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[ROBB STARK and BRYNDEN TULLY, waist-deep in the river, release the funeral boat of HOSTER TULLY.]
Catelyn gripped the hand of her husband's tightly, her bottom lip wobbling. Her father was a strong man and has been a pillar of strength for a little less than half her life. To see him being carted off now... Whoever was making them watch had done her kindness by not letting her see her father slowly become frail and weak.
[They return to the dock to rejoin the sombre and silent CATELYN STARK and TALISA. EDMURE TULLY steps forward, holding a bow while the others look on.]
"Gods, Edmure," Catelyn said shakily. Her brother was an emotional man. No doubt the death of their father has hit him too. She only wished that he could reign it in and light the ferry successfully.
[He lights the arrow and fires an arcing shot at the distant boat. The arrow splashes wide of its mark. Perturbed and embarrassed, EDMURE looks back, then draws another arrow to ignite. He shoots, and this arrow also splashes errantly, while the boat drifts further downstream. The large crowd near the dock murmurs. ROBB laughs under his breath and BRYNDEN looks impatient. [EDUMRE takes a breath and unleashes a nervous shot that also splashes uselessly. Fed up, BRYNDEN pushes EDMURE aside and takes his bow. CATELYN, ROBB, and TALISA try to maintain their composure. BRYNDEN lights an arrow, aims carefully, and unleashes an arcing shot. As the arrow flies, he turns and tosses the bow back to EDMURE, and walks off. Moments later, the arrow lands in the boat, setting it aflame.]
"Oh brother" Catelyn murmured sadly.
[RIVERRUN WAR ROOM]
"If I may, nephew, I encountered a situation with one of my lieutenants at the Stone Mill which may have some bearing-"
"Why don't you shut your mouth about that damned mill? And don't call him "nephew." He is your king."
"Robb knows I meant him no disr-"
"You're lucky I'm not your king. I wouldn't let you wave your blunders around like a victory flag."
"My blunder sent Tywin's mad scurrying back to Casterly Rock with his tail between his legs. I think King Robb understands we're not gonna win this war if he's the only one winning any battles. No, there's glory enough to go around."
"Your brother is..."
"I know, good sister..."
Lyanna kind of felt bad for Catelyn. That's the heir to Lord Hoster? She wonders if House Tully would be okay.
"Uncle Brynden is with him so, it'll be okay" Catelyn muttered, more to herself than Lyanna.
"It's not about glory. Your instructions were to wait for him to come to you."
"I seized an opportunity."
"What value was the mill?"
"The Mountain was garrisoned across the river from it."
"Is he there now? Of course not."
"We took the fight to him. He could not withstand us."
"I wanted to draw the Mountain into the west, into our country where we could surround him and kill him. I wanted him to chase us, which he would have done because he is a mad dog without a strategic thought in his head. I could have that head on a spike by now. Instead, I have a mill."
Rickard Stark sighed. Catelyn may just have been the cream of the crop from Hoster's loins from what he'd seen of the other two.
"We took hostages. Willem Lannister. Martyn Lannister."
"Willem and Martyn Lannister are fourteen years old. Tywin Lannister has my sisters. Have I sued for peace? Do you think he'll sue for peace because we have his father's brother's great-grandsons?"
"For fuck's sake" Brandon the Elder muttered. "And I thought Catelyn was the dumbest of the lot."
The last comment was said to himself, of course. He was trying not to antagonize Ned any more than he had done already. Even if his words were true.
"How many men did you lose?"
"But for every man we lost, the Lannisters-"
"Who raised this idiot?! Are the Tully's soft in the head?" Olenna Tyrell spat.
"I believe... some men don't have the capacity to lead" Margaery finished after a moment, unable to defend Edmure Tully.
"You must convince your father to name one of your sons his heir if this is what your brother is" Olenna snapped sharply. "Or watch House Tully become more of a joke than it already is!"
"My brother is inexperienced. Without the threat of war, he'll learn and be a good Lord" Catelyn defended her brother stoically. "Even if he doesn't seem like it, he has a good heart."
"A good heart with no brains gets you nothing. But do as you wish" Olenna rolled her eyes.
"We need our men more than Tywin needs his!"
"I'm sorry. I didn't know."
"You should have relayed the plan to him," Brandon the Elder said plainly. "Your mother was there, she could have given you an assessment of her brother had you asked."
"Who says I didn't?" Robb asked hotly.
"That" Brandon pointed at the wall, specifically at Edmure Tully.
"I..." Robb frowned and looked away. He must have asked.
"You would have. Right here today at this gathering if you had been patient."
"A lesson to remember, grandson. You may not be able to relay your entire plans for fear of it being leaked but do use coded messages to relay it regardless. Especially for those not so... skilled in the art of tactics" Rickard Stark said, making sure to put the matter about Edmure gently.
Catelyn could only sigh.
[KING'S LANDING, SMALL COUNCIL CHAMBER]
[TYWIN LANNISTER stands by the head of the table. GRAND MAESTER PYCELLE, VARYS, and LORD PETYR "LITTLEFINGER" BAELISH enter silently. TYRION LANNISTER enters next. TYWIN sits, then PYCELLE, VARYS, and LITTLEFINGER join him. TYRION remains still, while QUEEN CERSEI LANNISTER enters and surveys the room. She pauses, then walks to the table. She picks up one of the two remaining empty chairs and places it directly next to TYWIN, then sits while the others smirk.]
"Of course she does" Tyrion muttered with a roll of his eyes.
"Queen Dowager or not, she puts too much importance on herself"
Oberyn muttered. Once more he is thankful for not ending up with this creature.
[TYRION comes forward and drags the final chair noisily to the opposite head of the table. He sits.]
"Must you?" Joanna half begged.
"I must!" Tyrion exclaimed.
She was a fool to ask...
"What news of Jaime?"
[No one answers.]
"Twenty thousand unwashed Northerns have known about his escape for weeks."
"Unwashed my arse" Jon muttered. The stereotypes were plain insulting.
"Yeah. Jon here washes himself like a lady every day to look pretty!" Robb argued, snorting a laugh when Jon punched him on the shoulder.
"Collectively, you control more spies and informants than the rest of the world combined. Do you mean to tell me that none of you has any notion of where he is?"
"We are trying, my lord."
"Are you?" Jaime raised a brow.
"I must be. Otherwise, I am a dead man" Varys answered smiling.
"Yes... yes you are" the heir to Casterly Rock shook his head.
"Try harder. What do we have, then?"
"Robb Stark and most of his bannermen are in Riverrun for the funeral of his grandfather Lord Hoster Tully. In Stark's absence, Roose Bolton holds Harrenhal, which would seem to make him Lord of Harrenhal, in practice if not in name."
"Well, let him have it. The name suits our purposes far more than that useless pile of rubble. The Lord of Harrenhal will make a worthy suitor for the widow Arryn."
Catelyn narrowed her eyes. Lysa would never get in bed with someone in cahoots with the Lannisters. She may be deranged in the coming days, but the Lannisters still poisoned Lord Arryn, her husband. She would never.
"For which I am extremely grateful to you, my lord. Lady Arryn and I have known each other since we were children. She has always been positively predisposed toward me."
Catelyn rolled her eyes. Childish fantasies and nothing more.
"A successful courtship would make Lord Baelish acting Lord of the Vale."
"Would it? He isn't a Vale Lord" Robb asked Lord Arryn.
Jon Arryn frowned.
"Should Lysa say yes and name him the acting Lord then yes, he will."
"She will do no such thing" Catelyn assured the man, "she is a Tully. She would not forgive any harm brought on her family."
Jon Arryn wished to believe, but something felt... off.