Pledge
Lord Rickard Stark, the great hall of The Twins, the next morning
He sat in front of their captives with a sigh, “All of this could have been avoided, had you just kept to yourselves.”
Predictably, the captives said nothing.
“What did they promise you Hoster, to turn your back on the alliance and friendship we had? Gold? Land? A new wife?”
“Fuck you,” Hoster spat.
“No, Hoster, fuck you.” Rickard's glare only deepened, the blood and war paint on his face making him look more menacing. “I gave you the hand of friendship, even took your daughter in as my own, and you spit in my face? Family. Duty. Honor. Your house words. What part of your actions lately even remotely resemble those words?”
“I am honor bound to uphold my duty to the realm so I can protect my family!”
“Family is the first word in that motto,” Rickard snapped back. “And when Catelyn married my son, we became family. Your gods damned pride got in the way unfortunately and your wits seemed to have left your head!” He retrieved a scroll from his pocket and unfurled it. “Read it.”
Hoster glared at him but the writing caught his eyes. They widened and his nostrils flared.
“Artifice!” Hoster snarled, fighting against his restraints. “That missive is a lie!”
“Actually, brother,” Brynden Blackfish came up behind him. “Those are Edmure's words begging me and Lord Stark for help. Against you and your activities. What in Seven Hells happened to you, Hoster?”
“Edmure knows his duty, he would never betray me. And even if he tried, Maester Vyman is loyal to me.”
He sounded so sure and Rickard almost felt bad for what he was about to do, “Regardless of whether you believe it or not, you are clearly unfit to be lord of Riverrun. By my decree in the name of your son, you are stripped of your title and will serve out penance for the crimes you committed against those you were sworn to protect.”
He nodded to a cloaked Leaf who stood to the side. She walked slowly but with a purpose as Hoster began to shout at Rickard.
“You don't have the authority Wolf Fucker! King Robert will smash your head into the ground and raze your castle and lands! You will burn for this!”
“You first.” Rickard replied coldly. Leaf placed one hand over Hoster's face. Despite its small size, it stopped him in place. His eyes were wide and his mouth hung open.
“You orphaned children, you widowed husbands and wives, and you destroyed houses that were already punished. You gave your word, your oath, to be just but firm. To protect. You failed, Hoster, son of Hendry and Leana, to do any of that.”
“Now you will know sorrow and pain and despair. The feelings of the survivors that I encountered. Feel the power of the innocents you harmed. Beg all you want, I will not stop the penance you need to serve!”
Leaf snarled and Hoster's eyes glowed red before he started to scream and writhe on the ground.
“Take him away,” Rickard barked at his men. “Make sure he doesn't kill himself or hurt anyone else. Thank you my friend,” He nodded at Leaf who left the tent with the others. “Don't worry your pretty blonde heads,” He said to the three Lannisters. “What will happen to you will not be as dramatic, but in the case of one of you, it will be permanent.”
“Though he said it less delicately, Lord Hoster was correct, you do not have the authority to do what you just did.” Tywin Lannister said calmly and without even a trace of fear.
“Ah, but according to you, Lord Tywin, a man can take people by surprise and even appoint himself the authority above even the King himself while his men do as they please. Is that not how you got your daughter to be Queen?”
“What I did stabilized the Realms. What you are doing is the opposite.”
“You sound as if you disapprove,” Rickard rolled his eyes. “And what, pray tell, should I do to rectify the situation, my lord?”
“You can start by killing the rape spawn of your daughter.”
Rickard almost jumped to his feet to beat the shit out of the prick but he refrained, “Or I could have your daughter killed. Maybe you'll see how it feels to lose a child.” He shrugged when all three Lannisters clenched their jaws. “Not that you'll live long enough to see her again anyway.”
He gestured to the man wearing the black portcullis grill over sand of house Yronwood, “Ser Romyn is the brother of Lord Anders Yronwood, he will be taking you to Dorne lord Tywin along with your dog. Enjoy your trip.”
Dornishmen rushed at Tywin, who struggled as best as he could.
“You'll pay for this Stark,” Tywin hissed as he was pulled out of the tent. “You and all your savages!”
“Maybe,” Rickard allowed. “But you still won't be around to see it.” He turned back to the remaining Lannisters, “You two...you will head North to stay with your nephew Lord Jaime. From here on in you will be hostages of his house. I don't think you'll be getting the welcome you want. I understand that he was close to your sister Genna? And he wasn't exactly happy about what his father did to someone he considered a friend in Elia Martell. I wonder what he'll think of you?”
Rickard shrugged again as if it didn't concern him. He knew it affected them and truthfully a part of him was affected. Jaime was sort of a nephew in spirit to him now. He knew of the young lords hopes and fears for the future and he had an inkling about how Jaime would feel about his uncles. They had been men he looked up to and their lack of action in regard to the Frey's would not be seen in a good light.
“Take them away,” Rickard turned back to Brynden Blackfish. “It is strange to see you with black hair my friend.”
“Well don't get used to it, I'm washing my hair the first chance I get, this hair dye smells like shit.” Blackfish eyed the backs of the retreating Lannisters. “You should have just given them to the Frey's and be done with it.”
“I had considered that, but I think keeping them alive and in the hands of someone who won't torture them is best. Besides, Kevan Lannister holds Casterly Rock in his brothers name. Having them with us may make him hesitate to retaliate in some fashion.”
“Aye,” Brynden nodded then sighed. “You know, I'd never thought that I would feel bad for the Frey's. I've known wet shits that I like more than I do the Frey's but still..” He shrugged.
“If you feel that badly about it you could marry -”
“I don't feel that bad about it.” Brynden interrupted him with a roll of his eyes.
“Just a thought. Speaking of the Frey's, I need to speak with Lord Stevron, care to join me?”
Lord Harlon Frost, the Lords Solar of the Twins
He straightened his stance when his overlord approached.
“Honored uncle,” Harlon greeted him with a slight bow. Stevron, who stood next to him, did the same.
“Lord Stark. Ser Brynden.”
“Lord Stevron, it is nice to see you in good health. I wish we could have met under better circumstances, however.”
“I do as well, but I am thankful for the aid that was given to my family. I understand that it must have been a difficult decision for you and Harlon.”
“Nonsense,” Harlon scoffed. “You are family and what happened here is atrocity. I would have come here even if I didn't have permission. I probably would have lost Moat Cailin but, I could live with that.”
“Still,” Stevron insisted. “All of you are in even greater jeopardy now. I don't see Robert Baratheon being able to ignore this.”
“He won't and I doubt that his response will be anything other harsh. But to be honest, my lord, I just don't care. That boy is not fit to be king, I know this in my heart and in my soul. I suspect that is the reason why Jon Arryn and Hoster Tully did not discuss putting him on the throne with me. They knew that I wouldn't approve.”
“I don't think anyone with a brain would to be frank. I met the man a handful of times and as awe inspiring as his fighting prowess is, he's still a heavy drinker and a whore at that. Both of those things are their own kind of madness.”
“Refusal to call your king by his title? Naming him a drunken whore? If I didn't know any better I would say that you were committing treason my lord.”
“Robert Baratheon is no king of mine!” Stevron snarled his declaration at Ser Brynden. “I will not pledge my support and my family to that fucker and the cunt Lions that surround him!” He panted slightly. “Forgive me Ser Brynden I did not-”
“Peace,” Ser Brynden held up a hand. “You meant no harm and I hope that you know that I did not mean anything with my words.”
Stevron just nodded his head, face flushed from his outburst.
“What are your plans now my lord?” His uncle asked his good brother.
“I will remain here at the Twins with whatever strength we have left. My wife and our son will travel to the Moat with the rest of the family until it is safe to return. I hope that you may be able to spare some men to help me, Lord Stark.”
“Of course, just let me know how many so I can ask for some volunteers.”
“It may be quite a lot, Lord Stark,” Stevron warned. “I need to replenish the numbers at the Twins, but also that of Hag's Mire and Cross Hall on the Western Bank and Helen's Claw on the Eastern Bank. The Lannisters,” He paused and closed his eyes in grief.
“They were smart. They Destroyed the Nayland's at Hag's Mire before turning their attention on the Flynn's at Cross Hall. Helen's Claw was falling into disrepair so taking it was easy for them to take it from the small Garrison we had there. That was supposed to be my brother Olyvar's stronghold for when he came of age.”
He started crying and placed his head in his hands.
“Forgive me,” He sniffled after an awkward silence, wiping away his tears angrily. “It is unbecoming -”
“Piss on that Stevron,” Harlon chided him. “It is okay to grieve.”
“But not now, I need to rebuild,” He gave Harlon a glare to stop him from speaking before turning his gaze to lord Rickard. He took a knee and drew the dagger that he was outfitted with after he was rescued. He cut into his hand and let the blood trickle down into the ground. “I pledge myself and my house to you Lord Stark. When I looked out of the windows of my home, the South was littered with enemies from the West and the Crownlands. And from my fellow countrymen, which, suffice to say, left me heartbroken.
“I can understand that my fellow River Lords had to play along for your plan to work but I cannot shake the image of them siding with the Lannisters and all the comments about my family. I just can't. I know my father was not the most popular of men but he didn't need to die and not in his own home. I can almost guarantee, that no one outside of my family will miss him and some have probably celebrated the fact.
“I know how valuable my home is strategically, I heard it all the time during my captivity, and the number of male heirs to inherit it has dwindled down significantly. It wouldn't shock me if someone tried to ask me to marry my remaining sisters to them in the hopes of gaining the Twins in some fashion. It will not happen, I won't allow it. So to protect it, I name Harlon's line heirs to the Twins should something happen to any one of us. I ask you to formally recognize this as binding Lord Stark.”
“Are you absolutely sure? How do you know that I won't just abuse this pledge?”
“Because you would have already tried to after the ambush was over,” Stevron responded. “You would have called in the debt that my family owes you. But you haven't, you've instead offered more help or at least willing to lend more help. That doesn't strike me as someone who would suddenly demand compensation.”
Harlon wasn't sure if his good brother's reasons were foolproof but he could see the strategic merit of the Twins being sworn to the North. And it wasn't as if the whole of the Riverlands would pledge themselves to the North. A small part of it wouldn't hurt anyone except their enemies.
His uncle stared at Stevron, “Is this what you truly want?”
“Yes, my lord.”
“You understand what you are doing and what may happen if you do so?”
“Yes my lord.” Stevron repeated more firmly.
“Then I, as the Warden of Winter, Iron, and Sisters, do welcome you and your family, into our protection.” He pulled Stevron to his feet. “Welcome, to the North.”