Chapter—16
Previously:— I was missing for more than a year. The story was at the point where Ironborn were smashed and Alaric's minion Alyn was advocating Versailles-style punishment on Ironborn.
"Are you not easy to bully?" The King asked, raising his Warhammer above his shoulder and taking a whiff of wine from the wine jug in his hand.
Representatives from the Westerlands and the Reach also agreed with Alyn's strict measures on ironborn.
The representative from the Casterly Rock directly opened the lion's regarding the war indemnity be increased to four million gold dragons. In his view, the more coins ironborn are forced to spit out, the better. Who told these lunatics to burn Lannister's fleet at lannisport?
He raised his eyebrows at Alyn and Balon, gazing into their bare soul with his gaze, then at the other people present. Others can only look up to him in expectations.
He just wanted to be done with this shit, now things have become too complex and muddy. Everyone wants to impose sort of punishment upon the Ironborn. If they were dragon spawns, he doesn't mind building another island of their skulls. The problem is they aren't dragon spawns.
Since they had surrendered, he would follow the traditions of the seven kingdoms.
He would kill his enemies in war, but when they kneel down in defeat and surrender. He would raise them up in embrace.
If Alaric knew his inner intentions, he would sneer and say,
"your traditions and chivalry would rest in hell as your wife makes you kings of cucks."
As if on Steriods of shamelessness and ignorance, Alyn listed one more request.
"Your Grace, I suggest Theon Greyjoy be dispatched to either Seaguard or Dragonstone."
Then King rubbed his temple in annoyance, and Lord Balon scowled in the corner.
However, this time, Balon kept his mouth shut. But his eyes spoke all the defiance and hatred he wanted to express. One Northerner wants his and his entire family's heads loped off. The other one wants to extort them till they hit the streets in a birthday suit, and the last one, he wants to take his only living son away from him.
"Goddammit! So much stuff to do," the King grabbed a chicken from the plate on his side table and yawned"
Now that the job of fighting, and killing was done, he really was not interested in the aftermath.
After some time, he sat straight on his chair and gazed at liegeman and lords. Finally gave his ruling on Ironscum.
1— Ironfleet will be disbanded and ship's broken and sunk.
2—Ironborn will pay one million gold dragons in war indemnity to the Iron throne.
3—Balon Greyjoy, as Lord of the Iron island, can't keep more than thirty ships, while other lords in the Iron islands can't keep more than ten ships.
4—Theon Greyjoy will follow Warden of the North Eddard Stark to the North as his ward as agreed between the King and Lord Stark before the battle.
There was no need to say more on the topic.
When Alaric heard the outcome and Theon's decided journey to the North as a ward, he could only sigh and say to Alyn. "No matter how a man schemes, the destiny will still find ways to slap him."
Alyn, on the opposite could see no expression on the little Lord's face. He had long been conquered by this little Lord. compared to the little lord, when he was a kid, he was pissing around, throwing snot wherever he could.
He could only console himself by saying unusual people are unusual from childhood.
..............
With everything settled, there was no need for the King, the lords and their armies to Remain at the Pyke. Soon after the departure of the King. One army after another made their departure from Pyke.
In two days, Most important figures had already made their way towards Lannisport.
First thing King did after landing at Lannisport was to announce a tourney to be held at Lannisport.
For Alaric, tourneys are boring endavour not worth the times, especially after knowing the outcome of the tourney.
Jorah Mormont would win the tourney and officialy get married to Lynesse Hightower, a step up on the path of crime and bankruptcy.
He is not going to stop it. Even if he wants to, he can't stop it.
Let the dice roll and see how things unfold.
He still instructed Alyn to pay attention to the tourney and recruit as many warriors he could, especailly warriors who are really deperate.
Only desperate men would agree to go North with them.
....
There was no suspense Jorah won the tourney and tied the knot with future financial ruin.
After spending three months away from the North, it was time for them to go back the North. A pity he didn't get to see the majestic city of King's landing.
It was another month of boring journey back to the North.
......
Over the course of Four months, his castle of Winterhold to the west of King's road, where white knife meets long lake, backed by hills to the North on both sides of the river, is still under construction. Still a massive construction site as it was four months ago.
Compared to four months ago, There is more mechanical equipment. Assisting in the construction of the castle, making it easier for workers.
Things like a treadwheel cranes, roman style elevators, pulleys and wheelbarrows to transport materials. As brick kilns push out brick after brick, and newly built cement factory has already started producing roman-era cement.
Steel production is now fixed at ten tons per day, unless Alaric has more modern technology.
In fact, the grim science fanatic maester is already working on the Bessemer process.
Alaric has one word for Qyburn, "Excellent."
By Qyburn's estimate the castle would be complete by next year.
This castle is a hybrid of Malbork castle, and Constantinople castle, with a mix of german WW2 inspired flak towers at strategic locations.
Even Ned Stark was marvelled and excited when he saw the site of construction. He would go bald with worry and bankrupt with expenses if he had more kids like him
Author's note— I am back.
I don't want to describe things like how that was made and how that could be made. As a reader, I found it boring when writers would go on and on describing too much technology.