Chapter 32: Stupid Tully
The woman is took the youngest Lannister prisoner and seems to be taking him to the Vale for a trial. "I don't understand the crime I seem to have committed."
"You sent an assassin to murder my son." Caitlyn said with intensity.
"Which son, there are so..many." He laughed happily when he sees her seething with anger.
"Father will hear of this." Tyrion says with a sudden change in expression.
"By then, you would be dead." Caitlyn said with intense hate.
"I imagine many are already dead or suffering because of this act of yours. Do you not care what happens to the small folks under yours and your father's protection?" Tyrion asked making the sell swords around look to Lady Caitlyn. She didn't know what to say and just told him to shut up.
Just as they conversed several men started throwing stones and attacking their party with abundant ferocity. But before any man can die, a group of black armor with a sigil of a flaming white snow on their armor suddenly attacked the attackers and killed them with terrifying accuracy and precision.
Corman sighed in resignation and approached as the others move back to their previous stealth mode. But now that people are paying attention to their presence it's defeat the purpose of stealth. Tyrion has seen the sigil before and is now not sure whether to be afraid or grateful for Olivia.
It is about the attempt on her younger brother's life after all. "Sir?" Caitlyn approached the strong looking man with caution.
"Lady Caitlyn Tully of Winterfell, you can call me Corman I have long since become a guardian I'm afraid."
"Corman? My sincerest gratitude for helping us. But who do you serve?" Corman just chuckled.
"Funny, you don't remember me, I sang at your wedding. I can't blame you though, it must have been sad for you. Having lost an intended and being passed to marry his brother in the same breath." Tge man now sounds reminiscent.
Caitlyn is first surprised and then curious. "You're a Northman?"
"Born and bread. Before we can get any further we came to escort you to your destination safely." They made it to the Vale and the real drama began.
Caitlyn and her sister tried to armstrong Tyrion to confess but suddenly Lysa started saying things like my 'love Petyr says you did it so you're guilty.' The Haunted squad is what they are called knew it is their chance the truth pill has taken effect.
"My apologies but lord Petyr Bealish? The last master of coin, who is currently a wanted man for stealing the crown's gold and eacaping with it?"
"Those are just lies made up by my husband because he was jealous of our love." Lysa said in anger. The entire room erupted in mummers.
Did they hear right? Their lady is having a love affair with a criminal?
"Lysa!" Caitlyn tried to stop her sister from confessing too much but this angered Lysa even more. She turned to her sister with fire in her eyes.
"Ow shut up 'perfect' Cat. You are not so perfect now are you? Being hoodwinked into causing conflicts between two powerful houses by my Petyr." She sounded smug for her beloved.
"Lysa! Please keep quiet." The last words are said through clenched teeth by Caitlyn.
"Don't tell me what to do! Be a good pawn and create more problems for your stupit husband and kill the imp!"
Tyrion looked to the guardians but saw they are not trying to stop the chaos. "Lady Lysa, are you saying that I did not infact hire a killer? Nor did I conspire to kill your husband?" He asked loud enough that everyone heard.
"Tywin's pride will make him go to an all out war with the North and your precious husband will die in the south where he is surrounded by lions. Hehe...a wolf in a lion's den, I have never heard of a more stupid thing in my life." She then laughed hysterically for a few seconds while her words sunk into the ears of the crowd.
"My lady Lysa Tully are you saying you and Petyr Bealish aucastrated this entire thing just to make the North and Lannisters go to war? What can you gain from this plan?" One of the guardians asked nonchalantly from the crowd.
The people are now paying attention noting everything she says.
"I get to make my Petyr happy and as a bonus, Caitlyn's husband dies, her daughter becomes a prisoner instead of a consort and the North will be destroyed under the onslaught of the Lannisters. My love hates the North, he has never gotten over his defeat at the Stark boy's hand all those years ago." Lysa continued speaking not realizing what she has done.
"My son means to go to war Lysa even if you dislike me.." Caitlyn's heart began breaking in sorrow.
"Dislike you? You go marry a gallant young Stark and I just get stuck with an old man, I have had to drink moon tea for so many years just to make sure I never give birth to his children and it damaged my body! look at me now." She said in tears.
"You have beautiful healthy children with the man you love while I suffer like this? Do I dislike you my dear sister? No, that doesn't cover it. I loathe you. To make things worse, you took Petyr's heart from me. All this nonsense about destroying the North, he really just wants you back in his arms when you are finally defeated and all your children and that husband is dead he wants you to come back to him."
"Lysa, you have twins and two beautiful children with lord Arryn." Caitlyn tries to salvage the situation but only to regret it.
"Hha! My first born is with Petyr my first love. What? Are you jelous? The others are indeed his children because he had me watched to make sure they survived and Petyr was hurt in the South right after your bastard half daughter came to Kingslanding. Coincidence? I think not!"
"What about the assassin with Tyrion's blade ?"
"Pff hahaha...I paid for that attempt myself, the knife belongs to Petyr."
"Lysa do you understand what you have done?"
"Me? You are the one who took an innocent man captive on my word alone. Honestly Cat, only a dumb bitch like you would go up against a powerful family like the Lannister family while your husband is in their house on his own. Do you hate him and want him dead is that it?"
"What? no!"
"Then it is as I had thought, arrogance. You were always father's favourite. He gave you the best dresses, the best room. Everything you asked is possible while I was pushed aside. You think that the world belongs to you and anyone else should fall in line." Lysa said with distaste.
For example, think about what will happen to our home when the the Lannisters hear of you abducting one of their own. Did you stop to think how many innocent people will be killed and women raped by the Lannisters dogs all because you believed one letter?" Lysa looked at her sister in curiosity.
"What about you? It is your home too." Caitlyn tried to protest.
"Is it? All I remember is father handing me over to marry an old man so he can keep those people safe from passing armies. No one felt sorry for me, non of them thought it was wrong. Why should I care about them?" She asked with a bit if madness.
Just as the conversation is about to go on, a group of old and seemingly important people came in and shut her up, taking her away. A woman in respectable attire adressed the crowd.
"The lady of the vale is not feeling well and this trial will be closed since it was a farce to begin with. Lady Caitlyn Tully is banned from coming to the Vale in this life time. Thank you everyone please make your way out this way." She gestured and a armored clad group of knights came to escort everyone out and closed the gates.
Petyr on the account of further poisoning lady Lysa's mind who is clearly a troubled woman and using resources of the Vale to commit heinous actions that lead to two great houses fighting each other and many innocent people dying and suffering from the fighting. He was sent flying on the 'gate' in the Vale having his already battered body crash on the ground and die.
"Are you safe going to the South from here or you need escorting lord Tyrion?" Broady suddenly appears next to Tyrion scaring him into a jump.
"Broady! Don't scare a heavy drinker like that, my organs are already damaged and are hanging on by a thread."
"Unbelievable. Even when you are scared you manage to say something clever." Amon said on the side.
"Amon you are also here. What is it that you came this far south of the wall to do?" Tyrion asked. Caitlyn is still dazed to hear that her sister and her old friend were using her just to deastroy her home, her family and all that she holds dear.
Hearing Tyrion says that to the escorting men she coughs and loudly proclaims. "Sir Corman and his friends are valiant knights who served the lady of Winterfell with great honor on this journey. Please return North with me and my son shall reward you for all your hard work."
There is a long silence before Broady being the youngest bursts out laughing. When she turns with her sell swords to the North, Broady and a few members escorted silently followed her in a distance to ensure her safety and some went with Tyrion until he made it to his father who was still sending men to invade and pillage Riverlands and the North.
Sadly small folks now live inside well protected neighborhoods in the North even the immigrants.
Word spread that Caitlyn Tully, lady of Winterfell caused many people to die due to her stupidity and blind faith in her family member who was only using her to cause chaos and bring harm to the North.
The news painted the southerners as vicious and notorious schemers who will even sacrifice a family member to achieve their own goals. In the North Caitlyn began to receive glares and she felt like an outsider all over again and began to miss her husband dearly.
The advisor in the North told all of these to Robb who felt like his mother was probably still having a hard time because of her son being crippled and then the subsequent attempt at his life, as a mother it must be stressful to deal with all this when his father is so far away from her.
Olivia had tasked them with discrediting and turning Caitlyn into a joke in Westeros. Those people suffering from the Lannisters raids are not even blaming the Lannisters anymore by the end of the week they are all cursing Caitlyn Tully for being stupid and arrogantly playing with their lives.
She is also a victim of deception from her kin and close friend but the rumours say she kidnapped Tyrion without knowing the full truth of the matter.
Future noble schools will use this story to warn ladies in making to be extra careful of unfounded claims made by others. It is best to investigate before doing something that might get a lot of people killed.
This is sadly the end of Petyr Bealish a player in the game of thrones. News quickly reached Kingslanding and Ned breath a sigh of relief while feeling helpless about the methods of his daughter that painted the Tully girls in su h a bad light.
Now he has to broach the subject of the queen's children with Robert. Knowing the last hand died for this he wants to take his kids away from the fire pit. Because he can not have his kids here what if the Lannisters kill them in retaliation?
Going to Sansa and Arya he talks to them about leaving Kingslanding. "Are you serious? You would risk our heads just based on a hunch?" Sansa felt her anger boil over.
"This isn't up for discussion. You are leaving tonight so pack your things and if it not important then leave it behind." He commanded.
"No." Her voice stern as ever.
"What?"
"You heard me, I said no." She stood up and looked at him in contept remembering him whimpering as he knelt by force in front of the king.
"Why does it matter if he was born through this or that? He is the only prince I will marry. You will be a good dog and do my bidding as the future queen I command you to cease this treasonous action or I will be forced to have my future husband throw you in jail."
She looked at him in the eyes and Ned could have sworn he saw Cersei in his daughter's expression as if she is mimicking her, even the tone is full of authority and destain all at once.
"You're surprised are you? I have realized my power as future princess. And I have realized your plan doesn't work for me. Stannis is already married whi h means I won't be queen in this plan of yours."
"What would you have me do Sansa, honor demands that I report this to my king. Besides there are others who know of this information." Ned sounded helpless.
"Just keep quiet about it and let me be queen. The North will benefit from this and I your daughter will be very happy." She said.
"Sansa." Arya tried to stop her sister but the dam has already exploded.
"Do you think I don't see it? You are looking to take everything from me and handing it over to that bastard of yours. Mother was right, you don't love me, at least not as much as she does."
Ned felt his heart break. "I love you Sansa why would you think that? Your mother probably didn't mean it that way."
"Hehe...of course she did, you and Olivia always holding meetings when you never did the same with us."
"I tried Sansa you always acted like I was bothering you while the others were afraid of me."
"You want to legitimize her, admit it! I am not going. Once I am gone you will probably find a way to make her the next queen instead of me." Some form of madness in the tone makes makes people's skin crawl.
"Wow, the delusion, I can almost touch it." Arya left the room. What happened to sweet Sansa was that when Ned took away her outside communication and her right to give lessons to her children he essentially just took their mother away from them, while he is a very busy man to be involved in their lives. Especially with the development of the North always making him absent from even family meals.
To compensate for her reduced lesson time, Caitlyn used every opportunity to learn of what the Northerner teacher was teaching and would use very insulting words to rebuke them making Sansa grow more disdainful of the North and dreamed of the more civilized south.
The crazy part is that this worked even when the standards of living in the North drastically improved. The thing that is making her lose her mind currently is the fact that a lowly girl like her half sister is getting so much attention and is growing more insecure because of the words her mother never failed to whisper to her.
In her mind Olivia is doing all these things to catch the attention of the royal family and use them to get legitimized so she can take everything from Sansa the true born daughter just like the faith says bastard's goal is to bring down the true borns and spread sin.
Her father on the other hand rather than help her ascend as the queen and the mother of the nation he is busy trying to find ways for him to take this high honor away from her.
If only Olivia has been born a boy she wouldn't be her problem but Robb's problem instead and she would drive him crazy with paranoia and jealousy instead.
.....
"You are saying she just started telling all her deep secrets?" Tywin frowned. This story is too far fetched to be true.
"I know who is responsible." Jaime speaks and his father turns to him.
"Olivia Snow." Both brothers said at the same time. They turned to each other and laughed.
He gave them both a look that seem to say "Are you cultists?"
"Cough, anyways Ned said he was sending his daughter to discipline his wife for being stupid. I had always figured him for a righteous fool but he seemed Alright." Jaime said, internally he is glad the investigation didn't go too deep or he would be exposed. Who knows what that crazy child would do?
"The two of you are sworn brothers now? Have you forgotten what that girl did to you?" Tywin didn't like the look on his son's face.
"Yes. She sent you home away from your beloved duties as a guard to a drunken king. How horrible!" Tyrion says sarcastically.
"This is no time for your snarky little comments. The future is going to be rough and we are going to be at the eye of the storm. Just like in those years before Robert rebelled, I can feel a sense of war in the air?"
"Hhm..Smell of war, it must smell like dying men shiting themselves." Tyrion says making a face.
Tywin growls at his sons as they chuckle in amusement. "You said its war, it can't smell like roses."
"Get out!" Tywin rubbed his eyebrows as if he has a headache. Tyrion runs out with his small legs leaving a struggling Jaime. He wants to laugh so hard. This is why his brother is necessary when one meets his father.
Tyrion would dimolish his lessons and turn them into farts and jokes. Tywin looked at him in displeasure. "If you want to laugh just do it." As it a dam had been broken, Jaime's laughter could be heard three tents down. People wondered if Tywin Lannister is tickling his child.
"You don't seen happy to see Tyrion back safely." Jaime commented.
"I had hoped to press the North so hard Olivia would request I stop."
"You wish to pay off your debt to her?"
"As soon as possible."
"Probably best, that girl fills me with cold sweat." Jaime said.
"Then you are not as much of a fool as I initially thought you to be."
"She is not in the North anymore. Why would she waste a favor from the great Tywin Lannister for a place she doesn't even live in?"
Tywin sighed. "Do you see how the North has changed? Developed and especially the lives of the small folk?"
"Yes. But so what?" Jaime asked.
"Do you think Ned did that? The vision behind it? The materials for all the projects are said to come out from that girl's tower when she still lived there."
"So?" Jaime doesn't understand.
"She cares for the small folk. She probably paid for most of the materials and if sources are to be believed, she produced many of them."
"If you made the lives of the small folks miserable she wouldn't be able to bare it?" Jaime finally caught on.
"Exactly, but I couldn't kill any of them, they are grouped and protected from harm now. I had hoped to have more time to figure something out but now I have no excuse to." Tywin says in slight dejection.
"What's the worse thing she could want from us? A marriage? An army?" Jaime asked.
"A life for a life. I am afraid she will ask me something difficult and if I refuse, she will take that which was given." Tywin says with a serious tone.
"No." Jaime's eyes became gloomy.
"Yes. Think about that wretched girl, she can certainly do it. In fact, I bet you good money that is probably what she would jump to do the moment I decline."
"Cersei is the queen of seven kingdoms it can't be that easy to get to her." Jaime panicked.
"I found her in my bed chamber once, all the guards outside were incapacitated with some sort of medicine. She entered the Citadel and poisoned everyone inside, taking her sweet time to look for the ones she wanted to murder. Do you believe the red keep is that secure?"
Jaime looked to have been defeated. "I should go back to protect Cersei."
"And You can make a difference?" Tywin scoffed.
...