I've been knighted for a month now, and nothing has happened. We're still waiting for the Ironborn to take action, while our great king, during his stay in Winterfell, visited every brothel. Later, bored, he sent Jon Arryn to King's Landing's Landing while he went to the Westerlands. Around this time, the raven he sent should arrive at Casterly Rock.
Our good king didn't want peaceful rule, but damned war. Who knew that in that life of debauchery, there was a warrior who craved blood?
( Tywin Lannister's perspective)
As I was working on the daily paperwork of Casterly Rock in the sunroom, there was a knock at the door. When I let him in, it was Creylen Cleryn.
"My lord, a Crow has come to the king."
I took the parchment, tore off the seal, and began to read. The letter was written by the Good King himself, and from the lines it was clearly not Jon Arryn's. It was incoherent and rambling. The writer hadn't even bothered to put two sentences together correctly. The handwriting was messy and crooked. The author was either a drunkard or a paralyzed man. I'd bet all my possessions that he was drunk.
The message vaguely mentioned that the Ironborn might launch an attack. What is this drunkard talking about? West Westeros has always been under threat from the Ironborn. What kind of weakness message is this? It feels like he was forced to send it.
Was it a genuine possibility of an attack, or a planned raid, which was why they sent the message? But the message didn't feel right. It was as if he didn't want us to take it to heart. I picked up the bell on the table and pressed it. The door opened, and a servant came in.
"What is it, sir?"
"Send someone to find Gerion; I need him to come immediately."
"My lord, Lord Gerion is not in the Citadel."
Where is he?
"He went to Lannisport this morning. But he didn't say when he would return, sir."
He also has his illegitimate daughter. Why is he so obsessed with this child? She's not even a noble's illegitimate daughter; she's a commoner. I sat at my desk and wrote a letter to Gerion, ordering the steward to send someone to Lannisport immediately.
I'm not sure if the Ironborn are planning something big, or just a surprise attack, but it's always good to be prepared. Partial patrols of the Lannister Fleet should be enough to keep things under control for a few days until I find out the truth.
(Male protagonist's perspective)
If I were Ironborn, I would definitely launch an attack on the Westerlands and the Reach in the next few days. Winter and spring are one of the most vulnerable times for all regions. When everyone is tired of the harsh winter, the arrival of spring brings a sense of ease.
Just as I was thinking about these things, I heard the voice of Wave resound in my mind.
"Dad, about 50 ships are coming this way from international waters."
The war began, and I immediately connected to Wave, looking around. The land was behind me, but I should be nearing the limit of my vision-sharing spell, because the images were coming and going, not as clear as usual.
I should be about 6-7 kilometers from the coastline, and there's a small island a few kilometers ahead of me. This must be Lonely Light. This island belongs to the House Farwynd and is the northernmost island in the Iron Islands. The ships are Ironborn longships, a total of 52.
Seven of the ships changed course and headed towards Flint Cliffs. The remaining 45 ships continued north. In two or three days, they would cross Cape Kraken and reach Flint's Finger. If the river was deep enough, they could use Saltspear to reach Barrowton. From there, they would likely split into smaller groups to raid each coastal settlement before continuing north until they reached Bear Island.
I immediately disconnected and started running towards the lord's sunroom. Many people now respect me because I am a knight and I even defeated Smalljon Umber in the tournament. Of course, these are just ordinary soldiers.
Many minor nobles have tried to ostracize me, just as they have ostracized my father and all the commoner knights before him, but I don't care what these little men think of me. If my plans go well, I will leave Winterfell after this war.
I stood in front of the lord's sunroom, but the soldiers wouldn't let me in.
"I'm sorry, Ser Drasil. But the lord says he doesn't wish to be disturbed."
When I activated my heat vision, I understood. Lord Stark was inside giving orders to Lady Stark. "Did they know there were people outside before they drove?" I shouted.
"Sir, I have urgent news. I need to speak with you immediately."
Upon hearing my shout, Lady Stark immediately jumped up and straightened up, while the guards at the door drew their swords.
"I hope you won't do anything as foolish as drawing your swords."
When I said that, they looked at each other for a moment, mustered their courage, and then prepared to draw their swords. At that moment, a voice came from inside.
"Let him in."
When I entered, Lady Stark was sitting in an armchair in the corner, her hair disheveled, and her face darkened when she saw me. I greeted her.
"Madam."
But she didn't respond and ignored me.
"What urgent matter is it that makes you disobey my orders and disturb me?"
"Approximately two days later, 45 Ironborn longships will pass by Cape Kraken."
Upon hearing this, the lord immediately jumped up.
"Did you receive the message?"
"Received."
"Let me see."
My writing on the parchment was like chicken claws, full of mistakes, making him think that a person who was almost illiterate was writing a note.
How certain are you about this information?
"I saw it with my own eyes, and I am absolutely certain."
He summoned a steward and asked him to gather the guards in the house.