Chapter 8: A Time For Alliances

Jon

Riverrun was warmer than Winterfell, even in autumn. That was something Jon had quickly become aware of during their current month and a half stay in his mother's ancestral home. Whilst in some instances that was better for the army i.e. in terms of them needing to use less wood for fuel and such, in other terms it made Jon yearn for the simplicity of life in Winterfell all the more, where he didn't have to wear a bloody crown on his head or hear people call him Your Grace all the time or even have a white shadow, (shadows he supposed now that Ser Perwyn had been given the white cloak by Ser Barristan.) It was not that he did not truly wish to give up the crown not now at least, it was just that sometimes he found the pressure and expectations that surrounded him to be crippling and he often found himself wondering what Lord Eddard would have done in his place, for though he had spoken to Ser Barristan about his real father he still did not truly consider himself a Targaryen, which of course made it harder for him to truly believe that the thoughts that he had had about Sansa almost since the day they had marched for war were entirely brotherly.

Of course now that he had called a meeting in the Lord's Solar in Riverrun for himself, Robb, Lady Catelyn (the woman he would always consider his mother no matter whose womb he had come from), Ser Barristan, the Blackfish and of course Lord Edmure himself, Jon had very little time to truly worry about anything else, he had important news to share. As he watched Lord Edmure enter the solar that would one day be his, Jon couldn't help but think at the startling likeness between Robb and his uncle it was if he were looking at Robb during two different time stages in his life and when the blackfish entered the room that feeling was intensified threefold, it made him feel rather like laughing, though he did suspect that were he to laugh all three might question his sanity given the nature of the conflict they were currently engaged in.

Ser Barristan sat to Jon's left as Robb sat to Jon's right, Lady Catelyn sat to the right of Robb, whilst Lord Edmure sat to her right and the blackfish sat to his right. When they were all seated Jon began "My lords and lady, thank you for coming. I have called this small meeting today to inform you that I have received news from the Vale." He paused waiting to see what their reactions would be.

It was Catelyn who asked the first question "Has my sister finally come to her senses then and decided to call her banners?"

Jon took a deep breath before saying "Unfortunately not my lady. The letter I received came from Runestone, not the Eyrie. It would appear Lord Royce and some other prominent Vale Lords are quite fed up with staying out of this war and wish to join it. Lord Royce wrote me saying that he is marching down from the Bloody Gate with 20,000 men that will be placed under our disposal to do with as we see fit. I was rather hoping that we could have the full strength of the Vale to help crush the Lannisters but alas I suppose it is not to be."

Robb turned to his mother and asked her "Why isn't Aunt Lysa calling her banners mother? Why is she allowing Lord Royce to do her work for her?"

Lady Catelyn gave a deep sigh and then said "Lysa has always been the type of person who would do something wrong and then run away from having to confess to doing it. Equally so when she felt she was in trouble be it from her own actions or those of others she hid and would not come out until she felt it was safe to do so. Now is one such instance. She is scared. Scared for herself and for her son."

The Blackfish nodded and said "You can expect these 20,000 men that Yohn has mustered to be the most help that the Vale will give us lads. Anyway what do you plan to do with these new men Your Grace?"

Jon looked at Robb who nodded and then said "Well I have talked through with Robb and Ser Barristan and have decided that it would be best if myself, Robb, Ser Barristan and the rest of the northern host rode west to deal with the host of men that Ser Stafford is gathering there and then move on to raid the Westerlands and potentially take Casterly Rock. As you know I have already sent Lord Mallister to Pyke to treat with Balon Greyjoy, but have yet to hear from him. Lord Edmure I want you to write to Lord Bolton and tell him to bring his host south from the Twins. When Tywin Lannister learns that Casterly Rock is under threat of falling he shall wish to march west. He will more than likely divide the command over the main bulk of his host to different people, you are not to allow those divisions to cross Lord Edmure, you are to write to Lord Bolton and tell him to bring men down from the Twins to strike at the middle of the Lannister host, by which point Lord Royce's men will be here I will write to them and tell them to take Harrenhal and hold it. You are to allow the division commanded by Lord Tywin to pass through to the Westerlands, where we shall be waiting for them. Is that understood?"

"Yes Your Grace." Lord Edmure replied.

"Good," said Jon. "Now then seeing as Lord Renly as crowned himself and has wed the Tyrell girl and Lord Stannis has not answered the raven I sent him, I need someone to go and treat with Renly and convince him that bending the knee to me is the best he can hope for. Aunt Catelyn I know that Arya has just been returned to us and you would rather spend your time with her, but you are the only person I fully trust to carry out such a negotiation with Renly. I need Robb with me in the Westerlands, just as I need Lord Edmure and Ser Brynden to hold the Riverlands. Arya would be safe here in Riverrun and you yourself would be escorted by twenty of my best men including Ser Perwyn. What do you say?"

Jon could tell his aunt was not best pleased with what he had suggested but he could almost hear her reciting the words of House Tully to herself in her head 'Family, Duty, Honour' which one of those would she use to explain his move to herself he wondered.

"I will go Your Grace, though when I return I shall wish to return to Winterfell. It has been too long since I saw Bran and Rickon." Catelyn said.

Jon smiled "Of course my lady."

After that Jon allowed Lord Edmure and Ser Brynden to leave the solar to go and make the appropriate preparations for having to deal with the Lannisters. Jon asked Robb and Catelyn to stay.

Whilst he thought of the most appropriate way to broach the topic of what his heart desired he watched Ghost and Greywind playfully nip at the black dragon that he now found himself the owner of, the dragon which he had named Serrax, had grown frightfully quickly was now the size of a small dog, and Maester Vyman had told him that he would continue to grow until his dying day.

Eventually Robb cleared his throat and asked Jon "You asked me and my mother to stay Your Grace. What is it you wished to talk about that could not be talked about in front of my uncles?"

Jon shifted uncomfortably before saying "I know that you are betrothed to one of Lord Frey's daughters Robb, as Arya is betrothed to one of his sons, though she does not like it." He smiled wryly, before continuing "The thing is I have not been approached by Ser Stevron nor have I received any letter from Lord Walder asking if I would consider betrothing myself to one of his daughters also, I am beginning to wonder why that is."

Robb gave a shrug, but Catelyn replied "It's because he's waiting and watching to see who emerges victorious. With there being so many kings in the land, I can assure you Lord Walder's caution sensors will be in overdrive. More than likely he will wait until you are sat on the Iron Throne or Tywin Lannister is dead or captured before he proposes another marriage. Therefore if there is someone else you wish to marry Jon, you had best do it now." She gave him a pointed look then and Jon felt his cheeks heat up, Lady Catelyn he had suspected had always known about his feelings for Sansa, but she had never said anything up until now.

Coughing so as to clear his throat he spoke "Well then that makes matter a whole lot simpler. Robb, I know that we grew up as close as brothers though in fact we are cousins. But I would like to make it so that we were actually brothers. What I'm trying to say is that if you would consent I would like ask Sansa for her hand in marriage."

Robb was silent for what seemed like an age and for a moment Jon feared that he would outright reject Jon's proposal, then he broke out into a big grin and said "Of course I do you big idiot Jon. There's no one I'd rather Sansa marry and I'm sure she'll tell you that herself once we get her back."

Jon smiled then and embraced Robb and Lady Catelyn and silently swore to himself that he would do whatever it took to get Sansa back, no matter the cost.

Tyrion

Tyrion stood in front of his sister and said the words he had been waiting to say from the moment he had read them in a letter. "Stannis has sailed from Dragonstone."

Cersei bolted to her feet "And you sit there grinning like a harvest day pumpkin? Has Bywater called out the City Watch? We must send a bird to Harrenhal at once." He was laughing by then. She seized him by the shoulders and shook him "Stop it. Are you made or drunk? Stop it!"

It was all he could do to get the words out. "I can't," he gasped "It's too ...gods, too funny... Stannis..."

"What?"

"He hasn't sailed against us," Tyrion managed. "He's laid siege to Storm's End. Renly is riding to meet him."

His sister's nails dug painfully into his arms. For a moment she stared incredulous, as if he had begun to gibber in an unknown tongue. "Stannis and Renly are fighting each other?" When he nodded, Cersei began to chuckle. "Gods be good," she gasped, "I'm starting to believe Robert was the clever one."

Tyrion threw back his head and roared. They laughed together. Cersei pulled him off the bed and whirled him around and even hugged him, for a moment as giddy as a girl. By the time she let go of him, Tyrion was breathless and dizzy. He staggered to her sideboard and put out a hand to steady himself.

"Do you think it will truly come to battle between them? If they should come to some accord-"

"They won't," Tyrion said "They are too different and yet too much alike, and neither could ever stomach the other."

"And Stannis has always felt he was cheated out of Storm's End," Cersei said thoughtfully. "The ancestral seat of House Baratheon, his by rights...if you knew how many times he came to Robert singing the same dull song in that gloomy aggrieved tone he has. When Robert gave the place to Renly he clenched his jaw so tight I thought his teeth would shatter."

"He took it as a slight."

"It was meant as a slight!"

"Shall we raise a cup to brotherly love?"

"Yes," she answered breathlessly. "Oh gods yes."

His back was to her as he filled two cups with sweet Arbor red. It was the easiest thing in the world to sprinkle a pinch of fine powder into hers. "To Stannis!" He said as he handed her the wine.

"To Renly!" she replied laughing. "May they battle long and hard , and the others take them both!"

Is this the Cersei that Jaime sees? When she smiled you saw how beautiful she truly was. I loved a maid as fair as summer with sunlight in her hair. He almost felt sorry for poisoning her.

The next morning when he broke his fast and the messenger brought news that the Queen Regent was indisposed due to an upset stomach and made the appropriate sympathetic noises and sent word to Cersei to rest easy, he would treat with Ser Cleos as they'd planned.

As he sat on the Iron Throne he looked down on all the people gathered in the throne room and found he liked it. "Call forth Ser Cleos Frey." His voice rang of the stone walls and down the length of the hall. He liked that too. A pity Shae could not be here to see this, he reflected. She'd asked to come but it was impossible.

Ser Cleos made the long walk between the gold cloaks and the crimson, looking neither right nor left. As he knelt, Tyrion observed that his cousin was losing his hair.

"Ser Cleos," Littlefinger said from the council table, "you have our thanks for bringing us this piece offer from Lord Targaryen."

Grand Maester Pycelle cleared this throat. "The Queen Regent, the King's Hand and the small council have considered the terms offered by this self styled usurper. Sad to say they will not do and you must tell him so ser."

"Here are our terms," said Tyrion. "Jon Targaryen must lay down his sword and come to King's Landing to face trial. Robb Stark and the northmen and the riverlords must come to King's Landing to swear fealty to the Iron Throne and the return to their respective holdfasts. They must release my brother unharmed and place his host under my brother's command to March against the rebels Renly and Stannis Baratheon. Each of Targaryen's bannermen must send us a son as a hostage. A daughter will suffice where there is no son. They shall be treated gently and given high places here at court, so long as their fathers commit no new treasons."

Cleos Frey looked ill. "My Lord Hand," he said "Lord Targaryen will never consent to these terms."

We never expected he would, Cleos. "Tell him that we have raised a great host at Casterly Rock, that soon it will march on him from the west while my father advances from the east. Tell him that he stands alone, without a hope of allies. Stannis and Renly Baratheon war against each other and the Prince of Dorne has consented to wed his son Trystane to the Princess Myrcella." Murmurs of delight and consternation alike arose from the gallery and the back of the hall and out of the corner of his eye Tyrion saw Varys leaning over to the side to hear as a messenger whispered something in his ear. "As to this of my cousins," Tyrion went on "we offer Harrion Karstark and Ser Wylis Manderly for Willem Lannister and Lord Cerwyn and Ser Donnel Locke for your brother Tion. Tell Lord Targaryen that two Lannisters are worth four northmen in any season." He waited for the laughter to die. "His uncle's bones he shall have as well as Ice being returned to his cousin as a sign of good faith from King Joffrey."

"Lord Targaryen asked for his cousins as well." Ser Cleos reminded him.

Tyrion glanced toward Sansa and felt a stab of pity as he said "Until such time as he frees my brother Jaime, unharmed they shall remain here as hostages. How well they are treated depends on him." And if the gods are good, Bywater will find Arya alive before Jon learns she's gone missing.

"I shall bring him your message my Lord."

Tyrion plucked at one of the twisted blades that sprung from arm of the throne. And now the thrust. "Vylarr." He called

"My lord."

"The men Targaryen sent should be sufficient to protect Lord Eddard's bones, but a Lannister should have a Lannister escort," Tyrion declared. "Ser Cleos is the queen's cousin and mine. We shall sleep more easily if you would see him safely back to Riverrun."

"As you command. How many men shall I take?"

"Why, all of them."

Vylarr stood like a man made of stone. It was Grand Maester Pycelle who rose, gasping "My Lord Hand, that cannot... your father, Lord Tywin himself, he sent these good men to our city to protect Queen Cersei and her children..."

"The Kingsguard and the City watch protect them well enough. The gods speed you on your way Vylarr."

Later, once court was done Tyrion walked with Varys back to the Tower of the Hand and asked him about the messenger and what tiding he had brought.

Varys looked around and then whispered to Tyrion "Dire news my Lord."

"Oh much dire could news get?" Tyrion wondered.

"Very much so. Jon Targaryen has been joined by Ser Barristan Selmy, who also brought him his sister the Lady Arya back."

Tyrion was agape with shock "How, how is that possible? When the gold cloaks and red cloaks have been unable to find her that Ser Barristan found her?!"

Varys tittered "Perhaps there is a traitor amongst the ranks my Lord. Who knows? But that is not the only news the messenger brought. It seems some of the Lords of the Vale have had enough of their Lady's neutrality. Lord Royce of Runestone has called 20,000 men to arms and has marched from the Bloody Gate to help the usurper Jon Targaryen."

Tyrion felt his heart sink. "Is there any way we can prevent them from fighting for him and get them to fight for us?"

Varys sighed "There has been no solution that I can think of my lord. Besides the Valemen do not regard House Lannister with much fondness, especially after that little episode where you were accused with Lord Jon Arryn's murder."

"Which I had nothing to do with!" Tyrion protested.

Varys merely shrugged and said "I do not doubt you my lord, but before I leave you, you might wish to take it into consideration that Littlefinger grew up alongside Lady Lysa, perhaps he could be used to bring the Vale to heel, or perhaps he is the one is responsible for this mess."

With that Varys walked away and left Tyrion with dark thoughts.

Jon Connington

Aegon was deeply unwell. He had caught the blue fever whilst they had been sailing across the little Rhoyne and was now in the last stages of his young life. Jon could not help but feel like he had failed.

He had failed the father by not crushing Robert's forces at the Battle of the Bells, and so his silver prince had been cut down at the Trident. He had been younger then with foolish ideas of chivalry and glory in his head and it had cost them so many lives, he was haunted still by the tolling of the bells that rung in the Stoney Sept that day.

And now he had failed the son. Aegon had gone for a swim when they had been docked in a nice patch of water, but he had gone unaccompanied and had come back running a fever which Haldon had later said was the blue fever and of course no one had ever recovered from the blue fever. Jon had spent the past three weeks that Aegon had been bed ridden cursing himself and his stupidity, he was supposed to have been older and wiser than he had been at the Stoney Sept, he should have known that letting Aegon go anywhere unaccompanied was a bad idea. They had had to rush back to Pentos three weeks ago back to the cheesemonger's house to have Aegon treated properly, but Aegon's condition had gotten so much worse. Jon knew that despite his best efforts to pretend otherwise the boy was going to die and it was his entire fault. He had failed the son just as he had failed the father.

He turned round when he heard the door open, and found fehe looking at Septa Lemore, in another life they had both been friends with the prince and princess, had run in the same circles as the popular nobles, had both had bright and promising futures. But then life had come in and intervened through that blasted tourney and the Stark girl, and turned their lives upside down and now here they were on the other side of the world waiting for the news that would leave them with no cause nor purpose once more.

He dreaded the answer to the question that he was about to ask but he needed to know. "How is he?"

Septa Lemore's facade broke and she was Ashara Dayne once more, the lady who had enchanted and captured so many young men's hearts, but had her heart captured by the stark girl's eldest brother, and had borne him a stillborn girl after all. She spoke in a shaky voice as tears ran down her face "It's over Jon. He closed his eyes and his breathing has stopped its over."

Even though that was what he had expected Jon still felt his world shatter, just as it had when he had learnt of Rhaegar's death on the Trident. He turned round and faced the city and tried to hide the tears that were trying to fall down his face. He did not hear the cheesemonger enter the balcony but he did hear what he said "All is not lost my friends. Prince Rhaegar did have one more son after all."

Catelyn

"My lady," Hall Mollen called. Two riders had emerged from the tidy little camp beneath the castle, and were coming toward them at a slow walk. "That will be Lord Stannis."

"No doubt." Catelyn watched them come. Stannis it must be, yet that is not the Baratheon Banner. It was bright yellow, not the rich gold of Renly's standards and the device it bore was red, though she could not make out its shape.

Renly would be the last to arrive. He had told her as much when she set out. He did not propose to mount his horse until he saw his brother well on his way. The first to arrive must wait on the other, and Renly would do not waiting. It is a sort of game kings play, she told herself. Nor is Renly a true king, though so why he played it she knew not, perhaps it was the Tyrell's influence.

As he neared she saw that Stannis wore a crown of red and gold with points fashioned in the shape of flames. His belt was studded with garnets and yellow topaz, and a great square cut ruby was set in the hilt of the sword he wore. Otherwise his dress was plain: studded leather jerkin over the quilted doublet, worn boots, breeches of brown roughspun. The device on his sun yellow banner showed a red heart surrounded by a blaze of orange fire. The crowned stag was there, yes... shrunken and enclosed within the heart. Even more curious was his standard bearer- a woman, garbed all in reds, face shadowed within the deep hood of her scarlet cloak. A red priestess, Catelyn thought wondering. The sect was numerous and powerful in the Free Cities and the distant east, but there were few in the seven kingdoms.

"Lady Stark." Stannis Baratheon said with chill courtesy as he reined up.

"Lord Stannis," she returned.

"I had not thought to find you at Storm's End."

"I had not thought to be here."

He regarded her uncomfortably, "I am sorry for your lord's death, though Eddard Stark was never a friend to me."

"He was never your enemy, my lord. When the Lords Tyrell and Redwyne held you prisoner in that castle starving it was Eddard Stark who broke that siege."

"At my brother's command, not for love of me," Stannis answered.

Catelyn was beginning to tire of Stannis's words and so asked him "Why are you here my lord? Why have you not replied to my nephew's raven? Why are you fighting your brother and not helping rid the land of the Lannisters once and for all?"

Before Stannis could answer his standard bearer said "Because King Stannis is the rightful king of the seven kingdoms. He is the Lord's chosen one, and your nephew is but a boy and an usurper besides."

Catelyn saw Stannis bristle at the woman's words and suspected that it was more at her urging that he was here, she tried to seize on that by saying "My lord, you are known to be an honourable and dutiful man. This is not like you. If you and your brother could put aside your quarrel and recognise my nephew as the rightful king of the seven kingdoms as heir to Rhaegar Targaryen, then we could combine our forces together to rid ourselves of the Lannisters."

Stannis looked uncomfortable but once again before he could answer the red woman spoke "How do we know that your nephew is who he claims to be? The word of Eddard Stark a traitor who said those words with a sword over his head. The word of a man who kept this secret of his from his best friend for nigh on fourteen years? How are we to believe that this is the truth?"

Before Catelyn could reply, Lord Dustin who had been sent as part of her escort spoke up and said "Because I was there the day Lord Eddard rode to the Tower of Joy to get his sister. I fought alongside him as we battled three of the finest Kingsguard to have ever lived. I was there when Lord Eddard came out of the Tower holding his nephew his grace King Jon, I was there when he told us the truth of what had happened between his sister and Prince Rhaegar how they ran away together and how they married in sight of the old gods. That my lady is your proof."

Stannis looked increasingly uncomfortable, and seemed to be itching to say something but before he could Renly rode up and began to mock Stannis, his red lady and his sigil. The icing on the cake was when he said to Stannis as part of his terms "I propose that you dismount, bend your knee and swear me allegiance."

Stannis choked back rage. "That you shall never have."

"You served Robert, why not me?"

"Robert was my elder brother. You are the younger."

"Younger, bolder and far more comely..."

"...and a thief and a usurper besides."

"The Targaryens called Robert usurper. He seemed able to bear the shame. So shall I."

Catelyn had had enough. "Enough of this senseless bickering. You have both heard the truth of my nephew his grace King Jon's parentage from myself and from Lord Dustin. You are both usurpers if you try to continue to pursue a claim to the throne. Would it not be better for us to join together and crush the Lannisters and then march on King's Landing?"

Both men were silent for a moment before Stannis looked at Renly and said "You have till dawn to reconsider your position. If you do not bend, we shall come to war and I shall destroy you." He turned his horse round and galloped back to his tent.

The red woman looked at them all before looking at Renly and saying "Look to your sins Lord Renly." Before she too rode on.

Renly's camp after the meeting was one of suspense and anticipation as all the men prepared for the upcoming battle. Lord Tarly urged Renly to attack at night to route Stannis and take him by surprise, throughout all the urgings of his lords Renly merely smiled and nodded and said not a word in agreement. Catelyn could not help but feel that something was terribly amiss here, the men were too happy for the battle. Stannis was no green boy and that red lady had had a strange aura around her that reeked of magic.

Her suspicions it seemed were confirmed when after coming back from her prayers at a sept in the nearby village she went to speak with Renly and whilst exchanging words with him, when she saw what she thought looked like a thin outline of Stannis's shadow enter the tent and move toward Renly but before she could say anything, Renly had fallen to the floor gasping for air with blood pouring out of his throat.

Ser Robar Royce and Ser Emmon Cuy entered the tent at Brienne's cries and looked at their King's lifeless body then at Brienne covered in Renly's blood and drew their swords Ser Emmon advanced on Brienne and was ruthlessly cut to pieces by Brienne, Ser Robar looked at her hesitatingly then when Catelyn swore on her honour as a Stark that Brienne had not killed Renly he promised to hold off the others.

Catelyn had to drag Brienne towards were her men were.

Ser Wendel Manderly was all in a lather to know what had happened "My lady the camp has gone mad." He blurted out "Lord Renly is he-" he stopped suddenly staring at Brienne and the blood that drenched her.

"Dead but not by our hands."

"The battle-" Hal Mollen began.

"There will be no battle." Catelyn mounted and her escort formed up about her, with Ser Wendel to her left and Ser Perwyn in the white of the Kingsguard on her right. "Brienne we brought mounts enough for twice our number. Choose one and come with us."

"I have my own horse my lady. And my armour-"

"Leave them. We must be well away before they think to look for us. We were both with the king when he was killed. That will not be forgotten." Wordless Brienne turned and did as she was bid. "Ride," Catelyn commanded her escort when they were all a horse. "If any man tries to stop us cut him down."

As the long fingers of dawn fanned across the fields colour was returning to the world. Where grey men had sat grey horses armed with shadow spears, the points of then thousand lances now glinted silverly cold, and on the myriad flapping banners Catelyn saw the blush of red and pink and orange, the richness of blues and browns, the blues and browns, the blaze of gold and yellow. All the power of Storm's End and Highgarden the power that had been Renly's an hour ago, where did they belong now. She wondered.

She remembered the look in the red lady's eyes when she had spoke to Renly before riding away and shivered. There was one king less in the land.

AREO.

He was sworn to protect and obey, had been since he was little more than a lad. He was sworn to observe and comment when asked and so he observed as Prince Doran met with his brother Prince Oberyn and Lord Yronwood in the Water Gardens one hot day whilst the sounds of children's laughter could be heard.

Prince Doran sighed and began to speak "Lord Renly is dead. Stannis Baratheon will try and take his men and storm King's Landing."

Prince Oberyn said nothing but Lord Yronwood laughed "So honour bound Stannis is a kinslayer now eh. Some king he will make."

Prince Doran did not deign to reply to that comment and said "I have agreed to let my son Prince Trystane marry Princess Myrcella Baratheon, questions of her parentage withstanding."

Once again Prince Oberyn said nothing, nor did Lord Yronwood this time.

Prince Doran continued "The Iron Throne think they have bought our loyalty with this marriage. Renly assumed we would join him for revenge against the Lannisters for Elia and her children. Stannis will assume we will join him as the rightful king though he is not. We will do none of these things. King Jon Targaryen is the king we shall support, had Rhaenys and Aegon lived he would have been their brother. Elia told me once before she died that she often wondered what life would be like with the Stark girl once Rhaegar and the girl came home. King Jon has not made promises to us regarding vengeance, but he does not need to. He knows we will march for a Targaryen for our vengeance. Lord Yronwood I have assembled a host of 10,000 men under the command of Ser Ryon Allyrion. I want you to muster another 10,000 men and bring them through the Prince's Pass, you are to declare you are fed up with my leadership and are rebelling. I shall tell Ser Ryon to let you through. Once through you are to harass the reachmen still in the reach and then march to join King Jon's host in the Riverlands. Oberyn you shall take up the seat on the small council offered by Lord Tyrion and find out what you can about the situation there and who truly rules. And when the time is right, we shall destroy House Lannister from within. Is that understood?"

Areo heard both men answer in the affirmative then heard Prince Doran say "Good. Leave me now the both of you. Get to work and make sure no one else knows of our plans."