The Queen in the North: Game of thrones fanfiction

Chapter fifty eight, part two - Garlan

Chapter fifty eight

The wedding - part two, Garlan

Garlan tapped his fingers on the hardwood table, and blankly stared into the sea of people. El and Axel had been gone a lot longer than expected, honestly how long could it take to set a signal and collect a few swords? He thought, anxiously sipping his wine.

Through his own anxiety, he had almost completely missed Sansa who's as right beside him, who was nearly in tears. Garlan moved next to her, and extended his hand out to her, "you know, marrying him might not be the worst thing that will ever happen" Garlan said, shit that sounded, not only rude but also slightly pretentious.

Sansa didn't even bother to look up, but instead swirled the last of her wine around in her goblet before speaking, "you know, you don't have to speak to me"

"I was only trying to make conversation with you Sansa" Garlan thought back to what El had said about Sansa, not a week ago, easily manipulated and a good manipulator herself, he was seeing that now.

"Well you don't have to" she snapped, "he isn't like you, we aren't going to fall in love, and he most certainly isn't going to spare me tonight, so don't try to tell me, it might be okay, I might fall in love with him, because I won't. Have you met him? Sadistic bastard, huh?" She whispered, but her tone was more like a snarl. "And I'm not my sister, I can't fight him, so can't stop him from raping me, and I can't out smart him, and convince him not to either."

"So, what are you going to do?" Garlan said, draining his own cup, and looking away from Sansa's teary blue eyes.

Just as Sansa was about to form a response, Ramsey came back and she was silenced. Ramsey pressed his thin lips to Sansa's neck, and all the colour drained her face. Soon Garlan sat alone at the high table, until Roose Bolton came back from the bedding ceremony send off.

"And where is your wife?" He asked, turning to Garlan.

"She took the children to bed" Garlan said, pouring himself more wine. Garlan felt rather uneasy in Roose's company, he was the sort of man that made people feel uncomfortable. Then the two men sat in silence, Garlan holding his goblet and watching the wine move and he shook the goblet gently.

Suddenly, the hall doors were flung open, and El walked held high, sword in her hand, and Axel and Alysane walked behind her, both armed to the teeth. There was absolute silence, Then every man, and woman, accept those loyal to Roose Bolton stood, and bowed their heads to their Queen.

"Now.." El said, and her voice echoed through the silence of the great hall, "I believe a few years ago, my mother and brother were in a similar position to the one that you find yourself in now." She began walking towards Roose, who by now was standing himself, "you betrayed my Brother, your king. You stabbed him in the heart, all for a meaningless title. But Roose, do tell me what is the use of a stolen crown, from a dead man, when the true Queen stands before you?" She asked rhetorically. "I will not, murder you tonight, your men however, I can't say.. But I will not stoop to your traitorous level, and murder you at your sons wedding. For alliances are something that I value very highly" She took a breath and looked around,"although, when we killed your bastard son, I was not at that conclusion, and for that I apologise." Elonar said bluntly.

"But what's done is done, you may say. I won't kill you tonight, I will however put you on trial for treason and when you are found guilty, I will hang you." El smiled, "and all your men, in the camp around my castle, dead my morning, with King Stannis Baratheon is but an hour away."

She rose to the platform where the high table stood, "and you thought taking my castle was a good idea, you think I'd let you get away with that? You think I'm weak?" She raised her voice with every word, with a ring of hysteria in her voice. "You thought you could take it all from me, because I'm a woman? But the thing is, Roose, you can't, all you are is a Lord of a minor house, only built up, from being notorious torturing bastards."

After El had said her piece she stood back a moment, Roose Bolton looked her up and down very carefully, then just laughed, and laughed. Elonar raised her eyebrows in dismay.

"You laugh at now, to what purpose?" Axel interjected loudly from the back of the hall.

Roose lent forward and clasped his long fingers together, "you don't know anything Elonar, your still a child."

"How so?" Elonar questioned, not shifting her gaze from Roose.

"You have no idea, what you have just walked into. Enemies everywhere, inside your precious castle, an enemy army to the north, and another in the south. And you stupidly think that killing me off will fix your problems. By all means, kill me now, save yourself the trial, your going to need all the time you can get." That's when the fighting broke out, a mad bloodbath, started by Elonar lunging forward to Roose, and followed by The mormonts, then all of El's supoorters attacking those allied to Roose.

Roose Bolton lay dead, slumped in El's chair, Garlan moved his body, and El walked around the his dead body, she stared for a moment, "you imagine an event for so long, then when it actually happens, your slightly dissapointed." She said vaguely, through the noise, of metal on metal, metal through skin, dying men. "He had a point didn't he?" El said to Garlan, who stood across Roose from her.

He only nodded, taking a glance around the great hall, which was a mad sea of slaughter, his mind was still working rationally, though he was almost itching to get his hands on a sword and in a sick wAy join in the massacre, a thousand questions spun around in his mind, how would this end? When would it end? But his thoughts were silenced by El's lips forcefully placing themselves over his, and pulling his mouth open around hers.

"I had to do that, otherwise I'd go mad" she said breaking away.

Garlan could tell she was about to silence the carnage, when she was silenced by Harrion Karstark, who held a blade to Axel's throat. "this stops" he bellowed, "Elonar this stops, or he dies"

"What do you think your doing?" El asked the young Lord, " I heard it was your house that betrayed my brother along with Lord Bolton"

"And my house are still allied to house Bolton, and right now, in this hall you outnumber those allied to house Bolton, but outside these walls, you are outnumbered by us" Harrion said, still keeping Axel close.

"Lord Karstark, Roose is dead, Ramsey is dead. House Bolton is gone." Elonar said, walking down the steps, gracefully avoiding the bodies at her feet.

"That may be true, my lady, however these are still many who are apposed to you" Harrion said, even those among you tonight Lord Glover, many of the Manderly men, all would happily see your death, just to name a couple"

"Fine then, fight us" El said, "tomorrow morning, all those who appose me, fight those who are with me, outside dawn. But for the moment, I want everyone who wants me dead out of my castle, is that not fair?" She glared down Harrion.

"As you wish Milady" Harrion Karstark said, he released Axel, and turned away, with him went the known Bolton men, and as he had said, Lord Glover, and Many of the Manderly, along with several of the Umber men. Axel tried to stop a few, but they just shoved him off.

"Anyone else?" El asked, "nothing will come of those who leave now, however of tomorrow morning comes, and you wish to leave then, I will not be so lenient." At first no one moved, then several men from house Hornwood. "Everyone get some sleep." El said waving everyone out, "we've got a big day tomorrow"