Just as Loras left with half of the Tyrell army, Jon had Hoster take the Frey Family army for a patrol as well.
In just a few days, the massive army beneath Casterly Rock had been reduced by half.
Jon's strategy was progressing steadily, though many held the same view as Loras—that it was simply unreliable.
Thus, Rickard and Brynden could no longer hold back and sought out Jon, accompanied by Jeyne's father, Gawen.
Rickard was the first to speak, saying, "Jon—Lord Stark, we should recall Loras's army. Whether there are reinforcements in the south, Daven only needs to send a raven to find out. There is truly no need for us to do this."
Considering Jon had saved Harrion and resolved a great deal of trouble for The North, Rickard tried his best to make his words sound gentle. Had it been anyone else, he would have started cursing; if Harrion had proposed such a plan, he likely would have lashed him with a horsewhip.
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"Indeed, Jon. We understand you want to minimize Soldier casualties as much as possible, but this plan is truly, truly—" The word "stupid" was on the tip of Brynden's tongue, but he couldn't bring himself to say it.
After all, if not for him, The Westerlands would never have had a unified and powerful command. Even if Jon had attacked from the south, it wouldn't have mattered; many Families who had lost their backbone would have surrendered at the first sign of trouble.
Jon looked at Gawen, who had remained silent, and asked, "Does Lord Gawen think so as well?"
Gawen, nearly fifty years old, bowed and said, "Lord Stark, this tactic is truly unlikely to succeed. If we cannot breach Casterly Rock, we should start our assault from the south. I believe that with your martial prowess and strategic brilliance, conquering parts of The Westerlands other than Casterly Rock and Casterly Rock will not be a problem."
Jon looked at the three men before him, whose combined ages were nearly two hundred, and said with a smile, "My lords, I am pleased that you did not stay in the camp waiting to see me made a fool of, but instead spoke your minds to advise me. However, please trust me; my plan does not end here. I never intended to rely solely on this to make Daven move the garrison out of Casterly Rock."
Hearing that Jon had further plans, the three immediately listened intently.
However, Jon did not tell them about the ravens, as it would be far too inconceivable for ordinary people.
"In two more days, Ser Loras should be back. When he returns, have him take the rest of the Tyrell army and set out again. Ser Brynden, I must trouble you to lead the Riverlands army and retreat toward Riverrun. This play must continue."
According to the information Jon had scouted, the army at Casterly Rock had just transferred three thousand men. Furthermore, there were a large number of miners who could be brought up to the battlements.
He had to keep acting with them until the number of Soldiers in Casterly Rock dropped below a certain threshold.
On the other side, inside Casterly Rock, bright candles were lit in Daven's room. A noblewoman dressed in a silk-waisted gown stood before him.
Looking closely, one would notice that the silk on the noblewoman's hips was somewhat frayed, looking as if it had been worn several times.
Although the gold mines near Casterly Rock were rich, they were all assets belonging to Casterly Rock. Not a single grain of gold from the Casterly Rock mines would fall into the coffers of Lefford Family.
This resulted in them being not particularly wealthy, despite having a rich gold mine nearby.
"Three thousand!? Ser Daven, why send away half the army all at once?" Lady Lefford found it very hard to accept when she learned of Daven's intention.
She instinctively took a step forward but failed to notice a wrinkle in the carpet beneath her feet. She nearly stumbled, but fortunately, Daven was quick enough to catch her.
————
"Who laid this carpet! Drag them out and beat them to death!" Daven roared at those outside.
The Lannisters had always been cold and harsh toward servants. Once, when Robert had been a guest at Casterly Rock, he had slept with a maid.
The maid gave birth to twins; the twins were dashed to death, and the maid was sold off.
Daven was naturally the same, but the Lady Lefford he was holding now had a flush on her face. Such a man gave her a greater sense of security.
After regaining her footing, Lady Lefford met Daven's gaze and instinctively pulled her clothes tighter, as if this could better accentuate her curves.
And Daven knew this would be the case.
In "Tywin's" letter, Tywin requested that Daven get close to Lady Lefford, stating that the current army in Casterly Rock was primarily composed of Lefford Family's forces.
Only by stabilizing Alyssane Lefford could Casterly Rock be better secured.
The reasoning was also sound: now that the Lannisters were in their most difficult time, if Jon were to use the gold mines as a condition to have Lefford open the gates, wouldn't they be in danger?
Daven also fully agreed with this point, though he was surprised that Tywin actually explained the reason to him. This lord of casterly rock had always been decisive; an order was an order, and he never offered explanations.
Thinking of Tywin's words, Daven spoke to comfort her, "My Lady, though we have sent away half the army, there are still three thousand miners in training. It won't be long before they become qualified Soldiers. Besides, that bastard certainly won't attack Casterly Rock. Half of his army has already been moved south; isn't it perfect that we've also sent out half our army? Rest assured, Lord Tywin has already arranged everything. The site of the final battle is in the southern Westerlands. We have nothing to fear."
Hearing Daven's explanation, Lady Lefford nodded weakly and agreed to go explain things to the people of Lefford Family.
Her eyes flickered as she said, "Ser Daven, Lefford Family still has some personal guards. I can hand them over to you as well. However, the children always cry and fuss at night. May I bring them to stay closer to you?"
"My Lady, this... rest assured, although I have moved half the army, the remaining manpower is sufficient. You and the children may stay peacefully in your original rooms."
In Daven's view, even if Tywin wanted him to be close to Lefford, it wouldn't go as far as getting into her bed.
Otherwise, the people of Lefford Family would likely think he was "bullying them too much." Their lord had just died in battle for their Lannister liege, and he would be dallying with the man's widow? That could very well trigger a mutiny in the city.
Before leaving, Lady Lefford gave Daven a deep look, her eyes seductive under the candlelight.
She absolutely adored the golden beard on Daven's chin; it was exactly like the image of The Father in her heart.
Suddenly, footsteps were heard outside the room. The two instinctively moved apart as Daven's personal guard entered.
"Ser, our scouts have brought word that the Riverlands army has also withdrawn."
"Mhm, I see." Daven nodded and said, "Continue monitoring."
"As you command!"
Watching the soldier leave, Daven thought that if Jon continued to move troops south, he might consider asking Tywin if he needed more reinforcements.
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