Chapter 55: Chapter 24: A Lion Does Not Bow (Part 2)

2 Weeks Later

Casterly Rock, Seat of House Lannister

Loren Lannister stood on the balcony of the tower, overlooking the vastness of the Sunset Sea, the sky as golden as the golden lion that adorned the banners of the tower.

Sumner Crakehall stood behind him,strong, broad shouldered and nearly seven feet tall he stood, his long white hair shaking in the wind. Lord Rickard Reyne was present as well, a huge white beard covering his fleshy chin and jowls, though they did little to hide the scars Lord Reyne had sustained upon the field of fire over two decades prior.

‘’A raven from the capitol….I trust you know its contents’’  Sumner Crakehall said curtly.

Loren nodded at that, his eyes not leaving the vastness of the sunset sea.

‘’I shall read it all the same.’’ Crakehall said, unfurling the scroll.

‘’By the order of King Vaemond Targaryen, first of his name, King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm, Lord Paramount Loren Lannister, Lord of the Westerlands and Warden of the West is summoned to King's Landing to stand before the charge of attempting to murder his Grace, the King. If Lord Paramount Loren Lannister heeds these summons he will be given the opportunity to take the black and serve as a brother of the Night's Watch, forfeiting all lands and titles to his firstborn son Damon Lannister, failure to present himself will be seen as an act of defiance leading to war.’’ Sumner Crakehall read slowly.

‘’Lord Paramount……’’ Loren began quietly, his voice dripping with venom.

‘’For two decades I have suffered that damnable title…..for two decades I have bided my time’’ He continued before pausing, his eyes gazing at a passing ship.

‘’I was a King once….before my crown was taken from me upon the field of fire, but the Targaryen dragons are weak, Balerion and Aegon were swallowed by our own seas, the boy kings mothers is dead and her dragon roams free, and his aunt lays dying of cancer in Storms End.’’ Loren continued.

‘’The three children all have dragons of their own.’’ Sumner replied.

‘’Suckling babes, if the boy is fool enough to bring them to battle a lance to their heart will end their line once and for all.’’ Rickard Reyne said confidently.

‘’Vaemond offers me my life, a place among the night's watch, no doubt his idea of charity…but he seems to have forgotten that the Lannisters always pay their debts, and I owe the crown a large debt for the field of fire…I do not take what life is offered…I shall make my own.’’ Loren said.

‘’My lord?’’ Sumner asked.

‘’Send a raven to Vaemond Targaryen that Loren Lannister, King of the Rock and Westerlands denies his summons, inform him that he is to return my old crown to Casterly Rock within the fortnight in exchange for my hostage….and inform him if he is so eager for a war then he is free to march west, and be the second Targaryen King to meet his end here.’’ The King of the Rock said, a hint of a smile forming on his aged face.

‘’Shall I raise the banners Loren?’’ Rickard Reyne said, a look of approval on his face.

Loren nodded ‘’All fifty thousand of them.’’

‘’You mentioned a hostage?’’ Sumner Crakehall said with confusion.

‘’Matarys Targaryen is currently in Fair Isle being hosted by Lord Robert Farman, send a raven to Lord Farman and have him seize the princeling. I will exchange him for the crown of the Rock which the Targaryens stole from me…..after he spends the war in a dungeon of course.’’ Loren said.

‘’A clever plan….the lamb has wandered into the snakepit.’’ Sumner said with a chuckle.

‘’The Lion Pit….Lord Crakehall…the Lion pit.’’ Loren responded, the hint of a smile returning to his face.

‘’Rickard…you have many preparations to make….Lord Crakehall, summon Maester Kenrick, he will be writing a great many ravens today…if it comes to war with young Vaemond Targaryen, the Westerlands will not stand alone.’’

Both lords nodded and went to see to their tasks.

Loren returned to the balcony, the golden sky mixing with the red horizon, the colors of his house.

The Lion does not bow Loren Lannister thought to himself as the passing ship made its way further out to sea.

Two Days Later

Feast Hall of Faircastle, Fair Isle

Lord Farman kept a fine table. New courses being served as frequently as waves on a beach. Breaded cod, jellied eels, oysters, and roasted seabirds making up much of the feast's courses, served alongside warm bread.

Matarys had always been an individual of exceptional appetite, and that appetite had not diminished now that he sat as the guest of honor within Fair Isle, which meant Matarys was served the courses second only to Lord Farman and his wife, Lady Tarbeck, the choicest parts of the courses still remaining.

Matarys enjoyed each feast thoroughly, gorging himself until the point of nausea and sometimes beyond, yet thoroughly replenished by the time the next day's feast came around. Ser Garmon Hightower, his Kingsguard escort sat at his right, dutifully making sure to have at least one bite of each course to show his appreciation to their host.

It was to be their last feast, Matarys had scattered his mothers ashes in the sunset sea on one of Lord Farmans galeys the previous day, and they would be leaving upon the morrow. It had been an eerie feeling to be just miles from where his father had died, holding what remained of his mother. Matarys had sensed that he would be afflicted by terrible dreams and had taken some essence of nightshade from Maester Ottyn to avoid them.

The aforementioned Maester, a man with a  thick brown beard approached Lord Farman and whispered in his ear.

Lord Farman stood suddenly and turned to Matarys and Ser Garmon ‘’Pray excuse me.’’

Matarys paid him little mind, that just meant there was one less person to share the next course with, Ser Garmon Hightower watched him leave with suspicion however.

‘’It must be an important raven to make Lord Farman to forget his courtesies, it is most irregular to leave ones guests at table.’’ The Kingsguard said quietly.

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‘’Perhaps he had to shit.’’ Matarys said between bites, a bit too loudly and Lady Tarbeck looked at him oddly.

Ser Garmon did not look convinced but dutifully cut himself a small portion of the next course of lobster.

Matarys found himself thinking of his unborn child, wondering if it would be a boy or a girl.

I will love them whatever it is Matarys swore to himself.

Lord Farman had returned, his face paler than usual.

‘’Lord Matarys….there was a raven, I would ask you to join me in my solar.’’ The man said quietly.

Matarys struggled out from his chair, his belt buckle straining, Ser Garmon Hightower followed close behind.

The trio made their way up a circling flight of stairs to Lord Farmans solar, which had an open air window overlooking the sunset sea.

‘’I received a raven from my liege lord Loren Lannister in Casterly Rock…..a raven detailing certain instructions.’’ Lord Farman said.

‘’Instructions?’’ Matarys inquired.

‘’Instructions to take you into custody, and deliver you to Casterly Rock where you will be imprisoned….it shall likely come to war between your brother and my liege lord…you are to be a hostage.’’ Lord Farman said, grabbing the back of his chair, which was topped by two small silver ships with two hands.

Matarys had no idea of how to respond to that, and found himself studying the small specks of the feast that still adorned Lord Farmans jerkin.

Ser Garmon Hightower responded first ‘’You understand that by warning me of this beforehand, as a member of the Kingsguard I am honor bound to defend Prince Matarys, even if it should it mean my death.’’

‘’I admire your dedication to your oath Ser Garmon.’’ Lord Farman said.

Suddenly a realization came to Matarys’s mind ‘’When we came to your hall, you welcomed us with bread and salt, we are protected by guest right.’’

Lord Farman gave a small nod ‘’I am aware Prince…..It is because of this I will not be following my Lord of Lannisters instructions.’’

‘’You won't?’’ Matarys said with relief.

Lord Farman made his way to the window ‘’I am a man that takes my oaths very seriously, I swore an oath to Loren Lannister as his vassal….but I also swore an oath to your brother the King as well…..and to your father.’’

‘’You knew him?’’ Matarys asked.

Lord Farman nodded slowly ‘’My castle was the last place your father visited before he perished…..I was the last of his vassals he ever conversed with…..I admired him, in the short time I knew him I found him to be a just and wise King…and I will not repay the honor he showed my house with his visit by betraying him and condemning his son to a dungeon cell in the bowels of Casterly Rock.’’

‘’Your words are a testament to your temperament Lord Farman.’’ Ser Garmon said graciously.

‘’I shall arrange a fishing sloop to take both you and Ser Garmon north to Seaguard in the Riverlands….and I shall inform Lord Lannister you both slipped away before you could be apprehended.’’ Lord Farman continued.

‘’And what of my men, I have a sizable escort.’’ Matarys questioned.

‘’The only ships large enough to transport the hundred knights that rode with you are ships of my own fleet, if you two were too slip away I could conceivably say you acted alone, but if you and your entire escort were to escape…Im afraid I would not be able to feign ignorance.’’ Lord Farman said sadly.

‘’They are good men, loyal men.’’ Matarys protested.

‘’I am sorry….I shall see that they are treated gently and given the opportunity to ransom themselves as befits their rank.’’ Lord Farman replied.

Matarys was silent at that.

‘’In truth…..I care little for my own life, but if my liege Lord should find out about my involvement I fear for my family….I have two daughters…they are all that remain to me after my son's death’’  The Lord of Faire Isle said.

‘’Send them north to Seaguard, I shall have my own wife educate them in the capitol….I swear that they shall remain safe….but I am not leaving without my men….your oath of guest right applies to them as much as me, either all of us leave or none of us.’ Matarys said with determination.

Lord Farman was silent for a good long while before at last he nodded ‘’I shall provide you with one of my war galleys…I will not break my oaths….but I shall hold you to your own oath that my daughters remain safe.’’

‘’I swear on my honor you shall be repaid for this when the war ends.’’ Matarys pledged.

‘’Fulfilling one's duty does not require payment my Prince, it will be enough for me that you would inform him of what has happened here today, the men of house Farman will fight on opposite sides of the field from the Dragon Banner, I ask he consider my actions here today when the time for judgment comes at the war's end.’’ Lord Farman said.

‘’My brother is a generous man….he will not forget your honor.’’ Matarys promised.

‘’If you mean to take your entire guard with you you must leave tonight while the castle sleeps and not in the morrow, I will have your galley provisioned and ready by midnight.’’ Lord Farman said.

Ser Garmon nodded acknowledgement at that.

Lord Farman extended a hand and Matarys, ignoring it, embraced the man as a son might a father.

The Lord of Fair Isle was too shocked to do much else but awkwardly stood there before gently disentangling himself.

‘’Fair winds Prince.’’ Lord Farman said as Matarys and the Kingsguard left the hall.

That night, while the castle slept, the galley Blue Wind quietly disembarked from the docks of Fair Isle, heading north to Seaguard, where Matarys and Ser Garmon could do little but hope the Tullys would remain loyal.

War had come to Westeros.

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