Riverrun
The guests departed in the early morning, and the knights were preparing to leave the castle. Edmure called a meeting to finalize rebellion preparations. Hoster, Brynden, Elia, and Elaena were present, while Catelyn was left to enjoy the first quiet days of her married life.
"Gentlemen, Ladies, there is a slight change in plan," Edmure began. "Considering we informed the Starks of Lyanna's fate, it is improbable that the first spark of rebellion will come from the North. That means we must be the ones to strike. In three months' time, House Tully will bear the infamy of rebelling against its liege."
Edmure unfurled a giant map on the table—a creation born of months of relentless travel. As usual, he prioritized scale and geographical features over political boundaries. A bold line was drawn, bisecting the Riverlands, its full significance yet to be revealed.
"Are you blaming me for saving a girl?" Hoster asked, trying to maintain the air of an honest lord. Edmure's sharp glare silenced him immediately.
"Don't play tricks here, old man. But no, I don't care about her. So what? It's just a rebellion; it's not as if we're doing something truly heinous."
"That is considered heinous," Princess Elia countered, pleased she wasn't being excluded from Tully business. "If someone pulled such a stunt in Dorne, we would set the hounds of the Ullers on them. It would be remembered for centuries."
"Boring!" Edmure waved his hands dismissively. "Political stances have nothing to do with personal relations. Are you saying that good men shouldn't fight each other, or that friends never spill each other's blood? We are nobles; what is mere death on the field to us if not glory?"
Edmure traced his finger along the line dividing the Riverlands. "Take me, for example: I don't mind vassals rebelling against me, as long as they do it properly. No tricks—just inform me clearly: 'We've had enough, meet us on the field.' In this war, my plans are based on the premise that everyone east of this line will stay loyal to the Crown: the Darrys, the Mootons of Maidenpool, and even my mother's family, the Whents of Harrenhal."
"I can help you," Elaena offered. "My talents could be used to persuade them." To her, this was a conflict in a foreign land with little consequence to the status quo of the Essosi gods.
"No need. We will have the absolute initiative at the beginning of this conflict. I'll have Ser Desmond take a few thousand riders to keep those eastern Rivermen boxed in for a few months." Edmure pointed to the land south of the Gods Eye lake. "This region is within reach of my supply infrastructure based around Stoney Sept. With that and our realm's excellent farming, we can maintain a massive supply line indefinitely. The Crown will also prioritize this area as it sits directly on the Gold Road leading out of the capital. We will dig in here. Father, you and Uncle must perform exceptionally. You will bear the brunt of the Crown's wrath for the first few months."
Hoster and Brynden nodded. They were both significantly better fighters than they had been a year ago. Edmure had trained Brynden for the melee and Hoster for general command. His Leadership perk allowed him to refine what they already knew while granting them sudden sparks of clarity. The veterans agreed: they would take the knights of the loyal Tully vassals and fight head-on for the initial months. Later, the brothers would split—one holding the defensive position while the other ventured out for opportunistic engagements.
"I'll keep a skeleton levy at Wayfarer's Rest to contain the West. You don't have to worry about the Lannisters. Even alone, I can tie up an army of ten thousand with just a little help from a castle garrison. The North of our realm can be handled by the Mallisters. I'll send them a few dozen ballistae to help fend off the Ironborn. I can craft ones that can pick off leaders or sink those light longships outright. But the Mallisters and Freys must ride out to contest any landfalls."
Princess Elia struggled to follow the strategic nuances, but she picked up on an obvious point. "If you are that powerful, why don't you just fight the Crown yourself? Or do you not care about the lives that will be lost in your game?"
"Before I answer, can you explain why the Martells would rather face a dragon's wrath than submit?"
"Because we are Martells. Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken. We have our pride," Elia spoke with majesty. She had been raised with the same fierce pride as any Dornish son.
"Okay. Another question. Why do your people use poison, and why are your women so famously uninhibited?"
"Are you mocking me, Tully?"
"Pardon my words, but I was trying to illustrate the concept of legitimacy. You do those things because your people think it is right. Imagine a warlock rampaging through the lines in a war. Do you think the nobility would stay quiet? Why do you think tyrants are always backstabbed by their friends and guards? Is it because the tyrant weren't paying enough, or because the guards suddenly found goodness in their hearts? In my view, it is a matter of legitimacy. If I offered my vassals a chance to die in a war where their families are kept safe and their names turned into songs of glory, do you think they would say no? Would they rather have me just fly to the capital and kill the King alone?"
Not wanting the meeting to turn into a philosophical debate, Brynden cut in. "What about Dorne, then? Why was I sent to my death and poor Elia dragged into this mess?"
"That wasn't my doing. I merely wanted military cooperation with Dorne."
"You want my brother's muster?" Elia asked. "If you beg nicely, I might allow it."
"Princess Elia, is there a misunderstanding? Most people have failings; mine is pride. Do I look like someone who begs for what belongs to another?" Seeing Elia's embarrassment, Hoster made sound of clearing his throat. Edmure calmed himself and continued. "Pardon my aggression, pride is truly my folly. My request is actually for you to keep Dorne out of this war. Write to your brother secretly. Ask him to shore up Sunspear's coastal defenses. Although the rebellion will primarily be fought by us in the northern realms, either side might try to attack your home opportunistically to raise morale or loot gold. If I had been told of the situation earlier, I would have given your brother more contraptions.
Since this carelessness happened on our watch, I promise you one thing: in the next fifty years, I will try to remove the Curse of Garin from the Mother Rhoyne. Your people will be able to make pilgrimages to their ancestral home. By then, our children..." Edmure began to speak carelessly of their future, but Princess Elia caught the trail. She threw an apple at his face, muttering, "This boy needs to be disciplined properly."