Capítulo 12: Chapter 12 Tyrion, Robb
Tyrion
Tyrion Lannister saw the fleet approaching the Blackwater Bay. He was in the tower closest to the Mud Gate, where he and his commanders expected the heaviest attacks to concentrate, as Stannis's ground forces were gathering in front of it, just across the river. They had been there for two days and had already exchanged arrows with his troops, but as it was a waste of resources they couldn't afford, Tyrion ordered them to ignore it.
Stannis's troops, estimated to be over forty thousand, were still on the other side of the river, waiting for the fleet to arrive and build a bridge. That's where the battle Tyrion had been preparing for the past few months would begin.
Stannis had taken his time getting there, which had baffled Tyrion, who had expected him to delay his assault on the city.
Tyrion had begun to think that Stannis would settle down in Storm's End, where he had been until now. However, he wasn't thrilled about his arrival either because his father had yet to show up. Even though since Storm's End fell, Tyrion, knowing that Stannis's beach vacation was over, had sent a letter to his father to inform him of their imminent attack, joining the nearly daily ones sent by Cersei and Joffrey, ordering him to hurry to the city to defend them from Stannis.
Tyrion knew his father would ignore them until Stannis made his way to the city, so he didn't press on his arrival and focused on reinforcing the guard, increasing the number of Gold Cloaks to seven thousand, clearing the city walls of any buildings built by beggars or the citizens themselves that Stannis could use to scale the walls.
Tyrion sent the traitors uncovered by Varys to face the king's justice before Joffrey and used his power as Hand to confiscate any incoming ships to aid in the defense of the city. Furthermore, he prepared ships loaded with wildfire for a last desperate stand when Stannis's fleet could no longer be controlled.
As a reinforcement, he prepared to cut off Stannis's retreat, so he couldn't escape when his fleet was in flames. Tyrion hoped all these measures would give them at least a few days until his father's troops arrived, but when he finished his preparations, Stannis was still holed up in Storm's End, so Tyrion had hopes that the city could survive without resorting to desperate measures.
Because of all this, when Tyrion learned that Stannis had taken Storm's End, he hurriedly sent a letter to his father to hurry from Harrenhal. His father had responded to his letter, and he was supposed to have been there two days ago, but Tyrion couldn't see his army anywhere, so he thought maybe they had encountered delays, delays called Roose Bolton, whom they had nicknamed "the lion's leech" for his hostility towards his father and his refusal to part ways with him.
Tyrion had kept his hope alive until he saw Stannis's fleet approaching the bay and heading for the Blackwater Rush, surely to attempt building a bridge for Stannis's troops.
Tyrion calculated they couldn't defend the city for more than two days with such a massive onslaught of men, and his last hope, Petyr Baelish, who promised to negotiate with the Tyrells to bring reinforcements, had died when a venomous snake lunged at him.
The troops accompanying him claimed a raven had passed by, and a snake appeared on Baelish's face. As evidence, they brought his bitten and swollen corpse, but Cersei threw them into the black cells on suspicions of treason, not believing a word they said.
The men were still there, but so far, their version of events hadn't changed, and they insisted a raven had thrown the snake, just as the Winter Wolf did with his personalized letters. Tyrion didn't know what to think; he still glanced at the sky whenever he went out, just in case. But if the Winter Wolf could control his ravens to that extent, wouldn't that be magic?
This wasn't the only rumor about magic, and not even the most audacious one because Renly's guards claimed that a shadow had killed their king, right in the midst of five of his Kingsguard. Although three of them were dead, and it wasn't known if they agreed with that version of events, some said the wounds cast all suspicions on the survivors because the dead never had a chance to defend themselves, just as it would happen if your own allies wielded their swords against you. Nevertheless, one of the guards was Loras Tyrell, and Renly's lords didn't dare execute him, so they returned him to his family before going to kneel before Stannis.
"My lord?" Ser Mandon Moore asked, his shield armed for this battle.
"What are we waiting for? Give the order, fire the catapults at those ships," Tyrion ordered as the ships entered the river.
There were too few ships, about fifty, and Stannis was supposed to have more than two hundred. If they hadn't had supreme luck, and the rest sank, their contingency plan would be ineffective against them because they could launch another attack.
"The Lannister army will be here in no more than two days. We just have to hold out until then, and Stannis won't be a problem anymore," Tyrion shouted to encourage his troops and commanders.
Tyrion had done his job well by sending Janos Slynt, the former commander of the Gold Cloaks, to the Wall and replacing him with Ser Jacelyn Bywater, a capable man who wouldn't run away when he saw the enemy army and, even better, wouldn't stab him in the back, like what happened to the unfortunate and trusting Hand before him.
His men cheered In support, as seeing fifty ships wasn't a very intimidating sight. Tyrion would see if they still maintained that spirit when thirty thousand men crossed the river and charged the walls.
…
Five hours later, Tyrion wondered what the hell had happened as a brute dragged him and deposited him in front of the Iron Throne, making him kneel beside his sister Cersei, his sons Joffrey and Tommen, Ser Jacelyn himself, his cousin Lancel, the Hound himself, and even Varys, for all the hells. If there was someone he didn't expect to see there, it was Varys.
Everyone was in front of Stannis Baratheon, who was now sitting on the Iron Throne, with his main lords standing in front of the throne, looking at them with contempt.
They were not the only ones there; their whole court was kneeling before Stannis, but the ones Tyrion saw were those he hoped would die before they could kneel, either in battle, by their own hand, or someone else's dagger in the back to ingratiate themselves with Stannis. However, there they all were. Some, like Tyrion himself, had been beaten before they arrived, but in general, it could be said that they were all well.
Tyrion was still in disbelief, remembering how Stannis's ships won the Battle of the Blackwater and formed their bridge, over which his knights rushed toward the Mud Gate.
Tyrion had ordered the wildfire-laden ships to be deployed to cause the most casualties to Stannis when they informed him that the Mud Gate was open, and the casualtie' he thought to inflict on Stannis were entering the city and 'weeping his troops off the wall. Tyrion just blinked like a fool, hearing a distant cry.
"Stag men!" That rallying cry echoed again and again. Tyrion could only think in his mind that he had already rid himself of them. Varys himself had informed him that they had all been captured. After that, everything went from bad to worse because Stannis's ships evaded their wildfire-laden vessels, letting them pass by and be carried away by the current.
The ships forming the bridge started to withdraw long before the explosives reached them, and after letting them pass, they reassembled their bridge. In the end, the wildfire-laden ships made quite a spectacle when they crashed into the raised chain, but it was only a spectacle because there was nothing to kill.
Thus, the city was invaded without any resistance, and in a matter of minutes, Tyrion, whom the entire realm knew, was in the sights of about fifty brutes whose eyes gleamed at the sight of him.
Tyrion didn't think the wretches would have been happier to see their mothers. He tried to run to escape, but his atrophied legs didn't get him far, and he was easily captured. His armed shield was overwhelmed and disappeared under four dozen men claiming credit for Tyrion's capture.
Tyrion resisted but was disarmed and mercilessly beaten, just like his commanders. Even the Hound, who was guarding Joffrey, was overwhelmed by the tide of men that rushed at them and was captured.
They were all captured, with no way to stop the advance of greedy men who looked at them and pounced to claim their capture, all while fighting with their own comrades for the prize. The city's forces were outnumbered by almost ten to one, with no possibility of resistance.
Tyrion later learned that the Red Keep had fallen even faster than the walls, and all the nobles inside it were captured just as easily as they were when hundreds of enemies poured out of the walls.
Cersei had been caught trying to poison Tommen, whom Tyrion had tried to keep safe, but his plan was discovered by Cersei, and he hadn't left the child's side since then, so he was with her during the siege.
In short, it was the most disastrous defense in the history of defenses, and even he, who was used to constant humiliation, now felt very embarrassed by his performance as the city's defender.
The worst part was that Tyrion always believed he was doing a great job and stupidly hoped someone would recognize his efforts when all of this was over. Now, he just wanted to find a place to hide and never come out again.
Stannis watched them all from his throne disapprovingly. His lords looked so puffed up they resembled stuffed turkeys. His knights bore the marks of bruises from the fierce battle they had fought with their own allies to fight over the prisoners.
Tyrion looked for the red priestess, about whom he had spread rumors of witchcraft and murder, which, they said, were not false. But there was no red woman there, and at the foot of the throne in the place of highest honor, there were only two people who couldn't be her. Not even Stannis's queen or his daughter were there.
The people at the foot of the throne included a knight with the appearance of a poor merchant, Ser Davos Seaworth, whom Tyrion knew from Varys was Stannis's most loyal servant, though not one of his principal lords due to his humble origin and his previous job as a smuggler, which displeased the noble lords.
Next to the onion knight was a woman, or so it seemed from her silhouette because she wore a hood, and most of her face was in shadows. The woman was somewhat short and slender.
Given her position, Tyrion wondered if Stannis was aware of his red priestess's reputation and had disguised her, but with his personality, that was unlikely. Furthermore, his banner was the flaming heart, which, according to Varys, was the emblem of a foreign god's faith.
On Stannis's head, there was also not the Baratheon crown but a crown forged in the shape of flames. The faith undoubtedly had a lot to say about this, and the city's people were also against Stannis because Tyrion had made sure to tell everyone that the food shortage they suffered was Stannis's fault.
While Stannis's men finished kneeling the nobles before their lord, a raven entered the throne room, and Tyrion saw that it carried a letter in its claws. Tyrion witnessed an absurd scene as Stannis's lords rushed to the iron throne's stairs, shielding Stannis, as if they feared someone would shoot an arrow at him.
The raven, oblivious to what was happening, didn't stop to look and gently landed on the outstretched arm of the hooded woman who took the letter. Then, the raven perched on her shoulder, and she looked at the lords surrounding Stannis. Tyrion supposed she didn't understand what was happening either, but since she received the letter, and the raven stayed there, it made Tyrion think that this woman served the Winter Wolf, not Stannis.
Tyrion could hear the grinding of Stannis's teeth from his position as his lords jostled each other to descend the throne stairs and return to their posts. Tyrion didn't understand anything, and no one explained anything. Stannis and his lords pretended nothing had happened, and the woman hurriedly handed the letter to the king when he gave her a teeth-grinding glare.
Stannis took the letter roughly, which, from the way it was delivered, everyone knew was from the Winter Wolf, the only one who knew how to make ravens deliver letters by crashing them into people's faces. Tyrion smiled, understanding what had happened earlier, but learning that Stannis had received some letters directly to his square face didn't cheer him up too much.
Stannis opened the letter with poorly concealed fury and read it, displaying a slight smile, which could also be a grimace on his stony face. Stannis handed the letter back to the woman and gestured to his spokesperson to read it. After receiving the letter, the spokesperson puffed up his chest and began to read.
"'To His Majesty, Stannis Baratheon, the First of His Name, King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, and Protector of the Realm. I, Robb Stark, Lord of the North and your loyal servant, inform you of the results of my battle against the rebel army led by the former Lord of Casterly Rock and Warden of the West, Tywin Lannister.
"'Our armies clashed with the rebel army in the farmlands beyond Riverrun, engaging in an equal battle, which, thanks to the benevolence of the Seven and the Old Gods, I have won with minimal losses, defeating the rebel lord and capturing his brother Kevan Lannister and his most famous commander, Gregor Clegane, known as the Mountain that Rides.
"'Credit must also be given where it is due, and I must mention that the rebel lord managed to escape the battlefield under the protection of his Kingsguard, who valiantly held off my men to allow his escape. However, one of my most loyal bannermen, Lord Roose Bolton, pursued him, engaging in personal combat with the rebel lord and claiming his head for the crown.
"'The remnants of the enemy army are surrendering in masse, and those who do not will soon be captured and brought before your Majesty as quickly as possible.
"Finally, I must give praise and honors to my most outstanding lords in this war: Rickard Karstark, Maege Mormont, Jon Umber…"
The spokesperson read a long list of Northern and Riverland lords. Among the Riverlords, Lord Frey was specially mentioned for contributing four thousand men to Robb Stark's army.
"Father is dead!" Cersei exclaimed, stunned.
Tyrion didn't say anything; he had already expected something like this to happen when his father didn't arrive as scheduled… Tyrion widened his eyes.
"We received a letter from my father saying he was on his way to King's Landing. How did he end up in a battle beyond Riverrun?" Tyrion asked, unable to contain himself.
"My lord, haven't you heard it before? One of the Winter Wolf's nicknames is the Cunning Wolf. He intercepted your call for help and also responded to it," Stannis said disdainfully. "The open gates, the revelation of your plans with the wildfire, the chain to capture my fleet, the capture of the Red Keep, as well as revealing all the secret tunnels of that spider at your side, those are also his merits," Stannis concluded.
"He's a monster, we can't win this war," Tyrion heard in his head, in his brother's voice.
The Winter Wolf, because he's as cold and cruel as winter. The Cunning Wolf, because he never plays fair. The Lord of Ravens, because he developed a secret method to send them wherever he wanted, giving him an overwhelming advantage in war. The Snake Wolf, because he has no honor and is capable of maiming and even torturing prisoners, hiding behind the law, so that his nonexistent honor can't be openly questioned.
A snake that disguises itself as a wolf. And a monster that, for no reason whatsoever, should be made an enemy, Tyrion thought bitterly as the last prisoners were brought before the king and his throne.
Stannis gave them one last look of contempt, and his spokesperson raised a scroll after Stannis looked at him.
"To all people not named in this scroll, they will be allowed to return to the peace of King Stannis Baratheon, the First of His Name, King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, the First Men, and Protector of the Realm, and swear their loyalty to the Iron Throne.
"Tywin Lannister, Cersei Lannister, Tyrion Lannister, Kevan Lannister…" He named all the Lannisters who were still alive or suspected to be alive before they wrote that scroll, Tyrion thought and grimaced as he continued to hear names. "Lord Varys, Sandor Clegane, Gregor Clegane, Maester Pycelle, Loras Tyrell, Mandon Moore, Meryn Trant, Boros Blount, Osmund Kettleblack. Among these, King Stannis has pronounced judgment on the following.
"Tywin Lannister, for the crime of treason, is sentenced to death; all his titles will be revoked, and his properties and lands will be confiscated. There will be no inheritance for his relatives. Cersei Lannister, for the murder of Robert Baratheon, King of the Seven Kingdoms, the Andals, the Rhoynar, the First Men, and Protector of the Realm, for the crime of treason, and for the murder of Eddard Stark, is sentenced to death.
"Joffrey Waters, bastard son of Cersei Lannister and Jaime Lannister, for the crime of usurping the Throne and the murder of Eddard Stark, Hand of King Robert Baratheon, is sentenced to death…" Joffrey started screaming, and although Cersei lunged to protect him, they were both beaten until unconscious. Tommen cried at her side, but Tyrion embraced him and managed to protect him from further harm.
The spokesperson waited for a few seconds and continued:
"Lord Varys, for the crime of conspiring against the realm and inciting the war known as Robert's Rebellion, in which tens of lords, knights, soldiers, and common folk across all Seven Kingdoms died, for the crime of violating your duties as the Master of Whisperers and concealing information from the crown, for the crime of complicity in the death of Eddard Stark, for the crime of treason against the realm by conspiring with foreigners, financing and training rebels to attack the realm and its rightful king, you are sentenced to death," concluded the spokesperson.
Tyrion looked at Varys; he was the last one condemned, but undoubtedly, his accusation was the most spectacular.
"It seems your Winter Wolf has told you many things," Varys said with a smile of… acceptance. "I won't deny it; I suppose he has told you more than I did. But I'll also tell you that this boy is no better than me, and while he sweetens your ear with the story of my life and others, he is already preparing to betray you," Varys said with a smug smile. Stannis looked at him with disdain.
"Do you say that because he sent his sisters with Daenerys Targaryen? Or because his supposed bastard brother is the son of Rhaegar Targaryen?" Stannis asked.
Neither Varys nor the others who were kneeling could hide their surprise. Tyrion was no exception. Eddard Stark, the honorable wolf with an impeccable reputation, hiding a dragon from his best friend. Quite a scandal. Moreover, his son sent his sisters along with another Targaryen, one who, according to what Tyrion had heard from Varys' own whispers, had declared herself queen of the Seven Kingdoms and had three dragons.
Before, Tyrion had dismissed it as Varys' nonsense to give himself airs or to waste their time with fantastic stories, but now he believed it all.
"Well, what do you think of it? Are you pleased that they're conspiring against you?" Varys asked. Stannis snorted.
"Do you forget that I was the one who let the Targaryen children go? Do you think I'm an animal like Tywin Lannister? Or do you believe I'll fall for your conspiracies like everyone else?
"What do you think Daenerys Targaryen will do when she learns that you and Illyrio Mopatis are working together and that you sold her to the Dothraki so she could bring an army to the realm, while you present a false Targaryen to have her killed and appear as a hero to the common people?" Stannis asked with disgust.
Tyrion was stunned and could only look at Varys in amazement, like everyone else, because what Stannis was saying was that everything he had lived through so far was a lie. All a performance organized by Varys, where in the end, he would be the winner.
Tyrion simply couldn't accept that. His father died because of Varys' schemes. His brother at the Wall, his family stripped of everything they owned, and even Cersei was just a tool for this man.
"Varys, there's something the Winter Wolf didn't tell me about you. And that's your ultimate purpose. What do you intend to achieve with all of this? Because so many plots and schemes only to put another puppet on the throne, gods know my brother wasn't the smartest man in the world, nor the most devoted to his duty and the laws.
"If what you wanted was a puppet, you could have had him and kept the rest of us out of it, and don't say you couldn't," Stannis accused.
Tyrion had to admit that this question was something he would wonder about as well because Varys' actions made no sense, other than staging a spectacle of wars and death. This time, it was Varys who looked at them all with disdain as he smiled.
"He didn't tell you because you wouldn't understand it, Majesty," he said with contempt. "Common folk. That's what they call it. But all of you are just as common to them. There are no differences, except where you were born and whose children you are. That's why, even if my head falls today, one day, what I represent will reach you.
"One day, what I intended will be achieved, and that throne will be occupied by a king. A true one. One who is wise, intelligent, raised in faith, with the manners of a knight and the faith of a good man.
A king who knows his duty to the people. Who knows what humility and compassion for those around him mean. A king for the people, and not for a bunch of… you," Varys insulted. And Tyrion, thinking they got along.
Stannis grimaced. Then, in front of everyone, he laughed, and he laughed sincerely, with dry, hoarse, raspy, and unusual laughter, but laughter nonetheless.
"Do you think the spoiled child you raised is that king? Varys, you are as stupid as Baelor the Blessed," blasphemed Stannis. "If you believe that a stupid child will be a good king because you've been telling him so since he could reason, then you're insane, and the fact that you've killed so many people just for this, only shows how twisted and rotten your insides are," scolded Stannis in anger, and Tyrion had to admit that he was right, and being involved in such a disaster made him feel humiliated, but above all, angry and furious. His father must be rolling in his grave right now.
"Take him away and secure him in the black cells; if he suffers a single scratch before the execution, all the guards will pay with their lives," Stannis sentenced.
Varys was dragged away while cursing them and giving himself the right. Apparently, Stannis' words had affected him, but if he had bothered to explain his plan to someone else with half a brain, he would have told him the same.
Varys couldn't just take a random person, repeat to them that they were good until they had nothing else in their head, and then put a crown on them and ask them to do the job of a king impeccably. That's not how the world worked, that's not how people worked.
After Varys was taken away, Stannis looked at the rest.
"This will be your last chance. You will swear loyalty, or you will be executed; there will be no more civil wars in this realm," Stannis declared.
Since it wasn't directed at him, Tyrion had no reaction, but if he were to be asked, he would say that wars typically began by killing people. Of course, they also ended by killing people, so he couldn't say whether Stannis was wrong or right; only the results of his actions could tell.
The fortunate ones who were not named on the guilty list hurried to proclaim their innocence and swear loyalty.
Stannis gritted his teeth, but as he had already promised to set them free, he shooed them away with a wave of his hand, to get them out. He didn't even punish them or demand a ransom for their release; after all, they had been captured, and there were soldiers who deserved that reward, and Stannis had to pay them now that he had released his captives without asking anyone's opinion…
"He just confiscated the entire Lannister fortune," Tyrion remembered, and he wondered if his brain was atrophying from all the wine. He used to be proud of his intelligence, but after hearing Varys' god-level exploits, he could only think of himself as a miserable worm with an overly inflated ego.
"Your Majesty, forgive your servant; we were deceived, but we served your brother with honor and devotion," Ser Meryn Trant pleaded.
Tyrion rolled his eyes. Stannis gritted his teeth and looked at his soldiers, who dragged Ser Meryn, Ser Boros, Ser Osmund, and Ser Mandon out. They had beaten and humiliated Sansa Stark, no less than the beloved sister of the Winter Wolf himself. They should already consider themselves dead when captured. Because if there was one thing Tyrion envied about the Starks, it was that they truly loved each other, and they didn't care about the positions they held or their titles. They were the most important in their hearts.
"Sandor Clegane!" Stannis called.
The Hound, whose insistence on fighting had earned him several consecutive beatings and who was now more unconscious than conscious, managed to growl, but Stannis nodded as if he had received a formal greeting.
"Sansa Stark has pleaded for you," she says you are a person with a good heart, who has had the misfortune of witnessing only the evil of this world and serving vile villains. So your pure soul only knows suffering and pain. I think that girl is delirious, but you can leave with my pardon and a bag of gold in gratitude to the Starks for sparing some moments of torture for her sister," Stannis decreed.
Tyrion looked at the Hound and blinked several times to see if he could find any trace of what Sansa Stark described, but he still saw the Hound, who growled disdainfully as they helped him out, and in the end, he cursed Sansa Stark, calling her a "fucking little bird."
"Ser Balon Swann, you have fulfilled your duty with honor to the end, and a man should not be punished or insulted for it. So you are welcome to serve me or take the black, if you deem it appropriate," Stannis offered to the last of the royal guards present in the hall.
Ser Arys Oakheart was named, but he was with Myrcella in Dorne. Ser Balon stood up and knelt again, this time on his right knee, as a sign of loyalty. Stannis nodded in satisfaction, and as there was no one else, he looked at them, although he had already sentenced Cersei and Joffrey.
"Tyrion Lannister, like everyone in this realm, you were just another piece in Varys' plans; I can't charge you with any crimes against the realm or acting in bad faith. You only supported your family, as I myself did once, ignoring my duty to my king.
Nevertheless, you were part of your family's treason, and you must accept the consequences of your actions. As I have declared before, the Lannister family will no longer be part of the nobility of the Seven Kingdoms, and all their possessions and titles will be seized. Beyond that, you will still have your freedom outside of this realm," Stannis decreed.
"Have we been exiled, like the Targaryens?" Tyrion realized with regret. But as far as it went, he was fortunate. If Joffrey or Robert Baratheon were still on that throne and judged them for treason, all their heads would roll.
"You can also go to the Wall and join your brother," Stannis advised. "Thanks, but no thanks," Tyrion thought.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, but I have always wanted to visit the Free Cities, and I will take this opportunity," Tyrion hurried to say. "Your Majesty, what will happen to Tommen and Myrcella?" Tyrion asked reluctantly.
Tyrion didn't want to hear that they would be prisoners for the rest of their lives, if they managed to live. Stannis looked at him for a few seconds.
"I am not my brother, as I have said before. It was me who let the Targaryen children go, and if I can let go of two legitimate heirs, I can also let go of two bastards with no royal bloodline," Stannis decreed.
Tommen cried for his mother, but Stannis was not moved and had them taken away, while Cersei and Joffrey were taken away.
…
Robb
Robb walked among the troops of his small army of three thousand men, who had already set up the tents and were still celebrating their great victory, although it had been almost a week since then. The rest of his army was on its way to King's Landing to deliver the captured prisoners to Stannis. Only the nobles, Robb had sent the peasants back to the Westerlands with some of his men, led by five sons of the southern lords.
The rest of the nobles, knights, and lords, both from the North and the South, marched with him toward Riverrun, where his wedding to Roslin Frey would take place.
Robb had not even wanted to consider holding the wedding at The Twins, despite Walder Frey's complaints that he couldn't ride anymore. If he died on the way, Robb didn't care because he had secured the life of the elderly Stevron Frey, and he didn't need the old man to stay alive. If he died, he could repay him for everything he had done in another possible life.
Robb had no good feelings toward the old man. He kept wondering if it wouldn't be better to pour a bit of poison into his wine, but the Freys had really given it their all, just like their army, and that prevented him from killing the miserable old man.
Robb interrupted his thoughts because he had reached a tent supported by a thick tree as a pillar. Outside, twenty men were on guard duty, and they let him, his uncle Brynden, and his two shadows, Rickard Karstark and Maege Mormont, enter.
Robb was already planning how to get rid of them as well. He didn't need babysitters, and the war was already over. He didn't need armies for what remained of his plans. Of course, he wouldn't leave poison in their cups. He would make sure they received a proper reward for their services, away from him.
His personal guard of ten men and Grey Wind stayed outside the tent. Just because the war was over didn't mean his life was out of danger because there were still many things he had to do, like securing the Wall, thwarting the White Walkers' plans, and lending a hand to Jon. Now that he had saved his mother and sisters, his brother's life was next because he would never see Jon as a cousin; he was his brother.
Inside the tent, bound with chains on his feet and hands to the thick tree trunk, was the tallest man Robb had ever seen in both his lives. The Great Jon was over two meters tall, but this guy was even taller and twice as muscular.
The man was Gregor Clegane, known as the Mountain, and even without armor, he looked like a beast and acted like one because he screamed and tried to spit at him, but he wore a muzzle, and he could only growl.
The muzzle was the work of Rickard Karstark and Maege Mormont because the Mountain was talking nonsense about being poisoned, and since they couldn't cut out his tongue before taking him to Stannis, they had put a muzzle on him. Robb didn't know how this brute ended up poisoned because what he had poisoned was the peasants' food, and he doubted the Mountain had tried it.
Anyway, now Gregor Clegane looked like a true rabid dog, and to avoid being chased, they had tied him to a tree. This guy and the Great Jon were capable of throwing two-hundred-kilogram tree trunks, but this tree was firmly rooted in the ground, and Robb guessed that even modern machinery would have trouble moving it, so the Mountain was securely chained to its trunk.
Robb drew his dagger, and the Mountain growled.
"Ser Gregor, your crimes and atrocities are truly numerous, but King Stannis has already passed judgment on them, and you will be beheaded. However, you are the murderer of my in-laws and Jon's brothers, so I cannot meet him and look him in the face, saying that you were in my hands, and I did nothing in his name," Robb said and looked at the guards. "Hold his head!" Robb ordered and raised the knife.
His uncle, old Karstark, and the bear-woman had to collaborate because Gregor was indeed a beast, and it took many people to immobilize him.
…
Half an hour later, Gregor Clegane sported a wolf's head engraved on his forehead, made with the knife that cut his skin.
Robb would have liked to bring in Lord Bolton to do the job, as he was said to be an expert, but this had to be done by him in person. Blood ran down Clegane's forehead, and he seemed to be in great pain, for his eyes rolled back in his head as he growled desperately.
"Have you…" old Karstark growled, to stop the Bear Woman's words. He spat aside.
"Boy, we've done what you wanted, now leave it alone," said old Karstark.
"Grandpa Karstark, it's in your hands now, I won't do it again, I promise," Robb said and turned around to return to his tent.
In order for these two old men to help him, Robb had to inform them about Jon and the true reasons for Robert's rebellion, but he had already informed Stannis of this, so the gossips of this kingdom would be late if they were going to him. With gossip.
…
A few minutes after returning to his tent and sending everyone out to send letters, his uncle Brynden entered and found him vomiting. In front of him, the knife he had used to cut the Mountain's skin had blackened, and its blade began to corrode and rot. His uncle Brynden kicked the dagger away and looked at him apprehensively. Robb raised his hand and finished emptying his stomach before he could speak.
"Uncle, next time I do this, remind me to fast," Robb said when his uncle helped him up.
"Do you have his blood?" Robb asked, and his uncle clenched his teeth, producing a waterskin intended to carry water, but now it contained Gregor Clegane's blood.
His uncle Brynden reluctantly handed him the blood.
"Robb, this is wrong, no matter the purpose," his uncle Brynden said.
"Uncle, I know it's wrong. I know it's atrocious, and I know I shouldn't do it, but I will still do it. Now, please, go outside and keep watch. The Three-Eyed Raven says blood magic is dangerous, and any interruption could cause my death, so if you value my life, make sure no one enters," Robb said.
His uncle Brynden, to whom Robb had been forced to reveal his magic and this plan, looked at him with hesitation, but in the end, he left the tent, and Robb searched for some tools he needed while a raven gave him instructions.
This raven was the Three-Eyed Raven, and for half an hour, he instructed him on how to prepare the ritual to take Clegane's life with blood magic. Of course, it wasn't about killing Clegane; he was a sacrifice.
"Now mix your blood with his, and drink it," the raven said.
Robb looked at the dagger his uncle had kicked aside and that had turned to dust. That dagger had been cursed by the Three-Eyed Raven, or rather, by him, and since he had marked the Mountain's body, it was supposed to remain marked as an offering for sacrifice.
"Why do I have to drink it? The sick one is my grandfather," Robb asked suspiciously.
"Young one, I don't have time to teach you blood magic, especially not right now. Now stop interrupting the ritual; there are beings beyond your comprehension watching and waiting for your offering, believe me, you don't want to disappoint them," the Three-Eyed Raven warned.
Robb gritted his teeth and drew a dagger to pour his own blood into the ingredient bowl, and then he downed it in one gulp.
"Clean the residue, and that's what you'll give to your grandfather," the Three-Eyed Raven said. Robb blinked.
"Elder, I warn you, I know where you live, and if this doesn't work, I'm going to burn your cave!" Robb scolded.
"Young one, your threats are unnecessary. If I were planning to deceive you, I would surely need more time than a day. Isn't that why you're only performing the ritual now?" the Three-Eyed Raven asked.
Robb didn't respond. Of course, he wasn't Daenerys, who trusted everyone, but he wasn't immune to temptations either. The old Three-Eyed Raven had offered to heal his grandfather with blood magic, and Robb knew that was possible, so he was willing to hear about it.
Robb hadn't been able to save his father, and his mother suffered because of it. In compensation for his failure, Robb was willing to make some sacrifices, especially because the Three-Eyed Raven wasn't finicky, and unlike Melisandre, who demanded king's blood for any cheap trick, the Three-Eyed Raven gave him better options, which were the Mountain and his men.
Robb had accepted it because he knew blood magic worked, as long as you paid the price. Victarion Greyjoy, Khal Drogo, among others, had been affected by this magic and had been cured, although Mirri Maz Duur had deceived Daenerys and left Khal Drogo insane, killing Daenerys' unborn child in the process; that was intentional, not a mistake. That's why Robb had no doubts that blood magic could cure his grandfather's illness if the necessary sacrifices were made. The problem was that he didn't know how to do it, so it wasn't part of his plans until the Three-Eyed Raven mentioned it.
Robb had accepted the deal but hadn't acted until a day before arriving at Riverrun to avoid any traps. If his grandfather didn't recover tomorrow or if there was any sign that he had been deceived, the Three-Eyed Raven would die burned in his cave.
The suspicious old man hadn't mentioned anything about Bran yet; maybe his plans to deal with the Others made it unnecessary for him to change bodies, but Robb didn't trust him. This old man was the most dangerous person in this world.
Robb cleaned the offering bowl and completed the ritual, storing the remnants in a small vial.
"It has concluded; now you can continue teaching me blood magic," Robb said.
Robb wouldn't have accepted the deal if this suspicious old man hadn't first offered to teach him blood magic. He roughly understood some of its uses and somewhat comprehended what he had done, taking the Mountain's life to give it to his grandfather, but he didn't know too many things, and he had to admit he understood only about five percent of what he had done. But he didn't have time to learn blood magic and then heal his grandfather; he had to take risks now.
If this old man killed him, Robb had already fulfilled his purpose after his rebirth. Therefore, everything that happened from now on would be a new path for him, and with his mother, Jeyne, and Jon, all the necessary elements were in place for the fall of the Others. Robb was no longer needed to win that war. Now Robb was free and had no purpose in this world other than to be himself and do what he wanted.
In his first life, in another world, he knew regret, bitterness, and pain. In the second life, as Robb Stark, he was an ignorant and useless piece of trash who led his family to ruin and despair. His rebirth gave him a chance to save them all, and now it gave him a new path.
Robb wouldn't waste his opportunities in this life, and the path of knowledge was something you only valued when you were old, regretting a wasted youth. He was young now, but the folly of youth didn't affect him, and every breath made him feel alive and free from the burdens of age. He wouldn't make the same mistakes, and if he had to bet his life, he would, because he had already experienced two deaths with regrets, and when a third came, he would welcome it with a satisfied smile.
The raven In front of him seemed to wait for his internal reflection to finish, then proceeded to continue the lesson from the previous day. Undoubtedly, the old man had some plan, but he was also the only one who could teach him what he wanted to know. Melisandre would surely kill him without hesitation for disrupting her plans.
Red priests were not reliable, Faceless Men barely used magic, and the alleged lands of the sorcerers were too distant for him. He didn't want to abandon his heritage because he had failed to save his father, and if he remained alive, he had a duty to fulfill in the North.
AN 1: The Three-Eyed Raven has made his move. I'm sorry; you'll have to wait many chapters to learn about his plans. As for whether what he promised is true, you'll have to wait for the next chapter, where we'll also have the wedding.
AN 2: With this chapter, we return to times of peace. In the next chapter, we'll see Robb's POV, one from Jeyne, and, if there's room, another from Daenerys. The wedding was supposed to be in this chapter, but there were too many things to explain in Tyrion's POV, and I had to cut Robb's in half to avoid exceeding 10k words.
AN 3: For those wondering where Myrcella is, she's in Dorne, but they'll have to hand her over because the Lannisters have been exiled, and yes, it was Robb who recommended this exile. You'll see the details in Jeyne's POV. You'll also see more of Varys there and the reason why he was one of Jeyne's targets, even though they seem to be fighting for the common people's justice.
AN 4: Of course, I'll use blood magic in this fic, but I won't make anything up. Although this magic is very versatile and can cause disaster if not used carefully, healing his grandfather is the only thing Robb will do with it, and this is because it's part of the plot. I won't deviate from canon standards for this.
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