Inside the command tent, the king's warm blood was still slowly drying on the back of Roose's hand.
The northern lords had become like a wolf pack that had lost its alpha.
They shouted and raged in grief and terror.
The scene was utter chaos. Yet at the center of that chaos, Roose remained unnaturally calm.
'Dead... Stark is dead just like that.'
Though his plans had been disrupted, this was also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Galon...
Sansa...
He silently repeated those two names in his mind, his expression dark and unreadable.
Roose had never imagined that, before dying, Robb would name Sansa Stark as his heir and entrust command of the army to Galon Glover.
Especially Galon.
The name was like a poisoned thorn lodged deep in his mind.
Robb's dying command had elevated a man even more troublesome than the Young Wolf himself to the pinnacle of northern power.
'No.'
'I absolutely cannot allow Galon to leave the Riverlands alive.'
As his thoughts raced, Roose had already begun devising a plan to kill Galon in the Riverlands.
'I need to notify old Walder immediately.'
'And as for Sansa... Ramsay will handle that. Winterfell must be brought under control.'
'But before Galon arrives, I need to secure control of the army.'
With that thought, Roose slowly released the king's hand and rose to his feet.
He surveyed the lords around him, men overwhelmed by grief and uncertainty.
"My lords, be silent."
His voice was not loud.
Yet it cut through the uproar like a Valyrian steel blade.
"King Stark is dead."
His emotionless tone skillfully stirred the feelings of everyone present.
"But the war continues.
Stannis murdered our king through sorcery. What we should be doing now is not weeping like women.
We should be taking up our swords and avenging our king."
Those words immediately awakened the northern lords from their grief-stricken haze.
"Kill Stannis!"
Greatjon Umber wiped away his tears and roared.
"Avenge the king!"
"Revenge!"
The command tent erupted with furious cries.
Only after the shouting finally subsided did Roose speak again. "Revenge is necessary. But how do we achieve it?"
His gaze swept across the room.
He subtly nodded toward several lords friendly to House Bolton.
"His Grace entrusted command of the army to Lord Glover. But Lord Glover is still on the road.
Can he somehow appear here instantly?"
The assembled lords exchanged uncertain glances. None could tell what Roose was planning.
"If nothing unexpected happens, Stannis will soon launch an attack. He may even use Rickon Stark as leverage against us.
We do not have time.
We must select a temporary commander immediately."
"Do we really need a vote?" Lord Blackwood spoke first. "King Stark is dead. Lord Edmure now holds the highest rank among us. Naturally, he should command."
But Lord Bracken immediately countered. "And does that mean Lord Edmure should crown himself king as well?"
The question startled Edmure out of his grief.
He hurriedly waved his hands. He had absolutely no desire to become king.
Then Lord Karstark spoke.
"The northern army should be led by a northern lord.
Since Lord Glover has yet to arrive, Lord Bolton should command in the meantime.
He has already been leading the northern infantry against Tywin."
Several northern nobles immediately voiced their agreement.
"That's true."
"At the moment, Lord Bolton is the most suitable choice."
"I agree."
Roose did not hesitate.
"Very well. If that is the will of the lords, I shall temporarily act in Lord Glover's place."
He turned toward Edmure Tully, whose mind was still reeling from Robb's death.
His tone softened considerably.
"Lord Edmure. The king is dead.
The Riverlands also require someone to steady them. I propose that the army remain on full alert throughout the night.
I'll dispatch scouts and establish defensive patrols. You and I can command together."
Edmure was completely overwhelmed.
His eyes remained fixed on Robb's body.
His heart was filled with grief. He could barely begin to imagine how he would explain this to his sister.
Hearing Roose's proposal, he merely nodded mechanically.
His thoughts were elsewhere.
"Tonight, everyone remains ready for battle. I'll send scouts toward Saltpans and the crossing..."
Seeing Edmure's condition, Roose quietly stepped past him and began issuing orders himself.
In less than thirty minutes after Robb's death, Roose had effectively seized temporary command of both the northern and Riverlands armies without shedding a single drop of blood.
Soon, the northern and Riverlands lords dispersed to organize their men and carry out his commands.
Once everything had been arranged, Roose secretly summoned Black Walder.
"The situation has changed," he said without preamble. "We cannot allow Galon Glover to peacefully assume command."
Black Walder did not ask why.
Instead, he asked directly, "What do you intend to do?"
"The plan must be moved forward."
"And altered."
Roose lowered his voice and revealed the scheme he had already formulated.
"Glover is too intelligent... And too dangerous. We may not be able to defeat him openly.
So we'll kill him with a trap he cannot refuse."
Murderous intent flickered plainly in his pale eyes.
"We'll use Edmure's wedding as bait.
The king is dead. The Tullys need a wedding now more than ever to hold the Riverlands together.
We'll invite Glover to attend. And once he enters the Twins..."
Black Walder immediately understood. "Then his life and death will be entirely in our hands."
A sinister chuckle escaped him.
"Excellent."
"I'll send word to my great-grandfather immediately. He'll begin making preparations."
Roose nodded.
"But before that, we still have another problem."
Meeting Black Walder's questioning gaze, he explained.
"Glover has many allies.
And he carries the king's final command. Many northern lords will support him. Especially Stark's most loyal followers.
We need to eliminate them before returning to the Twins."
He paused briefly.
Then continued before Black Walder could respond.
"I'll contact Kevan. I'll have him attack us.
At that point, I'll withdraw my own forces and any northern lords I can persuade, claiming it is necessary to preserve our strength.
As for Stark's loyalists..."
A cold smile appeared on his lips.
"We'll leave them behind. They can earn glory by dying while holding back the Lannisters in the king's name."
Black Walder felt a chill run down his spine.
It was a ruthless scheme that achieved several objectives at once. It weakened the Stark faction while providing the perfect excuse for retreat.
He studied Roose's emotionless face before asking another question. "What about the wolf cub Stannis is holding?"
Roose had already considered that as well.
"Stannis will try to use him to command the North."
A cruel gleam appeared in his eyes.
"His forces are too weak to fight us directly.bHe'll try to take control of the northern army peacefully through Rickon."
Roose nodded thoughtfully.
"Most likely tomorrow."
He fixed Black Walder with a serious stare.
"When that happens, I'll create a disturbance. And you will have someone kill the boy amid the confusion.
As soon as the cub is dead, I'll launch an attack on Stannis.
With Stannis's head in our hands, King's Landing's rewards will only grow larger."
Black Walder's eyes lit up with greed and excitement.
He nodded vigorously.
"Understood."
"I'll make preparations immediately."
Seeing that Roose had nothing more to add, he departed at once.
After Black Walder left, Roose returned to the table and wrote a secret letter. Then he summoned one of his trusted men.
"Ride to Harrenhal."
"Deliver this letter to Lord Kevan Lannister."
The man nodded and left the camp disguised as a scout.
Roose remained standing for a long while, deep in thought. Eventually he sat down once more and wrote a second letter.
The message contained only a single sentence:
[The king is dead. Go to Winterfell immediately and secure the Starks.]
He rolled up the letter and left the tent.
Making his way to the area where the camp's ravens were kept, he waited until no one was watching.
Then he tied the message to a raven's leg and released it.
The bird took flight, winging northward into the darkening sky.
Roose watched it disappear into the distance. A rare flicker of emotion crossed his face.
'Ramsay...'
'Do not disappoint me again.'
__________
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