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"Lord Rodrik, Lady Barbrey, we are relatives of a sort. There is no need to be so courteous.
"You invited me here this time. What is the matter?"
Ramsay pulled down the hood of his cloak and spoke with a smile.
"Good. Then let us come straight to the point. Lord Ramsay, what do you think of the Blood Wolf Lord?"
Lord Rodrik nodded and brought the topic directly to Robb.
"The King in the North? Wise beyond his years, brave and skilled in war, disciplined and merciful..."
"Ahem. Lord Ramsay, there is no one else here. You need not flatter him so much.
"My father's meaning is this. He killed Lord Roose Bolton, and he killed our younger brother Roose as well. Do you think such a man deserves our loyalty?"
Barbrey coughed lightly, cutting off Ramsay's words of praise for Robb, then spoke the night's subject even more directly than her father had.
"Heh. At first, I thought you were testing me. Since you can speak so directly, I am naturally willing to share my true thoughts."
A strange light flashed through Ramsay's eyes. Then his familiar smile immediately appeared as he continued.
"Of course he does not deserve our loyalty. He killed my most beloved father. I remember that hatred in my heart.
"It is only that his prestige is too high now, and he has gathered the northern army and the ironborn. Even if the three of us wanted to resist, we do not have the strength to match him."
"A father's murder... But Lord Ramsay, all the North knows that you were rewarded for opening the Dreadfort. That is why he made you Lord of the Dreadfort and granted you the Bolton name."
Barbrey nodded, raising a doubt that mattered deeply to her.
"That is precisely Robb Stark's despicable nature. At the time, his army caught me in a surprise attack.
"Then he had some Winterfell soldiers disguise themselves as my men and force me into the Dreadfort. After that, they blew open the Dreadfort's gates.
"In the end, he not only spared me, but spread that story outside, deliberately rewarding me before everyone.
"But most of the Dreadfort's soldiers are controlled by a man named Sam, someone he specifically sent to watch me."
Ramsay showed a face full of anger and spoke of certain "facts" that Barbrey and her father had not known.
"Mm. We truly did not know these things. Still, through certain channels, we have heard a little of this Sam who controls the Dreadfort's guards. He is indeed a man from Winterfell."
Barbrey nodded. Combined with the information she knew, Ramsay's version felt more real and more logical to her.
No normal person would betray his own father and house merely to become a puppet lord.
"Hah... What is your plan?"
Ramsay took a deep breath, calming his anger, then asked.
"In truth, my father and I began planning long ago. As soon as we landed in Lannisport today, we secretly sent men to contact Casterly Rock and have them pass on a letter written to Lord Tywin.
"So long as he agrees to our terms, we can provide him with the northern army's movements, tactical plans, exact positions, and other intelligence.
"However, after what happened today, Robb Stark will certainly be somewhat wary of me and my father.
"And you, Lord Ramsay, command one thousand ironborn and get along well with Theon Greyjoy. I believe you can certainly obtain much important intelligence from him."
Barbrey exchanged a look with her father. Seeing him nod, she told Ramsay what they had done in secret.
Ramsay listened to her account, then asked thoughtfully, "From the beginning, you believed Robb Stark absolutely could not win this War of the Five Kings?"
"Of course. Eddard Stark, who once won battle after battle, is dead. Lord Tywin's fearsome name is known throughout the Seven Kingdoms, even among old men and children.
"Now, even if Robb Stark and Theon Greyjoy joined hands and unexpectedly took Lannisport, they absolutely cannot take Casterly Rock.
"Moreover, the North has always had few people. These thirty thousand soldiers were difficult enough to gather, and they will only grow fewer as the war goes on. By contrast, the well-populated Westerlands can keep recruiting fresh soldiers to replenish its losses.
"I also heard that Renly Baratheon has joined with Highgarden and gathered one hundred thousand men, more than three times the North's number.
"Do you truly think Robb can destroy the Lannisters, destroy the other kings, and sit the Iron Throne?"
"Heh, heh. Hearing you say it like this, I think it is impossible as well. Unless a miracle happens."
After listening to Barbrey, Ramsay first smiled and nodded in agreement. Then he put away his smile and continued seriously, "I am willing to join you. But once Lord Tywin replies, I will present my own terms and see whether he accepts them."
"Of course. I believe this Lord Tywin who shits gold will certainly be generous enough to agree to your terms."
"I look forward to it. Good. I have been gone too long. I must go back at once."
"Good night, Lord Ramsay."
"Good night."
After saying farewell to Barbrey and her father, Ramsay put his hood back on and left their longship.
After walking a dozen steps, he turned his head and looked at the longship where a conspiracy had just taken root, murmuring, "Eddard Stark, victorious in a hundred battles? You still have not truly understood how terrifying this young King in the North is.
"Still, you have given me a fine opportunity."
The corner of Ramsay's mouth lifted in a smile, and he turned to walk on.
He circled through the harbor district for a while before finally arriving before a large warship with guards standing watch.
"Halt. Who goes there?"
The two ironborn guarding the warship saw the suspicious Ramsay and immediately questioned him.
Ramsay pulled down his hood and smiled at the two ironborn guards. "I am Ramsay Bolton. Please report to Lord Theon that I have important intelligence."
Rustle, rustle, rustle!
Daven led more than twenty guardsmen, moving carefully as they hid in the woods beside the road to Casterly Rock.
Ahead of them, at least a thousand northern riders had made camp at a narrow pass. For them to slip quietly past was simply impossible.
This checkpoint was the cavalry camp chosen by Smalljon and Gendry after their retreat the day before, when they joined up with Edd's reinforcements.
Casterly Rock was a stone castle that was easy to defend and difficult to attack. On three sides, sea-facing cliffs protected it, and only one road could be used to assault it. But for that same reason, the Lannister soldiers entering and leaving Casterly Rock had to pass along that road as well.
So the place where Smalljon and the others had made camp happened to choke off Casterly Rock's throat.
"Lord Daven, what should we do now?"
One guardsman asked Daven in a low voice.
Daven considered for a while, then said decisively, "It is impossible to reach Casterly Rock now. We return to Lannisport. Find a way to get horses, then take a detour to Crakehall and inform Lord Roland Crakehall."
Outside Moat Cailin, in the Lannister army's camp.
The mood inside the command tent was extremely heavy. After all the probing attacks during this time, Moat Cailin's three towers still stood there as steady as stone.
The army of House Frey, used as a testing stone, had suffered terrible losses. Their original force of four thousand men had been reduced to fewer than fifteen hundred.
After thinking about it during this period, Stevron Frey had finally understood. Lord Tywin had not valued him. He had meant to use them as cannon fodder.
So now, wearing the distinctive cap of House Frey, he said nothing, lowering his head as he huddled in a corner of the council table.
"Moat Cailin is as hard to take as Casterly Rock. In my view, we should return and join Lord Kevan, then take Riverrun in one stroke."
Lord Leo Lefford of the Golden Tooth loudly gave his opinion.
"Go to Riverrun? Then do we simply abandon this place? If we attack Riverrun and Robb Stark takes the chance to bring his army south along the kingsroad straight toward King's Landing, what then?"
Lord Lewys Lydden of Deep Den shook his head and objected.
"We can divide our forces. Leave part of the army camped here, and send another part to reinforce the attack on Riverrun."
Ser Harys Swyft, the Knight of Cornfield, raised his hand to speak, refining Lord Leo's suggestion.
Ser Addam Marbrand, heir to Ashemark, did not agree with Ser Harys. He said, "If we divide our forces, how should we divide them? Robb Stark has thirty thousand men.
"If too few troops remain in camp, he will swallow them whole. If too many remain, then sending a small force to reinforce Riverrun will have no meaning."
"Yes. Ser Addam is right. Dividing the army is not wise."
"But if Riverrun falls, the Riverlands will be entirely in our hands, and we can seize all House Tully's wealth."
As soon as Ser Addam finished speaking, discussion broke out. Addam was also quite satisfied that his words had won agreement. When the voices calmed a little, he continued with the plan he had considered for some time.
"I believe we should either return to the Trident and thoroughly conquer and plunder the Riverlands, or simply go back to Lannisport, board the Lannister fleet, sail around Moat Cailin through the Sunset Sea, invade the North, and fight that wolf cub to the death."
"That is... a bold suggestion."
"Addam truly deserves to be the cavalry commander Lord Tywin personally appointed. Either retreat or advance. Decisive and clean."
"Of course. He was Lord Tywin's page at Casterly Rock when he was young. He learned quite a bit from him."
When Ser Addam finished, praise filled the command tent.
Tywin sat silently at the head of the council table, expressionless as he listened. No one knew which decision he preferred. Seeing no one else speak, Tywin said in a low voice, "At present, we do not know the movement of the northern army behind Moat Cailin, so..."
"Lord Tywin, urgent message from Casterly Rock!"
Just as Tywin began to speak, a Lannister soldier rushed into the command tent. He shouted his report while holding up a raven letter.
Tywin frowned slightly, took the unopened letter, and immediately unfolded it.
Clatter, clatter!
Tywin quickly read the letter. His face turned extremely ugly, and he slammed one hand onto the council table. The force sent several cups wobbling and falling to the ground.
The command tent suddenly fell silent. Lord Tywin, always cunning, composed, and steady, had suddenly lost his composure. That clearly meant the letter carried terrible news.
These slick Westerlands nobles wanted no part of that displeasure. They immediately lowered their heads and fell silent.
"Robb Stark has taken Lannisport."
Tywin knew the news could not be hidden for long, so he simply said it outright.
"What?"
"Impossible!"
"How could Robb Stark be in the Westerlands? Did he fly there?"
The instant the news was spoken, the command tent boiled over. Every Westerlands noble wore an expression of disbelief.
"While we were still at Moat Cailin, he attacked the Iron Islands. Balon Greyjoy died by suicide. Theon Greyjoy became the new king and submitted to this King in the North.
"Thirty thousand northern soldiers boarded ironborn longships and launched a surprise attack on Lannisport. After that, they should besiege Casterly Rock."
Tywin controlled his emotions and stated the contents of the letter in one breath.
"The northern army and the ironborn have allied? Lord Tywin, Casterly Rock has high walls and strong defenses. It cannot fall in a short time.
"I think the entire army should immediately reinforce Lord Kevan and take Riverrun quickly."
Now that the situation had changed completely, Ser Addam immediately offered Tywin his advice.
"No. Casterly Rock is not only the ancestral seat of House Lannister. It is also a legendary castle that has never fallen. It is the symbol of the Westerlands' invincibility. Nothing can be allowed to happen to it."
Knowing exactly what Casterly Rock represented, Tywin shook his head and rejected Addam's suggestion.
His eyes fixed on the military map on the council table. He nodded, made his decision, and ordered, "Addam, take all the cavalry and return to Casterly Rock through the Golden Tooth at the fastest speed possible. I do not need you to defeat the entire northern army. You only need to make sure they cannot focus on attacking Casterly Rock."
"As you command!"
Ser Addam immediately nodded and accepted the order.
"The rest of you will come with me to reinforce Kevan. Riverrun must be taken in the shortest time possible."
"Yes!"
"As you command!"
After everyone accepted their orders and quickly left the command tent, Tywin began writing a reply to the northern noble mentioned in the letter, the one who wished to join his side.
Ever since he had learned that all his spies in the North had been rooted out, Tywin had been like a blind man. Now that a northern noble had offered allegiance, he was more than willing to accept.
As Tywin's orders went out, the entire Lannister army began moving at once. More than ten thousand Lannister cavalry rode down the kingsroad toward Casterly Rock.
The next day, on the Sunset Sea, in a certain bay.
An ordinary ironborn longship slowly moved along the coast near Lannisport.
All the ironborn aboard craned their necks, carefully watching the shoreline for any cave.
"Below that cliff. There is a small, inconspicuous hole!"
One ironborn suddenly pointed in a direction ahead and shouted.
After discovering what might be the target, the ironborn longship abandoned its slow pace and swiftly sailed toward the small opening beneath the cliff.
Once they drew near, the ironborn saw clear traces of artificial carving inside the cave. They immediately understood that this was their target.
Thinking of the rich reward King Theon had promised, the ironborn carefully marked the location on their chart and immediately returned.
When they arrived back at Lannisport, Robb was discussing something with Theon. Hearing their report, both men's faces lit with joy.
After heavily rewarding them as promised, Robb said to Theon, "Then what we discussed earlier is settled. Tomorrow I will summon the northern army to besiege Casterly Rock.
"When Bloodwind's howl sounds, that will be the signal. You will take men through the secret entrance and open that side gate for me.
"In future histories, both our names will be recorded, because this stone castle that has never fallen will be taken by us."
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