——————
For Advance Chapters
Join My Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/gs9gosohard/membership
One Man to Rule them
——————
298 AC
Riverrun
Riverrun had never really been quiet castle. Its servants normally rummaged around doing tasks, cheers and laughters had echoed within its halls only weeks and days prior due to the northern victories on the southern campaign, but now it was silent.
A air of depression and anxiety had been lingering within the Stark encampments. Dissatisfaction and dissent every since Rickard Karstark's execution and Lady Stark's stupidity of freeing Jaime Lannister while king Robb was away. And now, Robb Stark was back staring silently into the hearth of the main hall of castle. Mind lost in thoughts and decisions.
He stared long and hard into the flowing flame as if searching for some answer that he sought.
His wife the now queen, Jeyne of house Westerling sat behind him at the main head table, conversing with Ser Brynden Tully, the king's granduncle.
Lord Jon umber and lady Maege sat quiet waiting for a comment from their young king who had gone all quiet. Galbart Glover too was sitting among them along with Lords Tallhart Cerwyn and Norrey.
Edmure stood nearest to the king, running off his mouth as he usually do, but none bothered to listen to the incompetent lord much less would Robb.
And now frowning due to being ignored with the perpetual confusion of a man who could not tell whether he was being reprimanded or congratulated.
Ser Brynden Blackfish paused his conversation with the Queen and turned his attention to his king, watching the man's back with his usual stoic silence, he had remained at a crossroads at this time, even he had stopped offering solutions to his grandnephew. A general was only as convincing as his victories, and Riverrun had not tasted victory in some time.
Catelyn Stark now free from her temporary detainment, watched her son with the same eyes she once used to watch Ned with whenever he worried. Concern and anxiety locked together, neither willing to yield. Yet since recently she had learned to hold her tongue more, ever since her lapse of releasing Jaime Lannister.
"It isn't up for debate uncle", Robb finally spoke or whispered in this case.
And those at the table had heard the words.
"We need to make amends with Lord Frey and this is perhaps the only way. I have more battles to fight and without access to the twins, the much needed supplies that lord bolton provides us with would see itself stalled from ever reaching our camps, if it even ever reaches pass the twins. Your pride at this point in time matters little Ser Edmure we have a war to win and we have been losing soldiers and allies we don't have time for hesitancy". Robb dictated.
"Well Lord Bolton hasn't been making any strategic gains beyond Harrenhal so far, and he'd made us lose another 3000 men in a pitch to capture Duskendale and look how that turned out!?" Lord Tallhat comments as his kin had participated in said battle and had to retreat due to their forces being overwhelmed by the westerlands and reach forces led by Lord Randall Tarly.
"It was a strategic target, if we had captured Duskendale then the burden of traversing through lord Frey's accursed crossing could be abated. Lord Bolton and Lord Manderly's ships could resupply us with more resources and new levies by sea which would be faster ." Maege defends Lord Bolton's plan.
In truth that was what Domeric wanted them to believe, but Duskendale was too far away from their allied domains and too close to Kings landing to be ever considered a resupply point.
The Lannister forces would never accept that proximity to their capital and their forces.
And none of them knew that Lord Domeric Bolton had been secretly exchanging letters with Tywin Lannister to weaken King Robb's position for his eventual defeat where he would be appointed warden of the north.
And so the battle that they thought was a battle that happened at Duskendale was in actually a trap to send more of stark infantry forces to their deaths while the bolton lord kept his own forces holed up at Harrenhal safe and secured while sending out sell swords on dangerous missions.
"And Lord Bolton at this time is awaiting orders just as we are. We are at a standstill and it does not bode well for us. The Lannisters and reach forces have joined hands , and now more than ever our positions and your rule as king is beyond threat." Says Lord Cerwyn
"And that is why you're here upon this council Lord Cerwyn for advise not to levy complaints upon my person", Robb regarded him snidely.
The man said nothing merely bowing his head in compliance.
"Our forces are cut down. Between Lord Bolton's three thousand men holed up at Harrenhal , and we have just over several thousand remaining soldiers and that number would continue to see a decline, the men are exhausted and others as we've seen are not …. confident in your leadership anymore your grace", Lord Glover mentions carefully.
The unspoken word of desertion was another threat that faced them more than a Lannister Tyrell army.
Many of the northern forces had become disillusioned with Robbs rule and his policies.
"The only way I can see us going about leaving with our gains is to ….. ofcourse marry Ser Edmure here to the frey girl first and foremost and we'd have an ally instead of an enemy at that strategic point of the green fork, but all in all, we'd have to retreat. Retreat and fortify the river lands as apart of your kingdom officially." Lord Umber spoke his own two cents.
"And what would you have me do about my sister that is still being harassed and being held captive in kingslanding?" Robb questioned looking rather annoyed.
"Well we could've negotiated your sister with the exchange of Ser Jaime and perhaps find some way of retaining our autonomy for some time but that was never to be ", he said glancing at Catelyn who wasn't unaware of his implications in casting blame at her.
"My mother did what she did out of emotion and not thought, it saddens and hurts me and you all that she had done this without my consent, but we cant linger on this past failure. We need to find some way to regain ground and come out of this standing without further losses" The king says as he looked at his queen who had remained silent…..
——————
For Advance Chapters
Join My Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/gs9gosohard/membership
One Man to Rule them
——————