The Twins were ugly.
Two squat castles sat on either bank of the Green Fork connected by a massive stone bridge. The river rushed beneath it, swollen and angry from the rains. The walls were high and thick, manned by four thousand Frey crossbowmen.
It was a choke point. The only way to cross the river for hundreds of miles.
Robb Stark sat on his horse looking at the fortifications. His face was grim.
"He will not open the gates," Robb said. "My scouts report that Walder Frey has raised the drawbridge. He is sitting in his hall waiting for us to beg."
Catelyn Stark rode up beside her son. She looked tired but determined.
"I will go," Lady Catelyn said. "I have known Lord Walder since I was a girl. He is a prickly man and proud. But he can be reasoned with. He will want a price."
"A price?" The Greatjon spat on the ground. "He owes us fealty! We should storm the walls and drag him out by his grey hair!"
"We cannot storm it," Roose Bolton said softly. "The bridge is narrow. They would cut us down like cattle in a chute."
Andar rode forward.
His artillery horses were restless. The ten cannons were lined up on the muddy bank three hundred yards from the western castle.
"Lady Catelyn," Andar said. "With respect, if you go in there you are negotiating from weakness. You are asking for a favor."
"We need the bridge Andar," Catelyn said sharply. "We have no time for pride."
"I am not talking about pride," Andar said. "I am talking about leverage."
He turned to Robb.
"Give me one hour My Lord. Do not send your mother. Send a messenger. Tell Lord Walder he has exactly one hour to lower the bridge or Deepwood Keep will open it for him."
Robb looked at the thick stone walls of the Twins.
"Andar those walls have stood for six hundred years."
"Then they are overdue for a renovation," Andar replied.
A single rider was sent to the gate. He shouted the ultimatum.
Laughter echoed from the battlements.
"Go home little wolves!" a Frey captain shouted down. "Lord Walder says you can swim if you are in such a hurry! Or maybe you can fly!"
The rider returned.
"They refused My Lord."
Andar nodded. He checked his pocket watch. It was a simple brass mechanism he had built himself.
"Major Jory," Andar said.
"Yes My Lord."
"Target the main gatehouse. The western tower. Use solid shot. We need to crack the shell before we use the explosive shells."
"Battery!" Jory shouted. "Load solid shot!"
The ten gun crews moved with practiced speed. They shoved the powder bags down the muzzles. They rammed the heavy iron balls on top. They spiked the vents.
The Northern army watched in silence. Twelve thousand men held their breath. Most of them had never seen a cannon fire. They thought Andar was bluffing.
"Elevation two degrees!" Jory commanded.
The gunners turned the screw handles, raising the black barrels.
"Fire!"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The ground jumped.
Smoke obscured the view for a second.
Then came the sound of impact.
CRASH.
It sounded like a giant swinging a hammer against the earth.
The stone masonry of the western gatehouse exploded.
The solid iron balls, traveling at supersonic speeds, smashed into the granite blocks. They did not bounce off. They shattered the stone. Dust and rock chips flew into the air.
One ball hit the wooden drawbridge directly. It punched a hole the size of a man through the thick oak planks and snapped the iron chains holding it up.
The bridge groaned and sagged.
"Reload!" Jory screamed.
"Fire!"
BOOM!
The second volley hit the same spot.
The structural integrity of the tower failed. A large crack appeared running from the foundation to the crenellations. A section of the wall crumbled, sliding into the moat with a massive splash.
The laughter from the battlements stopped instantly.
The Frey soldiers on the wall were screaming. They had never seen stone break like glass. They abandoned their posts running for cover.
Inside the castle Lord Walder Frey sat in his high seat. He felt the floor shake. dust fell from the ceiling into his wine.
"What is that?" Walder shrieked. "Is it an earthquake?"
"My Lord!" A knight burst into the hall his face white with terror. "They are knocking down the castle! They have dragons! Invisible dragons!"
"What?"
"The walls are falling! The gate is gone! My Lord if they fire again the tower will collapse on top of us!"
Back outside Andar watched the dust settle.
"Switch to explosive shells," Andar ordered. "Aim for the inner courtyard."
"Wait!"
Robb Stark rode up. He grabbed Andar's arm.
"Stop! Look!"
On the battlements a white flag was being waved frantically. It was a bedsheet tied to a spear.
The drawbridge, which was hanging by one chain, was lowered clumsily. The heavy portcullis groaned as it was raised.
A group of riders galloped out. It was not an army. It was Walder Frey's sons. Stevron Frey rode in the lead looking like he was about to vomit.
He rode straight to Robb and threw himself off his horse. He knelt in the mud.
"Mercy!" Stevron cried. "My father yields! The crossing is yours! Please stop the thunder! Please!"
Robb looked at the crumbling tower. He looked at the kneeling Frey. Then he looked at Andar.
There was no marriage pact. No toll. No hostages.
Just fear.
"Get up," Robb said his voice steady though his heart was racing. "Tell your father I want the army across before nightfall. And tell him..."
Robb glanced at the smoking black guns.
"...tell him that if he ever delays me again Lord Andar will finish the renovation."
Stevron nodded vigorously. "Yes My Grace! At once!"
[Quest Complete: The Crossing]
[Result: Unconditional Surrender]
[Casualties: 12 Frey Soldiers]
[Political Consequence: House Frey is terrified. No Red Wedding Setup (Yet).]
Catelyn Stark rode past Andar. She looked at the cannons with a mix of horror and respect.
"You were right," she whispered. "Leverage."
Andar bowed from his horse.
"Physics My Lady," Andar corrected. "It is the only law that matters."
The Northern army began to cross. The soldiers cheered as they passed the Iron Squad. They looked at the black coats with reverence.
They named the cannons as they passed.
"The King Breaker."
"The Wall Eater."
"The Frey Fucker."
Andar smiled at the last one.
He looked South. The road to Riverrun was open.
And Jaime Lannister was waiting.
....
Author Note
Hi guys! Thank you for reading my fanfiction.
I wanted to let you know that I'm releasing bonus chapters for Power Stones. Here are the goals:
25 Power Stones: 1 Bonus Chapters
50 Power Stones: 1 Bonus Chapters
75 Power Stones: 2 Bonus Chapters
100 Power Stones: 2 Bonus Chapters
Thanks for the support!