228. They made it better
"There.. There... You shouldn't be so prejudiced." Aoto said. Arya rolled her eyes and said
"I bet that it is them. We are very close to their homes and they definitely wouldn't like someone who is sponsored by the us Northerners." Arya said. Aoto didn't reply to that and waited for the scouts to gather information. It would take some time so Aoto wasn't really interested in the information gathering.
"Its the Thornes again." Jon mumbled, the title Thorne had ignited quite a number of memories. His death under the hands of his own men and then coming to life to kill the Thorne that had taken his life the night before.
Aoto and the rest had a great time for the week with celebration almost every other day, almost so that they had forgotten for the same incident of the House Thorne. But the small number of people of Thorne hadn't forgotten. After the envoy returned, he gave away what was written in the parchment and that it was an actual seal.
"How dare someone, who isn't even decreed as a House can threaten us with those words. This is unacceptable. I will take it up with the King himself." Ser Alaric Thorne declared in a loud voice. (Yes I know Alliser was the last of Thornes and he died under the Longclaw of Jon himself among the Nights Watch. He was the supposed last one from the Thornes since they were very close to the Targeryans and the rest were either killed or exiled. Just take him as an imaginary child of Alliser and loyal to the King or something among those lines.)
The envoy was a cousin of Alaric and of course he was in support of the House Thorne. The envoy of Lannisters was also present when messenger arrived. He was waiting for this and now they could proceed with the plan. Though the Thornes were almost never in connection with the Lannisters but using this pretext, they could spread their influence further.
And hopefully get the throne. Well that was the plan at least for the Lannisters for a long time. Soon the messages were sent to Lord Tywin and how they would want to proceed. Of course, all of this was unknown to Jaime and Cersei.
And if both had known that Ned just brought new people into their land, they would have asked their father to stay away from them. If possible, never interact with them but who knew that their "loving" father would willfully run towards the edge of the cliff.
Soon Alaric with his handful of guards left for King's Landing to start the process of demanding the Uchihas to be removed and brought under some House, because they were under the Stark and they couldn't be this further south.
In a way this was a racism and humans being petty just for the sake of it but it is what it is. After 2 days, Alaric had showed up at King's Landing and asked for an audience with the King, to which Robert responded to meet. Even though he was a bit annoyed and drunk, he did show up for the audience.
In the grand halls of the Red Keep, King Robert Baratheon, sat upon his imposing throne, surrounded by advisors and courtiers. As the bustle of the court echoed through the chamber, a sense of tension lingered in the air, for whispers of a brewing conflict had reached the ears of the king.
The heavy doors swung open, and Alaric Thorne, the Lord of House Thorne, strode into the throne room with an air of urgency. Ned, who was beside the King, was also present and he couldn't help but shake his head seeing the high class acting of Thorne.
"Arya had said that her friend was looking for good actors for a play. Maybe I can recommend this person." Of course, Ned never spoke it out loud and was just thinking in his head. Sometimes, even the Wolf needs to laugh like a fox.
"Your Grace," Alaric called out, his voice echoing through the hall. "I beseech you for an audience to address a matter of utmost importance."
King Robert, his gaze sharp and unwavering, regarded Lord Thorne with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension. "Speak, Lord Thorne. What troubles you this day?"
Alaric approached the throne, his footsteps echoing with each measured step. "Your Grace, I come to you with grave news from the lands of Bronzegate. A new family, the Uchihas, has arrived from the North and taken residence in our lands without proper authorization."
A murmur rippled through the court as the king's advisors exchanged wary glances. King Robert leaned forward, his expression darkening with concern. "Uchihas, you say? From the North? Explain yourself, Lord Thorne."
Alaric straightened his posture, his voice resonating with righteous indignation. "Your Grace, House Thorne has long held dominion over the lands of Bronzegate, and we have upheld our duties to the crown with unwavering loyalty. Yet now, these interlopers from the North seek to encroach upon our territory and claim it as their own."
The king's brow furrowed as he mulled over Alaric's words. "And what proof do you have of these claims, Lord Thorne? Accusations alone are not enough to warrant action."
Lord Thorne produced a parchment from his cloak, presenting it to the king with a solemn demeanor. "Your Grace, I have here reports from our scouts and witnesses who attest to the presence of the Uchihas in Bronzegate. I implore you to take swift and decisive action to address this trespass and restore order to our lands. And they have the stamp of the Hand of King."
This brought more silence followed by murmur in the Red Keep, as everyone turned around to see Ned, who was just looking around like any other person in the huge hall. When Robert turned and gave him a face, did Ned sit upright a bit and said.
"The Uchihas came from higher North Side of the Wall and they have been living under harsh conditions. The Bronzegate, even though is under the Thornes, the castle hadn't been repaired since the First King of the Seven Kingdoms. The Uchihas in a very short time have remodeled it and made it fit for stay."