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Very much the sense of the next generation coming along now - no longer little children, playing games.
 
Chapter 4: War

Langward Hall, Sheeran Encampment

The Lannister's second army made a lightening march to Harrenhal to join with Tywin Lannister's troops held up in the ruined fortress. Midway through the march, new orders arrived from Tywin to head south and follow the Blackwater to King's Landing. The reason being that the Tyrells had managed to cut off Stannis Baratheon from the Stormlands by marching through his territory and positioning themselves south of King's Landing.

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Lord Tywin made it clear that wiping out the Baratheons was the most primary concern so the combined forces of the Lannisters, Tyrells, and Crownlands could focus on destroying the Tullys and Starks. By the time the Lannisters arrived at King's Landing, Stannis had been defeated at Attadale and scattered his forces to safely retreat.

It had been months since that feast in Payne Hall. Months of marching and manoeuvring had lead to this day where the Sheeran army had been tasked with chasing what remnants they could find.

"Our scouts found an enemy column encamped south of Langward Hall," reported Tommen, the commander of the Sheeran cavalry.

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"How many are there?" Ed asked.
"Seven-hundred, the Sheeran army has almost double their number. Whether we raid the camp or face them in open battle, we'll crush them," Flement answered.
"I'm glad your mind for war hasn't been lost," Ed praised.
"There are many things I can't remember, but the battlefield is like kin to me."

The tent flap opened and Enora entered and took a seat in one of the chairs in the tent.

"What are you doing?" Ed asked her.
"I got bored of waiting in our tent."
"I can't spend time with you because I have to plan our next move," Ed explained.
"Oh, no, I wasn't planning on taking part in your council, I just hate being alone."
"Are you two finished?" Flement asked.
"Pay me no mind, I'll just watch," Enora reassured.


Ed watched her for a moment. She was true to her word, she spoke no words and simply stared. All attention returned to the map.

"I'd prefer to raid their camp than fight them in the open," Ed said.
"I wanted to raid the camp as well, the Stormlanders are good fighers and I'd rather not leave it to chance," Flement agreed.
"Where should we raid them from? The enemy is camped along a river so we would have to march around them to hit them from the south," Ed said.
"Even if our army was at half strength, we would still have equal numbers to this band. We can afford to split our forces to attack from different directions," Tommen said.
"How should we split our troops?" Ed asked.
"I can lead eight-hundred in a raid from the south," Flement began. "Tommen can lead his fifty riders from the west. And you, Lord Ed, can lead the rest of the men in an attack from the north by crossing the river."
"Take nine-hundred men, I want as many men to survive this battle," Ed ordered.
"I thank you for your concern, my lord, I will repay your trust with victory."
"I will go ready my riders," Tommen said.

Tommen left the tent. Followed closely by Flement.

"My, you've got a mind for war as well?" Enora asked, with a smirk on her face.
"I was simply saying what they were saying, my true test will come tonight," Ed said.
"Have you ever held a sword?"
"Master Cadwyn taught me, I didn't like fighting, but in order to make a name for House Sheeran, I must fight."
"Are you scared?" Enora asked.
"I'm terrified, as if I was staring at Balerion the Black Dread itself."
"Fight with courage, I need you to come home alive. I'm with child," Enora said in an almost monotone voice.

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Ed knelt down in front of the sitting Enora and placed one of her hands between his.
"We've been blessed by the Mother, and now I must ask the Warrior for the same. I will return, for the sake of my house and unborn child," Ed declared.
"Promise me, Ed," Enora pleaded.
"I swear it," Ed promised.

Langward Hall, Baratheon Encampment

Ed could barely see in the darkness. The only thing that was visible was the enemy encampment across the river which was lit by torches and campfires. Ed had four-hundred and fifty men at his command, quite a few of the troops were veterans of the Siege of Riverrun and some may have even seen Ed's father fight. The signal for Ed to cross the river was for Flement to blow his horn and wait for the enemy to be drawn south so that Ed and Tommen's groups could enter from the north and west unopposed.

Ed was assured by his scouts that the river would be shallow enough for the men to cross, there was no turning back now so he could only hope their reports were true. He was worried, the camp was too quiet, as if they were being expected. The Baratheon scouts were dispatched of in all directions but the quiet made Ed feel one somehow escaped.

"Flement's group should be attacking soon, archers to the riverbank," Ed ordered quietly.

The men relayed the order throughout the mass of men and the archers slowly made their way to riverbank, they readied arrows and waited for the order to loose them. There were a few trees to hide behind, but the rest of the men could only rely on the darkness.

A horn was sounded across the river and yelling followed in short order. There was clanging steel and screaming, the signal for the other units of the Sheeran army to attack. Ed stood up and raised the sword of his father with both hands.

"Attack! Cross the river!" Ed yelled as he ran into the water and began trudging through.

His men lit torches and rushed into the water and moved across. As many of the men were wearing leather or cloth armour, they were able to cross more easily than Ed and his personal guards. The first of the men were able to cross, they waited for more men to finish making it across before moving forward. Ed and his guards forded the river and urged everyone into the camp.

Ed looked right and saw horsemen wearing the red armour of the Lannisters charge into the camp with torches in one hand and swords in the other. The fears of the enemy being prepared were for nothing; the enemy was taken by complete surprise.

"Search the tents!" Tommen's voice in the distance yelled.

Ed made his way to the centre of the camp where he believed the enemy commander's tent would be. One of the tents was burning from a knocked over brazier. Men fought each other with swords and spears all around, there was no battleline, only a chaotic melee where death could come from any direction. A rider rode by Ed's face and he recoiled into the arms of his guards, the horseman charged and slashed at an unsuspecting Baratheon soldier.

"Rally to me!" a voice yelled.

Ed looked over to the direction of the voice. It was a Baratheon, he did not seem to be the commander but Ed could not allow anyone to rally. He ordered his guard to follow him in attacking the rallying group. His men clashed with the disorganized group and the fighting was in favour of the Sheerans.

Ed witnessed one of his guards hit an enemy with his shield and stab his sword in his opponent's gut while he was recovering. Another of Ed's guard fought with the rallying Baratheon so Ed focused on a free enemy holding a spear.

The spearman charged Ed and he sidestepped the attack. His opponent stopped and Ed took the opportunity to make an overhead swing on the spear, hoping it would break. Contrary to what he had heard in legends and bard's songs, the spear did not break. The man was reorienting himself when Ed took his sword and tried to push it into the man's gut.

The man fell backward slightly and it took a second for Ed's strength to catch up. Although his hands were on the grip, he could somehow feel the blade going through the man's skin, it almost seemed effortless, it felt like there already was a hole to slide his weapon in. The man did not scream, he simply sucked in air, a noise Ed never heard anyone talk about. Ed fell to his knees and the man landed on his back, blood slowly poured out from the wound his sword had made.

He had just taken a life. He was panting and almost wanted to cry.

"Ride them down!" a rider screamed.

Ed stood up and pulled his sword out of the body, somehow pulling the sword out required more effort than pushing it through. He looked around, the number of Baratheons still standing was dwindling and some were even trying to flee. Tommen's cavalry ensured none made it far before receiving a sword to their backs. Nobody was taking prisoners, it was a massacre.

"Tommen! Flement!" Ed yelled over the sounds of what little fighting there was left.
"My lord!" Flement's voice yelled back.

Flement was not covered in blood, he was drenched in it. His sword was varying shades of red and a section of his plate armour near an exposed area of chainmail was dented.

"It's good to see you're still alive, my lord! And you've bloodied your sword too!" Flement praised.

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"Let's just finish here, I want to go back to camp," Ed said, still trying to regain his breath.

A conversation was possible as the clanging and screaming had stopped, replaced by crying and begging. All Ed could smell was the burning tent nearby. He could only taste his sweat supplemented by the iron taste of blood. Ed felt no worry about tearing up in front of his men, he acted as if it was his sweat.

"Send a raven to the Lannister army at Attadale, tell them we've dealt with seven-hundred Baratheons at Langward Hall."

A rider in plain clothes arrived at the scene of the battle and made his way to Ed, he dismounted and pulled something from his bag.

"Lord Sheeran, message from Ser Addam Marbrand," the rider reported.
"Give it to me," Ed demanded.

Ser Addam Marbrand was Ed's brother-in-law and commander of the Lannister vanguard. His message requested the Sheeran army to march south to assist him in dealing with a new Baratheon army that had formed up in the south.

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The Lannister army had managed to intercept the enemy at Greenward. Despite the Lannisters having the advantage, Ser Addam Marbrand was worried that the enemy's ability to reform so quickly meant there were other Baratheon armies nearby. With his brother-in-law needing assistance, Ed made haste to prepare to march to his side.
have you thought of playing the after the end mod theres a couple on here but by my reckoning none were finished id think it would be funny if someone played as someone in the mouse or quebec or the martimes where i live
 
Long day at work, this'll be a short one so I can go sleep.
Chapter 27: Bad Blood

Riverspring

There was a short period of uncertainty in Daenerys' peace. Across the border, the Riverlands exploded with activity, armies marched all over to fight while the rest of Westeros could only watch. Edmure Tully, Lord of the Riverlands had declared that all the events of the War of the Five Kings were to be blamed on Petyr Baelish. Within a fortnight, the army loyal to House Baelish was crushed by the numerically superior Tully host and what was left of the scattered forces retreated to Harrenhal. While the legends told that Harrenhal could hold off an attack of over a hundred-thousand men, the charred and crumbling ruins Littlefinger had held were nothing to stop the Tully host. And so, the Harrenhal curse had taken yet another a victim, the man Edmure claimed had brought the horrors of war to the Riverlands had lost his head.

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Daenerys Targaryen's response was silent, while Baelish was the man who organized the rebellion that restored her family to the Iron Throne, intervention would have made the war bigger than it should have been. Ed had kept the commanders of Riverspring and Brent Brook on retainer, a show of force that any Tully or Baelish bannermen were not welcome in his lands. With the feud over, House Sheeran breathed a sigh of relief and began standing down.

It had been nine months since the wedding between Sylvia Sheeran and Emond Moontower. The bedding between the two ended up producing a child, a young son bearing the Sheeran name.

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The two had agreed on the name Dunaver, the whole Sheeran family celebrated, especially Ed who now had a grandson. Ed wondered how his father would think of his grandchildren if he were still alive.

The family gathered to eat breakfast in the dining room along with Emond. Fruits, bread, and porridge were made as young Elyana still needed help with eating. Dunaver was with the wet nurse, barely a month old.

"How are things between you two since having the child?" Enora asked the couple.
"Just wonderful, we couldn't have asked for better," Sylvia answered as she looked at Emond and smiled.
"I am truly blessed, I thank the gods for this fortune," Emond said.
"And you, Sylvia, how have you been since you had the child?" Enora asked.
"The pain of seeing him become independent will hurt more than any amount of births."
"Hopefully young Dunaver will grow up to be a great man, with his mother and father behind him," Ed said.
"With a grandfather like you, I believe he will achieve greatness," Emond praised.

Ed laughed.

"Your words are nice, but they are simply wind. I expect you and my daughter to raise the child well as your father and I have raised our children," Ed ordered.
"Yes, my lord, er... father," Emond stumbled.

Sylvia chuckled and kept her hand over her mouth as she was still eating.

"My father thinks highly of you, you are his son-in-law first and then his vassal," Sylvia said.
"Right, I will raise the child well," Emond promised.
"Where do children come from?" Elyana asked.

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The entire room erupted into a frenzy of laughter. Ed had almost choked on the apple he was eating and pounded at his chest, he spit it out which caused another round of laughter from everyone and even Ed. Words and sentences were nothing new to the youngest of Ed's children, but Ed experienced the joy of when Sylvia and Albin asked the same question all over again. Elyana was not amused, she asked the question again.

"Ed, I had to handle Albin, so it's your turn," Enora joked.
"Hmph, well, Elyana, children are a gift given to two parents," Ed explained.

Ed noticed Enora's eyebrows raise, this was a whole new approach to answering the question.

"Where does the gift come from?" Elyana asked.
"The gods," Ed answered.
"Why do the gods give children?"
"Daddy will tell you when you get older," Ed quickly answered.

Albin leaned over to Elyana.

"Children have to come somewhere, especially little girls taken away from their real parents," Albin whispered to Elyana loud enough for the entire room to hear.

Elyana dropped her spoon into her porridge, splattering it a short distance.

"I was taken?" Elyana gasped.
"No! You're our own daughter, our flesh and blood," Enora laughed.
"Ever wondered why you're so young compared to the rest of us?" Sylvia joked.
"Stop it, you'll only make her believe in the lies, Elyana, you're my daughter," Ed said, trying to hold back his laughter.

Elyana looked angry.

"I don't believe you!" she yelled.

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The family once again giggled and howled. As the family was winding down, a commotion was heard outside.

"What's that?" Enora asked.
"Stay seated," Ed ordered.

Ed got out of his seat and crept to the door. The yelling got louder, but he could still barely make out the words from down the hall. He rested his hand on the door handle, he looked back one last time at his family and nodded. Ed pulled on the door and saw his guards standing outside with their shields up and swords drawn.

"Stay inside m'lord!" one of the guards warned.
"Mellund! Get inside and protect our lord's family!" the other guard ordered.

A guard headed into the dining room and abruptly shut the door. He urged Ed to stay back with his family while he stayed near the door.

"What's happening?" Ed demanded.
"Unknown men have broken into the castle, m'lord. We don't know how many there are," the guard answered.
"Do you have another sword or dagger?" Ed asked.


The guard used his shield arm to point at where his dagger was. Ed drew the dagger from its sheath and stayed behind the guard while calling Enora to take the children to the back of the dining room.

"I think I see one!" a muffled voice on the other side yelled.
"Stay here! I'll take Declan and chase him!" another voice just outside the door ordered.

Ed was told to stay with his family by the guard at the door. He ran around the table and joined his wife and children.

"Are we safe here?" Enora asked, holding Elyana in her arms.
"The guard will keep us safe," Ed reassured.
"Gods, Dunaver!" Sylvia screamed, realizing he was not with them.
"I, I must go protect my child!" Emond yelled.

Emond got up and headed for the door. The guard blocked his path, refusing him from accessing the door.

"Stay back! It isn't safe!" the guard ordered.
"My son!" Emond yelled.
"Is the nursery safe?" Sylvia quickly asked the guard.
"I don't know, m'lady, but there should be men there to protect our lord's grandson," he answered.

The yelling stopped. However, the guard refused to stand down, knowing he was the true last line of defence. There were no sounds of violence outside, but there were loud footsteps and chinking armour heard outside.

"Is he in there?" a voice outside asked.
"Yes, m'lord," a guard's voice answered.

Ed knew the voice and placed the dagger on the table, the guard lowered his weapon and stood away from the door. The door opened and Master-at-Arms Cadwyn entered the room, a suit of chainmail was hastily thrown over his noble robes.

"My lord," Cadwyn greeted.
"Cadwyn, what in seven hells is going on?" Ed asked.
"Intruders were found in the keep, some of them were armed," Cadwyn explained.
"Let us talk more outside," Ed said.
"There could still be more intruders," Cadwyn warned.
"I do not want to discuss this in front of my family," Ed said.

Cadwyn nodded and lead Ed out of the dining room. The guards bowed their heads and formed a perimeter around Ed in the hallway.

"We've killed everyone we encountered so far, although we managed to capture one. Willard's already having a little talk with him," Cadwyn reported.

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"Who would send these men?" Ed asked.
"Could it be Martyn Payne?" Cadwyn suggested.
"I don't want to believe it. That son of a bitch better not have been the one, we had an agreement, I never made a move against him," Ed said.
"The Vikarys?"
"They were armed right?" Ed asked.
"Only daggers, and not all of them carried a weapon."
"The Vikarys want me dead, Martyn isn't the most fond of me, and both Tytos Brax and Alysanne Lefford have desires on my lands," Ed said.
"We've made quite a few enemies throughout the years."
"But who would want me dead or at least spy on me?"
"I don't know, but Willard will find out everything he can," Cadwyn reassured.

Ed leaned in close, guaranteeing his family would not hear him.

"The moment Willard finds out everything he can, have this man beheaded immediately, no trial, no cell," Ed ordered.
"As you wish," Cadwyn acknowledged.

Ed had never gotten a report of what Willard was exactly doing to the captured man, but he knew the Spymaster would not let the man off so easily. Although there was much pain and suffering, Willard could never extract the truth, the man had tight lips and a great amount of loyalty. Ed did not want to become paranoid and insane like the Mad King, but someone wanted him dead and he had no idea who had the gall to infiltrate his own castle.
 
Mmm, not a good sign. It is not easy to keep free of paranoia in situations like that.
 
Two short chapters today, I will begin writing the next one immediately after this is posted.
Chapter 28: Duty

Riverspring

Emond's body was laid on the altar of the Sept. His hands were clasped on his chest while two funeral stones covered his eyes, eyes that were open not that long ago. A sudden illness had taken the young man, Emond would not live to see his son's first nameday.

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The entire family except for Dunaver had gathered to pay their respects and pray. Ed looked over at Enora, she was embracing Sylvia who was crying into her chest. She had previously begged Ed to pay for his body to be embalmed so that it would rot slower. Ed knew that it would not do anything to bring Emond back, but he made the arrangements out of love for his daughter and grandson.

The alliance between House Sheeran and House Moontower had collapsed, much to the displeasure of the two lords who had hoped to keep in close relations. While Ed was partially glad it was not one of his children on the altar, he still felt as if he had lost a son. Sylvia threw off her mother's arms and stormed out of the Sept, a scattered trail of fresh tears showing which way she went.

"I'll stay here with the children, go talk to her," Enora said.

Ed left the Sept followed by several guards and tried to follow the trail. He moved quickly, as the wet spots on the dirt road leading to the keep were starting to dry up in the sun. The guards at the gate bowed as Ed entered to the courtyard of the keep. The trail was gone and Ed looked around, Sylvia was nowhere to be seen. Ed assumed she had returned to her chamber and began making his way there.

The trip was not long, and Ed knocked on Sylvia's door, there was no answer.

"Sylvia, it's your father," Ed said.

There was still no answer. Ed continued knocking until he turned and noticed Castellan Sumner approaching him.

"My lord," Sumner greeted.
"Sylvia, let's talk!" Ed said loudly as he knocked harder on the door.
"My lord."
"What is it, Sumner?" Ed asked angrily.
"I was beginning to make the preparations for your daughter Elyana's education, but I'd like to confirm that you intended for her to be educated with numbers."
"Yes, I want her to help rule Riverspring once Albin takes over," Ed answered.

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"I know of a few good teachers in the Westerlands who can teach her, all of varying quality and price of course."
"Get me the best one, I'll give you the money later. Now please, leave me," Ed ordered.
"As you wish," Sumner acknowledged, he suddenly went into a fit of coughing.
"Are you alright, Sumner?"
"I am, my lord, no need to trouble yourself over a few coughs."
"Go see the Maester immediately, I want to hear it from him that you're alright. Then you may go ahead and do what is commanded," Ed ordered.

Sumner bowed his head and left to carry out his lord's wishes. Ed knocked on the door one last time.

"Sylvia, let's talk shortly," Ed said.

He decided to check to see if the door was actually locked. It was open, Ed slowly pushed the door open and entered Sylvia's chamber. She was laying on her bed and crying, it reminded him of the tantrums she used to throw when she was younger.

"The gods are cruel, why give me a child and then take away his father?" she asked.
"The Maester said he did not suffer much," Ed assured.
"I don't care if he suffered or not, he's gone... I loved him."
"You still have a long and prosperous life ahead of you. Take the time to mourn, and then..." Ed said before stopping, knowing exactly what he would have said.
"And then you'll find me a new husband?" Sylvia guessed.

Ed placed his hand on her arm.

"No, I'll only look when you're ready to move forward with your life."
"I don't care anymore."
"You don't care?" Ed asked.
"I had my chance at love, this cruel world took it away from me."
"Sylvia, don't say that, you'll have another chance."
"Was your mother your first?"
"Yes, she was my first wife, and, she was my first love," Ed answered.

Sylvia moved her arm so Ed's hand was no longer on it.

"I'll never be able to be with my first love again, no other man will ever give me what Emond gave me," Sylvia said.
"It took us weeks to find the man for you, your mother and I will find you the perfect man, even if it takes years," Ed promised.
"I don't care," Sylvia declared. "As long as I have my son, any man will suffice."
"Sylvia, I'm not going to force you to marry someone you don't love, you're not going to do something you don't want to do."

Sylvia raised herself from her pillow and sat up straight. She looked Ed in the eyes, not blinking even once.

"You've done many things you didn't want to do, why? I know why, you did all those things because of your duty to our family. The War of the Five Kings, Brent Brook, going to Payne Hall despite the risk, and so many more. Everything you did, you did it for us."
"Sylvia..." Ed said quietly.
"I do not have gold to pay you, armies to support you, or knowledge to help you. Let me do the only thing I can to help our family, offer me to some family that can strengthen our position in the future," she demanded.
"Sylvia," Ed said.
"Father, I'm not your little girl anymore, I am a lady of House Sheeran, allow me to do my duty."

Ed pulled Sylvia in and held her tightly.

"You may do your duty as a lady, but I must do my duty as a father, I will not just send you off to any man, your happiness comes first and foremost."
"Thank you, father," Sylvia said before turning her sniffling into actual crying.

Sylvia fell into Ed's hold, he allowed her to wet his robes with her tears as he patted the girl to calm her.

"My lord," Spymaster Willard's voice called.
"I am busy, Willard," Ed said.
"I am sorry, my lord, but news has just arrived, the realm is at war," Willard reported.
"What? Sylvia, I'll be right back."

Ed gently put Sylvia to rest and left to talk with Willard. He closed the door behind him and ushered Willard to walk with him down the hall.

"One of Daenerys' biggest mistakes was not wiping out every single claimant to the throne like Lady Cersei tried to do when Robert died," Willard said.
"Which claimant has risen up?" Ed asked.
"It's an odd situation, my lord."
"How exactly is it strange?"
"Edmure Tully is fighting to restore Joffrey despite the fact he sits in Tyrion Lannister's prison," Willard answered.

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"Is it just the Riverlands?"
"The Vale, Dorne, and the Colony of Yunkai are also rebelling against the Queen, the rest of the kingdoms are neutral," Willard reported.
"So no other kingdoms have declared for the Queen?" Ed asked, worried.
"Theon Greyjoy has already set sail with the Iron Fleet to support Daenerys, but so far the Ironborn are her only support."
"What is Lord Tyrion doing?"
"Drinking most likely," Willard answered, although his tone suggested he was not joking.
"The moment he sobers up, we should be prepared for whoever he decides to declare for," Ed said.
"I will call the council so we can inform the rest of them," Willard said.

Ed let Willard go on ahead, he wanted to return and talk with Sylvia a little while longer in order to help her in her troubled time.

In the coming weeks, the armies that supported Daenerys or Joffrey had gathered and were beginning to make their movements toward their objectives. Ed and Enora spent that time searching, they took their time as they believed Sylvia still needed some time to mourn. In the Reach, not that far across the southern border, there was a promising young boy who was a kind and diligent soul, his name was Alekyne Middlebury.

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Although a few years younger than Sylvia, he seemed like he would grow to be a good man. Along with his personality, he was also the heir to the lordships of Middlebury and Oakenshield, a perfect opportunity for House Sheeran to gain a powerful ally in the future. Surprisingly, both parents agreed to a matrilineal betrothal, but the boy was still too young to marry so the family would still have time to reject it. Ed just needed to get this matrilineal marriage through, for in the future, House Sheeran would expand beyond the small domain of Riverspring and Brent Brook. He could only hope that Sylvia would find happiness in performing her duty.
 
The second short chapter everyone was promised, Chapter 30 will be a bigger chapter with a few recognizable characters, so keep an eye out tomorrow for that.
Chapter 29: Stags, Lions, and Dragons

Riverspring

Ed called the council to meet to discuss the current war. There was an engagement at the Golden Tooth between two large armies, it had been going on for days and the results would come any day now. There was one complication for the council and that was the sudden death of Castellan Sumner Egelston. He had left a son named Lucion behind at his estate, but the boy was far too young to succeed his father and become the Castellan. The seat remained vacant for a few days until Ed had decided to appoint his son Albin who had just come of age.

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The only member of the council not present was Spymaster Willard who was waiting for the news to arrive. Ed watched his son, this was his first council as a member rather than observer, while he was not the Justiciar or Master-at-Arms, Ed still expected counsel from him.

"Let us begin the council," Ed ordered.
"My lord," everyone acknowledged.

The entire council took their seats after Ed sat down.

"Willard should receive the news from the battlefield any moment now," Ed said.
"The initial reports said the Targaryen loyalists had the bigger army, they will most likely win," Master-at-Arms Cadwyn said.
"Aye, and even if Lord Tyrion hasn't called the banners, the troops fighting there are Westerlander volunteers, they know the land well," Justiciar Tywold said.
"They can still win," Albin said.
"While you are right, Albin, the loyalists have all the advantages, the Tullys would need a dragon of their own to win," Ed said.

Willard announced himself and entered the room.

"Willard, has the news arrived?" Cadwyn asked.
"The Targaryen loyalists have crushed the enemy at the Golden Tooth," Willard reported.

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There were sighs of relief from the entire council. While Ed had never heard any of his council ever officially declare loyalty to House Targaryen, he knew the council was aware that a sudden regime change would bring more chaos and destroy the years of peace Daenerys had brought.

"After a series of small defeats, this battle will restore hope in the Targaryens," Willard declared.
"The war has only just begun, Daenerys still only has the support of the Greyjoys," Tywold warned.
"It appears my spies were slow this time, for news had already reached other lords," Willard said.
"Oh? And what do the lords that have yet to declare have to say?" Ed asked.
"Willas Tyrell and Galbart Glover have put their support behind Daenerys," Willard answered.
"Excellent! The Reach alone will give Daenerys the advantage she needs, this war is over!" Cadwyn said excitedly.

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"What's Tyrion doing? If the advantage is now with Daenerys, why doesn't he go help her?" Albin asked.

Ed stopped to think of a reason why Tyrion would not call the banners without making a quip about the Imp's drinking.

"He holds the key to the war," Willard answered.
"Joffrey," Ed said.

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"Precisely, Joffrey's the whole reason this war is being fought. Tyrion either keeps him safe for the rebels, or kills him for Daenerys. It would seem Joffrey's fate is in the hand of the armies of the Westeros," Willard explained.
"But if he killed him now, the war would end, why is he being so stupid?" Albin asked.
"Careful now, Albin, you will be marrying Tyrion Lannister's daughter in a year," Ed jokingly warned.
"While there won't exactly be any reason to fight, Daenerys won't simply forgive Edmure Tully for rising up in rebellion, the cause will be lost, but the war will still go on," Willard explained.
"Tyrion's smarter than the drunkard he portrays himself to be, the outcome of the fighting is still uncertain and he will be holding Joffrey until he is sure which side will win," Tywold said.
"I just think he's too drunk to give the order to execute Joffrey, Daenerys will win this war and he's just delaying the inevitable," Cadwyn argued.

Ed sighed.

"If only every war was so quick, I expect the fighting to continue on for a few more years," Ed said sadly.
"Even if it took decades, I agree with Cadwyn, the Targaryens will win, and the Queen will not even have to use her dragon," Willard said.
"I believe that is all that was going to be discussed today, let us dismiss the council," Ed ordered.
"My lord," the council acknowledged.

Everyone began getting out of their seats.

"Albin, please stay, I'd like to talk to you," Ed ordered.
"Yes, father," Albin said meekly.

The councillors except for Albin left the chamber, some whispering on their way out.

"How was your first council meeting as Castellan?" Ed asked.
"Do you do this everyday?"
"Some days I don't call it, but if something needs to be brought to my attention or orders need to be given, I call the council," Ed answered.
"I don't know why I should be talking about war and diplomacy, that's Tywold and Cadwyn's positions," Albin complained.
"Symeon and Sumner always offered their advice if they had any, I didn't care that their actual job description was to manage the castle. Need I remind you that the idea to march on Brent Brook was Willard's idea and not Cadwyn's?"
"No, I was just worried my words would be stupid," Albin admitted.
"Ah, don't worry about that, I've heard the council say some outlandish things from time to time, don't let the fact they're older than you excuse them," Ed assured.
"Is that all, father?" Albin asked.

Ed did not appreciate his impatience, but he decided to excuse it as anxiety from his first real council meeting.

"Do you enjoy your duties as Castellan? You've done quite well helping me manage the household," Ed said.
"It's not fun, but you wanted me to do it so I have to," Albin answered.
"That's disappointing to hear, if you don't enjoy managing our household, I can't see you enjoying ruling our lands. Maybe Sylvia would be more receptive to-"
"That's not what I meant!" Albin said angrily.
"I am your father and lord, you do not take that tone with me," Ed said as he pointed at Albin as if he were a dog.
"Sorry, father, I just don't know what you want to hear from me."
"No, I've heard enough, you do your job well but don't enjoy it. I'm not the fondest of my position, but I have to do it and soon you will be the lord. All the smallfolk outside our walls will not care whether you enjoy being lord or not, their safety and prosperity is paramount," Ed explained.
"I understand, father."
"Do you? I hope you do for the sake of our people and family, now leave me," Ed ordered.

Albin left the room, looking back at Ed who gestured him to leave quickly. There was growth in Albin from the child he once was. Ed was actually hopeful at first, but his short talk after the meeting crushed all hopes that Albin would surpass him as a ruler. There was a sudden pain in his forehead, Ed rolled his fist over the affected spot and it went away after a short time. That pain was a sign Ed's time was coming to an end, he was running out of time to prepare the next generation for the continuation of Riverspring and Brent Brook's long peace and prosperity.
 
He cannot hold on forever, and his children are frighteningly grown
 
It took me three days to read the whole thing but it was definitely worth it! I really enjoy this AAR; you have an excellent talent for characterization. I especially like the way you portray the growth of Ed from boy to lord to a troubled father. Writing coming of age well is not an easy task, and I think you did a good job. I also like the small scale, personal feel to this AAR. There's something about this kind of intimate family tale that, if done right, can be even more riveting than any vast, alien epic.

If you don't mind, I also have some constructive criticism I would like to share. First of all, you seem to have a fear of the word said. Instead you frequently use tags to convey emotion, instead of letting the dialogue do that itself.

"It's the ravens, my lord," the Maester answered.
"Ravens? How many are out there?" Ed asked.
"Many ravens, enough to form a cloud of them."
"That many? Then I already know what this letter from House Targaryen is about," Ed claimed.
"And the other letter?" Maester Normund asked.
"An invitation to a tourney in Brent Brook, please write a letter to Lord Lymond Vikary that I may not be able to attend unless my condition improves," Ed ordered.
"Right away, my lord," the Maester achknowledged.

Here, for example, you could dispose of the speech tags. Instead, you could try using said for the first two lines of dialogue to establish who's talking, and then continue the conversation without any tags from there.

This ties into another criticism I have of your writing, which is redundancy. In the above example, since you already wrote Ed as giving an order in the dialogue, it is unnecessary to repeat that "Ed ordered."

Sylvia had reached the gates of maturity, she was only a few steps away from being a woman.

Here, you repeat the same thing in one sentence; that Sylvia is now a woman. Instead, you could pick either description, as having them both together in such a redundent manner weakens the impact.

I hope you will not take offence at these recommendations. I only want to see this already good story get even better. Happy writing!
 
Chapter 30: The Green Wedding

Riverspring

The Imp marched at the front of his guards. His presence was sort of intrusive as Ed had intended for the wedding to be a small gathering due to the ongoing war. A few days before Lelia Lannister arrived at Riverspring, word came from Casterly Rock that Lord Tyrion Lannister himself would attend the wedding and wanted a more intricate ceremony. With barely enough time to prepare, Ed had done all he could to make Riverspring presentable to the lord of the entire Westerlands. Tyrion was met in the courtyard of Riverspring, he was a lot shorter than Ed expected.

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"Ed! So glad to finally meet you. How have you been?" Tyrion asked eagerly.

Ed bowed his head before the patriarch of the Lannisters, the richest and most powerful man in the Westerlands.

"Lord Tyrion, I have been well. I welcome you to our humble home, I hope everything is to your liking," Ed greeted.
"Humble, now that's a good one. If Riverspring is such a small and humble place, how could you take Brent Brook so easily?" the Imp asked, smiling.
"Well you have me there, but I am glad our two houses can unite together."

Tyrion began eyeing the keep.

"The ceremony will begin tonight?" Tyrion asked.
"Yes, my lord, my son will marry your daughter tonight," Ed answered.
"Bring your son out here, it'd be good for the two to get to know each other before the ceremony."

Ed ordered a guard to retrieve his son. While the men waited, Enora came out of the keep.

"Lord Tyrion," Enora greeted while grinning.
"Lady Enora Marbrand! Is your brother Addam doing well?"
"He is well, my lord. Although he wonders when you will march to battle."
"As long as I keep Joffrey safe, I won't have to march," Tyrion said.
"Where is your daughter?" Ed asked.
"In the carriage with my wife Joy and Cersei."
"Lady Cersei is here?" Enora asked.
"I have to keep her on a short leash, it's no secret she wants me and all my heirs to die horrible deaths. As long I have her children within the reach of my guards, the old bitch won't be able to do anything to me," Tyrion laughed.

Albin came out of the keep with the guard who went to get him, he hesitated, almost unable to believe how short the Imp was.

"Albin, come and pay your respects to Lord Tyrion," Ed said.
"Lord Tyrion," Albin greeted.
"Ah, is this my soon to be son-in-law?" Tyiron asked.
"Yes, my lord, I hope he will be a worthy husband to your daughter," Ed said.
"Bring my daughter here," Tyrion ordered one of his guards.

The guard bowed his head and left the courtyard of the keep. He returned with a young woman that shocked the Sheerans. Lady Lelia Lannister was a dwarf just like her father, Ed swore she was shorter than his youngest daughter Elyana, a girl that had not bled yet. Ed turned his head to Albin and saw he was most displeased. The Sheerans were not the only ones that were not happy, Lelia did nothing to hide her disappointment.

"I am to marry the owner of this keep?" she asked.
"They own two keeps!" Tyrion joked.
"How powerful are these people? I've never heard of House Sheeran."
"Never heard of House Sheeran? Lord Ed Sheeran personally seized Brent Brook from the Vikarys and is a hero of the War of the Five Kings!" Tyrion said.
"And his son?" she asked.
"Why don't you go on and get to know him? Go on, go with the young lad."

Albin reluctantly offered his hand to Lelia who simply walked past him. He looked at his father who gave him a sympathetic look. Shortly after, he went after Lelia who did not let him catch up so easily.

"Hm, I don't think they like each other," Ed sighed.
"I don't think our Queen was so happy to be marrying a Dothraki Khal all those years ago," Tyrion said.
"That marriage didn't last long, but I worry if our children will get along," Enora said.
"Well, if you want your alliance with House Lannister to last, you'd best have both of them loving each other and producing children," Tyrion warned.
"We can't guarantee they'll grow to love each other, but the two of us can make sure the two children do their duty," Ed said.
"Aye, now, I'd like to see my chambers."
"Of course, right this way, Lord Tyrion."

Ed and Enora led Tyrion into the keep, taking him to the largest and most exquisite room they could prepare. Once the Imp was in his room, he asked not to be disturbed until the ceremony began.

When the time finally came for Albin and Lelia to stand before the Septon, the two looked uncomfortable. The ceremony lasted an hour as the two either stumbled on their words, or just outright refused to say them at certain points. There were whispers among the guests, some were doubts about the marriage while others were jokes about how even two wives would still not be equal in height to Albin.

The Sheeran family sat with the Lannisters. Tyrion was drinking the entire time, not even stopping as the Septon tried his best to get the two to speak. Enora tried to talk with Cersei, but the ageing woman was not in the mood to chat. She looked as if she did not want to be here, a closer look at her eyes showed that she may not want to carry on living. Nevertheless, Enora continued trying to get the woman to open up, hoping to take her mind off the fact she was nothing more than a glorified hostage.

Finally, the two kissed. Albin had to lean down in front of everyone, a true embarrassment. It was short, like a bird pecking on wood, even then the two did nothing to conceal their reservations and disgust. The Septon decided to announce Albin and Lelia as man and wife, it was the best he could do. With that, the feasting began and the newlyweds joined the two families for the feast. Albin and Lelia refused to speak with each other, sitting silently the entire time. They were seated away from Ed and Tyrion, unable to hear what their fathers were discussing with the guests all talking at the same time.

"I still am unsure why you came, Lord Tyrion. There's been fighting across the border in the Stoney Sept just a few days ago," Ed said.

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"I know she isn't the most desirable and happy person, but she is my daughter and I love her," Tyrion replied.
"Your vassals may be disapproving of your inaction, House Targaryen's restoration could all be for nothing unless you march to war," Ed warned.
"She has the support of the Glovers and Tyrells, she'll win," Tyrion reassured as he chugged down his wine.
"We're not neutral, my lord, the Battle of the Golden Tooth is proof of that," Ed said.
"We'll attack anyone that comes into our lands, other than that, we'll let the other Lords deal with the rebels," Tyrion said as he poured himself another cup of wine.
"My lord, if you marched now, you might be able to join Daenerys at the siege of Riverrun," Ed suggested.

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"My father waited until the last moment before he sacked King's Landing, I will kill Joffrey or release him when either side shows signs of victory," Tyrion argued.

In the corner of his eye, Ed noticed Cersei twitch upon hearing Tyrion's words.

"You could end the war quicker if you joined Daenerys, she'd be very happy to have your support," Ed said.
"How much did you spend on drinks? This is dreadful! I'm glad I brought my own wine," Tyrion said, ignoring Ed's counsel.
"My lord-"
"I won't have any discussions of politics or war at my daughter's wedding. I like you, Ed, you're a just and competent lord, but you forget your place, you're speaking to your lord's lord."
"My lo-, my lor-" Ed stumbled.

Tyrion laughed.

"Drunk already Ed?" he joked.

Ed felt a sudden pain in his head, similar to the pain he had been experiencing recently. He felt like he was in the deserts of Essos, his whole body feeling as if it were on fire. His throat was also starting to hurt, something was inside it. Ed started coughing violently and put his hand over his mouth. Everyone in the hall looked over to see what was going on, several guards rushed to Ed's side.

"Ed! Ed, what's happening?!" Enora asked loudly.
"Father!" Sylvia screamed.
"Somebody help him!" Tyrion yelled.

Ed continued coughing. He spit into his hand, it was blood.

"Fetch the Maester!" a guard yelled.

Ed's coughing ended, but the other symptoms persisted. He could taste the blood in his mouth among the other food he had been eating. With the coughing gone, the pain in his head worsened and his vision blurred. Voices and clamouring around him began to muffle as a loud ringing was all he could hear. The last thing he could see were his guards and family surrounding him, waiting for the Maester. Soon, it was silence and pitch black.
 
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It took me three days to read the whole thing but it was definitely worth it! I really enjoy this AAR; you have an excellent talent for characterization. I especially like the way you portray the growth of Ed from boy to lord to a troubled father. Writing coming of age well is not an easy task, and I think you did a good job. I also like the small scale, personal feel to this AAR. There's something about this kind of intimate family tale that, if done right, can be even more riveting than any vast, alien epic.

If you don't mind, I also have some constructive criticism I would like to share. First of all, you seem to have a fear of the word said. Instead you frequently use tags to convey emotion, instead of letting the dialogue do that itself.



Here, for example, you could dispose of the speech tags. Instead, you could try using said for the first two lines of dialogue to establish who's talking, and then continue the conversation without any tags from there.

This ties into another criticism I have of your writing, which is redundancy. In the above example, since you already wrote Ed as giving an order in the dialogue, it is unnecessary to repeat that "Ed ordered."



Here, you repeat the same thing in one sentence; that Sylvia is now a woman. Instead, you could pick either description, as having them both together in such a redundent manner weakens the impact.

I hope you will not take offence at these recommendations. I only want to see this already good story get even better. Happy writing!

Thank you for your words, I'm no professional so I have quite a list of weaknesses in my writing which only serves to diminish the epic story that is unfolding. As you've said, I'm not the most comfortable with speech tags and it only makes it confusing even though there are two people speaking along with the redundancies which weaken the impact of otherwise descriptive and vivid sentences. Some other problems are the occasional mixed tenses, mixing Canadian and American spelling of certain words, and missing errors after putting my chapter under scrutiny several times before publishing.

One of my biggest sins that I want to stamp out is the fact I tell instead of show a lot which ties in with the fact I've probably used words like looked or seemed at least once every chapter. I've had good moments where I showed, such as Lester's sacrifice or the love between Ed and Enora, even Cersei's reaction to Tyrion's plans for Joffrey for a recent example. But the narration isn't supposed to be omniscient yet sometimes I write the motivations of other characters as if they were the POV, at times, the writing doesn't even indicate that Ed is guessing, it just flat out states why another character is doing something.

I attribute these problems mostly to two things, fear and time. I'm worried my writing will become confusing and won't be clear so I overcompensate at times, making a self-fulfilling prophecy where my writing does end up either confusing or weakened. Less is more and the economy of words isn't lost to me, but I'm still relatively new to writing projects of this magnitude so obviously it only amplifies the fear and anxiety I have. As for time, I work a lot and have other commitments, so literally there are times where I just write a chapter as fast as I can so I can go on to other things which makes the chapters vary in quality and length because I want to at least get a chapter out everyday.

This isn't the way to go and I'd love to commit all my resources to my writing, but I juggle a day job and a separate career, I can't give up either of them for this AAR despite the fun I've had writing it. I am absolutely sure the quality of the chapters would increase greatly if I didn't stick to a chapter a day. However, I've played quite ahead so I know exactly what will happen and I want to get to those parts of the story. Another thing that's got me committing to the chapter a day is the fact that once college starts back up, the fate of the AAR might be put into question as I'll be juggling four aspects of my life, so I want to get as far as I can before I reach a point where I might have to consider either slowing down updates, changing styles to make it faster to write, or ending the AAR altogether.

I'm very open to criticism, you could call my work a steaming pile of dung and I wouldn't be too mad if you could back it up with examples like you did. I take no offence, and I will try to keep what you and I have written here in the back of my mind when I start writing Chapter 31, hopefully this is the point where the AAR sees an increase and consistency of quality. As I am no professional, I must prove that I have taken these words to heart rather than making empty promises.
 
Oh well, that's not good.
 
I think we should call it the Green Wedding, named for the colours of house Sheeran. Hopefully Ed doesn't die from poison or something, as Albin is far from being in shape to be lord.
 
Chapter 31: Farewell

Riverspring

Ed had called for Enora and his two older children. The illness had taken a turn for the worst and there was nothing the new Maester of Riverspring could do about it. Resigning himself to his fate, Ed decided to speak with his family one last time. Enora held on Ed's hand, her soft skin granting him comfort amidst the pain. Sylvia held onto the other hand, her grip tightening as she fought to hold back her tears. Finally, Albin sat next to Enora, not saying a word.

"Ed, you can't leave me, Elyana still needs a father," Enora begged.
"I entrust her to all of you," Ed said weakly.
"You're not entrusting her to anyone, please, father, don't die!" Sylvia begged.

Ed used his strength to turn to Albin.

"Nothing to say, Albin?"
"I don't want you to die, father," he answered.
"Nobody is ready to take over for you, we need more time," Enora argued.
"Our children are sitting right here."
"But it's true! Please, Riverspring needs you," Sylvia said.
"For twenty years I have ruled these lands. In that time, I've made House Sheeran a powerful family with good men in its council. Use them to ensure our family's continued success."
"Are you even listening to me?!" Enora screamed angrily.

She stormed out of the room, wiping her face before slamming the door behind her.

"Albin, go take after your mother."

Albin nodded his head and followed his mother.

"Father..." Sylvia said.
"Now that your mother and brother are gone, we can talk now."
"What did you want to tell me?"
"Will you promise that everything that I tell you does not leave this room?"
"Yes, father, I promise that and everything more."

Ed coughed up a few drops of blood. Sylvia grabbed a handkerchief and wiped Ed's mouth.

"Albin is not ready, even when he was a boy, I feared he wasn't going to be able to continue what I've done."
"It's simple then, you must survive this illness so that he will be ready."

Ed laughed.

"No, the Maester says I will not survive this. While Albin is not ready to rule, you are."
"Me?"
"Even as a little girl, I saw the potential in you. I regret that you were born a girl for the law disregards your talents for Albin's manhood."
"What would you have me do?"
"You've promised to keep what we speak about here a secret. Sylvia, I want you to support Albin as he rules our lands. But, if you feel he is taking our house down a dangerous path and risks everything that I've built, I charge you to remove him and rule in his stead."
"Remove him? Who would support me?"
"I've left secret instructions to the council, before you decide to remove Albin, consult them and they will ensure you do your duty to House Sheeran."

Sylvia wiped the tears from her face and sat in silence. Her eyes were as red as the Lannister banners while small stripes on her cheeks shined from the wetness of her tears.

"I- I don't know what to say."
"I hope you say yes."

Sylvia nodded.

"Father, I will do as you say, I will ensure Albin rules as well as you did, or remove him in favour of myself."
"That's my girl. With that, my mind is at peace. Sylvia, please leave so that I may rest."
"Rest? Father, please, you can't mean..."

Ed strained to laugh one last time.

"I just want to sleep, Sylvia. Who knows? I may survive this yet."
"Please get well, father."

Sylvia leaned in and kissed her father on the cheek. She got up to leave and gave Ed one last look. Ed dug deep into his pillow with the back of his head once he heard Sylvia close the door. Ed shut his eyes and tried to go to sleep. He laid there for half an hour as the temperature in his body suddenly rose. The sick and dying man tried to disregard the fever, imagining himself as laying in a nice bed in Dorne; he heard it was nice this time of year. After that, he finally went to sleep, a sleep he knew he would not be waking up from as the last of his senses failed him.

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Riverspring


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There was a giant crowd gathered outside the Sept, guards stood by the door in order to keep order as the family of Ed Sheeran had come together. Albin Sheeran was now the lord of Riverspring and Brent Brook, his first order was to organize the his father's funeral.

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The court and family of Lord Ed Sheeran was invited to say their last goodbyes.

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Albin placed the last funeral stone on his father's eyes as the men and women gathered around the altar. Albin looked around at all the attendees, they were all bowing their heads and even saying a silent prayer, he was shocked to see that Master Quenton who had quarrelled with his father in matters of money in the past still paid his respects. Albin was happy to see everyone honour his father, but then he noticed his wife Lelia Lannister, the impish woman simply stood, her eyes barely rising above the altar where Ed's body lay.

He was about to speak up and demand Lelia respect his father when Albin's mother Enora spoke up.

"Does anyone have anything to say about my husband?" she asked.
"Aye," Spymaster Willard announced. "Twenty years ago, when we had heard Lord Hugh Sheeran had fallen at Riverrun, I was worried, Ed was young, but so was I. In the twenty years I served him, the two of us advanced our skills together, he a just ruler while I became a shadow. He never doubted me, and I never doubted him. I'll miss the man, he was the greatest man I ever met."

Albin nodded along with Willard's speech. The Spymaster who had a reputation as a mysterious man was turning red, the greatest amount of emotion Albin had ever seen Willard emote.

Cadwyn cleared his throat loudly to get everyone's attention. While he was Ed's trusty Master-at-Arms since the beginning of his reign, Albin had saw fit to replace the old man with a younger knight by the name of Ser Selmond of Sowerby who was not present at the funeral. He gave Albin a dirty look and then moved to make his speech.

"Well said, Willard. I served Ed's father for many years, I never believed anyone could surpass the man, but Ed showed me I was wrong. In my youth I was a zealous man, always looking for a fight, Ed kept me in check, soon my zealotry went from the thrill of battle to the survival of House Sheeran. When I heard of his deeds during the War of the Five Kings and the Battle of Brent Brook, I was humbled, thinking Ed to be nothing but a fool who sang songs all day. I loved the man like a brother, I would've given my life to him, like many others have done already."

Cadwyn looked at Albin one last time before retreating back to join the crowd of attendees. Justiciar Tywold raised his hand tall, so that everyone knew he had words to say.

"I first met Ed as Lord of Riverspring when he had returned from the battlefield, I couldn't believe my ears when I heard the young bard I knew was a hero in one of the greatest wars to ever ravage this land. Ed may have been a good soldier, but that didn't stop him from considering the diplomatic options, much to my pleasure. Instead of resisting Martyn Payne, he decided to end the conflict in Payne Hall itself, the jaws of the enemy as far as we knew. He was as wise as he was strong, a true lord among savages and unjust men."

While he was thankful for their kind words, every speech was becoming harder to listen to, as it further cemented the fact his father was dead. The closest of Ed's council had spoken and Albin noticed no one else was moving to say something. Enora decided to step up.

"Our marriage was quite an adventure in its infancy. I was a stubborn woman, I wanted to be with my husband rather than sit in Riverspring for the rest of my days. While he didn't like it, he took me with him to the battlefields, and there our marriage was strengthened. I was there to comfort him when he returned from battle while he helped look after the children that were born. I truly believe that our marriage would not be what it was if not for the war. He was a good father to his children, always ensuring they grew up to be of good character, I am at least glad that he lived to see two of them come of age. While he was not my first love, I would give up anything to see him again, even for a moment."

Several attendees began sniffling, Cadwyn was among the ones crying the most. Nobody made any moves to make a speech, Albin decided that it was time to carry Ed to his grave. Before giving the order, he noticed Sylvia standing by herself away from the crowd, wrapping her head with a hood.

"Let us take my father away," Albin told everyone.

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Cadwyn, Willard, Tywold, and Albin all held onto to one of the handles on the carrier for the body. They held it high for everyone to see and began marching as if they were a formation of soldiers. The guards opened the door of the Sept and pushed through the crowd of smallfolk to make a lane. Ed's body was carried through the lane and many smallfolk extended their hands, hoping to touch the body of their lord. Some people shouted blessings while others cried loudly, the smallfolk did all they could as the body passed.

The crowd went all the way to the keep where the household guard came out in full force to stand at attention, they had protected their lord from everything except for the diseases that plagued him. Once inside the courtyard of the keep, the men took the body to a plot of land where the Sheeran family's dead were buried. They gently placed him down the hole that was already dug, the hole was next to Lord Hugh Sheeran's grave. And so, Ed joined his father in death and burial.
 
So he passes, to an uncertain future. A heavy burden to lay upon his daughter.

I think it a nice touch that Enora upstages Albin at the funeral.
 
I think there will be trouble between Albin and his wife, not to mention trouble with his sister. House Sheeran is strong for now, but how long can that last?
 
With Ed dead, this AAR will see a change. This change is the introduction of multiple POV characters as the story progresses. This chapter will be an experimentation of how the new POVs will work. Expect new POVs and even multiple POVs in one chapter as House Sheeran expands and grows. My only rule is that the POV character has to be of House Sheeran, so even unlanded and unmarried Sheerans are fair game and may get a POV at some point.
Chapter 32: A Hollow Place

Riverspring
Albin Sheeran

Some people could not believe a year had passed since Lord Ed Sheeran had died, it felt like a lifetime. To a traveller, Riverspring was going through business as usual, but the lively energy and prosperity of its smallfolk had diminished as if an invisible dark cloud had shrouded the land. Builders and blacksmiths hammered quietly, merchants haggled with soft voices rather than haggle until their faces turned blue, and people barely acknowledged each other in the street. Albin walked the courtyard, waiting for two separate pieces of news. The first piece was from the Stormlands, one of his father's last acts as Lord was to promise Elyana Sheeran to the Lord of the Stormlands, Royce Wagstaff.

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The second piece of news was the fate of his wife Lelia, who was currently giving birth. Albin hated every second of the process, but once the child was born, he'd never have to touch Lelia again. He paced as he thought of the name he would give it once it was born. Albin decided to name it Ed after his father if it was a boy, but he still had yet to decide on what he would name it if it was girl.

One of Lelia's handmaidens rushed out of the keep.

"M'lord! M'lord!" she called.

Albin turned to the running woman.

"What of my child?"

The woman was catching her breath. But even after she stopped panting, she did not say a word, barely looking Albin in the eyes. Albin easily figured out she had bad news.

It was revealed that the child had been stillborn, never receiving the gift of life.

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Albin was devastated. Lord Ed Sheeran was dead, and now Albin's son also named Ed Sheeran was dead. Lelia survived the pregnancy, not even complaining about pain. Albin suspected the worst, that she was drinking Moon Tea to kill all of his children. He had no proof, but he knew his wife was not fond of him. Later in the day, Albin and his guards met with one of Lelia's handmaidens, a young girl by the name of Tysha. Albin could see the girl was nervous, she was in a room seated in front of her lord while being surrounded by guards.

"M'lord, why have you brought me here?"
"How close are you to my wife?"
"I am her handmaiden, m'lord."
"Are you her most trusted?"
"No, but I still handle her duties."
"Has she had any Moon Tea?"
"M'lord?"

Ed placed a small sack of coins on the table, the jingling of the coins easily indicated how full it was.

"I suspect Lelia drank Moon Tea to kill my son, I want you to report to me on everything she does and plans to do, I will make it very worthwhile for you."

The girl reluctantly picked up the sack. She placed it in her lap and looked behind her at the door.

"Do you promise not to tell m'lady about this?"
"Why would I tell her anything, especially if she drank Moon Tea? So, did she drink Moon Tea?"
"Yes, m'lord, she ordered another one of her handmaidens to go get some Moon Tea from out of town."

Albin slammed his fist on the table.

"I knew it. Tysha was it? I want you to gain as much trust as you can. Ensure that she never does anything without the guard knowing. No matter what, never let her get her hands on anymore Moon Tea."

The girl nodded but then looked down at the table.

"What if m'lady catches me?"
"Run for the nearest guards, I will not let her harm you. Do well in your task, and there will be more gold where that came from."
"Thank you m'lord."
"Run along now, best not make my wife suspicious by keeping her waiting."

The girl took the sack of coins from her lap and hid it under her dress before leaving the room. Albin took some time to think about the idea that his wife was purposefully murdering his children. He slammed the table again out of frustration. With only testimony from a handmaiden, a corrupt handmaiden at that, he did not have enough to prove Lelia was drinking Moon Tea. Albin needed all the evidence he could gather, for the Lannisters would easily assert their influence if his case was flimsy.

Albin's fears of Lannister influence were somewhat relieved the next day. Word had come from Casterly Rock, Tyrion Lannister was dead.

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The Imp drank every single day, every single hour, and every single minute. Rumours had spread that before Tyrion collapsed in front of his court, he declared himself to be, "The God of Tits and Wine." Tywin Lannister was a brilliant lord, Tyrion shared in his father's intelligence and could have continued Tywin's legacy if not for the excessive drinking. But now, Casterly Rock was in the hands of a young child, who too showed signs of brilliance.

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There was however one unintended consequence of Tyrion's death, as Lord Tymos Lannister was only five years old and had no heirs, Casterly Rock's legal heir was Lelia Lannister, Albin's wife. Albin sat in his hall, thinking about the position he was in. As much as he hated his wife, she was the heir to the Westerlands, and Albin's children would be her heirs. But there was no way to remove the child, he was all the way at the Rock and the vassals still had yet to show their disloyal tendencies.

Albin pondered his next move when his mother Enora entered the hall. Her hands were clasped together in front of her hips.

"Albin," she greeted.
"Mother, what did you need?"
"Oh, nothing."
"Then what did you want to speak to me about?"
"It's been a year since your father left us."
"Please don't remind me, mother."

Enora sighed.

"I thought I could continue living here after he was gone, but, it's been hard."
"Mother?"
"We vowed to be together forever, I knew he would die before me, but I didn't expect him to die so soon."
"Mother, what do you want?"
"I cannot live in this hollowed placed anymore, I want to live in peace. But everywhere I go, I am reminded of the times I shared with your father."
"I don't understand."

Enora bowed her head and got on her knees.

"Albin, please allow me to go join the faith, so that I may live in peace."

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"Mother, you can't seriously consider leaving us too. Father's gone and now you too?"
"I'm sorry, Albin, but the pain of living here is something I cannot take anymore of."
"How do you think I feel?! My father's dead and I have to rule his lands along with all of its people!"

Enora recoiled, as if she feared Albin would hit her even though he was all the way in his chair.

"Albin, please, I beg of you, let me go."
"Don't leave, go home to Ashemark, be with Uncle Addam."
"No, I am a Sheeran, I haven't been Enora Marbrand for years now."
"What about Elyana? She still has yet to bleed, she needs her mother!"
"I entrust Elyana to you and Sylvia."
"How could be so selfish, mother?!"
"Selfish? No, I will join the faith, and pray for long and beautiful lives for all of my children, but I must show the gods my sincerity by giving my life to the faith."
"You can pray to the gods here!"

Enora shook her head.

"I know the only way the gods would listen is if I joined the faith, I will give up being pampered in nice castles so that I may let my children continue to live that life."
"Mother..."
"I ask you again, Albin. Please allow me to join the faith."
"Mother, there's a war going on, can you at least wait for the fighting to end?"
"All the better, I will show the gods that I would march through battlefields in order to prove my faith."
"Mother, once you join the faith, you cannot leave it, you'll never be able to come back to Riverspring."
"I never want to come back here, my time in Riverspring has ended now that your father is gone."

Albin got out of his chair and embraced his mother. He blinked in rapid succession, squeezing out the tears of his dry eyes.

"Please..."
"I'm sorry, my son, I've already told your sister and I've already packed."
"Let me arrange an escort, so you will be safe!"
"My faith shall keep me safe, now, I would like to get as much distance as I can before nightfall."
"Mother no!"

Albin let go of his mother and began pounding the floor, like a child throwing a fit.

"Goodbye, Albin," Enora said as she wiped her face.

Riverspring
Sylvia Sheeran

Albin cried loudly in front of his guards, he still pounded the floor. Sylvia was leaning against the wall by the door outside of the hall, peering around the corner and watching her brother. She retreated back to hiding as her mother began making her departure. Enora exited the hall and stopped when she locked eyes with Sylvia. Sylvia tried to cover her eyes with her hood, but she could still see her mother let out a slight smile before going on ahead.

When her mother was gone, Sylvia looked around the corner again. Albin had stopped pounding the floor, but he was on all fours crying while his tears fell to the floor. Sylvia sighed quietly to herself as she looked at the pitiful sight.

"Pathetic."
 
One is forced to agree with the assessment. Sylvia has her work cut out for her.
 
Chapter 33: One Last Strike

Riverspring
Sylvia Sheeran

Sylvia and her friend Reyna Crakehall waited on a small hill with Cadwyn. It overlooked a small road that was mostly only used by messengers and lone travellers. The news of Lelia Lannister's second pregnancy became common knowledge across all of Riverspring which led to many prayers being spoken throughout Riverspring in hope this next child would be born.

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Sylvia had her suspicions on the stillbirth of her nephew and used Reyna to keep an eye on Lelia's handmaidens. Reyna had reported to Sylvia that certain handmaidens were meeting in secret with outsiders, the handmaidens handing something to the outsiders each time. Believing Lelia was covertly bringing Moon Tea into Riverspring in order to keep killing Albin's children, she called on Cadwyn to assist her in her investigation. As Cadwyn was no longer Master-at-Arms, his resources were limited, but he was more than happy to help knowing future children of House Sheeran were in danger.

"Fenric and Mortimer are on the other side of the road, we'll try to take them from both sides," Cadwyn said.
"Reyna, are you sure they'll be heading down this road?" Sylvia asked Reyna.
"I followed one of the handmaidens to a spot not that far back from here, we'll see them if they come down this road," Reyna answered, pointing behind her.

The trio were knelt down so that only their heads could look over the crest of the hill, concealing them from anyone approaching them. Their horses were left at the foot of the hill, ready to ride and intercept whoever came down the road. Sylvia had her doubts about Cadwyn's abilities, the man was a few years past his fiftieth nameday and even struggled to mount his horse back at Riverspring. He had brought a bow with him, but even then Sylvia worried about the man's eyesight. While there were five people involved in this mission, only three of them had training, this would not be able to handle a small band.

"I see a rider," Sylvia said.
"Don't move, I recognize him. One of Willard's men, he isn't what we're looking for," Cadwyn warned.

The three did not move as the rider rushed past the hill.

"Why make all this effort? If your brother dies without any children, you get all the land," Reyna asked.
"My father charged me to aid him in what ways I can for a time. Not only that, I feel much disgust knowing that short whore is not even giving the children a chance."
"Just and loyal, a true child of Lord Ed Sheeran," Cadwyn praised.
"I'm surprised you're okay with my brother dying childless."
"Don't you remember our childhood, he was a little demon! I still have a scar when he threw that rock at me," Reyna replied.
"Hush, three riders. They're looking around and moving slowly, like they're expecting something," Cadwyn reported as he held onto his sword while it was still in its sheath.
"Are they carrying anything? Reyna, what do you see?"
"One of them has a bag, they all have swords."
"These are the people we're looking for, let's get to the horses," Cadwyn suggested.

Sylvia and her companions carefully made their way to the horses and quickly mounted. Cadwyn pulled out his bow and followed the two ladies as they trotted toward the road, using the hill as cover. When the road was in clear view, Cadwyn pulled an arrow out of his quiver and readied it. The man at the head of the riders was in sight, Cadwyn loosed the arrow. The arrow missed the rider but lodged itself into his horse, making it panic and throw the man off.

"Bandits!" one of the men yelled.

Cadwyn readied another arrow and loosed it at another rider. The arrow missed entirely and the horseless man mounted one of the other steeds.

"Stay here, my ladies."

Cadwyn put away his bow and drew his sword. He urged his horse forward and charged the men. Fenric and Mortimer, the two others that were helping Cadwyn joined him and charged from the other side. Cadwyn fought with the man riding by himself while Fenric and Mortimer were fighting with the two men riding together.

Sylvia was still with Reyna and watched the men fight. There were no clear victors and Sylvia was worried how Cadwyn would do against younger opponents. Both she and Reyna were only armed with daggers, nothing compared to the swords but still a weapon that could tip the scales. Sylvia watched as Fenric rode around and managed to stab his opponent's horse in the rear end, making it charge forward and throw one of the men off. Mortimer turned to chase the panicked horse and its rider while Fenric dismounted to fight the man still picking himself up in the dirt.

Sylvia could not watch any longer, she gripped the reins and commanded her horse to join the melee.

"Sylvia! Wait!" Reyna called.

Sylvia charged right at the man Fenric was fighting. The man saw she was approaching and jumped out of the way but stumbled and fell. Fenric quickly used the opportunity to stomp on the man's sword hand and finish him before he could get up. Sylvia nodded to Fenric who rushed to join Mortimer, meanwhile she turned her attention to Cadwyn and his opponent.

Cadwyn was doing well, at least he had not been hurt. Because of his age, most of his speed and energy was used toward defending against his opponent, unable to end the fight. Sylvia dismounted her horse and pulled out her dagger. She crept up behind the man fighting Cadwyn and quickly held onto his chest behind as she dug the dagger into his shoulder. The man yelled and dropped his sword to hold the wound.

"Yield! I yield!" he yelled.

Cadwyn kept his sword trained at the man who was now on his knees. Sylvia and Cadwyn locked eyes, both of them nodded while Cadwyn was still breathing heavily.

"Sylvia! Mortimer's wounded!" Reyna yelled.
"What about the other rider, is he still alive?" Cadwyn asked.
"Fenric killed him!"
"Fenric! Take Mortimer back to the estate immediately!" Cadwyn ordered.


Fenric helped Mortimer mount onto his horse and the two rode away from the scene of the fighting. Sylvia stood in front of the wounded stranger and looked down at him.

"Who are you?"
"Please, fix me wounds and I'll tell ya!"
"Who are you?" Sylvia asked again, her tone not even changing.


Sylvia turned away and saw Reyna digging through the bag that was dropped. She suddenly pulled out several vials.

"Moon Tea! Enough to kill an orphanage!" Reyna called as she held the vials up for Sylvia and Cadwyn to see.

Sylvia turned her attention back to the man.

"You're smuggling Moon Tea into Riverspring?"
"It's not a crime!"
"Aye, it isn't, but killing children is," Cadwyn argued.
"That's what you use it for, nothin' in the Queen's law against it."
"Well, the Lord of Riverspring wouldn't appreciate knowing that you were the one supplying his wife with Moon Tea," Sylvia explained.
"Look, I was paid by some handmaiden, I thought she was tryin' to hide a scandal, I didn't know a Lord was involved."
"I believe you. But if you want to bring Moon Tea to Riverspring, sell it to the Maester. If you want to deal with Lord Albin Sheeran's wife directly, you're a dead man the moment you step into our lands," Sylvia commanded.
"Aye! Aye! I don't even care anymore! They already paid me!"
"Should we kill him?" Cadwyn asked.
"No, he can go. But remember what I said, and you may live to see that wound become a scar."

The man did not even hesitate to get on his horse and ride back the way he came. Sylvia's suspicions were confirmed, Lelia Lannister was smuggling in Moon Tea to prevent Albin from having children. While she knew that as a fact, she did not have the evidence to prove it, there was no record of the transaction and Lelia still had plenty of ways to deny it. With nothing left to do in the area, Sylvia wiped the blood off her dagger and ordered her companions to return to Riverspring.

Riverspring
Albin Sheeran

When Albin had heard Lelia had gone into labour, he became anxious, knowing she was somehow getting her hands on Moon Tea despite him ordering the Maester to not give her any. He had bribed one of Lelia's handmaidens to prevent her from using Moon Tea, her failure would mean another lost child.

Before he could receive the news of the fate of his child, Willard called a council meeting to report on Edmure Tully's rebellion against the crown. There were some new faces in the council as Albin had replaced a few of the ageing men that had even lived during the time of his grandfather. Taking up the post of Castellan was a man named Tyrek, he did not share the charisma and talents of the Castellans of his father's time. Replacing Cadwyn as Master-at-Arms was Ser Selmond of Sowerby, a strong fighter who had won several tourneys in Riverspring and Brent Brook. Spymaster Willard and Justiciar Tywold still remained, but their time would soon come.

The councillors stood at their chairs, waiting for Albin to announce the beginning of proceedings.

"Let us begin."
"My lord," the council acknowledged.
"Willard, what news do you bring from the Riverlands?"
"My lord, Danerys Targaryen has captured Riverrun. Along with that, the Reachmen decisively defeated the Dornish at Farring Cross, Edmure Tully had no choice but to surrender."
"And so the realm is back at peace," Albin said.
"The Vale and the North are still facing several rebellions, but other than that, the realms are secure under House Targaryen once more," Willard reported.

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"I will begin making the arrangements to stand down now that the war is over," Selmond said.
"What of Edmure Tully?" Tywold asked.
"Daenerys did not even wait, she hanged the man at Riverrun, and left his corpse hanging as she departed with the main unit of her army," Willard answered.

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"Gods, such cruelty," Tyrek said to himself loudly.
"After all these rebellions, Daenerys has had enough," Selmond argued.
"What happened to Joffrey?" Albin asked.

Willard took some time before answering.

"I do not know, his fate was uncertain after Lord Tyrion died."
"Mark my words, as long as Joffrey lives, rebels will want to restore him out of hate for Daenerys," Selmond warned.
"Let the lad live in peace, he probably has no desires to be king anymore," Tyrek said.
"It doesn't matter if he wants to be king or not, he has a claim, that's good enough for any rebel," Willard argued.
"I don't think the Tullys will continue to rule the Riverlands after this rebellion, what has Daenerys done to the title?" Tywold asked.
"Daenerys must enjoy the dramatics, as she has given the title to Corwyn Baelish, the son of the man who Edmure Tully had killed," Willard answered.

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"The gods must have favoured House Baelish," Tyrek said.

Before the council continued with their discussion, Tysha, the handmaiden Albin had bribed came into the chamber.

"M'lord! Lady Lelia has given birth to a girl!"
"A firstborn girl, just like your father," Tywold said.
"My lords, I would like to end the council early so I may see my child."
"I understand, please, my lord, go and see your child," Selmond agreed.

The rest of the men nodded. Albin got up and followed Tysha back to Lelia's chamber. He was excited to meet his daughter, the result of Lelia's plot being thwarted. But the sight he met was not of a daughter, but something he did not expect. His daughter was small, incredibly small. She was barely bigger than Lelia's hands, she was a dwarf.

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Lelia had already named her Ellyn before Albin arrived. Despite preventing her from using Moon Tea, Lelia still managed to get one last strike at Albin by giving birth to a dwarf, fated to grow up to be the image of her mother whom Albin hated dearly. Albin wanted a son who would succeed him, not a dwarf who would be the ridicule of all those around her. Lelia looked at Albin straight into his eyes, she smiled smugly, as if she were aware of Albin's involvement in her Moon Tea scheme. Rage filled Albin, rage that made him decide whether this marriage would truly be worth it in the end.
 
What a poor excuse for a father

Though he is far from the only one in Westeros