehead it would be far less bloody than if his stepfather led." Harry said as the two men tucked into salted meat, bread and water. Tyland was quiet before he responded with a thoughtful look.
"True, but men like Daemon are unlikely to give up. What's to say he won't just kill the boy?" Tyland pointed out but Harry had answer for that too.
"If Daemon kills her son then his mother will want him dead, husband or not. Daemon cannot risk hurting him or he loses everything, he could come after us granted but a man that kills his own men is not one people will be quick to follow. Especially after what he did to an innocent child." Harry said with his mind going to Prince Jaehaerys.
Tyland nodded in agreement, he was incredibly angry to hear what had been done to the young prince who had hurt no one in his short life. Daemon was no doubt going to go down as a great villain in history when they got around to writing it.
Still that Aegon had burnt a town of thousands to death who had nothing to do with his son's death troubled him greatly, he was a grieving father Tyland thought but to kill so many was not something that could be simply be explained away. He sighed wishing that he and the rest of the Small Council had never started this.
He only hoped Harry's faith in Jacaerys was not misplaced, the boy was now looking more and more like the only solution to their dangerous rulers. He had to admit his lack ambition to seize the throne was strange but Tyland liked it. Someone who was satisfied with what they had and not seeking to climb higher treating power as a responsibility and not a right, Tyland thought maybe the attitude was naive and dangerous but then again he had been content to serve House Lannister and only taken a position on the Small Council at his brother's urging to ensure the Lannisters had a voice near the throne.
Perhaps they were not so unlike after all.
The following morning Harry was up early to check on their current strength and to look at possible places that they might be attacked from as the Greens still had plenty of support further south. Attack he realised as he studied the map could come from any direction, either through the Crownlands or up the River Road from the Westerlands. Either posed a great threat and dividing their forces to cover them could easily end up with them being overwhelmed by a large enough force.
"My lord, there is a column of men coming." One of his soldiers said urgently, Harry instantly tensed wondering if this might be the attack he feared and demanded.
"What banner are they flying and from where are they marching?"
"They are coming from the North my lord, and they are flying the banner of House Tully." The soldier answered quickly.
That did make Harry pause for a moment to consider what he knew about House Tully in this war so far. They had maintained a silence and not declared for either side nor readied their men until now. He had met Grover, Elmo and Kermit and if they were in fact the actual House Tully which given they were coming south from Riverrun was likely this could go either way. He was comforted by the weight of Lady Forlornat his waist and marched out to meet them.
When he arrived and saw the column for himself he was relieved as he saw Elmo and Kermit at the head of the column, he knew both of them were not the type to go for elaborate traps and if they were going to attack him like that they would not do it in broad daylight.
Both smiled too when they saw him and dismounted their horses, coming over alone as their knights stood back.
"Ser Elmo, Ser Kermit." Harry said respectfully as they were his liege lords or at least heirs to the liege lord. "I had begun to believe House Tully intended to sit out this war." That hung the air for a few moments not without however the implication that they had abandoned their vassals was not forgotten and several of the Riverlords present all looked on with distrust.
Elmo and Kermit did not allow it to unsettle them and instead tried to reassure them all.
"We can only regret our absence from the war so far, our father's condition has worsened with all the stress of recent months and we had to see to his affairs. However we stand here now ready to fight with you against all who would threat the Riverlands." Elmo said with confidence and most of them didn't believe it one bit Harry included. Either one of them could have led the Tully army while the other ran Riverrun and neither of them were there now.
More likely Harry reasoned Grover had not wanted them to march or there had been a disagreement about who to side with. However the fresh men would certainly help and he knew Elmo and Kermit were good fighters, so he decided not to turn them away. But they would not lead here.
"Then welcome to our struggle, a meeting of all the commanders of the army is to be held in one hour in my tent." Harry said with a smile offering his hand, Elmo and Kermit did look a little uncertain given it was in his tent, marking him as the leader but Elmo accepted this was the way it was going to be at least for now and shook his hand. Then Kermit did the same.
This gave their men the confidence to come forward and start mixing with the soldiers already in the camp. Harry smiled but made a mental note to make sure the guards were extra vigilant tonight, just in case.
Godric's Hollow, the Riverlands…
James and Lily were worried deeply for their son, they were both extremely proud of all that he had accomplished so far in this war to say nothing of delivering Maidenpool to them and Visenya had managed to get Whitewalls under their control. A fact that made them very grateful towards their daughter-in-law who was now sitting with their younger children and showing them some of the little trophies she'd taken from her little conquest.
One of the maid's came up with some wine and James poured a cup for himself while Lily sat admiring Sirius and Amelia's new child, wishing his son was here but grateful for the life they had right here and now.
However as he sipped his wine something stuck at the back of his throat, his breathing started to become laboured as his stomach and lungs burned. Dark spots immediately started forming in his vision and he fell to the floor, the last thing he saw before losing consciousness was Lily staring at him in horror.
Well I hope you all enjoyed the new chapter, please review and let me know what you all think.
I'm not sure if Whitewalls was built by this time or not but I decided to put it in anyway.
Next Chapter – The War continues as another force rises to challenge Harry and his allies, a battle at sea, Bellatrix causes havoc and will James survive?