Duty or Desire // Jon Snow // Robb Stark

42. Diplomacy

'From this time till the end of time we are not part of your realm we are free and independent kingdom of the north.' Cersei ripped up the letter, the peace treaty. 'He has more spirit than his father I will give him that.' she remarked

'You have become quite effective at tearing up papers.' Tyrion remarked 'we can give him his fathers bones back at least a gesture of good faith.'

'Will you give the Starks our reply cousin?' Cersei asked

'I will your Grace.' Alton said

'Did you see my brother? When you were the Starks guest?' cersei added

'I did.' Alton admitted 'they have not broken his spirit your grace.'

'If you speak with him... Tell him he has not been forgotten.' Cersei told her cousin.

'I will your grace.'

'Safe travels cousin.' Tyrion added 'do you have a death plan with diplomacy?'

'If that's everything?' cersei said

'A raven flew in this morning from Castle Black.' the maester said

'Trouble with the wildlings.' varys said

'That's why they're called wildlings.' Petyr remarked

'Some of the wildlings it seems have stopped killing each other and started following this king beyond the wall.' varys added

'Another King.' Cersei remarked 'how many is that now? Five I've lost count.'

'Lord Commander asked that we send more men.' Tyrion read off the note 'to man the wall.'

'Perhaps he forgot we were fighting a war and we have no men to spare.' Cersei told him

'Cold winds are rising and the dead rise with them.' Tyrion went on

'Northerners are superstitious people,' the high maester said

'According the Lord Commander these dead men attacked one of their camps. Mormont does not lie.'

'How do you kill a dead man?' Varys questioned

'Apparently you burn them.' Tyrion said reading through the note again.

'One trip to the wall and you come back believing in grumpkins and snarks?' Cersei teased.

'I don't know what I believe.' Tyrion told her 'here's a fact for you though the nights watch is the only thing that separates us from what lies beyond the wall.'

'I have every confidence that the man of the nights watch will protect us all.' Cersei said leaving Tyrion.

++++

'And what did she say?' Robb questioned Alton Lannister

'She admired your spirit your grace.'

'And?'

'She...'

'If every man we're held accountable for every distant relatives we would all hang.' Odie told him. Certainly herself after what she heard Gregor doing over the years, it seemed her eldest brother had gotten more and vicious with every breath.

'She tore the paper in half your Grace,' Alton told him

'you've acted with honor I thank you for it.' Robb said 'Lord castor make sure Lord Alton's pen is clean and give him a hot supper.'

'Ser Alton's pen is occupied your grace the prisoner from the yellow fork.'

'Too many prisoners.' his commander told him

'Is there room for ser Alton?' Robb asked

'Does he need to lie down?' castor questioned Robb stared across at his commanders at Alton Lannister before looking to his wife she gave his hand a squeeze.

'Have the men build him a new pen put him in with the king slayer for now, have one of your boys watch over him.' Robb decided

'Torren!" castor said in a man stepped forward pulling Alton back

'That will be all.' Robb said and they were dismissed.