Chapter 43: Chapter 43
Five days passed before we were finally able to finally begin our march towards Duskendale. This wasn't going to be my first taste of a march or a campaign, but I wasn't looking forward to it. All those movies and tv shows I had seen about soldiers campaigning had made it seem so much fun.
It really wasn't.
I was still slightly pissed off about the amount of time it took to get everybody together and as Optimus Prime would put it, 'roll out' but that was I guess, better than previous times according to Rodrik. Other times, I would have taken those words as something of flattery but I knew Rodrik and I happened to know that it had taken a whole lot of more time to get everybody up and ready to get ready for the Stepstones campaign.
With my experiences in that particular mobilisation, I think there was quite a lot of truth in Rodrik's words. This time, we were much quicker to actually set off. Although a couple of days were wasted in waiting along rally points on the king's road towards Duskendale to wait for my troops of trained militia to join up with the main force.
One of those troops that had happened to arrive late to it's rally point had been the one that was being trained by my very first squires. "I can't say I'm somewhat disappointed in you two."
Ryam's eyes looked away to the side slightly as Harry inclined his head in apology. "Apologies your grace. We should have done better."
The last of House Reyne scowled slightly as he crossed his arms over his chest. "We had to chase down some of those bumpkins. Apparently, not all of them live within the vicinity of the village. No excuses though. You gave us a task and we failed to live up to it."
I raised an eyebrow at that statement before I asked them. "Can they fight?"
Harry and Ryam glanced at each other before nodding. "They know how to use a pike..." Harry began slowly but trailed off.
"But I really wouldn't trust them to hold a line as of yet." The green-eyed westerman finished for his friend. "They can't march in formation with pikes unlike the regulars. Are they better than your average everyday levy? Yes. But shit is still shit, no matter how you colour it."
"So glorified cannon fodder then?" I asked, a bemused smirk playing at the tip of my lips.
They looked at each other again. "Pardon?" They said in unison in confusion at the term that they had more than likely never heard off before.
I waved it off. "Never mind, it's nothing. I don't plan on using your militias as frontline soldiers. They'll serve as reserves as for any future engagement. It might never come to anything like that if Lord Bennar has half a brain."
There was a certain difference between them in terms of equipment and training. The most obvious of the two was training. The Militia was at best, hopefully, going to receive training for the equivalent of a month at best, perhaps more if times permit it, whilst it was more obvious that the regular army would find itself training on a near daily basis, whilst eventually, I hoped the both of them would eventually come to train together in manoeuvres and the likes.
It was early days, but I had hope for the future between the Militia and the Royal Army.
Now when it came to equipment, I was unapologetic to say that the regulars of the Royal Army came first in my in my list of priorities for people to be armed and armoured. The regulars got themselves a hand set of half-plate armour of the almain rivet variety that provided considerable protection whilst at the same time being rather cheap to produce, finished along with a lobster-tailed pot helmet that provided ample protection to the back of the neck, cheek, nose and with the forward facing rim protecting the eyes and face from any arrows coming in from above.
The Militia? Well, they got chain mail and a helmet. I planned to increase production to eventually be able to get them their own sets of munitions-grade armour, but that was still a little ways into the future. Didn't have enough blacksmiths working in my forges.
In other words, the Militia were basically part-time soldiers that I didn't pay. I paid enough for their initial equipment and they would get payments in the form of loot if they were ever going to be used.
"If Lord Bennar had half a brain, he wouldn't have committed treason, your grace." Harry remarked.
"True." I hummed in agreement. "And I wasn't blaming the two of you for being late. We are rather behind schedule as well. We should have set out nearly a week ago, but here we are, nothing we can do about that." I shook my head. "I suppose I had higher expectations for the two of you because of our history? Well, something like that anyway."
Ryam stepped forward. "Expectations well placed, your grace. We won't disappoint again in the future."
I looked at the both of them in the eyes and there was a resolute look in them. A one side smile came to my lips. "Alright then, I'll hold you to that in the future then lads. Right now, go back to your men, if you feel the need, continue training them, lightly. They still need to be able to march in the morning at first light."
"Yes your grace." They said at the same time and left not long afterwards.
I think I was beginning to be alright at this whole king thing. Maybe. As long as nobody knew about my insecurities, I was pretty sure I was good.
xXx
Have I mentioned that campaigning is a bit of a bore? If not, I think I'll do so, campaigning is a bore.
During the day, we marched. That by itself isn't so bad, it just is when you have to take into account feudal politics into account. I wouldn't have minded being at the front of the vanguard, but again, feudal politics. Rodrik was a cool guy, I could handle that guy. So was Benjen as well, both being family through my wife. Ser Gwayne was pretty sick as well, being my protector ever since I was dropped into this hellhole and he had more than done enough to gain my trust.
I just didn't care much for the knights and lords that were directly underneath me squabbling – rather politely - among themselves to see who shall be riding beside me on a particular day. Any other time, I couldn't have cared less, but I at least had the basic understanding that a king's power, in a feudal government, dependent on whether his vessels actually liked him or not.
I could have just told them to leave me alone, but I sorted of needed them to like me for now.
So that was what essentially happened to me during the day. Lead the army with the day's honoured guest, either a lord or knight if they seemed rather important enough. Sometimes, they weren't even all that important in the grand scheme of things, like a couple hundred year old knightly house.
Gotta make sure to make it seem like I was the type of guy that cared for the little guy. Little things like that tended to go a whole long way in building loyalty.
During the night when we stopped after a day's march to make camp was a bit more difficult to judge. I had dinner with the lords, knights and the officers underneath me. Another something that I considered a bit of a chore that I had to undertake.
Not going to lie though, some of these 'lords' seemed more at home in one of those American films about university sororities. They drank just about as much as frat boys or lads and seemed to have a rather low bar when it came to humour. Mostly drunken sex jokes and everything in between.
On the other hand, I did rather enjoy it when I do go for a little bit of a gander afterwards and walk among the soldiers and talk to them. It was a bit of a silly thing to say that I would know everybody by sight or have met every regular, militia or levy during these little walk about of mine, but it did serve in build something of an image of me across the men that were going to be fighting and dying for me whilst I was safely protected by some of the best knights around in the rear as far away from any potential fighting as reasonably possible.
Did I feel bad when I thought about this? Yes. Did I care enough to try and change this to lead from the front? Hell no.
I liked being alive. I liked breathing. I did not like people trying to kill me.
It also helped that a bunch of people, not going to name any names, thought it was best for me to be seen, but not in combat, unless things get dyer. Hopefully, it would never come to that.
Since I didn't like fighting and I definitely knew I was never going to be one of those guys that would lead from the front, I decided it was probably best for me to be one of those guys that instilled a sense of loyalty in his men by sharing in their hardships, bar combat of course.
I walked amongst them at night. Talked to them. Ate with them. I even helped out a bit when it came to building camp fortifications. I always made sure to be seen so that word would be spread about.
I was sure that many of my lords didn't approve of these little habits of mine, but fuck 'em.
Tonight was just going to be another continuation of my PR campaign as far as people were concerned.
"You don't mind if I join you, do you lads?" I asked as I stopped in front of ten men that were seated around a camp fire.
The men looked towards me and recognised me. They scrambled to their feet as quickly as possible and immediately broke into a salute for me. "Y'grace!"
I smiled disarmingly at the group, motioning with my hands for them to relax. "Easy lads, didn't mean to interrupt your fun. Was just wondering if I could join that's all."
One of them, a hard looking men nodded. "We would be honoured to have you join us, y'grace."
I nodded and smiled again. "Then why don't we all take a seat then?" I asked as I sat down around the camp fire on a free spot. The soldiers followed suit as well, although I noticed that they seemed a bit stiff. I decided to break the ice with some casual chatter. "So what are you lads having then?"
From the corner of my eyes, I could see Ser Gwayne and his squad of Kingsguard taking positions around me. Although I was probably as safe as I could possibly be in this situation, in the middle of my own highly, armed camp, I didn't mind the knights doing the jobs I wasn't paying them to do.
Eyes glanced amongst themselves, as if asking which one of the ten was going to answer to the king. "Porridge and biscuit, y'grace." One of them finally answered. A young one as well. I think we were around the same age as well.
"Any good?" I already knew the answer as this wasn't the first time that I had asked that question.
All eyes darted towards the young soldier as he answered back. "Tis not bad at all, y'grace, does the job to fill the belly. Taste's rather bland though."
The young soldier got a shove on the soldier by one of the others who looked mortified. "Will!" He wasn't the only one. The soldier quickly glanced towards me. "Begging y'grace's many pardons. He meant nothing by that. He's a bit of a slow one. Doesn't know how to control his mouth."
I laughed. "It's fine lads. I've had a bit of a taste of the food, and I'm not going to lie to you lot, but the porridge and biscuits does taste rather bland. Will has the right of it." I finished with a nod in the direction of the young soldier.
Will beamed at his statement being acknowledged by the king.
"I currently have people working on it to add some variety to the meals. Give it time and there'll be more to eat that tasteless porridge and biscuit." I wasn't lying. I did have people working on it.
I was hoping to somehow eventually get proper canned food being manufactured. If I remember correctly, canned food vastly revolutionized the logistics of Napoleon's Grand Armee back in the day or maybe I was getting my history wrong.
I don't know. I've been here for a while so things were starting to leave me.
"Until then lads, just bare with the food for now. So enough about that, what can you lads tell me about yourselves?"
And like that, I spent an hour or so speaking with them, by the end of the hour, they were markedly less stiff at the start. Once I had left that group, I rinsed and repeated the process another three times before finally calling it a night and going to sleep.
xXx
The smile on my face could not be any larger than it already was.
I think I had suitably creeped out quite a few of the lords, knights and officers that were in my retinue. Rodrik though, had seen it all and was carrying on as business as usual. "Seems like Lord Darklyn would rather suffer a siege rather than face us in the field."
Yes, Lord Darklyn, instead of riding out and trying to face us in the field had decided to hole up in his city.
That was why I had such a large smile on my face. I had been holding my hopes out on a siege and I had been given a siege! There was a god out there somewhere listening to my prayers. Determining whether that was a good thing or a bad thing was something I had yet to do, but I was revelling in my current spin of the dice going my way.
My luck had always been an iffy thing when it came to me.
"Reasonable." Lord Marcus Rosby grunted as his eyes looked over the port town. For a scion of a House that was hailed for always being a rather sickly lot, he seemed healthy as they came. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for his son, Gyles. Pale and thin, Gyles looked like a strong blow of wind would be enough to keel him over. "In the field, we would out-number him. From what we have learned, not many of his own vassals answered his call for aid."
Ser Jason Stokeworth nodded his head in agreement with that observation. "True, but numbers aren't the only thing that could settle the outcome of a battle."
Lord Marcus shrugged his broad shoulders. "Does it matter? Bennar has never been known for his prowess in battle or knowledge of it. If he had anything in that head of his, he wouldn't have gone to go about and commit treason against his liege."
The other lords in this little conference murmured in agreement, all the while, I just continued smiling as I looked on into the distance at the port town. Looking over the town, some of my knowledge of the universe, four-fifths Aerys' history lessons and one-fifth my own knowledge of the Song of Ice and Fire universe filtered into the forefront of my mind.
Before the Aegon Targaryen had conquered the Seven Kingdoms, Duskendale had been the principle port of what would become the crownlands. I think they had also been petty kings as well, before they were eventually subjugated by either the River Kings or the Storm Kings. Still though, the Darklyns did well for themselves being the only port town of note in this region.
Well, until King's Landing was built.
Considering that, I guess I could somewhat understand why Lord Bennar did what he did. He probably wanted to damage his town's competition to the trade market, but that still didn't absolve him of the bullshit that he had to make me suffer through.
"What would you have us do, your grace?" Rodrik asked as he looked at me.
I hummed for a moment. "Someone pass me a far-eye." A squire was quickly set off in search of one and returned in record time with one such far-eye. I snapped it out and looked towards Duskendale. It had nice, stout walls built out of grey stone that seemed like silver in the sunlight and in the distance, I could make out the Dun Fort sitting in the centre of the town atop a hill. "He's prepared to meet us. I see men on the walls."
"I'm surprised he hasn't made a run for it." Benjen remarked standing beside his uncle, looking in the direction of the town. He nodded in the direction of the port where there were scarcely any ships of note to be seen. "He could have sailed away with all his wealth to some place in the eastern cities or his friend in Tyrosh."
I blinked and looked towards the port.
...Benjen had the right of it. Bennar could have sailed off into the distance with all his wealth and there would be nothing that we could have done about it because the port wasn't being blockaded in the slightest.
I seriously needed to start thinking about this stuff, and why did Benjen just decide to point this out just now?
I shook my head trying to quell down the feeling of irritation that I had with myself. "Maybe he's trying to prove some sort of point? Or maybe go down in a blaze of glory? Won't know until we get the answers from the man himself."
Lord Marcus raised up a single bushy eyebrow. "You'll talk to him then?"
I nodded. "I'd like for no life to be lost today if it could be avoided. If that can be brought along by talking, then yes, I'll talk to him." I motioned at Ser Gwayne. "I leave Ser Rodrik of the planning, he knows what to do. He speaks with my voice, so follow his instructions."
"Aye, your grace." The lords murmured as they looked towards the northmen.
"Good." I said with a nod before I left them alone to listen to Rodrik as he began the meeting. With Ser Gwayne, I headed towards my horse were five knights of the Kingsguard waited for us. Apparently, nothing rather official happened in Westeros without it involving the number seven in one way or another. When I reached my horse, I hoisted myself up with a single motion and pulled at the reins to turn it in the direction of the castle. "Right, let's do this."
With a kick to the sides, I spurred my horse onwards towards a table that had been set up outside the range of the archers defending the castle and for added measure, a seven coloured flag was being held aloft to signify our intentions, to talk, to anybody that had any bright ideas. I vaguely remember reading a passage in the books about that particular flag doing nothing when it came to stopping people from trying to kill you.
But that was during the 'modern' ASOIAF period and the period that I happen to find myself in was supposed to be somehow, just a little bit better. I was sceptical, but it was a good thing armour existed for reasons like this.
When we finally reached the table, I pulled on the reins to bring a halt to my plucky war horse before unseating myself. Ser Gwayne did the same and walked beside me as I dropped myself onto a seat that had been left with the table. It groaned slightly underneath the weight of both myself and my expensively made armour, but it held.
"I suppose this is the part where we wait." Ser Gwayne noted as his eyes roamed across the battlements through his helmet, looking for any potential archer that might try to get a little sneaky.
"Hopefully," I began with a nod. "For not too long. Some of us have things to do."
We didn't have to wait for long.
The gate to the city opened and out came riders, numbering seven just like us. Ser Gwayne had moved a hand to grip at the hilt of his sword. Behind me, I could hear the neighing of the horses and from the corner of my eye, I noticed one of the Kingsguard nudge his destrier slightly to the right of me to give him a better position to judge in, in the event of treachery.
I was rather pleased that the good, honest gold I wasn't paying my Kingsguard was actually of being used rather well. Money well spent is what I thought about the whole thing.
The riders only had one banner between the lot of them. A single banner of fusily sable and or, upon a pale in dexter gules seven escutcheons argent. The banner of House Darklyn. It was nice to know that Lord Bennar himself was coming out to see him personally, not some pansy.
From the way the other lords had spoken off him, they had made him sound like some coward, then again, I really couldn't count on those lords to be honest about their view of the man since they were probably trying to get into my good graces.
It didn't take long for the opposite party to reach us and like me, Lord Bennar hoisted himself of his destrier and took his seat opposite me. I removed my helmet and placed it on the table to give the man a better look at my face as I smiled. "Lord Bennar, I do believe this is the first meeting between the two of us, is it not?"
Lord Bennar copied my actions in him removing his own helmet, leaving me to see the face of a middle aged man with signs of grey peppering what would have been a brilliant mane of hair and a beard as well. "Quite so, your grace. I happened to have been taken ill at the time of King Aegon's funeral, may he rest in peace in the heavens, and your coronation."
"I suppose this is a good a time as any to introduce myself." I inclined my head. "Aerys, the Second of His Name, of House Targaryen, King of...well, I'm pretty sure you know of my title." I leaned forward slightly to rest an arm on the table. "Fun really, I thought I happened to command your loyalty. You made an oath, did you not and yet..."
"I did what I had to do for the sake of my House."
"By trying to burn down my city?" I shook my head. "You could have done something less destructive as that, but in the end, it seems you have done nothing more than doom your House."
Lord Bennar's eyes narrowed at me. "Duskendale won't fall so easily. We have stocks of food, good knights, stout walls. I can continue, it is better for you to simply take your army and go home. How long can you continue to lay siege to my town whilst ruling the Seven Kingdoms? I will admit, my greed got the better of me in my dealing with the Silvertongue, but that is all I shall allow. I stand by the rest of my actions."
Okay then, it was settled. I was going to have to deal with Alequo Adarys the first chance that I got, but props for Lord Bennar to accepting the responsibility and consequences of his actions. Good for him.
"You expect me to just turn around and go home because of that?" I shook my head in amusement. "I don't know if you know this yet, but unfortunately, word is being spread around the continent that I have set off to bring you to bare for your treason. I just can't leave without my pound of flesh."
"One shouldn't make promises that they can't keep."
"Oh, I intended to keep this one and then some. I'll give you this one chance, my lord, surrender and take the black and I'll leave Duskendale in the hands of your family. It's a limited time offer, until the sun sets to be precise, if not..." I trailed off with a shrug of the shoulders.
Lord Bennar scoffed as he crossed his arms across his powerful looking frame. "What will you do? There is more at stake in this siege for you than me. The longer this goes on for you, the more many lords will question your ability to rule. As I said before, your grace, go home. There is nothing for you here."
This was going nowhere.
"My offer still stands, Lord Bennar. Sunset." I stood up and so did the lord after a second. I looked up into the clear sky. "I do think I smell something of a thunder storm coming. Good day, my lord." I finished, as I left him standing there, looking at me strangely as he looked between me and the sky.
That was horrible.
Good gods, I really needed to work on my one-liners.
xXx
"It seems we have got his answer." Rodrik said as he looked into the west, where the sun had finally disappeared into the horizon, leaving us to be graced by as much light as the moon could afford to give us. "Should we begin, your grace?"
I sighed as I ran a hand through my hair. "Yes, go ahead."
At the end of the day, I really hoped this was going to end with as little casualties as possible.
My plan was simple. Lord Bennar had been proud in the strength of his walls and had been happy with the knowledge that we would bloody ourselves throwing men at them to take those very same walls. And if they did fall, then rough building-to-building combat would then follow, until he probably retreated all the way back to the Dun Fort, where more than likely, he would leave his elites and knights for a single counter attack that would try and break our own fatigued men.
Probably.
That was what I would, but then again, I was admittedly not any kind of military genius, a but a layered defence was something that I always did whenever I played defensively when it came to RTS games, although more often than not, I would abandoned the walls sooner rather than later. I was a street fighter through and through.
When it came to sieges, the defenders more than likely had more moral than the attackers. Looking at the walls that protected Duskendale was intimidating enough from this distance, I didn't want to think about it when assaulting them with ladders and the likes.
In that like, to spread out the defenders a little bit, I had my lords take their levies and knights to surround the town from the west and north, whilst I had my forces cover the southern flank. It also helped move the men away that were not used to the sounds of cannon fire breaking and running away.
Thank god I had introduced cannons, because the defenders where in for a rude awakening.
And hopefully enough for a blow to moral to not even bother fighting.
Rodrik turned to an archer that was standing nearby. "Alright, give the signal. Begin the barrage."
The archer nodded as he picked up one arrow. The arrow was strange in the fact that it had a fuse that was attached to a canister located where the head should have been. The archer lit up the fuse with a nearby fire before waiting for a second before firing it straight into the sky.
The arrow was basically a flare, but in a situation like this, it did wonders when it came to sending simple messages across long distances in a quick and timely manner. Progress in communication was being made.
Seconds passed before a bright, red flash of light bathed the area all around me.
That was soon followed by the dull roar of rolling thunder and flashes of lightning, but without a cloud in sight.
I felt sorry for the men that were closer to the cannons because just one of them had been enough for me to complain about how loud they were. I couldn't help but wonder how seven of them firing simultaneously were.
It was a good thing then that I had ordered for the rotating cannon crews to wear ear muffs to, at the very least, protect their ears.
"The militias seem to be holding out well." I observed from the hill that overlooked our position. "I had been half-expecting them to turn tale and run the moment the first cannon fired."
"You have to give them more credit than that." Rodrik said, bemused. "They might not be used to the sounds of the cannon being fired, but I think they've been trained well to not break ranks." At that moment, of the third volley being fired in the direction of Duskendale, some of the militia reserves broke off from their formations only to be stopped by their officers and marched back into formation. "Spoke too soon, by the looks of things."
I nodded. "We are going to have to address that in the future. Can't be having our own men fearing our own weapons."
"Those 'cannons' of yours are frightening little things though." Rodrik admitted. "Never seen or heard anything of the likes. Their sheer destructive potential..." He shook his head as he trailed off. "It beggars belief. You wouldn't mind sending a couple of them north, would you? I'm sure my brother would appreciate it."
"I'll think about it." I mused, although in truth, I had been to have some more cannons built and send north, although further north than Rodrik would particularly care about.
I brought our the far-eye and looked towards the Duskendale. It was difficult to make out the precise details in the little light that we had, but the Darklyns had been nice enough to post torches along the walls. Just enough light to see what was happening on the walls.
And completely and utter bedlam is what I saw on the section of the walls that was being targeted by the cannons. Men were running around, officers and knights trying to keep the discipline among the levies and the city watch that had been drafted to fight for them, although I did see some officers and knights panic as well.
I even had a chance to see some of the damage that my cannons were causing when another volley was fired. One solid ball of iron hit a merlon, chipping a part of it off as it bounced off wildly from it's trajectory to quickly decimate a group of men. Of course, the ball of iron had been moving at a speed fast enough that it had all been a quick blur that I would have thought it nothing more than a trick of the eye, but I had happened to see the damage done right in front of my eyes.
That had been a painful thing to see and horrifying. Hopefully, it would be even more horrifying for the men on the walls.
My cannons went the most accurate of things, being rather primitive and all. The target for the battery was the wall directly in front of us, but the cannons would fire over it or to the side, in other words, missing. But when they did hit, they did their job. I could see the impact craters made by the balls of iron that had made contact. They were like spider webs, starting off in one central area before branching offer and with each impact, more spider webs would be made.
I wondered how long it would take for this section of the wall to finally topple down to the ground. I was hoping for before I ran out of shot and ammo.
I also made a note to make sure that more cannons should be built, just having one battery was rather silly.
"How does it look?" Rodrik asked.
I passed him the far-eye. "Not bad. The cannons are causing enough terror among the defenders and doing decent damage to the walls, but I doubt they are going to be falling down any time soon."
Rodrik moved the far-eye across the wall and made a sound. "Quite impressive. Wouldn't mind having more though, more damage might be caused."
"What I thought as well. I'll see it done when we make our way back to the capital." I looked in the direction of the west. "I wonder how the others are doing. I hope they are not just throwing men at the walls."
"They might try a night attack." The northern general said with a shrug. "They might not. If I was them though, I would rest my men before doing any sort of assault." Another roar of the cannons filled the night. "Well, that's if they can get any sort of rest tonight with those things firing away."
"It might not be so bad for them." I tried to recall my high school knowledge of how sound worked and was confident that it would be a suitable enough of a sound for them not to be surprised with. Still though, it didn't hurt to have warned them about the potential noise the cannons were going to cause. I stifled a yawn. "Well, I'm going to go take a nap. You know where to find me if something interesting happens."
Rodrik nodded. "Aye, your grace."
xXx
"Your grace?"
I squinted as I was brought out of my nap. "Gwayne? What is it? Has something happened?"
"Yes, your grace."
I rose up from the bed in my palanquin and tried to will away the sleep that was creeping on the edges of my eyes. I also tried to get my brain to get itself into gear. "What is it?"
"It's about Lord Darklyn, your grace."
I groggily got to my feet and my hand searched for my sword that I had left on the side of the bed. "What about him?"
"He's surrendered."
"He's...what?"
"Lord Darklyn." Ser Gwayne began to repeat. "He's surrendered."
It took a while for that to register with me, but eventually, what Gwayne was telling me registered with my brain. Not exactly how I had expected things to end, but I would take it. There was only one thing that could be said about this whole thing.
"Cool."
xXx
The sun was shining, the birds were singing and Lord Bennar Darklyn was dressed simply as he stood in front of me. None of the lordly finery that one would find on a lord of his stature was on anywhere of his persons, only rough wool spun clothes.
I'm not going to lie, this had been rather quick. My battery didn't even manage to destroy the wall they had been going for, but had done enough damage to make the lord worried. That and the fact that he cannon fire had been terrifying his men to the seven hells and back.
Apparently, none of them had ever heard of cannon fire before.
Surprising.
"We meet again, Lord Darklyn."
He grunted as he nodded. "That we do your grace."
"I'm sure you know what's going to happen now?" He nodded again. "Good, then we can end this farce as quickly as possible and everybody goes their own way. Lord Bennar Darklyn, you are hereby commanded to take the black. Escort shall be provided for your journey north, along with any other men willing to join you in the honourable service of the Night's Watch. Your son and heir, Denys Darklyn shall become a guest at the royal court until he is of age to rule Duskendale and take oath of fealty to me along with a bunch of other stuff. Look, it's just a little after dawn, I'm tired, everybody's tired, the sun is shining, so let's call it a day and go home." There was some sniggering among the assembled lords that were bearing witness to this. I motioned at the guardsmen looking over Lord Darklyn. "Alright, take him away."
The guardsmen did just that and took Lord Darklyn away to be placed on a boat heading straight for Eastwatch-by-the-Sea.
I stood up and looked around at the attended lords and knights. "I would be the first to admit my lords and sers, I had expected a bit more blood when it came to ending this, but i'll be more than willing to take this as a win. So from the bottom of my heart, thank you for your service and worry not, you shall be dully rewarded for your actions."
The lords and knights cheered and I smiled and waved through it all. My men had done the most out of everybody here, so I didn't know what service they had provided for me here, but whatever, I had to be generous. Feudal obligation and all that.
xXx
We had only been on the Kingsroad back towards King's Landing that we were met by a messenger. "Thank you." I said as I took the scroll and began to read it and slowly couldn't contain the smile that was coming across my face.
"You have one of those weird smiles of yours again. What's all this about now?" Benjen asked.
I passed the letter over to him. "Alequo Adarys is dead."
"Killed by his own queen no less." Benjen said with amusement in his voice.
"I know! That makes it even better. Not going to lie though, I had been thinking of ways to deal with him and Tyrosh, but it's nice to know that my problems are solving themselves without needing anything from me."
"Well, to be honest, the whole Duskendale fiasco needed you to personally solve it, so that's not technically true."
I waved him off. "Don't take this away from me. I need it."
I needed all the luck I could get in Westeros. One way or another, all this good luck was going to come crashing down on me, and until then, I was going to enjoy every single damned thing that was coming my way.
It would be at this point that I would normally say something that would tempt the fates, but I wasn't going to risk it. I was smarter than that.
After that sort of news, the journey back to King's Landing was nothing more than a pleasurable stroll for me and there was nothing that could ruin my day. Man, sometimes, it was good to be the king.
xXx
Preview
Cersei twirled in her dress, her red skirts with gold lacing dancing around here. She stopped perfectly in front of her mother who lay resting on a long chair. "Do you think father will like it?" She asked as she tugged at the sides of her dress.
Her mother smiled at her, her own green eyes softening as she did so. "I'm sure he will, sweetling. I had that dress specially made for the occasion."
Although Joanna Lannister was heavy with child, soon to be born from what Cersei had heard of the castle servants speaking, she was still as majestic and radiant as the sort of proud lioness that she was. And beautiful as well.
So beautiful that she hoped to be just as beautiful in the future.
At hearing her mother's words, Cersei beamed widely. That was excellent news to hear. She hadn't seen her father in so long and there was only so much letters could convey over the large distances. It would be ever so lovely for her to speak to her father face to face after so long.
Her mother's eyes were alight with mirth. so was the smile on her lips. "Excited are you?"
Cersei nodded her head in such a manner that made her recoil that she had forgotten that she was a lady of the highest noble birth. And a Lannister at that. "Yes. It's been too long. I know Jaime misses him as well."
Her mother continued to smile as she spoke. "Yes. The two of you are rather...close."
"Well, we are twins after all! Why shouldn't we be close?"
"True." Joanna's laugh rang throughout her chambers. Her mother winced slightly as she touched her swollen belly.
Cersei rushed towards her in worry. "Are you alright mother?"
"Yes. I'm fine." Her mother reassured her as she touched her belly. "Just the babe, kicking as he does. Feel for yourself." She finished as she placed one of Cersei's hands onto her belly.
Cersei's face scrunched up slightly as she tried to feel for the babe before shaking her head. "I don't feel anything."
"Maybe he's just hiding."
"He?" She asked. "It's going to be a boy?"
"May haps, it might very well also be a girl." Joanna's slender shoulders rose up and down as she shrugged them. "Only the gods know. Would you like to have a baby brother?"
Cersei thought about it for a few moments before tilting her head slightly to the side. "I-I don't know? I would love a little sister, but I would also love a little brother." Her eyes widened in glee. "Perhaps it would be both! Twins like me and Jaime! Oh, we would be ever so close!"
Her mother laughed. "Unfortunately it won't be twins, sweetling."
Cersei deflated at that before quickly regaining her composure. "How would you know? Like you said, only the gods would know."
Her mother winked at her then. "A mother would know about this. Especially if it involves twins."
She eyed her mother then but decided to go with her wisdom. She was older and wiser, so she would know. So she decided to ask her mother about something that she had heard in passing among the servants.
"Is it true that the king is coming with father?" She asked as innocently as possible.
Her mother raised an eyebrow and Cersei thought that she was going to be denied the answer before Joanna eventually answered. "Yes. The king is accompanying your father on his journey back to Casterly Rock."
"Does that mean that...?"
Her mother sighed bemusedly. "Yes, the royal children are with him as well."
Joanna laughed at the sheer sound of glee that escaped Cersei's throat much to her horror. Cersei was quick to control herself, despite the sheer breadth of excitement that was within her at the news that the Crown Prince was coming to Casterly Rock. It was said that the royal children were all unearthly beautiful and handsome, with the Crown Prince the most handsomest of them all.
"You would like that, would you?" Joanna asked. "The royal children visiting us."
Cersei eagerly nodded her head. "Yes. Oh so very much." She would also like to be a princess and perhaps even a queen.
Her mother tapped her on the head. "And I guess you would like it even more to be a princess."
Cersei was taken aback, was she that obvious? She looked away, a blush on her face. "What of it?"
Joanna laughed gently at her reaction. "It's nothing to be ashamed off sweetling. To be a princess is every girls dream once upon a time."
The young lion cub turned to face her mother. "Then yes, I would very much like to be a princess, mother."
There was something in her mother's eyes. Something that Cersei couldn't discern, but just as quick as it had come, it was gone. "Well, I suppose a princess is still a princess, isn't it, sweetling?"
The young daughter of the Rock cocked her head slightly to the side in confusion as her mother's words. "Mother?"
Her mother blinked before smiling somewhat sheepishly at her, the sort of smile Cersei recognised the one her mother wore when she was being naughty. "Oh nothing sweetling, just the ramblings of an old maid. Pay no attention to it."
Cersei's eyes narrowed ever so slightly on her mother, much to Joanna's amusement before she eventually relented. "If you say so mother."
Joanna laughed as she held out a hand. "Now why don't you take your bloated mother for a walk? I think it will do me some good."
Weekly Power Status
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