Inside the temporary command post at Willow Wood City, Brynden watched the young man across from him aggressively question Robin Lygg face-to-face, and slowly began to speak:
"Lord Arthur, in your proclamation to the lords, you declared that you would only target the Legge Family and conduct limited warfare."
"I have read your declaration of war; it was well-written, reasoned, and justified."
"But do your current actions align with your promise of limited warfare?"
Brynden's voice paused, becoming more serious.
"You have now entered the Legge Family's lands, setting fires everywhere, besieging their main city, and even killing his heir.
"This doesn't look like a 'limited war' at all!"
Robin Lygg leaned forward, raising his head to meet Arthur's gaze, a spark of hope igniting in his eyes.
Arthur turned around, a smile on his face, and Ser Brynden suddenly felt a sense of unease.
He met Brynden's eyes without flinching: "Ser, who started this war?"
"Did I send troops within the five-day period?"
Arthur paused, then turned to look at Robin Lygg, and then at Brynden, the questions like cold arrows shot unexpectedly at the two.
"Who declared war without warning! Who drew their blade first! Who sent troops to occupy my family's castle first!"
"And who demolished my family's castle! Who desecrated my ancestors!"
His words were forceful and unyielding.
"Who started the war!!!"
Brynden was stunned, and Robin's face instantly turned pale; it was true.
Arthur turned and walked to the table, as if adjusting his indignant emotions, his fingers tapping lightly on the tabletop, making a dull sound.
"Lord Hoster's intelligence network covers the entire Riverlands; these matters should not be difficult to verify."
"The Legge Family attacked my family's castle first, escalating the conflict and turning a limited duel between nobles into a war of attrition."
"Declaring war without warning, attacking first, and expanding the war—this responsibility does not lie with me."
He turned to Brynden Tully, biting his lip, his eyes seemingly spitting fire, each word enunciated slowly and with gritted teeth.
"As! for! Jero! Legge! you! mentioned! He was truly lucky! He wasn't captured by me!!!"
"Otherwise! I would eat his flesh! Drink his blood! Flay him piece by piece! Make him wish he were dead!!! Bury his head in a latrine!!!"
"Of course, I will still do this!!!!"
The hall was so quiet after these words that you could hear a pin drop; every breath in the hall was clearly audible, but at the same time, there was understanding. No noble could remain calm when their ancestors were desecrated, not even the Targaryen were desecrated by the Baratheon.
Brynden Tully's gaze shifted from Arthur's face to Robin Lygg's ashen face.
He remained silent for a long time, the breathing in the hall clearly audible. Finally, he slowly nodded:
"The Legge Family did indeed send troops first within the five-day period, directly occupying a noble's rightful land instead of fighting in a disputed area. This violates the laws of warfare between nobles."
Brynden Tully's words were like a heavy hammer, shattering Robin Lygg's last struggle. He slumped down, his lips moving but unable to utter a sound.
Arthur did not give the envoy a chance to breathe.
He waved his hand, and Olivier immediately stepped forward, placing a stack of parchment and several scrolls on the negotiation table, pushing them towards Brynden.
"These are the captured Legge Family nobles' statements regarding Roger Lygg's order, given within the five-day period, for his son to enter a noble's rightful land to begin hostilities and occupy the family castle. Their handprints are on them."
"Who is responsible for the escalation of the war!!! Who started the war!!! Who disrupted the peace under the governor's rule!!!"
Brynden Tully picked up each document, examining them carefully. He read very slowly, sometimes rubbing the wax seals on the parchment with his fingers, sometimes squinting to decipher signatures.
In the council chamber, only the rustling of papers could be heard. Robin Lygg's face turned from ashen to deathly pale as he also went to examine the documents.
They had indeed learned from ravens that, within the five-day period, the Legge Family had first sent troops to occupy Dreadfort, rather than mobilizing their army to the disputed territory of western Vicon Gorge to limit the war to a localized conflict.
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