Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. The rights of everything related to Westeros belong to HBO and George R.R. Martin

Hey guys, I hope you're doing well. I'm sorry with the delay with this one, I was kinda busy and couldn't write for more than a week.

As always, thanks for the support with all the follows and reviews I got from the last chapter, especially to the later ones.

We're back at the Vale today, hope you enjoy it!

Yohn V

A week had passed since the battle against Lyonel Corbray. Yohn and his lieutenants made their way back to the Eyrie after clearing the battlefield and burying the fallen soldiers who perished at the battle.

Ravens had already been sent to all the corners of the eastern kingdom, announcing the victory of the Lords Declarant, and calling to arms to the remaining men of the Vale before joining the war themselves.

Thirteen thousand five hundred men marched back to the Eyrie, adding their numbers to the men already sieging the Eyrie, growing up to an army of seventeen thousand men under Yohn Royce's command. After the departure of the seven thousand soldiers towards Harrenhal under Lord Melcolm command and the five hundred knights who rode to the Twins, Yohn thought that he could muster an army twenty-five thousand strong. He would gather almost all the men who knew how to hold a lance or a bow to the war, leaving only small garrisons at castles and towns except for those who had to deal with the Mountain Clans.

After a night of well-deserved rest, Yohn kept working hard, preparing the supplies needed before marching to the Riverlands, overlooking the training of the levies and meeting with the various lords at the host. He had been worried about Horton Redfort, but it seemed that his friend was slowly managing to get over with the loss of his youngest. There would be time enough to mourn once everything was over.

He was now strolling through one of the improvised training grounds, looking at how Ser Mark Tollett, a knight under Lord Redfort service, was training the levies.

"GET THOSE SHIELDS UP LADS" shouted the veteran knight, "THE TIGHTER YOU HOLD THE LESSER THE CHANCES THAT YOU GET KILLED"

He cracked a smile while looking at the man. Horton had told him about Ser Mark. He was the son of the current Lord Tollett's sister, he had nothing to inherit and had decided to make a name for himself, earning his spurs at a young age fighting the Mountain Clans and joining the Redforts shortly after. He had escalated positions inside Horton's household and gained the trust of the lord of the Redfort.

"THAT WON'T DO LAD. HOLD IT FIRMLY, WITH STRENGHT" kept voicing the Tollett, taking the spear and shield from a young man and showing him how to properly hold his lance.

He grinned and continued his way through the training grounds, overlooking at how every knight was instructing the men. He had liked what he had seen so far, discipline was key at the battlefield. However, before he could finish his stroll through the army, a soldier on Redfort colours came running towards him and knelt in front Yohn. For how he breathed and sweated, the man had probably came running from the siege camp.

"My lord" started the man, barely able to catch his breath.

"Take your time soldier, breath" reassured the Lord of Runestone.

The messenger nodded at him in respect and recomposed himself.

"There is news from the siege my Lord, Lord Horton Redfort sends me with word that Lord Petyr Baelish has come down from the Eyrie to discuss the terms of surrender. Your presence is needed, my Lord" bowed

"Very well, lead the way soldier"

By the time he arrived at the commander tent, everyone of importance was already gathered inside, waiting for what Lord Baelish was going to say.

Seated at the table inside the tent were Lady Waynwood, Lord Hunter, Lord Redfort, Ser Templeton and Lyn Corbray, as well as Lord Baelish himself.

Yohn came forward, nodding at his fellow countrymen while taking his seat.

"Well, Lord Baelish, you come here with Lady Arryn terms of surrender. Tell them so we can conclude the matter quickly and end this useless battle between ourselves once for all" told Lord Royce.

"I'm afraid I don't come with the terms of Lady Arryn themselves but for the other Lords stuck in the siege, Lord Yohn" replied Baelish back, gesturing with his hands while talking.

"What do you exactly mean, Baelish?" asked Lady Anya with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, I'll explain it briefly. After you won the battle and the Vale was behind your banner, Lady Arryn tried to kill both herself and Lord Robert."

"What do you mean by try to kill herself, Baelish. Don't test our patience even more" bitted back Lord Redfort

"Poison, my Lords. She tried to poison herself and her son before losing the Eyrie. Of course, I'm sure that no one here wanted to depose the only son of Lord Jon Arryn from his rightful seat, but Lady Lysa is a… troubled woman, she only sees what she wants to see. Fortunately, we were able to stop her before putting her under heavy guard inside her chambers."

"What of Lord Robert Arryn himself, Baelish" started Yohn Royce "Even if he is a child, he is the Lord of the Vale."

"Despite his fragile nature, he is doing well enough. Taking him away from his mother was hard, but he will get accustomed to it in no time… if his environment doesn't change even more, of course"

"We are not babies who suck their own finger Baelish, go straight to the point" commanded Lady Waynwood, making even Lord Baelish shudder at her tone.

"The Vale will enter the war as you wished, my Lords. You shall have twenty thousand men under your command and represent the Vale in the following conflict as you see fit. Once the war ends, Lord Yohn Royce will be named Lord Protector of the Vale until Lord Robert comes of age. But there are two demands by our part."

"I don't think you're in a position to make any demand, Baelish, but let's see what you got" responded Yohn.

"As you are all aware, Lord Arryn's health is fragile. Deprived of his mother, his seizures are worse than before. Both me and Colemon are concerned about his health. Colemon says that sudden changes of his environment will worsen his condition" started Baelish, hiding the small grin that tried to form on his face. "For his own sake, and as I have been a close friend to Lysa Arryn for years and a second father figure to him, I shall be named as legal tutor of Lord Robert"

"You take us for fools, Baelish?" shouted Lord Hunter, loosing his temper. "Do you think us so stupid as to give you any power?"

"Even if I don't like it, it's a sensible thing to do" told Lord Royce, surprising everyone in the room. "Baelish, I don't like you, it is known by everyone here including yourself. But what you said it's true. Lord Arryn's health is of paramount importance and you have been close to him and his mother for years. It would be foolish to take away the last person he is familiar with." told the Lord of Runestone, who was studying everyone's reactions at his words.

"If everyone agrees, Lady Lysa shall return to Riverrun once the war is over, never to return to the Vale of Arryn under death penalty for attempting to kill Lord Arryn" continued Yohn. Except for Baelish, everyone agreed with him with a nod of their heads.

"What about my son?" asked Lord Hunter. "What about justice for my house and for Lord Redfort"

"Lady Arryn ordered their arrest and they resisted, my Lord" replied Baelish.

"Resisted? My boy was thrown through the moon door, Baelish" told back Horton, his face red with anger and smashing his fists against the wooden table.

"This takes me to our second demand. Ser Mychel and Ser Eustace unsheathed their swords inside the Throne room after Lady Lysa ordered their arrest. Ser Eustace was knocked out by Lord Belmore, but Ser Mychel perished at the fight. His corpse was thrown through the Moon door per Lady Arryn's orders. We were only following orders and can't be held accountant by the loss of such a promising young knight" sentenced the Lord of the Fingers, who faked his remorse for what had happened that day.

With Lord Horton speechless, Yohn took the reins of the conversation.

"We will accept your surrender, but we will ask King Robb to hold a trial to investigate what happened at the Eyrie. If you lied to us, I'll take your head, Baelish"

Baelish nodded at Yohn, clearly plotting what his next move would be, but Yohn couldn't waste his time at politics now. There was a war to be won.

"If no one has anything more to say, I think we are done here" finished Yohn to everyone approval.

"Go back to the Eyrie and bring back Ser Eustace to the camp and we will formally announce the surrender of Lady Arryn and the end of this conflict between us."

"Are you sure that's what happened up there, son?" asked Lord Hunter, keeping eye-contact with his son Eustace. They had accepted Lord Baelish terms for Lord Arryn's sake, but they all had known something was amiss.

"Of course, father, they may have knocked me out, but I remember what Lady Arryn told us when we presented our terms. I didn't know about Mychel until they got me out of my cell."

Old Lord Eon uncomfortably fell onto his chair, his gouty legs hurting. He had lived a long enough life to know how to play his cards, but it was a dangerous game they were about to play. Baelish had gotten what he wanted, and they hadn't had any possibility to deny him of it. Of course, he wasn't Lysa's husband, and that weakened his power, but as long as he was Robert Arryn's protector, his influence would grow.

"Don't tell this to anyone, not even your brothers must know what happened at the Eyrie. You were smart about faking your memory loss, son. I'll talk to Yohn, but this won't be known until the war is over and a trial is held, is that understood?"

"Clearly, father" nodded his son in acknowledgement.

After resting for a couple of hours while the men were assembling, they went out of the tent together and mounted their horses.

It didn't take long for them to get to Yohn Royce, who had been supervising how the army dismounted the camp.

"Fiften thousand here and five thousand more waiting for us at the Bloody Gate. It's a huge army, let's pray it's enough and the we arrive on time" voiced the Lord of Runestone, who was accompanied by Lord Redfort.

"We sent some of our men before us Yohn, they will help the Young Wolf hold his ground until we arrive, don't loose your faith before entering the war."

"My lords" voiced Lord Hunter, making himself visible to his fellow countrymen. "We shouldn't delay it any further"

"Are you sure you don't want to stay behind, Eon?" asked Lord Yohn. "Your sons can lead your men, there is no need to risk your life, old friend. We won't think less of you if you decide to do so."

"My legs won't stop me from this, Yohn" sentenced Lord Eon. "We will go and come back together or not coming back at all. I won't rest in my halls waiting for a raven telling me my sons and friends lay dead on the battlefield like a woman. Let's go old friend, there is something I would like to tell you on the road."

Yohn nodded at his friend and gave the signal to move. Behind him, the strength of the Vale.

There was no coming back once they crossed the Bloody Gate.

Here we are, I hope you enjoyed it!

See you soon!