Harrenhal

Lord Jonos rubs his bearded chin for a moment, contemplating the deal. His fingers tap slightly before nodding his head.

Well... when you put it like that, Barbara will suit you just fine.

The male waves his hand.

I will have a document written up when I return to Stone Hedge and sworn before the Seven when it is signed.

The sounds of merry attitudes and good times fell suddenly silent. One voice rose from among the silence, Lord Smallwood, who raised his fist.

Hail to you, Lord Baelish!!

However, he suddenly fell silent as half of the eyes present turned and looked directly at the lord from a minor family. Even Lord Bracken, who moments ago, had agreed to a wedding with Baelish seemed to have a rage building up upon his face. Not a single person, beyond Smallwood, seemed to support this upstarted attitude. Several lords even began to rise and move to leave the meeting hall with their knights in attendance. They occasionally looked back at Baelish with glares on their faces and mutters that didn't sound one bit friendly.

Finally, Lord Mallister rose and pointed at Baelish.

How dare you stand up and speak like a traitor! We have long sworn ourselves to House Tully. You, Upstart of Harrenhal, were made Lord Paramount by the very people who imprisoned Edmure and you dare try to bring us to join in your treason?! You even treated with the Freys like they were friends!!

The lords who remained seated began to rise and shout their own remarks with words such as traitor and upstarts. Lord Bracken was the next to rise.

Edmure has been restored by the rightful Lord of the Seven Kingdoms when your royal patrons imprisoned him! He has sent men, from all our houses, to deal with the traitorous Freys, a promise that he, and Stannis Baratheon, have kept! And to see Stannis Baratheon victorious over the dragon pretender!

The Old Bracken gave Baelish a glare before tossing his mug onto the table.

You can forget the marriage arrangement, Lord Baelish. I will not be party to treason!

The shouts grew louder as fists were raised and the lords became rather upset. One even rose and pointed at Baelish.

He is a traitor to the Riverlands! To the Seven Kingdoms! To Stannis Baratheon!

Many ayes rose, making Lord Smallwood sink deeper into his seat. Many tossed utensils and mugs onto the tables as all seemingly began to rise and leave.

Petyr sat deflated in his high seat. He had been too overt, but his position grew weaker by the day and he hoped to sway the Riverlanders. However, he had failed. His judgement was growing clouded and he no-longer could think with clarity. Schemes within schemes had been ruined and now were esterile. And Sansa had fathered a child named Catelyn, something that disturbed him to no end. She should have been mine, not Harrold's. But it was all for naught. He sighed at Smallwood's words.

"Why not both, lord Smallwood"

The green eyes stare at his staunchest supporter. Shame he wasn't Vance or the fool of a Bracken. 

"I'm sorely disappointed by men who were once my sworn vassals. It seems they forgot it all too quickly. Whatever. Do what you must, lord Smallwood and you shall be rewarded"

The snows had been particularly brutal that morning, even as far south as the Trident. Much of the river had frozen over for the first time in decades, so that the fishermen were now having to break the ice to try and spear themselves their supper. They had done the same, in exchange for half of the river's catch. It was not knightly work, but they had to eat, and Pate was smart enough to know how to draw the fish to the surface before he broke the ice with his hammer. They would have starved if not for his squire, he was loath to admit. But they would have frozen to death if not for him. The wolves he killed for Lord Vance had won them both a nice cloak and pair of gloves, as well as enough meat to see out the month. Wolf was a bit stringy, though. Gendry much preferred salmon.

"Its huge." Pate said, jaw hitting the floor as he looked up at the candle-like spires of Black Harren's castle. "Even bigger up close." Gendry grimaced. It was not a place of fond memories. Even when Arya was there. In winter, it looked even more foreboding, like a melting block of black ice.

"Come on, boy. Lets hope the Blackfish remembers me, or we'll be out in the cold." The squire's pony was pulled along by the larger man on the grey courser. They both wore mismatched riding leathers and heavy wolfskin cloaks, the fur still stained with dried blood. Behind them trotted another horse, loaded with several saddlebags, a bull's head helmet hanging from the saddle. They entered through Harrenhal's gates, the steel jaws large enough to swallow several elephants on top of each other.

"Did the giants help build it?" Pate asked, looking upwards as he rode through the gates. "Like the Wall?"

"No."

"Well... How do you know?"

"I just do."

Pate harrumphed. Gendry dismounted and sent the boy off with their horses and a few coppers to the stables. He moved towards a guardsman as he held back a shiver. The Knight of the Hollow Hill was barely twenty, but he was already big and barrel chested, a head taller than most men.

"Um.. I am looking for the Blackfish. I rode with him once." Said the former outlaw, trying to sound as authoritative as possible. He tried desperately to even remember what the Blackfish looked like. "I am here to pledge him my sword. Me and my squire."

”Believe me m’lord, it does.” Gendry and his squire had spent the past year living in bushes and roadsides, surviving off roots and scraps now the snows had come and driven off all the game. Pate came back over to join him and their new master, though a look from his knightly companion informed him to keep his silence. ”I would pledge you my service, m’lord, if you would have it. I can fight as good as any man, and I can shape metal better than most.” More than anything he wanted a roof over his head and some warm broth, like they did back at the inn. But he didn’t want to return there. It held nothing left for him now.