CHAPTER 92

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CHAPTER 92

287 AC

Lord, Sir Rodrik and I were inside his solar, and the scout returned just yesterday.

"Aermir, I have confirmed what you said was true, and I didn't change my opinion, so I'm going to send a raven to the king. Let me know what your better idea is."

He really isn't fit to be a lord. All he cares about is being honorable.

"My lord, we are going to send a raven to the king."

He slammed his fist to the table and said with anger.

"Are you having fun with me, boy? You begged me not to send a raven to the king, and now you say we will send a raven."

"We are going to send a raven, but not to inform him about the possible rebellion but to invite him to your son's name-day tourney."

He must be starting to understand what I meant he said.

"Go on."

"We all heard or saw how much our king loves his tourneys. Especially if it is a tourney hosted by his closest friend, he will come here immediately, and you can tell him what you want."

"Is that it, if that was your better idea? I'm gravely disappointed. It would be faster if I go and tell him by riding to the King's Landing."

He really is not worthy of being a lord, too blind to tell the difference between him going there and the king coming here. He has no idea how to play a political game.

"Even with the best horses, it will take 50 days to get from Winterfell to King's Landing and 60-70 days in these winter conditions. When you inform the king, a traitor will surely fly word to the Ironborns, and by the time you return, their invasion has already begun If the king comes here instead, the first army he will gather will not be the Crownland army, but the Northern army."

"At this point, all you have to do is convince the king not to attack right away but to muster more men until all the armies can combine."

It looks like I was able to pass that thick skull filled with honor and convince him of this action. This was not the perfect plan. The perfect plan would have been to prepare the north for the rebellion and then tell the king. I don't think anyone would rebel at the end of winter, and the spring was coming, but the snow didn't melt entirely. When raiding and war was almost impossible on half a meter of snow, we had time until all the snow melted and spring began. They could attack the South, but I don't care about them.

....................

In two moons time, we were ready to host the tourney. The area for the tourney was cleaned of snow, and the snowing had stopped in the last two moons, and the snow started to melt faster. These were the first signs that spring was coming. All the northern lords were here, and the king would be here in a week or so. Other than the king, two other paramount were coming. Of course, as the king's hand, one was Jon Arryn, and the other was the good father of our lord Hoster Tully. The Reach and the Westerlands didn't even send an envoy. All they sent was a gift.

Arrogant idiots, this was going to be their undoing. Even if we sent ravens, it would have taken longer time than ships. Ships might be slower in top speed, but they can constantly move, while a raven can only travel for a limited time. A raven can only travel 160 km (100 miles) a day in perfect conditions, and the weather is still cold. But an average longship can travel that distance in 8-10 hours. Especially for the Reach by the time their raven arrives. The war might have started and ended.

..........................

Everyone was waiting for the royal procession, with hundreds of men. Royal convoy comes to a halt. A giant of a man came out of the carriage, but his height was not the most impressive thing about him; it was his belly. It was almost walking two steps ahead of him. This is no stag. It is a pig, at best, a fat boar. After he, his three children, and his queen came out of the carriage. The second the king left the carriage, everyone knelt.

He threw the goblet in his hand and shouted.

"Ned!! my friend!!"

He raised both hands in the air and approached the kneeling Lord Stark.

"Get up, you, ahh! You old wolf, I have missed you, old friend."

POV Cersei

We were inside the keep, but this was worse than our servants' quarter. I still didn't understand why we had to come to this godforsaken barbarian region. He is the king, and I'm the queen! For the seven's sake, how could we go to the feet of the others? We are going to the feet of these barbarians instead of them coming to our feet. It would be a big enough honor for them if we sent a small gift.

"My King, how long do we have to stay in this beautiful region? As the royal family, we shouldn't be away from the capital for so long."

"Woman, stop souring my joy; go and nag at someone else! We will be here until the tourney ends, so shut your trap and enjoy the festivities."

POV LORD STARK

Robert and I were sitting in my solar, chatting and reminiscing about the old days.

"My king, I have something important to say. Would it be possible if we could be alone?"

"Drop with this 'my king' act when we are alone."

I turned and looked at the kingslayer, and Robert said.

"Don't worry about Jamie. He stands there even when I fuck whores and cheat on his sister. You could think of him as non-existent."

Seeing that I would not go ahead as long as he was here. He signaled for him to leave the room. Then I told him everything that had happened.

"So, to be sure, the word didn't get out. You used a tourney as an excuse to pull me here. Since the last time I saw you, you learned some guile."

"This was not my idea, and one of my men strongly recommended this plan."

"This way, the first army to be raised would be the north, and most of the damage would be sustained by the Westerlands and the Reach. The Reach takes the most damage. Whoever proposed this plan is a big fox. They would even dare to manipulate their king for the benefit of the north."

He took a big gulp from his wine and said.

"We can't go at them for stealing wood. This is not proof enough."

"Why do you think they are stealing this much wood? Do you think they are going to make houses and merchant ships? They are building longships. Why would they need that many ships when they have the second most powerful fleet in Westeros? Go against the other ones, of course."

"Even if what you were saying is true, we can't march on them until they give a bigger reason. If we attack now, that coward squid will burn his ships and ask forgiveness for building them without permission, but if they show their intent more openly, we can attack. Until then, let us enjoy the tourney."