The oars of the black-hulled ship cut hard through the water, leaving twin trails of white foam like the tracks of a fleeing rat. Behind her, two sailing ships and five longships gave chase.
Asha stood at the bow of Black Wind, brow furrowed, calculating the distance to Harlaw while glancing back at her pursuers.
"Row harder! Put your backs into it!" she shouted. She wished the ship could move as fast as its name.
News had already spread across Pyke that Euron had killed his own brother and used dark magic. Asha knew Jon was probably fanning those rumors, but the deaths of Victarion, Aeron, and even her brother Theon all felt too convenient. Euron had taken control of Balon and was keeping her from seeing her father. She was certain Balon was no longer his own man.
If she wanted to save her father and stay alive, her only real option was to throw herself on Jon's mercy.
Her crew rowed with everything they had, faces red and necks straining. The helmsman kept his eyes wide, threading between hidden reefs. They trusted her. When she told them her plan, they had chosen to follow without hesitation.
Slowly the distance between Black Wind and the chasing ships grew. The pursuers eventually gave up and turned back.
Asha allowed herself a short breath of relief—until she spotted several patrol ships closing in from another direction. Jon's combined fleet. She ordered her men not to resist.
After they verified her identity, Asha was brought aboard one of the larger vessels. Black Wind was escorted toward Harlaw like a prisoner. When they reached the harbor at Ten Towers, she stared at the forest of masts. The combined fleet was the largest she had ever seen in Westeros. If they weren't so wary of Euron's magic, they would already be storming Pyke.
She noticed several deep-draft ships being linked together with heavy chains. She wondered what Jon was planning, but she had bigger worries. Soon she would be standing in front of the man who had taken her father's throne.
The great hall of Ten Towers felt colder than the sea wind outside. A massive black banner with a white wolf hung on the far wall, big as a sail. Beneath it sat Jon Stark, calm and unreadable.
Asha walked forward and bowed low.
"My lord, I am Asha Greyjoy, daughter and heir of Balon Greyjoy. I have come to surrender."
Jon studied her for a long moment. He already knew through his ravens that she was still herself—Euron had not taken her mind.
"I accept your surrender," Jon said. "But once we take Pyke, I will not give the castle back to you."
Asha's jaw tightened, but she stayed silent.
Jon continued without softening his tone. "I intend to replace every major ironborn house. The Greyjoys will not remain on the Iron Islands to rule again. However, I will allow you to take anyone still loyal to you and leave Westeros entirely if that is what you choose."
The terms were brutal. Asha had no cards left to play. She tried once to plead for her family's lands, then stopped. She was no longer a lord's daughter with power. She was a refugee asking for her life.
She lowered her head. "I understand."
On Pyke, Euron stood in the Selection Hall and threw a severed head onto the floor. Short hair, familiar features. One of Asha's own crewmen who had stayed behind to buy her time. Euron had killed him personally.
His single eye swept the gathered lords. "The bastard doesn't want your surrender. He wants to be a god-killer. If you are still children of the Drowned God, if you are still the heirs of the Grey King, then stand with me!"
Lord Goodbrother of Great Wyk spoke up, voice heavy. "My prince, Jon's terms are too harsh. We don't want to leave our lands. The iron mines on Great Wyk are richer than ever. Leaving means we lose everything."
Euron's face twisted. The string of failures had finally cracked his careful mask.
"For the Drowned God!" he roared. "For the glory of the ironborn! What is dead may never die!"
The old words echoed through the hall, but they sounded hollow now. The ironborn had no fleet left worth speaking of, no real hope of victory, and only Euron's blood magic standing between them and total defeat.