DRAGONS REBORN: The Era After SI (GOT story)

Part 26

"Aghh! Can't we just wait until Aemon is back," she pleaded, and Qybrun just shrugged.

"It would be better if the Crown makes an announcement about this before things get out of hand."

0000

BRANDON STARK

The atmosphere in the North was tense. The Northern lords were extremely tense after the abduction of his brother, and their anger and frustrations were growing with every passing day.

Brandon himself was wroth with fury and anger, and it was only the constant assurances from the Crown that held him back from calling an army and decimating these so-called Sparrows and showing them just what these 'Northern heathens' were capable of.

Yet, Prince Aemon had assured him that this matter was for the Crown to deal with and that he wouldn't let anything happen to Eddard. The behavior of the newly enthroned Lord of Riverrun had been surprising as well, as he had refused the Crown's call and had continued to provide refuge to those militants despite their actions. And there were already rumors circulating that the Crown wasn't going to let this disrespect go and that the Crown planned to replace House Tully as Lord Paramount.

The Riverland was in complete chaos, though things in the North weren't much better. The Lords were angry and were demanding that they raise the banners and march towards Riverlands. And as much as he would like to do exactly that, he knew he couldn't do this.

Had it been years earlier, Brandon would have called the banners by now, yet the years of lordship had made him more mature, and he knew that ignoring the instructions from the Crown so blatantly wouldn't be an intelligent move. And even though he may have the support of his lords in this, such an action on his part could plunge the whole continent into a massive civil war. A war they couldn't afford, especially with the rise of their true enemy.

"Things are much worse than I thought," he commented to one of his friends, William Dustin. The Lord of Barrow lands was one of his closest friends. Add to that the fact that Brandon was his good brother. He had asked the man to his solar to know about the thoughts of the Lords before he addressed them at the feast later.

And Brandon sighed as soon as he heard those words, for he had expected as much.

"Ok, so what are they thinking?" he questioned as he picked up his wine glass and gulped down a mouthful of the Arbor Gold to prepare himself for the discussion ahead.

"They are angry, of course, both at you for not calling the banners. Though most of the criticism is towards the Crown, they are saying that the Crown is being insincere and is stalling needlessly," William informed him and Brandon shook his head.

"Gods. What am I to do with them? Do they have any idea, what will happen if I call the banners?" he said exasperated by their shortsightedness, ignoring that he would have done just that if he didn't know what he did about the enemy growing more and more powerful by the day in the true North.

"DO they think I don't care about Eddard? He is my brother! Yet if call the banners, the whole continent could end up in religious civil war," he nearly shouted and saw William nod along.

"I understand that, and maybe the Lords do so as well, and that is the reason most of them are more angry at the Crown over this whole issue," added William, and he shook his head, exasperated by this.

"The Crown is doing everything it can. We are in a war with the Blackfyres, and without the army, the Crown has to be careful as well. And I don't think the Crown expected this from Lord Edmure, and now the Prince himself is marching towards Riverlands with an army to deal with this issue," he retorted to William as he leaned back into his chair.