The Redfish (Chapter 13) (Patreon)

Ghosts of Harrenhal

Edmure POV

It was few days until the tourney starts. Everything was prepared, the rooms for guests, the grounds of the tourney, and so on. Looking through one of the glass windows of the Tower of Ghosts, I saw many banners. My own houses Trout, Stark’s Direwolf, Martell’s spear piercing the red sun. There are many other banners, but Frey’s Twin Towers and Lannister’s Lion were crucial to me.

Harrenhal was in all his glory after getting stonemasons and other workers to fix the five towers and walls with gates. Other towers and buildings were dismantled for stone and to make more room on the ground. The windows were made of clear glass. The whole castle looked cleaner and even more spacious than ever.

Climbing up and down the stairs of towers was quite an exercise. That was why my squire Sam was doing. I ordered him to climb up and down every tower, and he must be done before breakfast. What I didn’t expect was for Jon and one of Oberyn’s bastard daughters to join him.

Well, he finally made friends, at least. I hoped Sam and Robb become closer, but Robb had made an impression on many other little lordlings and squires. Arya was just a girl of four. She was together with Bran and barely left Catelyn’s side. Sansa was immersed in festivities and other ladies of prominent houses.

Taking one last look at the gates, I climbed down. Walking into the dining hall, I sat next to my father and sister. Arianne was sitting with her family. Oberyn showed himself just a week ago. It was suspicious, but I didn’t put that in my mind.

Looking at other tables, I took notice of who wasn’t there. The king will come the next day with his retinue. What surprised me was that Lord Walder Frey has not shown himself yet. Almost all his children and grandchildren have come, but he hasn’t.

Well, it didn’t matter much. My target was Lord Walder’s firstborn son, ser Stevron Frey. Even if he was one of the better Freys, he has to die for my plan to work. In this world, people die no matter what kind of person they are. I am no different. To survive and let my family prosper, the Freys must die.

“Brother, did you really need to spend so much for this tourney?” Catelyn asks me.

“No, probably not, but it is worth every penny I spend,” I answer her with a smile. “Look at your children enjoying themselves. It isn’t like we can’t effort a lit bit of expenditure.”

“I hoped to see Lysa too,” My sister tells me sadly.

“She is still weak to travel, at least that what she says,” I reply.

“What do you mean?” She asks, confused at my tone.

“When last time I met her, she didn’t look too happy to see me,” I explain to her. “You have to understand, Cat, Lysa draw the short straw out of all us. She had to marry someone even older than her father, while you got a young and brave lord of Winterfell, and I marry a beautiful and exotic girl. Lysa doesn’t love Lord Jon Arryn. It was a purely political marriage.”

“I didn’t love Ned at first too, surely with some time, she would develop feelings for her husband,” She responds.

“You live with Ned, and you have brought four children for him. Of course, you have feelings for him, even if you didn’t want to,” I tell her. “But Lysa lost every child before Robbert was born. It will be a long time before she has another one if it ever will come. With Lord Jon Arryn’s work as the Hand of the King, he has to stay at the King’s Landing all the time.”

She stopped questioning me after those words.

Tyrion POV

It was a miracle that my father had let me go to this tourney. Even if uncle Kevan and aunt Genna are here to watch me. I have gotten tired of Casterly Rock. Without uncle Gerion, there is nothing for me here. Just leaving for few days brings me joy.

The castle of Harrenhal was impressive indeed. With five enormously tall towers that are fixed now and strong walls give quite an impression. Even my father is jealous of the riches that house Tully has come to. It doesn’t matter that no matter how much trading is done in the Riverlands, the Lannister will always be more prosperous than any other house.

If other houses make good decisions, earning some gold and prestige, that only means they are becoming more dangerous for our family. That is a mentality that we learned from a young age. It didn’t bring us many friends and it won’t. The most hated and distrusted house is Lannister, after all. Well, our house is most feared too, which is nice, I suppose.

My thoughts were interrupted by the voices of my aunt and her husband. They again were arguing. Emmon Frey was a nervous man. He feared my father the most. With the rise of the Riverlands, house Frey too has prospered. But Emmon didn’t get much out from his family, as he was mainly staying in the Casterly Rock. Father wants to use him to strengthen his position in the Riverlands.

Well, it isn’t much Emmon can do. So it will be a dream for him at most. To accomplish it, Stevron Frey and his family must die first. Knowing how big the family is, it would be too suspicious if they just died.

“Lord Tyrion, I expected for your father to come, not his son,” Ser Edmure says after seeing me.

“My apologizes, my lord father is occupied with other things,” I reply to him.

“Don’t bother. It doesn’t matter much if Lord Tywin is here on not,” He tells me. “I hope you enjoy the tourney, for his sake too.”

And there he goes. I have seen him walk all around the castle. The King is coming today. So the preparations must be done well to welcome him. As I walked to the dining hall, I saw three children climbing the tower. Every morning they would do so.

“Hello there, could I ask why you are running up and down the stairs of the five towers?” I asked, brimming with curiosity. It would be suicide for me to attempt anything similar.

“We training,” A boy with raven hair answered me. “It builds strength and stamina. At least that what ser Edmure said.”

“I see, oh, where my manners. I am Tyrion Lannister,” I introduce myself.

“Jon Snow, that is Samwell Tarly,” He introduces himself and then points at another boy, who is breathing so hard that he couldn’t possibly talk.

“I am Sarella Sand,” The girl introduces herself. “I climbed to prove that I was a faster one.”

“You are older than us,” Jon complains to her.

“And you are a boy,” She responds.

As they started to argue, I left them alone. Well, I have heard of ser Edmure's prowess in battle, and if he trains himself as hard as he trains his squire, it might be true.

…

In the evening feast for the king, I sat next to my brother Jaime. The King was seated next to Lord Hoster Tully. Ser Emure was sitting with Martells, next to Prince Oberyn. They were as far away as they could be from us. Next to us was the Freys.

As king talked with lord Hoster, my sister Cercei was talking with Lady Catelyn. If I didn’t know my sister, I would have thought she enjoyed being here. The royal children were seated with other lord's children at a separate table.

“Will you participate in the tourney, brother?” I ask Jaime.

“Not only me, but ser Barristan too will be participating,” He answers me with a smile.

“So I should bet my gold for ser Barristan then,” I tell him.

“You wound me, brother,” He responds with a hand on his heart.

As we both laugh, I hear a loud cough from the Frey table. At first, I didn’t notice it, but then there was a second cough, and then the third. Ser Stevron Frey apologizes as he stands up coughing. It would have been the end of it if he hasn’t fallen down on the ground.

There was a grasp for the ladies. Ser Edmure was first to stand up and yell for the Maester. When the Maester came, ser Edmure ordered a few guards to carry him to the chambers. When everyone calmed down, I saw Lord Hoster standing up.

“My lord and ladies, please feel free to enjoy the rest of the evening while I go and see what has happened to ser Stevron,” He says and walks out.

“Well, it would be best for children to go back to their rooms,” I hear ser Edmure tell the King.

“Yes, the mood was ruined anyway. Cercei, take your children to their rooms,” The King orders my sister.

“Well, brother, I have to do my duty. See you tomorrow,” Jaime says to me and goes with Cercei.

Taking another swing of ale, I decided to leave too.

Oberyn POV

The joust started the next day after ser Stevron was bedridden. Some people began to murmur that he was poisoned. Of course, if it’s poison, it is Dorne’s fault. Fools, all of them. There was no motive to kill some Frey for us.

Looking down the tourney grounds from my stall, I saw him. The Mountain, I was about to stand up when someone put a hand on my shoulder.

“Calm yourself, prince Oberyn,” The fish knight says.

“You have promised us revenge,” I tell him.

“It still isn’t time for this,” He responds. “I don’t want any more blood.”

“Listen to him, uncle, for me,” Arianne says too.

“Fine,” I mutter.

For the rest of the day, I had to watch as the Mountain rides against other knights. I would have participated, but my brother forbids it. He says I couldn’t control myself against the Mountain. What angers me the most is that he is right.

“We don’t have to watch it. Let’s enjoy ourselves, my love,” Ellaria tells me.

Looking at her, I was about to agree when the Mountain rode again. Watching him ride against some Frey. The Freys shield broke at the Mountains lance. The lance hit the Frey hard on the neck, and he fell even harder on the ground. Someone went to check on the man. Then to no one surprise, he announced the Frey dead.

“It seems my wishes mean nothing,” Edmure says with a sigh.

“It seems it isn’t best tourney for the Freys,” Arianne commends.

“Who was that Frey?” Edmure asks one of the guards.

“It was ser Ryman, ser.” The guard answers. “Son of ser Stevron Frey.”

“Well shit,” I hear the fish knight. “I heard that ser Stevron wasn’t doing well. I fear the worst will happen when he hears the news.”

“Should we not tell him then?” Arianne asks.

“It isn’t for us to decide, but my father,” The fish knight answers.

It didn’t matter to me much. The Freys could all die for all I care. It was more important for me to have some fun with Ellaria.

Hoster POV

Damn it all, ser Stevron didn’t take well to the news about his son. He has gotten even weaker. Maester said he had at most few days left. The first day of the tourney and everything already went to seven hells.

“Father, don’t worry too much,” My son tells me.

“How I can’t, when people are dying like flies,” I respond with a tired tone.

“It was foolish of ser Ryman to ride against the Mountain without checking his equipment.” He tells me.

He was right. He was just unlucky to go against the Mountain. The Freys kept their silence, who would dare to challenge the Mountain for justice. It was a hard day. I felt more tired than ever. It became even worse when I started to cough hard.

“Father,” Edmure yells with a concerned voice. “Are you alright?”

“I will be fine,” I answer, but I start coughing again just after finishing my words.

“It might be a disease from ser Stevron,” He says. I didn’t correct him. “You, gather score men and take my father back to Riverrun.”

“Son, what are you doing?” I ask.

“I can see you are not alright,” He answers. “Leave the rest to me, father. You should go back home and rest.”

“Nonsense, I will be fine,” I tell him, but he just shakes his head.

“I won’t take any chances,” He replies. “Father, please, do it for me.”

“Ah, fine. I will trust you to manage the problems that might arise.” I agree.

It is for the best. Once Edmure is married, I tell him the truth. As I am now, I won’t be any help.

Samwell POV

It was the second morning of the tourney. People were getting up and going to do their jobs. I, on the other hand, was looking for Jon and Sarella. They are probably already near the stairway of one of five towers.

Even if it became somehow easier to climb up and down them, it was still hard and not something I look for. As I was walking to the Tower of Ghost, I heard a commotion. Getting closer I met with Jon and Sarella.

“What going on?” I asked.

“Someone fell from the stairs,” Sarella answers.

“I heard it was the heir to the Twins,” Jon adds.

“Isn’t ser Stevron Frey the heir?” I asked, confused.

“Didn’t you hear? He died this night,” Sarella tell me. “And now another one of Freys is dead. If I didn’t know better, I would think that someone is killing them.”

“Who would want to do something like that?” I asked with a nervous voice.

“Other Frey. I heard that Black Walder is a cruel man, and he wants the Twins for himself,” Jon answers.

“Or it could be Lannisters. I heard that old Lion wants it too, and it so happens that one of the Freys is his good brother,” Sarella adds with a disgusted tone.

It could be ghosts of Harrenhal. I thought but didn’t voice it aloud.