Berna Brunn of Dread Hollow Keep had once served as squire to Lord Alyn Stokeworth, Earl of Stokeworth and Hand of King Aegon I.
During the Battle of the Trident at Ruby Ford in Robert's Rebellion, the Crabb family of the Crab Claw Peninsula and the Brunns had fought side by side for Prince Rhaegar Targaryen.
Both were once paragons of loyalty to House Targaryen—trusted among the trusted.
Under the new Baratheon dynasty, both had fared poorly—truly the wretched among the wretched.
Perched atop a sheer cliff over forty meters high, the heavy gates of Dread Hollow Keep remained tightly shut. Gawen quickly abandoned any plan of storming the place outright.
To take a well-fortified castle by conventional means would be too costly. War for dominion could not avoid sieges, and without dragons, Gawen would have to devise more unconventional ways to breach such defenses.
He was not prepared for a siege of Dread Hollow Keep; if there was an opening to profit, he would seize it, but if not, he would walk away without hesitation.
He consoled himself: We're all poor lords here. No need for the poor to make life harder for the poor.
"When someone dares to challenge you, you must answer with iron and blood. But when they kneel in submission, you must lift them up with your own hand—otherwise no one will ever bow to you again."
Recalling those words, he turned to Ser Masson."Masson, I'll leave the rest to you. Ransom for the Brunn captives will follow the usual rules. For the sake of the days when we fought side by side for the Targaryens, we'll let them off this once—warn them there will not be a second time."
Masson inclined his head in acknowledgment.
Gawen then quietly instructed Ser Pell:"The prisoners will be escorted by Emparro. Your scouts will remain to strike at the wildling tribes—especially those allied with House Brunn. As before, destroy their settlements and relocate their people. We need farmers for the reclaimed Crabb lands."
The semi-military farmstead system Gawen envisioned would soon be implemented in the reclaimed Crabb territories under Ser Masson's oversight.
In time, such farmsteads would spread across every arable stretch of the eastern Crab Claw Peninsula.
"Yes, my lord."
Gawen nodded. "The wildling tribes near the old Crabb lands have lost their main fighting strength. They won't put up much resistance, but I still expect you to treat every fight with care. Recruit good hunters into your scouts—gather men as you strike. This is a rare chance to train troops."
Pell answered, "My lord, I will follow your orders. And the Brunns…?"
Gawen twitched the reins, his horse moving off; Pell spurred his own to ride alongside.
"Pell, you're always easy to speak with. Yes—though we lost this time, the Brunns will not bow to me. For a while, no force will threaten the old Crabb lands. It's the perfect time to digest our gains. Also… the twenty warhorses I've chosen will go back with me; the rest I'm assigning to you. Your scouts need speed more than anyone."
He glanced again at Dread Hollow Keep."Our steps cannot halt. We must keep raiding to feed the people of our old and new holdings. We've expanded too quickly—our farmland can't feed all our folk."
"In the eastern Crab Claw Peninsula, only the Brunns can still trouble us. I won't allow it. One master is enough for these lands—and it will be Crabb."
"Masson will remain to oversee development. I'll order him to support your campaigns—start with the wildling tribes friendly to the Brunns. One by one, press them until House Brunn is penned in, unable to move, until they kneel… or vanish."
A smile touched Gawen's lips as he clapped Pell's shoulder."I'm bound for King's Landing soon. I can't be in two places at once. I'll rely on you. Luckily, you've always been the one whose loyalty and skill I trust most."
"Ser Pell—for the glory of House Crabb."
Pell's expression grew solemn. He placed a hand over his chest and bowed his head."My sword is forever at your service."
Mondon Waters carried his great round shield on his back, his warhammer slung at his waist, chewing on a smoked sausage.
Beside him, Raina sighed."Mondon, will you never be full? You're always eating."
Mondon answered with a sheepish grin, "Ah, I'm afraid of going hungry. Back then, I was never full. Things are much better now. Since following the lord, I've never gone without."
Raina rolled her pretty eyes."Never full before, yet still this fat!"
Mondon scratched the back of his head. "Heh, heh…"
Her eyes glinted with mischief. "Mondon, if you keep eating this much… you'd better watch out, or the lord will punish you."
Mondon's eyes went wide, dull panic setting in. "I… I know I've got a big appetite… should I go confess to the lord myself?"
Raina let out a derisive snort, then burst into helpless laughter, clutching her stomach, leaving Mondon looking even more confused.
Thankfully, Gawen's voice cut in just in time:"Mondon, Raina's joking with you."
Gawen walked over and ruffled Raina's hair."He'll take you seriously."
Raina yelped and crouched, clutching her head, while Gawen discreetly glanced at his own hand.
Suddenly, Mondon blurted out, "My lord! Raina's not really hurt—she's faking! I saw her! She smiled just now—I saw it!"
Mondon's beast-like instinct had told him from the first day in Gawen's service that discipline was tied to his future.
To him, Gawen was the first man who didn't mind his gluttony—and the first who'd never let him go hungry.
So he chewed on, hammering the rules into his not-too-clever head by rote.
Earlier, he'd been momentarily fooled by cunning Raina. Now that he'd realized overeating wasn't against regulations, he felt free to retaliate.
He stomped in mock outrage, his belly jiggling like waves of flesh.
Since when did this big lug get clever?
Raina, pitiful now, pleaded, "Lord Gawen, I beg your pardon… I…"
Mondon scratched his head—perhaps he'd gone too far.
Gawen waved a hand helplessly."Go on, get him something more to eat. He'll forgive you instantly."
King's Landing – a corridor in the Red Keep
Tyrion Lannister sat on the marble balustrade at the edge of the passage, his short legs swinging.
Cup in hand, his cheeks flushed from wine."Brother, think of something pleasant for once. You worry too much. Sometimes I wonder if your devotion to our sister isn't… unnatural."
Jaime Lannister cast another uneasy glance toward Cersei's chambers, then sighed and perched on the railing beside him, handsome features still shadowed with anger."King Robert… he's forgotten what honor is. I've lost count of how many times he's laid hands on her."
Tyrion scooted closer, patting Jaime's arm."You need to understand why I stopped you. If you got involved, it would only end worse."
Jaime rubbed his face with both hands."Tyrion, you're always so clever and rational."
Tyrion's gaze deepened, his tone unusually sober."Our sister thinks herself Tywin with a pair of balls. She's far from it. Father was cold and unshakable as a glacier. Cersei… when her temper rises, she's wildfire. And our King and Queen—two blazing flames. Touch them together, and they only burn hotter."
Jaime sighed again, long and deep."I just want Cersei to live happily."
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🔥 The Throne's Last Flame — A Song Forged in Ice and Wrath 🔥
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