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Chapter 12: An Affair! - Part 1
🕑 Added 2023-04-24 16:18:30 +0000 UTCDamian asked his soldiers to teach the sailors how to fight and defend themselves. Now their numbers have gone up 30 including him.
After delegating his men their work, Damian made his way back to New Castle. He was familiar with the way to his old room which was located in an adjacent building attached to the main keep. The two keeps were connected by a small wooden bridge that made it easier for him to travel between them without needing to walk the stairs.
On his floor there were six rooms, of which two were empty, one was his and the rest three were occupied by kids of lesser nobles sworn to the Manderlys. Both the boys that seven name days had just arrived six moons ago and were acting as a page for Lord Wyman and his cousin, Sir Marlon Manderly, who was also the commander of the Garrison at White Harbour.
Damian didn't have much interaction with them and their rooms were also on the opposite side end of floor. He checked the room beside him and found Jory inside, drying his hair with a cloth. He had just taken bath.
"Damian, you are back. The maid just came to inform me about the dinner. It will start in a short while." Jory said.
"Alright, I will take a bath too. I will meet you in the dining hall." Damian said before he entered his room. The room was cleaned quite recently. It was empty as Damian took everything of value with him to Bravos.
When Damian looked inside the bathroom, he noticed the tub filled with water. The servants must have been informed by someone to do this, most probably by Lady Leona.
Anyway, he took a bath and changed into the usual clothes that he brought with him from the ship.
When Damian arrived at the dining hall, it was already filled with people. Most were some notable knights or minor Lords as well as their families if they brought one to the White Harbour that is.
It was packed to the brim. At the high table, Damian saw that every member of the Manderly family was present and had dinner. He also found Jory on one of the tables below stuffing his face on some roasted whale meat. He nodded to him when their eyes met and then went straight to the high table to greet Lord Wyman and sit with them a seat was saved for him up there.
Wylla beamed a smile at Damian and eagerly patted the empty chair beside her, signally him to sit on it.
"Ah, Damian you are finally here. Come and join us." Lord Wyman said and continued, "Thank you for supplying the meat of the Grey Whale to us. We could have a proper feast because of that."
"There's no need to thank me, my Lord. I've lived here for five years, and I see it as my second home." Damian said before he greeted everyone at the high table.
"Humble as ever. Come, Damian take your seat," said Sir Wylis, father of Wylla.
Damian did just that and took his usual seat that was in between Wylla and Sir Wylis. After that, he had some small talk with Sir Wylis and the girls, telling them where he had been until now and what he had been doing.
When everyone finished their dinner, and tasted the sweets and cake that he bought from Bravos, Lady Leona sent the girls away to sleep. Fortunately, she didn't interact much with Damian a the table and soon went away to accompany other noble ladies present in the hall.
Now it was time for everyone to talk among themselves with a drink in hand. The topic revolved around the Greyjoy rebellion and how they might proceed. It was then that Damian said to Lord Wyman and Sir Wylis about his own plan.
"You want to leave tomorrow, why?" asked Sir Wylis.
"I don't plan to march all the way to Moat Cailin, and waste time on the road. I will take my ships tomorrow with my men and land near the southeastern coast of the neck, which is nearest to the twins. I think there is a village there, so there will be no issue with leaving my ships at the coast."
"I will then straightway make my way to Seagard through the twins. The Ironborn are attacking it as we speak. House Malister are our allies so they will appreciate any extra help they could get from us to throw the Ironborn back at sea as soon as possible. I want to go there and help them." Damian said.
It would take at least four to five days for every lord in the north taking part in the war to assemble at Moat Cailin, then it would take one day for crossing the neck and another half day to cross the twins and reach Seagard.
The battle there would already be concluded by then and then it would take another half day to reach Banefort where King Robert would be camping with his army.
Damian remembered from the books that the North only participated in the siege of Pike
"You do know right, that the place where you will land is the nearest to the mountain of the moon. You might get attacked by the savages when crossing by the foot of the mountain." Lord Wyman warned.
"I am willing to take the risk, my Lord. Half of my men are archers and the rest are well-versed with the sword. We would all be wearing chain armour so we would be well-defended. I plan to carry some horses on my ship so we won't be delayed on the road.
"I didn't ask before, how many men are willing to fight with you?" the question was raised by Sir Wendel.
"Including me, we number thirty and they are willing to fight with me," Damian explained their origin, and skill level and told them that he trusted them very much.
"Well, if you want to go, I won't stop you. It's your decision but I hope you will write a letter to Lord Stark about your decision. Remember to take Jory and your household guards with you. Be safe." Lord Wyman gave his permission. Well, not that Damian needed it now that he had finished his fostering with them. He was a free man and allowed to make his own decision.
Then after some more small talk, Damian took his leave as he wanted to leave early in the morning and therefore, wanted to get some sleep.
Around midnight, Damian was woken up when he heard a knock on his door.
He looked at the time on the map and found it to be 12.27 AM.
'Who the hell would come to my room at this ungodly hour?' Damian thought.
When he opened the door, Damian found shocked to find a woman clad in a woollen coat standing there and it was none other than Lady.
"Lady Leo-Mmm!" before Damian could ask why she had come to his room this late, she took him by surprise as she put her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss.
