Seven days after the Blackmont army withdrew under Lady Nym's persuasion, Lady Alerie was safely escorted to High Hermitage.
Aside from looking haggard, Lady Alerie bore no physical injuries.
After learning of her captivity at Blackmont, Lady Nym expressed deep regret. At the same time, she told Lady Alerie that the matter was concluded with the Vulture King's death and advised her not to make a scene or reignite the dispute between Starfall and Blackmont.
Lady Alerie nodded silently. "I thank you for my ransom, Lady Nym. Now, I only wish to return to my home at Broken Arm. I ask for nothing more."
The next day, without saying goodbye to anyone else in High Hermitage, Lady Alerie left in a carriage.
"It seems she was terrified," Lady Nym sighed upon hearing the news, then bid her own farewell. "I have completed the task my uncle entrusted to me. It is time for me to leave as well."
Before Lady Nym departed, Arthur presented her with a Black Mamba dagger, forged by the smiths of High Hermitage, as a token of his personal gratitude.
After Lady Nym left, Arthur lingered in High Hermitage for another week.
During this time, he disbanded the levies mustered from the various vassals along the middle reaches of the Torrentine and transferred thousands of wildling captives from Vulture's Roost to High Hermitage.
Only after Ser Avery, the Lord of Nightfall Hall—who had missed the entire war claiming he was hunting bandits—finally arrived, did Arthur order Starfall's household troops to escort the wildling captives back to Starfall.
With the destruction of the Vulture King and the withdrawal of the Blackmonts, the external threats to Starfall had come to an end.
Now, Starfall's numerous internal issues surfaced.
The disposal of thousands of wildling captives, the reckoning for disloyal vassals, and the rewards for loyal ones.
If handled properly, these were excellent opportunities to re-establish the authority of Starfall's rule and centralize power.
The army moved slowly escorting the captives. It took five days for Arthur to lead them back to Starfall.
Upon the army's triumphant return, a grand victory feast, long prepared, was held immediately to celebrate the destruction of the Vulture King.
In addition to the main hall of Starfall, several tents were set up outside the castle to serve food and wine to the soldiers.
In the main hall, the staple foods were the Dornish favorites: purple olives, flatbread, and cheese dusted with dragon pepper powder.
The drink was the ubiquitous Dornish Summerwine.
Amidst various ceremonial toasts and the high-pitched singing of bards, servants brought out the main courses one by one.
Interestingly, the serving method mirrored what Arthur had seen at feasts in Winterfell.
Servants started serving from the high table where the lord sat.
With each dish, servants first presented it to the Lord of Starfall, Edric, for tasting and selection.
Arthur, seated beside his cousin and page, the little Lord Edric, naturally got to choose the dishes and cuts he preferred.
Since Arthur didn't care much for spicy food—and Dornishmen couldn't live without it—he specifically picked the non-spicy options.
Long green peppers stuffed with cheese and onions, honey-roasted capon.
And honey-roasted goat stuffed with lemons, raisins, onions, mushrooms, and fire peppers. Arthur took a small rack of ribs and a leg.
At the feast, Arthur did not just eat and drink; he also instructed his page-lord on how to distribute food to the vassals below, as a gesture of friendship and favor.
The specialty roasted snake meat mixed with mustard seeds and dragon peppers, which Arthur had tried at High Hermitage, was sent to Viscount Dimitri, who had recommended the dish.
A spicy snake soup, simmered with seven different types of snake meat, dragon peppers, blood oranges, and a drop of venom, was sent to Ser Williams, who had commanded the Right Wing with valor.
A savory lamprey pie was sent to Ser Craig, who had steadfastly defended his castle, Vulture's Roost.
A bowl of cool, refreshing iced fruit sherbet was sent to the haggard and silent Lady Alerie.
A platter of grilled barbell was sent to Ser Wayne of Sandstone Keep, who had relieved the old Master-at-Arms to guard the watchtowers in the middle reaches.
And a few slices of raw onion were sent to Ser Avery, the Lord of Nightfall Hall, who had only arrived after the bandits were conveniently "hunted down."
The feast lasted a long time, stretching from dusk well into the night before concluding.
---
After the feast, Arthur went to the small council chamber in the main keep. His aunt Allyria, cousin Edric, Maester Oswell, and the old Master-at-Arms, Ser Clegg, were all there.
Several candles burned in the sconces, illuminating the room.
They needed to discuss the rewards and punishments for the vassals to be announced the next day, as well as the disposal of the wildling captives.
During the meeting, Arthur, Maester Oswell, and Ser Clegg did most of the talking, while his aunt and cousin listened.
They discussed until late into the night. Allyria was yawning with fatigue, and Edric had long fallen asleep in her lap before they finally concluded their deliberations.
---
The next day, due to the hangovers of many vassals, the ceremony of rewards was postponed until noon.
Arthur arrived at the Lord's Hall, the same place he had visited upon his first arrival at Starfall. His aunt and cousin sat on the white stone throne symbolizing the Lord of Starfall.
His reward had been decided the night before.
Arthur's fief would be the castle and lands of Beacon Tower—belonging to Ser Adric, whom he had beheaded—as well as Violet Canyon on the west bank of the Torrentine, formerly occupied by wildlings.
According to Maester Oswell, Beacon Tower was the reward for his merits, while Violet Canyon was compensation for Arthur taking on the task of settling the wildling captives.
After Allyria announced the grant, amidst the congratulations of the crowd, Arthur knelt on one knee and swore his oath of fealty according to procedure.
After Arthur completed the formalities and retreated into the crowd, Allyria nodded to the old Master-at-Arms.
Ser Clegg announced loudly, "Ser Avery, Lord of Nightfall Hall, step forward."
As his voice fell, whispers erupted in the crowd. The vassals who had earned merit in the war frowned.
"Why is Ser Avery the second name called?"
"Didn't he wait until the fighting was over to show up? Does he get a reward for that?"
"Hunting bandits... what a lame excuse. He's just bullying Lord Edric because of his age."
Ser Avery walked out of the crowd with a look of surprise. The whispers didn't stop until the old Master-at-Arms shouted for silence.
Allyria spoke: "Ser Avery, you refused Starfall's summons to fulfill your feudal obligations. You disguised yourself as a bandit to rob passing caravans.
"Your actions are devoid of honor. You have insulted not only yourself but everyone in Starfall. Do you plead guilty?"
Ser Avery's face turned pale. "My Lady, you cannot..."
"Do you still remember your oath of loyalty to Starfall?" Ser Clegg stood up, hand on his sword, interrupting him. "Do you still remember the vows you swore when you were knighted?"
Ser Williams, nursing his injured leg, spat from his chair in the front row. "Disgrace! Coward! Who knighted you?"
Ser Craig of Vulture's Roost added, "If you still call yourself a Dornishman, own up to your deeds."
Then Ser Craig turned to the high table. "My Lady, if Ser Avery demands a trial by combat, I hope to be granted the honor of fighting for you and Starfall, to wash away the shame of sharing the title of knight with him."
Before Allyria could answer, many knights jumped out from the crowd, clamoring for the honor of fighting Ser Avery.
Ser Avery looked at the knights glaring at him, his face growing even paler.
When the voices died down, Allyria spoke again.
"For the sake of the Seven, Ser Avery, I spare you the death penalty. I allow you to take the black and go to the Wall. Half of your lands shall be stripped from your house.
"The remaining half, your castle, and your title will be granted to your lawful heir—after you have led a company of other condemned men to the Wall and I receive a letter from the Lord Commander confirming your arrival."
"I... I plead guilty." Ser Avery fell to his knees. "Thank you... for your mercy, My Lady. May the Seven protect you and Starfall."
After Ser Avery, the loyal vassals and knights stepped forward one by one to receive rewards based on their merits.
Besides spoils of war and coin...
The lands stripped from Ser Avery, as well as some territories on the west bank recovered from the wildlings, were distributed among those who had served well.
After a series of grants, rewards, and some land exchanges between vassals witnessed by Starfall, most of the lords finally bid their farewells and returned to their domains on the third day.
Notably, Ser Williams received the most land after Arthur and Ser Clegg. He was promoted from a landed knight to a Baron, with most of his new fiefdom carved from the lands stripped from Nightfall Hall.