Trials and Tribulations of the Oathkeeper

Chapter 120: A Storm is Brewing

—At King's Landing—

Red Keep — Daveth's solar...

Daveth spent the following days in solitude—having executed the High Sparrow, Lancel and the remaining Sparrows left in the capital city, he spent much of his time reviewing documents, petitions... and of course, planning for a moment's respite with his wife upon her eventual return. They'd been preparing for their anniversary for quite some time if it weren't unplanned events from occurring. Bodrin had been assisting as the King's scribe to lessen the burden, though Tyrion—Daveth's uncle and Hand of the King—often stopped by to pick up the stamped documents.

Nearby, Lyonel and Cassana were busy playing with their toys—wooden knights, blocks and dolls. Catelyn babysat them while her son-in-law occasionally shot a glance over to his right to check up on them.

"The shipment you've requested has arrived, Your Grace," said Bodrin, breaking the Young Stag's concentration.

Daveth slid another stamped document to the side. "I trust the contents inside were not damaged in anyway?" he asked.

"Not that we know of. The people of the Reach exercise delicate care and tenderness when it comes to gardening."

"I see. Put it over there on the counter."

"What did you buy from the Reach?" asked Catelyn.

"I promised Sansa we'd have a proper anniversary before all this mess started."

Bodrin and Shae both brought in the ordered goods into the room and placed it down on the counter next to Daveth's personal desk. All were placed in a fancy decorative glass vase etched with vines – its content including a mixture of red roses, yellow daisies, white lilies and lilacs and purple hydrangeas. Next to it was a crown of winter roses, blue with frost; almost similar to the Queen of Love and Beauty crown he had given to his wife when he won the joust at the Tourney of the Hand years earlier.

"There's also this," Bodrin presented a shiny crown; freshly forged by the looks of it.

Daveth examined the metalwork closely. Hammered, polished and sparkling when exposed to sunlight, the design closely resembled the ancient crown of the Kings in the North with some minor adjustments: the metal bodice featured a row of nine steel grey iron spikes shaped like longswords with ruby gemstones around the side of the open circlet, the center-front featured two howling scaly direwolves incised with runes of the First Men. Studded antlers of House Baratheon also protruded around the crown – depicting the Stark Queen's marriage ties to the royal family.

"I hope she likes this," Daveth quietly hoped.

Catelyn noticed. "Sansa's changed you this much, hasn't she? How uncharacteristically soft of you," she teased in a motherly tone.

The Young Stag's eyes widened and his cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "Wha...? Hey! I am NOT soft!" he said defensively.

Lyonel and Cassana giggled at their father's apprehensiveness.

"Forgive me, Your Grace," Shae interrupted, "but there's also this." She handed the Young Stag a letter, sealed in gray wax – which remained unbroken.

"What is it?"

"It's a message from your wife. A raven flew in just this morning."

Daveth cracked the seal and read.

"My dearest King,

I write to inform you that the traitor Ramsay Snow had attempted to usurp power in the North, having murdered his father Lord Roose Bolton along with both his wife Lady Walda and their trueborn son. Our ravens dispatched to White Harbor that had gone unanswered for quite some time was a consequence on Ramsay's part to prevent anyone from discovering his plans – one we learned upon our arrival and further explained the situation to Lord Manderly.