"This is intelligence from King's Landing that Balin just delivered. Take a look."
Lynd gathered his subordinates and handed them the documents in his hands.
Everyone took a careful look at the documents, and expressions of surprise and concern spread across their faces.
"Let's hear it," Lynd said once they'd all finished reading. "What do you make of it?"
Bert Falwell was the first to speak. "Given Lord Tywin's personality and perspective, he'll definitely seek revenge for his heir being kidnapped. War is inevitable. Even if King Robert regains consciousness, I doubt he'll be able to stop it. Remember, back when the House Reyne merely humiliated Tywin with words and attitude, it was enough for him to wipe them out. Compared to that, what Lady Catelyn's done—kidnapping the heir to Casterly Rock—is far worse."
"I also think war is unavoidable," Jon added, "but I don't believe Tywin's only in it for revenge. For years, the Westerlands have coveted the fertile lands of the Riverlands. They've never stopped making little moves, and now Lady Catelyn has handed him the perfect excuse. Whether he chooses to head north to strike at House Stark or east to the Vale to rescue his heir, he'll have to pass through the Riverlands. This gives him a justifiable reason to bring his army through."
"Let's not forget, Lady Catelyn is still a Tully," Mus chimed in. "That alone makes for a good excuse."
Jason Lefford, who had recently been appointed commander of the Summerhall army, was also qualified to attend the meeting. Relying on his military knowledge, he offered his own analysis.
"We recently received intelligence that Lord Hoster Tully, Lord of Riverrun, is gravely ill and unable to govern. All administrative matters have been handed over to Edmure Tully. Edmure has sided with peasants in several disputes over land and law enforcement, which has offended the Riverlands' lords. His control over the region is weakening. So, while this might not be the ideal moment for Tywin to make his move, it's still quite opportune."
"So, you all believe this war is inevitable," Lynd said after hearing their views. "Then when do you think it will officially begin?"
The men exchanged glances before replying in unison, "When the king dies."
Lynd fell silent.
"My lord, should we begin preparations?" Balin asked, noticing Lynd hadn't spoken for a while.
"Preparations for what?" Lynd asked in return.
"Which side we'll support," Balin replied.
Everyone turned to look at Balin in surprise. It was clear he shouldn't have asked that question. Realizing his mistake, the color drained from Balin's face.
Lynd gave him a look filled with implication and said, "You'll hand over every bribe you've taken this past year, and pay a fine equal to twice that amount. Your position will be temporarily filled by your deputy. You are to report to the Redemption Sept and undergo a penance trial. When Elder Colin believes you've completed it, you may return to your post. If you never pass, then you'll stay in the Redemption Sept forever."
"Yes, my lord." Balin let out a slight breath of relief, bowed, and left the study to return to headquarters and hand over his responsibilities—offering no resistance at all.
As he watched Balin leave, Lynd rubbed his forehead and turned to the others.
"I'll say this again: I don't care what you take, or from whom—but you do not damage Summerhall's interests. Understood?"
"Yes, my lord," they replied with bowed heads.
Returning to the matter at hand, Lynd made his decision.
"We will not take part in this war. We'll continue observing and prepare to receive refugees. Also, send a force of five thousand to Tumbleton to reinforce Wenda the White Fawn. With Tumbleton's existing garrison of five thousand, they should be able to handle any unexpected situations."
"Unexpected?" Mus blinked in confusion. "You think they'll attack Tumbleton?"
"Better to be prepared than caught off guard," Lynd said gravely. "There are always lunatics on the battlefield."
With that, he ordered everyone to get back to work. Then he sat down and picked up the intelligence report from the table again, focusing on the section about Robert's assassination.
...
The situation in King's Landing was changing by the minute. When word spread that Eddard Stark had placed the Queen and the royal children under house arrest, Tywin Lannister—Warden of the West and Lord of Casterly Rock, who had long been champing at the bit—began probing the Riverlands with an initial invasion.
He sent his two mad dogs, Gregor Clegane the Mountain and Amory Lorch, disguised as bandits, north along the Kingsroad into Stone Hedge. They killed the local lord, Ser Wilbert, then continued along the north bank of the Blackwater, pillaging and burning villages and towns, committing every atrocity imaginable.
Some of the surviving farmers from the Riverlands fled to Riverrun to seek justice, while others headed to King's Landing.
Upon learning of the situation, Riverrun immediately called its bannermen and began preparing for war against the Westerlands. In King's Landing, Eddard Stark, once informed, dispatched Beric Dondarrion—who held a ceremonial post in the capital—and the red priest Thoros, to lead a group of hired knights and form a hunting party to capture the Mountain. He also reassigned some of the North's already limited troops to support them.
Not long after Beric Dondarrion left King's Landing, King Robert—who had been in a coma for several days—briefly regained consciousness. During that moment, he left a will naming Joffrey Baratheon as his heir and appointing Eddard Stark as Regent until Joffrey came of age.
However, once Joffrey ascended the throne, Eddard Stark claimed that Robert had actually intended for his brother, Stannis Baratheon, to succeed him. Barristan the Bold, who had been present when Robert dictated the will, immediately challenged Eddard's claim and accused him of falsifying the document.
Queen Cersei then rallied the capital's powerful nobles who opposed Eddard's regency, along with the Gold Cloaks she had bribed, and launched an assault on Eddard and his men. They were captured, and Eddard was imprisoned in the dungeons for treason. Joffrey was then crowned, becoming the second monarch of House Baratheon—King Joffrey I.
...
During all this, Renly fled King's Landing with Loras Tyrell and returned to Storm's End, where he summoned his bannermen.
Though Lynd wielded almost feudal influence and control over the major lords of the Stormlands, they still nominally obeyed the Lord of Storm's End. As such, they all gathered there and, at Renly's request, swore loyalty to him.
Loras Tyrell also returned to Highgarden by boat under the cover of night, and shortly afterward, a letter from Highgarden arrived on Lynd's desk.
Lynd picked up the letter from Garlan Tyrell and read it. As expected, it asked for his opinion on Robert's death, Eddard's imprisonment, and Joffrey's ascension. Although it was framed as a request for his thoughts, the true purpose was clear: they were asking which side he planned to support.
It was obvious that Highgarden hadn't thrown its full support behind Renly just yet, despite Renly's ties to the family and Loras acting as his envoy. They still held out hope for Joffrey, since the Little Rose, Margaery Tyrell, was engaged to him. Now that Joffrey sat the Iron Throne, as long as he honored the engagement, Highgarden would naturally align with the crown and was unlikely to side with Renly.
Lynd had no intention of addressing Garlan's questions one by one. In his reply, he simply wrote that as long as it didn't interfere with the plan to fight the White Walkers, he would not involve himself in the internal strife of the Seven Kingdoms, nor would he take sides.
After sealing the reply, Lynd left the study and made his way to the castle's dragon roost. He ordered his men to equip the lava dragon Neltharion with a specially crafted saddle, mounted the dragon, and leapt from the cliff outside the roost. After gliding in circles over Redemption Town, he headed toward King's Landing.
Although the palace coup at the Red Keep had ended and a new king now sat the Iron Throne, the aftermath was far from over. Ripples from the event continued to spread outward, with the Red Keep at the center.
The people of King's Landing bore the brunt of it. At first, they believed the struggle for power within the palace had nothing to do with them—they were merely spectators. But after Joffrey's coronation, a wave of purges swept through the city.
Anyone who had associated with Eddard Stark during his time as Hand of the King and Regent—nobles, merchants, even commoners who had offered services—were arrested and branded as conspirators to treason.
At first, the Gold Cloaks had demanded evidence before arresting anyone. But as new opportunities for gain emerged, arrests became arbitrary. If they said you were a traitor, then you were. Many were falsely imprisoned, and their family property was confiscated—some of it lining the Gold Cloaks' pockets, the rest handed over to Cersei and Joffrey.
Gawen was just an ordinary blacksmith on the Street of Steel. He had never even met Lord Eddard Stark. But the Gold Cloaks accused him of being an accomplice to treason simply because one of Stark's servants had once brought him the Lord's sword sheath for a minor repair.
When the Gold Cloaks came to arrest him, Gawen knew full well that once taken, he would never be released. In a desperate moment, he knocked over the two guards holding him and used his knowledge of the streets to escape.
But even though he had evaded capture for now, the danger hadn't passed. The Gold Cloaks had sealed off all the city gates—no one allowed out. Escape was impossible. If the city went into full lockdown and house-to-house searches began, it would only be a matter of time before he was found.
He had to find a place the Gold Cloaks wouldn't dare search—somewhere that could offer him protection. In all of King's Landing, there was only one such place: the Great Sept of Baelor.
With that thought, he stole a set of clothes and disguised himself as a beggar, then took to the alleys of the Street of Steel, heading for the Sept.
Originally, he'd planned to slip in through the back door, but it had been sealed, with Gold Cloaks standing guard. He had no choice but to try the front.
At the main entrance, several patrols of Gold Cloaks moved back and forth, and more stood on guard in the square. King Robert's body was being kept inside the Sept, awaiting burial in the royal crypts.
Under such conditions, the Sept wasn't receiving visitors. Gawen hadn't expected that, so when he tried to walk right in, he was quickly stopped.
At first, the Gold Cloaks thought he was just a devout passerby and tried to drive him away with their spears. But they soon noticed how nervous and shaken he looked, and moved to question him.
Panic took over. Gawen had never imagined they'd suspect him. His hand, hidden in his sleeve, clenched tightly around a wooden club. He was ready to strike and flee again if the opportunity arose.
But just then, screams and shouts erupted from Baelor Square. Both Gawen and the Gold Cloak turned instinctively toward the commotion.
People were pointing to the sky, crying out.
The two followed their gaze upward and saw an enormous, grotesquely shaped dragon gliding overhead. It circled above the Sept a few times, then descended toward the square.
The dragon's terrifying presence and monstrous form sent the crowd into a frenzy. They scattered into nearby alleys and buildings. But once they'd fled a safe distance, many stopped and turned to watch.
The dragon landed, spreading its wings low and wide across the ground. A knight clad in ornate armor rose from its back, stepped onto one of the wings, and descended to the ground. Without hesitation, he walked up the steps toward the Great Sept of Baelor.
Seeing the rider dismount, someone couldn't help but ask, "Who is that? Is he a Targaryen?"
"Don't talk nonsense! That's Lord Lynd Tarran, the Chosen One," a follower of the Seven quickly responded. "Everyone knows Lord Lynd Tarran tamed a sea dragon and a great dragon. This must be the great one."
Someone nearby murmured, "That dragon looks... strange. Like some kind of undead dragon brought back to life."
"Shut your mouth. That's not some undead beast—it's a gift from the gods," another snapped.
Lynd paid no attention to the commotion behind him. He walked straight to the Sept's doors. By then, the Septons inside had been alerted by the dragon's arrival and were already gathered at the entrance. As Lynd approached, they bowed in reverence.
"Is Your Grace's body in the Sept?" Lynd asked.
The High Septon lowered his head humbly and replied, "It rests in the vigil chamber, my lord. But the King's body has begun to decay, and even with spices..."
Lynd raised a hand, signaling the Septon to stop. He then gestured for one of the attendants to lead him to Robert's casket.
Soon, he entered the chamber where the body was kept. Just as the High Septon had said, the room was thick with the stench of rot. Robert's body had severely decomposed. Still, a few Silent Sisters remained beside the casket, performing the final rites.
Lynd walked up to the casket and looked down at the late king, buried beneath heaps of spices. He let out a sigh, placed a hand upon the casket, and watched as a thin layer of frost began to spread across it. The frost thickened until the casket was fully encased in ice, sealing the smell within.
Once finished, Lynd didn't disturb the Silent Sisters. He quietly sat down on a nearby stone step—and stayed there, silently keeping watch.