章節 14: Chapter 14 Tyrion , Robb
Tyrion
Tyrion was reading a book that spread throughout King's Landing in just two weeks. Three gentlemen from Stannis, thinking they could do business with state secrets, lost their minds when selling it. Thus the book spread quickly throughout King's Landing.
To buy a copy, Tyrion simply needed to go out into the street and reward the sycophant on duty with gold coins. The Winter Wolf had been generous in treating him, and now he had even more gold than when he worked for his father.
Tyrion looked at the book, about twenty pages long, written in the handwriting that the maesters used on the scrolls they sent with ravens. Because of this, the book could have been about four hundred pages if written traditionally, but the scarcity of parchment resulted in a simple presentation.
Tyrion examined the poor-quality leather softcover, concluding that it was not the quality that made it popular. He looked at the title, engraved without relief, but with the name of the author who scared many: the Winter Wolf. However, the book was not about him. The protagonist of this book was, "The Spider", Varys. He was the protagonist and everyone else was his puppet.
The book's popularity grew thanks to the unintentional publicity of Stannis, who declared Varys' crimes in public. The nobles wanted to know the details and were willing to pay a lot of gold for it. Although Stannis tried to stop the spread, it was too late; Varys' book would become one of the most read in the kingdom.
Tyrion, aware of the dangerous situation, stood up and dropped the scrolls into the fireplace after reading them. Angering Stannis was no game, and keeping his head straight was his priority. His lords lost their minds for less, and Stannis would leave no slight unpunished. Killing close nobles was not unthinkable, and Tyrion knew that his offense would not go unnoticed.
Tyrion heard screams and approached the window of the house he had rented in King's Landing thanks to the asylum granted by Stannis.
Tyrion needed to be away from the Red Keep, because he planned to read a book that some of Stannis' lords had lost their minds over, and he needed a secluded place to do so with impunity. He rented the house under the excuse of observing the arrival of the Winter Wolf and his family, whom he kept as prisoners.
1Tyrion awaited the arrival of the Winter Wolf while he read Varys' book from the day before. The parade would begin at the Lion's Gate, far from the nearest entrance gate to The Red Fortress. The Winter Wolf, after parading with his army and prisoners in front of the Temple of Baelor, would head to the Red Keep, where he would appear before the new king.
1The Winter Wolf, although he could have arrived in an hour, was enjoying the journey, which would perhaps frustrate Stannis. Tyrion imagined Stannis gnashing his teeth on the Iron Throne. Although Stannis was known for not forgetting slights, he also valued loyalty, so he would have to wait to see his reaction.
1While Tyrion reflected, he came to the balcony of his room, rented for a small fortune, to watch the parade. Bronn, his companion, who had decided to stay by his side for the good gold he could pay her, entered the room and approached his side. They watched together from the balcony as the crowd gathered to see the Winter Wolf's procession.
1Despite being a hundred meters away, they easily recognized the Winter Wolf, surrounded by other lords and accompanied by two enormous Direwolves. The Winter Wolf wore gray wolf skins, the colors of his house, and stood out among the procession. He carried no banners, the direwolves, they were a living banner.
1Behind the Winter Wolf, marched the river lords with the Tully banner.
Behind the Winter Wolf marched the lords of the rivers with the Tully banner.
Following the main lords were others from various regions, creating a colorful group of banners. Behind them, a portion of the regular army and knights gathered. The view from an upper floor offered Tyrion a privileged perspective despite the crowd in the street.
"Shit, he's got a woman riding by his side," Bronn said in surprise.
Tyrion looked at those riding alongside the Winter Wolf and indeed noticed an elderly woman at his left, next to another elderly man who, judging by the white sun on his chest, must be the lord of Karstark. The old woman wore black furs with chainmail and armor, but no helmet, and it was clear she was a woman, something scandalous for the lords of the south, but Tyrion wasn't surprised, for this was the people of the north, where some women were known to go to battle.
"I suppose that's Lady Maege Mormont. It is said that all her daughters are women, each wilder than the last, and she is the lady of Bear Island. Although she has fewer resources and troops than other lords, she came with everything she had at the call of the banners in this war, and the Winter Wolf, as a reward for her loyalty, granted her a position by his side upon her arrival.
"It is also rumored that the Winter Wolf is generous with war spoils and rewards, so the survivors who accompanied him will enjoy a good life," explained Tyrion.
"If they don't spend it all in the brothels of King's Landing," Bronn said.
Tyrion acknowledged that for common soldiers, that would be a reality, but the loot of the lords was too vast to squander it in brothels.
Tyrion left the matter and observed the killer of his father, who rode on the right side of the Winter Wolf. Unlike other lords, he didn't seem as wild, as he wore fabrics instead of furs and had a more refined and shorter stature.
"Lord Roose Bolton, who beheaded my lord father," said Tyrion, looking at the northern lord. Bronn followed his gaze.
"He doesn't seem like much; the giant riding by his side seems like a serious threat," Bronn evaluated.
"That's Jon Humber. It is said that he charged headfirst into a spear formation and barely hurt his arm, making an entire company flee and capturing the Mountain alone. He's a beast, just like the Mountain, but unlike him, he doesn't act like a mountain. He moves, can jump and maneuver around his enemy, which puzzled the Mountain. The Mountain fell after a few exchanges," said Tyrion.
"The Mountain was just another brute, boasting about his height and weight. Any man who knew how to use his feet could sink a sword into his neck. But this giant seems to take his skill with weapons seriously," said Bronn, who had accurately assessed Jon Humber's prowess.
"I don't see him as a threat. A man who can face a hundred may be considered a legend, but in my opinion, he's worth nothing against a strategist capable of winning a war. And that's Roose Bolton.
"It is said that, in their initial meeting with the Winter Wolf, he presented himself with half of the troops and supplies that his house could offer. As punishment, the Winter Wolf sat him next to his lesser lords. The other lords didn't understand anything at the time, as the Winter Wolf didn't explain why they occupied the positions they held at his table.
"However, Roose did realize it and immediately called in the rest of his troops and supplies for the war. He then became the right hand of the Wolf, directing all the strategies and plans that the Wolf himself couldn't execute, such as pursuing my lord father until he killed him," explained Tyrion. The other lords nicknamed him "the Lion's Leech." Bronn grimaced.
"A dangerous person to have as a friend, and worse as an enemy. Too cunning and decisive, changing his plans as soon as he saw he was exposed, and undoubtedly, other lords would have been afraid to admit their guilt and would act offended," said Bronn.
As they spoke, the parade advanced, and the people shouted to greet him as their savior. The rumor had spread that it was the Winter Wolf who opened the city gates and the Red Keep, allowing it to be taken without a battle and avoiding many deaths. Even the captured nobles breathed a sigh of relief and thanked the gods upon learning that their reinforcing troops had already been massacred and that they never had a chance to win, only to die.
Therefore, the Winter Wolf was the current hero of the city. What played most in his favor was that as soon as Stannis entered, a fleet of Braavosi ships, waiting outside the bay, entered loaded with food, and for three days, they distributed it for free to the hungry masses. Due to the food from the Riverlands not arriving due to the war and Renly cutting off supplies from the Reach and the Stormlands, the people were grateful.
"The Golden Wolf!" the people shouted with excitement as the Winter Wolf passed in front of them. Another nickname for him, Tyrion thought.
"I think he's stolen their nickname," Bronn said.
Tyrion's father, Tywin Lannister, was called the Golden Lion for his wealth, but the Winter Wolf, without having gold mines, was already the richest man in Westeros, thanks to the Braavosi and the Iron Bank.
According to rumors, the Winter Wolf sold them two books, but the employees of the Iron Bank were not the lords of Westeros, and no one had seen or knew the content of those books beyond what the witnesses said at the purchase. They said it was about machines that moved on their own. Tyrion was eager to go to Braavos and see what it was all about.
"He truly is a boy," Bronn commented now that the Winter Wolf passed in front of them.
Tyrion looked at him; Robb Stark had turned sixteen. He was already considered a man, but compared to the other lords in this war, he was a child.
Tyrion also saw him up close as he passed. He had seen him before the war when his beard began to grow, had a slight mustache shadow, and was a few centimeters shorter. Now he was about 1.77 m, had shaved his face, and his body had developed muscles. In his armor, he didn't look different from the other northerners, but only from a distance, as, with his shaved face, he stood out when you looked closely.
Tyrion saw him waving to the crowd with a big smile, and it even seemed sincere, like a true child enjoying his victory.
"It seems he really enjoys his victory," Tyrion said with a sigh.
"I'm afraid we'll disagree this time," Bronn said, and Tyrion looked at him. "I've been in many skirmishes, battles, and fights, and that's not a celebration of victory but the euphoria of feeling that you're still alive after a disaster," said Bronn. "It's like being in love; you feel that the world loves you, and you love the world. There's no better time to swindle a man," he added.
Tyrion grimaced; Bronn wasn't the cleanest, but if that was true, it meant that the Winter Wolf had always been afraid of dying in this war. That was strange because he always had the advantage until the end.
Tyrion saw the other two lords accompanying the Wolf. The black fish of the Tullys was unmistakable, thanks to the fish he had himself embroidered on his shield after a fight with his brother. Ser Stevron Frey, the heir to Walder Frey, followed him.
The fact that the old Frey did not move from his castle to claim his coveted glory could mean that his death was imminent. Perhaps he and Hoster Tully would march together to the grave.
Behind the Winter Wolf was Edmure Tully and four of his lords, but people didn't even mention his name, and the Winter Wolf left him behind, stating firmly, and some would say arrogantly, that he was the leader, and Edmure Tully an assistant, or so the gossip brought by Bronn, whom he sent to investigate the details of this parade, said.
If it was true, it wasn't entirely false, as his father had already defeated the river lords when the Winter Wolf arrived and released Edmure to gather his army again under his banner and strategies…
Tyrion looked at the Winter Wolf, who looked back at him and even nodded at him. His lords also looked at him, and even the people were interested in seeing whom the Winter Wolf was greeting.
…
Robb
Robb saw that his lords had followed his gaze to Tyrion Lannister, interested in the person he was greeting, and they frowned upon recognizing Tyrion Lannister, who was about to be exiled. It was also a dishonor for a northerner to greet a Lannister; it wasn't written in stone, but close.
If you were a northerner, you had to hate the Lannisters; anything else was heresy. Robb had no friendship with Tyrion, but in his life in another world, he knew him better than his own family, and along with Jon and Arya, they were his favorites in this crazy world…
Great Jon spat in the middle of the parade upon seeing the Lannister. He had to get them to stop doing that; it was a horrible custom.
Robb looked at Great Jon. He couldn't believe the giant was still alive, as he went mad on the battlefield when he saw the Mountain. Along with twenty of his craziest followers, Great Jon threw himself to break a line of spears to face the Mountain in battle. Robb said his goodbyes to him when, as expected, his horse was pierced on all sides, and he fell on the enemy defense.
Robb considered him dead and, while lamenting his stupidity, continued organizing the ranks, running from one end to the other so that they didn't charge recklessly or break formation. Always pushing for the enemy to break ranks and be stabbed in the back. But when he reached the point where he saw the brute and his men charging, he saw the enemy line break from behind, and the reason was that a giant was wielding a sword and sending all the peasants in front of him running.
The peasants seemed to have tried to kill him by surrounding him, but another ten men were with him, equally mad, and the peasants apparently decided that their horrible screams could kill them and ran away, taking down the front ranks and creating a ten-meter hole in the place.
Fortunately for the enemies, the Mountain, the reason the giant charged, was nearby, and upon seeing the disaster, he galloped on his huge war horse to kill the invaders, whom he surely had no idea how they got behind his lines. But Robb, who knew that literally they jumped over a row of spears and enemy ranks, could only look stunned as he mechanically continued ordering his own ranks and encouraging them to push the enemy.
Robb wasn't the only one observing what was happening, and the entire army near the skirmish roared with fury, breaking the enemy ranks as if they weren't there, placing a row of spears in front of the Mountain and leaving Great Jon and his ten men behind. The Mountain, like Great Jon, lost his horse and rose without appearing to be hurt. However, in his case, it wasn't strange, as he was clad from head to toe in heavy armor, and if it didn't bend or twist, it was difficult for him to be injured. The Mountain roared, and Great Jon roared in response, asking for space.
In their battle fronts, which was the vanguard, both armies stepped aside as if by agreement, and they had their personal battle while the ranks adjusted around them.
It was as if everyone expected a battle of titans, but there was no battle of titans because the Mountain had fallen victim to a plate of poisoned food, and his movements were clumsy as his head must have been spinning. But to those who knew nothing of this, even Robb, who didn't know how the Mountain came to eat the poisoned food from the troops, the Mountain went mad or thought his armor could withstand the blows of another giant because he did nothing to defend himself, delivering a powerful slash that Great Jon evaded and responded with one over his head.
There would be more, but Robb knew that the blow to the head finished the Mountain because the three retaliatory blows he threw were weak and lacked strength, falling when Great Jon swept his knees and kicked him.
Both armies shouted in fury, supporting the two men, but Robb knew that the Mountain had already lost when he let a guy who could lift the trunk of a two-hundred-kilogram tree and throw it several meters away hit him in the head, and that's why he ordered his ranks to advance, shouting that the Mountain was dead. Great Jon bellowed in response, knowing his opponent wouldn't get up, and charged the army of peasants. When the peasants saw him charging and the Mountain not getting up, they ran. Robb could only blink.
They just ran and didn't look back, leaving the entire flank on that side exposed. Then, their poison began to take effect, and their ranks pushed and opened more holes everywhere. The cavalry entered through those gaps and attacked left and right, removing support from the front ranks and tipping the battle in their favor.
Robb already knew this would happen, but what surprised him was that Great Jon came out with barely a scratch and cursed his horse's death, as if he couldn't believe his bad luck. Then, to more surprise, the Mountain was still alive, only with a big bump on his head. Robb would have sworn he would die in the next few days, but he didn't die and was now one of the prisoners.
Robb could only feel bitter because if he did something like that, he was sure he would die. But not too much because when he remembered that he won the war and his head was still on his neck, everything else was insignificant details.
For all this, Robb continued to greet these people who came to adore him because he had given them food and would soon also give them industrialization, with which they could rid themselves of the nobles, or at least the control they had over them because Robb wasn't interested in changing the administration; he could industrialize a monarchy, a democracy, an autocracy, or whatever. He didn't need to spend time on politics.
Robb had already spent two years of his youth in a war that threatened his life, and if there was one thing he knew from his previous life, it was that life was short and there was no time to waste on nonsense. So, Robb greeted the good people who praised him, felt satisfied, happy, and free from the burden of having an axe over his neck at all times.
Now there was the war against the White Walkers, but he didn't plan to fight that war, as he had more than enough time to thwart the plans of the frozen beings, and that was what he intended to do.
"Winter Wolf, give me a child!" shouted a woman, and Robb blinked at her.
Great Jon chuckled, thinking his bewilderment was due to inexperience, but it wasn't that because Robb had recalled the groupies of rock bands that had been in vogue in his youth in another life, making him dream of being a star in his old life and having women throw themselves at him, as they did with those famous band members.
Of course, Robb wouldn't follow their example in this world, no matter how many women threw themselves at him because in his old world, Robb lived for over fifty years, and those privileged celebrities died before thirty-five, from venereal diseases, alcohol, and drugs; some even committed suicide.
Leading a life of excess didn't guarantee happiness, only a pleasure that seemed to fade over time and leave you numb and unaware of yourself. So, wild women, rejected.
Now that he was married, and his future and that of his family in this life were secure, Robb would live a quiet life, watching as a whole new world was built around him.
Robb smiled because in his other life, he always liked city-building games, puzzles, and Lego games. That's why he studied mechanical engineering; he wanted to know what made things work. Now that he had been reborn, he would have liked to study civil engineering, but he could manage.
Robb continued his march forward, the few dozen meters remaining, glancing back to see Edmure still sulking because he wanted to be by his side. Besides having to rescue him and supply all his lords from his own pocket, which meant they were already like an army he paid for, Edmure was one of the disasters with legs, Hoster Tully's sons, and Robb didn't want to risk having his bad luck by his side, and at this moment, he was celebrating having survived.
Robb knew he had survived by making countless shameless traps, but he had been reborn. He was Robb Stark, he was sure of it because the feelings for his family were still there, and he always remembered being Robb Stark. But he also remembered being born in another world, and having all the memories and feelings of a miserable life and a lonely death.
Therefore, for himself, he had lived three lives. One in another world. One as Robb Stark, and his third life, as the reborn he was now with the memories and feelings of these two lives.
Sometimes, a part of these feelings dominated him, as in this war, where he barely considered himself part of these people, and their customs seemed absurd to him, and most of them made him uncomfortable or directly disgusted him because he considered them the cause of his premature death. Still, he came out unscathed from this entire war, and although some envious people gave him less flattering nicknames, out of pure envy and resentment, no one in the entire kingdom could question his honor legally. There were rumors and gossip, but they couldn't accuse him of anything without losing their heads.
Robb greeted his troops, and his troops roared behind him. Robb had decided to save the lives of his peasants, and in addition to the rewards of battles and occasional skirmishes, he hadn't paid them anything, and he wouldn't until they reached home. Therefore, the money for the whores of King's Landing was limited, and their wives wouldn't kill them when they got home with nothing in their hands. Nor would they notice because these lords didn't usually pay them, and Robb planned to do it only as a reward; he wouldn't cheat them, but he wouldn't make a fuss either.
"Balon Greyjoy has already had enough chances to redeem his path; now his fate is death and exile for his family. I will name a new Lord for the Iron Islands," pronounced Stannis.
"Your Majesty, I don't believe we can reason with the ironborn; most of them are pirates, and those who aren't have already retired after stealing as much as they wanted.
"Among them, there are a few exceptions that would accept peace, but they are insignificant when it comes to decision-making. I also have news that Euron Greyjoy is on his way, and when he arrives, his plan was to plunder the Seven Kingdoms while we were at war. Now that the war has ended, I don't know what he'll do, but he and his brothers are not known for their good judgment in wars," explained Robb. Stannis gritted his teeth.
"If they want war, they'll get war," declared, and the lords nodded with determination. But after spending two years at war, it was no longer something exciting; you could say they were satisfied, and some of their loved ones had even died. War was a duty for them, no longer a game, but Robb had a better idea.
"Your Majesty, three of the Seven Kingdoms have already shed blood to maintain peace, but among the other three, not counting the Ironborn, there are those who have contributed to the disaster.
"I propose sending them on this campaign as proof of their loyalty; anyone who refuses or presents excuses…" Robb sighed with regret. "Your Majesty, the North is cold, and my lords are always complaining about it.
"If the lords of those territories don't want to live in this realm, I will personally lead the North against them, alone, and I pledge to reclaim their lands for the crown, in exchange for half of their territories," he offered. "I don't care if it's one or all four; whoever refuses to obey will fall, and we'll have more exiled lords or more dead," he added, leaving the throne room in total silence. Even his own lords frowned at him, except for Wylis Manderly, who was smiling.
Wylis Manderly was his right hand in trade with the city of Braavos, and he knew that his weapons would soon be ready, so a war against the lords of the Seven Kingdoms would be nothing for him.
"My Lord Wolf, the Vale will cooperate, once I send Lord Arryn's weeping widow back to her home in Riverrun and appoint a regent over the Vale while his heir grows.
"The Reach will obey, as their lands wouldn't withstand an attack from the other three kingdoms, but Dorne has always been obstinate and has resisted in their mountains, even against dragons," explained Stannis. Robb nodded in agreement.
"Yes, the Dornish have always threatened with their mountains to hide, and I don't intend to take those away from them; what interests me is their coasts and farmlands. The wine business is popular, and their coasts are ideal for a port, and soon we'll need one," explained Robb. "It must also be said that the Dornish have never faced an invasion, only attempts at conquest, which is not the same.
"They can crouch like a snake and pretend to be submissive in a conquest, then attack from behind later; that's not even considered something bad if you defend your land from a conqueror, but you can't do the same with an invasion because you won't have a place to pretend to be submissive, as everything will be taken from you, even your lives if you don't flee to your mountains, and it's difficult to launch a long-distance attack from behind, especially if the back they'll try to attack is mine.
"Taking this into account, the person they'll play hide and seek against is me. I wonder if there's any mountain in Dorne that can go unnoticed by me. In my opinion, if their strategy is to hide in a war against me, they have already lost," concluded Robb arrogantly.
"My lord, you're being arrogant. Not even dragons could locate the Dornish in their mountains," reprimanded one of Stannis's lords, and he was supported by most of his own. The Riverlords remained silent; some even looked at them as if they were foolish.
"It seems ravens are better at finding hidden snakes than dragons," scoffed old Karstark in response, and his lords nodded. They already knew he wouldn't get involved in another war if he couldn't win it easily.
"My Lord Wolf, indeed, your ravens delivered a letter to me in the middle of a sea voyage. However, we don't have dragons to force the Dornish to run to their mountains, and they will face you in their fortresses," said Stannis, paying no attention to the conversations.
"Your Majesty, the ships I had built in Braavos a year ago are ready. They will arrive in no more than a week; once they arrive, both your Majesty and all the lords of the Seven Kingdoms will see that no fortress can withstand my army for more than a few hours," declared Robb. Stannis's lords scolded him with their looks, but he smiled, or at least tried to.
"Then we'll have to see it," declared Stannis. "Now, my lords, this is not a strategic meeting but a gathering of unity, rewards, and punishments, for your prisoners," declared Stannis. Robb grinned from ear to ear; it was time to collect for his services to the crown.
"Your Majesty, I would like to recommend one of my lords as the new Warden of the West and Lord of Casterly Rock," said Robb, and Stannis's lords erupted in indignation.
…
What followed was an afternoon of discussion over the spoils of war, where the lords fought like rats with rabies for Casterly Rock and its gold mines. Unfortunately for them, Stannis didn't give gifts for free and demanded merits for rewards, and none of them had more merits than he or the king himself. So Casterly Rock went to Roose Bolton, who was named Warden of the West.
The lords of the West didn't say much, as they had lost a disastrous war, and thanks to the king's pardon, they retained their lands, although they had to pay indemnities to the crown for their rebellion—not enough to ruin them, but enough to deter any thoughts of war for a long time.
Stannis also seized a third of the mines of Casterly Rock and donated another third to the northern lords, thus limiting the wealth of the new Warden of the West and preventing him from threatening the throne as Tywin Lannister did. Roose didn't complain, as his own territory only had crops.
For the lords of the Riverlands, who suffered a disaster—some families even extinguished, their lands burned, their cities destroyed, and their people nearly starving were saved only by the Braavosi ships bringing food courtesy of the North—an exception of taxes for ten years and compensation for their lords from half of the fortune the king confiscated from the Lannisters, estimated at about five million gold dragons, meaning about 2.5 million for them, distributed among all their lords. But Stannis was not an indulgent king, and Edmure had messed up thoroughly, so he was insulted mercilessly—called useless, idiotic, and foolish.
Stannis ordered him to marry and present his heir within two years; Stannis even told him that if he weren't the uncle of the Wolf of Winterfell, he would already be naming another lord for the Riverlands.
As Stannis was right, and Edmure knew that if it weren't for him, they would all be dead, he could only accept the reprimand.
Author's Note: In this chapter, I have included explanations of how Robb perceives himself.
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