Chapter 12: Change of plans
From the carriage's vantage point, those inside could see Runestone Castle in full view; they had been traveling for a few days and finally arrived at their destination. Inside the luxurious carriage were two individuals – Andar and Linde, who spent the entire journey in silence. Every time Andar tried to talk to Linde, he got a death glare and a crack of the whip. Eventually, he decided to mind his own business. The only thing that made the journey bearable was the knowledge that her brother's life would soon come to an end, and he would secure his position as heir.
Meanwhile, Linde thought of his plan. In order for her scheme to work as planned, she would need to stage an act to lure Artys into a room alone with her, where she would play with him a little before ending his life. She wondered what his screams would be like; would he have the high pitch? or the deep grunts of a man? She was starting to get aroused, thinking about the pain she would inflict on her victim.
***
I spent most of the next day gathering a list of supplies I'll need in my campaign against the mountain clans and planning the supply line. I also have to talk to Axel, to organize blacksmiths and artisans, to produce the best weapons and armor possible for the army.
Since most of the men I will command will be inexperienced and I do not intend to introduce hot weapons into this edition, I will follow the Roman legion route in training. Scutum shields, short swords, spears and half-plate armor will be used. They are easier to learn and are deadly, especially to unarmored clansmen.
After completing the initial planning of the expedition, I went to check on the installation of the first set of irrigation pipes, which was a success, thus freeing up many peasants who could be employed in their new factories.
Saying goodbye to everyone, Artys returned to the castle, and after a shower he went to the dining room.
However, when he entered the dining room, all eyes were on him, something he was used to. However, the looks of Andar and the stunning woman seated next to him particularly caught his attention. It had been more than half a month since I had seen Andar; it was no surprise that he was acting like this when Artys' physical transformation had even stunned his family members who had witnessed it in full.
Although Artys cared nothing for his vile brother's opinion, what caught his eye was the heavenly beauty sitting next to Andar. She had to be the most beautiful young woman he'd seen in all of his two lives. Was that Andar's fiancé? He instantly felt jealous of his older brother.
'Damn, what kind of luck does that scheming idiot have to get a bride like her?'
Meanwhile, Linde had an even stronger reaction to Artys' appearance. Her heart began to pound rapidly when she saw the smooth appearance of the healthy young lord before her. He wasn't even close to what Andar had described to her. He dressed well, he was handsome, and most of all, he was strong.
It took the sadistic bitch three seconds to change her scheme from seduction and murder to seduction and enslavement. Why the hell should she bother with the common idiot Andar when she had that award? If she could make Artys her slave, she would be the happiest lover in the world!
Eventually, the strange atmosphere disappeared when the food arrived.
After eating quickly, Artys decided to leave the table before he got lost in temptation. He excused himself early and went to the bathroom. As he left the scene, Linde smirked; she decided that she would make this man her slave at any cost. Not a toy like all the suitors before her, but a devoted slave, someone who would serve her for the rest of her life.
As she watched him walk away from her, she devised a devious plan to seduce him; after everyone in the castle was asleep, she would approach Artys' room with a jug of wine and two goblets, dressed in her most revealing nightgown. She would persuade him to allow her into her chambers on the pretext of asking about his absence earlier in the day. Then she would pour him a drink that would obviously be drugged, not with deadly poison, but with a powerful aphrodisiac.
When Artys couldn't contain his lust any longer and launched himself at her, she subdued him and forced him to acknowledge her as his eternal lover, his mistress, his lady. Then, when he fully submitted, she would help him relieve himself. After a week, maybe even a month of proper training, she would give him her chastity and trick him into breaking off her engagement and staying together by faking a pregnancy.
It was the perfect plan, and everything should go well. So when it was finally over, all she could ask herself was, 'how did things end up like this?'
***
Jon Arryn
The crow should have arrived by now. Artys must be up to the task, he was always a smart boy and now he's healthy and strong. He is also the true heir to the Vale. Not long after Stannis approached him about his suspicion about the Queen's children, Jon began to notice things about young Robert. He noticed how Robert had neither him nor Lysa in his coloring, Jon himself was blond in his youth and has blue eyes, while Lysa has the typical red hair and blue eyes.
So why does Robert have brown hair and gray eyes? Thinking of all the others who might share the boy's gazes, his mind stopped on Lysa's friend Petyr. She had always had a soft spot for the boy, and to make her happy, he gave the boy control of Gulltown Customs and, after proving his talent, named him master of coin.
He had remembered how elated Lysa had been to have her friend close by in the vipers' nest that had been her home since the riot ended, happy enough to lie with him for three days straight. He also remembered how much time his wife was spending with the new coin master... The last nail in the coffin had been an offhand remark of all things Baelish himself about his poor health as a child. He always had watery eyes and a runny nose. just like little Robert.
With all the facts staring him in the face, it was clear that Robert was the bastard of his wife and Petyr Baelish. After this revelation, he began to plan to place his true heir, his grandson Artys, in the Eyrie as overlord of the Vale, beginning with this campaign against the mountain clans.
Some would question why the Lord of the Vale would choose NOW of all time to deal with the mountain clans and he couldn't just tell them that their supposed son is another man's bastard now, could he? So, taking inspiration from the words of his second surrogate son's house, he created something that would placate his masters while dispelling any suspicion. Winter is coming, possibly the worst winter in over a century, and the Mountain clans once nearly destroyed the valley during the winter from starvation.
Jon just decided to get ahead of the trouble and sent his grandson to deal with them before winter came, honestly. Never mind the fact that he allowed his grandson complete discretion in how the situation was handled. If the boy makes allies of the three thousand clansmen in the Vale, then that would work just as well as killing them all.
In the meantime, he will be gathering evidence of Cersei and Lysa's betrayal in King's landing. When the time comes, the lords of the Vale will gladly follow through on your decision to cast aside your wife's bastard and place your grandson in the Eyrie. After he takes Lysa and Baelish's heads for their crimes, young Robert can inherit the Fingers. Bastard he may be Jon certainly doesn't want the boy dead.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Ydo_Dominnus
Ydo_Dominnus As I said, this part of the expedition against the clans and Jon Arryn's plans was from the fic 'A Restrictive Game - By Creamulon', a great fic
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