300 AC
WESTERLANDS
CASTERLY ROCK
ROBB STARK
Robb celebrated his sixteenth nameday in Casterly Rock, a grand feast held in its honor.
The food and drink was taken exclusively from the stores of the Lannisters, of course.
"Sixteen years, and already our King has conquered The Lannister seat!" Wylis Manderly bellowed from a lower table in Casterly Rock's hall causing Robb to smile in amusement.
After they had captured Lannisport and Casterly Rock, Robb had ordered the sack of both the city and the castle. His men also wanted to pillage the city of Lannisport as a revenge for the deaths of their comrades but Robb put a stop to it. It will not look good to burn a city he wants to rule.
It took at least two days to empty the gold of the ancestral seat of House Lannister. And by the gods Robb had never seen so much gold at the same time.
Even the hallways are made of gold, it was a thing of gold and red, each pillar and window shone like one thousand stars and the marble floor gleamed like a thing from the most extravagant of dreams.
It was gaudy, it was wasteful and Robb Stark hated every bit of it.
He preferred the iron and wood of the north, dull and less impressive though they may be. Where the materials used in building their castles were taken carefully, each brick laid and tree chopped done so only out of necessity. There was no marble or gold or red rubies or any excess at all.
Winter was all too unforgiving and his father always said that the wasteful were among the first to perish.
The Gold was not the only spoils of battle he had in his possession. His army had captured various highborn and Lannister prisoners, Ser Stafford's family at Lannisport, Genna Lannister,Tywin's sister, and her husband Emmon Frey.
But his most important prisoner is princess Myrcella Baratheon, sister of Joffrey Baratheon and daughter of Cersei Lannister.
Robb was shocked when he found the princess of the Iron Throne trapped at Casterly Rock, he had thought that Tywin might use her to forge an alliance with Dorne.
So he asked Myrcella about that, which she answered that her Uncle Tyrion actually wanted her to marry prince Trystan of Dorne to forge an alliance with House Martell, but her mother prevented that and instead send her to Casterly Rock for safe keeping.
Robb had actually laughed at that. He laughed at the stupidity of Cersei Lannister. Didn't she realise if she had send her daughter to Dorne and agreed to her betrothal with Trystan , they could have allied with house Martell and win Dorne's support.
But secretly Robb was glad that didn't happen, while Dorne fielded one of the smallest army in the seven Kingdoms, their men were just as well trained as the men of the North and prince Oberyn Martell, the commandder of Dorne's army, was considered one of the most intelligent and dangerous man of the Seven Kingdoms.
Pushing such thoughts away he rose from his seat at high table to adress his men.
"I owe this victory to the men and women of the North!" He said causing a cheer to rose up from the men in the hall, be for continuing.
YOU ARE READING
THE NORTHERN CRUSADE
ActionThe North has always endured. They had survived the Long Night, they had resisted the might of the Andals. The North had also toppled the Targaryens who have ruled over them for 250 years. With the arrest of Lord Eddard Stark, the banners of Winter...
