Two confident, powerfully built standard-bearers in black armor thundered ahead, raising the golden battle flags high over the docks of Gulltown. They were warriors of the Storm, among the fiercest warriors in the known world.
The golden battle flags rippled in the wind like blazing golden flames. Upon them, the proud stag, the three-headed Dragon, the racing Wolf Pack, and the Free Folk all seemed to come alive, dancing across the cloth.
Hooves clattered.
The Storm had arrived.
"The Storm" Gendry rode forward, with the white knight "Barristan the Bold" and his squire, "The Marksman" Anguy, close on either side.
Gendry's gaze swept over Littlefinger's subdued followers, his eyes deep as the blue sea. Littlefinger's claws knelt on the ground, then were escorted one by one to the roadside. None of them dared lift their heads to look at him, for fear they might suffer the same punishment of being pierced through by a Longspear.
The clash of blades at the docks of Gulltown quickly faded. The soldiers of Gulltown's three great lords had fully brought the situation under control. The bloodstains left by the dead rebels remained, and the last courage of the traitors had been snuffed out.
The Longspear that pierced the sun was no more than a splendid, fierce, perfectly timed performance. Without courage, one could not awe the world; without wisdom, one could not rule it. That was the so-called truth of winning the realm on horseback, but not ruling it from horseback.
Still, the greater tide of the changing season was not something Gendry could reverse for now. Beneath the long, harsh winter, hunger and war would be a drawn-out melody.
Gendry rode forward at speed, his horse passing the unlucky traitor he had skewered. The lance had punched straight through the man's body and plunged deep at an angle into the gap between the white paving stones. The corpse looked like a fat roasted bird on a spit.
The Sunspear was just such a bloody, heroic picture.
Gendry did not spare the Sunspear another glance. He rode straight past it and headed toward Gerold Grafton and the others. The Vale lords, knights, and wealthy merchants who had little connection to Littlefinger half-knelt to welcome the coming of the Storm.
"Long live the Storm!"
"Long live the Storm!"
The Vale soldiers shouted with excitement at that almost miraculous knightly strike. They waved the weapons in their hands, longswords and Longspears leaping through the air, their sharp edges flashing brightly beneath the sun.
The knights of the Vale had always prided themselves on being the strongest and most devout knights of the Seven in all the Seven Kingdoms, yet now they too were awed by the Storm's might. Gendry was like a raging storm, warhammer and Longspear in hand, unstoppable.
Slaying the Horselord, breaking the Lion, saving the Three Rivers, pacifying the Freys, entering the Bloody Gate, and clearing Lord Jon's name. These were all honors of the Storm.
"Long live The Eyrie!" Gendry held his great-horned helm in his arms and gave the Vale soldiers a brilliant smile. There was sunlight in that smile, warmth like the sun shining over all things.
In morale and equipment, the Vale cavalry truly deserved their reputation. Most of the knights were well-fed and full of confidence. They wore silver-plated armor and cloaks of sky blue or black and red, generous and eager for battle.
Littlefinger, limp on the ground, trembled in his throat, his whole body shaking. But he could not speak. He knew Gulltown would soon run with blood, and perhaps the offering to the banner would be himself.
"Prince Gendry now, the Storm, is just like those young men who rose to overthrow the True Dragon all those years ago. King Robert, Great Lord Eddard, Ser Denys. Young, unmatched, and in their prime.
I suddenly thought of our Vale's darling. Pity Ser Denys was not truly favored by fate. Otherwise, would there ever have been this matter with Littlefinger?" Isembard Arryn sighed softly. Denys Arryn had come from a proud but impoverished branch of House Arryn. He had made his name in the tourney lists, handsome, gallant, courteous, and devout, with the nickname "the Darling of the Vale." With his Arryn name besides, House Waynwood had married its eldest daughter to Ser Denys. Unfortunately, fate gave him too little time, and Denys was eventually slain on the battlefield by Jon Connington, the Red Griffin.
"It truly feels like more than ten years ago. The same youth, the same Storm. The first storm overturned the rule of House Targaryen. Now the second Storm has arrived. Where will it push the Seven Kingdoms this time?" Lord Gerold Grafton thought.
More than ten years ago, the War of the Usurper had broken out, and House Grafton had first stood with the royalists. The first battle had erupted at Gulltown. Great Lord Arryn led the rebel army formed from his Vale vassals to attack Gulltown, which House Grafton defended. The young Robert Baratheon was the first to climb the walls of Gulltown, and he personally slew Lord Marq, the royalist commander. After Gulltown was beaten into submission, it changed sides and joined the rebels, becoming Robert's supporter.
"You have all worked hard. In this purge of Gulltown, all of you are men of merit," Gendry said to them. He leapt down from his horse and walked to the front, toward Gerold and the others, bidding them all rise. Lord Gerold Grafton, Isembard Arryn, Uther of House Shett, and the rest.
Gendry greeted these prominent figures of the Vale one by one: lords, knights, wealthy merchants with little connection to Littlefinger, and others.
"Everything went so smoothly thanks to Your Grace's divine valor and careful planning," Lord Gerold said, his words sweet as honey.
"It was thanks to your courage, and to Lord Gerold's sound arrangements. The might of that spear throw is likely unmatched by anyone," Isembard praised as well. Even the money-scented lords of Gulltown still possessed a strong martial spirit.
Gendry then saw the beautiful auburn-haired girl standing in the crowd, Sansa Stark, House Stark's sweet, naive maiden. This was not entirely Sansa's fault. She was, after all, still only around twelve. The struggles in The North had always been relatively stable, and Catelyn had filled her with the teachings of a Southern lady.
Compared with Arya, Sansa had far more of House Tully about her. The Tully family's delicate cheekbones, clear blue eyes, and thick auburn hair made her look less like a traditional Stark, much less someone with the wolf blood. She was tall and graceful, with a broader frame than Daenerys, and carried a full, beautiful look, the kind that seemed made for many children and good fortune. Just as Lady Catelyn had indeed borne many children for House Stark, greatly increasing the main branch of the family.
"Lady Sansa, I am deeply sorry for what happened to your father, Great Lord Eddard. The Lannisters are enemies of the realm and must be uprooted," Gendry said to Sansa, looking at the poor auburn-haired girl. If she had remained in King's Landing any longer, she might truly have withered away in misery. "Your brother Jon is now at The Eyrie, and Robb is at Riverrun. You should be reunited before long."
The Vale lords also looked toward Lothor and Sansa. Lady Sansa had been smuggled into the Vale through Littlefinger's secret route, while Lothor, as Gendry's spy, had turned the tables and intercepted Sansa. No matter how one looked at it, this was exciting news. Once the alliance of Stag, Eagle, Fish, and Wolf became ironclad again, the Lion's day of defeat would be near. Back then, the Lannisters had surrendered without a great battle against the rebels. In truth, many Vale knights had long wanted to test the Lannisters' strength.
"Thank you, thank... you." Sansa felt dizzy. She had not even heard Gendry's words clearly and only gazed at him in worship.
All Sansa noticed were the Storm's eyes, blue and clear as a mountain lake, his tall, straight figure, and his neatly trimmed short hair, clean and crisp like Aegon the Conqueror's. He would be even more handsome with long hair. Sansa noticed only his appearance, which reminded her of the knights in legends, a young man both gentlemanly and violently heroic. Suddenly, she felt the clothes she had worn to meet the King were far too plain. She should have dressed herself more carefully.
Sansa had wanted to tell Gendry about the tricks behind the Judgment Day in King's Landing, but there had been too little time and too many people, so she had not spoken. It seemed she would have to wait until there were fewer people around. Still, Sansa made up her mind to tell the Storm the truth. Suddenly, she remembered the past. If only her father and Lord Arryn had discovered the Lion's plot long ago, then perhaps she and the Storm might have had a beautiful story.
While Sansa was still lost in her thoughts, Gendry walked toward Lothor Brune. He personally helped Lothor up and thanked the Sellsword brothers who had followed him.
Gendry raised Lothor's hand and introduced him to everyone. "Hundreds of common birds are not worth one eagle. A warrior like Lothor Brune is a true brave man."
"You praise me too highly, Prince." Lothor laughed, his smile still somewhat stiff, though his heart was filled with excitement. "Now that I have returned, I would rather remain by your side. With your permission, I am a warrior of the Storm."
"Yes. Now that you are back, you are still my arm and my sword. And now you are the Finger Slayer." Since Petyr's nickname was Littlefinger, Lothor's nickname could be Finger Slayer.
Lothor's face was full of excitement. The Vale knights looked on with both envy and respect. A compliment from the Storm meant this once obscure Sellsword would become famous at once. After all, it was praise from the most violent warrior in the Seven Kingdoms, and it raised a man's worth tremendously.
"Lord Petyr, I told you we would meet again." Gendry looked at poor Littlefinger, and the crowd's hateful gazes fell on him as one. Littlefinger was curled into a ball from the beating, for he had never been a tall or strong man to begin with.
Littlefinger's body trembled slightly, as if he already saw the flash of Gendry's blade being drawn and his own death in a single instant. Gendry looked at him like a leopard staring down its prey.
"I am such a fool. Truly." Littlefinger wanted to weep. Back then, he had been lucky enough not to die at the Wild Wolf's hands. It seemed fate's gift to him ended there. He would never have a second chance. Gendry would not believe his silver tongue, nor would he appreciate his value in managing coin.
...
Gendry stood not far from Littlefinger, surrounded by people whose words carried weight. The minor lords, knights, and wealthy merchants all wanted to press closer, but they understood their own standing was not high enough.
Gendry, Barristan, Anguy, Lothor, and the three great lords of Gulltown gathered to discuss the aftermath of the Gulltown affair. In the end, Gendry's word was final, the lords of Gulltown were the local powers, and the others would be responsible for carrying out the orders.
"Keep Petyr well guarded. Our good minister deserves execution, but not here," Gendry told Lord Gerold. Littlefinger should die at The Eyrie. That would be quite fitting.
"Yes, Prince. That is only proper. Otherwise, how could we show that the laws of men are guided by the gods, and comfort Lord Arryn's spirit in heaven?" The stout Lord Gerold nodded. He and Littlefinger had once been friends, but that had been out of necessity. Lord Jon had given Littlefinger too much power, not because the lords of Gulltown truly thought highly of him. Then he thought of Littlefinger's captured followers. "As for Littlefinger's followers, how should they be handled?"
"It depends on the circumstances. Those involved in poisoning Lord Jon and embezzling the realm's assets need not be taken to The Eyrie for execution. They can be dealt with here in Gulltown."
"Yes," Lord Gerold said firmly. At the very least, the customs officials and brothel owners of Gulltown were unlikely to live. The customs office was Littlefinger's purse, and the brothels had always been his source of information.
"Do you have any professional bankers?" Gendry asked Gerold and Isembard. The situation was urgent. He could not possibly bring in bankers from Myr or Tyrosh to conduct the audit.
"We do. I have always been responsible for Gulltown's administration, though I truly could not get my hands into businesses like the customs office or the brothels," Gerold said with a nod. Isembard also said he had similar men available. Now that Littlefinger had fallen completely, this was their chance to show what they could do.
"I want you to count every tax item and trace every flow of coin Littlefinger handled in Gulltown. Find out how much he skimmed, how many false accounts he made, and where he hid the money. Even if he is a master of playing with copper, a magician, he will still have his own flaws."
Gerold and Isembard nodded.
"And there are his Sellsword claws," Lord Gerold reminded him. "Petyr spent a long time in Gulltown. Many customs officials, brothel owners, granary owners, and others are his people. There are also some free Sellswords secretly working for him."
"Anyone who resists is to be killed on sight," Gendry declared coldly.
Lord Gerold looked at Littlefinger. "I have a rough list. We can act according to that first. As for the smaller details, I fear only Petyr himself knows them."
"He was too cautious, and he never fully trusted us either," Isembard said, agreeing with Gerold.
"Then start with that."
"There is no time to waste, Prince," Isembard Arryn said. "The next step is to seize Littlefinger's property in Gulltown, the wealth of his accomplices, and the assets of his Sellsword followers. It is said Littlefinger also knows some pirates, though I do not know the details."
"Exactly. I ask to handle the remaining trouble for Prince. Since Lord Gerold and Golden Eagle have taken the lead so far, let me take care of the purge that follows." Ser Uther Shett of Gulltown knelt and made his request. House Shett had never been on good terms with Littlefinger.
"Granted." With one word from Gendry, Gulltown's bloodshed would continue, a larger and deeper purge. Clearing out Littlefinger's remnants would also bring a windfall. What interested Gendry most was Littlefinger's money game, and just how many tricks he had played.
"Lothor, I'll have to trouble you again. When it comes to dealing with Littlefinger, you are the expert," Gendry said to Lothor. "Capable men must do more work. I'll trouble you once more."
Everyone laughed. Finger Slayer was a fine nickname, and it also made Lothor something like Gendry's special envoy.
"It is my glory," Lothor agreed. He needed to join House Shett's purge.
"Then begin, my lords."
Uther Shett and Lothor took their leave first, heading off to lead the prepared soldiers into the next stage of the task.
"Take them all away first, boys," Uther announced. The soldiers blindfolded Littlefinger's entire treasonous faction, Littlefinger included, then shoved them into wagons or tied them onto horses. Gulltown's own water dungeons and ship dungeons were waiting for them. For a time, cries filled the docks, but those cries soon fell silent, and the harbor quickly grew much quieter.
"Cat."
"Come save me, Cat." Littlefinger cried and laughed at once, his mind clouded by a blurred haze of red hair.
"There is one more urgent order. From now on, grain exports must be restricted," Gendry said directly to Grafton and Isembard.
"Why is that?" Lord Grafton asked, somewhat surprised. "The merchants will clamor to buy, and the noble lords will demand to sell."
"But the price... the price looks rather tempting right now." Isembard paused a moment before offering his opinion.
"Grain will be even more dangerous now. Think of King's Landing. The repeated riots happened because of the grain crisis. If all Seven Kingdoms lack grain, the consequences are unimaginable."
"Right, Anguy." Gendry called Anguy over and whispered a few words to him.
"Yes, Lord." After hearing it, Anguy quickly left the group. A letter was needed, a letter carried by raven to places like Rosby in the Crownlands. Those two great grain stores could not be allowed to remain so comfortable either.
"Grain will soon be something no one is willing to sell, my lords. It is already autumn. If it can be done without attracting attention, grain should be stockpiled. Winter is coming, and the price of grain will certainly surge. And we have far too many places that need grain. Gulltown must remember this order. As for Lord Yohn, I have already spoken with him. He has his own docks as well, and must control the flow of grain in and out."
Execution, aftermath, grain. These were the matters Gendry had come to Gulltown for, and each had to be carried out.
"Yes, Prince." Grafton and Golden Eagle nodded, half convinced. Counting silver was certainly one of their favorite pastimes, but this was also the Storm's command.