Lannister always pays his debts

Everything moved faster after the agreement was signed and plans were made.

Brendan was happy with the effect of the negotiations between the Kingdom and alliance houses.

Yes, seeing how much gold could be earned Lord Dustin used every argument he could find to rope in his allies, sharing the tasty cake.

First of all, they were responsible for providing the supplies together with the Reach.

Managing the army equipment, taking care of the wounded, which Brendan especially liked as it gave the new students on hand experience, and many other points.

Even now the people with relevant to war effort professions were transported from the North in batches, and with the web of roads in the North it was a convenient and fast process.

This was the advantage they had over the other kingdoms.

Everything done here would be payed by the other Lords taking part in the conflict and the Crown itself, even the Lannisters got their hands on some lucrative business.

This was for Brendan only a cherry on the cake.

The real gold would be earned from the rebuilding projects after the war.

Now he knew why in his old world war was such a profitable business.

Already the flaps of his tent were worn out from the frequent visits of people asking for loans and favors which he for now masterfully redirected to Qyburn.

The boy smiled every time he was alone or in the company of his friends.

Brendan was energized, his back felt better, his friends were close to him, his mother was safe, and his plans were on track.

Remembering the last event from few days ago especially made him happy.

- - - Flashback - - -

Brendan entered Lord Lannister chamber in Seagard castle with few parchments in his hand.

Just after the doors returned to their original position he saw the old lion sitting behind a big desk and writing something or pretending to do so.

Smiling at the scene, that made an impression on him when he first watched the show, Brendan had to admit that the man knew how to read people and get what he wanted.

Up until now that is.

"Lord Lannister!" Lord Dustin said almost shouting.

It took a lot from him to keep his cool and not laugh seeing the man almost jump from his chair when the silence was broken so abruptly.

Tywin looked up with a gaze that would freeze anyone else.

"Lord Dustin." emotionless voice filled the room. "I can see that lessons of etiquette and patience were not your forte." Tywin now observed the boy. Not everyone could get him off his game like that.

"Yes, well. I don't like to waste my time on pointless mind games so..." Brendan moved closer and placed the documents on the desk, just far enough for Tywin's extended hand to reach them. "I brought you the contracts you so generously "negotiated" with my mother." he pointed at them and started to walk away smiling all the way.

"Thank you Lord Dustin." Tywin already felt a headache coming.

"Oh you're welcome Lord Lannister, the first shipment should be delivered in what, fortnight? I'm sure the merchants will be happy to see it, I heard that the penalties you agreed upon were especially vicious." Tywin already expected that the boy knew the conditions, the Dustin's worked with the merchants for so many years, before the Lannisters came into play after all.

Yet even if he knew, the gloating of the boy annoyed him extensively.

"Thank you for your reminder Lord Dustin." Tywin did his best to keep cool and the years of practice and experience payed off.

"My pleasure Lord Lannister. I always admired how your family always pays its debts." Brendan was at the door, reached for the door handle and stopped.

Turning his gaze he looked directly at Lord Lannister.

"This is what we have in common, only for me, the family is more important Lord Lannister. These type of debts I pay only once. Then there is no one to pay them back to." with this statement Brendan left the solar not giving the old Lord time to react and interpret his words however he wanted.

- - - End of flashback - - -

Was he afraid of retaliation? No, not really.

Tywin will have his hands full for the next few years.

Brendan explicitly requested his "uncle" Oberyn to burn to the ground all Lannisport and similar coastal cities shipyards and kill or kidnap everyone he could working there to stall the old lion for as long as possible depriving the golden family from building any ship in the near future.

Since the gold from the Ironborn raid was now at the bottom of the sea or in Neverwinter castle, he wasn't worried that the man would earn back his losses from the war.

In the last few days the Vale cavalry left the castle and moved to kill or captured the "bandits" that spread chaos across the Kingdom.

It made the boy laugh as even with the level of skill that they had, how can a heavy lancer catch a swift moving tribesman borne in the saddle?

The answer is, they can't.

Especially since now the orders for the Tribe riders were to slowly retreat and they were confirmed to be already sent using the Whisperers, adding to this the false information provided to the Vale commander and it was enough to give them time to disappear.

Next was the North.

The rest of the garrisons left in their lands to secure the castles were send to the east coast to guard the shores from the potential "Skagosi" invasion.

Ned already came by to meet his bannerman and nephew negotiating the supplies needed.

What surprised the Warden of the North was that Lord Dustin didn't even want a single coin for it.

Eddart knew it will still cost him one way or another, but the child only asked him for one thing. Skane.

This useless island was empty and uninhabited since the inhabitants of a whole city disappeared one night without a trace millennia ago.

Since then, only ruins and rocks with deep systems of caves were left behind.

As that was the request, Lord Stark didn't have any problem with allowing House Dustin manage it, adding the point of being a perfect spot to monitor the Skagos activity made him even relieved in some ways.

After few additional days, came the news of Redwyne victory in which they demolished the pirates that attacked Old Town as they were returning from raiding Westerland cities.

Tywin, Robert and Lord Hightower felt a lot better after hearing the news.

Redwyne would get few favors and goodwill with that.

Finally, the Stepstones pirates.

The idiots kept their raids even after the contract that hired them expired.

They probably felt empowered by the previous succes.

Now they lost some, they won some. Unfortunately for them and enormous displeasure of King Robert, after days of convincing the man Jon sent a raven to Dorne asking for help.

To do this, he used the only Lord he knew of, that still had some business connections to the old, desert house.

The chosen for the job was the same man who proposed the idea in the first place. Brendan Dustin.

Since the Kingdom already knew about his "business" relationship with the Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken House Nymeros Martell he didn't hide it and agreed to lead the negotiations.

His uncle Prince Doran would surely be more than happy with the rewards, and since the crown did not have any gold left they could only loan more of it.

It was obvious who would they chose to do so from.

Lannisters? Surely not.

Iron Bank? Arryn wouldn't want to borrow from foreigners and Baelish wouldn't miss an occasion to meet with the Dustins'.

Tyrell? Everyone knew they wanted more than they had, and with the nonexistent claim over the Reach, with their steward pedigree they needed a connection to Royalty and that left only House Dustin.

Dustin Dornish connection would be especially hard to hide anything with Varys and his birds and three Sand snakes in his entourage surely didn't help.

More importantly, since two of them didn't leave his tent for the night the relationship with Dorne was already a foreclosed matter.

People talked about this, yet only his friends knew how hilarious Brendan looked as the girls, especially the older one, Nymeria, tried to tempt him to do more than just sleep with her.

Slowly, the day everyone waited for finally came.

Brendan stood on a balcony overlooking the port where his legionnaires and alliance houses soldiers boarded the ships.

Neat rows of men and women moved with their equipment waiting for their turn.

He was clear that the King and the other Lords watched his men as he saw them on the walls when he just arrived.

Brendan was already after adjusting his mentality for the upcoming battle.

"Brendan." he heard a voice from behind his back.

Recognizing the voice he didn't even had to turn around and his wolves didn't even bother to wake up.

"Uncle Rickard, thank you for coming on such a short notice." Brendan turned and looked at the big man.

"You wouldn't ask if it wasn't important right?" Lord Karstark stood at Brendan's side, his arms crossed at his chest as they watched their men.

"Uncle, I want you to lead the invasion..." Brendan said without hesitation surprising the older man.

"Like that muscle brain Umber will just sit back." Karstark really treated the boy next to him like one of his sons.

Since Lady Dustins' kidnapping he made it his priority to spend more time with the child.

Unbeknown to him, his and all the elder generation in the alliance made the boy keep a short leash on his impulsive nature, which the boy greatly appreciated.

"Uncle Greatjon and the rest already agreed. I believe the words "Let the old goat see how real men fight!" we used to be exact." they both chuckled at the Umber trait and Brendans' imitation of old Umber.

"If so then I accept, and my first order is for you to sit this one out. You still didn't heal properly right?" Rickard said slamming his hand on Brendan's back making him wince while leaning on the balcony rail.

"That... was unnecessary uncle..." he said while clenching his teeth.

"More like that hurt like hell!" Lord Karstark smiled and walked back outside humming something happily. 'It's good to feel appreciated' he thought before realizing that everyone basically pushed all the work on him.