Capítulo 22: The Greyjoy Rebellion
(Tywin Lannister POV)
The door to my solar opens and Kevan walks in. I look up from my documents and look at him. He never enters my solar without knocking, so him doing so now, has to be important. However, that doesn't change the stern look I throw at him as it is unacceptable for him to do so.
"Pardon my intrusion brother, but something urgent has happened. Lannisport was attacked just now by the Iron Born and all of our Lannister fleet at anchor located in Lannisport was burnt by them."
"..."
The Iron Born have grown arrogant to attack us this way and declare war. Why would Balon Greyjoy do something like this?
"What do you know?" I ask Kevan who is waiting for me to react. But overreacting will get us nowhere. I need to keep my cool and prepare for further attacks as we have just been declared war by House Greyjoy if not all of the Iron Born.
"I don't know much, at least for now. I know that our spies on Pyke have sent a raven about it, but it arrived too late and the attack was already over. I don't know how this could have happened. Maybe Balon was smart for once."
"Balon is no idiot. But this ... peculiar."
There are a few explanations for this terrible slight on our spy's part. I don't want to, but assuming the worst is the best in this situation.
"Call the Maester and have him send out ravens to all our Houses in the Westerlands. We will call the Banners. I will write to the King myself and have him be informed about it. Then join us at the war council. We need to prepare."
"Very well."
I did not see this coming. The Iron Islands were quiet for a few years. Quellon Greyjoy, Lord Reaper of Pyke, desired to strengthen the ties of the Iron Islands with the rest of the Seven Kingdoms. His Iron Born remained neutral for most of Robert's Rebellion, but Quellon decided to rise in support of Robert Baratheon, then Lord of Storm's End, after the Battle of the Trident. Lord Quellon died in battle at the Mander, however, while attacking the Reach near the end of the war.
Quellon's successor and eldest son, currently the Head of House Greyjoy, Balon Greyjoy, rejected the reforms and desired independence for the Iron Born. Since House Greyjoy had only joined the rebellion near its end, they did not suffer heavy losses like the other Great Houses. To attack us now can only mean, that he believes himself capable of winning a war against the 7 Kingdoms. Or perhaps he has secret business with one of the other Kingdoms? As unlikely as that sounds, it would be his best chance. And yet, even with the support of another Kingdom, the Iron Islands stand no chance against the rest of the Kingdom.
So his arrogance must stem from his trust in their superiority at sea. But to challenge the Westerlands this way is dangerous on his part. Cersei is Queen and as such, I have a powerful relation to the Iron Throne. No matter what Jon Arryn believes, Robert Baratheon will join the war gladly. The whoremonger loves brutal fights, from what I could gather and will not listen to his foster Father. If Robert Baratheon fights, the Tyrells will also fight. Mace Tyrell has as much backbone as a snail and the only reason their House still stands is due to the old rose living there. As such, the Redwyne Fleet will be at the King's beck and call.
This leaves us with the biggest variable in the Greyjoy's plan ... Petyr Baelish, the Master of Coin, Lord of House Baelish and owner of the largest harbour Westeros has ever seen, with a fleet to go along with it. I don't see any of the Greyjoys managing to stand up to his armada and their advanced weaponry, which he has surprisingly managed to keep a secret. He is someone of great interest to me anyway. So if Balon Greyjoy chooses to attack now, Petyr Baelish is either in on it, or Balon has planned to ambush him just like he did with my fleet.
I need more information.
.
"What?! These vermin dare to attack House Lannister this way? We can't take this without retaliation, my Lord. The Iron Born shall pay for this affront with blood," my Master-at-arms says as he hits his fist on the table.
"I concur. An attack such as this has to be met with force. The Banners are already being called. If the Greyjoy wants a war, they shall have one."
"You are forgetting one thing. The Lannister fleet was wiped out almost entirely. Our ships are gone and with it, our participation to fight the Greyjoys at sea. To do that, we would need more ships and that takes time. Something we lack," Kevan says. He pulls the men back on the ground again.
"Lord Kevan is right. But what should we do then? We can't allow this to happen. We would appear weak and submissive if we do."
Kevan looks at me. He never makes the decisions or gives out orders. Only if I tell him to, or if I grant him authority over something. It is a trait I value enormously in him. We had our differences, but if House Lannister is concerned, he is always ready to listen to my word.
I break my silence as a plan forms in my mind.
"House Lannister won't sit by and take this insult. We were attacked and as such, House Greyjoy and all of the Iron Islands have declared war," I start.
"My Lord, responding immediately is unwise and would raise the King's ire. Taking this into our own hands might come across like we don't need to listen to the King."
"And yet, that doesn't matter. Where was the King when we were attacked and our fleet was burnt? Where was he when we truly needed him now? Nowhere. I could care less for a King who only concerns himself with matters of wine and whores, while I have to defend our lands against raving lunatics. Send out the word to our men across the coast. They are to fortify all of the Westerlands coast and kill any Iron Born that dares to land there."
"Yes, my Lord."
I turn to Kevan.
"Are all the ravens sent already?"
"They are, yes. I made sure the Maester sent them as soon as possible."
"Good. There won't be another surprise, am I clear?"
"Yes, my Lord."
.
.
(Varys POV)
I make my way to the Small Council chambers. Another problem has arrived at our doorstep. Yet another man thinks himself to be fit to rule while disregarding all of the people in Westeros. Over five years Lord Balon constructed a new fleet of one hundred war galleys, which he calls the Iron Fleet and just yesterday he attacked the Lannister Fleet. However, not only the Lannister fleet was attacked. If my little birds are to be believed, Balon was smart enough to attack Baelish Keep and its harbour as well, launching a surprise attack against the two fronts which could truly challenge him at sea.
Tywin Lannister and Petyr Baelish
It speaks for both of those two, if the Lord of House Greyjoy deems them dangerous enough, for one reason or another, to launch a surprise attack on them from the sea. He fears them, that much is clear. And if not fear, then he at least respects them enough to know, that he would have problems with them. Tywin Lannister is an old participant in the Game and you do not get old while playing the Game, if you are not good at it. Tywin Lannister's intelligence and cruelty are long known as seen or heard when one listens to the 'Reigns of Castamere'. The proximity of the Lannister fleet to the Iron Islands and Tywin's strategic acumen would have made war so much harder for the Greyjoys. So a clever plan on their part.
Petyr Baelish on the other hand ... what is there to say about him? He is a dangerous man, that much is certain. He owns one of the most dangerous and powerful gifts one can have when playing the Game of Thrones and that is charm. He is a genuinely nice man or at least appears to be. The way he fills the room, whenever he enters and handles social gatherings is impressive and even above what Tywin Lannister could do when he was still the Hand of the King.
Tywin uses his reputation and the fear of people to get respect. This together with his intelligence and ruthlessness helps him govern very efficiently. However, Petyr is no less intelligent and his ruthlessness ... I am certain that he knows how to be ruthless. Only a powerful man would dare to deal with the Iron Bank of Braavos. The way his 'small' House has sprouted from the ground and his harbour has taken the position of largest in Westeros ... all of this speaks for seemingly boundless wealth and influence.
Then there is the way he carries himself. A weightlessness, as if he wasn't affected by all the plotting and backstabbing in King's Landing. His smile seems genuine, despite me knowing that it can't be and I find myself believing him to be genuine. That is what makes him truly dangerous.
I walk into the Small Council Chamber and look around. I am one of the first to arrive, except Pycell the seemingly immortal Maester who is already prepared and fidgets in his seat. I can tell he is anxious due to the Greyjoys and the Lannister fleet getting burned. The old man is deep in the Lannister's pockets, which is always enjoyable to watch during the Small Council meetings.
I sit down on my chair and wait for the others to arrive, which they do right away. The door opens again, revealing Ser Barristan Selmy, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard walking in with measured and controlled steps. His martial prowess is visible for all to see as well as his honour. He nods at both me and Pycelle in greeting and then positions himself at the door, waiting for His Grace or the Lord Hand whoever arrives.
Finally, the last ones arrive, Stannis Baratheon, Master of Ships and Lord Petyr Baelish arrive together. I see Lord Petyr smiling as he finishes talking and what is most surprising ... I see the slight rise of Lord Stannis' lip. The man of stone who would rather starve than give up, actually smiles about something Lord Petyr says. How he does it is truly inconceivable.
"Greetings everyone," Petyr says and smiles as he sits down on his chair.
Immediately the tense atmosphere seems to lighten ever so lightly as he greets everyone like seeing the sun rise in the morning despite the fog blocking most of it. You are thankful for the sun, knowing it will get rid of the fog eventually. Then someone surprisingly enters, Cersei Lannister makes her way here with her brother, Jaime Lannister the Kingsguard following her. She has started to attend more and more in the past year and apparently sees herself as a permanent member of the Small Council.
Looking at her face, I can tell she is anything but collected. Her one problem is that she is not as smart as she thinks she is. I catch her sending a look towards Lord Petyr who is not even looking at her and seems to be going through some papers he brought. Whether he is truly going through them or just acting that way, I do not know, he is very good at what he does.
"Are you acting like you're doing something again, Lord Petyr?" the Queen asks, trying to hide a small smirk.
"Hm? Oh, Your Grace, I apologise for not greeting you immediately. I have far too much work right now. The realms coffers, you understand."
"Is that right? The way you handle coin has become legendary in King's Landing, no, in all of Westeros. But don't you think you might forget what the ... prettier things look like if you only count metal coins~?"
Oh, poor thing. As I said, she's not as smart as she thinks she is. In this discussion, she is not the huntress, but the prey.
The door opens before Petyr can answer one final time and His Grace, Robert I Baratheon walks in, followed by his Lord Hand, Lord Jon Arryn. Jon Arryn must have worked hard to get His Grace to come here. Either that, or he already knows about the impending war and is excited. Looking at the annoyed face of His Grace, I don't think it's the latter.
"Good day to all of you. As you are aware, we have very important things to discuss."
"BAH! What could be important enough to get me out of bed this early, huh?! Let's get all of this over with so that I can get back to my wine," His Grace remarks and sits down at the table, "Eunuch! What happened?"
As per usual, His Grace gracefully reminds me about my condition. But this time, I am in awe at his lack of information and the sheer strangeness of the current situation.
"Ah, the Greyjoys have burnt all of the Lannister fleet and attacked Baelish Keep ... your Grace."
"..."
"WHAT?! Why was I not notified of this?!! For fucks sake JON?" the King shouts and now is fully awake.
"I told you it was important, your Grace. The Greyjoys have launched a rebellion against all of Westeros with their attacks and are counting on their superiority at sea. We are at war once again," Jon Arryn says.
"The Greyjoys shall bleed for what they did to the Westerlands. We can't take this insult against our authority," the Queen remarks, showing us once more where her 'loyalties' lie.
"BAHAHAHAHAHA, so the squids attacked the Lions did they? I wish I could have seen Tywin's face when it happened."
I see the Queen get enraged as Robert says this and visibly cringe. Too bad, he doesn't care about her in the slightest.
"Lord Petyr, what are our current funds available?" the Lord Hand asks.
"Well, Lord Hand, we are not looking as good as I'd like. The coffers are rather empty and war is a very expensive endeavour as we all know. I already used as little money to get as many new recruits for our eventual call for Banners. But with what little I have at hand, it will probably not even surpass 5'000."
"What about the damage to Baelish Harbour?" Jon Arryn asks.
"We managed to repel the most of the Greyjoy attack, Lord Hand, but not without losses."
"Lord Varys, what are the reactions of the other Houses to this attack?"
"Well, Lord Hand, most are observing and preparing the eventual call for Banners, as far as I can tell. The Starks have begun fortifying their borders, but the Iron Born have already started to pillage the North. The Tyrells are also preparing from what I could gather from my little birds in House Redwyne."
"What is our situation concerning ships? How do we compare to the Iron Born?" Jon Arryn asks looking at Lord Stannis who hasn't moved from his spot.
"Well if we compare numbers, then together with the Redwyne fleet, the Royal fleet and the others added as well, we are still above the Iron Born. However, the Iron Born have centuries of experience in seafaring and are well informed about how to lead a war at sea. Their equipment and our lack of War galleys, might put them in favour of this war. However ..."
He stops for a moment and then continues.
"... however, if we add Lord Baelish's fleet into the mix, or those which managed to make it, our chances would rise drastically. His skill at sea and the special weaponry the Baelish fleet has gives it an imbalanced advantage, which is also why it was attacked together with the Lannister fleet."
"UGH, then send the bloody boats already and stop fussing around. I can't stand the way you count coppers anyway and your smile gets on my nerves as well," His Grace says annoyed and looks at Lord Petyr who doesn't look intimidated or angered in the slightest.
"Haha, I would love nothing more than to have all of my ships be at your command, Your Grace, but that won't be very easy. Most of my ships are scattered around Essos and some even further south, looking for new business ventures. I could call them back, without a doubt, but that will take time. Time, which I fear, we do not have."
As usual, he doesn't cower or stutter and says his piece with practised ease. I wonder whether he knows everything that will be said before it happens and prepares the appropriate responses.
"THEN GET THE ONES YOU DO HAVE HERE AND DO IT QUICK! I don't care for all those words. The squids dared to attack us and we will respond in kind. Jon call the Banners and send out ravens to prepare ... we're going to war!"
*BANG*
With those words, Robert Baratheon smashes his fist on the table and walks out of the Small Council chamber. He stayed longer than expected.
*Sigh*
"Lord Petyr, send for the ships you can spare at these times and call back as many as possible in the shortest time frame. Lord Stannis, as the Master of Ships I would like for you to prepare our fleet and coordinate with the Redwyne fleet. I will personally send a raven to Highgarden, to inform them of our plans. That will be all."
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