87 The last charge

Getting stealthy inside King's Landing was so easy that Lady Barbrey wondered how the hell the safety of this place was still not upped after the last sacking.

Both she and Lady Anya laughed every time their stern friend Yohn started his grumbling about someone's incompetence.

The plan to catch Littlefinger with Lady Arryn sounded easy because of the reports of frequent visits between the two, but only after spending few days here without effect did Barbrey understood she will have to create an opportunity and lure the man.

The Lord and Lady from the Vale got a bit impatient, leaving their lands for extended periods of time wasn't to their liking.

The only thing keeping them from stopping this "farce" was the respect they had for their long time friend.

After another night waiting for the proof of Lady Arryn infidelity, Barbrey and the other two decided to try one last thing and create an opening for the careful man.

With that in mind the group separated and like it was planned before Lady Dustin entered the city again, this time in full view for everyone to see.

She rode in her carriage through the streets slowly, hearing the cheers of the small folk that knows and still remembers the Dustin's generosity and aid, she was sure that her arrival will be spread by the different spies to their owners.

Without any surprise, just as she arrived at the Dustin's owned streets there were already stewards waiting with invitations from their Lords asking for a meeting.

There was no need for it.

The servant rejected the invitations with polite attitude, there was no reason to create more enemies than needed, her house already had enough of those.

The day moved without any surprises, and since she was already here, she started to check on the books of King's Landing businesses.

"My Lady, the Master of Coin is here to meet with you." Amy, the mother of Bella, one of Robert's bastards came inside the office.

From a common whore to the aid of one of the most powerful women in Westeros.

As unprecedented as it sounds the woman wouldn't misuse the trust and the chance she received.

She, with the other women Lady Dustin saved knew only one way to repay the matriarch of the Dustin house, loyalty.

Lady Dustin learned her lesson after the betrayal of "her" handmaiden leading to little Bri's death.

Starting from that time, only the people she was convinced were loyal to the house could serve her.

'Finally!' She almost lost hope "Lead him here Amy.".

"Yes my Lady."

Not too long after, a man with a cunning face entered the office.

His mannerisms impeccable, yet to an old noble born like her, she already saw the over exaggeration in his actions.

He was trying too hard to seem harmless.

Barbrey had to admit that without the repeated warnings of her son, she would probably be fooled as well.

'This man is dangerous.' Her instincts screamed at her, yet she couldn't do anything about it, she was already a player in this Game just as he was.

"Lord Baelish, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Lady Dustin," Petyr bowed "it's an honor to be able to finally meet you." at the same time his face revealed an unrestrained admiration and a bit of lust for the woman.

"The feeling is mutual Lord Baelish, I heard about the policies you implemented in Gulltown from my advisors. Quite the forward thinking from your side. Admirable for one your age, I must say that the Master of Coins position at the small council was a justified appointment for one of your genius, if I knew about it before I would take you for myself." Lady Barbrey knew she can't play a naive Lady in front of the man.

"And I would gladly follow..." he took a slow step closer and looked into Barbreys' eyes "Such a beautiful and competent Lady should have everything she wants..." he flirted gently.

"Everything?" Lady Dustin coquettishly asked.

"Everything." his sight had an ounce of his predatory nature.

"Yet I'm sure you didn't come here to exchange pleasantries with me Lord Baelish." Barbrey was curiously looking at the man, the small smile now a guest on her lips.

"That of course, I did not, yet in the company of such a mesmerizing woman it is hard for one such as myself to keep track of my original intentions my Lady..." Lady Barbrey's eyes opened wide.

'Did he just...' she was shocked by the continuous compliments because of the history of the man.

From the other side, Baelish had a different outlook on the woman's reaction and his charming smile flashed on his face.

"As you know Lady Dustin, we are of similar standing... I am managing the King's coins and my businesses, you one the other hand, lead the most powerful and prosperous business in Westeros and possibly even Essos... I would like to propose a deal in the name of the King."

"And what for a deal would that be Lord Baelish?"

"Simple, you will sell me, as a representative of the crown and the Master of Coin a percentage of your business, earning in the extent the protection of the crown and the support of the King. Like this, we will have the means to fill out the vault's empty coffers and you will be able to enjoy the life of leisure, knowing that no one can make any trouble because of the crown protection." Baelish was almost sure she felt the small hint of hidden threat in his explanation.

"That's... reasonable Lord Baelish. I'm meeting Lord Hand tonight for some business, I will be able to hear his thoughts about this combined endeavor. But if you don't mind, I remember my House lending 4 million gold to the crown not more than five years ago, how can the crown have used it all?" The last question really bothered her.

Even if the King only whored, drink and organized tourneys, it was impossible to spend it all.

After hearing her, Littlefinger already had his plans forming in his head, since the Lady in front of him cares about the Hand's opinion, he would make sure to make it the same as his.

"I am just a Master of Coin my Lady... the King spends and the Hand and me are the ones looking for the ways to fill in the gaps."

That was true as well.

The two spoke for another hour before the man left.

"My Lady, I thought he would ask you to be his betrothed right here and now." Bessie, the mother of Gendry said.

She was a nice looking common girl that used to work in an Ale house.

With her pair of enormous breasts she was a popular choice for all the men to court.

When the Queen started killing Robert's bastards, Bessie moved with Lady Dustin to Neverwinter, and after working as a kitchen wench for some time she was promoted to Lady Dustin personal handmaiden position.

Like this, three good looking and extremely sexy common women, with the beautiful Lady Barbrey in the lead were the eye catchers wherever they went.

No one would suspect that the servants were the mothers of Robert's bastards.

"Don't underestimate the man, he is more cunning than the ones we were in contact with before." Lady Barbrey warned her closest servants as she still looked in the direction the man left.

The rest of the plan as fairly simple.

Thanks to the hints she left, after the late night "secret"meeting with the hand, in which she informed him about the possible Ironborn rebellion, she was joined again by Yohn and Anya, the two of the most influential Vale Lord's, back in her estate.

What was disappointing for her though was the attitude of Lord Arryn after he heard the news of the potential threat to the stability of the King's rule and neglected them, irresponsibly waiving the threat of as a childish imagination. The man was getting old, senile and blind to facts.

'No wonder he gets so easily manipulated by his wife' Lady Barbrey thought, but still escorted the Lord back with a smile.

Joining her friends she wanted to know how things went on their side.

"You were right." Lady Wainwood said, not happy about confirming her fears.

"I always am Anya, what did you see?"

"Something we really didn't want to." Yohn Royce made an angry face. "The man was playing her like a lute! Whispering sweet words to her ear and she bathed in the sweetness of his voice!" Yohn was a big man and when he is angry, it's not a joking matter.

"His words were not the only thing she bathed in." Anya said with a mischievous expression "the woman is crazy, I never even thought about swallowing it, and she enjoyed it like an ambrosia drink. Let me tell you Barbrey, we really are short sighted when it comes to this thing!" Anya was fascinated by what she saw.

"Can't blame her, the man does own few whorehouses." Barbrey breath a sigh of relief that her mission was finally over.

"Truthfully... I didn't believe you at the beginning. When your servant took us into the passage under the Red Keep I thought you were still jesting, but after seeing it with my own eyes... We need to tell our Lord!" Yohn was hellbent to rectify this insult to their liege Lord name.

Barbrey wanted to dissuade him from this idea, it would complicated a lot of things for her.

"And why would you do something as stupid as that without any proof?" Lady Anya was still faster.

Yohn looked at her clueless not understanding, he was always more brawl than brain, the exact opposite of her.

"How will you explain to our Lord why are we here and how we know, you will put a stain on the name of the Lady wife of the Warden of the East without any proof, and do you think he would believe you just because? Grow up Yohn!" she looked at Barbrey and back at him.

"Lord Arryn doesn't have an heir... Even if that dishonest woman gives him one, it will count for nothing with the things we know now... We need to gather the Lords of the Vale on our side first. Tell me Yohn, who will take the rule over the Vale next after Lord Arryn dies...?"

Barbrey wanted to applaud the Lady of Wainwood, but as it was the Vale matter she stopped herself after one sentence "Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful Yohn, that's what my son told me once.". This were exactly her thoughts as well. If the things her son told her about were coming, they needed all the help they could get.

Yohn was short tempered and he knew he wasn't the sharpers tool in the shed, but even he understood it when someone explained it to him like that.

"We will send our men to spy on Lady Arryn, maybe a change in the entourage of our liege Lord is necessary." Anya was already planning ahead.

The next night all of them left King's Landing and split at Crossroads Inn.

One week later Lady Barbrey arrived to Neverwinter, just a day or two after her son left with his friends.

She cursed the Littlefinger for unintentionally extending the time she wanted to spend in King's Landing, but at least for the next few years she wouldn't have to go there.

After sending a falcon to her son with the update, her days continued as they were before.

"My Lady!" Qyburn enter her solar, just as she had a meal while checking the documents. She was feeding the little, white Lemur on her side with a grape.

Seeing the smile on his face, she waited for the good news.

"There is a rider at the gates. He wants to talk to you, and you alone."

"Rodrik?" she finally looked interested.

"Yes my Lady, I assume it's one of his men." Qyburn knew how much his young Lord worried about this issue, and he was glad that this time his young Lord was wrong.

"Bring him here Qyburn, oh and make sure no one sees him." if anyone would manage to connect them to the Ironborn before the rebellion, their heads might roll as well.

After confirming the man's identity as Rodrik's Harlaw messenger, they received the scroll with the Harlaw scythe on the seal.

They read it and Qyburn left to make the preparation.

The Lannisport should be attacked in two days time, next day the Harlaw's family, servants and gold as per the agreement will be transported to the same estate outside Neverwinter where previously the Martell's were hidden.

There, they will be sheltered by the village garrison throughout the period of war after which they will return to the islands.

Things were not looking optimistic for Rodrik. Already voices of discontent criticized him as a coward, more and more spies were revealed at his side and since the people he trusted dwindled, he was afraid to even send a raven.

All this was confirmed while she questioned the man in front of her, her Whisperers located there were probably in similar situation, at least those who were still alive.

So in three days...

Barbrey hesitated if she should write to her son, 'Brendan should be somewhere close to Winterfell by now' Lady of the castle decided against it.

Not to risk them being discovered she would wait.

When the messenger left to take his rest, Ser Hadrian entered the solar as per his Lady's summon.

"Ser Hadrian, in three days we will be having our guests from the Iron Islands in Brendan's estate outside the city. Please arrange a small party to escort us there." Lady Dustin lifted her face and order.

"Not the usual numbers my Lady?" Hadrian didn't like the idea, but he was here to serve.

"No, I will ride horseback as well, 5-10 men dressed as sellswords should be sufficient. First, we don't want anyone to know about the meeting, second, we have our garrison there in the closest village, the commander should be informed beforehand to provide his trusted men at the meeting place."

"I understand my Lady." Set Hadrian retreated to prepare his men.

At dawn two days later a falcon came from the closest village to Lannisport with the message the city was sacked and burned with the fleet.

One day before the planned attack time, but Barbrey justified this slip as a irrelevant factor.

Since their preparation would finally come to fruition the next day, she still decided against writing to Brendan as he had more important things to do now.

After a good night rest and delicious breakfast her day started with a happy feeling.

She climbed the inconspicuous horse prepared by her men, the cloak covered her features, and in the escort of simple, small group of "sellswords" left for the meeting place close to the shores.

When the group arrived, all seemed to be in order, the small detachment from the village was responsible for securing the place, but since they left Neverwinter in disguise they weren't worried much.

The new commander of the garrison was previously responsible for training the marines when the exchange with the Ironborn just started.

The group relaxed a bit, as Set Hadrian was speaking with the village garrison Captain they finally noticed two ships approaching the shore first as they emerged from the morning fog.

Because of all the secrecy, Dustin fleet received the order to temporarily withdrawal from patrolling this part of the shore.

The fog covered the bay as almost every morning, so spotting anything further was close to a miracle.

Lady Dustin looked attentively at the people that docked, her guards vigilant as well, their eyes followed everyone who disembarked the ships closely.

Ten men walked carefully in their direction observing their surrounding.

The closer they were, the less tension Lady Barbrey felt, especially after she saw Rodrik the Reader among them.

"Lord Harlaw." her welcoming was of standard courtesy.

"Lady Dustin." Rodrik checked the woman from head to toe, and he clearly liked what he saw, which neither the Lady or her guards liked.

His gaze shifted to her protection detail and then to the village reinforcements Captain.

"I can't seem to notice that your numbers are a bit lacking." there seemed to be some kind of a small problem in Lady Dustin's mind.

"We came a shore first to check the situation Lady Barbrey. The others are still hidden in the fog. Would you like for me to call them now?" he looked calmer and more confident.

"Please do, we don't have much time." Lady Barbrey watched as one of the men that came with Rodrik took out an arrow wrapped in a cloth and started lighting it.

- - -

Set Hadrian couldn't shake the irritating feeling that something was wrong.

Checking one last time, he saw the twenty village guards spread out with five of his men around the place, then he saw the other five close to Lady Dustin like always.

The man standing in front of him with this second in command did not help.

The Captain from the village was an old Dustin guard, one of the original few they had left at the beginning all these years back.

The man wasn't the best or brightest, but deserved the support of the House after coming back from the Robert's rebellion alive.

Ser Hadrian not seeing anything amis, waited for the Ironborn to signal for the rest of them, women, children and servants from the Ten Towers, ancestral seat of House Harlaw with the gold to dock, he just wanted to transport them to the estate, preferably still under the cover of the fog as soon as possible and back to the place where his Lady would be the safest.

His anger grew, as he watched the clumsy squid strike-a-light piece of iron on the flint.

He was about to go to the man and take care of it by himself when he, by mistake meet Lord's Harlaw gaze.

Ser Hadrian knew this feeling, there was something wrong.

He wanted to move up to his Lady to inform her about this, she trusted him to save her when needed and would listen to his advice.

Before he made his move it happened...

Ser Hadrian saw a smile on the Ironborn face, the bizarre thing was, that he wasn't smiling at him... no... he was smiling to the person at his back...

The time slowed down, Ser Hadrian instinctively pulled out his dagger and turned feeling deaths breath on his back.

Then the sound of metal scratching metal and pain in his side, but his dagger found the agresor vital part.

Hadrian watched as his old companion, from the time before even young Lord was born was standing there with the same sick smile as the squid had, the dagger of the head of Lady Barbreys' guards, in the chest of the aid that was previously innocently listening to their talk.

He wanted to shout, but the blood gathered in his mouth did not allow him to.

"Treason! Treason! Tre..." 'good lad' he thought as one of probably similar as him attacked guard shouted.

Soon as the commotion was identified, Hadrian watched as his men without thinking reacted when the closest to them traitors from the village garrison viciously attacked without a warning.

No, not traitors, the fought more like the Ironborn then Dustin trained men...

Ser Hadrian moved to his Lady and grabbed her hand, as the five Dustin guards engaged in a fierce battle with he Ironborn that came ashore.

He had only ten men, there was no other way, he needed to get his Lady to the horses and get her out of here.

"Protect the Lady!" he shouted after spitting the blood that gathered in his mouth.

When he was running and covering his Lady with his shield, he had a second to assess the situation, what he could see was few of his men already on the ground, lifeless eyes starring into nothingness, covered in the pool of their own blood.

'At least they didn't go alone...' he checked the men next to them and saw that his boys didn't go without a fight.

More Ironborn surfaced from the bushes at their back.

"Protect the Lady!" Hadrian shouted again and bashed the face of a man who wanted to grab his Lady's hair, deforming it.

The old knight turned and saw his men moving closer to them, choosing the most difficult angles while protecting him and the Lady from arrows.

6 men and him were left...

It wasn't easy for him to watch as the men he trained and lived with for so many years died... even at the costs of wounds they separated from the people they were fighting with.

One, the youngest of the guards, even loosing a hand as he decided to take the swing from one man, just to kill the other and to separate from the fight...

The boy just became a father few days ago, he brought his newborn son to the barracks to show him to everyone just the day before.

Now without even a shout of pain he covered his brothers and the Lady with his body as he didn't even have a shield.

With his back to the group he moved slowly, the limp of his cut hand and the other one with the sword instinctively covered his vitals that would mean instant death if hit, and like that moved back step by step, blood from his limb washed all over him... yet no hesitation entered his mind.

Unfortunately he couldn't cover everything...

Ser Hadrian eyes were red as he herd the arrows hitting flesh, then, there were sounds of quiet, painful exclamations from the boy... untill they simply stopped as a body dropped to the ground and the arrows swished around them again.

Five men and him moved as fast as they could, when their only way out was ended.

Some of the arrows that flew around weren't aimed at them, they were aimed at the horses before them.

Seeing the situation unfold like this Hadrian made his last decision.

"My Lady! You need to run, don't look back!" oh how he wished to stay by her side longer.

The usually strong woman showed fear and anger at the same time, but the old guard knew that there was none who without experience wouldn't be afraid.

"No!" Barbrey trembled, her legs almost gave up with every sound of arrow hitting the plates of her men.

Her dress already soaked with Ser Hadrian blood as he covered her with his body, her face covered with wet, sweaty hair sticking to it and mud after her previous fall "It's all my fault! It's my fault!".

"Now is not the time my Lady!" a shout from one of the guards reached them, the man now with an arrow in the back of his knee turned and attacked three of the closest enemies that followed them, killing one in his first attack.

"Run my Lady!" was the only thing he had in mind before starting the deadly fight.

"We will hold them off my Lady! Please leave and avenge us!" more men stopped, now the only thing they could do, was to buy more time for their Lady by paying with their lives.

"We live and die for you my Lady... It's not your fault child..." Ser Hadrian brushed the tears from her face, smearing his blood from his hand unintentionally on her cheek.

The old knight who was basically like a second father to her pushed her into the bushes and looked at the last four men from his party...

"So that's it boys... was an honor" they all turned around only to see their companion that stopped previously, with an axe in his chest and two swordsmen repeatedly stabbing him.

The 6 bodies around the man were enough to confirm his skill and dedication...

Lady Barbreys' guards looked at each other, no words were needed anymore...

"For the Dustin's!" a savage primal shout from their throats gave them the strength and the courage they needed.

The last charge in their lives...