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Chapter 34

Demands

Bran POV

I sat at the court with the rest of my family, overlooking the people gathered there. The Great Hall was dark and gloomy. The news of Lannisters gathering men reached us a couple of weeks ago. Mother said that there was nothing to worry about it for now. Uncle Edmure will take care of it.

But now, it was different. A letter from King's Landing arrived today. Maester Luwin handed the letter to Robb, and he was staring at it for a couple of minutes now. Robb was quiet, not letting out any word from his mouth.

"The King is dead," Finally Robb spoke. "King Joffrey Baratheon first of his name demands me to come to King's Landing and swear loyalty of the Starks to him."

"What?" The mother asks for confirmation. "What of Ned?"

"My lord and lady, if lord Stark were in the King's Landing, King Joffrey would have asked him to have a pledge of his loyalty," Maester Luwin informed us.

"And if they are asking me to do so, it means my father isn't in King's Landing," Robb says.

"What are you going to do, Robb?" Theon asks him.

"I will go to them as they demand," Robb answers.

"You can't, Robb," Mother started to plead. "If the new King doesn't mention of Ned, it could only mean one thing."

"I know," Robb replies. "That why I won't go alone. I will bring every Lord of the north and their men to find out the truth. Call the banners Maester Luwin."

Mother looked shocked at Robb's words, and Theon had a smile on his face. I, on the other hand, got nervous. If Robb leaves, I would have to act as a Stark of Winterfell, and another family member would be leaving. It didn't feel right. I felt like everyone was leaving me behind, one by one.

"Blood for blood," Theon said without his smile for the first time.

"Gather all the men we can in Winterfell, tell other lords to join me at the Moat Cailin," Robb orders Maester Luwin.

"Who will be left to guard Winterfell?" Ser Rodrik asks.

"You will be left with a hundred men," Robb replies. "You can train a new guard. Walder will be the new captain of guards, at least till we return."

Walder is old Nan's grandson. A giant of a man, but with a gentle heart. He was strong, but he cared for animals more than a sword. I wouldn't say I liked that such a man had to take so much responsibility. I wouldn't say I liked that I had to take even more responsibility.

Father had told us that we could gather almost a thousand men in a day in Winter town alone. Others from nearby villages would flood to us after hearing the news. With new roads, armies of men can travel faster and easier.

Edmure POV

I looked at the feast. The lords I wanted have gathered here. We were celebrating my victory. But it didn't last long, as master Vyman ran towards me and handed me a letter. I could guess what it was about and only wondered why it didn't come sooner.

"My lords," I call them out. "I have grave news. The King is dead."

There were many exclamations from surprise to anger. Looking at the older lords, I saw that they understood what it meant. There is no one to stop this war anymore. Some might like that, but most of them thought that King Robert would interfere before it was too late.

"That not all," I continue. "King Joffrey Baratheon, the first of his name, demands us to lay our weapons down and answer for our crimes against the Iron Throne."

It didn't say precisely that, but it was close enough. I could see that now my lords and knights became angry. Who wouldn't, someone comes and attacks our home, and we are the ones who have to answer for our crimes. It was a ridiculous notion, but what can you expect from Cercei.

"This is my answer," I say to men gathered there and then take a candle and burn the letter. "The Lannisters think they can order us around like we are sheep to them. But these are our lands, our waters that they came to take and burn. We will not stand this kind of behavior against us. We will fight, and we will win."

"Aye, who do the Lannisters think they are?" Lord Blackwood raises his voice first.

"Let them come. We will show what we are capable of," Lord Piper adds.

"We are river lords. These lions will have first to learn how to swim before taking our lands," Lord Ryger says in anger.

"My lords," I spoke. "It is time to show our worth. Joffrey Baratheon may be the King, but he can't act unaccountably. It seems that his father had not taught him well. The last time a King acted like that, he was overthrown. It can happen again."

My words rang through the Hall. I could see them contemplating it. They had to understand that we are rebels now, and this is a rebellion. It would be hard to accept it at other times, but now the Lannisters left no other choice. If we are fucked anyway, why not show why you shouldn't mess with us first.

…

At night I was lying in my bed, reading a book, when that cat showed up again. It was a black kitten, full of mischief in its eyes. It liked to annoy me the most. It was getting inside my solar, knocking my papers to the ground, far too often. I couldn't do much about it, as it was Elia's cat. I could not take it away from her.

Now it jumped on the bed and meowed at me. Next to me, Arianne picked the cat in her arms and started petting it. After a few moments, I realized where this was going.

"That beast won't sleep on the bed," I said.

"Don't worry. He won't bother you," Arianne replies. "He can stay by my side."

"I don't want any fleas on my bed," I respond.

"He is clean. Elia takes good care of him," Arianne tells me.

"Damn it, fine," I agree after seeing Arianne's unyielding eyes. "But if it wakes me up at night, I will throw it out of the chambers."

"And if in doing so, you wake me up, I will throw you out of the chambers," Arianne replies, with a dangerous smirk.

I didn't say anything to that. I might be the Lord of the Castle soon, but Arianne will always be able to order me around in the chambers. Letting out a sigh, I blew out the candle next to the bed and turned to sleep.

…

It was in the middle of the night when that damn cat awakened me. Presing its paws at my chest and then laying on top of me. As quietly as I could, I picked the cat up and stepped out of bed. The cat meowed at me in dissatisfaction.

Just as I was going to step toward the door, I heard it creaking and open. No one would be stupid enough to try to enter without permission first, not even my children. Just as the door started to open, the chain attached to it stopped it.

Without thinking much anymore, I took a dagger from the top of the table next to the bed. Then the doors were broken down. Looking at the man that barged in my chambers, I saw a big man. He was a head taller than me, had a broad chest and muscled arms.

"Edmure?" Arianne asked for me as she woke up.

"The moment he gives a chance for you to escape, do so," I tell her.

It was dark in the room. Only the moonlight illuminated my chambers. At best, I could only see the man's shadowy figure. I didn't know what kind of weapon he had, of how many of them he had. I put my guard up, holding my dagger up.

"I am sorry," The man spoke and charged at me.

I stepped out of his reach. A sword reflected the moonlight as I dodged it. Just as the man stepped out of the door, Arianne leaped out of bed and ran. The guards in the corridor were killed if they still didn't show up after hearing the commotion. So it was up to Arianne to find someone to help me.

The man moved fast. It wasn't easy to dodge his attacks. Suppose I didn't know my chambers that well. The assassin would have killed me already. I moved backward again, grabbing the chair I knew was here and throwing it at the man. It made contact, and I used that moment to slash open his right arm. But it was a mistake.

He grabbed my neck with his left hand when he dropped his sword. He lifted me up and then pressed me to the wall. I couldn't breathe. Only after stabbing his hand a few times with my dagger did he let me go. On the ground, I tried to gather my breath.

With both of his arms injured, he still charged at me. I didn't have the energy to take him head-on, so I rolled out of his way. Where were the guards? They should have been mobilized already. Looking at the man still rushing at me, I knew there was no way to win. So I ran.

Through the door, I leaped and ran through the corridor. I saw dead guards lying on the ground. Bending down, I picked up a sword from one of them. The man was fast and would catch me up to me, that I knew. So when I turned to the corner, I stopped and waited.

I heard his heavy footsteps getting closer. Just as he turned the corner, I met him with a sword. He tried to dodge it, but he couldn't avoid it entirely, no matter how fast he was. A slash across his chest appeared.

The man didn't scream as blood flowed, but he did step back. I jumped at him and drove my sword through him. He grabbed the sword and pushed himself to me with his remaining strength. After getting close to me, he grabbed my neck and tried to strangle me.

As I lost more and more strength and felt hopeless, a sword cut down the man's head off. As I coughed on the ground, trying for the second time this night to gather my breath, Arianne came and helped me up. She brought three guards with her.

"Are alright, my lord?" One of them asks.

"I am fine," I answered. "Does any of you recognize the man?"

"No, my lord," They shook their heads and answered me.

"Get someone to clean this up," I order them. "Double the patrol and guard."

"As you command," They respond.

"You sure, you alright?" Arianne asks me.

"He didn't manage to injure me," I reply.

"So what Arya said was true," Arianne tells me. "Varys send this man."

"Yes," I reply. "But to everyone else, it was the Lannisters who did it."

"I see," She nodded.

After cleaning the mess up and ordering guards to check for anyone else suspicious, I left to rest. Tomorrow the rest of the lords will hear of this. They will demand to march against the Lannisters. I will accept those demands.