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1 Week Later. 250 Years before the doom.

The Eyrie,

He watched angrily as the Riverlander stepped forward. He had gotten the raven from the pagan Blackwood king and it had said that he was sending a messenger but not why or when, deliberate no doubt but nonetheless he was not able to turn the messenger away as Lucas Blackwood, or King Lucas the Great as he was now known would no doubt take that as a serious slight. So he had been forced to greet the envoy who was standing in front of him, the second son of Lord Paege, Jon Paege. The young man stepped forwards and gave a bow.

"King Hugh Arryn, I have come under the orders of my liege, King Lucas of house Blackwood to present to you a message." The man said a glimmer of something in his eyes

"Well? What is it?" He demanded.

"This." The man said and this time Hugh was certain it was muted amusement. The man clapped his hands and ten men came in with sacks followed by a man who held a leather strewn bag. The men with the sacks stepped forward and the entire court of the Vale watched silently as they dumped them one by one. Black raven feathers, around two thousand of them. Then the last man with the bag stepped forward, and unceremoniously dumped a hand onto the floor. "1,965 raven feathers, one for each Valeman killed at King Lucas's slaughter and the hand of Torrence Teague, a reminder of what should happen should you ever try to put your hands in Riverlander affairs." Paege said and with that the man turned around and left. Hugh nearly had them cut down on the spot but even in his rage and shock he knew that would undoubtedly result in war and the dishonour of not just him but his entire house and Kingdom for all of those men were under guest right.

"Leave me!" He barked at the court who hastened to do so until it was just him in the throne room staring down at the feathers swirling in the light breeze and the half rotted hand of the man he had supported.

—-

The Rock.

"He did it then did he? I can't say I'm all too surprised." King Tyland Lannister spoke, his voice old and graveled as he spoke to his two sons, his heir Damian, a good boy but with a problem of being easily led astray through Tyland was fairly certain his younger son Roland would keep him in check, strong and fierce Roland was a extremely martial man who had scored multiple victories in tourneys and battles against the Ironborn and the Reach. However his younger son was somewhat cruel and depraved, which gave Tyland cause for worry as his own father had not been too dissimilar which eventually resulted in his father's vassals rising up in rebellion to place his father brother onto the throne, the rebellion was successful as his father died in the rebellion, however before he died his father managed to kill his brother leaving Tylands only child as a nine year old daughter and so Tyland had been made King. However, that had been over thirty years ago and he was now an eight and sixty year old man. In that time he had met many men, stupid men, evil men, brave men, smart men and great men. However few had impressed him so much as Lucas Blackwood. Now King Lucas Blackwood of the Kingdom of Rivers and Hills. Or so his sons had come into his solar to tell him.

"Yes, the Teague bastard was killed by King Lucas himself at the Twins. He forced Teague to field his army by promising free passage and gold to the sellsword captains if they gave him Teague knowing Teague would have to come out and face him, then he forced Teague to put his back to the Greenfork so as not to be outflanked but it was a trap as archers had been placed on the other side of the Greenfork and the sellswords were slaughtered and defeated after a charge where King Lucas slew Torrence Teague in single combat." Roland reported. Teague was not much loved in the Westerlands after his raids.

"Good, I will draft a raven giving our congratulations and hand in friendship." Tyland said.

"An alliance?" Asked Roland.

"No, the faith and our more devout vassals would be enraged. Friendship. Nothing more… until it suits us." Tyland told his younger son who nodded in agreement.

"He would be a good ally. No doubt the Gardeners will be none too pleased with these developments. A good ally to fight the Gardeners with should not be overlooked." Damian pointed out. "Besides the furs of the North are always in high demand, an alliance with their ally would be a boon to our trade."

"But it still would not be worth angering the faith." Tyland argued.

"Nor our andal vassals." Roland agreed. "Though we would no doubt come out on top, especially with Riverlander support, civil war would not be good for our Kingdom."

"You speak truthfully." Agreed Damian "Nonetheless we should make certain we keep the Blackwood's on our good side."

"On that we are agreed…" Tyland said as he looked down upon the map of Westeros.

—-

Highgarden

"This is not good, father." Fretted his teen daughter, pacing around the dining room were just a few seconds before they had been having dinner before a messenger had brought them the news. "The heathens have solidified their rule and gained more power! We must call the banners and march north!" she spoke while his son and heir sat silently contemplating.

"Well? What say you Garth?" He asked his son and heir who meekly raised his head.

"I agree with Rowena." was all he said and King Harold Gardener's nostrils flared in disappointment at his meek son who had once been fourth in line. He had four sons. His oldest had fancied himself a great warrior and had led a great host to war with the Westerlands where he had been killed. His second son was the warrior his older brother thought himself to be but it had not been enough when the Storm Kings hammer found his chest. His third had been his most promising son, a genius no doubt and a brilliant warrior. However he had been weakened by flu and a year later was killed by the heat of the Dorne during another war with the Martells. And now he was left with his two much younger children. A brash and zealous daughter and a meek and submissive son who was wrapped around his sister's finger.

"You're both fools." Spat Harold "We have enemies on all sides, the Dornish would no doubt use the opportunity to raid the marches, Maldon Durrandon would be at our throats as would the Lannisters before we could even give battle to the Blackwoods."

"Of course father." Agreed his son instantly and Harold glared twice over at his son. His daughter glared at him in annoyance and stormed while his meek son shuffled nervously glancing at the door.

"For fucks sake! Leave!" Shouted Harold, enraged that his son did not even have the balls to ask to leave. His son nearly sprinted out of the door but not before bowing hurriedly and stuttering a hundred thanks. Disgusted, Harlod threw his goblet of arbour gold at the wall and began to think about giving the throne to his brother instead, at least he was somewhat competent.

—-

Storm's End.

The messenger came to him in his soller, let in by the guards at the door.

"Speak," He told the messenger.

"Your Grace, King Lucas Blackwood has united the Riverlands, he slew Torrence Teague himself claiming his blade as his own. He has his lords full support, many view him as a king of Legendary proportions who will be spoken of for years to come, hence the Great moniker. He has returned to Raventree according to our latest reports and disbanded his army." The messenger said.

"I see. My thanks." Maldon said gruffly.

"That is not all, our source within the Eyrie has described a most important event. It seems that King Hugh Aryyn had supported the Teague king sending 2,000 knights of the Vale disguised as faith militant and supplying gold and supplies as well as his daughter's hand should Teague be successful. King Lucas was most angered by this. He sent a messenger to King Hugh who came with sacks that he dumped onto the floor and gave the message '1,965 raven feathers, one for each Valeman killed at King Lucas's slaughter and the hand of Torrence Teague, a reminder of what should happen should you ever try to put your hands in Riverlander affairs'." The messenger continued before bowing and leaving. Leaving Maldon to his thoughts.

Lucas Blackwood was a man he had only met once before, when the now renowned warrior king was a boy of around three and ten, already a fierce warrior with a blade the boy, for that was what he had been at the time impressed him greatly. He had given a good showing at the mele in the tourney that had been organised by King Donal Darklyn and while he had not won, due to his age and size he had certainly shown his skill and had actually won the archery, the Blackwood were renowned archers and Lucas had displayed why that day. Marlon had ended up sharing a drink with the boy and his father that night at the feast. He had struck him as a somewhat uneasy boy who seemed to be taking everything in at a rapid pace as Marlon learned it was the boy's first tourney.

The boy had clearly been a smart one and had peppered the then prince Marlon on questions about battles he had fought against the Dornish and Reachmen as well as questions about the Stormlands and its history. Marlon had obliged him and grown to like the boy at the tourney. Now a young man of nine and ten he imagined Lucas Blackwood to be a handsome, tall and strong man no longer uneasy in the ways of the world having had all his questions answered and had used that knowledge to conquer and unite the Riverlands for the first time since the Justmans. Who's founder had been the bastard son of the Blackwood king at the time and a Bracken girl. But the last Justmans daughter had married a Blackwood and technically King Lucas was the heir of Justmans not that any Riverlord had cared before Lucas began his conquest.

However, what did that mean for him? Well the Gardeners would no doubt not be happy, and if the Reach went to war with the Blackwoods… well then perhaps he could regain the lands his father had lost in the last war despite him having killed the Gardener prince. The Arryns would be enraged at the warning, the death of their knights and the heathen kingdom at their borders but there was not much they could do. While the mountains provided a funnel that led attackers to the Bloody Gate they also made it so there was only one place the Arryns could march an army from locking them inside as much as it locked enemies out. Their fleet was quite good but Marlon knew King Lucas had the ships of the Sellswords as his own now and would no doubt be training sailors for them at this very moment and the Essosi war galleys would be a match for the Vale fleet. The Martells would not care other than it gave them another opportunity to attack either his or the Gardener kingdoms should either of them go to war to the north. The reactions of the Starks and Lannisters would no doubt be a lot more positive. The Lannisters would no doubt be delighted that the man who had ravaged their coasts was now dead and it was a man who their King was somewhat friendly with who had done it and now they had a fairly secure border to their east. The Starks would be happy their investment in Lucas and the Blackwoods had paid off and that their King's daughter was now a queen. That it was a first man, old god worshiping kingdom once more would know doubt be just as welcome to them as well.

But for him it was an opportunity. To the north lay the disunited lands where the Darklyns, the Rosbys and the Masseys held the most sway among other kingdoms. His own ancestors had claimed parts of that land but the Justmans had ruled all of it during their reign. Would Lucas conquer them as well? Realistically the answer was most likely, and if not him then one of his descendants. That would likely bring the two realms into competition, directly or not. But Lucas Blackwood would not want another kingdom as an enemy? Perhaps he would leave the Darklyns and the other houses to their own devices to act as a buffer zone of some sort. Also to be remembered were the Valyrians who had settled on the islands of the coast. Merchants disguised as lords they might be but members of the greatest civilization to have ever lived nonetheless… but perhaps something could be arranged with the Blackwoods, after all his own grandmother was the aunt of King Lucas's father… He also had a newborn daughter of age with Lucas's newborn, but they were much too young just yet. A thought for the future perhaps, still congratulations and a hand of friendship would do, at least for now.

—-

Winterfell.

He read the raven of his youngest daughter with a pleased smile on his face. For generations the Andals had threatened and indeed attacked his southern border but now at last that would surely come to an end. Because now it was his good-son and daughter that ruled the lands south of him, The Riverlands as it had been renamed Lucas, his daughter said it was to distinguish himself from the Mudds and also to include the Blackwater into his kingdom. It was a fine name, better than the Kingdom of Rivers and Hills anyway though some called it the Spring Kingdom in comparison to his own Winter Kingdom.

His daughter also wrote of how glad she was to have her husband back to her and their son and that it was as Halton had told her it would be, Lucas had returned home to them and visited the Godswood with Allara and baby Brynden and he had shed a few tears but had ultimately been ok though he still visited that area of the tree every morning. However Lucas had not blamed his daughter and the young family had been enjoying their days united with their newborn son.

However she also wrote that Lucas was a slightly changed man, he had never been immature but now he was hardened by the horrors of war. That had not stopped him from continuing his work of forging a kingdom. She wrote that he stayed up late into the night making plans, writing orders, brainstorming or reading reports and messages. Allara helped him with some things that she had a good mind for such as numbers and diplomacy and the two made quite the efficient pair. All in all she was happy and loved her husband and son.

That was good, his daughter was happy, his blood was strong, his south was secure, he had a strong ally, the Old Gods ruled once more and his investment in the young Blackwood had paid off. Now all that remained was to wait and see what would happen.