31 Back to his proper place

Even if it's quite long, I didn't want to cut this chapter. So be ready for a long reading session ;)

(11.000+ words)

Having searched about both asoiaf sieges and real ones, I saw that there were glaring differences in logic (such as duration, means, effectiveness,…).

So I tried to put myself a little in between, taking the logic of asoiaf as a base with real pieces of information mixed in both for the details and to soften/nerf some exaggerated things (sometimes even completely over the top kind of things when compared to IRL).

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At the moment, I find myself in a small and isolated area, not far from the town, alongside my uncle and Andrew. I'm rinsing my hands, after torturing a couple of captives. It turns out to be difficult to clean well under the nails when blood has flowed there for a good amount of time.

Moments earlier, Kevan gave me a report of what he and lord Windhill discovered after torturing dozens of Ironborns one after another. Half of these ended up dead, their interiors have been far too damaged by the rats during their last torture session.

For the sake of certainty, I quickly interrogated again those who spoke and survived. One or two of them had actually lied until the end and I thus proceeded to torture them myself to finally get to the truth.

I don't really like pulling nails and having rats slowly eat people, but it doesn't make me overly sick either. In truth, I didn't need to do the dirty work myself. But I wanted to know how it feels to torture someone and eventually getting used to it.

In the end, we still learned a lot about what will await us at the castle of Saltcliffe. The enclosure of the castle is protected by a single wall, thick enough to withstand the impacts of basic trebuchets without getting destroyed for a few weeks minimum.

With more trebuchets than we have now, having it fall would have been easier. But thankfully, it is largely small enough for our ladders to come in handy.

This does not mean that the trebuchets are useless, but their impact will be reduced. They will be used to discourage the defenders, possibly kill some of them by chance, partially weaken the wall, and damage internal structures overhanging the wall.

In the end, using them to the fullest degree for some hours should have some impact on the castle as a whole. But nothing more.

From the perspective of a quick siege, ramming the wall itself will prove far too long and arduous, especially given its considerable thickness. Even if the stone structures tend to break with intensive use of battering rams, the objective is to finish the siege in the day and not in a month or even more time.

The courtyard of the castle isn't very big but has a large tower in the middle of it. Several small rooms are there to protect essential provisions, some wealth, and the members of the lord's family. At the top of this tower, a small balcony overlooks the castle as well as the entire island, giving a general view of the surroundings.

Two entrances are present to access the tower, a barricaded wooden door on the ground floor, and a small raised passage linking the castle wall with another door not barricaded but heavily guarded. A couple of archers would also be defending the tour from its balcony.

With Casterly Rock and its natural defenses, we don't need to build such things. But I have to say, it looks like a good last-ditch defensive position to me. It's incomparable to castles such as Winterfell or Riverrun, but all the same more than acceptable with a heavily limited budget like theirs.

Building your castle on a cliff means only one side to monitor and land with a naturally favorable slope for defense, but it also makes it nearly impossible to establish a proper moat. Such a castle, therefore, has its advantages and disadvantages.

One of the wings of the castle is directly connected to the wall, on the right side. Once the latter falls under our control, some of our men will thus be able to attack a part of the castle directly. But because of this weakness, the wall is heavily defended and occupied to the fullest.

The Ironborns not being known for the quality of their archers, a minority of the defenders of the wall would be armed with bows. However, this does not make the others useless. Throwing a whole series of things from the wall remains a good strategy used in many places, including here.

As for most sieges, we must expect to be doused with boiling water and hot melted sand. The difference is that they have still plenty enough of these annoying snakes to throw at us. Receiving snakes in the head while trying to climb the ladders could thus happen. What a joyous prospect…

There is another way to enter the castle grounds, simply through the main door. But of course, it's not that easy. It would be a large, heavy wooden entrance barricaded with six large planks of wood hung horizontally from the inside.

Just in front of the gate, a thick iron herse has been lowered to entirely block the access. Our battering rams will eventually be able to destroy the protective layer made of wood. But for the one made of iron bars... it would be far more difficult to accomplish.

So getting all of our men through the ladders might seem like the easiest way, then. But the wall is very well guarded and that would take too long for nine thousand men to enter in such a manner. So, opening the main entrance is important to make way for our imposing army within the walls of the castle.

To pass there, it would be far easier to pull the chains serving as a lever to this iron gate. But for this, we must first get on top of the wall, where the chains are.

A fortified room is built just above the entrance, on the wall, and the chains would be found inside this construction. The wall is thus to be taken under our control as a priority.

Once this is the case, our men will be able to access both the courtyard through the gate and the castle on the right side. The last defensive units and the tower would then be the last obstacle to our complete victory. The rest is a matter of plans, coordination, and equipment.

On my side, the only thing that has changed is that I plan to go harsher on lord Saltcliffe. That's what he gained with his twisted plan from earlier. There won't be an ounce of mercy more than the stakes require.

But of course, he will first have the opportunity to surrender. However, Donnor doesn't seem like that kind of man. So siege it is. And Robert has agreed for us to make demands of the defeated lords, I intend to serve myself cheerfully.

Once my hands are more or less properly cleaned, I approach the lords and knights present here. Kevan should have his own insights for the siege and its strategies. By now, he should also know how the preparations are going, so I decide to speak to my uncle.

After speaking about the plans for some time and making sure that nothing else of importance is to be discussed, I end up asking about our current situation.

''How are things going, out there ?''

''The siege weapons are in place, not far from the castle. As for the sack, it has taken an end. Most injured soldiers are back in shape, and any additional torture would be useless. We also took care of our deceased.''

With the sack, the men should have eaten the smallfolk's food stocks and… relieved themselves, I guess. They should be ready for what comes after, then.

''Good news. Anything else to report, uncle ?''

My question seems to bring up another piece of information that Kevan had forgotten. He then hastens to communicate it to me.

''Actually, yes. While sacking the city, a man of ours has ignored one of your rules. Lord Swyft has ordered his men to subdue this soldier and bring him to you. This person has been placed a bit further towards the town, near many of the troops. Your judgment is awaited there.''

So only one… He will be perfect to set an example. Not by killing him, of course. It's not a betrayal or an escape per se. And the rebellion has been bad enough for everyone here.

My men deserve to be treated better than the Ironborns, but putting him back in his place is needed. If he didn't understand me while I was giving orders, now he will.

But even still, let's find out more about it first.

''What are the details of his violation of the rules ? I want to know who I'm dealing with.''

Without seeming touched by the details of this infraction, Kevan calmly explains it them to me.

''The girl he r*ped was a tad bit fiercer than others. She would have punched his armored chest after he did the deed. Afterward, the man would have taken offense to it and plunged his sword into her stomach. Then, her little brother came out of hiding and tried to avenge his sister. But the boy was killed all the same. That's everything I know on the manner, nephew.''

So a guy with anger issues, huh. I have to say that it's quite common, here. And not only in times of war. I'm not asking them to change their mentality or anything. But discipline is essential. Rules aren't meant to be broken.

Well, I'll help this one learn the meaning of discipline right now… By the hard way.

''I see, that's all I need to know. Let's head there.''

After a few minutes of walking, we arrive in front of a gathering of our men. They are chatting and whispering in every corner, forming a circle around a chained man sitting in the mud.

Next to the supposed culprit stands lord Swyft, who watches me arriving with a faint air of pride. He seems quite happy to be the one who apprehended the only man who disobeyed me. But he hides it just enough to maintain an attitude that a noble of his rank is supposed to have.

When I arrive, the soldiers gradually fall silent and lord Swyft then addresses himself to me.

''Lord Leonard, I present to you Garry. He disobeyed your commands and needlessly killed two young siblings during the sack.''

After this brief introduction, I eye the chained man up and down. Garry still seems a little grumpy but stays silent while staring at the floor.

He has bruises on his face, having probably tried to resist his arrest. At least, he isn't making phony excuses in front of me. He is simply waiting for my verdict by staying on the ground, and I can respect that.

Without taking my eyes off him, I then ask him a single detail that I chose at random to decide his fate.

''So… How much time did you force yourself on the girl, before you killed her ?''

Not daring to look me in the eyes, he answers me in a low voice. In his tone, I detect no hint of remorse towards the act in itself.

''I don't know, my lord. Maybe a minute or so…''

A quick one, this Garry.

''You know why you stand here, I trust.''

His gaze lowers a little more to the ground, giving him a rather pitiful look.

''Aye, my lord. I killed them even though there was no need to.''

Right, so they already explained it to him. That will make things simpler.

''Correct. I didn't ask for you to change your entire behavior. All I set were two basic rules for this sack. Yet, you disobeyed me.''

The chained man does not respond, and nothing else needs to be said. Let's move on to his punishment.

I fix my eyes on lord Swyft again, who still wears a faint smile. It doesn't matter that he has an asslicker side to him. What he did was his duty as a vassal, not some exploit to be awarded. In this context, his pride is misplaced.

Therefore, I'm going to make him understand this indirectly. Any collective thought that could have compared me to my grandfather should disappear at the same time.

''Lord Swyft, come forward.''

He does what I ask of him, still unaware of what I'm going to order him to do. Out of respect for aunt Dorna and Adrian, I'm not going to reprimand him in any way. But I can do one thing to set things straight.

''Having subdued him, I give you the honor to teach him some obedience yourself. A whiplash for every second of this gentleman's bestiality should suffice. And if you may give it some strength, it would be for the best. Understood ?''

As lord Swyft looks like he has swallowed a fly for a moment, I motion for Roland to bring a whip. I gesture for someone else to remove the soldier's armor to expose his back.

He then brings one to the lord, before retreating to the crowd of soldiers who have now formed a definite circle around us to witness the punishment.

Lord Swyft then raises his hand while concentrating his strength on the first blow. After two seconds of preparation, he then gives a first whiplash which results in a cry from the chained soldier.

''AAAAAAAAaaaaahhh !''

Then a second one with a bit more strength.

''AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaahh !!!''

Fifty-eight more whiplashes then follow these, until Garry's back is in a deplorable bloody state. The wounds made by the whip marked his flesh deeply and caused him to lose a lot of blood.

I then turn to lord Swyft to give him the following orders. He looks a bit bitter, with blood splattering on his hands and a few parts of his armor.

''Now, have him prepared for the siege. Wounded or not, I want him ready to fight right away.''

Lord Swyft nods before taking care of getting Garry back on foot, with the help of his men.

For the siege, he will be put on the front line and will most certainly die. It may seem like an indirect execution, but it's entirely up to him. If I can fight with venom running through my veins, then he should be able to do the same with a ravaged back. Otherwise, Saltcliffe shall be his grave.

Once this event is completely closed, I approach my uncle to finally get down to business.

''Have the men assembled next to the siege weapons. I'm staying here for a bit if you don't mind. So, let's meet again there shortly and talk about the last details.''

After my uncle followed the instructions and started marching with our men, I let out a painful sigh of relief.

Despite my condition, I am already better at controlling my body and my emotions. But as soon as I no longer need to maintain my facade, the pain, and dizziness return with a vengeance.

The symptoms are reduced, compared to earlier. But it doesn't seem to want to stop yet. So I need some peace before laying siege on that castle.

Once I'm entirely alone, I kneel and put my hands on the floor before taking long breaths. I'm doing this to try to slow my rapid heartbeat and regain my composure.

After feeling a little better, I turn my gaze to the six small marks left by each fang of the black snakes. These specific places are the most painful ones while giving me a constant itch that causes me to scratch it violently.

But by concentrating enough, I manage to partially ignore this pain as well as the need to scratch myself bloodily.

There is still some minor latency in my vision and hearing, but my other symptoms related to my senses have thankfully nearly faded away.

So overall, I'm in respectable enough shape for battle. At least, I think so… I should just try not to find myself facing several enemies at the same time, though.

Before getting up, I take some water in the palm of my hands and immerse my face in it. I rapidly repeat this action two or three times, until I feel a little refreshed.

''I feel somewhat better, now… Alright, time to go.''

After a few tens of meters, I find myself walking next to the town in which we fought. The still very recent and vivid memory of this battle is coming back in force and leaving me with a frankly bitter taste.

The bodies of our foes are still there, lying on the ground. Lord Donnor will have to deal with them himself when we're done.

In the distance, I can still see a few scared women sitting on the ground, still crying. Some hug the dead body of their husbands, while others squat alone in a corner with a blank gaze. The latter seems to be lost, unable to focus on reality.

As unfortunate as it is, they weren't the only ones who cried. Earlier, I saw lord Kenning kneel before the body of his second son and breaking down in tears.

Herrock and Vincent's state wasn't any better. Lord Prester did the same with his nephew, and James with the death of the knight who had taught him how to handle the sword.

No one should forget those who fell today, but we all have to move on. Because the war continues, and indulging in sadness won't do any good. Hate is a good way to get over it, however. And now is the perfect time to unleash their deepest hatred.

On the way to my troops, I let my gaze wander over the horizons of the island. In the distance, I see a few rare fields and small crops with thralls still working there.

Some of them should be from the Westerlands, considering the raids house Saltcliffe took part in. When I'm done here, I intend to ship them all to Lannisport. Lord Donnor won't have a single one left. He will have to drag his Ironborn ass to the fields to work there.

And that will certainly not be my only demand for the man. Oh that, definitely not.

Finally arriving in front of the troops, I see them gathered around our numerous siege engines. Trebuchets, ladders, battering rams… everything is ready.

As I approach my men, I see a few of them watching me briefly before looking away when their eyes meet mine. They seem to look at me like I'm as tall as Cregor Clegane, with a barely concealed dose of admiration.

I admit that it puzzles me… The atmosphere was rather gloomy, earlier. What changed ?

The closer I get, the more I manage to hear their whispers. They seem to be swapping stories about me. But why now, though ? This is not a suitable moment for that…

Roland says nothing but gives me a quick approving look before looking away. Sean doesn't seem to understand what is happening and continues to scrutinize the castle. To my surprise, Kevan doesn't look like he knows anything about it either.

As I arrive by their side, I hear one of them swearing that he saw me being bitten by a snake. Another confirms the statements of the first and adds that it was more than one bite. A third one explains how I fought like lion even though I was bitten.

A fourth one talks about the time I could have lost my leg, but got back to walking the next day. Others talk again about how ridiculously young I was for my first battles.

And as it ends, their stories go on a loop and they start adding adjectives to my name, trying to find what would suit me best.

Looks like my efforts were wasted. They saw me and now, nearly everybody knows.

Seeing that Aegys is the only one who doesn't look away at all or pretends nothing has happened, I decided to quickly go talk to him. Better clear it up with him directly.

''Do you know something about this, Aegys ?''

Aegys takes an overplayed inquisitive stance while scratching his chin.

At first, he acts as if he doesn't know and remains vague on the matter, surely for the fun of it more than anything else.

''Hmmm… They keep being impressed by their lord, I guess.''

He didn't lie but revealed almost nothing of what he knew. This is the kind of turn of phrase reminding me that focusing too much on my gift of lie detection can become harmful.

In a political discussion, it is not uncommon to speak with indirect or vague turns of phrase. Relying entirely on an 'artificial' detection is therefore dangerous.

Luckily, I noticed this flaw a long time ago and worked on it. When such occasions come, I won't be fooled that way.

In response to his sarcasm and half-truths, I give him a blank stare.

''Stop it, I know what they are talking about. I kept that a secret for good gods damn reason.''

''Maybe, yes. But they don't seem to take it the wrong way either. They are nearly worshipping you, after all.''

Hearing that makes me sigh slightly, taken aback by such a situation. I did not expect it and I would have preferred not to be worshiped for it.

Now, some potential enemies may get to know that I am difficult to kill with venoms or poisons. In theory, I'm not at all, but I have no desire to test this kind of limit blindly by drinking poisons as if it was some type of milk.

''Yes, I can see that. What are they calling me anyway ? I have enough weird nicknames as it is.''

''Oh but that one isn't just a nickname like the others, my lord. It will stick to you until the end. The men have seen how you always stood strong against what was thrown at you. Bandits, your own horse, Ironborns, snakes ? No matter what, they have never seen you falter, or be overly shaken by any of it. Today, people died due to that venom. But not you, my lord. And now, all they can see is an undefeated knight and battle commander who doesn't back down on anything and continues to fight… an unshakable man. So they ended up referring to you accordingly. 'The Unshaken' they say, Leonard the Unshaken.''

I see… So, the Unshaken. Well, I can manage with that. I quite like it, frankly.

It could have been far worse, like something as weird as Littlefingers for an instance. Or Bran the Broken… In terms of image, this nickname is also quite positive and reinforces the idea that I want people to have of me. Pretty cool, all in all.

Aegys then snaps me out of my thoughts by talking to me again.

''It suits you well, my lord. So well that I may forget the danger which you take by being bitten and still coming here. But I understand, I guess… Although I won't try to stop you, my lord, that won't prevent me from protecting you.''

In response to that, I give Aegys a brief look of appreciation for his understanding and nod my head before looking in my uncle's direction. More important awaits me and it cannot wait.

So I move near Kevan and ask him what the current situation is. He then frowns slightly before answering.

''I tried to send some men to ask a parley with lord Donnor, but the archers shot them on sight. One of them got injured in the process, taking an arrow to the knee. FOR NOW, any possibility of discussion seems compromised.''

I see, our attempts to communicate were therefore unsuccessful. This makes me think intensely for a few long seconds. But in the end, I prefer to ask Kevan's opinion before acting. He is not new to sieges, after all.

''There are several ways to go about it, at this point… What do you think, uncle ? What would you do ? You participated in multiple sieges in the past, I heard. Gerion even told me about that time you handled the talks yourself at Tarbeck Hall.''

The notion of Tarbeck Hall seems to bring him back those old memories which he dwelled on earlier. It wasn't as memorable to the general public as the Rains, but it didn't have anything to envy it in terms of casualties. After a brief moment of reflection, my uncle gives me his answer.

''First, let's try to avoid the siege as much as possible. Not having unnecessary losses would be preferable. To try and do that, I would have our men stay here and use the full scale of our trebuchets for two to three hours. Our siege weapons being divided between here and the other part of the island, destroying the wall with trebuchets isn't an option for a quick siege. However, the following damage may deter the enemies from resisting any further. In any case, from what we know, they don't have enough food stocks to drag this on for weeks.''

At his suggestion, I raise an eyebrow in surprise and tell him of my doubts. In my opinion, successfully avoiding a siege with them seems highly doubtful.

''Do you really think that's possible while dealing with Ironborns ? The siege didn't end with mere words, at Tarbeck Hall. I fail to see how it could go any smoother here.''

Kevan responds immediately, having certainly anticipated this type of question.

''The chances of succeeding that way are slim but worth a try. With Tarbeck Hall, it was… different. That day, I went before their wall to convince them to surrender. But the only one sent by house Tarbeck to speak was lady Ellyn herself. Her hatred and her arrogance were simply unimaginable, she who married my father's elder brothers one after another after each died, as if they were exchangeable goods. From the moment my father refused to part with his wife for her as his deceased brother did, lady Ellyn became increasingly hostile towards us. She never ceased to take advantage of my father's kindness to make Tarbeck Hall, her last husband's castle, ever grander and more majestic. Later on, whether Tywin then employed harsh methods for his plans or not, she had no right to kidnap some of our kin from Lannisport and threaten them harm. In the end, I stand by the idea that facing them was inevitable. And when I tried to have them surrender, do you know what she did, nephew ?''

Looks like lady Ellyn made a big impression on my uncle. He speaks of her with still as much resentment, despite the many years that have passed.

Although I have never met her, the stories of this lady made me at least picture her as being both unpredictable and impulsive. So, not knowing what she did back then, I just shake my head in negation and let Kevan answer for me.

''She looked at the vast forces gathered by Tywin from side to side, and yet, her only response was to laugh in our face... as she always did. Afterward, her arrogance brought her an endless rain of rocks that completely destroyed Tarbeck Hall. Your lord father managed to bring down their keep within a couple of hours, preventing them from receiving any help from Castamere. It was more of a destruction scene than a siege, actually. Lady Ellyn fell under the ruins along with her children, and the rest of the house knew no better fate. After the siege, the sole survivor of house Tarbeck was a three names day boy. But he was later found thrown down a well, left in a disastrous state after being stabbed dozens of times… That's how it happened.''

A problematic woman to the end, huh. Must have been tough to deal with someone with such ego and unfounded hatred.

By now, if it hadn't been for all this senseless uproar, we'd probably be much richer than we are now. But of course, the blame isn't totally hers to carry either.

The reign of Tytos is not an example to follow, far from it. His choices were on par with those of the worst lords and kings of Westeros, a shame to our house.

My uncle then speaks again to make the comparison with the man we are dealing with today.

''Lord Saltcliffe holds no grudge as deep as she once had, nor does he have a grand castle or the resources needed to hold it for a long period. It will all depend on the extent of his arrogance and pride. And even if it blinds him to his judgment, threats are there for a reason. I would thus proceed step by step and see how it goes, nephew.''

It's true that the Ironborns only hate us for our tradition and the fact that they have almost been made part of it. Their actions are more part of their barbaric culture than their hatred. They just don't like us and have no respect for us whatsoever.

Lady Ellyn, on the other hand, hated us from the bottom of her soul. She must have thought of my grandfather as a fool who stole 'her right' to be the lady of Casterly Rock. She thought way too highly of herself and made us pay by any possible means. Until her death, that is.

However, their barbaric culture and traditions themselves make up for the extent of lady Ellyn's hatred… Two reasons for the same result.

But in the end, the only certainty is that by rushing things, we will definitely miss all chances to settle this smoothly. I want to make things more difficult for Lord Saltcliffe, just as he did for us earlier. But that doesn't mean rushing head first just out of animosity…

So, step by step it is. Even still, I don't want to make this last too long. I thus state my decision to Kevan.

''Fine, I will follow your advice and proceed in this way. But honestly, the idea of ​​reasoning with them seems too optimistic… Two hours maximum. Two hours and we try to parley one last time.''

After that, we finished setting everything up together and the preliminary part of our siege started. Rocks of various sizes found on the island were piled up at the feet of our trebuchets, before being placed on it and sent flying on the castle.

With each series of throws, the noise generated by numerous impacts resounds everywhere around and annoys some of us slightly. From inside the castle, this noise must be unbearable.

Occasionally, an unlucky defender gets hit by a stone in the head and tumbles off the wall before crashing to the ground. A few minor exposed parts of the castle shattered with the force of other impacts, before also collapsing beneath it.

The wall itself didn't seem to collapse against our trebuchets, but this result was expected. Even this, various places weakened slightly. However, it remained more than anecdotal most of the time.

While all of this was going on, I took the time to explain my plan of intimidation for the incoming parley to Kevan. I also informed the men who will follow me on their respective roles set for that moment.

Finally, five to six minutes before the end of the two-hour deadline, luck smiled on us and the wall weakened a bit more than expected. Thank the seven for that… Several rocks having impacted the same place one after the other, a minor collapse ended up taking place.

Just at the top left of the entrance gate, the upper half of the wall has crumbled to the outside, making it difficult but possible for our men to pass there without a ladder.

That new entrance remains too small to rush the entire army through it, and that doesn't prevent our foes from posting themselves there to continue to defend this part of the wall.

But the enemy morale is surely much reduced and lord Saltcliffe has more reason to surrender. Should he continue to hold his castle, it will still be easier to take now.

Once the projectile ceased to be thrown, I then sent a final messenger as an attempt to propose peace talks. This is the moment of truth.

After making a round trip, the messenger comes back to us with a confident but uncertain look. In any case, the fact that they didn't try to kill him is already a good sign.

Without wasting a moment, I ask him to explain the decision of the Ironborns to me.

''What is their response ?''

The messenger seems a bit intimidated by both me and his prior discussion, responding to me faster than necessary and stammering slightly.

''A-After somewhat hesitating, lord Saltcliffe ended up accepting to speak but asks of you to come yourself before the wall, my lord. He does n-not want the discussions to take place elsewhere. For your safety, he l-lets you take up to a tenth of your men along with you.''

Before I can say or think anything, my uncle intervenes directly by addressing me. He seems a little worried about me.

''It could be another trap, nephew. Should you go, I recommend that you take an additional security measure. I would also like me, Roland, and Aegys to guard you closely during the duration of the talks.''

Yes, his concern is quite justified. I would be mad to trust lord Donnor after seeing firsthand his methods thus far. There is no man of honor here.

''Indeed, it would be better to be forward-looking. And of course, as always, your presence by my side is more than appreciated. Our prisoners shall be taken there as insurance, and the rest of the formations will be further advanced in anticipation of a failure of the diplomatic approach. After all, I don't see him kindly waiting for us to go back to our formations. Any other recommendation, uncle ?''

These words visibly relieve my uncle, who lets his emotions show for a short moment before returning to his usual seriousness.

''Not that I can think of, no.''

If there is nothing else to say, then let's not waste more time here.

''Then let us go and meet lord Donnor, shall we.''

Everything being said and prepared, we begin to advance on foot towards the castle of house Saltcliffe.

As the heavy wind blows in our face, the men posted on the wall become more and more visible to us. From a distance, I'm finally able to see the lord, situated just above the gate. He is well sheltered in the structure built above it, with only the upper part of his body exposed to us.

After we got a little closer, I finally had a good enough view of Donnor and got an overall idea of what kind of man he is, as well as his situation.

He is a man of average height and muscular build. His long dark brown hair, nearly black, is getting gray on the sides. As for his long and messy beard, it seems to have partially lost its once pitch black coloration for a variation of colors from black to white with some grayish spots.

A couple of wrinkles can be seen on his face, with small dark circles under his black eyes. In those eyes of his, I can see some arrogance and hate along with deep fatigue. In his state, the slight smirk present on the edge of his lips fails to make him look more impressive than he actually is.

Although the last month must have been too hectic for a man past his prime, the years surely don't seem to have been kind to him. It must be the effect of a long and rough life on such a tiny island, I imagine.

Lastly, his clothes are partially made of sealskin, with an ordinary but functional appearance. A simple metal breastplate is placed on the top of his body, the rest being entirely made of ordinary leather.

When we come within a reasonable reach of the wall, the guards tell us to stay there. Of course, we comply so as to not escalate things for such a stupid reason.

The seemingly tired lord then puffs out his chest and smiles some more to make himself seem to be in a good shape and highly confident.

However, I'm pretty sure that none of us are impressed in any way, as he is way worse than me at hiding his state. Even if I ultimately failed to do so as well…

His strong and annoying voice ends up breaking the silence and comes to make us suffer a slight from the get-go. I sigh lightly as this promises to be an irritating moment to endure.

''Hello, there. Did ya like my little gifts, down there, boy ? Must have been nice to meet my lovely snakes and see yer fellow Greenlanders again. I surely looked at yer meeting with great delight. HAHAHA !''

Frankly, anyone could now start by wondering if he brought us here to talk peace or to insult us and have a good laugh. For now, I put it down to an… Ironborn thing. They are as quirky as different from us, after all, these smelly fanatics praying for some kind of underwater demon or whatever that is.

Everyone gets visibly upset and deeply insulted on our end, but I keep my cool. It would be low of me to get upset over a simple insult.

On the other hand, that doesn't prevent me from returning his insult to him with a tone as condescending as his. But with a far colder voice.

''Perhaps. Each house of your town seems to have welcomed my men with an equal delight. The pleasure has been shared, it seems. Quite literally. Give it nine months or so and that pleasure might even bear some fruit…''

On the wall, I see some men gritting their teeth in silence. To my amusement, this was enough to annoy lord Donnor and make him lose this ugly smile of his.

''ARGH ! WONDERFUL. Enjoyed yourself enough, then ? Because I surely enjoyed myself this morning with a salt wife or two.''

Ah yes, the salt wives… Concubines kidnapped by the Ironborns during raids and bound to their captors in a religious ceremony.

They have fewer rights and prestige than the main wife, or the 'rock wife' as they say. The more salt wives an Ironborn has, the more it shows their high status and 'virility'. Talk about refined traditions…

But I have enough of this little game of insults. I didn't come here to curse like a sailor with a bunch of friends. This is war, not a damn game. The playtime is thus over.

''Salt wives, huh… You Ironborns truly have a snack to mask your distasteful tendencies into traditions. When you say 'salt wives' all I hear is 's*x slaves'. As for enjoying myself enough, it depends on YOU. I see different ways in which this meeting of ours can take an end. And none of these include a happy ending for you and your men.''

My assertion doesn't seem to further annoy the lord, having surely understood how inevitable his defeat is. Even if his arrogance is gradually disappearing from his gaze, however, I still see a deep form of hatred there. I wonder why.

''…Aye, I suppose not. But that still won't make me surrender, boy.''

Donnor is determined to go all the way despite the fact that he will lose in any case… Either he is blindly patriotic or he blames us for the death of some of his loved ones. Most likely sons of brothers, if I had to take a guess. Or he does it for both of these reasons.

But if he still made us come here with enough forces as to somewhat convince us of his sincerity, it's surely because he must still have doubts about continuing like this.

Everything is against him and only his hatred is on the way to finally surrendering. I'll try to make him see reason, but I doubt of my success in this regard.

''Look around you, lord Saltcliffe. Trust me when I say that you WANT to surrender… Swear fealty to king Robert Baratheon, and we shall then discuss the terms of your surrender. Be ready to lose as much as you took.''

Lord Saltcliffe does not answer directly and allows a long silence to settle between us. Without taking his eyes off us, he thus plunges into a long moment of reflection.

He must be torn between the need to surrender and his desire to resist and perhaps seek revenge. But he eventually becomes determined again and frowns before continuing our discussion.

''What if I don't wanna, boy ?''

Hmmm… That's kind of leaning the wrong way, but I can go all out and warn him of the full extent of my intentions in case of refusal.

Faced with the real stakes, he could realize his mistake. Otherwise, he will suffer the consequences anyway. I'm not going to make any empty threats, after all.

Before speaking, I stretch out my arm to point at our prisoners who have been kneeled on the ground by my men. They all have haggard gazes somewhat filled with false hope and most of them are injured in various ways.

''Do you see them ? Several dozen of your men rowed and kneeled before you, their eyes pleading you to save them from their demise. Surrender and they may go in peace to serve you as they did until now. Think about it, lord Donnor. No one else has to die today… Refuse to comply, however, and watch their blood rain down on your lands. As soon as your soils turn scarlet red, it will be the turn of every man inside this castle. Only a couple of sickly and injured men shall be spared to act as your measly guards. The rest will be put to the sword. As for my demands, you will see as they become much stricter then. When I'm gone from this gods forsaken place, you shall be left with barely anything left to survive. You have been warned of what you risk by defying me, lord Saltcliffe. The choice is now yours to make. Do you agree to surrender and swear fealty to king Robert Baratheon ?''

What follows is another moment of silence, with Donnor's eyes slowly being drained of their life.

But in the end, all he does is leaning over the wall to spit on the ground. Other than that, he doesn't seem to have any intention to speak. Well, we'll see how long he is going to stay silent for...

''Still no answer ? The problem is that I don't have much time to spare, though, I'm afraid. Alright… Let's begin the countdown, shall we ? ONE.''

Hearing the raise my voice to the number one, my men immediately get the message. One of them then slits the throat of a hostage, his blood spurting all around before he collapses face-first to the ground.

A few sounds of pain escape from his mouth before he dies in front of his lord. However, no one seems to be telling me to stop. The countdown thus continues.

''TWO.''

The same happens again, with a second Ironborn repainting the soil of Saltcliffe with his scarlet blood. Afterward, he falls to the ground and joins the corpse of his comrade.

Then, pausing briefly, I look at lord Donnor in the eyes before testing his resolve again. No resolve is unbreakable.

''Do you want it to take an end ? You have the choice, you know. The fate of your men is in your hands alone... So, what is it that you desire ? You ensuring an acceptable future for your island and its inhabitants, or having your men's death on your conscience ? The carrot or the stick ?''

My only response is more silence, with lord Saltcliffe looking ever colder and blanker. Well… I try one last time the hard way.

''Still a no ? Alright, then. Remember, what comes after is entirely your fault. THREE, FOUR, FIVE.''

In the space of an instant, three new prisoners have their throats slit in front of their lord before losing their lives.

But while I had the last hope for a turnaround, the old lord simply turns back inside and calmly retreats into the courtyard without saying a damn word.

This event marks the end of the talks. There is no going back, now. While remaining guarded, I thus give a last order before lining up behind my men.

''Fine by me, old man. NOW !!!''

After hearing my cries, the soldiers each fulfill the role that I had predefined. Those with shields step forward in formation, while the last prisoners themselves are taken as human shields by some of my guards. Or meat shields, said crudely.

That way, they will start the fight by killing their own brothers in arms.

Some then advance towards the damaged part of the wall, while the others wait for the arrival of the ladders and rams, and protect themselves from the few archers.

Very quickly, the prisoners begin to be riddled with arrows that were intended for us. This brings down the morale of the few archers who slow down and put on a sour expression on their faces.

Meanwhile, the formations that remained behind are rapidly advancing towards our position, and a part of them are already beginning to raise the ladders in anticipation.

At the place full of rubble, some of our men are killed from above and collapse on the pile of stones. For the following soldiers, their steep path is thus made of stones and corpses. But after a while, they manage to climb to the top and the fights thus turn melees, swords against axes, and bows.

In the beginning, on the wall, our forces are pretty much inferior to theirs and are thus pushed back a little from time to time. But at the same time, our archers manage to shoot some defenders and slowly balance things out.

This splits the attention of our foes between several places, while always more of our soldiers arrive on the wall to reinforce those who were already there.

Eventually, our position on the left part of the wall becomes stable before spreading in both directions of it. Being right next to the central defensive structure of the wall, our men then hasten to take it under their control before raising the herse by pulling on the chain therein.

After rising the herse, the Red cloaks and guards continue their path to the right side of the wall and eventually attain it. The fights, therefore, move towards this part of the wall, hitherto under enemy control. As this turn of events takes place, it further destabilizes the Ironborns who remain confused for a moment.

Unfortunately for them, this single moment of confusion allows more and more ladders to be properly positioned. One after another, the rest of our forces are therefore able to go up there.

Taken from all sides, the defenders have almost no opportunity to throw boiling water or snakes on them. Following this, the Ironborns lose all advantage there and continue to lose ground.

Meanwhile, our large battering ram comes smashing into the wooden gate which weakens fairly quickly with each impact. It doesn't take long for the door to shake like a leaf and threaten to burst open. Its wood continues to splinter into pieces all over the place, thus creating a succession of small holes on the gate.

One, two, three, four, and a final fifth blow before the door let go completely and swung wide open.

''WHAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaa !!!''

The main entrance now being accessible for all of us, and the bulk of our forces rush through it to face the biggest part of the remaining Ironborns which are gathered in the courtyard.

Very quickly, the courtyard is turned into a battlefield crowded with soldiers. This is where the last important battle of the day is going to take place.

At the same time, our men present on the wall slowly continue to take control of it. And after a few additional tens of minutes, the entire wall ends up in our hands.

Afterward, a part of those present there descends to join the battle happening beneath it, while another part begins to make their way to the tower through the passage linked to the wall. And the last group departs towards the right-wing of the castle to swiftly take it under our control.

On my side, I finally have the space to climb the wall alongside a couple of my guards and end up heading towards the tower to help my men who are fighting there. Considering that this building contains what is considered as valuable by lord Donnor, taking it under our control is a potentially decisive act for the siege.

As melee battles unfold at the tower's upper entry point, archers perched atop it take advantage of this to lose their arrows at us. Wasting no time, I take my longbow in hand and aim at them as best as I can.

Although my vision has more or less recovered from the effects of the venom, the circumstances for aiming aren't the most ideal. Not necessarily having the time to aim for too long while being in the middle of it all, I'm forced to shoot more rapidly than what I'm used to.

Even though some of my shots are quite hazardous and get no result, a good part of my arrows still manage to attain their targets and successfully kill them. Adrian and other archers of the Westerlands took care of the others.

Soon enough, the path is cleared and our fight moves to the inside of the tower. Before entering it, I take a look down and see that the battle is quickly turning in our favor.

Inside the tower, we find ourselves on a narrow and steep staircase, constantly turning towards its heights. A few enemies block us at each turn, taking advantage of the narrowness of the path to hold us back as long as possible.

Although they manage to slow us down for a bit, our progress continues like an unstoppable torrent destroying everything on its path. On several floors, we end up finding small rooms. Those are barricaded from the inside, with heavy wooden doors blocking our way.

When the first door is opened, we found meager provisions pilled there. It's barely enough to last a short week of siege. We then have to do the same for each room of the tower, which again takes a lot of time.

In the end, only one door remains closed, at the top of the tower. It seems made of better materials and much more resistant. Leaning over to put my ear against the door, I hear various whispers. Most of their intonations are high, but one of them is much lower.

It's the voice of an old man or at least one of advanced age. Could it be that lord Saltcliffe decided to retreat here instead of fighting ? Even if it's safer, that would be rather weak-minded of him. A coward, in short. If so, then it's time to end it all.

I turn to my men and give them what is sure to be one of the last orders of the day. Aegys and Kevan are there, as well as some of my guards.

''Lord Donnor seems to be inside. I can hear him, I believe. So have that door opened swiftly. This siege shall end here, it's nearly over.''

After a few additional tens of minutes, we are forced to see that this door is incredibly tough. My men are forced to put increasingly more effort into it, but this last step seems to be as long as it is annoying.

Many minutes of hard work later, the door finally gives way and lets us enter the reinforced hideout of the lord and his family.

At the same moment, the cries and shouts coming from the courtyard seem to be getting rarer. If fewer battles are taking place, that means it's almost over down there as well. It's all coming together, it seems.

As we enter, the old lord faces us with his sword in hand. His excuse of a sword is old and rough on the edges, with a couple of dents having formed on each side of the blade.

Two guards are standing on each side of Donnor, ready to defend their lord to the very end. Meanwhile, in the background, three frightened women stand next to one another in a corner.

One of them is holding a young boy of about ten names day in her arms, while the others don't seem to be afraid of us specifically but of the general situation.

Seeing us in large numbers, lord Saltcliffe becomes fearful and set his tired gaze on his men before shouting at them.

''Protect me, ya morons ! Protect yer lord and KILL THEM ALL !''

Kill us all ? Right… We will see about that.

After looking my men in the eyes, I then give them my intentions and orders in all seriousness.

''Subdue them or kill them, it doesn't matter. Most will be put to the sword afterward. But leave lord Saltcliffe to me.''

They are plenty enough for me to avoid fighting anyone here, but that's my wish. Let's forget about that bloody venom, as I want to fight Donnor myself and play with him. I want to show him how weak he is and see the regret in his eyes.

My men nod before rushing towards the lord's few guards, while Aegys gives me a worried look for a short moment. He must be thinking that putting myself at risk in my state is a bad idea, but I don't feel that sick anymore.

In response, I simply nod my head at Aegys and show in my every move how determined I am. He thus turns back to the enemy without saying anything, just sighing slightly before gripping his sword firmly again. And I do the same before facing the lord of house Saltcliffe.

Directly after, I take advantage of my moment of vigor to raise my sword again and move toward my foe. Lord Saltcliffe sees me walking towards him and does the same white regaining his ugly smile.

''Ya are a fool, kid. I'm old, but I can still take care of weak boys like ya. Never fought before today, I bet.''

They haven't received any rumors about me from their remote islets, it seems.

The only response he gets from me is a well-placed sword strike that destabilizes him from the start, hurting the wrist by which Donnor holds his sword.

For a short moment, the old Ironborn watches as blood trickle down his hand in surprise. Afterward, he decides to get more serious and correctly focuses on our duel. Wanting to make him lose control, I insult him in my turn.

''No, far from it. I'm no green boy, nor are you my better in any way. It's now clear for all to see.''

My opponent doesn't seem to let himself be angered by this, though. So he continues to fight me seriously, causing our following exchanges to be already less one-sided. Despite this, his swordsmanship looks a bit rusty and he quickly loses his feet.

But as our duel unfolds, all those sudden and jerky movements quickly make my head spin. I feel the effects of the venom slowly returning, with the sound of each sword strike echoing in my head.

The weak blows of the lord then seem stronger to me, while my arms and legs continue to weaken. When my sight gradually regains a general blur, I know it has to stop as soon as possible. If this continues, I'll be the one on the defensive.

I thus try my best to solely focus on my sword strokes and on every opening I can find. After five more minutes, I finally manage to knock him to the ground before placing my sword to his throat. It's over.

Out of breath and on one knee, the lord seems to have taken fifteen years during the fight. He looks even more exhausted than before, with blood pouring from the edge of his mouth, cheek, and wrist.

After coughing up blood on the floor, Donnor raises his eyes to match my gaze. And with all the strength he has left, he then weakly speaks to me. He does, however, manage to keep a certain sense of dignity in his voice.

''Gonna kill me now, Lannister ?''

It depends, like earlier. The old man doesn't have much of a choice now, though. Should he refuse to comply again, then it shall be the cause of his demise.

''No, just swear your damn fealty and it's over. Your only other choice is death.''

Although he closes his eyes, no sound comes out of his mouth. While the other fights are ending next to us, a similar silence as earlier returns.

It's getting annoying…

After getting a little closer to him, I put my sword away before punching him in his unprotected stomach harder than ever. That's enough to send him flying half a meter away and to almost knock the old man out.

But as he rises slightly, lord Saltcliffe still says nothing, as if refusing to concede victory. Getting irritated, I thus wave to Aegys and Kevan to come over here.

''I have enough of this. Get him on his knees and put his head on the ground.''

Giving him no time to catch his breath any further, the two of them put him on his knees and strongly slam his head on the ground of his tower.

After waiting for the injured old man to regain some clarity in his mind, I crouch before the old lord and order him to comply.

''Swear it. NOW.''

Lord Saltcliffe finally cracks and obeys me with an even weaker voice than earlier. He is all sweaty and his breath sounds like a man on death's doorstep.

''… A-Alright, I-I swear. I swear it !''

That's not enough, nor is it what I wanted to hear.

''Say the words. CLEARLY.''

''*Sigh* I, Donnor Saltcliffe, lord of Saltcliffe, swear fealty to king Robert Baratheon. There, I said it… Anything else to please you ?''

Well, there are my demands. I can take care of it right away, after all.

''Of course, there is. If you want to be accepted back into the king's peace, you must agree to my demands. Since you first refused to surrender while you had the chance, I might as well warn you that the price to pay will be quite… salty.''

He sighs for a long time, knowing that he has made his situation worse by resisting until now.

''I know, I know. Go on. State yer demands and be done with it, Lannister.''

Finally able to get down to business, I get up before giving him my list of demands.

''Very well. I will take four out of your five remaining longships and embark each thrall and salt wife of this island on them, along with all your gold down to the last coin, two-thirds of the entirety of your food stocks and… your son, the one standing over there. He will come to Casterly Rock as a captive and squire to house Lannister. Have no doubt, I only ask this by simple protocol. With or without your agreement, I will take what I quoted previously. Such is the price of your stubbornness and arrogance.''

Suddenly, indignation replaces his fatigue and he regains enough energy to protest those demands. He must find this list quite outrageous. And to be honest, it is. But unfortunately for him, it's non-negotiable.

''W-WHAT ?! All of this is ridiculous ! And ya even want MY boy ? Damn ya, Lannister ! Erich stays by my side. My three other sons died at Lannisport and Wyndhall. YA GREENLANDERS TOOK THEM AWAY FROM ME ! I won't give away my last son to the likes of ya. NEVER. Ya hear me ?!''

I don't like his tone. As my father said, lord Saltcliffe must be put back in his place. And if it's fear that he needs to know his place, then I shall give him plenty of it.

His weak point seems to be his son, Erich Saltcliffe. And I'm not going to shy away from taking advantage of his weakness.

''You worry about him, don't you ? I have heard that the infant mortality rate in the Iron Islands is the highest in Westeros. A dreadful affair, to be sure. Under such conditions, there is a certain risk for the young Erich to be your last healthy son to ever be born… The way I see it, either you accept my terms and give him away or I'll have him buried seven feet under the ground. So, I wonder… Are you going to wager on the doom your house or simply agree to my terms, lord Saltcliffe ? I gave you enough choices today, this shall thus be the last one.''

It seems to hit the target, and his expression of indignation changes again to a mixture of regret and fear. He is clearly afraid for his son's life. Understandable.

''I… I agree. Ya can take him along with everything ya said.''

Let's push it a bit further, just to make things clear. If I have to deal with him again, I want him to imagine in detail what I would do to his son.

I saw him getting enraged at the mention of his dead sons, after all. So I certainly don't want to have him try to take revenge on us in the future.

Hmmm… A good dose of cruelty shall do the job.

''Good. Now, one last thing. A friendly warning, if you will. Should you dare to break the peace of my lands ever again, I will have Erich stripped naked to endure a walk of atonement as a common wh*re, all the while being whipped to blood through every single street of Wyndhall which your men raided. Once his blood and flesh give way to the exposure of his bones, his head will be put on a spike and placed on the shores of Wyndhall. Then, it wouldn't take long before the rest of his family follow his steps to the lovely coasts of the Westerlands. So in the future, you better keep your repugnant traditions away from my lands… I hope to have made myself VERY clear, lord Saltcliffe.''

Unable to get another word out of his mouth, he just lowers his eyes to the ground and nods. Any desire to resist has now been reduced to ashes.

Alright, the debts seem to have been paid. As they should always be. So I decided it was time to move on to the last topic.

''Then, we are finished here. On the other hand, it's only beginning for you. As things stand, you are to be held captive in your castle until the end of the rebellion. Some of my men shall stay to occupy Saltcliffe while taking care of your custody for the remaining time. Rest assured that as long as you don't cause them any problem, you will receive all the comfort and courtesy befitting a hostage of your rank. Only if you are able to stay at your place, which is far below the lions, of course.''

After taking the time to see him nod weakly, I turn around and leave the room, bidding him farewell.

''Farewell, lord Saltcliffe. May you see the light of the seven, for no other god would ever show any mercy to your pitiful soul.''

Lord Saltcliffe is naught but a tiny snake in a world of vipers. And now, he knows it.

After leaving the tower, I then ordered the execution of many of those who surrendered. As promised earlier, only a few in bad conditions were spared. And if the demands to be made on Pyke were not my priority, the result would have been much worse. They are lucky, in a way.

Once everything is finally put in order, I leave the castle and start looking at the sea. More ships than before are there. It seems that my father has finally arrived, waiting for us to join him to leave for the island of Pyke.

Hearing footsteps behind, however, I turn to see the glorious trio appear before me. Roland, Aegys, and Sean. Today, the three of them fought admirably well. Aegys fought as seven men would by my side. From afar, I saw the other two cleaving enemy lines and defeating many Ironborns.

Like all of us, they are relieved to be done with Saltcliffe. Everyone is tired of this long day of endless fighting. But it's not over, unfortunately. And I can't do much about it.

But there is one thing I can do, something that makes a difference for any self-respecting man. I can cover them with glory and honor by granting them a title that is now rightfully theirs.

It is more common for the king to make knights himself. These are then anointed with the seven oils by the High Septon. But it is now that they need to see their courage redoubled, not after the end of the rebellion. And after all…

Any knight can make another knight.

Without telling them of my sudden decision, I thus take my sword out of its sheath and point the tip of its blade obliquely towards the ground. What I'm about to do isn't exactly in the norm, but I don't care. This shall be their moment, for the three of them.

''Roland, Aegys, and Sean… I want the three of you to kneel before me and be ready to receive the honors you deserve.''

This alerts and surprises them all at the same time, but they obey me directly and drop to their knees.

Sean is moved and trembles like a man finally reaching his wildest dream. Although the other two remain calm and still as stones, their pride is fully visible on their faces.

They don't care to be knighted by the king, I think. Our bounds have been greatly strengthened over the years.

In respect to his title as leader of his unit, I make Roland a knight first before doing the others. Earlier, I also saw him fight like a true warrior of old, killing dozens of Ironborns with his rage and short sword alone.

Roland not being part of a house and the four of us being currently alone, I decide to do the less formal version. Also being quite a special moment for me, I decide on altering certain parts and adding a few words that I find to be more accurate. I would also like to ensure that the words spoken during this ceremony are in no way a hindrance to his future duties.

Few knights follow their oath to the letter, of course. But we all have a conscience more or less strong, or fragile for some. This ceremony still means a lot to most knights, so I prefer to avoid possible future doubts on their part in connection with it. The game of thrones is harsh, after all. And most vows end up broken into thousands of pieces.

Needless to say, I wouldn't do it if I wasn't sure of their unparalleled fealty to me. So it's sort of a subtle way of letting them know how much I have come to trust them.

And so I lay my sword lightly on his shoulder and begin the ceremony.

''Roland Hill, do you swear before the Seven Who Are One to defend those who cannot defend themselves, to obey your liege lord, and your king, to protect the Westerlands first, and the rest second, to be brave in the face of adversity, to fight valiantly when needed and do such other tasks as are laid upon you, however hard or humble or dangerous they may be ?''

''I do, my lord.''

After hearing his response, I move my sword from Roland's right shoulder to the left.

''Arise, Roland Hill of Fair Isle, a knight of the seven kingdoms.''

And after doing the same for Aegys and Sean, they finally all rise as proper knights. Then, I address myself again to Roland, or rather to ser Roland.

''The eight hundred guards under your command shall not be referred to as such any longer. Once this rebellion is over, their ranks will be strengthened by two hundred men. A thousand men represent a small army, but an army nonetheless. When we are over with Pyke, I shall give you, ser Roland, the honor of giving a name to this new part of our army. Until then, fight well as the proud knight you are.''

After some saw this ceremony happening from afar, other knights decided to take the opportunity to do the same.

Lord Kenning, though still saddened by the death of his second son, takes a dignified posture before making Vincent a knight. At the same time, lord Lydden makes his heir James a knight too. The two lords seem to have decided to follow my example.

Once everyone is done, we all then leave to board our ships to continue this war. The next and final stop is at Pyke, where we will put an end to this rebellion.

After this long day of battles, the sun is already starting to set on the horizon. Luckily, it doesn't take long to sail from here to Pyke. We will have enough time to sleep before another day of fighting Ironborns.

There, beyond the waves that separate us, the king and the many men who followed him will surely soon arrive before the wall which protects the castle of Pyke. Mayhaps, they are already trying to bring it down.

As Donnor did on Saltcliffe, lord Balon Greyjoy doesn't seem to want to surrender to the king. The siege is thus inevitable and awaits us.

Let's not disappoint them.

We are coming with an army, trebuchets, ladders, and rams. Everything is ready to ensure a grand victory and the end of a kingship.

The snake has knelt, and so shall the squid.

——————

P.S: I should be able to release the next chapter between this sunday and tuesday, if no problem arises.