Julius Harlane POV
(Year 283 AC)
I stood with my troops, the air thick with the scent of damp earth and fear. My soldiers waited, a sea of nervous energy. I saw the battle written on their faces—fear, anger, grim confidence. It didn't matter now. Many would be dead before the sun fell. Soldiers die in battle. That is the only reality I know.
This battle, here at the Trident, would determine the fate of the rebellion. We would fight across what would thereafter be known as the Ruby Ford. In the world I remembered, it ended in a rebel victory. I was confident it would happen again. The plans were made. We were ready.
Our right flank was commanded by Eddard Stark, a solid wall of Northerners and Riverlanders—Lords Umber, Bolton, Karstark, and others. They had ten thousand men, mostly infantry, with a few hundred highly trained longbowmen from House Blackwood to soften the enemy lines. Most lords had left their archers at home to guard their castles, a strategic weakness we had to bear.
Our left flank was our hammer—a devastating cavalry force led by Lord Corbray, containing the finest knights of the Vale—Royces, Redforts, Templetons. Their job was to crash into the enemy flank, likely the Dornish spearmen. Their speed would decide the day.
(Flashback)
Lord Arryn had wanted me to lead that cavalry charge. I declined. My place was here, leading the ten thousand vanguard infantry in the center. We were the anvil, the cannon fodder meant to absorb the first, brutal impact and do as much damage as possible.
Robert had argued, roaring that he should be the first into the fray. I shut him down.
"If you die in the first ten minutes, the rebellion is finished," I told him, my voice cutting through his bluster. "To overthrow the Targaryens, we need a new king. You have the legitimacy. Your life is more important than a first charge."
Robert being Robert, he still argued. But my words had weight. Other lords agreed. Lords Arryn and Stark convinced him to lead the second wave of ten thousand elite troops. They all agreed to crown him when the war was done.
The Northerners were the only dissent. Lord Umber voiced a desire for Northern independence, earning nods and 'ayes' from his fellow lords. Robert, in his generosity, laughed and agreed. But Eddard Stark, bound by his honor and his friendship, refused the crown. I saw the flicker of disappointment on Lord Bolton's face—the only crack in his stoic mask I had ever seen. I shared his disappointment, but the decision was made.
So the formation was set.
Right Flank: Ten thousand under Stark.
Left Flank: Ten thousand cavalry under Corbray.
Center Vanguard: Ten thousand under my command.
Reserve: Ten thousand under Robert.
A simple, effective medieval strategy.
(Flashback End)
(Present - 1 minute before the battle)
Our planning had one flaw. When we reached the Trident, a third of the loyalist army had already crossed. There was no time for a parley. We had to attack immediately, like a thunderstorm.
But first, my men needed a reason to march into the meat grinder. I needed to give them something to hold onto. I took a deep breath and climbed onto a small rise, my voice carrying over the ranks.
"Warriors of the Rebellion!" I shouted. "The man who leads you today demands your courage in return! These are combats worthy of you! Combats in which it is glorious to conquer, and honorable to die! Remember the examples of your fathers who conquered these lands! Their names are remembered!"
A silence fell over them. Good.
"I stand with you now not for sport, but resolved in the heat of battle to live or die amongst you all! To lay down my honor and my blood for justice in these kingdoms, and for your people!"
I pointed my sword towards the enemy host across the ford. "Shall we allow our audacious enemies to violate the land of the Seven Kingdoms with impunity?"
A thunderous roar erupted from the massed soldiers. "NO!"
I pressed on, my voice rising to meet theirs. "Will you permit the army that has brought terror to your families to escape?"
This time, the answer was a unified scream of defiance. "NO!"
"Then march to justice!" I bellowed, pouring all my conviction into the words. "The result of our efforts will be unclouded glory and a durable peace! For Honor and Blood!"
The army's response was a physical force, a wave of sound that shook the very ground. "FOR HONOR AND BLOOD!" Their fear was now forged into fury.
I turned towards the river, my sword held high. "With me! Now!"