Drkest
patreon
The Crippled Wolf-Stark SI: Ch.38
🕑 Added 2025-03-23 12:00:37 +0000 UTCChapter 38
CREGAN STARK
The journey through the Riverlands was quick and easy. The road made for an easy march, and Tyrion Lannister made for an even better company.
The little lord Lannister rode with him, as both of them spent ample time debating over one topic or another. Cregan was now the lord of Harrenhall and was set to visit it after his short stay at Riverrun.
His mother and sisters had already arrived in the castle, along with her sister, the Lady Lysa. And Cregan would be lying if he said that he was not surprised about it.
Lysa Arryn’s arrival was a surprise, and he still could not think up a good reason for her arrival. Though, he doubted that it was for an innocent cause.
Thankfully, he had a large retinue around him, and even after half of them had departed for Harrenhall, he still had more than a dozen men loyal to him at his beck and call, ready to protect him if the need came.
“That is Riverrun,” added Lord Tyrion from the side, as they came out of the forest, following the river, and infront of them lay the Great Castle of Riverrun.
Located at the confluence of three rivers, that divided to form a natural moat around it, the castle was shaped like a triangle, in the shape of the land on which it was built.
It was not large or an impressively tall keep. It was of modest size and height and did not cut as imposing a figure as Harrenhall, Winterfell, or even the Red Keep for that matter.
Its walls were red, and as they rode towards it, a bridge was brought down, as a small retinue gathered to welcome them to the castle.
Cregan jumped off of his horse first, walking to the carriage that rode beside them, as he opened the doors to help out Myrcella, who had ridden with them. Giver her status as Princess, she had to be welcomed first.
The girl came out of the carriage, Aurora, which was now half her size jumped out besides her as the retinue from the castle stepped forward. And it was led by none other than his own mother, and sisters, who stood alongside his maternal nuncle, Lord Edmure Tully.
Greetings were made, and bread and salt were offered. Myrcella slowly commanded them all to rise up, and her mother smiled at her.
“Welcome to Riverrun, Princess....”
.
.
.
It took them a few hours to settle down, as Yoren continued his journey towards the Wall. Myrcella soon busied herself with Sansa and Arya as Cregan joined his mother, to visit his grandfather.
Houster Tully had been one of the major players of the Rebellion, having fought in many a battle and providing his two daughters to cement the alliance. The man was a political animal, as a lord Paramount of these tumultuous lands had to be.
But the once mighty lord had become frail and thin, his ailments had taken much of his life from him, and as he lay there in his bed with his mother sitting by his side, he was so frail that he could not yet recognize his own daughter.
“Father,” she called out softly.
“Father,” she called out again as the man shifted his face, looking at her.
“It is I, Cat,” she tried to rouse his memories as he gazed at her with cloudy eyes.
“I have brought you your grandson,” and Cregan stepped forward, as his mother slowly tilted his head helping him look at Cregan.
“Good morn, my lord. I am Cregan,” Cregan introduced himself, and for a second saw those eyes glint.
“Grandso....” COUGH! COUGH!
And the man began to cough. And the bout of cough grew worse and worse until the old Maester stepped forward and slid a potion down his throat.
“I am afraid you must leave, my lady, and let him rest,” he said, and his mother nodded, her eyes wet with tears at the sight of her father.
They both walked down the stairs, her mood sour.
“The master says he does not have much time. But he has been saying that for many moons now,” and that was even more troubling and testing for her.
“I do not have the heart to leave him and go to the capital yet,” and he was her father.
“Father knows that,” Cregan added.
“He has asked you to spend as much time with him as you need. He misses you, but he understands.” he conveyed the missive as his mother gave him a brittle smile as she led him to her own room.
“So much has happened in the capital in but a few months,” she said, looking at him as they plopped down on the chairs within the room.
“I cannot even imagine what your father must be going through,” and her face was pale, as she wiped away her tears.
“I could never have imagined that Petyr would do something like this,” and Cregan wanted to smirk, at the mention of that bastard.
“To commit treason. I was aghast when I read the news about him,” and it was one of the follies of Catelyn Tully, for the she had a woman’s heart. It made her a good mother and wife, and yet it could be her greatest weakness as well.
For all her faults, she was a Tully and had good political head, and yet her heart was her weakness, for she lacked the cold and cruel nature that was needed to survive in this world.
“He grew up with me and Lysa in this very castle,” she added, and he decided that he had to intervene.
“The man was a traitor,” he added sharply as she met his eyes.
“He betrayed the Crown and committed treason. People in the capital have forgotten about his fostering, and it would be better for both House Stark and Tully if they are not reminded of it,” and thankfully, she understood his intentions.
“I understand,” she said.
“The King is not much fond of him either. I know that you may have grown up with him, but showing any kindness to a traitor, even in your words, will not be seen in a good light in the capital,” and for a second, she stared at him before her lips turned up in a smile.
“Ned had warned me about it. I just never thought that it was true,” and he frowned at her words.
“Warned you about what?” he asked.
“About your mind. He said you had your grandfather’s mind for politics, and I am beginning to agree with him,” and Cregan shrugged.
“This is but common sense,” he pointed out as she poured herself some wine and took a sip.
“And yet half the men in the realm do not have it. But it is a good thing for a lord to have, especially a lord of the Riverlands,” and yes, he was now a lord.
“Right now, I am but the lord of a ruin only,” and Harrenhall had not had a lord for years, ever since the last of the Whents had died.
“Harrenhall maybe a ruin, but it is one of the largest keeps of the land. Though, I would have advised Ned to argue for some different castle. That castle is cursed,” and that was the prevailing thing.
And though he knew that magic was real, he hoped that curses were not.
“Well, I plan to ride for it in a day. So, I will see this curse for myself,” and she nodded.
“Speaking of that, a man came for you. An old man, saying that you had called for him to come to Riverrun,” and he perked up at those words, for indeed, he had asked his men to spread the word about a very special man whose services he could employ in ways more than.
“Where is he?” Cregan asked, for time was of the essence.
“I had the guards put him in an inn nearby. I will have them summon him for you,” and Cregan nodded.
“But not today. You will have to wait till tomorrow. I must make preparations for the feast....”
0000
EDDARD STARK
The absence of his son meant that Eddard had no one to share his duties with. It was strange that a boy barely into his adulthood was able to share his burden, yet as he found himself relying on acolytes and other aides, he realized just how convenient it was to have an able aide to share one’s burden.
But Cregan was gone and would not return to the capital for some moons, given that he planned on starting on the restoration of Harrenhall on this visit, which was not a small task.
Robert had only added to his work as he rid the council of his own brother, forcing him to make a list of lords suitable to replace Renly Baratheon. And he had an inkling that this was not the only position they would have to replace.
“So, there has been no word about him,” he asked Desmond. And he had elevated his captain of the Guards to the position of the Commander of the Gold Cloaks as a temporary measure, but the man would have to continue with this position given that he had no time to search for another replacement now.
“No, my lord,” the man replied. And it was worrying.
The Spider had vanished into thin air. And by the confession of the guard outside Baelish’s cell, he was the last person to visit him. Cregan was suspicious of the man, believing him to be another traitor, and it seemed that the man had learned of their suspicions and had fled the capital.
“Keep searching for him. And change the orders, have the man arrested as soon as he is caught,” and the man had been the Master of whisperers for decades, having joined the Council during the reign of the Mad King.
He knew the castle and the city better than anyone else. He doubted that they would be able to catch the man, but still they had to try if they were to learn of his ambitions and crimes.
“As you say, my lord,” Desmond said as he rose up and left his solar.
And Eddard leaned back as he rubbed his head, which throbbed with pain because of the drinking yesterday. And he could hardly wonder how Robert, managed to drink as much as he did.
Perhaps, it was one reason he did not bother doing any work. But still, he had not felt so old in years. It was not the first time, Robert had forced him to join him in his drinking.
This had been a regular occurrence back in the Vale when he was but a second son and Robert the heir to Storms’ End. He would often force him to join him in the cups, much to the anguish and worry of Jon.
But now, there was no Jon to keep his friend in check. And their age, made the act much more unforgiving than in their youth.
However, the wine was not the sole reason for his headache. No, the missive sitting infront of him was one more thing adding to his worries.
The Crown had now sent around five letters to Dragonstone, beckoning the Lord of the Isle to come back to the capital. And to all their surprise, Lord Stannis had refused to answer the summons, denying them all for one reason and another.
In the end, Eddard had summoned a few merchants who had come to the capital after making port at Dragonstone, and their records of what they had witnessed there had been much worrying.
They spoke of ships, hundreds of ships and ready to depart the shores at a moments notice. They spoke of burnings of the Seven, and of human flesh, and most worryingly they spoke of men preparing for war.
And he could think of only one explanation for it all. Lord Stannis planned to attack Kingslanding. The reason was obvious enough, and yet even if he was certain of the Queen’s infidelity, Robert was still King.
To attack now would be treason. If he were so certain of it, he could speak of it to Robert, and yet the man was preapring for war. Why?
It all worried him, and he felt Cregan’s absence as he found himself unable to make a decision about what to do with it.
Should he go to Robert? Or should he wait? Had he made the wrong choice, giving the Queen the benefit of the doubt?
He found himself at the cross-roads. And yet in that moment he remembered his father’s words, that sometimes the hardest thing to do is do nothing.
He had made a decision that he would wait at least until the Queen had given birth to her child, before he brought up his suspicions to Robert, and given that the day of the birth was almost here, he decided to wait for a few more days, as he prayed with all his heart that both him and Cregan were wrong about her.
That their suspicion had been wrong.
KNOCK! KNOCK!
And he was broken out his stupr by another knock on his solar, and looked up as a guard entered his solar.
“My lord, Lord Manderly is here,” and those words brought him much relief for the Crown’s coffers were a mess despite his and Cregan’s best efforts.
“Send for Robert, I will come down to meet the man myself....”
0000
Late into the night, in an inn just beyond Riverrun a frail man walked into his room on the second floor, and yet as he opened the doors it took him but a second to realised that his room was not as empty as he had left it, hours ago.
Yet he still walked in cautious, hand slowly reaching for the blade he always kept hidden when suddenly a voice from inside called out.
“You have no need for that blade....” and he was startled by those words yet he opened the door fully, only to see one person standing there in his room, inspecting the jars, and the vials he kept with himself.
And as he slid into his room, he nearly screamed as the door behind him closed suddenly, and he glanced back and saw a massive wolf standing there grunting and looking at him with its beady eye, the other eye closed off by a nasty scar.
And the wolf but confirmed his suspicions, as to who this stranger was, for there was but one family in the entire continent who had them. He had seen two of them just a few days back in Riverrun, though none of them as ferocious as this one.
He eased up slightly as the stranger turned to face him, and he was even younger than he had expected, but he had long learned that age was a wrong measure of a man.
“I have wanted to meet you for quite some time, Qyburn....”
0000
Comments
FallenMetalGod
Thank you. Cregan is gathering up some key players to keep on his side. I do like Qyburn working for Cregan. I am glad that Ned has some backup from Lord Manderly, which is good. Great job, as always, and I can't wait to see what happens next.
Andrew Miheso
The suspense is thrilling. More chapters please
Radiant Tiefling
Thank you for the chapter.
Almaz Zakytkazy
Thanks for the chapter!
