Chapter 99: A Gathering of Hosts
Of course, Egger knew that calling the King braggadocious was a critique fueled by his own subjective bias. Setting aside the fact that Robert Baratheon was now a literal fat man, there was a more important point: as the firstborn son of a Great House, his upbringing had been fundamentally different from Eddard's. If Ned was passive, then Robert was aggressive—then again, if both had dominant personalities, they likely never would have become best friends.
This supreme ruler of the Seven Kingdoms had assembled an army in the Vale; to put it bluntly, he wanted to show off. But from a serious political perspective, he was seizing the opportunity to make his vassals fulfill long-neglected obligations. In these unsettled times, it was a way to redefine the relationship between liege and vassal, test their loyalty, and stabilize his reign.
I've let you nobles live in comfort for long enough; it's time to bleed a little and do some work.
In the social structure of feudal lords, the relationship between a liege and his vassals can be explained simply through a set of mutual obligations.
The liege owes the vassal protection and maintenance. Protection is straightforward; Robert's summons of a great host to suppress the rebellion was the fulfillment of this duty. He not only had to rescue Lysa Tully from the siege but also grant her justice (if any existed). Maintenance meant providing vassals with enough land and subjects so they could sustain themselves through tithes and taxes.
What about the vassal's duties? They can be summarized in two points:
A vassal must not harm the interests of the liege—be it life, honor, or property. There is no room for wordplay here; unless offering a direct, formal remonstrance, even speaking ill of the liege behind his back is illegal.
A vassal must respond actively to the liege's summons during times of hardship or danger. Ned becoming Hand and the lords gathering for this campaign were both acts of fulfilling these obligations.
The summary is simple, but the execution could fill a library. Within these rules, one point was paramount—and it was the reason Robert dared to launch this massive campaign despite an empty treasury: when lords respond to a military summons, they are responsible for the weaponry, equipment, and provisions of their own troops.
In other words, Robert only needed to cover the costs of the men he personally brought from King's Landing. As for the remaining thirty thousand—and the thousands more to come—whoever brought them, fed them! It didn't matter if the King was broke, so long as his vassals had coin and were willing to answer the call.
This wasn't being a rogue; this was how feudal society operated. As a firstborn noble, Robert Baratheon knew his rightful prerogatives. Even if a problem could be solved without war, once he chose to fight, the vassals had to obey. To ignore the command was a grave crime of defiance; once Robert finished with the Vale, he could turn his attention to punishing the next target.
...
Interestingly, the Lords Declarant were also staging their uprising under the banner of protecting their liege. They claimed to only recognize Jon Arryn's son, Robert Arryn, as their lord. Since their lord was with a mother suspected of murdering her husband, they claimed he was in danger and needed rescue. The point of contention was this: Robert Baratheon believed Lysa Tully, as the guardian of the young Lord of the Vale, was a vassal he was bound to protect; Yohn Royce and the other Vale lords refused to recognize her status as equivalent to a liege.
In life, both sides always claim to be right. Who was truly right or wrong would make for a splendid debate, but since one side had chosen war, the matter became violent and simple—whoever wins is right.
The allied host settled at the mouth of the canyon leading to the Vale of Arryn. They camped within sight of each other, clearing trees to open lines of sight. This prevented overcrowding and the risk of a surprise raid, while ensuring they could support one another—provided the enemy had the courage to harass them.
Beyond that, Robert arranged for the supply train to be stockpiled near the Crossroads, dozens of miles behind the front lines, detaching several thousand troops to guard it. In a crisis, these troops could serve as a reserve.
No matter how much one might despise Robert the Cuckold King, the man was born as the Lord of Storm's End and an experienced commander; his tactical arrangements were sound. At the very least, Egger couldn't find any fault with them—though that might just be because he wasn't exactly a military enthusiast before his transmigration.
Once the army was settled, scouts and messengers were sent out. Proclamations were issued ordering the Lords Declarant to surrender, while orders were sent to the Vale houses that had not joined the revolt to rescue their liege. Robert did not have these local houses join his main host; instead, he ordered them to besiege the rebels' own home fortresses.
Though they hadn't joined the rebellion, the relationships between the Vale nobility were notoriously intricate. Who knew if there were traitors among them? Better to send them far away. This clever arrangement once again impressed Egger. How did such an excellent commander end up as a King? Truly another fine part placed in the wrong position by destiny.
...
Even though only two kingdoms had arrived initially, Egger resolutely began his networking plan. Most nobles had no interest in the Night's Watch; they granted him polite audiences only because the King was in the camp. After a few polite words, they would hint for him to leave. After several days, only a few were willing to look into his industries, giving verbal promises to visit the office if the opportunity arose.
Egger felt like a salesman hitting a brick wall, but he was not discouraged. He didn't expect to build deep connections instantly. As long as they recognized him later, the network was being established. He had many advantages: he was likely the first Night's Watchman most had ever met; he had a unique Asian appearance; and he carried rare printed books and a mouth full of new concepts.
...
The third contingent came from the North, nearly ten thousand men led by Robb Stark. That the vast, sparsely populated North could muster such a force so quickly was proof of their loyalty; Robert personally rode out several miles to greet his best friend's son. Next came the Westerlands, led by Kevan Lannister. Although they also numbered ten thousand, their equipment made the other armies look poor. Egger heard that over a third of them were regular reserve troops from Lannisport, not just temporary levies.
Then came ten thousand from the Stormlands. Theoretically, the commander was Renly Baratheon, but he remained by the King's side while his vassals handled the mobilization.
The Reach sent five thousand—a suspiciously small number for such a populous land—but they were all heavy cavalry. Randyll Tarly explained the small number was due to the distance and promised to provide all future provisions for the host, which Robert accepted. As for Dorne, they sent Prince Oberyn Martell with a few thousand spearmen. Considering even Aegon on a dragon couldn't conquer them, this was already plenty of face.
The Iron Islands sent over a hundred ships and a thousand men. Egger heard the leader was a woman—Asha Greyjoy. The soldiers said she was a woman of great charm, though that was irrelevant to a crow. Interestingly, the Ironborn had picked up the Dornish spearmen as they passed, allowing the Dornish to arrive before the Reach cavalry.
Counting the Dragonstone fleet led by Stannis Baratheon, which was already controlling Gulltown... nearly a month after Egger left King's Landing, the armies were finally assembled. Now, the entire Vale was surrounded. Outside the Bloody Gate, over eighty thousand soldiers camped in a forest of colored banners. This display of the King's power—this assault on a fortress that had never been broken—was finally about to begin.
Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/MistaQuartz
On Patreon, you can explore Extra Chapters in advance!