Echoes of the war

This chapter is fundamentally a narrated war time skip with minor slice of life elements.

———

Deep Den, 282 AC

The past few months were far more ordinary than my early stay at Deep Den. I had yet to get news from the rebellion.

I continued to train and enhance my skills. I try to stay both in shape and at my peak at all time.

I actually trained with my sword, most of the time. I can't help but to continue to compare myself with my elder brother's talent in that field.

My new status as the youngest knight puts more pressure on me than ever before. So I try to work hard and with efficiency.

Outside from that, lord Lydden made me do more paper work and castle management related business.

As for the boys, they are trying too hard to be my wingmen. Vincent tried to make me lay with a whore, even if he never did, and James still tries to make me marry his sister.

I turned ten last week and now, lord Lydden received bad news from Kings Landing.

Brandon Stark arrived with small forces at the doors of Kings Landing with the objective to bring back his sister and punish the prince for his actions.

He has shouted for prince Rhaegar to come out and die. But he wasn't there and the king had them all arrested for plotting to murder the crown prince.

All of them ended up executed. When the turn of lord Rickard Stark and his son Brandon came, he demanded for a trial by combat.

Aerys accepted but declared wildfire to be his opponent. Of course, the father-son duo lost to the wildfire, who would have thought.

Damn, I didn't know the specifics of their deaths. Declaring wildfire as an opponent? I don't know if the king is mad or just a chad anymore.

But the news weren't over yet.

King Aerys demanded to lord Jon Arryn to send him the heads of lord Robert Baratheon and Eddard Stark.

What lord Arryn did with this order isn't known yet. But the result is evident. The both of them were his squires, it doesn't create just any bound. It's like a second family. So it was unofficial but the rebellion has started.

James looked terrified as this same conclusion fell upon him.

''It's a disaster, the realm will be in total chaos. War is inevitable.''

''Indeed my son, indeed. The only person whose fate will decide our future actions is likely to be Jaime Lannister.''

He's right, with Jaime home things would be simpler. I decide to voice the possible outcomes, knowing which is the right.

''We will either fight for the king or stay neutral if he keeps Jaime as an hostage, or Kingsguard if you prefer. And we will fight for the rebels if the king decide to kill Jaime. Or father will find his own strategy while mixing things in his advantage.''

It's going to be, of course, a 'special' idea of my father.

''You should be correct on this, Leonard. I wouldn't have said better. It means that now we wait the news and orders of your lord father.''

And it didn't take months for us to receive fresh news.

A few days later, the rebellion finally begins with the joint forces of house Arryn, Baratheon and Stark. Other houses of their respective lands are either going to align themselves with them or with the king.

Aerys is keeping Jaime as an hostage aka glorified guard, so we are on standby for now. But I know that it will change as Tywin wants to gain something from this rebellion.

Whose side is he on ? The winning side. And he will wait to be sure about which side to pick.

Vincent and I are talking about this heated topic like paparazzis about a star's thirtieth break up. Except here things are serious.

''Peace is over. By the seven, it may be the end of a three hundred years old dynasty, Leo.''

''You're right Vincent, it's a major moment. History is being written as we speak.''

''I wonder what they will say about the Westerlands.''

''Nothing good if it's the rebels, they don't really like us after all. Our future actions will have a huge impact on our image tho. And I will try to have a part in this.''

I whispered the last part. I think that a great part of the events of the sack was negative for us. It could be better managed and I will give my propositions to Tywin when the time is right.

In regard of the Ironthrone, I don't plan to play the game, not for myself at least. I'm the heir of the Westerlands and it's plenty enough. I just need to keep a suitable king for both my house and my future projects.

Surviving and preventing the fall of my family members will be part of my plans too. That and assuring a good life to my future children.

Planning to defend my lands from Daenerys is also important. Stopping her mother in Kingslanding would be simpler. But I don't know when she espaces and it could be detrimental to kill her due to the northern problem.

The Night king… I just have to make it so that the same major players involved in his fall will remain presents.

Daenerys's involvement made this a success. She brought the might of the dothrakis, insullied, her dragons and saved Jon Snow. Without Jon Snow, no joint force of wildlings and the Night Watch. Arya is the main character of this weird battle so let's just let her be.

If they aren't present, I don't know if the north could stay victorious and I can't fight with all a north worth of ice zombies.

If I manipulate my informations accordingly, I may be able to change things for the better. The better of my house, that is.

Anyway, time passed and news reached our ears day after day.

It started with the battle of Gulltown, where the rebels faced the royalist houses of the Vale. It ended with Robert killing Marq Crafton, the chief of this group.

The following battle happened in Summerhall, where the forces of Robert faced the royalist houses of the Stormlands and won.

The third battle happened in Ashford, in the Reach. There, lord Randyll deafeated the rebels without the help of the main forces of the Reach. Lord Mace Tyrell then arrived and started a siege on Storm's end.

Meanwhile, Lord Stark is believed to be in his way to winterfell. It's a long way on horse and the war won't just wait for the man to go there and return.

And time passes, as always

Now, I saw the passage of some additional months since these consecutive battles and Storm's end is still being sieged by Mace Tyrell. It's still holding good, being under the orders of Stannis Baratheon, the younger brother of Robert.

I'm quite bored, nothing happens right now. I would have just fled to the battle if I was a warmonger and a airhead.

I'm relaxing while tasting my first bottle of wine, in my second life at least. James stole dozen of it away from the reserves while Vincent and I were diverting the servants.

What a bliss to be young. I stop drinking when I think about the rebellion and I voice my curiosity to my friend.

''Any news lately, James? You know about war and stuff…''

''Nope, Mace is still at it. *hic* The main members of the rebellion are seven knows where. King Aerys *hic* is being king Aerys. And the Westerlands are *hic* still sleeping. That's what dad said to me when I asked this morning.''

James drank a good quantity of wine, him being able to speak is already epic.

''What a drag… they sure are taking their sweet time to rebel. I thought I would stress everyday and see fire in the horizon. But no, I'm chilling with friends and wine under a sunny sky.''

''Would you prefer to fight ? *hic* I mean, I wouldn't be against it. And I now that Mr.knight is thirsty *hic* for blood. But still, I'm good with my wine.''

He just lied about not being against it. He mustn't want to live the battle of Gold Den a second time so soon.

As for my other friend… Vincent looks to be out of this world. He is drunk to oblivion after having emptied three bottles alone. He just couldn't stop until he fell asleep.

As for the sword, Vincent improved quite a lot with it. He is now able to hold his own with James, sometimes even wins. He must have felt pressured by the war and went behond his limits.

I close my eyes and fall in sleep. Things will stay like that until the next move of the rebels.

After that, we were found asleep and drunk in the hay by the maids. Lord Lydden scoldded us and gave us tons of chores to fufill. He scoldded James a bit more fearcly tho.

I guess it's his father side speaking right there. We only learned one thing out of this experience: the wine was good and we regret nothing.

Months are passing faster than a drunk running Vincent and it was already 283 AC.

I turned eleven about a month ago. And there has been some romantical development, not that I'm proud about it.

Lehna was becoming bolder and less reserved after each month. She eventually kissed me by 'accident'. She totally meant to kiss me and it was deadly obvious.

But I also loved her songs and stayed always later and later with her in front of the fire. So after a beautiful song, we exchanged a genuine and tender kiss.

Our kisses, around the fire became recurrent and lady Marla ended up caching us red handed.

She wasn't mad about this. But she said it was wiser to stop it now than to deepen the relationship and suffer if a bethrotal isn't possible.

Lehna was sad for the following week, but I understood Marla pretty well. It would just hurt us even more if we fall in love now.

After seeing her daughter cry for some time, Marla promised her to send a prosposal involving the both of us to my father.

It's unlikely tho. So I gently started to avoid Lehna as much as possible, for her own good.

''Leo ! Vincent ! I have some juicy news of the rebellion by my dad !''

You mean the rebels came back to life ?

''Already? I thought they would wait a damn century to make their next move.''

''Really? Tell me about it.''

''Well, this new battle is being called the battle of the bells apparently. It happened in Stoney Sept where Robert was hiding until then. The forces of Jon Connington faced the joint forces of lord Stark and lord Tully. Robert defeated Jon, almost killing him and fled away. King Aerys exiled Jon Connington as a result, stripping him from his titles. Lord Qarlton Chelsted is the new Hand of the king. The king sent some men to retrieve prince Rhaegar. That's all, for now.''

I take this chance to make a favorable bet with Vincent.

''Things are becoming spicy, huh. I bet that an important and decisive battle will happen in the near future.''

Vincent thinks the war is still far from being over. So he looks at me with a raised eyebrow.

''Alright, bet taken. let's bet some gold as proper the western men we are.''

Easy money with easy knowledge hehe. Sorry Vincent, it's for the greater good. It being my pockets full with your golden dragons.

Things will be quick from now on, we are nearer to the end of the rebellion.

Rhaegar is going to come back from his hole. After his legendary fail, the Westerlands will join the chat.