KINGDOM FALL
— 51. To War it is

     That same day, Annalys walked along the walls of Casterly Rock beside Jeyne. "Are you scared?" She suddenly found herself asking her queen, breaking the silence between them.

"Of what?" Annalys frowned, not understanding what there was to be afraid of.

"Going to war against Robb." Jeyne responded, but by the look on Annalys' face, Jeyne knew her queen was anything but afraid.

Annalys laughed softly, shaking her head. "I've been to war before, Jeyne. It doesn't scare me. Never has. Never will." She explained, earning a somewhat uneasy look from her handmaiden.

"It should, knowing it'll only end if one of you are dead," She pointed out to Annalys, who tried her best not to look uneasy, "Robb Stark is the only man alive who can even come close to besting you with battle strategies and tactics."

Annalys slowly turned to Jeyne in concern, knowing she was right.

"Do you still love him?" Jeyne questioned Annalys curiously.

Annalys remained silent, nodding her head. She hadn't spoken about Robb like that in a long time. She didn't dare admit to anyone that she still loved him. However, Jeyne was different. She trusted Jeyne more she trusted anyone else who wasn't Jaime.

Jaime was the only person in Annalys' life who knew more about the Lannister woman than Jeyne did. "I don't think I'll ever stop loving him," She admitted softly, looking down in shame, "I know I shouldn't, but I can't help it. I loved him for many years. I think apart of me even loved him when we were children and didn't know what love was yet."

"It's not a sin to love him. He's the father of your children." Jeyne tried to assure Annalys, who still remained doubtful.

"But is it a sin to lay in bed at night and dream of being reunited with him once more, even though it means the demise of my family?" She confessed in a hushed tone, causing Jeyne's eyes to widen in utter disbelief.

"You can't, Annalys," Jeyne argued in a low tone as she shook her head.

"I know. And a part of me believes that Euron will come back. With Theon Greyjoy," She explained to Jeyne, recalling Maggy the Frog saying she would try to love a king, which could have meant Euron, "I have a feeling I'll have to marry him in due time."

"Wouldn't that be a good thing?" Jeyne suddenly asked, causing Annalys to turn to her and frown.

"How could that ever mean a good thing?" She questioned Jeyne in confusion.

  "Euron has the Iron Fleet. As he said, you can defeat Stannis in King's Landing, Daenerys Targaryen in the East, and Robb Stark in the North with those ships. Unlike Euron, we know Robb isn't in the North. We might not be able to defeat him with the Iron Fleet, but there is someone in the North we can." Jeyne explained to Annalys, who was immediately caught by surprise.

"Roose Bolton's bastard." Annalys realized, her eyes widening in shock.

Jeyne nodded her head, smiling slightly, "You could take the North. If you do that, Robb will have to submit to you. You'll have the North, the Westerlands, Dorne, the Reach, and the Iron Islands. The people of the Crownlands are already loyal to you and are waiting for the day you save them from Stannis. That only leaves the Stormlands. Take the Stormlands and nothing will stop you from taking the Iron Throne," Jeyne explained, much to Annalys' shock, "The North is the key to everything, Annalys. You need it, despite what your mother says."

Annalys stared at Jeyne in disbelief, "You're starting to make me wonder why you're not on my small council." She commented, earning a laugh from Jeyne.

"Because I'm a woman and I'm not your mother." Jeyne replied, playfully rolling her eyes.

"What would I do about Euron?" Annalys asked Jeyne for advice, "I refuse to stay married to him longer than I have to."

"Do what you did to the rest of your betroths. Kill him." Jeyne suddenly stated, much to Annalys' shock.

Annalys froze in place, her eyes, widening in alarm, "Jeyne---" She began to ask, worried that Jeyne knew the truth about her brother.

"You don't have to ask me if I know the truth about you killing my brother. I do." Jeyne informed Annalys, surprisingly sounding calm about the whole ordeal.

"Yet, you're not angry?" Annalys frowned in concern.

Jeyne avoided eye contact with Annalys, which the Lannister woman noticed, "My family is filled with monstrous men and women. My brother was one of them. If I'm correct, he most likely forced himself upon you and you killed him."

"Is it that obvious?" Annalys whispered, a concerned look on her face.

"No, but I'm not a stranger to my brother's behavior toward women. I witnessed it firsthand." Jeyne explained, earning a concern look from Annalys.

"Did he--" Annalys began to ask in concern, fearing that Jeyne's own brother had tried something with her.

"Gods, no," Jeyne argued, shaking her head, "He wasn't that mad. But he tried it with servants and the daughters of men of the household."

Annalys looked uneasy, slowly nodding her head in understanding, "I know you're okay with it, but I must say it anyway. I'm sorry about killing your brother." She apologized, a sincerely look on her face.

"You're forgiven." Jeyne told Annalys, a softly smile on her face, which her queen returned.

Annalys laughed softly, locking arms with Jeyne as they continued to walk, "Come. You must tell me about what's been going between you and Ser Edric," She told Jeyne, who began to smile at the fact that Annalys wasn't angry about her being involved with a member of Annalys' kingsguard.

It was forbidden, yet Annalys didn't care. She wanted things to be different when she came to power and she believed that could've been one of them. After all, Jaime had broken a vow the moment he fathered Annalys.

____

     Days had passed and things were quiet around Casterly Rock. Most of Annalys' bannermen had arrived, including men from the Reach and Dorne. She never ended up enacting her plan with the ravens. She figured out who was behind the assassin the day after Euron Greyjoy came to visit.

Annalys was sitting on the floor of her children's room. They were crawling toward her, cooing and giggling. Annalys quietly laughed, picking them both up. She placed them both in her lap, smiling softly at them, "I'm going to miss you both. More than anything," She admitted, trying to contain the tears threatening the form at the thought of leaving her children for several months so that she could fight in the war.

It was offical. She had recieved the raven. Robb had declared war and Annalys knew someone else must have been the one to convince Robb to do such a thing. There was no way Robb had thought of it on his own, she knew that.

"But this must be done. I won't let him take you. I know it would be smart to just let him have you, but I can't. He'll take you from me forever and I refuse to let that happen. He wants my parents, too, and my brother. That's why I took you in the first place. Now, I can't give up. I'll look weak and I refuse to look weak." She confessed softly, pressing a soft kiss to both their heads, "But I won't hurt your father. I promise you that. My army of two hundred thousand men could crush them easily. That's why I'm only taking half my army with me."

"I knew there was something odd about it." A familiar voice spoke up sarcastically.

Annalys turned her head to stare at Jaime with wide eyes. He stood in the doorway of Lyanna and Eddard's room, a sarcastic expression on his face, "You mustn't tell anyone, Jaime. Please." She pleaded with Jaime in a hushed tone.

Jaime sighed in defeat. He walked over to Annalys, kneels on the floor beside her. He held his hand out to Lyanna, who smiled as she grabbed onto his finger.

She cooed, smiling at her grandfather, who sent one back to the young infant. Jaime glanced over to Eddard, who was stood busy waving around a wooden toy lion to pay attention to him.

Jaime smiled, looking back toward Annalys. "I won't. I already knew you wouldn't kill him. Your mother and I are the reason this war has even started. You wanted to protect us. The only way to do that was to flee with us to Casterly Rock and you knew you couldn't leave your children," He assured Annalys in an assuring tone, "This war was started because you chose family. I know for a fact if you could, you'd return to Robb. You love him. Even after everything that has happened. I'm not blind."

"He leads the armies into battle. I plan to do the same. As you know, I've ordered my men to bring him to me alive. Randyl Tarly and his son Dickon command the armies of the Reach while Mace Tyrell is forced to stay in the Reach. I still have to lead the Dornishmen and the soldiers of the Westerlands on my own," She explained, a doubtful look on her face, "I don't know how I'm supposed to command that many men on my own."

"Let me come with you," Jaime insisted, a determined look on his face.

Annalys' eyes widened, shocked that Jaime would propose such a thing. He wanted to go to war with her. It was something Annalys hoped to do as a young child, fight alongside her father. Of course, Jaime wasn't as good as he once was, but that didn't change anything.

"Jaime—" Annalys hesitantly began to speak up, glancing down at his gold plated hand.

"I may not fight as well as I used to, but I can still fight and I can still lead armies," Jaime tried to assure Annalys in a pleading tone, "Let me help you. Let me fight at your side."

"Shouldn't you stay here?" Annalys hesitantly asked, "Who will lead in my stead?"

Of course, Annalys wasn't worried about who was ruling in her stead at Casterly Rock. She was worried about Jaime going to war with her. She didn't want him to get captured during battle. It would be the same as it was during the War of the Queen and Five Kings. She refused to let that happen.

She knew if Robb really wanted to get to Annalys, he'd purposely target Jaime in order to capture him.

With Robb and Annalys at war with each other, Annalys' only true weakness was Jaime. If anyone were to capture him, they'd be able to have Annalys wrapped around her little finger. Jaime Lannister was the key defeating Annalys. Anyone with half a brain could realize that.

"There are many Lannisters still alive. The ones from Lannisport..." Jaime trailed off, noticing the look on Annalys' face.

"They're still not us," Annalys argued with Jaime, shaking her head, "Tommen is far too young–-"

"You've failed to mention your mother. Is there a reason for that?" Jaime questioned Annalys curiously.

Annalys rolled her eyes, giving him an obvious look, "Do you really think you and Mother could have a conversation in a throne room full of guards loyal to me and none would tell me what you spoke about?" She asked, causing Jaime's eyes to widen in shock.

"Yet you haven't punished her." Jaime stated in confusion.

"I can't trust Mother to rule in my stead, but I can trust her to take care of Lyanna and Eddard while I'm gone," She explained, sighing in defeat as she looked down toward her children, "I'll arrest her once the war has been won."

"You do realize the war won't end until Robb is dead." Jaime pointed out, much to Annalys' dismay.

Everyone just loved to remind her of that.

"I'm hoping he'll stand down before that can happen." Annalys confessed, her voice just above a whisper.

"You've always been so smart, Annalys, but when it comes to him, you have the mind of a child." Jaime complained, sounding frustrated with his daughter.

However, Jaime had no right to say such a thing. He was just as bad as Annalys when it came to Cersei.

"Let's not speak of it," She said softly, tears filling her eyes as she sadly smiled at Lyanna and Eddard, "It's the last night I'll get to spend with them for several months. At dawn, we leave for the Riverlands."

Jaime found himself giving his daughter a saddened look. She was trying her hardest not to cry as she spent time with her children. Not many women went to war. They never had to endure being separated from their children. Men had to endure it, of course, but it wasn't the same.

Jaime recalled how he and Cersei felt when Annalys had been shipped off to Winterfell for three years at the age of six. Neither of them had ever felt so empty before.

Jaime had tried to convince Robert to allow him to be Annalys' swornshield in Winterfell, but Robert had refused. He ended up appointing some random Kingsguard that didn't even do his job properly.

Jaime, who had spent all his free time with Annalys, found himself growing restless and unable to figure out what to do with his life.

He had missed Annalys more than anything. He even pondered traveling to Winterfell just to visit her. He never knew what it felt to be separated from his child, but at that moment, he did. He realized how Cersei always felt when she was separated from her children.

However, Jaime prayed to the Gods that we wouldn't have to endure truly losing Annalys during the war. He refused to have her die in battle. It was the main reason he was going.

_____

The following day, at dawn, Annalys stood in the front of Lyanna and Eddard's cribs, where they laid fast asleep. Jaime and Edric, who had just returned, walked up to the doorway of the room, "It's time, Annalys," Jaime spoke up softly.

Annalys refused to turn to them at first, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. She gave her children a sad look, just before turning to face Jaime.

She immediately placed a fake smile on her face, wiping the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand, "Shall we?" She questioned, trying her best to sound confident and happy.

That day, Annalys left Casterly Rock with her army, feeling emptiness in her body at the fact that she'd be separated from her children. She had no idea how long the war would last. The last war she fought in had been almost five years long. It would have continued for even longer if she hadn't gone to King's Landing.

Robert's Rebellion had lasted for about two years and even that was too long for Annalys to stay away from her children. They were a year old, Annalys refused to leave alone for longer than a year.

She knew for a fact she'd have to play dirty if she wanted to win. She'd have to take a page out of Tywin's book. But that came easy to her, especially after all the time she had been forced to spend with him.

_____

  Days later, at the border of the Riverlands and the Westerlands, Annalys had set up camp for her army. In the tent set up to be where they planned their war strategies, Annays sat at a table with Kevan Lannister, Jaime, Edric, Bronn, Randyll Tarly, and a few other men, some of them from Dorne.

"Our scouts tells us Robb Stark has moved South from the Twins. They're a days march East," Kevan informed the group in a calm tone, "The Vale has joined his side against us, with thirty thousand men."

"As expected," Annalys spoke up, not seeming to be shocked the revelation, "The Vale already hate us. They were bound to join the Stark's side. How many men does Robb have now?"

"Sixteen thousand Northmen—" Kevan began to speak up, only to have Annalys frown in confusion.

"That doesn't make sense," Annalys argued in confusion, "Robb and I had less than that during our last battle."

"The Northmen who remain North and refuse to bend the knee to Roose Bolton's bastard have found ways to flee to the Riverlands on ships in White Harbor. They've joined the King in the North's cause, hoping that with Robb Stark's heirs back with their father, they'll be able to take back their home," She explained to Annalys, who looked annoyed by the fact that they were still considered heirs even though they illegitimate, "The Mountain Clans of the North have also joined his cause."

Annalys remained calm, slowly nodding her head in understanding, "Who else has joined his side?" She questioned, impressing some of the men.

Most commanders would have been angered by the fact that their enemy had almost as much men as them.

"Twenty-five thousand men from the Riverlands, including the Frey soldiers who have now bent the knee following Lord Walder's death." Randyll Tarly explained to Annalys.

"And rumors say Stannis is planning to join Robb Stark as well. Twenty thousand men." Edric added in before Randyll continued on.

"That puts them at ninety thousand men, at least." Randyll informed Annalys, earning an uneasy look from Jaime.

"And how many do we have?" Annalys questioned in concern.

"One hundred thousand,." Jaime informed his daughter in a calm tone.

Annalys sighed in frustration, realizing it was a mistake to only bring a fraction of the men she had the ability to take.

   However, deep down, Annalys knew she had a bit of an advantage Robb didn't. She had only one hundred thousand men because she only brought soldiers who had experience. She refused to recruit any soldiers who hadn't fought before. Each men she had were skilled in battle, unlike Robb.

However, that didn't change the fact that Robb now had the Vale. The Vale was infamous for their calvary.

"If they have the Vale on their side, it means they have far more men on horses than we have. The army of the Vale is legendary. We may have more than Robb, but he still has more skilled men on horseback than we have," She explained, letting out a small smile before continuing on, "When the battle commences, Jaime and I will be in the Vanguard with half of the Lannister soldiers."

"Is that wise?" Randyll questioned Annalys curiously, "To have you in the Vanguard, given you're Queen? Perhaps Ser Jaime should lead the vanguard on his own, with Ser Edric's help."

Annalys frowned. Did this man know anything about her? Annalys wasn't Tywin. She actually fought in her battles. She fought alongside her men in battle. It was the reason so many knights and warriors looked up to her, especially the northmen.

"Whenever I've fought in wars, I've always led my men in battle," Annalys informed the man in a stern tone, "I'm also the only one who Grey Wind won't attack and surely, he'll be in the front of Robb's army as he always is."

Hearing the odd name, each of the men in the room frowned in confusion, "Grey Wind?" Bronn questioned, looking to be puzzled.

  Annalys sighed in defeat, feeling stupid. They didn't know the names of the enemy. They only fought against them. Annalys was different. She was the North's queen once. She knew each of the men personally. She knew their names, their backstories, everything. She was their family once and now she was fighting against them.

"The direwolf," Annalys replied with a defeated sigh, "Robb Stark's direwolf."

Bronn awkwardly nodded in understanding, a few men exchanging a look. The war they fought in was going to be difficult. Of course, many commanders in armies knew their enemies well, but not like Annalys and Robb.

They were married once. They shared a bed. They knew each other's secrets and the way each other thought. They learned most of what they knew about war from each other. That put both sides at risk.

"How can you be so sure the direwolf won't attack you?" Kevan suddenly asked, breaking the silence amongst the large group, "In the War of the Queen and Five Kings, he ripped apart every man in sight."

"Because Robb won't attack me." Annalys bluntly replied, much to Jaime's dismay.

It may have been the truth, but that didn't mean she should have admitted that to her men.

"He started a war against you, of course he wants to attack you." Kevan pointed out to Annalys, who didn't seem to agree.

"No, he doesn't," Jaime hesitantly took Annalys' side, causing the men to turn to look at him, "He wants to capture her."

"But I plan to capture Robb first. If we do so, I can take control of the North." Annalys explained to the group, who listened to her closely.

"Surely, you can defeat the Boltons, but what of the Ironborn?" Randyll asked Annalys curiously.

Annalys smirked slightly at the question, earning an eye roll from Jaime, "I can handle the Ironborn," She assured the group confidently, "But first, we need to defeat the Northmen and capture Robb Stark."

Annalys rose to her feet, causing the rest of the men to do the same, "This meeting is over. We should all get some sleep. We'll be winning our first battle tomorrow." She announced in a calm tone.

Each man bowed to Annalys, just before leaving the tent.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Be prepared! Annalys is gonna play it dirty before the battle even begins next chapter!