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As the ravens carrying Arthur's accusations against House Redwyne flew from the rookery of Beaconwatch to the major castles of the realm, Arthur did not linger. Once he had settled the affairs of Beaconwatch, he set out for Starpost Keep.
On his way, he paused his horse at the burnt remains of the peach orchard.
In the blackened groves, Jerry was leading the surviving children from the orphanage, along with local farmers and craftsmen, to bury the charred trees and clear the rubble of the destroyed buildings.
"To the people of this land, I am not a worthy lord."
Arthur spent very little time in this part of his fiefdom, always coming and going in a hurry. From the perspective of the smallfolk who lived here, he was indeed an absentee lord.
"By your logic, Prince Doran, who hides in the Water Gardens all day, isn't a worthy lord either," Nymeria comforted him in her unique way.
"And the Stag King, who spends his days hunting, drinking, and whoring, is even less worthy."
Arthur shook his head and said no more. He spurred his horse onward toward Starpost Keep.
Starpost Keep was located in the center of Starfall's domains. Just as Arthur had planned, it had become the transportation hub of the Torrentine.
South of the Keep, rows of stone houses, residences, inns, and stables lined the roads.
Newly reclaimed farmland and orchards stretched south from the Keep, extending all the way to the completed arena.
To the northwest, a wide stone bridge spanned the Torrentine River. The ever-expanding smithing district of the Violet Gorge, with workshops from various guilds, had spread down along the riverbank to connect with Starpost Keep.
To the northeast, the road to High Hermitage was already under construction to connect with the road to Nightfall Keep. A large area had been left open in the center, where workers were currently leveling the ground.
This vast open space was designated for a massive market where all the surplus goods and resources of Starfall's lands would be gathered.
Merchants from Dorne and the north drove their wagons toward the southern market to buy and sell goods, while boats on the river passed under the bridge in a steady stream.
The interior of the castle hadn't changed much, except that the horse pens were increasingly crowded, almost taking over the stables entirely.
"This place is like a growing child. Every time I visit, it's bigger," Nymeria remarked, looking out from the balcony of the Eagle's Nest atop the main keep.
"We passed through here on our way from Blackmont to Beaconwatch, and now we're back. It's only been half a month, hasn't it?"
"These buildings have popped up like mushrooms after rain. Did you cast some magic on this place? Just like those peach trees that refused to die in the fire."
Arthur was teaching his squire, Penrose, how to feed Sharpwing. He turned to Nymeria, who was leaning against the railing.
"I'm Snow from the North, not a warlock from the Shadow Lands. Where would I learn magic?"
There were many reasons for Starpost Keep's rapid development: its location, the security provided by Starfall, the tools and weapons from the smithing district, the wine from the orchards...
Starfall had been victorious in wars and conflicts, gaining ransoms and captives that provided cheap labor.
But the recent explosive expansion was due to the influx of population from the wildling tribes of the Red Mountains.
Nick, the Steward of Starpost, had organized them to reclaim farmland and orchards south of the city and build houses and manors.
Arthur encouraged the boy who was holding a bucket of meat but too afraid to approach the giant eagle. "Be brave, Penrose. Your house sigil is a vulture. There's nothing to be afraid of."
Penrose swallowed hard and stammered, "M-My Lord... but... but he's so big."
After repeated encouragement, Penrose gritted his teeth, lifted the bucket, and inched forward step by small step. His hands trembled as he placed the bucket on the feeding platform.
Arthur pushed him further. "Try taking a piece of meat out of the bucket and feeding it directly. Don't worry, I'm here. He won't hurt you."
When Penrose finally summoned the courage to hand a strip of bloody meat to Sharpwing, Arthur nodded in satisfaction.
Just then, a guard approached to report. "My Lord, the knights you summoned have arrived. They are waiting for you in the solar."
"Penrose, feed him all the meat in these buckets before I get back," Arthur instructed. "Just be careful not to feed yourself to Sharpwing."
Arthur entered the solar of Starpost Keep.
A heavy oak table dominated the center of the room. Spread across it was a detailed map marked with the terrain of the Red Mountains and the lands around the Ring.
The table was surrounded by men—Ser Williams, Ser Bard, Gerold, Jimmy, Anguy, and Bear Di were all present, speaking in low tones.
When Arthur walked in, everyone stood up immediately.
"Sit, everyone." Arthur took the seat at the head of the table. "How are things progressing with the tribes of the Red Mountains?"
Ser Bard spoke first. "The Mountain Corps has expanded to four hundred men as planned. The families of the regulars and the reserves have all been relocated. Some have settled in the Violet Gorge, but most are here and near the Dawn Market."
Bear Di pointed a thick finger at a mark on the map. "Most of the two tribes that rebelled with the Vulture Tribe have been moved to the old Vulture's Nest, which we are rebuilding as Eagle's Roost."
"After you subdued House Blackmont, the chieftains of the upper Torrentine also sent their sons to Eagle's Roost as hostages. You can say that all the wildlings of the Red Mountains in the Torrentine valley have pledged loyalty to you."
Gerold looked at the map of the Ring. "Arthur, now that the wildlings have submitted, are you planning to attack the Reach?"
"Yes." Arthur nodded bluntly. "I trust you've all heard about the pirate attack that burned the Peach Garden Manor."
Arthur recounted what he had seen at Beaconwatch, the speculations of the garrison, and his own plan.
Ser Bard slammed the table after hearing the story. "The Redwynes are a great house with a thousand years of history. How could they stoop to such banditry?" His face flushed red with anger. "They have stained the honor of knighthood!"
"Honor?" Gerold took a sip of his unsweetened lemon water and sneered.
"They disguised themselves as pirates and denied everything to the death. Who will remember this in ten years?
"House Redwyne has the backing of the Tyrells and still holds the Redwyne Fleet. No one can touch them. Among the nobility of the Seven Kingdoms, might makes right. As for face... as long as it looks passable on the surface, that's enough."
"Exactly," Arthur said coldly. "We must give an appropriate response, but not a reckless, all-out assault."
Arthur traced a line on the map with his finger. "I plan to have the chieftains send scouts and small bands to infiltrate the Ring. They will map out the troop deployments and terrain while constantly harassing the villages along the way."
"When the time is right..." His finger tapped heavily on the location of Ring, the seat of House Roxton. "I'm going to hit the Reachmen where it hurts. I'm going to give them something big."