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Chapter 41

Long live the King

Edmure POV

Sitting on the boat and fishing on this nice morning was delightful. As a child and in my teens, I never really liked fishing, thinking it was just a waste of time. Now I realize how relaxing it can be. It clears my mind and makes me think better. This activity is a nice change of pace, especially now that I can't train because of my injury.

"Dad, I can't catch anything." My oldest son, Axel, groaned.

"And why do you think you can't catch anything?" I asked, amused.

"There no fish in the river." He answers.

"Geralt, what do you think?"

Not hearing an answer, I turn my head to his side and see him sleeping on the boat's bench. Letting out a sigh, I was about to wake him up, but I saw a rider coming from the shore before I could do so. Letting out another sigh, I told Axel to pack his fishing rod and started to row to the shore.

"My Lord," The rider greeted me. "The Kingslayer wants to speak with you."

"I see. Help me get the children back to the castle."

I haven't spent much time with my children in recent times, and it seems that I get interrupted every time I get a chance to do so. Sometimes I wish I could leave everything to others and take my time resting.

…

As I got close to him, he faced me, looking straight into my eyes. The Kingslayer had tired, sunken eyes, indicating that he had not slept for a long time. But his eyes had a focus that I had not seen before in him.

"I have decided." He told me.

"Have you?" I asked. "What have you decided?"

"I will confess."

"Good, the trial will be held later today for you then."

"But I have demands that you will have to follow." The Kingslayer said.

"What are those demands?" I asked.

"First, my children are innocent and must be left alone. Second, my brother Tyrion and my uncle and cousins must be pardoned. Third…" Before he could finish, I interrupted him.

"I agree with the first demand. The second will depend on their actions, and if they surrender to the new King, I will ask him to pardon them. That all I can and will give, the Lannister will keep the Casterly Rock if our demands are met, but the Wersterlands won't belong to a Lannister ever again."

He looked at me as he wanted to say more, but even he knew that my offer was already generous. After a while, he nodded reluctantly at me.

"What will happen to my father and sister?"

"You already know the answer to that," I answered him. "You will be taken to the great hall soon, where you will confess, and I will send you to the Wall."

I didn't say anything more to him, and before he could respond, I turned and left. This choice wasn't easy for him to make, but he made the right choice. Now the lords of Westeros will have to make their choice.

…

I sat at the high table in front of everyone else. To my left sat Robb, to his left his Cat. Jon sat to my right, and to his right sat my uncle Brynden. The Northern lords were surprised that there was no place for any of them on this table, and the lords of Riverlands were surprised that bastard of the Winterfell sat next to me.

The lords sat at the three other long tables, filling the hall. Arianne agreed not to participate in this meeting, as she knew that her word didn't mean much to these lords. Still, it didn't mean that she would be left out for long; once the Dorne agreed to fight with me, she would represent them.

"My lords," I called everyone out. "It is time for us to decide our next move in this war, but first, I want to hold a trial for the man who started this war. Bring the Kingslayer."

Some murmured at the meaning of my words. But nobody spoke against me and only looked at the Kingslayer as he was brought before me. Hitting the ground with my cane, I waited until the hall became quiet.

"Ser Jaime Lannister, you stand before me as a criminal. I charge you with the crime of deceiving your king and siring the children that you masqueraded as royal children. Do you accept my charge?"

"I do."

The hall erupted with exclamations. The lords were surprised and started to curse the Kingslayer. Most of them called for his head. It took a lot of hitting the ground with my cane to quiet them.

"Do you confess that the royal children are yours and not Roberts, the first of his name?"

"I confess, Joffrey, Tommen and Myrcella are mines and my sister's Cercei children," He responded.

"As the Lord of Riverrun and Lord Paramount of the Trident, I Edmure Tully proclaim you guilty of treason. But as you have confessed your crimes, I will give you the option to take the black and serve the Night's Watch for the rest of your life. Do you accept it?"

"My lord, you can't do this. He is a traitor to the highest degree, he must be executed and nothing else," Lord Umber was first to speak his mind, and others soon followed.

I waited patiently as one lord after another stood and spoke against my leniency. I didn't dismiss anyone and let them speak. The Kingslayer looked at me, thinking I had tricked him and would not keep my promise.

"Enough," Robb interrupted everyone with a loud voice. "Ser Jaime Lannister is guilty of one of the worst crimes, but even he has the right to ask for the Wall. Lord Umber, Lord Karstark, and Lady Mormont, you should know how the Wall needs any men they can get. The winter is coming, and when wildlings try to pass the Wall, would you not want a man as renown with a sword, as ser Jaime, to fight against them?"

"I can protect my lands on my own. I don't need some Southern traitor to do it for me," Lord Umber disagreed with Robb.

"But I am not speaking of your lands, Lord Umber," Robb's voice became quiet, but he sounded more intimidating than a boy of five and ten should sound. "I am speaking the Lands of the house Stark, and I say that ser Jaime Lannister has the right to take black as any other man."

"Rights are rights, and you can't take them away from any man," I spoke, not wanting anyone to disagree with Robb. "Ser Jaime, are you willing to accept black and serve as the brother of the Night Watch?"

"Yes, I accept your generosity."

"Then it is decided, he like many other men of the Westerlands who want to join the Wall, will depart to the North as soon as possible." I degreed. "Get him out."

As the Kingslayer left with some guards, the Great Hall again erupted into a frenzy. With Joffrey revealed to be a bastard and not a king, many started to discuss who they would proclaim as their King. A name most have spoken was Renly, as he has Storm's End and Highgarden supporting him.

"Renly is not a King," Robb spoke as the many have muttered Renly's name. "He is the younger brother and cannot inherit the Throne before his brother."

"Are you saying we should serve Stannis? The man who holds captive your father, our lord, Eddard Stark?" Lord Karstark questioned.

"We should serve someone we can trust," My uncle Brynden answered. "A man who has honor and rightful blood."

"There is only one to who I proclaim as my king," I spoke finally, thinking it was now or never. "A man who was raised by two most honorable men I know. Lord Mallister had faithfully served my father and took me in when I was a child. He has taught me many things that I hold dear. Lord Eddard Stark, my good brother, whom my father had entrusted his daughter. No one will deny his honor. Even when he has forsaken his honor to take in a bastard to his home."

"Where are you going with this?" Lord Umber got impatient and interrupted me.

"Lord Eddard Stark took a child as his bastard and forsaken his honor," I ignored him and continued with my speech. "He took the child because he was of his blood, but not his son."

Once more, the hall erupted with exclamations, but now everyone looked at Jon, who sat silent. Seeing that neither my sister nor Robb denied my words, they turned to me. I spoke once again, not wanting anyone to ask the obvious.

"Jon Snow isn't his true name. It was given to him by Lord Eddard Stark to protect him from the wrath of King Robert. Jon Snow, is Jaehearys Targaryen, son of crown prince Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. A trueborn son, the rightful heir to the throne."

"It can't be?" It was Lord Raymun Darry who questioned me. "Is there any proof of what you speak?"

"I have documents of the marriage between Rhaegar and Lynna. I have the diary of the high Septon who married them. I have the word of Lord Eddard Stark himself," I answered, and as the hall was still quiet from the shock, I pushed forward. "Jaehaerys Targaryen knows of the North as much as any northerner. He has been to the wall. He knows of the Riverlands as much as I do. He follows the old gods but knows of the new gods too. I have no reason not to serve him as my king."

"He grew up with me as my brother," Robb stood as I kneeled in front of Jon. "My father taught him as he taught me. There is no one else I could entrust to the future of the house Stark and the future of the North than Jaehaerys Targaryen. He is of my blood, of the North blood."

Robb, too has knelt to Jon. Uncle Brynden and Cat, too, followed suit. Lord Mallister was the first lord to kneel, and the rest of Riverlands did the same. The Northern lords seeing this too, have started to kneel. Even if they didn't agree to it, they had no other choice but to follow, seeing that their Lord Paramount had already made his decision.

"Most of you do not know me. You have knelt in front of me, and yet you harbor doubts. I am Jaehaerys Targaryen, but Lord Eddard Stark will always be a father that took me in when he didn't have to. A father that raised me. I won't ask much of you, but only the chance to prove myself."

"Long live the King," I shouted, and others followed.

…

In my solar, Jon, as he insisted on being called by those close to him, Robb, Brynden, and Arianne stood in front of me. I would give Jon my seat, but he insisted that I sit, as he saw that it was painful for me to stand.

"Before everything else, I want to ask you of something, Lord Edmure," Jon began, and I nodded for him to continue. "Why me? Why entrust me with his responsibility?"

"The truth is that there is nobody else. I will tell you now that you are nothing special, but you are the only one with the blood and the right to rule. Stannis is not suited to be the King, especially with his wife so engrossed in the Red God. Not only that, but Stannis has a lot of hatred for Tyrells, and Tyrells can't let a Florent be the Queen. It is politics, but there is a reason why Tyrells support Renly. Renly can't be the King for the reasons I have spoken before. You are the only one left that can bring the end to this war and not start another too soon."

"I understand," After a while, Jon replied; I could see that he had a lot to process. "It would be better to take a rest for today. We can discuss our effort in the war tomorrow. If my Lord agrees."

"Yes, it is already late, and it would be better to talk about the war with a clear and rested mind."

Neither Robb nor Brynden disagreed, and they left, leaving only me and Arianne. I looked out the window of the solar into the setting sun. I have to come up with a strategy for the war. There are many things I need to think of, like how to make the lords accept Jon as their King sooner rather than later.

"What is the real reason why you chose him?" Arianne asked with a knowing smile.

"He is the only one I could control. Do you think I would let Stannis or Renly rule over me? Yes, they would take me to their council, but it would be hard to be their Hand. Make them listen to me; I don't see that happening. I will not let the fools ruin everything I worked for."

Arianne smiled, not surprised. Even if I didn't want to take responsibility for the Seven Kingdoms, I had my pride. If Riverlands were better protected, maybe independence wouldn't be bad, but I already can see how Stormlands, the Reach, the Westerlands, and even the Iron Islands would like to have a piece of my lands. No matter how big my army is, it is impossible to fight from all sides. There would be too much to lose.