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The Leech Lord (ASOIAF/SI) - Complete

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Prologue
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    • Droman

    Droman

    𐤊𐤍𐤏𐤍
    Prologue ​
    ​
    "What do you suppose he wants?" muttered Yellow Dick as the party rode in "Not like Lord Bolton to bring us back from a hunt like this."

    "Shut it," said Damon, another of the riders to him "Don't be bothering Master Ramsay with your nonsense."

    "Are you sure he said nothing to you, Steelshanks?" asked the titular Ramsay. A pale, young man dressed in finer clothes than his companions, he had neither looks nor charm to uphold him. With blotchy pink features and wormy looking lips, there was little to set him apart as a high-born man besides his eyes.

    His Bolton eyes.

    "He only said to bring you back," muttered his father's captain of the guard "Said it was important, and your hunt would have to suffer for it."

    "Hm."

    "Well said, Grunt. I suppose if father thought it was important, then it was important. Ben, take the girls back to the kennels. Lucky for us Steelshanks had come in time, else we might have ruined their fun. Maybe we'll do it tomorrow, Ben?"

    "Aye, Master Ramsay. The girls will keep until then."

    "Good," said the lordling with satisfaction as he awkwardly dismounted, flushing slightly as attendants rushed to tend to his horse.

    "Come Ramsay," said Steelshanks again "Your father is waiting."

    --

    "Father," said the Bolton bastard courteously enough as he entered the solar "You-"

    Whatever he had intended to say, it was cut short as Steelshank's dagger found its way into his back, striking with such force that his victim fell to one knee. As he struggled for breath, his father rose from behind his desk.

    "My thanks, Walton. His men?"

    "They'll be accounted for soon enough, milord. Reek as well, and the dogs besides."

    "Good," said the Lord of the Dreadfort with a nod, as he tried to avoid looking to his dying son "When it's finished, burn their bodies and scatter the bones. I want no one to hear of this, no word to be spoken of this. Is that understood?"

    "Yes milord," said the captain of the guards as he leaned down, twisting his dagger out before sinking it back into the boy, stabbing again and again until there was nothing left but a growing pool of blood spreading across the solar floor.

    "Walton?"

    "Yes, milord?"

    "Don't forget to have the room cleaned as well. If you've need of me, send a man to the godswood. I find myself in need of prayer."

    "Of course, Lord Bolton."

    As the Bolton man-at-arms exited the room to tend to his tasks, he was unable to witness the look of nausea and disgust that came over his lord, as if he were ready to spew.

    --

    "That's Ramsay done," I said to myself as I kneeled in the godswood, taking small piles of snow to wash the taste of vomit from my mouth and death of my body. He was as odious as made out to be, but killing him, watching him die... that hadn't been easy.

    There was a necessary coldness that came with being Roose Bolton. True to his reputation, the Leech Lord felt little, and even my sense of terror at being dropped into this literary hell-hole was numbed by that fact. I'd watched a man die, and I'd almost let it pass without thought.

    Ramsay Snow... my "bastard son".

    Was I cursed for this? Accursed was the kinslayer, they claimed, but was I truly his kin? Was I Roose Bolton... or me?

    "He was a monster," I muttered to myself as I sat down in the snow, careful of eavesdroppers as I rested against the godswood tree. Located as I was in the Dreadfort, I had to act as according to Roose Bolton's ways. I was lord over monsters and killers, the bogeymen of the North if the Skagosi or the Others were unavailable in a pinch. What high fucking company that was.

    At that reminder, my hand went to my pocket, where a letter awaited. Read twice already before Ramsay had returned, it had been the first thing my eyes had seen when I had entered this world.

    Lord Bolton,​
    ​
    Your house and mine have not always been friends. But you have served my father loyally since King Robert's Rebellion, and I call upon you now to serve him now again, to fulfil your oaths to House Stark. Prince Joffrey Baratheon has arrested my father and sisters with false claims of treason, and demands that the North bow to him in obedience, even as his grandfather's men burn the Riverlands.​
    ​
    This I cannot abide, nor will I. As with you, I call upon all the sworn lords of the North, to raise their banners and march to Winterfell. Gods willing, this host of the North will put paid to the Lannisters, and whatever cronies they can muster. As our ancestors fought against Argos Sevenstar upon the Weeping Water, let Bolton and Stark stand together again.​
    ​
    Robb Stark, Heir to Winterfell​

    His penmanship wasn't too bad, I had to admit. Respectful, calling upon the old history of both Houses. Maester Luwin might have a hand in crafting it, but there was glimmers of potential here. Of the boy that was crowned King in the North.

    That would be crowned.

    Gods, what a mess.

    "Shall I assume you are done?" I say quietly as I looked up to see Walton Steelshanks entering the godswood clearing before me.

    "Near enough," he says with a nod "The flesh has been carved up and given to what's left of the dogs, the bones to be burnt in the furnaces and cracked before burial. Is there anything else I might do, milord?"

    "Yes," I say with a sigh as I rose to my feet with a stagger "Have two ravens prepared for flight. One for Winterfell, another for the Rills."

    "Their messages, milord?"

    "To Winterfell... that we are coming, with three thousand men of the muster, to answer House Stark's summons."

    "And to the Rills?"

    "Call upon my goodfather, and ask him if I might have my namesake sent to the Dreadfort. I would have him as a castellan in my absence. Perhaps more, if my loins fail me again."

    --

    Author's Note: So... yeah. Been mulling Self-Insert ideas, and this one came into my head. Don't know how much will come of it in terms of story chapters, but I figured it was an interesting enough idea to play with while i try and restore some semblance of interest or enthusiasm in ADOTN. And no, that is not leave to start asking me about the next update or using this thread as a new location to discuss ADOTN.
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  • Threadmarks
    • Well damn.

    Inserting into R. Bolton seems actually be exceedingly lucky huh? Beyond him the other less loyal lords are far less intimidating and likely easily led.

    I'm watching this with great interest :D
     
    *Comes into thread*

    *Sees that Droman is the author*

    *Auto-clicks Watch Thread*

    Droman said:
    Author's Note: So... yeah. Been mulling Self-Insert ideas, and this one came into my head. Don't know how much will come of it in terms of story chapters, but I figured it was an interesting enough idea to play with while i try and restore some semblance of interest or enthusiasm in ADOTN.
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    Before I shut up about ADOTN, ADOTN will always have my enthusiastic interest. *proceeds to shut up about ADOTN*

    More on topic, when were you inserted into Roose? I take it sometime after Ramsay was already much more than a twinkle in his eye?
     
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    A Nation's Virtue said:
    More on topic, when were you inserted into Roose? I take it sometime after Ramsay was already much more than a twinkle in his eye?
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    When Roose Bolton reads the summons from Robb Stark. By this point, Domeric is dead and Ramsay had been raised at the Dreadfort for a year or two. The War of 5 Kings is beginning, and Ned Stark is soon to lose his head.
     
    Droman said:
    When Roose Bolton reads the summons from Robb Stark. By this point, Domeric is dead and Ramsay had been raised at the Dreadfort for a year or two. The War of 5 Kings is beginning, and Ned Stark is soon to lose his head.
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    *goes back and rereads*

    :facepalm:

    Ignore me as I sit here in the corner for missing that part.

    EDIT: Regarding my thoughts on the matter, I take it you're planning on either offing the people who killed Ramsay or (hopefully) just giving them hefty retirement funds and sending them FAR away from the North?

    And YES to Red Wedding averted. Now to hope that Robb doesn't screw the Westerling girl.
     
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    Droman said:
    When Roose Bolton reads the summons from Robb Stark. By this point, Domeric is dead and Ramsay had been raised at the Dreadfort for a year or two. The War of 5 Kings is beginning, and Ned Stark is soon to lose his head.
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    well i guess here as in everything else, Sean Bean always dies.
     
    Maybe the SI will be able to convince Robb not to forge a kingdom with an impossible to defend southern half. I mean unless Westross breaks up completely Robb's Kingdom of the North is domed by virtue geography and population figures alone.
     
    Zero Gravitas said:
    Wasn't Robb hoping that the Vale would also join? That would make the Kingdom of the North workable.
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    The Vale? That's is the birthplace of Andal particularism, where the traditions of the First Men and the worship of the Old Gods are associated with the Mountain Clans. Robb was expecting them to bend knee to a Stark?

    That's not even mentioning the madwoman in charge or Baelish, who would hate Robb because he is Ned's son, puling Lisa's strings.
     
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    Very interesting, most notably because although Roose was a traitorous bastard, he did end up with the least casualties to his men and a reinforced position after the red wedding. You'll have to change a lot of things, because even without the red wedding and a loyal frey host, hell, even with the karstarks still on board and the iron borns not dicking them over, Robb was loosing the war. Winning every battles, but losing the war.
     
    DragonParadox said:
    The Vale? That's is the birthplace of Andal particularism, where the traditions of the First Men and the worship of the Old Gods are associated with the Mountain Clans. Robb was expecting them to bend knee to a Stark?

    That's not even mentioning the madwoman in charge or Baelish, who would hate Robb because he is Ned's son, puling Lisa's strings.
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    Robb's hopes and reality are two different things. Lisa is his mother's sister and Hoster's daughter and her husband was supposedly killed by the Lannisters. From Robb's POV having the Vale as allies if not as subjects isn't all that farfetched. Remember that he didn't know about Littlefinger and that some of the Vale Lords actually wanted to fight the Lannisters without prompting.
     
    Zero Gravitas said:
    Robb's hopes and reality are two different things. Lisa is his mother's sister and Hoster's daughter and her husband was supposedly killed by the Lannisters. From Robb's POV having the Vale as allies if not as subjects isn't all that farfetched. Remember that he didn't know about Littlefinger and that some of the Vale Lords actually wanted to fight the Lannisters without prompting.
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    Even so the Vale as allies would not help him in the long term if the Iron Throne maintained it's dominion over the rest of Westros since an oath of allegiance trumps an alliance.
     
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    DragonParadox said:
    Even so the Vale as allies would not help him in the long term if the Iron Throne maintained it's dominion over the rest of Westros since an oath of allegiance trumps an alliance.
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    And Aerys still cuts himself on the Iron Throne- right? The Vale can be independent or they can bend the knee to Robb. Either way 3 kingdoms forming a united front would be very hard to dislodge especially since Dorne also had plenty of reasons not to fight and the Lannisters, Tyrells and Baratheons were still disputing the remaining 3 kingdoms.

    Without Baelish being Baelish Robb would have held the best position in the war. He actually held the upper hand for a long time despite the Riverlands being attacked and mostly defeated before he got there. He captured Jamie and destroyed all major Lannister forces bar Tywin's own army and raided the Westerlands. He only lost the war so badly because of that gruesome marriage stupidity (seriously Robb- WTF?!?. Trying to outstupid Joffrey isn't the way to go) and because he failed diplomatically on almost every level imaginable starting with Theon.
     
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    Zero Gravitas said:
    And Aerys still cuts himself on the Iron Throne- right? The Vale can be independent or they can bend the knee to Robb. Either way 3 kingdoms forming a united front would be very hard to dislodge especially since Dorne also had plenty of reasons not to fight and the Lannisters, Tyrells and Baratheons were still disputing the remaining 3 kingdoms.

    Without Baelish being Baelish Robb would have held the best position in the war. He actually held the upper hand for a long time despite the Riverlands being attacked and mostly defeated before he got there. He captured Jamie and destroyed all major Lannister forces bar Tywin's own army and raided the Westerlands.
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    There's a difference between an alliance born of shared outrage and actually bending the knee. One is likely the other is not.

    This is not about the war, which he could indeed have won, it is about the future in which if someone becomes "King of The Five Kingdoms" Rob's Kingdom is doomed.
     
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    Zero Gravitas said:
    Robb was pretty much relying on that after he became King in the North.
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    Ah, but was he relying on that when he was acclaimed King in the North or was he just being a kid overwhelmed by the whole thing?

    I think Robb in the books was a lot like Dany in the reasons for his screw-ups (too young and inexperienced to wield the power given to him) right down to the unwise romantic attachments.
     
    DragonParadox said:
    Ah, but was he relying on that when he was acclaimed King in the North or was he just being a kid overwhelmed by the whole thing?

    I think Robb in the books was a lot like Dany in the reasons for his screw-ups (too young and inexperienced to wield the power given to him) right down to the unwise romantic attachments.
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    A bit of both I imagine. From where he was standing forging an independent kingdom seemed very realistic. Heck- it was realistic until he and the people around him screwed up in a lot of ways.

    Being a Stark seems to give you a hefty penalty to intelligence and tact and -100 to common sense.

    As for Dany- in her defense her second marriage was done for reasons of state not love and she did banish Jorah. So not quite as stupid as Robb by a large margin.
     
    Zero Gravitas said:
    A bit of both I imagine. From where he was standing forging an independent kingdom seemed very realistic. Heck- it was realistic until he and the people around him screwed up in a lot of ways.
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    Forging it sure. Keeping it when it included the poorest and weakest of the Seven Kingdoms + Invasionland, not so much. Then again Rob never struck me as the type to listen to the more boring subjects the Maester thought him.

    Zero Gravitas said:
    Being a Stark seems to give you a hefty penalty to intelligence and tact and -100 to common sense.
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    Sansa sees to have acquired some after the world brutally stripped her of her illusions.

    Zero Gravitas said:
    As for Dany- in her defense her second marriage was done for reasons of state not love and she did banish Jorah. So not quite as stupid as Robb by a large margin.
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    Which in my opinion is why she is still among the living.
     
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    DragonParadox said:
    Forging it sure. Keeping it when it included the poorest and weakest of the Seven kingdoms + Invasionland not so much. Then again Rob never struck me as the type to listen to the boring subjects the Maester thought him.
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    Well with the Lannisters and the Baratheons killing each other and if the Vale would have done the reasonable thing and at the very least allied itself the Kingdom of the North would have faired pretty well- for as long as Robb didn't do anything incredibly stupid. Which means it wouldn't have worked but you can't expect Robb to plan for his own stupidity.


    DragonParadox said:
    Sansa sees to have acquired some after the world brutally stripped her of her illusions.
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    Too little too late. If anything Arya's the one who takes a more proactive approach to controlling her life (ironic since she's trying to brainwash herself to be a Faceless Man). On the other hand Sansa still keeps being aimless and quite naïve- look at how surprised she is with the whole Dontos Hollard and Petyr Baelish stuff despite being exposed to Joffrey, Cersei and the royal court. I'd argue that she's still at -99.9 common sense- behind even Ned.
     
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