The crossed rose: The War of the Five Kings - GoT - R.S.

Bread and salt

The Ashemark hold was a small one, if compared to Casterly Rock, or the Red Keep, but it was no less sturdy - no less secure. Situated on top of a steep hill, it was hard to reach on horse and even harder to use archers or catapults again. So, instead of marching straight on against it, Robb and his men set camp around the castle and waited out on a siege. No food was coming in, no reinforcements, no nothing but what they had inside the castle. What they had inside and that, soon, Robb expected, they would be lacking on.

Terms of surrender had been sent in. Yield the castle and swear your swords to the king in the North and your life will be spared. Lord Marbrand had refused, however, and so, they waited.

It had been almost a full moon since the siege had been put into place and judging by the three intercepted ravens sent out by Lord Marbrand to lord Tywin asking for help amd food, Robb knew they would not survive much longer if they didn't yield. For his own men, Robb had the Riverlands sending in provisions and, more than once, he had sent Olyvar to Marbrand's door to offer him food if he laid down his swords.

The man seemed as stupid as he was proud, however, and refused Robb's help time and time again. And so, they waited. They waited for a day more, preparing a feast with the fresh fruits and meat sent in by Riverrun. They ate and drank and cheered in front of the castle while lord Marbrand and his men withered away inside their damned walls. They another another day more. And another. And just when nothing seemed be changing, everything did.

It was almost dusk already, when the Marbrand's flags were taken down and, instead, white ones were raised. It had been Olyvar, always perceptive, the one who noticed it first and the young man wasted no time in signalizing it to his king.

"Your grace." He called as he approached Robb. "The flags."

Robb thanked his squire, asking him to reunite his guard and some of his most trusted lords so they could march up to Ashemark and take the castle once and for all. It had been quite a climb for them to take, up the hill toward the castle, but once there, the doors were lowered and, before them, stood a young man carrying the sygyl of house Marbrand while holding beside him an older man, in chains. Lord Marbrand, Robb figured.

"Your grace." The young man addressed Robb with his sulken expression and thin lips. "It is my understanding my lord father has been refusing your terms of surrender."

"He has." Robb nodded once, standing in front of his party as his guard flanked his sides.

"And it is also my understanding your terms promise us food in exchange of the castle and our swords?"

"Aye." Robb nodded again.

"So there it is, your grace." The man said, pushing his lord father at Robb's feet before pulling out his sword and laying it across his lap when he knelt before the king. "The castle is yours and so are our swords. Our men are starving and sickly and dying but if it is our loyalty you desire, you shall have it."

"Let my men inside your castle walls." Robb said, to which the young lord lifted his head to look at him with an aprehensive expression. "Your men shall be looked after and a feast shall be held for those who can attend. In exchange for your loyalty, your men will be looked after."

"I thank you, your grace." He said, sounding so relieved Robb felt almost bad for holding out on provision for them for so long. "And what of my lord father?"

Looking down at the chained man, Robb scoffed when he noticed how, even defeated and betrayed by his own kin, lord Marbrand seemed ready to spit out at his boots. Before he could, however, Robb nodded his own men forward, having them seize him and pull him back up to his feet.

"Let us eat first, my lord." Robb addressed the son. "While your men regroup and recover with fresh fruit and fish from the Riverlands, your father will spend that time in his cell, with some bread and salt. Hopefully then he will be able to decide where his loyalties really lie."