Lord Stark massaged his temples as a headache had sat its grasps firmly on him.
He was in his office in the Tower of the Hand reading reports about the major happenings in the Kingdom, as well as muttering about his own plans. When the King's entourage had been attacked a moon before, they had suspected Tywin was responsible for it. Now, they were certain.
First, the bandits that had attacked them were far too well equipped to be mere bandits. Then there were the accounts of several men who swore on their honor that they saw the Mountain that Rides leading the attack. Ned himself believed to have seen him fighting the King before he retreated, not without leaving a wounded Robert behind.
The King didn't die and was still alive, but bedridden. Most of his time was spent sleeping under the influence of milk of the poppy and other remedies. Whenever he was awake, though, he spent time ranting about how he was going to kill the Mountain, Tywin and any westerlander that tried to stand in the way of his hammer.
Ned, on the other hand, knew the King would not be able to fight for a long time, if ever. His condition was improving, but he wasn't completely safe. His state could worsen with the snap of a finger and his life was nowhere guaranteed. With that in mind, the Lord of Winterfell tried his best to keep his Sworn Brother away from the brunt of the news and developments and he shouldered most of the day-to-day operations of the Seven Kingdoms without Robert.
Afterwards, word came from Riverrun, not only to inform that Lord Holster had been successfully treated, according to the expectations set by Lady Slytherin, but that the Witch and Arya had also been attacked by Amory Lorch and a group of his own. This news made Eddard Stark lose his composure and almost march on Casterly Rock by himself to take Tywin's head. Fortunately, he had done no such thing and the only ones who witnessed his loss of composure were his loyal guards.
Finally, the Westerlands had called their banners and started hiring as many mercenary companies and independent sellswords as they could. They were clearly preparing for war and the more time he gave them, the more strength he'd gather. And Eddard Stark had swore on his honor he wouldn't let that happen.
To counter the Lion's movements, he had taken a set of decisive measures, as his title of Hand of the King allowed him to. He sent an order to Rob to gather the Northern banners and march south to avenge the attack on the King and on his sister. He received a prompt response, letting him know that the North would march down to show that winter was coming for House Lannister. He also heard worrying news about Bran's attempted escapades. That, however, would have to be dealt with later. For now, as long as Bran stayed in Winterfell, Eddard couldn't spare his attention from the looming war, even though he wished he could be home and talk to his son.
The same order was sent to the Riverlands to muster, but when it arrived, Lord Holster had already sent his own orders to the Riverlands Lords. The Lannister attack on Arabella and Arya had happened in his lands. It was not only an insult to House Tully, but a direct invasion of the Riverlands, which he wouldn't leave unanswered. Reports soon came in of minor skirmishes between Lords in the borders of the Riverlands and Lannister raiders.
The Vale also received the command to gather their forces to march on the Westerlands, but no raven flew from the Eyrie. Lysa Arryn had decided to isolate the Vale, especially under Littlefinger's advice, who was already there, preparing for their upcoming weddings ceremony. The Bloody Gate was closed and no word came out of the Vale. Only Bryden Tully and a small escort left, the Black Fish having decided he wasn't going to stand idle while his family fought a war.
The Stormlands were also quick to answer to the Hand's summons. Upon learning that their former Liege-Lord and now King had been attacked by the Lannisters, many lords already started gathering their men even before Lord Renly Baratheon had issued the order, which also came rather quickly.
The response from Dragonstone was also decisive. Lord Stannis Baratheon sent word back informing the Hand that he'd gather his fleet and sail to face the Westerlander Navy and block their ports.
The Crownlands support was meager. No House had refused to answer, but, considering that most of them had been Targaryen loyalists that lost much prestige during Robert's reign, the soldiers they sent were mostly inexperienced, poorly equipped and under the command of bastards or second sons. Ned knew that if the war turned against the Crown, many lords of the Crownlands would put their feverous support behind Tywin Lannister.
Eddard had thought about sending a raven to the Iron Islands but decided not to involve Balon Greyjoy in the conflict. He believed the man to be too volatile to be considered an ally and a letter coming from him, who currently held his son hostage, could be taken the wrong way. That, however, didn't mean that the Kraken hadn't received a letter from Casterly Rock with a very enticing proposition of vengeance.
As for Dorne, things were more complicated. Prince Doran Martel faced a tough choice as he received letters both from the Lannisters and the Hand.
For one, he could join the Baratheons in cruising the Lannisters and obtain vengeance against Tywin and Clegane and perhaps forcing Robert to give Dorne a few concessions for his part in the death of Elia and their Children. That, however, would mean fighting against the Targaryens, including his possible nephew, Aegon. The news that Tywin had aligned himself with the Targaryens and the Golden Company in Essos caused him great shock. He only believed it when Varys sent a personal missive confirming the alliance.
If he joined the Lannisters, however, it could lead to unrest in Dorne, not to mention that Oberyn wouldn't approve it. This position would make them have to give up in their vengeance and the most they could hope for was that Clegane would be sent to Dorne after the war, as Tywin had offered him. The Old Lion, however, would escape his punishment. But at least Dorne would once again fight against the Usurper and help reinstate Dornish blood on the throne. The secret marriage pact between Arianne and Viserys signed in Braavos could easily be turned into a marriage pact between Arianne and Aegon if he turned out to be the real deal.
After much deliberation and talks with Oberyn, Doran decided to do what he did best: wait. He'd wait for the Lannisters to spend their forces fighting a war on all sides and when the banners of the three headed dragon graced Westeros once again, then and only then, would the banners of the sun and the spear march by their side. When it was all said and done, the Westerlands would be weak after the fighting, while Dorne would be left mostly unscathed. With the right maneuvering, it wouldn't take much to see the Lion dead. With that, he sent Oberyn to lead a Dornish delegation to Essos to meet with the Targaryens and offer Dorne as a landing zone for their armies. As for the Hand, they sent no answer at all.
The Reach wasn't in a much better situation in terms of hard choices. It was clear to them that whatever side they chose, they would add a massive advantage with their manpower and ample supplies. That being said, the prestige and power of House Tyrell had suffered greatly under Robert Baratheon and they hadn't forgotten it. Lord Mace Tyrell had almost jumped the gun and declared for the Lannisters once it was offered to nominate him Master of Laws. Only Lady Olena was able to prevent him from joining in outright.
After long deliberation, House Tyrell also decided to remain neutral in the dispute. At least until the Targaryens returned from Essos. Then, they could come to their side and reap the greatest rewards with a weakened Lion. Or side with an also weak, but even more grateful Stag, if the Dragons were not amenable to their terms. The letter sitting on Lord Eddard's desk was proof of their neutrality. They weren't going to send any men, but they assured the Hand of the King that food supplies would continue to be sent to King's Landing, in order to keep the population fed.
In the end, the numbers were still in the King's favour. The North could muster roughly 35 thousand men, while the Riverlands could muster 20 thousand and the Stormlands 30 thousand. With the 6 thousand from Dragonstone and the 2 thousand from the rest of the Crownlands, the total force amassed to roughly 93 thousand men. The Westerlands, on the other hand, had a bit over 50 thousand men in their command. It was almost a two to one advantage, which brought some hope to the Stark's heart.
That, however, didn't mean the war was won. Tywin had the advantage of mustering his forces first and having them in one place, while the Loyalists were mostly still mustering and were far apart from each other. Not to mention that the Westerlands forces were well equipped, since Lannister gold could afford some of the best arms and armor in the market. And that went a long way in making their men survive and become veterans at war, while many soldiers on his side were still green and not so well equipped.
Two other things worried the Hand.
The first was that rumors spread that the Golden Company was amassing in Pentos. It could be nothing, or it could mean that they were going to exploit Westeros' turmoil to launch their attack and return home from their exile. It would be even worse if Tywin Lannister got them under his pocket. A disciplined fighting force such as the Golden Company could help turn the tide of the war in the Lion's favour.
The second was the disappearance of Lord Varys. He could only wonder what the Master of Whispers was doing and if, perhaps, he had defected to Tywin's side. It was not uncommon for the spider to disappear from time to time, or so Ned heard, but this time it gave him an odd sense of foreboding.
Ned massaged his temples, trying to quell the headache, as he stood up and left his solar. He walked down the Tower of the Hand and made his way through the Maegor's Holdfast until he arrived at the door of Robert's bedroom. He greeted Ser Barristan before entering the room, which had the smell of blood and milk of the poppy.
Inside, apart from the normal lavish decor that was fit to the King of the Seven Kingdoms, stood a basin with old bloodied bandages and a tray on top of a cupboard bearing several herbs and remedies. The King was laying on his bed, moaning from the pain of his injury in his left side. Were it not for a last minute dodge, the Mountain's Sword could have cleaved the fat king in half. Instead, there was just a deep gash that graced the side of his belly until the middle of his abdomen. One inch deeper and he would have been disemboweled.
"How is His Grace?" Ned asked Grand Maester Pycelle.
"Oh fuck off Ned. I ain't dying here. Bring me some wine and let's talk about how we'll crush Tywin Lannister's head." answered the King before Pycelle could speak.
"My Lord" the Grand Maester finally said with his fake fragile tone "His Grace will live, but he will need to stay in bed for at least a month, perhaps more. I can't stress enough the importance of keeping His Grace away from any battlefield. In fact, just walking down the stairs could prove unwise as his wounds can worsen. Not to mention the risk of infection. The less people see His Grace, the better."
"I understand. I'll issue a command to the King's Guard stating that nonone should enter the King's chambers apart from his guard, me and you, Grand Maester"
"Come on, Stark!" Robert growled "You will keep me prisoner in my own castle? You know I deserve my vengeance, you can't deny me that. I will kill that Lion fucker myself. And what about my needs, Ned? Who will warm my bed while I wait to get better?"
"I can and I will, old friend. If it means saving your life, I will. And you will have to endure a cold bed for now. I'm sure you'll have plenty of time to enjoy yourself once you've recovered."
The King glared at his friend for a long time until he finally grumbled and sighed.
"Ah, fuck you and your dammed righteusness, Stark! You're fucking right, I know it! And even if there would be a whore to warm my bed now, I doubt I'd be able to do anything in this state. I'll do as the Maester says and keep my ass here, but don't expect me to just sit idle either."
"What do you mean by that, Robert?"
"Ned, do you remember what I told you back in Winterfell when I came to ask you to be Hand?"
A chuckle escaped Ned Stark's mouth before he replied.
"If I remember correctly, Your Grace, it had something to do with me running the Kingdom while you ate, drank and whored your way to an early grave."
"Yeah, yeah! I said that" he replied with his own chuckle, followed by a groan of pain "I want you to scratch that plan, Ned. For now, here's what I want you to do: I want you to run the Kingdom in my stead while I recover, I want you to coordinate with the Lords of the realm to put an end to this rebellion, but I also want you to report to me daily about the main affairs of the day while I try to avoid drinking myself to an early grave. I've been a shitty King since I took that damned throne, I know that Ned, don't bother denying it. So shitty that my wife dared betray me with her own brother, making it so that I have no heirs now and my own vassals dared attack me on the open road. That ends now."
Ned felt a surge of pride in seeing his friend's decisiveness. For a brief moment it was if he could see the Robert of almost 20 years ago. Fit, strong and determined. The Demon of the Trident. He clasped the King's hand and said.
"It will be my honor, Robert."
"Good, good, now start reporting, what have I missed?"
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Hey, Agandor here! Thank you for reading the new chapter!
In the next chapter, coming on Monday, we will have a look on how Aegon is doing on his side and then, on chapter 13, we will come back to Arabella's perspective for a very important scene with Arya. Also, based on some of your feedback, I'll start improving Arabella's efficacy with Magic. I still don't want her to be god-like OP. At least not for a long time. Still, I'll try to incorporate more baddass moments of her in future conflicts and out of them too.
Have a great weekend! =)