SummonedForJudgementCorrynSyndraEvanIndex | HomePage | GameLogs | WinterfellGameLogs | Summoned for Judgement: Corryn, Syndra, Evan The Great Hall at Winterfell served as courtroom too, much as the far smaller Great Hall at Holdfast served the Hardys since time immemorial. Today, word had spread that Lord Stark would sit in judgement over a most strange and complex matter, and the Hall was beginning to fill with a variety of people; more, certainly, than those who had business with the court - it seemed that any in Winterfell who could spare time to be away were gathered - and quite a few who probably could not spare the time had come anyway. Seated behind the High Table were Lord Stark himself and his eldest son, Robb. By Robb's shoulder stood Jon Snow, his half-brother and companion. Both their faces were grave and set, well aware of the gravity of the occasion. Seated to one side of the High Table was Lady Stark. A carved wooden screen afforded her some protection from the gaze of the crowd - but also screened the crowd from her. Beside her sat Syndra and Limosa, and two of the ladies that regularly attended Lady Stark. Corryn and Volf entered side by side, each carrying a series of bound papers beneath their arms. Ser Barton followed close behind them, still dressed formally in his Bolton livery. However, a green sash hung around his neck to reveal his new allegiance. They paused to converse briefly in private before the Riverwolf pointed toward the High Table. Volf gave a prompt nod and went over to the assembled panel. The young squire delivered the hand-written accounting of recent events to Lord Stark, along with several legal notes Corryn had added to strengthen his coming arguments. Volf's eyes remained nervously downcast as he did so. But, in the end, he still braved a glance in Syndra's direction. A faint smile warmed his features but vanished the instant the Starks dismissed him. He hurried back to rejoin his companions, who had claimed a spot across the room, from which they could observe the reactions of both the panel and the other attendees. Syndra sat attentively in her place, waiting for the procedings to start. She smiled slightly as Volf approached, but she missed his own glance because she was instead staring at the hefty volume he presented to Lord Stark. Her eyes widened in amazement, but she remained silent. Upon entering the great hall, Evan could not suppress a small sigh at attending his second formal trial this week. Of all the things he remembered about the North, continuous litigation had not been one of them. "Where..." he began, but Benjen Stark was already stepping away from him and taking up a position along the wall, neither among the general onlookers nor part of the official proceedings. It was the way of the Night Watch - ever apart, no longer a part of any of the worlds they had left behind. Evan paused uncomfortably a moment, and took a seat along one of the benches, in among the crowd. A rotund, jolly-looking man with a florid face nudged him as he sat. "Oi hear it's ter be a strange business today," he said by way of greeting. "I expect so," Evan murmured. A final party entered - a small group of Boltons now entered, moving swiftly through the room, with Eryk Bolton at their head. He looked neither to right or left as he approached the dias, but fixed his eyes on Lord Stark as he marched forward. He approached, bowed once to Lord Stark and then another, slighter bow to his heir. Then he turned to face Lady Stark ... and bowed again - once to the Lady, and once to her companions. As he made the last bow - to Syndra and Limosa, he placed his right hand over his heart. Limosa was quite motionless in her seat, her face blank. Syndra followed Limosa's example and observed the procedings impassively. Then Eryk straightened, and turned back to face Lord Stark. "My Lord," he said, "as I told you when I rode here two days ago, I come for the law, and justice for my House." Lord Stark looked at him expressionlessly; beside him, Robb's eyes moved slowly from Eryk ... to Corryn ... and then back again. Jon Snow was watching Evan. "Very well," said Lord Stark. "We will hear you." Eryk bowed his head in acknowledgment and then began to speak. "A sevenday ago, my father, Ser Herys Bolton and I, with a company of Bolton men, rode to Holdfast to make a marriage that had been arranged by my father, with the consent of his brother, Lord Bolton, and Lord Hardy. It was a marriage between me and the Lady Syndra Hardy, daughter to your own bannerknight, Ser Godfrey Hardy, and a match most suitable in every way in comparison of station and holdings." Despite her disagreement with his opinion, Syndra remained stone-faced. He paused, and then continued. "However, that is of little moment here, although I see that the lady herself is present and can, I am sure, confirm the truth of what I have said. But of greater import ... for which I need to explain that my father too was bethrothed to be married. My uncle Bolton had recently obtained the holding of Leaning Tower. Its lord was in considerable debt and so he agreed to an arrangement. For five hundred pieces of gold, he sold the Tower to my uncle, who arranged for it to be given to my father, for his many services, along with the hand of the Lady Limosa in marriage. That deal was witnessed and attested by Lord Umber and many bannerknights besides. Syndra glanced briefly over at Corryn. This was information she had not known from his side of the story and she wondered what he would do with it. She continued to listen intently to Eryk's account. "Imagine then, my father's horror when he discovered his chosen lady at Holdfast, a prisoner of that notorious lecher, the Riverwolf, and his sellswords, the Laughing Knives. By what means she was brought to consent to her captivity, I know not, but I do know that Ser Corryn claimed the Leaning Tower as his own, and the Lady as his daughter. "My father was deeply shocked by this and, learning that Holdfast and the Hardys had no interest in righting this grievious wrong but rather took Ser Corryn's part, he feared for the lady's safety, and commanded me to steal her away and make all haste for Winterfell, for her protection, and to obtain justice for the lady and for the Boltons. "So I have done." Syndra looked around at the assembled group, holding all comment until, or if, Lord Stark called upon her to speak. Corryn listened patiently throughout Eryk's speech, appearing attentive and respectful despite the several comments against his character. The familiar smile had gone from his lips, the mischievous twinkle dimmed in his eyes, leaving behind a mature nobleman rather than the youthful rogue most were accustomed to. He'd worn this particular mask for two years in White Harbour, so it felt familiar to him as he stepped forward to address the court. Corryn's voice remained calm, yet forceful, as he spoke with an unshakable certainty in his words. "Lord Stark. Assembled peers," he began with a respectful bow. Unlike his performance at the last trial, he remained perfectly still and rooted to his spot. "There has been great confusion over the last few days, so I shall address a few of these matters so that we might find the truth somewhere in between. Here are the facts as I know them and as they concern my part in this. Some weeks ago, my mentor and friend, Ser Godfrey Hardy sent me a missive. He requested that I temporarily step down as Guardian of White Harbour and assist him in overseeing matters of concern in Holdfast. You may find the letter within the documents, I provided you. In short, he had concerns that it was not the Hardy folk that ruled Holdfast, but the Tollets. A suspicion strengthened by the poor health of his brother." He paused briefly to allow Lord Stark to locate it, having filed the documents in an order coinciding with his presentation. "I owe my friend much, as you know, Lord Stark. So, I assembled a host of loyal soldiers, and marched for Holdfast to support Godfrey should the need arise. One of those men happened to be my nuncle, Killian Sand, on my step-mother's side. This decision, as you shall soon hear, precipitated the events that would unfold at Leaning Stone." He straightened up, casting a wistful smile towards Limosa; almost apologetic in his manner. But he dispelled this emotion quickly and his eyes returned to Lord Stark to meet the man's gaze unflinchingly. "As Lady Stark has undoubtedly told you, I spoke with her regarding the issues at Holdfast here in Winterfell. However, not long after speaking with your good wife, Ser Killian requested that we alter our route to Holdfast slightly so that we might check on his half-sister and my step-aunt, the Lady Lilith Cerwyn. He had not heard from her in some time and wished to check on her health. I agreed and we marched on Leaning Stone, after sending a messenger forward to Holdfast. The cruel fate awaiting that messenger shall be discussed later, I am sure. "But to the point, we found Leaning Stone in a state of utter squalor. Lord Cerwyn had allowed it to fall into disarray to the point of actually desecrating the Sept for monetary gain. The men-at-arms had not been paid in months and the stockade wasn't fit for pigs to live in. We found Cerwyn in the main keep, drunk." Corryn paused again, this time unable to hide the rage boiling within. He took a moment to steady himself, "Forgive me for what I am about to say, for there are ladies present. But the truth is sometimes unpleasant and yet must be spoken. We also discovered the Lady Limosa. At first, we thought her a baseborn child, for she wore nothing but tatters and had been set to clean the rushes on the floor. She had apparently been beaten severely and took great coaxing to realize we were not a threat. But... worse yet... "The Lady Lilith had been left to starve during her recent pregnancy," he said, the sorrow echoing in his throat. "We are men of the world, Lord Stark. We both know the great burden child-birth places upon a woman. Yet Lord Cerwyn had allowed his wife to suffer through it alone, untended, and unfed. The physical effort of delivering her only son had been too taxing. When we found her, she barely clung to life. There was. No hope." His head sunk slightly, "I could not stand by and allow this. What knight could? And you know my past, Lord Stark. I could no more change the sun's path than my heart's in this. So, I offered to purchase Leaning Stone from him for a sum of 1,650 dragons, that I might heal the damage he'd inflicted upon his family and his people. He readily agreed, of course. And at that time, he made no mention of previous arrangements. Instead, he signed a document stating that the holdings of Leaning Stone were now mine and that his children were bastards. He forfeited all claims and previous oaths; as you can see in the document I have provided you. It was witnessed and signed by Leaning Stone's Septon, as well as my knights. "Regrettably, I did not properly judge my nuncle's mood. I had thought that if I provided his sister and her children some sense of justice that he would be appeased. However, as I tended to the Lady Limosa and her brother, Ser Killian rode out after Cerwyn and slew him. Justice in Dorne, I fear, required that he have blood for his sister's cruel torture. It is a crime that likely condemns him to the Wall, but one for whch he will never repent. I left him at Leaning Stone so that he might grieve over his sister in his own way, before answering for his actions, if you so choose it. "However, this act of vengeance, as unfortunate as it was, did provide me with the opportunity to offer some peace to the Lady Lilith, now a widow. Before she died, I agreed to marry her. In that fashion, I could legally adopt her children as my own. I did so gladly. We were wed by the Septon. Later, she succumbed to the strain of her previous ordeal. But at least her children were no longer bastards and her lands now safe. I do not know if that is justice, but it is all I could provide for her." Corryn stepped forward now, straightening up and growing glacial in his manner. "As you can see, by law and the gods' will, the Lady Limosa is my daughter through marriage. And her brother Aeron is my son. So too did I inherit all that was Lady Lilith's, as you can see in her final will, witnessed and signed by the Septon. And as such, they fall under the protection of the Manderly name. We shall hold these lands, what is left of them, in trust until they can be distributed to the Lady Limosa and Master Aeron through the laws of inheritance. "Any oaths previously made by Cerwyn were nullified the moment he agreed to the terms outlined in that document and accepted my coin. Neither I nor my House can be held responsible for his previous transgressions. An oath-breaker remains an oath-breaker, no matter how many bannermen hear his false words. Were Cerwyn still alive, I am certain Lord Bolton would be calling for his head to avenge this insult. But in the end, the words spoken here by young Eryk change nothing. Cerwyn broke his agreement between himself and Lord Bolton. The holdings' succession should pass to my House, as the law dictates. The law further supports my claim by stating that when succession is in question, a related kinsman is typically chosen as the best choice for an heir. Lady Lilith is both my wife and of my blood. Lady Limosa is now my daughter and I love her and shall make certain she never knows pain again. It is true that she has been wronged, not by myself, but the boy accusing me today." For a moment, it appeared as if he'd completed his statement, but Corryn shook his head and sighed. "The truth is that both I and Lord Bolton have been wronged by Cerwyn. And although the actions of his other family members have been less that savory, I hold no ill-will towards Roose. I offer that in order to ease this situation and to promote peace between our Houses that I provide Lord Bolton with the sum I previously offered Cerwyn. Considering the state of ruin Leaning Stone is currently in, I assure you, this is a generous proposal. Hopefully, this will garner peace and replenish the loss to his coffers. "But in the end, this misunderstanding is nothing but a distraction by young Eyrk to keep your attentions away from the true crimes here. Namely those inflicted upon the Hardys by Ser Herys and his sons. Blood has been spilled at Holdfast. And a ruse to steal Ser Godfrey's daughter and her inheritance has come to light. These are the matters that young Eryk wishes you not to address today, for he is at the heart of them. And that is why he kidnapped my young daughter. To muddle the truth with accusations and empty words, as well as to discredit one of the witnesses to his and his father's dealings. This, Lord Stark, is the truth and I swear by my words. "Thank you." He bowed his head and returned to his place beside his companions. Lord Stark turned and looked at Eryk. "And what say you to this?" he said. "That a beggar may stand at the gate of a castle and offer to sell it to any wayfarer," said Erik. "But that does not make the castle the beggar's to sell, or the wayfarer's to buy. Believe me, I have sympathy for Ser Corryn. It must irk him exceedingly that he bought something that was not Ser Cerwyn's to sell. His offer to buy the Hold must, of course, be a matter for himself and my uncle to discuss. The Lady Limosa, however, is rightfully my father's bride, just as I am plighted to Lady Syndra. And my Lord, I ask you, if I wanted to steal the Lady and her inheritance, why did I instead choose to bring the Lady Limosa to you for protection? Why did I not seize my own Lady?" Syndra had listened patiently while Corryn spoke. Her face revealed none of her thoughts about his story. However, at Eryk's last comment, her brow rose indignantly. Eryk turned and smiled suddenly at Syndra. "Although I believe she would have resisted any attempt to remove her from Holdfast most strenuously. My heart is glad to see her in safety here." He was steadfastly ignoring Evan Tamm in the crowd. Syndra's gaze at the Bolton became positively glacial and her jaw set stonily. She remained silent though, so the change was probably only noticed by those who knew her well. The fat peasant next to Evan jostled him roughly with an elbow to the ribs. "Oi sez the Bolton whelp gets the screws fer his impudence," he chortled happily, his florid cheeks becoming even more red as he contemplated this happy event. "Eh?" He jabbed hard with his elbow again. "Screws, eh?" Evan rolled his eyes and tried desperately not to make eye contact or give any indication he was listening, not that his lack of response seemed to have any effect on the fellow's jolly mood. Evan leant forward on the bench, trying to pay closer attention to the proceedings. "Screws are all them filthy Boltons deserve," the peasant opined, continuing his commentary. "Mangy dogs, every one. Not even fit fer a kennel, oi sez. Starks should run 'em all north o' the Wall, oi sez." "How fortunate that Lord Stark does not share your interpretation of Winterfell politics," Evan said drily, irritation seeping out in his voice. From the bench in front, a matronly goodwife turned around and fixed him with an evil eye, shushing him loudly with an admonishing finger. Evan ground his teeth, pressing his lips into a thin line. "Screws, heh," the fat peasant said with a moist chuckle. "So," said Lord Stark, "you claim that you rescued the Lady Limosa from the Riverwolf to bring her under my protection on your father's instructions, so that he might make his marriage with her." Eryk smiled. "Yes, my Lord." "And you are to be married to the Lady Syndra." Eryk bowed his head. "So my Uncle arranged with Lord Hardy." "And what," said Lord Stark, "if your father were dead? What would become of those marriage treaties then?" Eryk looked at him, startled into silence. Corryn noticeably blinked at that revelation. He'd thought for sure Herys had survived his wounds. He tried not to appear pleased by this news. He 'tried' quite hard, indeed. That didn't mean that he entirely succeeded at the formidable task. He simply nodded and waited for Lord Stark to address him directly before speaking further, as decorum required. Syndra for her part showed nothing but mere interest at Lord Stark's comments. She took them as a point of speculation - a simple 'what if.' To be honest, she had no idea whether Herys was alive or dead. She hadn't seen nor heard about him after Godwyn took him over the edge of the stands. Lord Stark turned and looked at Syndra. "My Lady," he said, almost gently, "do you know what news was in the letter you bore?" Syndra shook her head. "No, My Lord, I do not," Syndra replied plainly, her expression growing apprehensive at his change in tone. "When Ser Kenrith gave me the letter to carry to you, he said he swore on his soul that everything in it was true to the best of his knowledge, and that there were things in it that I did not yet know about. That was all he told me." "I see," said Lord Stark. "Then I believe we should hear this letter - together. Eryk Bolton, as it concerns you ... and your brother too." "My Lord... " Eryk began. "Do you dispute that your brother is your father's son, as well as the legitimacy of his birth?" asked Lord Stark. Eryk bowed his head. "I do not," he said. "And you are right, my Lord. He too should hear anything that concerns my father." "Then the man known as Evan Tamm may join us," said Lord Stark. "Ser Corryn, this concerns you less for the moment. Perhaps you would prefer to wait here with my wife ... and your daughter." Ser Corryn bowed his head, "Thank you, Lord Stark. If you have future need of me, I shall be at your service." As protocol dictated, he waited patiently for Lord Stark and the others to depart. His hazel eyes turned toward Limosa, no longer able to hide the smile of joy fighting its way to his lips. Lord Stark might be a man of few words, but the ones he'd just spoken lifted a lifetime of worry from his shoulders. Now his only concern was that she forgave him for failing her so profoundly. He shifted on his foot, anxious to do nothing more than to hug her tightly and plead for absolution. From his seat in the audience, Evan rose, and patted himself down. The common folk around him instantly stared at him, and there were more than a few mutterings. Evan nodded at the fat peasant beside him, who had turned even redder, and was spluttering a little as he breathed, looking for all the world like one of the capillaries in his bloated nose was about to pop. "Save my seat, won't you," Evan murmured as he made his way to the door behind Lord Stark, rubbing the back of his neck ruefully. Syndra rose from her seat as well, primly holding the worn leather pouch in both hands at her waist. She looked anxious, but continued to hold her noble posture. However, she dared not take her eyes from Lord Stark for fear of revealing thoughts and feelings she wished to keep locked inside. He smiled at her encouragingly and held out a hand to her. "Come." Syndra returned a fleeting smile and stepped to Lord Stark's side. A nod to Eryk and Evan indicated they were to follow - as did Robb Stark and his brother Jon Snow. Theon Greyjoy, Lord Stark's ward, brought up the rear. |
