Chương 60: I live to serve

Proofread by: Akisu.

She came closer to a man in the stands, she could smell the stench of their unwashed bodies from the place she stood before, but now it was overwhelming everything else, making her almost gag.

Oh how she wished to be back home, in their castle where everyone bathed at least once in two days, but since they had hot springs, bath houses and running water, it was more of a pleasure after a hard day of work, than a nuisance.

Looking at the man that was almost drooling with his eyes on her breasts and judging by the bulge in his pants, he was already taking his liberties with her in his mind.

It took so much self control from her, to not simply stab him there and then.

Stretching her arm on to the man's chest she felt disgust for having to touch him, with all the eyes on her, including Lord Frey she gently placed her long, smooth fingers on the weirwood necklace and smiled.

'Now I know why he told me to go through The Twins' she thought before yanking her hand back with the necklace in it as the string that held it broke.

The Frey that she took it from looked in disbelief and wanted to slap her face, but as his palm was getting closer to the still motionless Lady Barbrey's face that looked at and brushed her fingers over the tree shaped ornament, it was grabbed by the strong arm of Ser Hadrian almost breaking it with just a grip as the bastard squealed in pain.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Welder Frey might not admit it, nevertheless the honor of his House was dear to him.

"Shouldn't I be the one asking that question Lord Frey?" it was the first time since she came to this place that the smile on her face disappeared and back was the usual, domineering Lady Dustin from Neverwinter! "Why is the only necklace like this in the world, the first one made by my son and the future Lord of Neverwinter and House Dustin in the possession of one of..." she looked back not hiding her contempt this time around "...your children?" she had to finish it with the question as she was not sure what that dirty thing was.

Lord Walder took a glance at one of his sons and as the person avoided his sight, he knew that something he was not informed about was at play...

From his experience he understood it is better to say nothing, as clear evidence was in her hands.

Since the host didn't say anything, Barbrey started to walk closer to his seat without looking up from the decoration.

"It was made by my child for our first priest of the Old Gods..." now she looked up and continued to get closer to Old Walder as he was shifting in his seat uncomfortably feeling that something bad was about to happen. "Imagine my surprise as the last raven I received from him was from Lord Malister in Seagard informing me of the priests return through The Twins..." she was now not more then 5 steps from the old man.

"I'm sure there is a reasonable explanation for thi..." the Weasel grumbled the words feeling pressure for the first time in a long while, already understanding the consequences of her words.

He was not an idiot as everyone thought, how else could he be the Lord of the Crossing, since everyone hated House Frey. Most of all, how could he still be the head of his family with so many scheming children ready to stab him in the back.

Unfortunately, not all Freys were like him.

"That doesn't prove we captured him! It onl..." the man she took the necklace from tried to defend himself, burying every notion the Old Weasel had for solving the issue painlessly for them.

"Shut your mouth bastard!" Walder roared almost not like a person his age should, to the clueless family members surprise.

A triumphant smile was now on Lady Dustin's face as she thought 'Family can be your demise Old Frey' thanking the Old Gods for her clever son.

"So now Lord Frey." Lady Barbrey snickered making his day even worse than it already was.

He wished he would've known before, so he could slap himself for wanting to play with the piece of rich, tender ass that the woman in front of him was to him, before it all went the wrong way.

He even fantasized how nice it would feel to fuck the beauty in front of her child as he came inside and later made her watch as he slits the heir of Neverwinter's throat while she screamed and begged for mercy.

His dream made him irrational and now he had to step back, for now that is.

"Can you tell me how a priest of the Old Gods was captured and held by House Frey..." she purposely attached the whole house to the deed "while the Faith of the Seven can roam around? Are our Northern Gods less important than yours?" now the faces of the smarter weasels changed.

They looked at the lady with fear.

In only a few words the situation escalated to the size of the whole North against House Frey.

Looking at her they had different thoughts, almost like reading their mind the knights of House Dustin slowly surrounded their Lady from each side, the hands gripping their shields fastened their hold, the others ready on the sword hilts.

Ser Hadrian was the closest one to her like a shield ready to guard his liege Lady with everything he had, even at the cost of his life.

The face of the man that was ready to die was as calm as a slowly flowing brook, they all were.

Each guard that was chosen to protect her was a real warrior, loyal and unyielding to the end.

The confidence of the men was not unnoticed by the more experienced of Frey's, including Old Walder, they understood that ending her is not an option.

At the very least, not without a price and with the other 740 men outside, a deed that was almost impossible to achieve quietly without anyone noticing.

For now there was only a threat, but if they went through with it, it would definitely be a war, one that their house would not survive.

The Northern lords would unite and come down on them like a pack of angry wolves 'The North remembers after all.' Old Frey thought.

The same with the Riverland lords as they always stand with the North.

Not even counting the Dustin's reputation and it's heir.

What seemed like an unending rant in Walder's head lasted but a few seconds when the nightmare that was even worse than The Stranger from the Seven opened it's mouth again confirming his fears.

"I wonder what the Northern Lords would say about that..." Lady Dustin knew that the old coot had no way out from this.

"Release the man!" Lord Frey shouted accepting his defeat.

Most of the audience was dumbstruck, this was the first time the head of their house was defeated in more than a few decades.

Some of the bravest ones dreamed of bedding the woman to leech from her power and had plans to either court or simply ra*e her, not giving her any other choice than to accept them. Oh, if only they knew how wrong they were...

The hall became silent as a man dressed similarly to Maesters was dragged in to the hall.

The stench coming from him was so overbearing that even the Frey's wanted to hold their breath.

He was clearly tortured and beaten with old, dry blood on his face yet his eyes still had the light of defiance in them burning brightly.

When he saw his Lady standing there dominant just as he remembered, he almost couldn't believe his eyes, but only the woman he knew from before could give him such an oppressive feeling.

"My Lady..." he slowly walked up to her while the guards made way for him.

The pain he felt now, was nothing compared to the feeling that he had of disappointing his young Lord and Lady while not being able to complete the mission they gave him together with the Children of the forest.

He dragged his weak left leg that was probably broken behind him as he moved, one hand on his ribs that pulsated with pain with each breath he took as he neared her.

He knew his state, but chose to ignore it, his willingness to complete his mission gave him strength.

When he was just in front of her the first thing he noticed was the burning fury in her eyes as she looked at his state.

He felt happy that his Lady was so angry for his sake, as all the rest in the hall felt the woman's rage and didn't even whisper to not incite her animosity towards them.

Old Walder understood at that moment that "We stand together" as their house words might lead to its demise sooner than later.

They all looked as the Lady extended her hand and opened her palm showing the wounded priest the medallion she took before.

His hand reached for it and his dirty, bloodied fingers without fingernails gently brushed its surface just like she did before.

"The Young Lord would be disappointed seeing as I allowed them to take it from me..." tears strolled down his face, remembering how he almost failed in his endeavors.

"No he wouldn't..." Lady Dustin placed the trinket back in his hand and as gentle as she could closed his palm not even showing a sign of disgust as she held his hand in hers.

Turning around to face Old Frey her demeanor changed, like a wrath of the Old Gods her anger descended on the man still sitting in his chair.

"If I don't receive a satisfying explanation from you... Lord Frey." she purposely paused for a moment fighting her outburst that almost slipped out. "I will burn The Twins and end you all, this I swear by the Old Gods." it might sound weird, yet no one doubted her words at the moment.

"Lord Paramount will not let y..." some "brave" soul said with a shaky voice.

"Then I will build a bridge just over The Twins in a forthright and cut you piece by piece. I will take your gold, I will take your position, I will watch as every one from your family that leaves your walls will be taken care of until they wish they were dead!" she came closer to the uncomfortable Old Frey and placed her hands on his chair's armrests, now looking the man in front of her directly in the eye and lowered her voice, but still the quiet hall could hear it.

"You think the Tully's will protect a "loyal" bannerman like you Late Walder? I think not. You will watch everything that your ancestors built seep through your fingers until nothing is left, and we will let you watch... till the very end..." her gaze confirming her determination.

"What do you want?" he believed her. What else could he do?

"I came into your house and even with guest rights was treated like a common whore, you Lord Frey insulted me by sending a bastard to order me around and later openly, made fun of me and treated me lightly as your family threatened me and my men, you wanted to extort us, disrespected our Gods and kidnapped and imprisoned one of our own without a reason... What do you think I deserve for all that, Lord Frey?" her sight fell on the man that was wearing the necklace when she came in.

It almost went unnoticed when the Old Weasel understood her intentions and nodded at one of his closest son's. The man that was behind the unlucky Frey took out a dagger and slit his throat with one swift move.

Lady Dustin smiled, but that wasn't enough for her as she again turned to him and waited.

The silence in the hall was suffocating, Old Walder knew as well that it wasn't enough, but was unwilling to compromise more.

One child? Ha! He had a lot of them and one less wasn't an issue. The head of the family didn't even know the lads name.

Grumbling under his breath he finally said "You can cross without a toll!" he waited for her reaction, but was disappointed as the woman didn't even blink. "You can take one of my children as a servant, but that's all the concessions I will make. Otherwise we go to war!" He slammed the armchair.

"I will come back to collect the debt." Lady Dustin knew this was the end so she didn't push anymore.

As the group of Dustin people started to leave, Lady Dustin placed her hand under the wounded priest's arm to support him ignoring the stench from the piss and shit that was still on him.

"Will the young Lord forgive me for allowing them to take it?" The strong yet sad voice asked the woman.

"It wasn't your fault. For us, for the Children of the forest or for Brendan you will be the same as you always were. Ethan Crad the first priest of the Old Gods... and he needs you in Essos now more than ever." after her words, Ethan's head turned as he looked at her, looking for any falsehoods but found none.

"My Lady... I didn't send a raven from Seagard..." hearing him the Lady just smiled.

His composure started to come back, as even with the pain filling his senses his back straightened.

"I live to serve... For the Emperor..." he whispered to no one but the Old Gods to hear...