[Chapter Size: 4300 Words.]
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Third Person POV
Twins, 300 AC.
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It could be said that the Frey men were quite terrified of the armored tanks, the Arctican giants, ruining any plan to contain the invasion within the first tower.
With their arrows being fired at the first forces entering through the destroyed gate, even stones coming from the higher parts — with men needing two people just to lift and throw them over the entrance — were useless.
The arrows simply could not even scratch the eldenmetal armor, especially with the enormous shields in front carried by the giants.
Even the stones struck their heads and shoulders at first, but they had no effect capable of crushing the giants' helmets. Although the giants became slightly dizzy from the first impacts, it did not truly harm them and they continued marching, with the second ranks raising shields above them to protect against the stones, making them impossible to hurt now.
They advanced in formation, while the enemies slowly began to retreat, many running across to the second tower on the other side of the river, with Walder Frey's orders calling for reinforcements to strengthen the place even more, where he had fled along with his daughters, grandsons, and some of the sons who managed to escape the first tower, many of them fleeing.
Soon after the giants, the infantry forces entered. Jon, atop Panis, his horse, with Ghost by his side, watched the troops entering the castle.
He noticed movement on the upper floors and decided to deal with those fools throwing stones. He used his ability to stop the men who were throwing them.
A flock of birds surged from the forest, with a small cloud entering the tower in the next moment, while men shouted curses and screams of terror as they were surrounded by birds.
Everyone immediately panicked, stopping the stone throwing to try and protect themselves from the attack, with many beginning to fall into despair trying to pull the birds off them, while their faces started being torn apart by claws. It was a horrible death that caused those who managed to witness it to practically shit themselves.
After that, conquering the first tower became easy, while the Arcticans advanced through the place, killing any Frey who raised a weapon. Jon even ordered that those who surrendered be brought in alive, anyone who surrendered, although in the end he would not leave a single Frey alive. Even so, he needed to confirm some things and would have to ask questions.
His men advanced through the tower, invading everything, the kitchen area, the bedrooms, the area destroyed by wildfire, as well as the hall and the dungeons.
Jin Sakai was still holding the door, until he began hearing the Freys' screams coming from the other side. They were no longer trying to seize the hostages under the Freys' orders to take them to the other tower in desperation, since they needed the hostages, they were now screaming and begging for mercy.
In the next moment, the sounds of screams of pain and swords cutting through flesh were heard.
Then, only silence.
"Lord Sakai, are you there?" a voice spoke.
"Yes, we are. About time," Sakai replied with a smile as he unlocked the door, moving the wooden beam aside.
After it opened, men wearing valyrian steel armor began entering.
"The first tower has already been taken. The king ordered the hostages brought to the hall," he said, entering the place wearing his valyrian steel armor of the royal guard and showing a set of keys to the cells.
"Ser Barristan Selmy... it's really you..." Edmure recognized him faster than the others.
"Lord Tully, step aside, I will open your cell. But do not misunderstand, you are still a prisoner... only now of my king," he said, making Edmure withdraw with a worried and even surprised look.
Everyone watched the man beginning to open the cells, they were surprised that one of the most feared warriors in all the history of Westeros was now clearly on Arctic's side. He wore armor even more beautiful than the one he had used as commander of the royal guard.
"So you were beyond the Wall this whole time?" Grandjon said with a dry laugh.
"Not necessarily. I was in Winterfell, if you want to know. I was the one who took the Stark children from the castle occupied by the Greyjoys," he replied.
That seemed to surprise Grandjon and Maege.
"So the children are alive after all? Your... new king did not lie when he sent that message to us in the South?" Maege asked.
"Yes. I will not give you more details, but Bran has returned to the North, tasked with reclaiming the entire North for the king and placing everyone under the reins of House Stark. The king has already acted, removing most of the ironborn who were ravaging the kingdom," he replied, while finishing opening all the cells with a few words of thanks from other northern men.
He asked the three to accompany him. There were other northerners there as well, but lowborn soldiers, with a few exceptions, such as a master-at-arms of the Umbers and a distant cousin of the Tallharts, although he did not carry the name, he still possessed the blood.
In short, with the exception of Edmure Tully, Grandjon, and Maege Mormont, there were no other very important hostages.
"Let's all head to the exit," Ser Barristan Selmy ordered, while he and the other three Arcticans advanced, leaving the cells behind.
On the first floor, the sounds of battle had already ended. The king himself was already entering the place on horseback, while the Freys' bodies were being piled off to the side.
"Put them in the incineration chamber. I know there is one here in this tower," Jon ordered.
The men who founded this castle had been clever enough to create a chamber to incinerate dead bodies. After all, during sieges in the past, knowing that rotting corpses could bring disease, they simply burned them, turning them into ashes without disturbing the rest of the tower.
They nodded at the king's order.
Jon saw many Freys among the hostages looking at him in fear. He dealt with them easily, he could very well have bothered trying to capture Walder Frey, but he thought it would end too easily.
So he could very well have sent his murderous birds while the old man was running through the tower trying to protect himself in the other one, but he did not.
And since he would only spend this night at the Twins, he made no effort to capture old Frey. He wanted to show the rest of the Freys trapped in that other tower that they would be having a banquet worth remembering.
But why end him so soon? He wanted to leave the man furious and stressed... Jon thought he might even kill him with a heart attack due to his age when he finished his grand spectacle.
So it was more entertaining to leave him alive to watch his house being destroyed. Just like Balon Greyjoy, Jon had made him see that Pyke no longer existed before he was killed, and all his arrogance in believing he was untouchable had been destroyed before his eyes.
"Your Majesty, may I immediately ask to see my mother?" Jorelle quickly approached Jon, making her request.
"I ordered them to be taken to the hall. Let's go there," Jon said, dismounting from the horse while following alongside Lancelot, Arya, and Jorelle.
The hall was somewhat messy, plates and cutlery scattered everywhere. It was evident they had abandoned much of the food there ever since the Arcticans arrived. The castle had fallen into a frenzy when the army arrived, right in the middle of the midday meal.
"Clean up the entire place. Give the remaining food to the dogs in the castle kennels and wash all the dishes. Prepare something new, both for us and for all the men outside," Jon demanded.
His soldiers, who were also his cooks, quickly nodded and ran to the kitchen to prepare everything, since they also had eaten nothing besides the cold rations handed out during the march. After all, they did not stop at midday, they marched throughout the entire day and could only stop at night for a more satisfying meal.
The Twins were no longer a problem, making them act even before raising camp, thanks to Black Walder's arrogance in trying to kill them under a banner of peace. So they would take advantage of the conquered tower.
Jon advanced through the place until he reached Walder Frey's chair.
"Damn... this thing smells like shit," Jon muttered in dissatisfaction. The old man was already so debilitated that he shit himself and dirtied his own chair.
Jon felt disgusted.
"Burn this chair." Jon simply lifted the chair and threw it to the other side. Then he took a seed from a pouch he carried with him and made it explode into roots, while shaping it without branches or leaves, forming a new chair of massive roots. Despite the magical spectacle, everyone was already used to the king doing such things.
When he finished, Jon had a chair taller and more imposing than Lord Frey's chair.
Lancelot stood behind Jon, while Arya joined at his side, with them watching their men work, quickly gathering plates and food throughout the hall.
"My king, we are organizing all the servants in the corner of the castle," one of the Arcticans stepped forward before the king.
"Very good. Take some of them and ask for help with the castle kitchen, they should know where all the ingredients are to prepare the food," Jon said, while his men nodded and left.
"How are their reinforcements?" Arya could not help but ask beside him.
"They sent a knight messenger. He only reached the region of Pennytree, it will take another week to arrive at the Crag, the Freys sent a raven to the Blackwood castle, they sent a soldier to warn them this afternoon about the siege... If they truly come, they will not arrive here before a moon's turn with the march..." Jon said unconcerned. They would never arrive in time and the Arctican army would not remain long either, but it would be good to frighten the Freys in the south along with the Lannisters, they would have to think about whether they would continue the siege at Riverrun or deal with the Arcticans.
"How many are they, my king?" Lancelot asked from behind, entering the conversation curiously. To know numbers, only the king could, with his eyes and ears everywhere through animals.
"They have fifteen thousand. But we do not need to worry about them," Jon said, while Lancelot nodded.
Fifteen thousand would be nothing against their weapons, but they could not enter this kingdom, having the advantage at sea, they had only come to cause even more chaos.
Jon said nothing more, while placing his elbow on the table and his fingers on his chin, thinking about some things.
"So this was where they intended to execute Robb, my mother, and the others, destroying guest right, Jon?" Arya began to ask.
"According to Walder Frey's letter, yes. Since the fool listened to Tywin's suggestion. And as for the old lion, he has no idea that Walder still kept those letters as proof against him," Jon said seriously.
Since it was not a matter Tywin Lannister would discuss with others due to the sensitivity of the subject, he himself wrote to Walder Frey giving instructions on how to carry out the massacre and demanding that the letters be burned as soon as they were read. But Walder never did that, because he also wanted to use them against the lion in the future if necessary, showing that Tywin would also be behind the possible breaking of guest right.
So now Jon had those letters in his hands. Even before the invasion, Walder Frey ordered all the letters in his keep to be burned. However, Jon already had the letters with him.
In any case, he finally saw Barristan Selmy entering the place together with Jin Sakai, his two companions, and the hostages.
Those entering the hall observed several Arctican soldiers cleaning everything, while on the main chair sat a king together with his royal guard and his cousin, Princess Arya.
"Mother!" Jorelle exclaimed.
Maege, who was observing the place together with her companions, widened her eyes upon hearing her daughter's voice as she approached wearing armor themed after House Mormont, but made from a type of material worth far more than anything House Mormont could afford.
Even possessing a valyrian steel sword, that was only a few kilograms of steel compared to the dozens an entire suit of armor could provide. Even if valyrian steel was much lighter, the mass of steel was still the same as common steel.
And House Mormont was poor.
Still, Maege came out of her shocked state and stepped forward, embracing her daughter without caring about anything else.
"Jorelle... you're here..." she said, hugging her.
Unfortunately, she had lost two daughters in the war. She saw Dacey die before her eyes while defending King Robb and, later, discovered that Lyra had died under a barrage of arrows alongside many other northerners and men from Bear Island.
"Mother... I thought you would be dead..." Jorelle said in tears.
"You are going to have to tell me everything that happened," Maege replied, staring at her daughter, unable to imagine what had happened while holding her tightly.
"Yes, we will have time for that. The king promised to hold a fair trial for you and the others..."
"The king? Is that what you call him now?" Maege raised an eyebrow while looking at Jon seated at the highest table, in the main chair, observing everything with even a certain boredom.
"Well... he certainly looks far more impressive than Robb." Her eyes returned to her daughter afterward, searching for answers.
"Mother, House Mormont..." She seemed to be trying to find the right words. "In your absence, I assumed leadership after recovering. He saved my life, mother. Otherwise, I would be dead. But what I mean is that I represented House Mormont and knelt before him."
Maege nodded despite her surprise. She could not form an opinion yet while she was merely a hostage.
"Please, the king is waiting..." Barristan interrupted them in the middle of their reunion.
"Damn... I feel strange here," Grandjon muttered, while Maege came behind him, but both kept their chins raised with northern pride.
Edmure seemed to tremble. He searched for his wife somewhere, but all the Frey women he found there had gathered outside the hall after being discovered hiding, unable to cross to the other tower together with Walder Frey. There were only a few dozen daughters of Walder Frey and some grandchildren.
They advanced until they stood before the king, while the Arcticans still watched them.
They observed Jon, but immediately recognized Arya at his side.
"You stand before the king of Arctic," Lancelot said behind Jon while the three were placed before the main table.
"You remind me of her," Maege was the one who broke the silence first, while Jon merely studied them silently.
Jon removed his hand from his chin and looked at the woman with a raised eyebrow. "I imagine you are speaking of my mother," Jon said in a gentle tone.
This woman had named her youngest daughter Lyanna, in honor of Lyanna Stark. After all, they had known each other in their youth.
"Yes," Maege said. "And now her son does the impossible. I could expect nothing less from Lyanna." She let out a humorless laugh while the hall fell silent.
Jon did not show any smile, despite knowing the woman was being sincere in honoring his mother and not trying to flatter him or handle the king of Arctic more carefully.
"Well... my mother certainly won the heart of the North in her youth. But I doubt people still think the same way after the war began and she ran away with the prince before I was born..."
Jon's words lingered in the air while he looked directly at Grandjon, who could not help but shudder slightly.
Jon's eyes were icy because this man had been one of those who spoke the most during the Great Council among the northerners and rivermen, where Robb was declared King in the North, when the lords debated whether they should name Jon as sovereign or Robb himself. To the point that the North itself had been willing to fight against Arctic.
Grandjon had used the argument about Jon's mother, saying she had run away with a silver-haired prince and that thousands of people from the North had died because of her selfishness. Why should they wait for her son, who had disappeared beyond the Wall without news for moons?
That made it much easier for the lords of the North to decide to support Robb at the time.
Grandjon, despite hearing the indirect words directed at him, still remained firm. He knew that was a provocation from the king before him.
"I stand by my words. Even if Ned died declaring you king, you should not be the King in the North."
"So you say those words, Grandjon?" Jon spoke amid the tense atmosphere, while the Arcticans did not stop staring at Grandjon with challenging expressions.
It was evident they often encountered people who were still against Jon. Jon even understood it, it would be strange if they did not encounter people like the man before him...
"You dare?" Arya was the one who stood up, slamming her fist against the table.
She remembered very well the cheerful atmosphere at Last Hearth when Arya had visited together with her father and brother. Grandjon had been very respectful toward her back then. But that did not stop her from looking angrily at those words directed at Jon, who maintained an indifferent expression.
"You support him instead of your brother, Lady Stark?" Grandjon turned toward her with a look full of defiance.
Maege said nothing. She had also supported Robb and, upon looking at her daughter Jorelle shaking her head for her not to enter the discussion, she remained silent, especially with that pleading look in her eyes.
"Of course I do. Jon is the true king of the Seven Kingdoms. I do not recognize Robb as king, only greedy fools would think otherwise while trying to force a crown onto my older brother that he could never sustain. It is a shame that the North started acting like the South," Arya said mockingly.
"How can you support him instead of your own brother?" Grandjon growled.
Arya raised an eyebrow at him as if he were an idiot. Even Maege looked at him and could not hold back.
"Grandjon, you are thinking like a fool right now. The girl lived almost half her life in that kingdom beyond the Wall. She wears the emblem of that kingdom proudly on her chest. Do you think she would still be more inclined to support Robb than Arctic?"
"Thank you for explaining it to him, because it is simply obvious that Grandjon does not seem to understand," Arya mocked.
Jon did not interrupt, since his cousin seemed to want to vent.
Grandjon growled at Arya's words, but she continued:
"And tell me, Lord Umber, what did you gain from all of this? The North was conquered by the ironborn. You were betrayed. You became a hostage rotting in the Freys' dungeons. Your son, Smalljon, is a hostage of the Boltons in the North, just like many other northerners."
"That is what your crown brought to the North. You lost the army and left the North vulnerable. Tell me, was it worth it, Grandjon, to maintain your independence while the entire North became vulnerable?"
"You may not have had an easy ending as a hostage, and the North bled for it. You have no idea what the ironborn did to the North."
"But do not worry. Jon has already dealt with part of it and easily gained the sympathy of many in the kingdom, while they openly spit on Robb's name, cursing him. At this moment, a force has just entered the kingdom and the Boltons must already be trembling."
"Your own house under the command of Mors, your uncle, has already knelt to Arctic, just like the Mormonts and the Karstarks. The Manderlys, the Cerwyns, the Glovers, and the Reeds are also with Arctic. It will only be a matter of time before they join in crushing the Boltons."
"In the end, your independence and feeling of power lasted only a short while, while you destroyed the North. Tell me, was that not the result? Since the final outcome remains the same, the North will kneel to Arctic."
Arya did not stop speaking until she had poured out all her frustration, her words filled with anger. But she still gave one final remark to Grandjon.
"In the end, you only thought like southerners." Arya not only mocked Grandjon, but the other two as well.
The man only looked at her angrily.
"And you, Edmure Tully..." She did not even let Lord Umber speak before turning toward her uncle.
"I know you threatened the king of Arctic several times when I went beyond the Wall, just like many fools at that time. But I will say it again, just as I told everyone when I returned to the North: I was not kidnapped. I went of my own free will and I do not regret it. I would do it every possible time!"
"I learned who I am in the kingdom beyond the Wall, alongside those many of you called savages. And look at where we are now."
"You threatened my cousin several times, Edmure Tully, but now you tremble in his presence. I would like to see your courage before him, to take up a sword and challenge him as you did in the past." Arya declared that while challenging her uncle, with an expression of disappointment and secondhand embarrassment. After all, that was her uncle, while he trembled completely before her declaration.
"Arya, I think that despite your sincere words, I cannot allow you to place that responsibility upon these men. It is mine," Jon was the one who broke the silence, while asking Arya to sit down with a look.
"Forgive me, Your Majesty. I just needed to vent, even if my words were harsh... and improper." Arya sat down, although she made a small pout.
Jon smiled at her and turned his attention back to the others.
"Well, despite the harsh words of the princess of Arctic, they are also true. And I, as king, share many of her opinions. Now let us see how we can deal with you." Jon said this with a serious look toward the three of them.
He would be more than satisfied to mock their choices, especially the threats made against him in the past, particularly by Lady Stark's brother, who in the end became merely a fool incapable of pronouncing the old words of challenge.
Back then, Edmure accused Jon of taking Arya, and even before that, when Jon was just a boy who had recently left Winterfell. When he was still only a child traveling through the North with his group, Jon already possessed fame and affection among the northerners, hearing their stories, which ended up reflecting negatively on Lady Stark and even on Robb at that time.
Edmure himself, still a teenager at that moment, began speaking words against Jon, a powerless bastard, claiming there were only fanciful stories about him fighting bandits.
And now, after all these years, it was before this very same man whom Edmure Tully had despised several times, that the same man now cowered the most.
"Edmure Tully... do you still stand by your words from the past? Take an Arctican sword and face me in combat to the death." Jon spoke those words while testing the man under the pretext that he had been known as the greatest swordsman in the world for almost two years.
No one had managed to take that title from him.
He had faced the royal guards of Westeros, great knights from the Reach, Dorne, and had even mutilated the Mountain, Tywin's hound, and also defeated some of the most powerful warriors from across Essos, the Sword of Braavos, the Trap of Volantis, the conquest of Slaver's Bay, the samurai warriors of Yi-Ti and Mongols, even the greatest Khals of the Dothraki Sea. No one had ever defeated him in battle.
Jon had even faced mythical creatures and monsters in the North, being White Walkers and the Night King himself, having fought the creature in single combat to decide the outcome of the war.
Despite having used some potions to increase his physical strength and agility, he still defeated a being that no other man could face alone.
Edmure Tully could only tremble before the challenge, incapable of standing by his words from the past.
What else could he expect?
It was enough just to look at the king. He could see someone accustomed to killing, accustomed to war. To winning...
What could he possibly do against valyrian steel armor?
He was incapable of accepting that challenge, incapable of standing by his own words. Even if he lost with dignity, that no longer mattered.
Edmure could only think about his son. About surviving for the sake of his son in Roslin's womb.
His pride was worth nothing anymore.
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