Wylis remembered a son of Tytos Blackwood who grew up to be seven feet by his late teens. And on that note, Wylis hoped to find more tall men like himself and bring them into his service. He could not only provide a better home but also fame, name, and coin. Tyrant's Squire made it clear that he'd eventually land his ships in Essos. Perhaps he'll one day battle the Horselords. He needed tall and mighty men for that.
"Lord Blackwood, what trade do—"
Just as Wylis was about to ask about trade, the thing he was obsessed over those days, he noticed a few people approaching. Flanked by guards, it was a heavily pregnant woman. He recognized her because his deed was what swelled her belly.
"My lady." He rose to his feet.
Not very good at acting, is she?
He watched as Lysa acted as badly as possible, smiling and feigning surprise. "Lord Wylis, how lovely to see you here. I hadn't expected your visit."
"Neither was I, my lady. I thought you were in King's Landing."
"I was, but then I felt yearning, so I came here. I've heard Father is having some difficulty with House Mooton."
Wylis nodded, noticing how good her mental state seemed, and even in terms of beauty, she hadn't lost the charm. Certainly, being able to bear a babe without going through many stillbirths had saved her sanity.
"Aye, Maidenpool's been a bother, but nothing worth losing sleep over. I've taken Lord Mooton and his son. They're in the dungeons now, where your father's questioning them." He stepped aside, giving her room to pass. "He must be waiting for you."
Lysa seemed disappointed for a moment there, as if she didn't want to go away. But she maintained a warm smile and walked away, leaving with a nod.
"One's Lady of Winterfell, and the other of the Eyrie," Lord Blackwood commented from the side. "Lord Tully's done rather well for himself, I'd say. Only young Edmure remains now."
"Edmure's still young yet. Best send the lad to foster somewhere, let him meet a good woman on his own. A marriage born of love holds longer than one born of politics."
"Ah, so that's the sort of man you are after all. It fits the songs well enough, tyrant of the Trident, yet a lover too," Lord Blackwood said with a tease in his voice. "I'll take my leave then, Lord Kaiser. See if the wretched Brackens have stirred more trouble."
"I'm glad we had the chance to meet, my lord." Wylis bid the old man farewell and headed into the castle as well. He was alone this time, leaving Chett behind to train the men in basic stances.
After asking the servants, he soon found himself entering the castle's dungeons. The guards there then guided him to where Lord Tully was. The place was damp and still quite cold. The torches gave some respite in warmth, however.
Finally, he reached a small chamber with an open metal door. Inside were Lord Mooton and his son, arms tied to a chair. The two men didn't have any wounds on them, but they did look rather cold, shivering.
Lord Hoster stood nearby with a few men.
"Ah, Lord Wylis! Perhaps you can talk some sense into him. He's agreed to pay the tax now, but not for the time and breath he's cost us."
Wylis walked over to stand beside Lord Hoster. He was so massive that his towering frame blocked much of the light from the torches, casting a long shadow on the Mooton father and son duo.
"W-What do you want from us now?" Lord Mooton weakly asked.
Almost feel bad. Wylis folded his arms, sighing. He tried to follow the knight's code as best as he could. But in moments like now, he really didn't know what to do. To be utterly ruthless or kind? Would Lord Mooton have been kind had the Targaryens won?
Lord Hoster speaks true. You have wasted our time and our coin. I marched from Ramsgate to meet you in person. The crown has given me full authority. To me and to them, House Mooton stands only as traitors. You fought for the Targaryens; I have not forgotten, the crown has not, the realm will not. I have the permission to raze House Mooton to the ground and gather whatever valuables I can find. But as you can see, I'm no Mad King, nor is Robert."
Shivering, Lord Mooton frowned. "W-What do you w-w-want?"
"Give me every seaworthy vessel of House Mooton. That is the price for letting you hold Maidenpool. Refuse, and I will see Maidenpool given a new lord and a different banner above it." Wylis straightforwardly demanded.
Thud!
Lord Mooton fell to his knees from the chair. "M-Might as well kill me, my lord. M-Maidenpool won't survive without her ships. Trade is what keeps us fed."
"Ships are unquestionable." Wylis reaffirmed.
"H-Half… please, that's all I can give. I need some to keep the city running."
Wylis almost felt swayed. He didn't like being that ruthless when he didn't even have personal animosity. Yet, he couldn't afford to be too soft and lose an opportunity. Moreover, the quest had clearly told him to ruin House Mooton.
The question is how?
"Lord Hoster, let's do this. Gather our men and march to Maidenpool. See if Lord Mooton speaks the truth, and then we take what's owed accordingly." He suggested. "If he tries guile, we will clear his hall for the one who ought to sit there next."
Lord Hoster pondered for a moment, rubbing his chin. "I'd wager they won't risk a move with Lord Mooton in our keeping. A good thought, Lord Wylis. Let's go ahead with it."
With that, the plan was quickly made to march come morning. That night, they were to wine and dine in celebration of Ser Brynden's recovery.
But of course, Wylis had more matters to discuss with the Lord of Riverrun.
####
Ramsgate,
"Hah! They have arrived, at last!"
Brandon Stark stood at the docks and watched as the ships lined up and the sailors came to report to him. He laughed with pride, already trying to pick his flagship he was going to name the Howling Wolf.
"Lord Wylis has purchased ships?" Genna Lannister asked, standing right beside the brute of a Northern Man, quite unrefined, unlike her cherished giant.
"No, he's bought fish. Ha! Of course not, it's ships! My ships, mind you, for I'm the bloody admiral of this fleet!" Brandon laughed.
"And you know how to man a ship?" Genna asked.
"No idea."
"..."
Genna eyed the Stark man, trying to see if she heard right.
"Then how are you the admiral? And that's no title used in Westeros."
"Wylis said so, didn't he? Can't be that bloody hard. I'll have a pack of fine lads under me soon enough. He's already bought eight ships, and more are on the way. It'll be grand seeing them all together."
Genna eyed the small fleet and pondered.
"Lord Wylis desires more ships? Why?"
"Gods know why, who am I to stop him from spending his gold? He wants more ships? Let him have them. I'll have the biggest fleet in the North. A wolf who sails, that'll give the old Starks in their crypts something to gossip about."
Genna Lannister had a sharp mind, and it was already at work.
"Say, how many more ships does Lord Wylis want?"
"More the better, big, bigger!"
"..."
####
Riverrun,
Supper was an hour ago. Most had gone to sleep in their bedchambers, but Lysa couldn't sleep that night. She had to do something or else all her hard work would be for nothing. She'd worked so hard to reach there.
As soon as she'd heard Jon talking about seeking Lord Wylis to resolve the Riverlands' conflict, she knew her most cherished knight would visit Riverrun. She'd used the excuse of being homesick with Jon to leave King's Landing. And the fact that King's Landing reeked helped.
She'd arrived just on time, and now, she only had one night left. Sadly, she knew she couldn't do a lot, being heavily pregnant. But she still wanted to meet the man once and discuss the… future.
It was unknown to her if her lord husband would allow her to have more children. While her husband was incapable, she hoped Wylis would continue to give her the gift of motherhood. But if she gave birth to a son now, she was certain Jon wouldn't agree to more.
Now, she wanted to get an answer from Lord Wylis before trying to get Jon to agree to it.
And for that reason, she reached Lord Wylis' door in the middle of the night, guarded by two soldiers. It was impossible to stay hidden as the castle was brimming with activity. So, she'd made it as open as possible.
After knocking, she heard Lord Wylis' voice and walked inside. She told the guards to wait outside and pushed the door open.
Oh, Wylis.
The mere sight of the tall man made her feel things between her legs. She closed the door, even placed the lock softly so none outside would hear. Then she looked back at the man. He seemed taller, and with that growing beard, he seemed even greater, a man above men.
So big.
As she stepped closer, she once again remembered how tall Lord Wylis was. His broad shoulders could engulf her frame twice, while her face only reached his chest. She looked up with doe eyes.
"Lord Wylis, you're too kind to see me. I only hope my visit hasn't troubled your night."
"Not at all, my lady. I was just writing some ravens to home."
His voice… I needed to hear him. Please, call me by my name.
"The room's not much, but it'll do. Please, have a seat on the bed."
______________________
Check out Wylis X Lyanna Stark & Wylis X Ros & Rhaella NSFW ART, and advance chapters at [email protected]/MrPlotThickens Or Subscribestar.adult/mrplotthickens
Advance chapters on [PATREON] are in long-form format. I have 10 long chapters of this story on Patreon. That's equal to 24-28 Webnovel chapters.
Old Free Art on Discord: https://discord.gg/W5FdB6WXaP