As he saw the madness unfolding on the Green Fork, he realized how vastly they had underestimated the enemy.
Jaime Lannister looked on with his four trusted men and his useless hand, as sixty thousand soldiers tried to break through the portcullis of the western tower. To his left, a good distance away was a hamlet, and through the mist, he saw the lighting of fires. The commonfolk were clearly awake, watching the war from afar, and in all probability, wanting Lord Lannister to lose.
King Edmure Tully may have merely five-thousand men, but he was putting them to good use. Three thousand were engaged in naval combat with Euron, and seemingly winning. They had torn apart his formation, drowned ships of food and tents, set fire to vessels the Greyjoys had seized, and even had a trebuchet east of the river lobbying stones on the fleet. Jaime wished his forces could send men to break the giant catapult, but unfortunately, it was on the other side of the bridge, at the moment untouchable.
Of the remaining two thousand, around half of them were garrisoned on the west tower, currently being assaulted by sixty-thousand Lannisters. Jaime had no doubt it would fall – the question was when – but in the meantime, the Tullys were gaining every inch of advantage they could. Men shoved boulders from windows. Archers launched fiery arrows from the bridge. At times, even the trebuchet would launch stones in the middle of the Lannister army. They were losing men by the second.
Jaime did not know where the remaining thousand Tullys were. Some of them were on the bridge, loosening arrows wherever they saw foes. Some formed the crew that tossed rocks into the sky. The remaining men – perhaps five hundred of them – Jaime presumed would be in the eastern tower. Even after the western tower is conquered, another arduous siege awaits. Excellent news.
One of Jaime’s personal guards, watching the battle from a distance like he was, looked in his direction. “My lord,” he began, perhaps about to pontificate on the dark underbellies of war, but before he could, he fell from his horse. The drunk, Jaime thought, before he noticed the blood.
Before he turned around, he knew they were there. His guards fell to the snow like flies, prey to multiple arrows. Alone, Jaime looked to pull out his sword, but before his hand reached, a familiar voice rung from the blinding fog. “Don’t be a fool, Kingslayer.”
Edmure Tully and his band of dozen men emerged from the haze. The King of the Trident looked like a man transformed – shaggy beard, determined eyes and the hint of a crown amidst overgrown hair. “Get off your horse,” he commanded briefly. And at once, some of his men grabbed and yanked him to the snowy ground.
“Quite the surprise you prepared for us, Tully,” Jaime said grimly, as the hands pulled him back up to face their king. “But of course, it was probably your uncle that planned this. You were never quite the strategist.”
Edmure spat in his face. “I still remember the day you threatened to catapult my child across the walls of Riverrun,” he said, eyes boring into Jaime’s. “The thought alone makes me want to gut you while I can.”
“But you cannot,” Jaime said, frowning right back. “You need me to lift this siege and save your men, do you not?” He gave a humorless laugh, and white vapor escaped his lips. “I must admit, this was very bold plan. The catapult across the bridge tears through as many ships as it can, and the tower holds out until you and your mates sneak up on me. Very bold, indeed. How is it you did not hide behind thick walls, instead sneaking around with only a dozen men?”
Now it was Edmure’s turn to laugh. “I fight with my people, unlike you. And do you really think the King of the Trident would walk around dangerous territories with only a dozen men?” As Jaime saw, more silhouettes followed behind Edmure. As they came closer, his eyes widened. “There are hundreds.”
“Four hundred. We hid in the hamlet to the west. I had to leave the eastern keep largely unguarded. But enough chat.”
Edmure’s men marched toward the western keep with Jaime, before Edmure yelled for their attention. When the Lannister forces turned, Edmure showed them him. “Here is your lord halfhand!” he exclaimed. “His golden cock brought to justice by brave Tully men!” The ones on the tower cheered. “I believe he has something to say!”
Jaime grimaced, unable to comprehend how they had reached this point. They were eighty-thousand before the battle began, and now the Greyjoy ships had sunk, a trebuchet was fucking them from across the Green Fork, and he was a wrong word away from death. If I do not surrender, it may be worse.
Jaime opened his mouth to speak. “Men!” he said. And then he stopped.
The trebuchet.
Jaime had just realized that, for the past five minutes or so, the enormous catapult had stopped firing rocks. Even the men on the bridge were not launching their fire arrows.
And then he heard it.
The mist was heavy, but the noise unmistakable. Something was streaking through the bridge, hurtling toward the western tower. Jaime saw banners and men on horseback ram through the unguarded portcullis, breaching the defenses of the western tower. Thousands of men. Another army. Not half a minute later, they exploded from the gates the Lannisters were trying to open all this while.
Without preamble, the thousands of men charged in the direction of Jaime. Edmure Tully’s four hundred men sprinted to meet them, but they were no match for the onslaught. Within minutes, this unknown army had entirely decimated the trebuchet, the men on the bridge, the western keep, the king’s four hundred men, and, as Jaime finally found the bloody remains of his corpse and crown, the King of the Trident himself.
By now, he had seen the sigil, but had no idea why, or if, it had come to his aid. The leader of the house, after spotting him, trotted the horse in his direction. He removed his helmet. “I hope the Queen will forgive us for our lateness, Ser Jaime,” said Lord Littlefinger. His eyes were full of fear.
*
This concludes Season 7 of Alternate Game of Thrones, and at this moment, it feels a month-long break would be in order. In this interim, you can find me on Twitter, email or the Comments section
S08E01 will be published on Sunday, 7th October 2018, 8:30 am GMT
P.S. This alternate story has been a labor of my love. At its halfway mark, I’d like to take the chance to express my gratitude for those who followed this arduous journey with me. In a time when reading is fast becoming a lost art, the support I’ve received is truly humbling. Thanks again!
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