To be honest, when Wyman Manderly received the message from his granddaughter Vera via raven, he nearly choked on his Arbor Gold wine.
By the gods, what in the seven hells had Clay, that little rascal, done in Winterfell?
Slaughtering a Lannister like livestock in front of the Queen, even if Earl Wyman admitted he found it satisfying, he was also terrified by Clay's audacity.
Upon receiving the news, he immediately ordered the raven master to keep silent, not even informing his two sons who were training soldiers outside, even though Wendel Manderly was Clay's father.
The next morning at breakfast, he announced that he would be traveling to Winterfell, leaving his eldest son, Willis, in charge.
It was strange, but no one could disobey Earl Wyman.
And so, Clay's grandfather, accompanied by 100 of White Harbor's most elite fully armored heavy cavalry and 100 auxiliary soldiers, completed the journey in five days, a trip that had taken Clay and his companions over a week.
The news of his northward march had, of course, reached the Duke of Winterfell, Eddard Stark, long ago. The latter was helpless; the man was desperate to save his heir, and like himself, was a Northerner. He couldn't order Earl Wyman to turn back.
King Robert, who had originally planned to go hunting, canceled his trip upon hearing the news. The Northern cavalry from White Harbor had left a deep impression on him during the War of the Usurper.
As a king who had conquered the realm, Robert's veins were always filled with a violent bloodlust, so he preferred to see this troop rather than go hunting.
Standing on the tall arrow tower of Winterfell's east gate, King Robert and Eddard Stark, the Duke of Winterfell, stood together. His Majesty was wearing a huge fur cloak, and he cursed:
"Goddamn it! Ned, what the hell kind of place do you live in? It's summer! Summer! I bet King's Landing isn't even as cold as this in winter. How do you Northerners survive?"
The Duke of Winterfell smiled wryly. He looked at the portly figure of his former brother and said in a low voice: "Your Majesty, the Northerners, the House Stark, are already used to all this. We will survive."
"I know... I know... You Starks are all a bunch of stubborn people, cold as stone."
The two fell silent. Eddard knew very well that Robert was thinking of Lyanna again. Ever since he came to Winterfell, every blade of grass and every tree here could remind Robert of his deceased fiancée.
Eddard was the same, except that he could be with his sister at all times.
From this high tower, only the banners of the Crowned Stag and the Direwolf were visible; thankfully, the detested Lannister flag was nowhere to be seen.
About ten minutes passed, and then the melodious sound of horns echoed in the distance.
Deep blue banners bearing the image of a mermaid appeared before the King and the Duke of Winterfell.
Wyman Manderly, the lord of White Harbor, led his troops toward the King's presence.
When the troops advanced to a distance where Robert could clearly see them, he glanced at Eddard Stark in surprise and asked with a hint of confusion:
"Seven Hells, Ned, is this the army of your vassal? Why is their equipment so damn good! I thought I'd only see such a sight in old Tywin's army."
As the Lord of the North, the Duke Eddard naturally knew the strength of his vassals, so he was only slightly surprised by this well-equipped cavalry. He didn't show too much emotion.
He patted the King on the shoulder and explained: "Your Majesty, House Manderly… after all, they hold White Harbor, which is the fifth-largest city in Westeros. It's perfectly reasonable that they can support such an army."
"I had an army just like that back in the day. We could have stormed King's Landing and wiped out those dragon spawn in a month," Robert said viciously.
Eddard Stark frowned slightly and said in a low voice, "You already did, Your Grace."
"No... no, not enough. You know, Ned, across the Narrow Sea, the last of the dragon's blood still hides there. I want to wipe them out!" The King's voice was not loud, but anyone could hear the still-burning anger and the indelible hatred within it.
Eddard Stark didn't want to bring up this topic and could only say, "Your Grace, I should go see Wyman Manderly."
"Go, go, Ned. Tell that old eel not to cause trouble for the Queen. After all, give me some face. Wyman can take that boy and his sister away anytime; the Lannisters wouldn't dare to stop him."
Eddard Stark felt that the last sentence was the most kingly thing Robert had said all day.
Down at the front of the procession sat a large, luxurious carriage. Lord Wyman ordered the column to halt.
Through the carriage window, he could already see the 500 Winterfell knights arrayed before them. His liege lord was mounted, standing beneath a great Direwolf banner, gazing at him from afar.
Since the purpose had been achieved, Lord Wyman spoke to the coachman. Without taking any guards, he went towards the Direwolf banner alone.
From a distance, his deep, gravelly voice boomed out, "Your Grace!"
When Lord Wyman got closer, Eddard Stark gave a slight nod and dismounted.
Lord Wyman knew how much trouble his actions had caused his liege lord, so he was quite direct, bowing down in a salute.
Eddard Stark, knowing what he was there for, didn't make things difficult. He pulled him up and they exchanged pleasantries as they entered Winterfell.
"Your Grace, that Clay fellow..." Lord Wyman cautiously asked.
"That grandson of yours really knows how to cause trouble, but he's a lot smarter than your other two sons."
He only said that much, not caring whether Wyman Manderly understood or not, and directly led the old lord towards the dungeon.
The King was right. Although he understood Lord Wyman's actions, in a certain sense, House Manderly's move was a bit like pressuring the King. If the Queen kicked up a fuss, the King, though he might want to, couldn't support such behavior.
So, a quick resolution was needed. Quickly have Lord Wyman take his grandchildren and leave, to avoid further trouble.
Walking without hesitation, Duke Eddard's pace was fast, causing Lord Wyman, who was even wider than Robert, to sweat as he followed.
Arriving in front of the dungeon, the White Harbor Guard had just seen Duke Eddard and were about to salute when they saw their own Lord's figure appear as well. Everyone immediately lowered their heads, pretending to be quails.
The heir to White Harbor was thrown into the dungeon, and the noble lady was harassed by a Lannister. To say that these guards had no responsibility was something even they themselves wouldn't believe.
Panting heavily, Lord Wyman looked at the White Harbor Guard, snorted heavily, glared at them, and then followed Eddard Stark down into the dungeon. The heir was the priority now; these people could be dealt with later.
As he approached Clay's room, Duke Eddard's pace slowed. His nose told him someone was drinking, and his ears told him there were three people inside, all voices he knew well.
His face flushed, and he kicked the cell door open, glaring at the three people merrily drinking inside.
The youths' smiles froze on their faces.
....
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