The Right Choice

Chapter 4: Desperate lions still has claws .

(NdA:everything you reckognize belongs to GRRM)

The last thing she remembered was the Mountain hurling her against a wall, then darkness; she felt pain in her head neck and arms, so she was not dead; opening her eyes, she saw him, lord Tywin himself. She felt weak and felt her hands tremble slightly.

"You are awake." it was not a question "Good, girl, as our deal did not allow you to die" he said that as if he could dictate lifeand death as he dictated his men's action.

"It was not my idea." she said weakly. "No?" He asked harshly "So I suppose that attacking Clegane with your Needle was his idea, instead."

"No, but he was going to kill my friend" she said "Your friend? You mean the fat boy from the kitchen?" he clarifyed.

"Yes" she said " his name is Hot Pie" He nodded in aknowledgement "It was foolish, but you are a Stark, and I should have had you more closely guarded."he said. "The Maester will visit you, you had concussion, four broken ribs and various bruising. You will need time before you will be able to cause trouble again; but Clegane won't be part of that."

She look at him " Why?" He look her back "What do you do with a rabid dog?" He said, and left her to the Maester.

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"So?" he asked the Maester once they were alone " She is out of danger my lord, but..." he interrupted him "everything which came before the word but is utterly devoid of importance" the maester hesitated then said "There is some kind of damage in the nerfs of her body; she will have episodes of shaking fits until the day she dies"

He pinched is nose, she was now going to be seen as damaged goods, that was an additional reason to damn Clegane to the seven hells; He closed his eyes reviving those concitated moments; him at the window ordening Clegane to stop, the beast choosing to ignore him, his hands grabbing a crossbow from a guardsman, he who aimed and triggered the string, letting the quarrel sink in Clegane's neck, just moments before he could stomp the girl to death.

Clegane death was annoying but this way he could give something to the Martells.

"My lord!" Called the maester "I have got a Raven for you, from the Golden Tooth."
He took it and then muffled a curse after reading it " Lady Alysande Lefford informs me that she has accepted "kings" Stark and Greyjoy offering and surrendered. "

The maester nodded at that and was then dismissed.

Tywin sighted rereading Kevan's previous letters looking to a vast war map on his table "Crakehall, Lydden and Marbrand" he repeated the names to himself two fingers massaging his left temple.

"Crakehall lost his lord, the Strongboar is loyal but he is sieged" He took a boar figure and put it in the middle of several wolves and krakens.

"Marbrand got both his sons captured; he will soon surrender" He placed a kraken figure on Ashenmark.

" Lydden is a child, his castle can hold for years, still his mother..." he put a badger figure on Deep Den's location on the map, and surrounded it with wolves and krakens.

Then he spat a fourth name "Farman; Sebaston Farman" on an Island named Fair Island "his father was the third leg of the Tarbeck-Reyne alliance, but he quitted in time; his son is a snake all the same, withdrawing his ships from Lannisport and then bending the knee to the Greyjoy boy" he put a Kraken on the Island; "I swear I will have his house join the other two in extinction, if I ever managed to have Casterly Rock back. " he said piercing the map with his dagger in that point.

One good new came unexpectedly from Tyrion; using theyr account at the Iron Bank his less favourite son had managed to secure the Golden Company, the Second Sons and some other minor sellsword company; He now had the men to defend the Capital City.

Still, the situation was dire; the loyalty of the lords of the Crownlands was frail; his own army was barred from his own lands and the Reach was now joining the Starks and the Geyjoys.

Tywin smashed a glass of wine on the wall in frustration. Then he remembered himself and started to think about a plan. A plan which he did not like because it forced him to aknowledge someone he would very mich like to forget. "Alas, beggers can't be choosers" he said and prepared a long letter he sent throught an envoy.

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Kevan Lannister reread his brother's letter for thet third time likely to convince himself it was true; he never second-guessed his brother unless Tyrion was involved, because, yes, his brother simply stopped to use his brain whenever his youngest son was involved.

This time he had troubles to believe in what he was reading but as Tywin himself pointed out their chances to win this war were slim; the west was all but lost, the Reach was going to join the rebels; they can't win with arms; but something can still be done. He started to issue orders in Harrenhal; they needed to mobilitate.

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Roose Bolton bented the knee in front of his King, at the Golden Tooth "Lord Bolton, you are here to respond to Lord Edmure Tully accusations of treason, being the one who reccomended the Bloody Mummers as mercenaries!" the King said "how do you plead "

"Not guilty my king!" he said. "Tywin Lannister outbid me" he added " and I can prove it"

"Please do it, my lord." Robb said. Roose snapped his hands and an hooded prisoner was marched in; once the hood was lifted Edmure Tully yelled "He is Vargo Hoat"

"So, Vargo Hoat, who payed you for betraying Lord Edmure tothe Lannisters? " Bolton asked "Lord

Tywin Lannishter " replyed the mercenary. "Good enought, Lord Bolton, you are exonerated by the accusation" Robb said " Vargo Hoat you are accused of contract breaking, murder and betrayal, how do you plead?" The mercenary smirked "Not guilty your grash!" he replyed "Ash lord Lannishter Kinghted me I am entitled to a trial by combat!" he added.

"I will champion the king!" Edmure replyed " This worm costed me my home and several of my loyal bannermen" Robb nodded to his uncle.

Roose observed the Blackfish who was keeping his eyes trained on Hoat; Vargo was given his "Meat Cleaver" a large and heavy knife; Edmure took a greatsword.

They fought; Vargo was a treacherous, cunning and ferocious opponent, who managed to hit Edmure him several times, but Edmure did not fall for his dirty tricks; Edmure kept his head on the battle, and at the end, his better armor and his better technique got him the upper hand.

After the Meat Cleaver missed a thurst, Edmure cut the hand of the Goat of Qohoor then he said "In the name of King Robb Stark, King of the North and theTrident, First of his name, I, Lord Edmure Tully sentence you to die!" with a swift swing he beheaded the sellsword commander.

The Blackfish patted his nephew on the back "all those hour training you last month has payed back; good job!" then added "Your father would have been as proud as I am.

"So died Vargo Hoat" Roose mumbled to himself "I would have liked to make it slower. " Roose was seething since Lord Tywin ruse had pictured him as the guilty part; "Well, the Old Lion will soon learn that our blades are sharp!" he swore to himself.

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The messenger was quite able, he had reached the North by ship, under the guise of a merchant, and he had contacted Ramsay without involving any of his father men;

"I Tyrion Lannister, acting Hand of his Grace King Jofferey, First of his name, the only true king of theSeven Kingdoms, hereby grants Ramsay Snow the legitimation as Ramsay Bolton, and declare his father Roose Bolton attainted; We charge him to take Winterfell, and deliver us the usurper Robb Stark and his family; in doing so he shall be named Lord and Warden of the North" the Lannisters was offering him what he had always whished; and they were also giving him the means to take it, forged letters with his father's seal on it; It was a pity his father was not involved, but well, the Dreadfort can have only one lord at a time.

Ramsay Bolton, freshly legitimated by King Joffrey, laughted together with his faithfull Reek and his beloved Myranda.

He immediatly started preparations.

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"No!" The Late Lord Frey said to his son Emmon, slamming a cup of wine on the arm of the Twin Towers Throne.

"But father" Emmon tried "I said no!" Lord Walder repeated. "I won't cast my lot with the losing part; your brother in law spoke against your marriage; the brat thinks I forgot it? Not even his dwarf son has he ever agreed to bethroth to one of my seed!Pheh, Tywin Lannister can take his arrogance and his money with himself in the Seven Hells, House Frey stays with the winning part!"

Emmon left the hall looking depressed, but Hosteen and Lame Lothar grabbed him and took them in a closet

"What is Lord Tywin offering?" Asked Lame Lothar "Riverrun, Harrenhal and the Paramountship on the Trident."

"Tell your brother-in-law we will deliver what he wants". They said. "Then, you can take Harrenhall, Hosreen get Riverrun, I take father's place" Emmon bristled "But I'm older then both of you" Lothar scoffed " And Ryman and his children come before you and me both, but they will not help you against father's will!" Emmon scowled then sighted "Genna won't like this, but allright."

He left the Twins with darkness cover, riding for Riverrun, thinking "A desperate Lion still has sharp claws."

(English is not my mother language, feedback is really wellcomed, no flames please.)