Ronnet Connington SI

-Chapter 79-

-POV Rodrik Buckler-

"Is everything in order?" I asked Arlan as I saw him slow his horse as he approached me.

Arlan nodded and replied, "We've eliminated everyone we came across."

'Our incursion into Tyrell lands must remain secret; otherwise, we'll lose the element of surprise, and everything will become ten times harder,' I thought, concerned.

"No one will know we're here," Arlan said, trying to reassure me.

He maintained a cold and expressionless demeanor, as if nothing had happened, as if he hadn't just slaughtered defenseless men and women.

Yet I could tell he hadn't enjoyed what had transpired.

'I've come to know the man behind Ronnet's emotionless cutthroat. He's a good person.' 

"I don't like doing this," I said, glancing at the blood staining Arlan's cloak, knowing it belonged to a mere peasant.

I watched for Arlan's reaction. He briefly raised his eyebrows, as if what I said was obvious.

'But far too many men take pleasure in such acts, even among my own,' I thought. 

"No sane person enjoys this," he said, before adding in a lower but equally monotone voice, "We only like what we gain from it."

"And do you consider yourself sane?" I asked.

"I'm afraid that's not for me to judge," he replied, motioning to his men, who began emerging from the surrounding area, no longer needing to remain hidden.

'It doesn't matter anymore because, from this point on, we'll advance in the open, and they'll be able to see us from miles away,' I thought. 

My eyes fell on the infantrymen dressed in black cloaks as they gradually joined the ranks of the army Ronnet had entrusted me to lead.

I exhaled in relief, knowing the hardest part was over, thanks to them.

'Thanks to Ronnet's new scouting unit, the Black Hounds, all convicts who chose to take the black,' I thought, observing the former criminals. 

The black didn't condemn them to the Wall for their crimes but instead bound them to serve indefinitely in the Black Hounds, a scouting unit primarily composed of infantry.

'Only a tenth of them are mounted,' I thought, watching them retrieve their spare equipment from ox-drawn wagons. 

As members of a unit tasked specifically with infiltrating enemy lines, they weren't allowed to wear armor, carry lances, or wield swords.

They were armed only with simple black cloaks and two daggers for eliminating threats.

Ronnet viewed them as both expendable troops and his trump card. All Black Hounds were exceptionally well-trained.

'Trained well enough to advance our army to Tumbleton in three days,' I thought, gazing at the horizon and already contemplating how to take the town.

'Not high enough to stop us,' I thought, 'and not sturdy enough to hold for more than a day under constant assault from the siege engines that have slowed us down but will prove invaluable from here on out.' 

I raised my hand, and the horns began to sound, joined by the war drums to boost my men's morale and announce our presence to the enemy.

'Let the vengeance begin,' I thought. 

---

-POV Randolph Footly-

Peering over the walls, I still couldn't believe what I was seeing with my own eyes.

The messenger had been very clear, but I never could have imagined it was true.

I even had him flogged and interrogated to find out who had ordered him to lie to me.

'How has it come to this?' I thought, staring at the army of over ten thousand men at my city gates, proudly bearing the banners of House Connington.

'The colors of that red demon,' I thought, vividly recalling the horrific battlefield from which I had miraculously escaped alive thanks to Ronnet Connington's strategy.

'How did they manage to reach Tumbleton so quickly?' I wondered.

'I have many vassals stationed along the route they took, as well as numerous villages that should have alerted me to the advance of such an army.'

'And where the hell did he find so many men? How did he raise a second army without anyone knowing?' I thought, for it was clear from the way the soldiers moved and quickly formed squares that they were undoubtedly well-trained. 

I was pulled from my thoughts as I saw a man, accompanied by another, advance and stop just out of arrow range from my extremely nervous archers.

I recognized him immediately.

'The most loyal dog of Ronnet,' I thought, seeing the red demon's second-in-command. 

I shouted, my voice furious to mask the fear twisting in my gut:

"How dare you attack me? His Grace King Tommen Baratheon, First of His Name, King of the Andals, the First Men, and the Rhoynar, will not stand idly by in the face of such aggression against his betrothed's homeland!"

Rodrik, the new lord of House Buckler, removed his helmet and shouted loudly enough for me to hear without wasting a single second on empty words:

"Lord Randolph, we both know how this will end."

'Your head on the block for daring to bring an army to my gates, once the Queen of Thorns learns of your actions,' I thought, extremely frustrated by the turn of events and hoping reinforcements would arrive soon.

'If we can hold for even a week, it will be a feat recorded in history for generations,' I thought. 

Seeing that I still hadn't replied, Ronnet's right-hand man spoke in a casual tone, as if none of this mattered:

"We have siege engines, which we'll assemble in less than two hours. Once they're ready, we'll batter your walls until we breach them."

'If you manage that,' I thought, for I knew my walls were solid. 

They had proven themselves time and again before Tumbleton became a "cursed" town.

I replied confidently, my voice strong: "Then we'll see who is faster."

"You seem to have faith in your walls," he said with a slightly mocking smile, before shouting for all to hear: "But do your men have as much faith in themselves as you do? Will they risk their lives and their families' lives to protect you when you can't do the same for them?"

I glanced at my soldiers, who stared back in silence, a palpable unease settling between us.

We all knew that if we couldn't hold Tumbleton, it would be me, and only me, who would face the consequences, for Ronnet was known to avoid senseless sacking.

'He mustn't get into my soldiers' heads and lower their morale,' I thought. 

I shouted defiantly: "You seem to forget that you are in the Reach, ser Rodrik. Perhaps you're used to surrendering where you're from, but here, BRAVE MEN ARE NEVER IN SHORT SUPPLY!"

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my previously hesitant soldiers rallying to my words.

Some began shouting, leading to roars, cheers, and numerous insults hurled at the soldiers outside our gates.

Seizing this momentum, I added, shouting even louder: "Once the knights sworn to me and the nearby noble houses learn of your actions, they'll quickly muster an army to lift this siege, and you'll all die like the dogs you are!"

The roars behind me grew louder, but when I looked at Rodrik below, he seemed utterly unfazed by the courage and determination radiating from my troops.

He patiently waited for the commotion to subside before letting out a long, mocking laugh:

"You're even dumber than I thought when I first saw you at Storm's End."

I frowned at the insult, but before I could reply, the enemy commander said:

"You've misunderstood everything. This isn't an isolated attack. We didn't come here just for Tumbleton. What is your cursed town worth anyway?"

A shiver of anticipation ran through me, but I kept my composure.

As I prepared my response to reassure my confused men, he continued:

"Tumbleton, Grassy Vale, Ashford… All these towns must fall before the first day of the second moon. Those are the orders of our king, His Grace Ronnet I of House Connington, King of the Storms, the Rivers, and the Mountains, King of the Andals and the First Men."

Murmurs broke out behind me, adding to the already crushing weight on my shoulders.

'If all these towns are under attack, we can't hope for reinforcements to arrive quickly,' I thought, breathless. 

"You have a choice," he added. "Open the gates, and we won't sack your town. Resist, and we'll end House Footly's line by order of our king."

I froze for a moment before finally declaring: "You can't do that."

"Our king disagrees," he replied calmly.

'They're not bluffing,' I thought, realizing their determination was absolute.

'They'll attack relentlessly to meet their deadline. At this rate, we won't last three days. Reinforcements won't arrive in time. If Ashford and Grassy Vale also fall to House Connington, we won't be a priority for the Queen of Thorns,' I thought, overwhelmed. 

For long seconds, I wrestled with myself.

I didn't want to surrender, but I couldn't condemn my family to death for a futile resistance.

"Open the gates," I finally said with a sigh.

"But, my lord, if we…"

"Do as I say, immediately!" I shouted at Tumbleton's captain.

He hesitated before sighing in turn and bellowing: "Open the gates!"