Chapter 44: The drowned god
The drowned god
Theon POV
Taking deep breaths, I tried to control my anger. My emotions have been dulled since I rose from the dead, , yet it has become hard to calm myself this time. I could feel my blood boiling in a fury. How dare he touch my friends. Balon Greyjoy made a grave mistake if he thought he could use them against me.
Still, I had to wait till the evening for the feast to start. I will show everyone what I am made of then. I don't know my father's plans, but I can guess that they are stupid. He truly disappointed me if he thought he could depend on the Lannisters. No matter what they have offered, I will not accept it, as I knew I could take it from them with force.
"My lord, the time has come," The guard outside my room said.
Taking one last deep breath, I walked up to the door and opened them. It would be bad if I killed the first man I saw. The guard stepped aside and let me through. With each step, I thought of what I would say before everyone. There were few people in the Bloody Keep. Most were in the Great Keep, where the feast was going on. Walking through the stone walkway towards the Great Keep, I looked at the setting sun.
Waves crashed against the towers of Pyke below me. Taking another deep breath to calm myself, I continued walking. As I walked, memories flooded to me of me when I was little. The smell, the sound, and the view were so familiar. I tried to convince myself it wasn't my memories, but they were too real not to be mine. It was about time I accepted who I was.
Before I could reach the Great Hall, I could hear laughter and commotion. Two guards stopped me from entering. They looked nervous, not knowing what to do. I put my hand on my belt, finding nothing. It was so long since I didn't bring a weapon with me that I forgot that my weapons had been taken away.
"Lord Theon, you should be in your room," One of the guards said.
"I should?" I asked and stepped closer to him.
"Please stop, my lord," I saw him gripping his spear tightly. "Lord Balon has instructed no one to disturb the feast."
I tried to take another deep breath, but before I could even realize I was bashing the guard's head against the doors of the Great Hall. After three loud thumps, I let the guard go, and he fell to the ground with his head bleeding heavily. The other guard looked at me, shocked, but he didn't move, just stood there gripping his spear and trembling.
"Guards, what going on there?" Someone yelled from inside the Great Hall.
I didn't waste any more time and swung the doors open. Scores of men and women looked at me as silence descended upon the Great Hall. I looked past them, past the long smoky hall. My eyes were fixated on the Seastone Throne where my father, Balon Greyjoy, sat. I stepped over the bleeding guard and entered the Great Hall.
"Theon, what are you doing?" Balon Greyjoy asked.
"It is I who should ask what do you think you are doing, Balon Greyjoy?"
"That Theon Greyjoy?" Someone asked as they looked at me.
"I thought he was sick. What going on?" Another questioned.
"The feast is over. Everyone leaves," Balon Greyjoy said.
"Whoever leaves now will forever be my enemy," I shouted.
"I am the Lord, Theon. My words are final."
"That might be, but my actions speak louder than your words could ever," I walked closer to Balon Greyjoy. "It is time we end this game, father."
"What is the meaning of this?" Aeron Greyjoy asked, standing before me.
"Theon, can't it wait till the end of the feast?" A man with a bull's broad chest walked towards me. "I don't know what going on, but you are interrupting the feast, nephew."
"Victorion Greyjoy," I murmured, remembering who he was. "Asha, would you inform them why I am here?"
"Uncles, I think we deserve an explanation from our lord," Asha stood up from her table. "Explanation why we are selling ourselves to the Lannisters."
"What do you mean, Asha," Rodrik Harlaw asked, pretending to be surprised.
"This is a letter that father had received from the Lannister," Asha gave the letter to Rodrik. "In short, the Lannister wants us to attack the North, and in exchange, Theon will be married to Cersei Lannister. Tell me, father, were you planning to sell me off too? Should I be prepared to marry the dwarf of Casterly Rock?"
"It is true," Rodrik said and gave the letter to others to confirm.
"Silence," Balon Greyjoy yelled. "It was for the greater good. None of you have the right to question me. Guards, take them all out, now."
"Hahaha," I laughed and then laughed even more. "Is that all you can say, father? For the greater good? I don't think I ever heard a more stupid thing."
"Guards, take Theon back to his rooms."
Three armed men came to me, pointing their spears at me. It angered me even more that Balon Greyjoy didn't say anything about my companions. Did he want to hold on to them? And for what? To give Martyn and Alysanne back? He would probably kill Thoros and the rest. Thinking of it, my blood boiled, and I grabbed a spear pointed at me.
"Is that all you can do? Hide behind your men?" I asked. "You are not suited to rule, Balon Greyjoy. You have grown old and craven. I demand a Kingsmoot."
"You can't simply demand Kingsmoot while there is still a ruler," Aeron Greyjoy said.
"Ruler, but not the King," I said. "Have none of you heard of what is happening in the Greenlands? The North declared independence while the two kings were fighting for the Iron Throne. What are we waiting for? To be sold for a couple of gold coins? I say nay. We take the gold. We take the women. We take the lands. I say we take it all."
"Aye, we waited long enough," Some agreed. "The Westerlands have a lot of gold, women, and lands. It is all for us to take."
"My brother is correct. If lord Balon is too afraid to fight, then he doesn't deserve to rule over us," Asha shouted, bringing more people to agree.
"Brother," Victorion looked at Balon. "Is it true what Asha said?"
"And what if it is?"
"You were going to sell your only son for some Lannister wench?" Victorion asked.
"I have no sons," Balon suddenly sprang to his feet. "The Starks have killed them all."
"It was you who killed my brothers," I said. "It was you who sent Rodrik to the Seagard, where Lord Jason Mallister killed him. Maron died fighting for you while you were hiding. And now you want to dispose of me. I had enough of you. If you want to kill me, then at least take a sword and fight me like a Greyjoy, not hide like a craven."
"Stop it, or I will kill your precious friends," Balon yelled when I stepped toward him. "Heh, did you think I would let Thoros of Myr walk on my lands as he wished? Bring them in."
Soon half a dozen guards brought Thoros, Anguy, and Bronn to the Great Hall. They were bound and restrained with spears pointing at them. Balon has prepared them to show that I brought his enemies to his home. He wanted to undermine me. Everyone looked confused at Balon and then at me. Nobody knew what was going on anymore.
"Where are Alysanne Leford and Martyn Lannister?" I asked.
"They are my guests," Balon answered. "You are alone, Theon. You will not threaten me."
"Are you afraid of me, your son?"
"You are not my son. The Starks killed them all."
I didn't know if he had gone mad or if he always thought that I was dead. Looking at my friends and even Bronn being brought to their knees, I knew what I needed to do. Without care for my safety, I snatched a spear from one of the guards near me and threw it at another who was near my friends. The spear went right through the man as one spear pierced my shoulder and another side of my stomach.
"Theon! Father, tell them to stop. You going to kill him," Asha yelled.
"He is not my son. He is an imposter, a pretender."
"Heh, is that what you will call me now?" I asked and pushed the spears out of me. The guards backed off, afraid of my lack of reaction to being stabbed. "But it doesn't matter anymore. Do you know how many times I was stabbed and cut? Well, even I don't know anymore."
"Kill him," Chaos reigned over the Great Hall with Balon's words.
Asha and Victorion stopped those who listened to Balon. Victorion's ax cleaved anyone who moved towards me. I didn't even see where he hid his ax while Asha threw a hatchet at me. I caught it and rushed to the guards behind my friends. I split one head with the hatchet and punched the another to the ground. I quickly untied the chains around Thoros while a few lords took care of the other guards. I went for my father, who was trying to run away.
"Enough. Everyone drop your weapons," Rodrik and Aeron shouted simultaneously.
The guards, terrified of Victorion and me, quickly did as they were told. Balon was already out of the Hall, and I went for him. He dared to try to kill me. I could not let him go so easily. Asha and Thoros were quick behind with a few other lords who still didn't know what was happening but chose not to listen to the words of a madman.
Balon Greyjoy didn't run off too far before I caught up to him. He just started to walk on the rope bridge connecting the Sea tower. It was already dark and hard to see. That's why Balon stepped onto the bridge carefully. The bridge swung a little as the wind blew. Below, the waves of the sea raged furiously.
"Enough, father," I said, walking closer to him.
"He warned me about you," Balon shouted. "He told me you took my dear son's skin and flesh. You are a monster that came to doom us all."
"Have you gone mad?"
"The crow has warned me about you, monster," Balon shouted again.
"Calm down, father, just surrender, and you can live with mother."
"Stay back," Balon drew a dirk and pointed at me. "The crow told me in my dreams about you. You won't fool me."
"A crow? A three-eyed crow?" I asked as I realized what he was talking about.
"He showed me the true you. You killed my son, stay back, monster," He said as I got closer.
"Enough, it is over."
"No, nothing will end while you still live," Suddenly, Balon leaped at me and stabbed my chest. It was too dark to see the dagger and too narrow to dodge the attack.
"Ugh, you madman," I yelled and grabbed him.
"I will take you with me. Let the Drowned god judge you for your sins," Balon pushed himself and me over the bridge ledge.
"Theon!" I heard Asha and Thoros yell before I hit the water.
I didn't feel pain, but I knew a few of my bones had been broken. Yet it was more comfortable than I thought. The cold water took me to its depths. The darkness and coldness made me sleepy. I only wished to close my eyes and take a long rest. After so long, sleeping didn't sound so bad. Maybe I should end it here. But before I could close my eyes, I saw it. Something impossible to describe.
Its big golden eyes looked at mine. I couldn't stop looking at it, even when I choked on the salt water. Those eyes held intelligence, and it felt like they could see through me. Those eyes were asking me if it was where I wanted to end everything. I wanted to say yes. I wanted to rest. It was just so comfortable, and I was just so tired. Yet the memories of Jalabhar didn't let me.
With those memories, I realized that I couldn't give up now, I must keep pushing, and so I did. I kicked and pulled myself through the cold water, yet my arms felt heavy. My legs refused to move, and I couldn't see anything but the dark and golden eyes. Maybe because it knew what I wanted, I felt something wrapping around me and pushing me up.
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