chapter 37 : The North Remembers
Apparently, the wildlings had underestimated this distance, they had to take several breaks along the way and arrived very late and this was normal given the distance.
Although they were in optimal shape thanks to the mutant meat and winter fruits, they remained normal humans.
"Majesty, you are late…" Torrhen came to greet him.
Jon: Our friends of the free folk have done their best, the distance is terrifying. Give them something energetic.
Torrhen: We have plenty of winter meat.
Jon: It's more than enough. Also give them better weapons.
Torrhen: It'll be done, my king. By the way, because of your delay, your uncle Captain Benjen had to take matters into his own hands with Lady Lyra.
Jon: Let me guess, Roose knew we were coming for him and my uncle surrounded Moat Cailin with our troops to prevent him from getting out ?
Torrhen: Do you know about it ?!
Jon: I'm the one who asked him to do that if I was away. Just because I'm not here doesn't mean time will stop. What use are my lieutenants and my loved ones in this case?
"You are always true to yourself…" Torrhen said shaking his head with a smile on his lips.
They set off to meet up with the others and later when they arrived, Benjen and the others greeted him and he noticed how well the encirclement of Moat Cailin had been executed with Stannis's soldiers, those of the resistance and the sworn brothers of the Night's Watch.
Lyra: My husband, you are late...
"I was bringing the last guests to the party…" He said before kissing her tenderly on the lips in front of everyone.
Benjen: HUSBAND?! (Looks at Jon) This girl is the niece of the Lord Commander and you married her? WHEN ?! Why didn't anyone inform us ?
Lyra:…
Jon: We got married in the ancient method of the first men, just the two of us in front of a weirwood. I was going to tell you all, but it doesn't matter.
Torrhen: Sorry majesty but as a king it is important.
Jon: To hell with that, I always wanted to do everything the simple way. As the future ruler of the North, only the people's affairs should matter first, not mine. It doesn't matter what I do, as long as the North doesn't suffer from it then everything is fine.
Lyra: And I totally agree with keeping our marriage discreet and pure, I never imagined being married so a pompous wedding doesn't interest me.
Benjen: Jon, we'll talk about this later, the main thing is what we do now.
Asher: They have installed a lot of men on the ramparts, they are also expecting a siege.
Jon: Roose isn't an idiot, he is a very experienced man. They have the advantage of the high ground thanks to the immense hill on which this stronghold is built. I don't think it's a coincidence that they are there.
Torrhen: You mean Roose knew they were going to be besieged ?
Jon: "knew" is a too strong word, let's say he anticipated a betrayal from the Lannisters, nothing tells us that he expected to be besieged by us. The Lannisters covet our gold and precious stones while despising almost all people of the North. Roose would have to be an idiot not to have been suspicious of someone even more treacherous than him. That's why they're here and not in Dreadfort.
Benjen: That makes sense.
Jon began to issue orders to organize the troops when the gates of the Moat Cailin fortifications opened and a delegation emerged from there with banners and a white flag.
They looked at who these guys were and they were the lords who had pledged allegiance to the Boltons. The leader was in fact Wyman Manderly in front of the other lords with his son and heir, Wylis Manderly, at his side.
"They certainly want to open talks, let's meet them." Jon said and left with some of his lieutenants, Mance Rayder was also given a horse and he went with them.
Once face to face, Wyman looked Jon and the others up and down with some contempt, especially when he saw Mance.
Wyman: Here he is, the bastard of Ned Stark who has now proclaimed himself King in the North.
Jon: (smiles) Lord Manderly, Lords Flint, Hornwood, Woolfield, Dustin, Cerwyn, Tallhart and Ryswell. Last time we all got together was when King Robert came to Winterfell. You weren't traitors yet then.
Wyman: Jon SNOW, you are the only true traitor by allying yourself with wildlings, you are staining the North and the memory of Ned Stark.
Jon: Please, I plan to kill you all quickly so do yourself a favor and don't talk about my father anymore, you are very far from being worthy. And then, your knowledge of Geography is so poor that you forget that beyond the wall is still the North of Westeros ? What did your maester teach you?
Wyman: Insolent boy! Ned Stark should never have-(interrupted)
Jon: (To his men) NEXT TIME THIS TRAITOR MENTIONS MY LATE FATHER, I WANT A CROSSBOW BOLT IN HIS NECK.
Wyman: Are you threatening me, boy ?! I SAW THE NORTH BEFORE YOU.
Jon: And you won't see him again before me if you still have the audacity to talk about Eddard Stark. I have all the information on your actions at the Red Wedding and I know that all the houses here participated in the massacre of Robb and those who remained loyal to the Starks (Unlike the series where only the Boltons and the Freys participated). Roose knew how to convince you to fall this low.
Wyman: Your brother was leading the North to its DOST.
Jon: Robb was an idiot who forgot his duty for a few moments of happiness, but was that also the case for the Starks present at Winterfell whose multiple assassination attempts you supporte ?
Wyman: We followed the strong for the survival of the North. When your brother killed Rickard Karstark and spared his mother who betrayed the North, we understood that the Starks were no longer worthy of ruling us. Roose brought us together, he could have killed us with them during this cursed wedding but he at least still had respect for the lords of the North unlike your brother.
Jon: Who are you trying to convince with this ? You Manderlys I can understand, you have never been Northerners at heart and are attached to southern practices. Your betrayal to serve Tywin doesn't surprise me but for the others it is another story. You are all plagues that the North must be rid of.
Wylis: WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE ? Why does the Night's Watch get involved in this kind of thing ? Shouldn't you be neutral in matters of the kingdom ?
Benjen: Who are you, boy ?
Wylis: I'm not your BOY, my name is Wylis Manderly.
Benjen: (to Wyman) Is your son an idiot ? Don't you know that years ago Jon gained complete independence for our order ? Now we react if we are attacked, something that Ramsay Bolton took care of.
Jon: Uncle, you're wasting your time with these traitorous idiots. The father knows nothing about geography, and the son is even more ignorant. Why did you come to see us?
Wyman: This situation will turn into a siege, a siege that will take days or weeks and many lives. The North has bled enough since Ned Stark's death and he wouldn't want-(interrupted)
*SNATCH*
*FLOURPH*
A crossbow bolt immediately lodged in his throat, blood immediately spurted from his mouth and his eyes reflected great disbelief just like his son and the other lords with them. Wyman fell grabbing his throat in front of everyone else completely paralyzed by the action, even Wylis his own son could do nothing.
"FATHER…" Wylis got off his horse to support his dying father before looking at Jon with great hatred.
Jon: There's no point looking at me like that, he's been warned not to talk about my father with his traitorous mouth anymore. A wound like this kills less quickly than you think so I'm going to give you exactly 2 minutes to take him and watch him die inside Moat Cailin. If you had entered into the talks in order to avoid your potential loss, I would rather warn you that your death is inevitable and that none of you will survive just like what you did to Robb and the others at that old fart Walder Frey .
They wanted to curse Jon when they saw several sworn brothers of the Night's Watch cocking their crossbows, Jon had already told them that they will make a total massacre so none of them will hesitate to kill one of these guys at less overflow.
"You have less than two minutes left my lords…" Jon said in amusement as they took Wyman alive in his final moments and rode off on their horses. Wylis saw his father die before they even reached the gates of the old fortresses.
Benjen: Jon…
Jon: I just killed a man in front of his son, my uncle. This is not what father taught me but I don't intend to treat those who betrayed the North honorable. All of them must disappear if only for their involvement in the Red Wedding. "The North remembers" will no longer be just a simple quote.
They all looked at him with approval before returning to the others and they prepared to attack the old stronghold as crows began to arrive on the scene by the dozens, it was Jon's work .