Chương 18: Siege of Pyke
A day later, the whole fleet of Westeros sailed away from Casterly Rock with the intention of ending the rebellion of Greyjoys. However, a day earlier was lively from a political perspective because there were things that were spoken in private by lords.
My trade talks with Lord Tywin Lannister ended positively for both sides. The trade routes between the North and the Westerlands have opened once again but Lord Tywin's purpose for talking with me was not limited to only trade as he offered millions of golds for the Valyrian sword of House Drumm.
Lord Tywin's desire for a Valyrian sword for his house was known by all Westeros. However, I did not accept his offer despite his insistence as I did not need gold coins because the North was already getting rich and by a decade later, we would be one of the richest regions in Westeros so his gold meant me nothing.
On the other hand, my talks with Robert did not end after Benjen and others' arrival. I spoke to him about what he was planning to do about Balon after ending his ruse and he told me that Jon already advised him to spare the man and send his sons to the Wall but leave the last one as heir and have him become a ward for a lord paramount as a favour.
Honestly, this plan was plainly stupid but it was something that could be expected from Jon Arryn as he was a downright pacifist. Robert also asked my opinion about what to do but I didn't have any decent ideas so I improvised it in that instant.
*Flashback*
"I didn't think about it before but if you want them to set aside all their ideas of raiding and other stuff then that shouldn't be possible to do immediately as it is their culture and needs. However, it can be done slowly so you need to put some level headed man as their ruler." I said thoughtfully.
"Aye," Robert said, "but who? Balon's eldest died at Seagard, his second is already 20 or something and, probably, his head is already filled with raiding and pirating. His youngest is too young to rule. I'm not even talking about his brothers as they are all beasts on their own so there is no one amongst their house to rule wisely."
"Actually, there could be someone…" I spoke while devising a plan in my head.
Robert raised an eyebrow and asked, "Who?"
"Lord Harlaw," I said.
Robert frowned at my words, "Surely you don't expect me to change the lord paramountship of Iron Islands, that would be a dangerous move as lords would think that a wrong move against the Crown can mean the end of a noble line."
"I'm not telling you to end House Greyjoy's rule." I shook my head and spoke, "I'm telling you to implement Jon's plan but only to some degree."
"And how is that going to happen?" Robert asked, exasperatedly.
"The rebellion is Balon's folly so he must die to show other lords the price of rebelling against the Crown. Jon wanted you to banish his children to the Watch so do it, send his second son to the Wall and put his youngest onto the Seastone chair." I raised my hand when I saw Robert was going to interrupt, "Their lords won't accept a child as their overlord so to guarantee his position we need to put a regent beside him. And I think Lord Harlaw would be the perfect regent."
I sipped from my wine and continued, "As far as I remember, Lord Harlaw supported the reforms of Lord Quellon, Balon's father. Besides, he is known as the 'reader' and that should mean something amongst Ironborns. With his influence, Ironborn's lust for raiding should be curbed. As for their allegiance, you can send Balon's daughter as a ward to some house."
"Aye, a good plan but we will think about it when we defeat Balon…" he said.
*End of Flashback*
When we sailed away from Lannisport, the fleet split into 4 parts. Lord Tyrell went to put a naval blockade on Harlaw Island, Ser Barristan Selmy went to invade Orkmont while Stannis went to subdue Great Wyk. Of course, I and Robert were going to siege Pyke and this war.
We neared the island in the evening. Pyke was really an incredible castle. It was standing on three barren islands a dozen small stacks of rock, surrounded by water. The towers were connected by swaying rope bridges. The keep, its towers, and wall were made of the grey-black stone but green lichen was covering all over it.
However, our first target was not the castle of House Greyjoy, but the small town of Lordsport and the castle of House Botley which was the entrance to the island and the castle of the Iron Islands' lord. I think even Balon admitted he was losing because other than some local soldiers who stayed back, nearly all of the soldiers and noblemen retreated to the main keep of the island. The small town was deserted so our landing was swift with a small amount of blood being shed.
On the other hand, some men were manning the walls of the nearby Botley castle but after seeing the number of our men and their lord's absence, they surrounded the castle to the king.
Soldiers dragged all of the inhabitants to the centre of the town, the nearby villages were secured razed to the ground to prevent them from being used by Ironborn. Their cattle and timber were seized to supply the siege.
However, there was something that incensed the southern lords as the only sept in the town was burned to the ground and when questioned about it, the folk admitted that it was their lord who burned it in the name of King Balon.
We quickly got off the ship and marched before the gates of Pyke and constructed the siege engines and ladders. It was going to be hard to take this castle but it was bound to fall because there was a great discrepancy between our two forces as every Ironborn needed to kill at least 30 men to wipe us out.
However, their castle was standing on some rocks and we needed to pass over walls and then pass a stone bridge to reach the main keep and that was the trickiest part. Half a day later we began firing rocks at the castle but being careful to avoid the main stone bridge.
After an hour of bombarding, the first wave of the attack began as men began climbing ladders to reach the walls. I had to admit the Ironborn was fighting fiercely but they were dying as quickly as our men. Of course, we, high nobles, didn't attack like common folk or lower nobles as this wasn't a field battle.
Men died and the new ones climbed the ladders, they died and others climbed the ladders. Finally, after six hours of fighting and dying, the Ironborn retreated to the main keep and we captured the entrance to the castle.
Accessing the main keep was going to be easy if we could pass from the stone bridge as the iron gates of the keep were already destroyed by the siege engines and there was only a pile of rock that needed to be climbed to access the keep after the stone bridge.
Again, the Ironborn fought fiercely and defended the bridge at the cost of countless lives but after their corpses piled and filled the whole bridge, they were defeated and the keep was open for us. It was time for us, the high nobles, to shine so joined the fray. Robert grabbed his warhammer and I unsheathed Ice.
I wish Winter was here with me but he was afraid of water which I still didn't know the reason for. That's why he didn't sail with me from the Sea Dragon Point and was staying with Stark men in Casterly Rock. I would have left him in Winterfell with others but Benjen said he followed them and sneaked into a cart when they were nearing the Moat Cailin. Thus, I was going to fight with only my men and Ice at my hand.
Robert, me, Jorah Mormont and Thoros of Myr were first through the breach. And the first one to fall to my blade was a middle-aged man with tired eyes and slow movements. I cut him from his brows to his chest as he fell to the ground, bleeding.
Robert was also swinging his hammer as a man possessed. He fell a man with each swing of his warhammer. I have to admit, fighting side by side with him caused me to get excited.
I saw two men advancing upon us as Robert yelled that he was going to take the left one so I ran to the right one. The man was carrying an axe and a shield in his hands.
Seeing me running towards him, he understood that I was going to smash a rather hard blow on him so he raised his shield as I raised Ice over my head and smashed onto it.
Contrary to wooden shields, this one was made from pure iron so I wasn't able to cut it in one strike and Ice stuck into it halfway through. I tried pulling it but the man, suddenly, smashed his shield towards me and made me stumble and fall to the ground.
He threw his shield aside with Ice locked into it and raised his axe intending to strike me down in one move but he was thrown to the side as a giant of a man pushed him from his side. The giant man had a ruddy face and a shaggy white beard. One of his eyes was concealed with a stained white leather eye patch.
I quickly climbed to my feet and pulled out a long dagger and stabbed the fallen man on his throat and then turned to the giant of man, "I owe you Mors, the bastard nearly got me."
The man named Mors laughed and downed another man who was running towards them, "No need, my lord. We, Umbers, will always cover your back."
I smiled and continued to fight. The Ironborn were tired as they were fighting continuously since the beginning of the siege while our men were switching and being replaced each hour. Our advance was quick as we quickly entered the long corridors of the main keep.
I saw servants running around trying to escape from us or hiding in the most stupid place like under a table. We were having trouble finding the great hall of the keep so one of my men pulled a servant from under the table and asked, rather gently, the directions for the great hall.
By the time we arrived at the great hall, nearly all of the castle was surrounded and the sounds of fighting were dimming. I saw Balon sitting on the seastone chair when we opened the doors. His ugly face was spitting the image of a literal squid.
Greyjoy, your fleet lies beneath the sea, your army lies on soil, your castle lies in shambles," Robert's voice boomed as he walked towards the sulking man, "and your life is mine to decide."
Robert slammed his warhammer to the ground, "Tell me, why should I spare an oathbreaker?"
Balon snorted and said, "House Greyjoy swore an oath to the Targaryens but they are gone. I don't remember giving my allegiance to you."
Ahhh, those classic words. However, this time, Robert didn't seem like he was going to grant him a pardon as his eyes blazed hearing the name of Targaryen. Robert's men pulled Balon off his throne and made him kneel before Robert.
I coughed slightly as Robert came to his senses and looked at Balon with a calculating look. "Many gave me advice on how to deal with you… Some said I should kill you," Robert neared his warhammer to Balon's head, "But some said I should spare you."
"Sparing you would be blasphemy to the Gods so I will do as Lord Stark and Lord Arryn said; thralling people will be banned in Iron Islands, all thralls and salt wives will be released, you, your second son and your brothers will go to the Wall for this folly," Robert slammed his warhammer to the ground with each given sentence, "Your youngest son will be given to the care of Lord Harlaw until he comes of age, Lord Harlaw will rule over the islands in your son's name until he reaches his prime, your daughter will be sent to Lord Stark's ward. The details will be spoken at a later time..."
What… I looked in shock at Robert. I devised all this planning so he wouldn't send Theon to Winterfell. I mean I could have used Theon and trained him to my liking so I can rule over the Iron Islands throughout him.
However, the influence I would gain throughout Theon would require me to spend more resources in the Iron Islands because their folk only respected those who had the strength to rule independently and proved his mettle by sailing.
In the end, I accepted my fate as there wasn't anything I could do to reverse this situation at the moment. Robert's men escorted Balon to the dungeons of the keep while the men put the castle in order.
Later, we learned about Balon's second son's death. He was crushed beneath the fallen stone when our siege engines fired one of them onto the castle.
House Greyjoy's fate was looking bleak. Balon, Victarion and Aeron were already a captive of ours. I had plans regarding Victarion but Robert's last orders made me put those plans aside as he was going to be sent to the Wall with his brothers. However, there was a small problem because Euron was not a captive of ours as he was free and roaming the seas.
A dangerous man, he was. Someone who should not be taken lightly. However, I didn't have anything I could do right now but I was, definitely, going to take some measures against him.
Aside from those adults, I also had a problem with the name of Asha. I wasn't planning to have her in Winterfell so I didn't have any plans regarding her but I was sure that in time, some plans would surface.
It took us exactly a moon to finish all things in the Iron Islands. Many people were knighted for their valour like, for example, Jorah Mormont and Thoros of Myr. And right now, we're sailing towards Lannisport for the tourney Tywin Lannister was having for King Robert's victory.
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