Chapter 13 Never Forget
Light Whisper City, the Lord's council chamber.
Lord Glynn, Ser Pell, Knight Ma, Maester Al, Steward Hershel, and Aempa sat together, discussing the "Eastward Advance" plan to reclaim their old lands.
A large map of the eastern Crackclaw Point was spread across the center of the table.
The plan had been discussed nearly to completion. Glynn pondered for a moment before speaking: "Reclaiming our old lands constitutes a long expedition, so securing military supplies is of the utmost importance. At every interval... let's use half a day's journey at a normal marching pace as the standard... we must establish a camp protected by a wooden palisade, advancing step by step."
"Gentlemen, it has been over a decade since House Clegane has undertaken a long-distance campaign away from its own territory. In the past, our battles have all occurred near our lands, where it was easy to replenish food supplies and wounded soldiers could receive timely treatment."
"It's different once you leave home. You are always surrounded by enemies you might face at a moment's notice. If our military supplies are not guaranteed, we could very well collapse on our own before the fighting even begins. We would lose before the war even started. As the commander of the army, the security of military supplies must always be the top priority. The commanders of House Clegane must engrave this in their hearts."
The men replied solemnly, "Yes, my Lord!"
"Pell, your Scouting Party needs to set out in advance to gather intelligence along the route. The Scouting Party must also select sites for our future camps. When choosing a location for a camp, you must consider all factors, such as terrain and water sources. I will lead the main army out in three days."
Glynn rose to his feet, and the others quickly stood up with him.
Glynn slowly swept his gaze over each person and said, "To reclaim our ancestral lands, our unity is our fortress!"
"Yes! To reclaim our ancestral lands, our unity is our fortress!"
"To reclaim our ancestral lands, our unity is our fortress!"
"To reclaim our ancestral lands, our unity is our fortress!"
...
Just as the war council concluded and the others had left the hall, Steward Hershel stayed behind to report on other affairs of the territory to Glynn.
The affairs of the territory were numerous and complicated, so Steward Hershel could only report them one by one.
As Glynn was listening with rapt attention, the great door to the council chamber was suddenly pushed open. Surana's tall figure appeared in the doorway.
Surana curtsied and said, "Pardon the intrusion, my master. I thought the meeting had ended."
Glynn's calm gaze shifted to Surana. "Surana, is it something urgent?"
"Your cousin, Lyanna Clegane..."
Before Surana could finish, another tall figure appeared at the door.
The newcomer was slender and bore a striking resemblance to Glynn. This was none other than Glynn's cousin whom Surana had just mentioned—Lyanna Clegane.
Glynn had just risen from his chair when the travel-worn Lyanna Clegane threw herself into his arms, sobbing with a voice full of grievance.
Glynn tried to guess what might have happened, but he said nothing. He simply placed a hand on Lyanna's back, patting it gently, silently soothing her emotions.
After a long while, Surana walked over, whispered a few words of comfort, and helped Lyanna Clegane into a nearby chair. She then picked up a wine cup and poured a measure of red wine for Lyanna.
Glynn waited quietly until Lyanna had downed the large cup of red wine in several gulps before he spoke. "Lyanna, tell me, why are you so heartbroken? I am here."
Lyanna's eyes glistened with tears. "Wushou'er Maika wants to annul our marriage," she sobbed.
Wushou'er's full name was Wushou'er Maika, a merchant from Gulltown in the Vale. Lyanna Clegane had been married to Wushou'er Maika of Gulltown about four years ago, an arrangement made by Glynn's mother.
How could Lyanna, a noblewoman, marry a merchant?
After the Usurper's War, the Hand of the King, Lord Jon Arryn of the Vale, had never relaxed his suppression of the Targaryen loyalists on Crackclaw Point, and the powers of the Vale naturally followed suit.
Glynn's mother had struggled to maintain the oppressed House Clegane. After ten years of perseverance, the exhausted woman chose a dignified compromise: she pushed the newly-flowered Lyanna Clegane towards a marriage alliance with the nobility of the Vale.
The nobility of the Vale looked down upon the 'half-Wildling' nobles of Crackclaw Point. As a second-best option, Glynn's mother had no choice but to select the merchant Wushou'er Maika, who was said to have maintained good relations with the various nobles in Gulltown.
Strictly speaking, this marriage alliance was a humiliation for House Clegane.
After nearly ten years of blockading and suppressing the nobles of Crackclaw Point, the nobility of the Vale had long lost their initial fervor. Ten years of continuous blockade and oppression, coupled with this humiliation, was enough to demonstrate their loyalty to the Hand of the King, Lord Jon Arryn. They could finally ease their grip.
House Clegane had indeed lost face as a noble house, but the marriage alliance did ease relations with the Vale. The blockade on House Clegane was lifted, and traveling merchants began to enter House Clegane's territory, bringing all sorts of necessary goods. The hides produced by House Clegane could also be sold at normal prices to traveling merchants from all over.
The sacrifice of Lyanna Clegane's marriage in exchange for a moment of respite for House Clegane had, from beginning to end, already planted the deep seeds of hatred.
It was just that House Clegane was too weak and insignificant at the time for anyone to care.
...
"My cousin, why does he want to annul the marriage?"
"'*Sob*... I only found out later,' she choked. 'A noble widow from Runestone has taken a fancy to Wushou'er Maika! That widow has no children. If he divorces me, their legitimate child can inherit the title.'"
Hearing this answer, Glynn's long fingers, which were resting on his knees, clenched.
Lyanna continued, "'Because of our marriage, I was already ridiculed by the people of the Vale. If I'm divorced, how can I live with myself?... Naturally, I wouldn't agree. He even raised his hand against me. I became truly afraid, so I waited for him to leave the house, and then I secretly fled back here with my Handmaiden,' she sobbed."
Glynn's eyes narrowed slightly. "It seems the people of the Vale truly hold us in no regard."
Surana, her heart aching for Lyanna, said indignantly, "Damned people of the Vale, they should all have their necks bitten off by the Others! That vile little man Wushou'er Maika thinks that just by divorcing Lyanna and marrying that shameless noble widow, he'll become one of the nobility of the Vale. He thinks House Clegane won't dare to retaliate and will just have to swallow the insult."
Lyanna nodded tearfully. That was right. That damned bastard thought exactly that.
Glynn rubbed the bridge of his nose and looked directly at Lyanna. "Cousin Lyanna, no one in Light Whisper City has for a single day forgotten your contribution. You are my family. After you were married, your room was kept exactly as it was. Someone was assigned to clean it, as if you had never left home."
Glynn, as the Lord, had made his stance clear. Instantly, Lyanna's eyes welled with hot tears. "Glynn..."
Lyanna had been extremely anxious on the journey back. When she was married off, Glynn was only eleven years old, frail and thin.
Glynn's mother had passed away, and Glynn, whom she remembered only vaguely, had inherited the territory and become the Lord. Lyanna dared not optimistically imagine how Glynn would treat her after hearing of her plight.
Lyanna felt she had shamed her House and had no face to meet Glynn. But in the end, she found that besides Light Whisper City, she had nowhere else to go.
Only the thought of Light Whisper City, derided by outsiders as a Wildling village, could bring Lyanna a sense of security.
So, Lyanna had come, heedless of everything.
The cousin she had not seen in four years had grown up. His steady and calm demeanor was reassuring.
Glynn reached out and gently took Lyanna's slender, cold hand. "Lyanna, this will always be your home."
"Let me ask you, if I were to send you Wushou'er Maika's head, would that make you feel any better?"
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