The feast

The feast

Theon POV

It was a calm morning. The grass was wet with the dew. Birds were chirping happily, awaiting another day. I was crouching for the past two hours, waiting for the deer to show up. I knew it would come through there. The tracks didn't lie. As the sun was starting to warm the ground, I heard it.

The deer leisurely walked in front of me. I drew the prepared arrow and let it fly. I hit the deer directly at its eye, killing it instantly. Getting up to my feet, I walked to it and threw it over my shoulder. It was pretty heavy, but nothing that I couldn't carry. I brought the deer back to the Golden Tooth.

In the past few days, it became pretty dull in the castle. There was left no danger from the Westerlands or the Riverlands. The bodies were burned or buried, so there was nothing to worry about. Aside from some minor repairs to the walls and towers, there was nothing to do. So, hunting was a good distraction.

When I returned to the Golden Tooth, I was met with Lord Blackwood. It seemed that he had been waiting for me for some time. I gave the deer to one of the guards and told him he could share its meat with his friends. The castle had plenty of food, but fresh meat was a luxury for most people.

"Spit it out. What do you have to say?" I said to Lord Blackwood. "We already fought together. I will hear what you have to say no matter what."

"Then I will say it directly. I am concerned about how you are mistreating Lady Alysanne Lefford. I know of your customs of the Iron Islands, and Lady Alysanne is a young and pretty lass, but others and I will not stand for this kind of behavior. She is still a lady of a noble house."

"And if she wasn't of a noble house but a common wench, would you stand aside and let someone like to do as I wished?" I asked, getting too close to his face.

"If you did in front of me, I would put my sword to your neck, Greyjoy," Lord Blackwood replied, not backing off.

"Guard," I shouted, and four men came to me. "Kill Lord Blackwood."

"What?" Before Lord Blackwood could react, four swords were put to his neck.

"Stop, withdraw," I said, and the guards stepped backward. "You forget yourself, Lord Blackwood; I control the swords here, not anyone else."

"Is that your final answer, Greyjoy," It seems the show angered Lord Blackwood a bit, so I punched him in the stomach.

"Play with me, Lord Blackwood," I said to his ear quietly as he buckled up from my punch. "I heard that the Freys are coming. It is an ideal situation to make you my enemy. I want you to get close to the Freys and see if you can see what they are planning, maybe even encourage them to fight openly with me."

"What are you talking about?"

"Lady Lefford will tell you everything, so seek her in the pretext of helping her get away from me."

After saying what I wished, I left him and went inside the keep. I let the people talk about how badly I mistreated Lady Alysanne so other lords would confront me about it. After fighting battles in the field, it was time to play the games of lords and ladies.

The first step to the plan was creating some distance with the rest of the Lords of the Riverlands. Someone like Lord Frey could use the friendship of the lords and me to their advantage. After all, I am still a Greyjoy and an Ironborn. I should not be so close to them.

After getting some distance from them, the second step was to implore someone trustworthy to seek out the enemy, this time enemy being the Freys. Now with such a show in broad daylight, the talks will begin about how I fought with Lord Blackwood and even threatened him. The Freys will try to get close to Lord Blackwood to ally against me.

There is no doubt that the Freys will want a good position after coming out of the Twins when the battles are over and won. Nobody had forgotten that one Frey was with the Lannisters and fought against me. I have to wonder what happened to him. I don't think his body was found. Anyway, the Freys needed to do something to gain influence.

There is no doubt that they will not try to befriend me. I believe them to be very petty and vindictive. That was better for me, as I like to insult people, and I think Freys are the kind of people I would probably love to humiliate the most.

If the Lannisters gain any advantage in this war, the Freys will turn to them. It would be better to get rid of them now, but there wasn't any ground for us to do so. Lord Frey will tell that the Black Walder worked independently and against the family's will. And if that didn't help, Lord Frey is shameless enough to question me of my creditability or outright say that someone pretended to be Black Walder.

In the end, the Freys were powerful enough to bend the truth slightly to favor them. Of course, not many will believe them, but nothing can be done against them unless they attack first. So, I will push them to do so, giving them a weapon and exposing my heart.

That is why I antagonized Lord Blackwood in public. He is a well-respected man in the Riverlands. Other lords will not take kindly to me acting so with Lord Blackwood. When the time comes, I will give all the reason for the Freys to attack me, and once it fails, I will have Robb take the Twins.

Well, at best, the plan was vague. But after spending a year as Theon Greyjoy, I have found talent in infuriating people. I have to anger some Frey knights to the point of them attacking me, and from there, I will escalate it. If someone like Lord Blackwood seems to be on their side, I do not doubt that they will feel confident in finishing me for good.

There was no choice but to antagonize them to the point of all-out war. The Freys need to be removed, and if the Twins fell to the North, it would be a plus. Robb would then have two strongholds defending the North from the South. The Twins and Moat Cailin.

…

How predictable, not even a few hours in Golden Tooth, the Freys had already started to gather information, and I saw a few throwing nasty looks at me. As I thought, they needed to get influence, or else they would be swept away by those who fought and won.

A feast was prepared, the Freys thought it was for them, but they thought wrong. The banquet was for me, and as the proud Freys came thinking they were honored quests, I put them with guards and servants, claiming I had not prepared for them as I thought they would be late as they are always. Sometimes it is so easy to mess with the proud lords of Westeros.

As the feast started, I sat in front of the hall with Alysanne next to me. Thoros and Anguy were close to me too. Music started, and wine was poured; I ensured there was only ale at the Frey table. My excuse is that the prolonged sieges dried the barrels, and there was not enough for everyone.

Within the first hour of the feast, it was clear that I lied as Thoros and I showed how much we could drink. Frey's expressions were getting worse and worse with each passing moment, with each cup Thoros and I shared. So, I gave them an opportunity, groping Alysanne in front of the Lords of Riverlands.

This action brought many disprovals, and everyone's faces looked contorted. Many already thought I had raped her, and groping her in public only showed how little I cared for her. Indeed, I thought of doing some things to Alysanne, but rape was something I could never bring myself to do.

Even as Ironborn, I was expected to take her as my salt wife, even if it was outlawed three hundred years ago. No one expects an Ironborn to follow another kingdom's laws. Still, I could not do so, even if the thought crossed my mind. It felt there were lines I should not cross, or I won't be able to go back.

"Theon Greyjoy," as I awaited, the prey fell into my trap. "I, ser Ryman Frey, will not stand your behavior towards the fair Lady Lefford."

Of course, I knew the Freys would be the first to face me. The others had some fear of me as they saw how I killed the Lannisters. After seeing the second field of fire, not many would have the guts to question me. Yet many harbored Lady Leffords' hand in marriage. After all, now she was Lady of Golden Tooth.

Seeing me violating her in front of them probably made them angry. Freys were only one of many who designed to marry Alysanne and rule Golden Tooth. Of course, they were the most impatient too.

"Fair Lady? I don't think it suits her anymore after what I have done to her," I laughed loudly but alone. "Sit down, ser piggy, or whatever your name is. It is no business of yours of what I do to my prisoners."

"Theon Greyjoy," Lord Blackwood stood up. "I will have to agree with ser Ryman. Your actions have gone too far."

"You dare to order me? I think you have forgotten whose castle it is. You are my quests, so sit down while I am still letting you," I had portrayed Joffrey for a bit to anger them more.

"It is Lady Allysanne Lefford's castle, Theon Greyjoy," Lord Blackwood replied. "I will not sit and watch you mistreating her so."

"Get out, all of you, get out," I yelled. "You not welcomed there."

"I see no honor in you, Theon Greyjoy," Another Frey stood up. "I, ser Hosteen Frey, challenge you to duel for Lady's Lefford honor."

I laughed. They had fallen into my trap so soon that I could not stop laughing. A challenge was unexpected. I thought they first tried fighting indirectly with me but probably seeing that none of the Riverland lords supported me, they gained much confidence. Still, daring to challenge me after hearing of my feats only showed how desperate the Freys were. They needed to do something fast to gain influence.

"I accept."

Step three, kill a Frey in public and earn eternal hatred from them towards me. Step four insult them after killing a Frey to gain an immediate response. Step five let Alysanne clear the misunderstanding, declaring that I never touched her and that Frey's actions were uncalled for. With this, I will push the Freys into the corner, where they have no choice but to ask for the cat's help, but the wolf will already be at their necks.