"Our scouts have reported probably fifteen thousand Valemen around Seagard, with five thousand more spread along the northern banks of the Green Fork," Joseth Glover outlined on the map before Torrhen and the northern lords. "Mostly heavy infantry and dismounted knights equipped with battering rams, trebuchets, and siege towers. They've surrounded Seagard on three sides except for their approach on the sea, but that's been cut off with the forty ironborn ships anchored near their keep."
"The Mallisters are outnumbered on the sea, as their small fleet of ten ships is not enough to force a breakthrough," Warrick Manderly pointed out. "Estimates have the Seagard garrison having enough rations for nine moons, but that's mostly for the regular garrison. With the smallfolk taking shelter there and the additional Mallister men supplementing the garrison, their rations would be consumed at a faster rate."
"It's imperative that Seagard and House Mallister be relieved," Larence Karstark stated. "As the only major house in the riverlands that remained loyal to the Valyrians besides the Blackwoods, the siege of Seagard must end and Mallister men resume fighting in the field."
Brandon observed the map outlining the northern banks of the Green Fork. Forty thousand northmen crossed the Neck, after which they faced their first obstacle at the Twins. However, the Freys refused to do open battle, with some choosing to withdraw behind their walls and while others retreated to their Valemen allies further south at Seagard. Not wanting to preoccupy the army, Torrhen had six thousand and five hundred troops, men from House Locke, Skagos, and the northern mountain clans, to lay siege while placing his steward, Ondrew of House Poole, in overall command. The rest of the army duly bypassed the Twins and their scouts soon came within sight of the Vale encampment.
"We also have to relieve the pressure off the Valyrians in the riverlands and the Blackwater Bay," Bethany Mormont glided her fingers over the map. "While they were able to get a force of Manderly and Hornwood men to Duskendale, their fleet is crippled and thus exposing their approach by sea. They're barely holding on as it is."
"What about their dragons?" Marlon Umber asked. "If they are as powerful as people are saying, why can't they just fly them into the air and simply burn the Lannisters and the Valemen in the riverlands?"
"They can burn them, yes," Brandon joined in. "But will that secure any gains that we must attain? By now, all of Westeros knows about Westeros and Loren Lannister has a strategy that proved to work against them. The moment the dragons make an appearance, the armies of the Faith would simply scatter and thus minimizing their losses. We need to force them to group together for maximum damage if we're going to use dragons, but as Lady Mormont pointed out, we need to relieve the pressure off of the Valyrians."
"If we can relieve Seagard, then we can begin the process of rolling back the Faith from the riverlands," Ethan Reed spoke. "Once Seagard is secured, it won't take long for the Twins to fall and the Blue and Green Forks to be open. From there, we can link up with the Valyrian forces along those two rivers while we move to accomplish the important objective, relieving Raventree Hall."
The northern lords and ladies nodded their heads. As the only house south of the Neck to openly remain devoted to the Old Gods, there was a certain sense of kinship that the northmen held for the Blackwoods despite the Starks banishing them from the wolfswood thousands of years ago. Their conflicts with the Brackens were legendary even in the north and many relished the opportunity to strike back at the turncoats.
"I hear Lord Colren's bastard son, Chrass Rivers, was able to remain with the Valyrians and keep fighting on behalf of his house," Dorren Manderly said. "Once Raventree Hall is relieved, it'll only be a matter of time before the Riverlands are cleared of all enemy presence and we can move to consolidate our positions."
"You speak truly, Lord Manderly," Torrhen replied. "But we also have to be cautious about this. While we still outnumber the Valemen besieging Seagard, the knights of the Vale have a particularly fearsome reputation and I fear the results of what might happen if we were to fight against men equipped with plate armor."
"You should not worry about that, Your Grace," Marlon Umber assured the King in the North with his usual boisterousness. "One of us, especially one from House Umber, is worth five times as much as one of those fucking southerners."
The northern lords chuckled with amusement. However, Torrhen was not in the mood for such levity.
"I would not be so confident in our chances, Lord Umber," Torrhen replied. "While our army is enough to offset the balance in the riverlands at the moment, we must conserve our strength for the battles after the riverlands are secure. It's not just turncoat riverlords, the Lannisters, and the Vale we're facing. The Reach commands seventy thousand men, forty thousand of which are currently engaged in the former Storm kingdom and the Lady Paramount Argella Durrandon Baratheon only just managing to hold them off."
"For men, and women of the North," Marlon Umber gestured to Lyanara Mormont, who once beat him in a melee and thus earning the lasting respect of the Lord of Last Hearth. "The only odds that would seem fair are when one of us faces five or six summer knights each. The Reachmen never knew a harsh winter and they would falter when they fight against true warriors." The northern lords and ladies yelled their approval of Umber's words.
"That might be true, Lord Umber," Torrhen answered. "But combined with the Lannister gold, the harvests of the Reach can certainly allow the Faith to sustain armies much longer than we can. We have to prevent the Faith from utilizing its full might against us while we must endeavor to minimize any losses we sustain. And the first step towards accomplishing that goal is to smash the Valemen at Seagard. As Lord Manderly pointed out, once Seagard is relieved, the Twins would fall and the Blue and Green Forks would be open, dramatically improving our allies' position. Any suggestions on what approach we can take to defeat the Valemen encampment?"
The northern lords and ladies studied the map carefully, looking for certain details that could be used to defeat their adversaries in the most efficient manner possible that would cause the most damage.
"Your Grace," Rogar Bolton spoke up, getting everyone's attention. "What if we were to divide our armies?"
"What do you mean, Lord Rogar?" Torrhen narrowed his eyes. Brandon was also alert to the Lord of the Dreadfort's suggestions.
"South of Seagard are the forests surrounding Oldstones," Rogar pointed on the map. "It runs from the headwaters of the Blue Fork to the outskirts of the castle. We could send a sizable but mobile force to move through this forest to approach the enemy from behind. Meanwhile, our main force would approach them from the north and west, directly within their line of sight. Once they are distracted and engaged with our main force, the force sent through the forest would emerge from the tree line and conduct a charge onto the enemy's camp and rear. That would maximize the damage on the Valemen."
Brandon, in all honesty, had to admit that Rogar Bolton's plan was tactically sound. Assuming that they would take great pains in concealing the force that would move through the forests around Oldstones, they could strike at the Valemen in a pincer movement. Once that was accomplished, it was only a matter of when in regards to the enemy collapsing.
But… Brandon thought, who would lead this force?
"That's a sound plan, Lord Rogar," Lord Cerwyn noted. "But, who do you suggest would lead and comprise this force that would move through the forest?"
"I propose that my troops and some cavalry be used for the attack from the forest," Rogar Bolton proposed. "The Valemen would not expect our pikes to stab them from behind and with the combined weight from the frontal attack, they would be crushed like how a direwolf crushes bone."
Brandon had to stifle a groan. While it was a good plan, he could see clearly that the Lord of the Dreadfort was trying to save his troops from suffering casualties that the frontal attack was sure to sustain and by attacking from behind, he can kill as many enemies as he could without much risk to his own men.
Rogar Bolton knew how to play the long game, with the goal being House Bolton turning into a force that could one day seriously challenge the Starks. He couldn't hope to successfully query with the Starks, as the North was incredibly loyal to Torrhen and Jocelyn, partly due to their relation with the famed ladies of Bear Island and the deadly crannogmen, with any adversaries dismissing their potential at their own peril. But here was a chance to weaken his overlord even just a little bit, as Rogar Bolton could chip away at his rivals' strength while his own could be maintained. Best be careful, Lord Bolton.
Unfortunately for Lord Bolton, Torrhen and some of the northern lords and ladies saw his intentions very quickly. While some remained quiet about it, a few voiced their disapproval for Bolton's suggestions.
"I see what you're doing, Bolton!" Lord Umber bellowed. "You would have us sacrifice as much of our strength as possible while you can take much of the credit and suffer as little casualties as possible. I will not consent to this plan if Bolton was to attack from behind and refuses to fight alongside us like a true northman."
"I'm sure you know of my family's history, Lord Umber," Lord Bolton replied calmly.
"Every northern lord and lady present is aware of the flailing days of your house, Lord Bolton," Larence Karstark replied.
"Then, you would know that our history makes us suited to execute such attacks on our enemies."
"But do you suggest our king to lead the frontal attack on the Valemen?" Joseth Glover asked. Rogar Bolton was silent, but that was enough.
"Then, I must officially reject Lord Bolton's suggestions," Warrick Manderly declared. "You must stand besides us in our attack against the Valemen at Seagard."
While Brandon knew that Rogar Bolton had made a plan where he would not suffer many casualties to his own levies, it was still a good plan nonetheless. "How about… another force besides men of Lord Bolton leads the forest attack?"
"In lieu of the Bolton men, who do you suggest you take their place?" Lord Dustin asked.
"The men of Houses Reed, Ryswell, Dustin, and half of the cavalry and infantry directly sworn to House Stark," Brandon replied. "I myself shall accompany this force with my direwolf."
"Accompany? Do you mean to say that you will not lead the attack from the tree line?" Lord Bolton inquired, puzzled.
"I do. I suggest my brother, King Torrhen, lead the attack from the tree line."
"Nonsense! The King in the North must fight alongside his bannermen, Lord Snow," Larence Karstark argued.
"Are the Reeds, Ryswells, and Dustins not bannermen sworn to House Stark?" Brandon asked.
"What Lord Larence meant to say was," Lord Flint joined in. "King Torrhen must be seen attacking with the troops and leading the frontal attack is the best way to do it. It certainly would not do the men much good if they can't see their king when the battle commences."
"And they will see him," Brandon replied. "But in a way that would also cause maximum damage to the enemy. As you all already understand, a force that is mobile and flexible must carry out the attack from the forest. The agility of the crannogmen, the speed of the Ryswell cavalry, and the ability of the Dustin men to keep up with both all make for a good combination. And what could make the attack that would crush the Valemen better than to see the King in the North charging from behind?"
"Then, who would lead the frontal attack?" Marlon Umber asked.
Torrhen stepped in. "I'm placing Lady Bethany Mormont and Lord Dorren Manderly in overall command of the attack, with the vanguard comprised of Bolton spearmen, Umber infantry, and Karstark cavalry. The center will be comprised of the other half of the troops sworn directly to me, and the Manderly and the Mormont men while the flanks can be evened out between the others."
"But for this plan to work to full effect, we would need the element of surprise," Lyanara Mormont pointed out.
"And we shall take use a method already proven successful by the Lannisters," Brandon said. "We attack at night."
The northern lords and ladies, even Rogar Bolton, grinned at using the darkness of night against their adversaries, just like Loren Lannister did against the dragons. They won't be the only ones who could use the night to their full advantage.
"When shall we attack?" Lord Umber asked, finality lining his voice.
"We attack at dusk, when most of the Valemen would surely have retired to their tents," Torrhen answered.
"But before we disperse to inform our troops," Ethan Reed stopped them. "We should discuss the other matter that has come to our attention."
Brandon went to Torrhen and whispered in his ear, reminding him of what else they had to deliberate on.
"My lords and ladies, I have just received word from Dragonstone," Torrhen pulled out a piece of parchment. "Lord Orys Baratheon has been rescued through the combined efforts of Lord Jaenyx Belaerys and Lady Visenya Targaryen Belaerys, but at the cost of one of their men."
"That is good news, Your Grace," Warrick Manderly stated. "With Lord Baratheon out of captivity, the stormlords will remain fighting."
"But that's not all," Torrhen said. "Jaenyx Belaerys was able to infiltrate Casterly Rock, a fortress that no army had ever attempted to take, and bring back one of their family and most able commanders alive. That has to tell you all something."
"What would that be, Your Grace?" Rogar Bolton asked.
"Lord Bolton," Jocelyn stepped in. Her reserved nature except in the presence of family made her inclined to listen to what the lords and ladies were discussing until she decided to join the deliberation. "The dragons are already accomplishing feats that none of us would dream of doing. Yes, they suffered setbacks, but with Lord Jaenyx and Lady Visenya doing the impossible, that should convince you all that of the wisdom in our house swearing fealty to the dragons. Sometimes, it is the most unlikely of sorts that do the things that no one can imagine of doing and if the Targaryens and Belaerys' are able to do such feats without wearing crowns, who knows what else they could do when they do have their own thrones to sit on?"
"With respect, Queen Jocelyn," Marlon Umber said. "As true as your statements may be, remember that we are loyal to rulers with the name Stark and we are not comfortable with our king and queen giving up their royal privilege no matter how accomplished other rulers may be."
"Yes, the dragons must understand that the North cannot be ruled the same way as those in the south," Joseth Glover concurred.
"That is something that they understand, my lord," Brandon spoke. "And with Lord Baratheon rescued, they will be in more secure position with the stormlords. But given the unsteady situation in the rest of the south, it'll be up to us to turn the tide, first in the riverlands and then against the rest of the Faith."
"You know the plan, my lords and ladies, and you have your orders. See to your men and prepare yourselves, for tonight is our first major battle," Torrhen said before he dismissed them. Only Brandon and Jocelyn remained in the tent.
"I've known Ondrew for a long time, Torry," Jocelyn began. "But I am not so sure that it was a good idea to put him in charge of the siege at the Twins due to his lack of experience in leading troops."
"His goal is not to take the Twins, but to keep most of the Freys pinned there while we move to secure the northern banks of the Trident," Torrhen explained. "The Freys are not known for their battle prowess and I don't need a proven commander to siege them. Once Seagard is relieved, I'll send a small but able force to supplement Ondrew and that's when they'll storm the castle."
"But given your promise to grant the Twins to Ondrew should he prove successful, he might become bold and try to take the Twins himself," Jocelyn pointed out.
"Maybe," Torrhen admitted. "But a northman shall have the Twins and there is no proper way to reward Ondrew and his house for their long years of service to ours than to grant him his own lands and keep. In addition, the Neck would be completely secure once that bridge is in our hands."
"Controlling the bridge would solve an immediate problem," Brandon added. "We would deny the Valemen the only viable permanent bridge over the Trident and force them to use their pontoon bridges, thereby exposing their forces to the threat from the air."
"Corralling them like livestock to the slaughter," Jocelyn realized. "And you've communicated this with the dragons?"
"Don't need to," Brandon replied. "They have scouts probing the Green Fork and they'll see the chance soon enough. If the Valemen go further south towards either the forces besieging Raventree Hall or to Riverrun, they would be going outside the reach of their supply lines since the Lannisters cannot feed them."
"And so either way, the Valemen would be trapped if they remain on this side of the Green Fork," Jocelyn nodded, now understand the larger stratagem at play.
"If we can attain a decisive result at Seagard," Torrhen said.
"I'll go to see to my father and the men," Jocelyn walked out of the tent.
"The forest around Oldstones is thick, Bran," Torrhen looked at the map. "And it'll be nighttime. How would we move our force through that in darkness without using torches?"
"Autumn will guide us through," Brandon assured him. "And… there is something I should tell you."
"What?"
"Seems the Old Gods seen fit to grant me another ability, because I've had my first wolf dream since before I got my sight," Brandon smiled.
"Wait. So, you're a warg now?"
"I entered Autumn's mind last night and I moved around camp as him. The experience felt too powerful and I talked with the other troops, who all confirmed where I went as Autumn."
"But I've read the stories too, Bran," Torrhen stood straighter. "Only greenseers had the sight and the ability to warg, and you could only identify them if they red or green eyes, which you don't."
"Maybe my warg abilities is not that developed, Torry," Brandon shrugged.
"Bran, I'm worried," Torrhen surprised his brother. "Greenseers were not known to have long lifespans, which forced them to reside within weirwoods. I would like for you to have a woman by your side and have your babes like I did, and maybe, the sight within you would remain alive."
Brandon smiled at his brother's concern for him. "We all have our parts to play, Torry. And if the gods see fit to allow me a woman, then I will gladly embrace her. But don't worry. I don't plan on leaving this world for a long time, and someone's gotta to stop your brooding from adding wrinkles to your already aging self."
Torrhen rolled his eyes at Brandon choosing to jape now. "Worry about yourself, Bran."
The force of crannogmen, Ryswell cavalry, and Dustin men moved silently through the forest, passing within sight of Oldstones before wheeling northward towards the Valemen encampment. Many were unsure to trust their success against the enemy on how well Brandon was bonded to Autumn, but they would never dare doubt him in front of their king and thus followed their lead.
They were tempted to take the Manderly and Mormont men with them, but that would leave the frontal attack deprived of those who understood clearly of why the North had to side with the Valyrians. Warrick Manderly and Lyanara Mormont led the frontal attack, with Torrhen changing his mind and having Bethany accompany him. He wanted at least one other family member with him.
Once everyone was in position, Torrhen marched the army towards the outskirts of Seagard and before diverting towards the forest. But from the last time they looked in the dying light of the day, it was clear that they had achieved surprise, as the Valemen had retired for the evening and had not expected attack so late. The Umbers and Karstarks charged into the hastily established lines of armored men-at-arms and infantry, with the rest not far behind. However, it was dark and the only light that both sides could rely upon were the flaming arrows that the northmen archers released and the braziers from the Vale camp, both of which didn't do very much in terms of visibility.
While they had achieved surprise and had slightly pushed the enemy back towards their camp, they had to move quickly to maintain the advantage, for the Valemen would not remain disorganized for long and both Brandon and Torrhen feared the results should the full armored might come to bear upon their northmen.
The force could hear the sounds of heavy combat as they moved through the forest. They knew that time was of the essence, but they couldn't risk quickening their pace through the thick brush for fear of losing their way. So, Brandon rode ahead of them, with Autumn leading the way. Wolves could see clearly through the night and a direwolf could see through the dark as if it was day, which combined with their sharpened sense of smell made them ideal to guide the troops through the pitched blackness of the forest.
Brandon soon saw through Autumn that the force was nearing the tree line and thus the enemy camp. He also that there were two men-at-arms standing guard at edge of their camp, their hands rested on the pommels of their swords. Acting quickly, Autumn dashed towards them and used the cover of darkness and the woodlands to mask his approach. At the last moment, Autumn jumped onto the first unsuspecting Vale guard and started to dig into the exposed neck between the helmet and curaisser.
Boy, continue to attack them. We'll join you soon, Brandon told Autumn. He held his hand up as the force finally reach the tree line, but then they saw the rest of the troops were in a bit of trouble from their vantage point on the hill.
The northmen enjoyed superior numbers and that allowed them to enjoy initial success in pushing the Valemen back. However, whoever their commander was had executed a flanking attack, where a large detachment was able to roll onto the northmen's right flank. If they continued to allow the Valemen to exploit their flanks, it wouldn't take long for the rest to follow.
Having made it to the tree line, Torrhen, Brandon, Bethany, Ethan, and the others readied their horses and unsheathed their swords. Torrhen had Ice strapped to his horse, which he would pull out after he dismounted. As for Bethany, she held Longclaw in her hands, its bear pommel and Valyrian steel blade having been in Mormont hands for nearly two centuries at that point.
As for Brandon, he unsheathed his own sword made from the finest castle-forged steel while he continued to watch Autumn unleash carnage upon the Vale encampment.
"Ready, brother?" Torrhen asked as he pulled out another sword, this one shorter than Ice and made of regular steel.
"Ready when you are," Brandon nodded.
Eyeing the camp that was slowly being torn apart, Bethany thrust Longclaw in the air. "THE KING IN THE NORTH!"
"THE KING IN THE NORTH!" the force yelled as their horses galloped and the infantry charged into the unprotected Vale camp.
The rear of their camp was unprotected and therefore, their approach was unimpeded. Only a few Valemen were in the camp as the others were fighting at the front.
Brandon used his broodmare's speed to easily slice through a couple unfortunate Valemen as they tried to flee back into their tents, which didn't do them much good anyway. The northmen began to go on their rampage through the camp, cutting through tent fabrics and killing all those who weren't quick enough to avoid their blades, their axes, and spears. Any valuables plundered by the northmen were to be divided amongst the troops once the battle was over.
Brandon soon saw Autumn as his jaws were crushing a Valeman's skull. Whistling, Autumn strode towards his companion, blood covering his mouth. "Good boy," Brandon reached down to stroke his head. "Ready for another round?" Autumn barked enthusiastically. "Well, let's go."
Brandon rode up to Torrhen, who had regrouped with most of the force while the rest continued to plunder their way through the enemy camp. There, atop of another hill and within clear sight of Seagard, they saw the situation was much more dire than they thought.
The Valemen's flanking maneuver had fallen upon the northmen's right flank. They could also see that their troops were tiring and with their bowmen unable to shoot at the enemy, they had to move fast.
"KING IN THE NORTH!" Ethan Reed yelled one more time before Torrhen and the others charged one more time into the enemy. Autumn outran the horses and pounced onto the first Valeman whose back was turned to the threat from behind.
Despite not being as armored as their Vale adversaries, the momentum from the charge was more than enough to allow the northern cavalry and light infantry to smash through them. While Torrhen finally dismounted and unleashed Ice on their enemies, Brandon continued stabbing and slashing on horseback. He thrust his blade through the exposed neck of a man-at-arms, slashing across the face of another, and used the combined force of his sword's downward swing to crush a Valeman's helmet.
However, a Valeman was able to approach Brandon close enough to present his pike. While it didn't stab the horse, it was enough to scare the mare and thereby allowing for Brandon to be pulled off by another. Fortunately, before he could seriously wound him, he was attacked by Autumn, who jumped on him and bit and scratched at his face and whatever parts were not protected by his plate armor.
As for Brandon, he stood back up quickly and drove his sword through the back of a Vale man-at-arms. But then, a burst of orange fire brightened the darkened battlefield. Brandon turned to his left and saw flames engulfing the ironborn ships that had surrounded the waters off Seagard before a dragon roar pierced through the night.
Brandon narrowed his eyes, the orange flames illuminating the field, and saw the distinct orange form of Vhagar fly above them. What's Lady Visenya doing here? he thought before he barely parried a Vale's sword swing. He struck the Valeman with the pommel of his sword before driving the edge against his throat and cutting it.
While the center of the Vale force was being torn apart, the force that remained fighting on the northmen's right flank continued to hold. That was, until Brandon saw Vhagar descend and unleash her flames onto them. Screams could be heard as the flames practically turned the darkened field into one that could be seen as clearly as day.
Then, a horn blared and whatever was left of the Valemen began to withdraw southwards or eastwards, the former towards the Lannister-controlled parts of the riverlands and the latter back towards their bridges of the Vale. While some would be able to escape, others were not so lucky as the flames spewed out from Vhagar consumed them.
After a few short moments, the result was clear. The North had won its first major engagement with the enemy in the south. Torrhen thrust Ice up and let out a roar, which was echoed by the rest of the northmen. Brandon patted Autumn on his head, blood on them evident, before he heard Vhagar land at the enemy camp. Making his way through the cheering crowds, he ignored the northmen that were still pillaging the enemy tents before finding Vhagar in a clearing, with Visenya stroking her snout.
"Lady Visenya, this is an unexpected surprise," Brandon addressed her.
But instead of the hard gaze that became characteristic of the warrior dragon, Brandon sensed… anguish in her. Then, he remembered that while their rescue of Lord Orys Baratheon was successful, they lost someone very close to them. He didn't know much about Arata Haru except from what he had heard from Rhaenys, but his death had obviously hit Visenya and most definitely Jaenyx very hard.
"You seemed to have been handling yourselves very well," Visenya said.
"Your sudden entry with Vhagar merely quickened the end of the battle," Brandon stated. "You helped reduce the casualties that would have increased with each passing moment."
"Glad I could help with that," Visenya gave a small grin.
"Forgive me, but why are you here, Lady Visenya?"
"To be honest, I needed to stop the gloominess that filled my mind ever since our rescue at Casterly Rock," Visenya admitted.
"I heard about it," Brandon replied. "What you two did would be remembered by Westeros for all time, as no one would dare enter the den of the lions, but I know what afflicts your heart, my lady."
"Do you?" Visenya asked pointedly.
"I'm sorry?"
Visenya took a step closer to Brandon. "What do you know about loss, Lord Brandon?"
"I am familiar with it."
"But none of them were family. Arata Haru was the closest thing to a brother that my husband had after his family died. Konno Haru made him a man, and Arata and Kenzou were there to provide him the companionship that he needed. And now, one of them is dead. I may not have been as close to the Harus as Jaenyx is, but his pain is my pain and I dread the day I have to experience loss in my family, which almost happened with Orys and Rhaenys."
"I meant no offense, my lady," Brandon offered.
"I know," Visenya replied. "But be mindful of what you know and what you don't know. I don't care if you have what Rhaenys says you have, because visions can be very misleading."
"I shall be more mindful in the future," Brandon answered. "On behalf of House Stark, please accept our condolences on the death of Arata Haru."
"Thank you, my lord," Visenya smiled gratefully. "And as for why I am here, I think I understand what Rhaenys was thinking when she almost drowned herself. And like her, I don't want to be consumed by it."
"Of course," Brandon nodded. "You are a warrior and you should be where you belong, the field. I only wish you came sooner, otherwise you might have more meat to cook."
"What?" Visenya was stumped.
"The Valemen were pounding hard on our right flank. If they were able to roll us up, you might have had to burn us all and feed us to Vhagar. I have to tell you know that northmen do not possess the most edible meat, for they are tough."
Visenya let out a laugh while shaking her head. "I like you, Lord Snow. You know how to turn a dreary situation into one where we can find the humor in it."
Brandon shrugged. "Well, someone's got to do it, otherwise my king brother would have more wrinkles than his age would warrant."
Visenya chuckled. "You would speak about your brother in that way?"
"I'm the only one who can."
Visenya kept smiling at Brandon. "Now I see why you and my baby sister have a connection."
"And what would that be?"
"She won't ever let anyone live it down, just like you it would seem. And she… doesn't take things very seriously, which can get irritating at times, but we don't hate her for it. You're like her in that regard."
Brandon looked to the ground while adjusting his gambeson before staring back at Visenya. "I am flattered you would compare me so favorably to someone you love."
"I do love Rhae," Visenya stressed. "And I won't ever see anything bad happen to her. That's why Darvin Hoare and Loren Lannister will die by fire for what they've done to our family."
"And no one would fault you for it," Brandon agreed. "But take care as to not let your hatred for those that wronged you result in… collateral damage."
"If no one stands in our way, there won't have to be," Visenya simply said.
"And what if those that stand in your way are your family?" Brandon asked. Might as well tell her now.
Visenya narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"
"I may not have seen the final fate of Balerion in the timeline I've seen, but I've seen that Balerion was not above killing other dragons also," Brandon revealed.
"What?" Visenya blinked her eyes.
"In that timeline, both you and Lady Rhaenys were married to Lord Aegon and you bore him a son, who then killed his nephew, the eldest son of the other son by Lady Rhaenys. Balerion being the most powerful dragon even at that time was able to kill his nephew and his dragon mount quite easily, and his rider had no compunction in killing his own kin."
Brandon could see that Visenya was beyond shocked. He knew that Visenya wouldn't dare harm her own family, but this had to be said.
"Why are you telling me this?" Visenya asked.
"You may not have it in you to kill your brother or sister, but the question is, will your children have that inability too? It'll be up to you, your husband, and your siblings to ensure that peace reigns among your families so as to prevent inner conflicts. You should know that the Valyrians never got to the point where they engaged in dragon fights with each other before in their history, as they understood the consequences of such fights. So, remember that besides the family bonds that all of you should maintain."
Brandon left Visenya to her thoughts, letting the idea of her own son killing her family sink in. It must be done, for they should know in order to avoid those mistakes.
"Thank you for relieving us, Your Grace," Lord Mallister dipped his head in Seagard's great hall.
"No need to thank us yet, my lord," Torrhen replied. "How many fighting men can you muster at the moment?"
"Well, I can still commit four thousand men into the field, King Torrhen."
"We'll need them all, Lord Mallister," Torrhen said. "We have to advance southwards as quickly as we can."
"But what about the threat from the Twins?"
"We have troops taking care of them, my lord," Brandon replied. "But, with the withdrawal of the Valemen further southwards or back towards their bridges over the Green Fork, it won't take long for the Twins to fall without reinforcements."
"Of course, Lord Snow," Lord Mallister nodded. "Again, thank you for relieving us."
"You're very welcome, my lord," Torrhen shook his hand and held up his cup. "And now, let us celebrate. After many setbacks, the North has come and helped win the first major triumph against the Faith. A toast, to the Valyrians that are still fighting and to the destruction of our enemies further south."
"Hear, hear!" the northern lords and ladies held up their goblets.
"And to Lady Visenya Targaryen Belaerys, whose sudden entry into the battle quickly turned the tide and drove our enemies back! She truly is a warrior fit for legends!"
"Hear, hear!" the hall toasted to the lady of House Belaerys before drinking and the bards playing music.
"As sudden as your appearance was, my lady," Jocelyn leaned to Visenya, who sat at her side as the honored guest. "I'm glad for the opportunity to finally trade words with you one-on-one."
"You honor me, Your Grace," Visenya respectfully replied.
"Tell me. How does Lord Orys fare at the moment?"
"He's currently at Duskendale, unconscious at the behest of our healers but under the personal care of Lady Argella."
"The daughter of the Storm King herself? Now, that's a surprise, given the circumstances of their marriage."
"It has been a surprise, Your Grace," Visenya answered. "But I'm glad that my brother and his lady-wife can enjoy an opportunity to grow closer."
"Arranged unions can sometime turn to love, my lady," Jocelyn said. "I was glad that it turned out well for me and Torrhen, whose father wanted to incorporate the crannogmen in Northern affairs."
Visenya nodded. "My union with Lord Jaenyx might have been arranged, but I'm glad that we were able to find love despite how it started."
Brandon was overhearing the conversation while sipping his wine. He had to worry about getting the Mallisters back in the fight, but realized that responsibility mostly lay with Torrhen. As he fed pork ribs to Autumn, he continued to listen.
"Pray tell me, but how did your marriage with Lord Jaenyx turn into love?" Jocelyn inquired.
"He never belittled me," Visenya admitted. "He shared my passions for the magical rituals of Valyria and taught me many things. He challenged me and—"
"I'm sorry to interrupt you so, my lady," Jocelyn spoke. "But, those are not very deep reasons on why love occurs. To be honest with you, the reason why my union with Torrhen became loving was because he wanted another he could family. That's probably one of the reasons why he didn't hate Brandon for being a bastard, because while friends can help you, only family can really be there through thick and thin. So, why did your marriage with Lord Jaenyx become a loving one?"
Visenya sighed. "If that is what you're asking, then it was because he shared his pains with me. I won't go into detail on what he suffered through, but most men would keep such sufferings to themselves and insist on being strong. But not him. He knows that there are limits to his capabilities and to how much he can endure by himself, so he took a chance with me and revealed what troubled him. And I saw that we were not so different and that there would be no other who could understand me as well. Love came because only we can see each other clearly, and I will never let him feel he's alone."
Jocelyn smiled warmly. "Spoken like a woman truly in love and devoted to her man. We'll get on quite nicely, you and I."
"I look forward to it, Queen Jocelyn."
Brandon took it all in. He saw what true love was before, from how Torrhen's mother Queen Gilliane treated him much better than his own mother did. He saw it again with Torrhen and Jocelyn, and now he was seeing it clearly with the Valyrians. The only question that came to his mind was when he himself would experience that with his own special someone.
But that was a concern for another time. I shall unwind for today, for tomorrow is our next push southwards against the Faith.