WILOW-Ch.398: On the Eve of the Siege
Golden Tooth, Westerlands
POV of Sansa Stark
Sansa stood on the battlements and watched the men doing some last-minute preparations as the Lannister army approached from a distance.
"There are… a lot of them." She said.
King's Landing had half a million people, and the roads there were always crowded with the smallfolk, she had seen that in mannequin's memories.
But this was the first time she saw an actual army coming toward her.
"Some 18,000 men." Ser Barristan Selmy replied, "The army numbered 28,000 when it left the Trident. Since then, about 5,000 men either died or deserted the army, while two days ago, his majesty trapped their entire cavalry and killed all of them. A bit ruthless in my opinion but highly pragmatic."
"Do you think what Domeric did was wrong?" she asked. She wanted to know what one of Westeros' most famous knights thought of Domeric.
"No. It's not wrong. It just seems a little cruel to me to completely annihilate the enemy without offering them a way out. But I don't think his majesty will always use this tactic against every army. So, it's fine." The knight said.
"So, is it okay for him to do it sometimes, as long as he doesn't do it all the time?" she asked, trying to understand Ser Barristan's reasoning.
"Not exactly. It's acceptable as long as he uses it on those who deserve it and not on others. Ever since the Lannister army entered the Riverlands, they've been mercilessly killing everyone, innocent and smallfolk alike. I've heard that The Mountain particularly enjoys plundering villages and murdering their inhabitants. I think they deserve whatever comes their way, your grace." He said.
Your grace... This was a form of address Sansa was still trying to get used to. Ever since her father, Lord Stark, had declared himself King of the North, the Stark family had become the Royal House of the North, and therefore, she was now seen as a princess by her allies.
On the other hand, since Domeric had declared himself Emperor, his men addressed him as Your Majesty or His Majesty.
She had heard that this form of address had been coined by Domeric and passed on to her allies, along with other fundamental Imperial etiquette.
Then, for a while, they both watched the army advancing on the horizon in silence.
After her question, she could better understand Ser Barristan's point of view.
To him, it was about justice. And justice sometimes required being firm.
Otherwise, it would be impossible to protect the rights of the wronged. Sansa etched this into her mind that she had to be firm when necessary.
"You think the Lannisters will be able to take the Castle?" she asked after a while.
"Doubtful." Ser Barristan Selmy replied, "This Castle is on top of a hill, has very high walls and great fortifications. On top of that, Lord Bolton has the most disciplined and best-trained infantry and archer division in the entire Westeros. Lord Tywin would have to bring an army 5 times his current size to take the Castle. Even then, I would not be so sure thanks to the wyverns and the wildfire, as well as the giants who wear the impenetrable armor."
She felt some of the tension in her heart drain away upon hearing that. Deep down, she knew Domeric could somehow overcome any difficulty through his magic. And even if things went wrong, he could easily get them out of here.
But still, the thought of a large army approaching her filled him with primal fear.
"I don't see Domeric anywhere." She said, looking around the walls for him, "Will he not participate in this battle?"
"His majesty will." Ser Barristan said, "In all the 4 significant battles that the Bolton army has fought, Emperor Domeric has led from the front in all those battles. His mere presence on the walls would be a morale boost for the soldiers."
She watched in silence as the men ran around the walls and filled the buckets with arrows and bolt magazines to be used by the archers and crossbowmen.
She didn't understand much about battles, but if Ser Barristan was not worried, then perhaps she should not be worried either.
She didn't worry about herself. She knew Domeric would take her away if the castle seemed likely to fall.
What she was really worried about was the course of this war. She didn't want Domeric to lose this war.
At that moment, she heard a commotion from behind. She turned around to see Domeric walking out of the castle, followed by his trusted Dark Knights, Ser Varko the Valiant and Dame Raksa the Giantess, along with Ygritte.
The girl that Lord Bolton loved. Sansa no longer hated or held a grudge against Ygritte. She knew Domeric and Ygritte would never be separated.
Her current goal was to find a place for herself alongside Domeric.
But her heart still ached when she saw Domeric kiss Ygritte one last time before they both wore their own helmets and went to their separate positions.
She could see the men gain confidence at the mere presence of Domeric, as if his mere presence made it a fact that the Lannister army would fail in their endeavor.
She supposed that winning four unwinnable battles would make anyone place their faith in their commander.
"Your grace. Perhaps you should go back to the Castle." Ser Barristan said, "It is unlikely that the Lannister men will breach the castle, but a stray arrow can still hurt you."
She wanted to stay and watch the battle, but knew that Ser Barristan was right. She wasn't a fighter like Ygritte. Her staying here would only cause problems for others.
So, with a nod, she left the wall, her new handmaiden and two Bolton guards following a few steps behind her.
Perhaps she couldn't help in the war, but at least she would do her best to help behind the scenes.
When she asked Domeric yesterday if there was anything she could do to help, he introduced her to a healer named Talisa Maegyr.
And now, Sansa was going to see her. She had received a lot of first aid training while staying in Dreadfort, and she was sure she could help Talisa.
She knew that even though Domeric's soldiers were protected by his magical amulets, there would still be many wounded in battle.
Then the time came, and an hour after she left the walls, the Lannister army put the castle under siege.
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Next Chapters' Name:
Ch.399: The End of the Siege
Ch.400: Defeating the Westerlands Army
Ch.401: Another Sibling Reunion