Whispers Castle, the Lord’s Council Chamber.
Lord Green, Ser Pere, Ser Marston, Maester Al, Steward Hershel, and Emparo—six in total—sat gathered around the table, discussing the “Eastward Plan” to reclaim their ancestral lands.
Spread across the center of the table was a large map of eastern Crackclaw Point.
With the overarching plan largely settled, Green pondered for a moment before speaking up.
“Reclaiming our old lands is an expedition, making supply lines our highest priority.
Every set distance…
let’s use half a day’s march at normal speed as the standard, we must construct a camp protected by a wooden palisade, advancing step by step.” “Everyone, House Crabb has not fought a long-distance campaign outside our territory in over a decade.
Our past battles took place near our own lands, where supplies were easy to replenish and wounded soldiers could receive timely care.” “Once you step outside our borders, everything changes.
You will be surrounded by enemies at all times.
If our logistics are not secured, we might collapse from within before the fighting even begins—losing before the battle is joined.
As Corps Commander, logistics must always come first.
House Crabb’s commanders must engrave this upon their hearts.” The group replied solemnly, “Yes, My Lord!” “Pere, your Recon Corps needs to set out ahead of time to gather intelligence along the route.
The Recon Corps must scout locations for the camps in advance.
When selecting camp sites, you must thoroughly evaluate both the terrain and water sources.
In three days, I will lead the main force out.” Green stood up, and everyone followed suit.
Green slowly swept his gaze across everyone’s eyes and declared, “To reclaim our lost lands, united as one!” “Yes!
To reclaim our lost lands, united as one!” “Reclaim our lost lands, united as one!” “Reclaim our lost lands, united as one!” …
The war council had just concluded, and the others left the chamber, leaving only Steward Hershel behind to report on other matters of the domain.
Affairs of the realm were numerous and complex, so Steward Hershel could only report them one by one.
As Green listened intently, the council chamber doors suddenly opened, and Surana’s tall figure appeared at the threshold.
Surana offered a slight curtsy.
“Forgive the intrusion, my lord.
I thought the meeting had ended.” Green turned his calm gaze toward Surana.
“Surana, is it something urgent?” “Your cousin, Lady Lyanna Crabb…” Before Surana could finish her sentence, another tall, slender figure appeared at the door.
The newcomer had a slim build and shared sixty to seventy percent of Green’s facial features.
This was none other than the woman Surana mentioned—Green’s cousin, Lyanna Crabb.
Just as Green rose from his chair, the travel-stained Lyanna Crabb threw herself into his arms, weeping bitterly, her cries overflowing with deep grievance.
Green tried to piece together what had happened in his mind, but he refrained from speaking.
He simply reached out and patted Lyanna’s back, silently soothing her emotion.
After a long while, Surana stepped forward and offered a few soft words of comfort.
She helped Lyanna Crabb into a nearby chair and poured her a goblet of red wine.
Green waited quietly until Lyanna drained the goblet in a few desperate gulps before speaking up.
“Lyanna, tell me, why are you so heartbroken?
I’m right here.” Lyanna’s eyes brimmed with tears.
“Usor wants to annul our marriage…
*sob*…” His full name was Usor Meaker, a merchant from Gulltown in the Vale.
Roughly four years ago, under the arrangement of Green’s mother, Lyanna Crabb had been married off to Usor Meaker of Gulltown.
How could a noble lady like Lyanna end up married to a merchant?
After the War of the Usurper, Jon Arryn, Hand of the King and Lord of the Vale, had never eased his suppression of the Dragon’s loyalists in Crackclaw Point.
Naturally, the houses of the Vale followed suit.
Green’s mother had struggled bitterly to sustain the suppressed House Crabb.
After enduring ten grueling years, exhausted, she chose a dignified compromise: pushing Lyanna Crabb, who had just come of age, into a Vale marriage alliance.
The lords of the Vale looked down upon the “half-wildling” nobility of Crackclaw Point.
Forced to compromise, Green’s mother had settled for Usor Meaker, a merchant who reportedly maintained good relations with various noble houses in Gulltown.
Strictly speaking, this marriage was a deliberate insult to House Crabb by the Vale nobility.
The Vale lords had blockaded and suppressed the nobility of Crackclaw Point for nearly a decade, and their initial zeal had long since cooled.
After ten continuous years of blockade, coupled with this humiliation, it was enough to demonstrate their loyalty to Hand of the King Lord Jon Arryn—allowing them to loosen their grip.
House Crabb had indeed suffered a blow to its noble dignity, but after the marriage, relations with the Vale did ease.
The blockade against House Crabb was lifted, and traveling merchants began trickling back into House Crabb’s territory, bringing urgently needed supplies.
House Crabb’s animal hides could finally be sold at normal prices to itinerant traders from all over.
Sacrificing Lyanna Crabb’s marriage had bought House Crabb a moment to breathe, but the whole affair had sown seeds of deep hatred from start to finish.
It was just that House Crabb had been too weak at the time, and no one cared.
…
“My cousin, why does he want to annul the marriage?” ” *Sob*…
I only found out later that a noble widow from Runestone took a liking to Usor!
That widow has no children.
If he divorces me and marries her, their legitimate children will be able to inherit her noble title!” Hearing the answer, Green’s long fingers tightened against his knees.
Lyanna continued, “Because of our marriage, I was already mocked endlessly by the people of the Vale.
If I am divorced, how am I supposed to go on living…?
Naturally, I refused to agree, and he even laid hands on me!
I was truly terrified, so while he was out, I quietly took my handmaid and fled back…
*sob*!” Green’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“It seems the people of the Vale truly do not take us seriously.” Surana felt deeply pained for Lyanna, her voice sharp with anger.
“Curse those Vale scum!
They all deserve to have their throats torn out by White Walkers!
That vile Usor thinks that as long as he divorces Lady Lyanna and marries that shameless noble widow, he will become one of the Vale nobility, and House Crabb won’t dare retaliate—that we’ll just swallow our pride!” Lyanna nodded through her tears.
Yes, that damned coward thought exactly that.
Green rubbed the space between his brows, looking directly at Lyanna.
“Cousin Lyanna, no one in Whispers Castle has ever forgotten your sacrifice for a single day.
You are my family.
Since the day you were married off, your room has been kept exactly as it was, cleaned regularly by dedicated servants, as though you had never left this home.” As the lord of the house, Green’s statement made Lyanna’s eyes instantly fill with warm tears.
“Green…” Lyanna had felt immense anxiety throughout her journey.
When she was married off, Green had been only eleven years old, shy and frail.
Green’s mother had passed away, and Green, whom she remembered only vaguely, had inherited the domain and become its lord.
Lyanna had not dared to be optimistic about how Green would treat her once he heard about her plight.
She had felt that she brought shame upon the family and had no face to meet Green.
Yet in the end, she realized that apart from Whispers Castle, she had nowhere else to go.
Only Whispers Castle—mocked by outsiders as a countryside of wildlings—could give Lyanna a sense of security.
So, setting aside all hesitation, she had come!
The younger cousin she hadn’t seen in four years had grown up, and his calm, steady demeanor was deeply reassuring.
Green reached out and gently held Lyanna’s slender, icy hand.
“Lyanna, this place will always be your home.” “I want to ask you: if I deliver Usor’s head to you, would that make you feel a little better?”