Game of Thrones: The Prideful One

Chapter 23:

Author Note: Here ya go!

If you wanna read ahead what I have done so far be sure to check my patren!

So far I'm eight chapters ahead on chapter 30! /cornbringer

After my little incident with Theon I took sometime to cool off and roughly a couple of days after, I decided it was time to go back to Bear Island, Lord Stark so far had decided to keep the betrothal and unite our families even more.

Theon on the other had died during that time, blood loss, severe trauma and infection, but no body can blame me, Robb was angry, but understood things like that can happen, in duels or the likes, but he was also angry at Theon for insulting his sister.

My situation with Sansa was weird now.

Sansa was quite infatuated with me now, becoming a bit too clingy, but I suppose it is because she thinks I started a war to protect her, which was not the case, I did it because it had to be done, she was just a good excuse to do so, without getting any repercussions.

This of course is not all bad, it was my end goal, and it will make my life easier once we marry.

But it was too soon perhaps.

Nonetheless it was time to continue with my business ideas and evolve the north, with the hydroponic sheds being built in the north, I had to focus on finding who could provide silkworms, with them I would be able to create one of the most expensive items in the world, but for that to happen I would have to create some sort of warm environment for them, the harsh cold of winter would kill my poor silkworms in a matter of seconds.

But now that I had Pyke, I could expand my business there, after all, the climate there was warmer and more welcoming to this type of business, while by southern standards it was still cold, it was considerably less than any place in the north.

"Welcome home, my Lord," Maege said with a warm gruff, her eyes showed she was uncomfortable, not with me, but with our two visitors.

Tywin and Tyrion Lannister, I had known for quite some time the lions were in my cave, and I knew why, and frankly it was getting boring.

"Take me to them," I sighed, as I turned my gaze to Sansa, "I'm going to take care of some businesses."

"Take care," Sansa smiled.

"Follow me," Maege said without even questioning how I knew the Lions were in my house.

The room was dimly illuminated by candles, and had three chairs and a table, in one was sitting Tyrion drinking wine, while his Father read a book.

"Lord Mormont, what a pleasant surprise," Tywin said, not even looking up from his book.

"Likewise Lord Lannister, to what do I owe this unexpected surprise," I inquired, taking the last empty chair, as I dismissed Maege out of the room.

"Please, lets not, I am well aware you knew I was here," Tywin said, putting his book on the table, "Your spy network is on par with the spider, the difference is that unlike the spider, you can't be spied on."

This was refreshing, I didn't expect him to be so straightforward, "So you sent your son to do that? I think there are other ways to get rid of him," I chuckled.

"I agree with Lord Mormont," Tyrion chuckled back.

"You know why we are here, so let's talk about that," Tywin ignored us.

"Fine, my answer is no, I can also recite that in low Valyrian" It was already bad enough that I had to marry a teen soon, I was not going to downgrade this age situation to a kid, the Starks were trustworthy, if I married a Lannister I would wake up one day with a knife on my back, or simply I would not wake up.

"We can offer you so much more than the Starks," Tywin offered, and his tone said I will give you the north, of course, he didn't voice this out, but he implied it.

Tywin while a cruel ruthless never went back on a deal, he would ensure I had the north if I took his deal, but that deal had a unspoken underline, that if I took it I would be basically be kneeling to him, for Tywin doesn't have allies, but subordinates, underlings.

"I know, but I most decline, I'm not interested," I had to thread carefully with him, if he considered an enemy too early into the story; things could get complicated, "I gave my word, and I must uphold my honor,"

Tywin scoffed, "Use that sentimental crap with Lord Stark, the offer will be always available, but hear me out, you will never marry Sansa Stark,"

I chuckled as I stood up my chair, "That sounded like a threat, Lord Lannister."

"It's a warning, I might be interested in breaking the betrothal, but I won't be the one to do it," Tywin said staring at me, "when that unavoidable day comes, reach me out."

It was pretty clear what he meant, Robert Baratheon will break this betrothal, to be honest it had crossed my mind once or twice, but I never really considered this to be a real possibility, Robert loved Ned like a brother and would never force him to do that.

But what if someone whispered to him, that just like Rhaegar Targaryen, I was stealing Sansa from Joffrey, that alone would be enough to push the drunkard piece of shit to make something rash.

"You plan on manipulating the deck to your favor," I glared at him.

"Until then, Lord Mormont, warden of the iron islands," Tywin said leaving the room.

"A piece of advice, father always gets what he wants," Tyrion said leaving the room.

"So do I," The old lion has his ways so did I.

After the Lannister's left my house, with the imminent warning of a plot starting to boil I had to prepare.

The King could break out betrothal; if was his right as the ruler of the seven kingdoms; I couldn't stop that without going to a war I knew I couldn't win.

But he can't break a marriage, if I married Sansa, I would ensure to cut the cards Tywin had.

But I couldn't marry Sansa until she had her first blood, which brought me back to square one.

They can't leave me the fuck alone, shit just continues to come, everyone wants to force me into the game, I just saved my betrothal and now is in fucking danger again, I can't catch a break, can I?

Fuck my life

With new problems in my way, I decided to let things flow, I had little control over what the king decided, but maybe I had control over what he heard.

It was no secret Cersei Lannister was against the idea of me and Myrcella all the way, if I played my hand correctly I could acquire a temporary ally, to destroy the plot Tywin is boiling.

But Cersei was a wild card, she was as unpredictable as they come, so I had to be sure of thinking this through.

My other option was to befriend the drunkard bastard, and ensure he would not be manipulated against me.

Or option C I could use Lord Stark connection to the king.

"So how was the meeting?" Sansa inquired entering my solar.

"Well good is not a word I would use it to describe it," I sighed while getting a cup of wine.

"What happened?" Sansa inquired, and for a moment I pondered, whether to be honest with her or not, she is to be my wife so I should start trusting her more and if by some reason they broke the betrothal she needed to know why, so I decided to explain what happened.

"Well, you might wanna sit down for this one," I sighed as I started to explain in detail the situation currently threatening our betrothal, she had to grow up sometime and understand that in this world, everyone plays the game of thrones whether they like it or not, and that even if she didn't want to, she was another player.

-

[Varys POV]

A few months ago, the Queen ordered me to request a faceless man to kill Lord Mormont, frankly it was a tad much but the Queen is like that.

The faceless man operate in mysterious ways, the harder the target to kill the higher the price, how they know how hard a person would be to kill is unknown, but they have their ways.

When I asked for a quote, they gave me none, they simply informed said contract was no possible.

it was clear they didn't want to take the contract , but why the didn't want to was unclear.

Their words were even more mysterious,

"A man cannot kill that man, a life that has been blessed by the stranger is hard to take away," The faceless man said, leaving with me a new enigma, if a group of assassins that considered any life to be expendable considered him to be, as they called blessed by their god, something was going on, Lord Mormont was already an unexpected mystery for me, and now things continued to make him more and more enigmatic.

"The Queen will not be happy with the price," I sighed as I walked down the hallway to meet her, if there was one thing I hated about this was not knowing, and I didn't know a thing about him.