CHAPTER 261
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CHAPTER 261
296 AC
POV THIRD PERSON
Maester Eddrick, the learned healer of Newkeep, approached Jon Arryn with a somber expression etched across his aged face. The maester's brow furrowed with concern as he began to explain the dire situation.
"Lord Arryn," Maester Eddrick spoke with measured words, "I have thoroughly examined the wounds, and I regret to inform you that the severity of the injuries leaves us with limited options."
Jon Arryn, his countenance marked by a mix of anxiety and determination, urged the maester to elaborate. "What options do we have, Maester Eddrick? Tell me."
Maester Eddrick began with a measured tone, "The injuries sustained by lords are severe, and the bones in their legs are shattered beyond our ability to mend. If we don't take drastic measures, the extent of the damage could jeopardize their lives."
The maester sighed, his expression grave. "To ensure their survival, we must amputate both of their legs. It's a drastic measure, but it's the only way to prevent further complications and infections."
With a resolute nod, Jon Arryn gave his consent. "Do what you must, Maester Eddrick."
Maester Eddrick looked concerned, and he was hesitant if he should say this or not. Seeing him like that, Jon said,
"Out with it, maester."
Maester talked with a hushed voice and said,
"My lord, both lord's injuries don't look like they were inflicted by falling; they are crushed with great force."
Jon grabbed the maester's wrist tightly and said,
"They have fallen from a cliff. Do I make myself clear?"
Jon's eyes were full of fire; his anger was at the doorstep of boiling over. The smart maester realized this and didn't want to be the outlet of that rage, so he said,
"Yes, my lord. It is clear as day that both lords and their escorts fall down from the cliff because of a landslide."
"Yes... yes, a landslide caused this."
Jon was outraged, but he couldn't do anything about this. He was going to make Aermir pay for all those insults, but right now, he couldn't pursue this anymore. Twenty men saw what happened, and those kinds of things couldn't stay hidden for long, but for now, he needed the peace.
How could they be so stupid to badmouth his parents out in the open while he was here? He would have expected such folly from Belmore, but Grafton had disappointed him. While grinding his teeth, he said,
"I will make him pay for all of this."
...
Lord Stark was furious while Aermir was eating his lunch as if nothing had happened. Lord Stark shouted furiously,
"Am I not able to leave you alone for a minute before you start killing someone?"
Aermir held a finger up, asking for a minute; he swallowed his food and said,
"I didn't kill anyone when I left them. They were all alive. I acted with the dark knight's code: maim but never kill."
Lord Stark was confused,
"What are you talking about? Who is this dark knight?"
Aermir became serious and said,
"Not important. What am I supposed to do? They insulted both of my late parents."
Lord Stark looked at Aermir in astonishment, and in a reproachful way, he said,
"You were supposed to use your words; we are here for peace!"
Aermir shook his head and said,
"No, you are here for peace; I am here to get what I want."
His eyes turned cold, and he continued,
"If I didn't have things I wanted to achieve here, I would have killed them for what they have said. To you and Jon, it might look like I acted heavy-handed, but it was self-defense. You have all seen when you arrived; I was away from my sheathed sword and unarmed while all the knights had their swords unsheathed. They attacked me with weapons; I had every right."
Lord Stark squinted his eyes and said,
"You baited them, and you know it."
He turned his voice down to a whisper and said,
"They wouldn't stand a chance against you with an army."
Aermir shrugged, "Might be true, but they didn't know that. Just because they failed doesn't make it less of a crime. It was a clear attempted murder of a guest lord."
"You antagonized them, and you were the first one to attack!"
"That might be true, but I was very clear I was going to beat them up unarmed, and I was unarmed when they attacked with weapons."
He shrugged his shoulders and continued,
"They got off easy. Anyway, I will have plenty of time to kill them in the future, but for now, I am going to wait for them to heal."
...
After taking care of both lords, Jon Arryn returned to the feast area right at the edge of the woods; all the lords had sour faces except Aermir. He was stuffing himself with all the different kinds of meat while The Vale lords watched him with daggers in their eyes.
It was obvious Ned was really uncomfortable. Jon was trying to be diplomatic since he wanted to achieve peace between himself and Aermir, but He had reached the limit of his patience.
"Lord Drasil," Jon began, his voice measured but stern, "Everyone outside of this camp thinks they received those injuries in a landslide, but we all know the truth. We cannot ignore your heavy-handed tactics."
Aermir, standing tall, met Jon's gaze with an intensity that conveyed both strength and defiance. "Lord Arryn, I acted in self-defense. Your men were not innocent bystanders; they were part of an armed force advancing upon me."
Ned Stark, ever the mediator, stepped in, attempting to ease the escalating tension. "Let's not dwell on the past but rather focus on finding a path forward. There's been enough bloodshed in these lands."
Jon knew that too; he just wanted to find the smallest of edges, the slightest bit of ruefulness, but Aermir had none of it. Ned pushed one more time,
"Lord Arryn, Aermir has proven that his actions were driven by necessity, not malice. We are here to forge a peace, not to unravel the fragile threads that hold us together."
As discussions continued without real steps in the direction of peace, Aermir wanted to fleece the Vale, and Jon didn't even want to pay war reparations. Aermir leaned in towards Ned to whisper something to his ear, but right at that moment, an arrow materialized from the woodline, finding its mark in Aermir's right shoulder.
A split second before, he had moved, sparing himself from a potentially fatal hit to the chest. The unexpected attack shattered the uneasy calm that had settled over the negotiating parties.
Ser Harlik, ever vigilant, erupted into shouts, accusing the Vale of orchestrating an assassination attempt on their lord. Chaos unfolded, and Aermir's men responded swiftly. The hundred that came to the feasting area with him formed a protective cordon, shielding their wounded leader from further harm. The forest floor became a theater of confusion and panic.
As Aermir's men secured their wounded lord and began to retreat, Jon Arryn vehemently denied any involvement in the attack. His voice echoed across the clearing, trying to cut through the rising chaos.
"It wasn't us! We didn't try to assassinate him!"
Jon's words reverberated, attempting to dispel the growing animosity. But it was too late; Aermir and his men, together with Ned, were getting on their horses while a small party of them were going for the castle to call out the rest of them.
A thousand thoughts were running through Jon's head at once, and then he called for a messenger to go for the castle and let Aermir's men in without any problem. He had to convince them they were not the ones arranged for this assassination.