Game of Dragonborn.

Chapter 139 - Karstark, Bolton and a Bunch of Scumbags.

[Chapter Size: 2100 Words.]

Third Person POV.
North.

...

...

"Well, here's the thing: we're taking down this castle. It will be under your right or your brother's until the end of this war," Jon said calmly, looking at the structure of Karhold. It wasn't so sturdy, but certainly larger and longer than the Last Hearth.

The red-haired girl looked intently from her horse at her home and nodded to Jon's words.

"I see you're not going to use your dragon," she murmured.

"Why would I?" Jon looked at her, surprised.

"I heard what you did at the Dreadfort. You completely destroyed the castle."

"You're more open now, from what I can tell...." he raised an eyebrow.

The girl, who had been silent the entire time—even the meetings were a bit slow with her not saying much—had still passed on important information about the North to Jon, some things he hadn't known.

"Besides," he continued, "you just confirmed why I used Eragon: I destroyed. I only use the dragon to destroy, which is not the case with Karhold. Unless you're so angry at your uncle that you want to turn your house into a pile of stones," Jon teased.

"No... it's not that." She grew uneasy before continuing. "What will happen to him afterward?" Alys changed the subject.

"Well, I'm sure the Wall will need new men for what's coming... I hope your uncle enjoys wearing black," Jon said, just as the castle door opened with a flag of truce.

They had surrendered.

"Your uncle gave up that easily?" Jon smiled, a bit surprised.

"No... that can't be..." Alys couldn't believe it.

"Well, let me check that," he said.

"You're going alone?" Val exclaimed nearby.

"I'm always safe, Val. Don't worry," Jon said, advancing alone directly to the man at the castle door with the white flag.

While the man from Karhold seemed a bit surprised to see Jon speaking with him, they talked for a bit and he returned, unconcerned with the men murmuring behind him. They were confident, and Jon came back to the group.

"Well, it seems your uncle is in the dungeons. The castle folk threw him there themselves."

"After he betrayed me..." Alys couldn't help but spit on the ground. Disappointed that most of the castle had sided with her uncle, forcing her to flee.

"Do you feel safe holding it? I can put some Free Folk men here. Only if you don't have such a strong stance against the people beyond the Wall, of course," he said, while she, strangely, didn't seem to mind.

"I would appreciate that. Better than trusting the castle's men again," she said.

"Great. Now let's take control of the castle," Jon said, quickly moving in with a crowd of men, easily entering the courtyard with Alys as the men dropped their weapons.

Though there were at least five thousand men there ready to resist the siege, the news that it only took taking down a few archers before Jon destroyed the gate of the Last Hearth made everyone think twice before having fifty thousand men march into the castle.

And so it was. Karhold fell easily, with Jon placing Alys Karstark as regent lady of the place, leaving a thousand Free Folk men with a leader to look after it.