Dragon's Den

Eradication

277 AC

Eradication

The Lord Denys Darklyn, though he begged for mercy, along with his family and House Darklyn kin living in Duskendale were all beheaded, with no court nor trial, but rather recklessly. House Hollard; Ser Jon, his wife and son were executed together. The only life that was spared was Dontos Hollard who was only granted mercy after Ser Barristan Selmy, the man who had rescued the King himself, had begged for it. The wife of Lord Denys, Lady Serala, had her tongue and womanhood torn out, and the King ordered her burned alive. The lands and incomes that once were House Darklyn's were given to House Rykker, while House Hollard's villages were burnt, the castle was torn down and titles were taken away.

Rickard could not believe what he had just heard, his mind refusing to accept sich atrocious commands had come from Aerys, not the same Aerys he had fought alongside with. He was sat in the Great Hall on the high seat of the Kings of the North, clutching onto the arms that were decorated with carvings of snarling direwolves.

"You are sure this is what message comes from Lord Hoster?" Rickard repeated to the aging Maester in front of him. Hoster Tully had been kind enough to inform the Northern lord of what had occurred once the King had been rescued from Lord Darklyn's hold, just one of the advantages of betrothing his eldest to his daughter, Catelyn Tully.

Maester Walys nodded, "yes my lord."

He bit the inside of his cheek, would this see the end of the plans he had worked greatly to set in place? No. Brandon would still marry Catelyn Tully, and Lyanna was to wed Robert Baratheon. House Darklyn was foolish, with a foolish Lord and foreign Lady at its helm. Rickard knew time was valuable, and quick temper was no way to express anger.

House Darklyn, had prematurely tried to convince Aerys of providing them with the same luxury given to House Martell of Dorne, the freedom to reign as Princes' within their homeland. Something that could not be done without extensive planning and backing of loyal Houses.

Kidnapping the King, Rickard huffed, rolling up a scroll in front of him. He was tending to the North's current disputes, farmers not being paid enough, lords wanting to cut taxes on trade, ward offerings and the like.

He rubbed his hand on his forehead, dismissing Maester Walys with a nod as he did so. He was left alone now in the Great Hall, to think properly. Having seen fully the repercussions for outwardly defying the King, as it seemed that he had taken to not listening to Lord Tywin Lannister - his hand. Perhaps it was because many had said it was truly Tywin who held the Seven Kingdoms together, there was a truth to that statement. Tywin was the one to settle debts with the Iron Bank, the one to smooth over territory and tax disputes, he was the one who cared for the Kingdoms. King Aerys, second of his name, was the one to bolster great plans and forget about them within a moon.

"Father, father she bit me!"

"I did not! You're such a babe Ellena."

"Girls!" Rickard shushed, standing from his seat as his two daughters burst through the double doors, waking him from his deep thoughts. Why did the two find it so difficult to go to Old Nan with their issues, he rolled his eyes as they both began petitioning their sides of how their current argument had come to be.

Lyarra would have been perfect for this, Rickard thought to himself, his ears tuning his daughters' voices out.

His wife had died giving birth to their youngest, Benjen, one and ten years ago. And every day, especially when the children were in desperate need of a mother, Rickard was reminded of her absence. He refused to remarry, as not to introduce any more fights within the family, besides, he was happily content with Old Nan and their Septa as motherly figures to his five.