[GhostSunShadow] Ronald Vance

Name:
Ser Ronald Maximus Vance

Nickname:
Ronald the Bad
The Gilded Knight

Age:
31

Gender:
Male

Species:
Vampire

Allegiance to House:
House Vance of Atranta
House Tully

Role to House:
Knight of the Riverlands

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Personality:
The first son of Lord Norbert Vance, heir to the family and Knight of the Riverlands is a man of great determination and fortitude but with an even greater ego and sense of pride that leaves him to stand tall yet alone. His allegiance lies with Lord Edmure Tully of Riverrun and with his family who both can sleep soundly in knowing that ser Ronald Vance is there to defend them when the days are darkest but to anyone else he remains an island. His honor and pride permit him to stand out from a crowd, leave the public in awe by the mere fire that rages in his eyes but none truly knows what lingers on the mind of Ronald the Bad. All his life he has fought bravely beneath the banners of house Tully and house Vance of Atranta, serving as his father’s right hand in the government of their land while standing shoulder to shoulder with the lord of Riverrun when war once more stands at their gates. Hardened by battle and all the violence he witnessed, he has become a cold and lonely man who lives solely to serve the lord he swore his oath to since the day his arm could lift a sword. Such bravery and courage is remarkable, such blind faith and loyalty to the Riverlands is admirable but beside his role as a knight Ronald has never seen himself as anything else. He’s a shield against the enemies of his lordship, a guardian of his beloved lands but never has one described Ronald to be a friend, a lover, a husband or even a father; only a knight is how he gets identified except for Lord Edmure Tully who does consider the Gilded Knight to be a friend but so does the Lord Paramount of the Trident consider all sons of house Vance of Atranta part of his circle of close friends and confidants…

Within the walls of Atranta or any other keep held by the extensive branches of House Vance in the Riverlands, ser Ronald is also known as a brother, a cousin and an uncle who’s always present in the scarce occasions the family reunites. The Vance brothers have a special bond that is balanced between a deathly rivalry and an unbreakable pact of siblings. As the oldest son of Lord Norbert Vance of Atranta, he’s the heir to the modest lands and fortunes their family holds though Ronald never viewed himself as a man of politics having hoped his brother Hugo would step up to the responsibility to lead the house after father’s end. Between Ronald and Ellery there’s a bitter rivalry that by many is viewed as a feud without a hint of love but that’s only to those who don’t understand the harsh ways of the Vance training to knighthood; between Ronald and Hugo there’s a remarkable friendship with the older brother protective over his sibling but also slightly skeptic about what the ambitious squire seeks for the future. The first four sons of Atranta all entered or seek to enter knighthood and for that they train eachother as if they truly were enemies; their practices are hard and violent with many injuries and damaged equipment but that’s what made them to become such superior soldiers in battle. With actual blades they fought eachother for hours at a time only stopping when one brother yielded to the other, which functioned like fuel to the fire to the sibling rivalry that only ser Hugo seems to avoid…

Ser Ronald however is more than just a knight to the Riverlands and a member of House Vance of Atranta for he has his malign traits as well; like every man he has his weakness, that one flaw that makes a person a true individual in this world. Ronald can be known to be stubborn and stern leaving no room for compromise weither on a personal or a professional level. The men at his command know never to question his authority for a blow in punishment will swiftly land to any that defy his decisions; in the training of new soldiers and squire he’s unyielding and unforgiving, continuing to hold each mistake they ever made against them until they’ve redeemed their errors in his eyes. In his personal life his father has found it difficult for find him a worthy lady to be betrothed to as he is too occupied with his responsibilities as a knight to pay a lady the attention she deserves. Unlike his younger brother Kirth he doesn’t place women on a pedestal, seeing them as the carriers of an heir, a mother to his future children rather than a lover or equal. He’s a cold man who prefers his solitude over the company of others and won’t trust anyone outside his family with personal affairs not even the women that briefly passed through his life including the first maiden Carellen Smallwood his hand was promised to; the engagement was absolved by Ronald when the raids began on his beloved Riverlands…

Physical Description:
If it hadn’t been for his second brother ser Ellery Vance, Ronald the Bad would by far be the tallest Vance ever to walk since the founding of their ancient House. He’s a broad man with a sturdy muscular physique that honed by the many scars of battle; from the slightly crooked line of his nose to the smallest finger on his right hand missing, he is the embodiment of duty and loyalty manifested in a tangible form. There’s an obvious asymmetry to his person with his left side much stronger developed than his right to compensate for the weight of his shield wielded in that hand. He has a stern face with darkened brow, a demanding gaze with deep brown eyes and a full beard that’s only showing pink where an old scar traces across his left cheek. Hair so dark brown that it matched the black of the night is cut short in the signature fashion of the guard of Atranta. The first lines of age have began manifesting on his expression with crow’s feet at his eyes and his forehead even more frightful by first hint of wrinkles. But like most Vance men he’s got a peculiar charm and charisma around his person that is believed to have grown from their sense of duty in the Riverlands…

Like his knightly brothers ser Ronald is seldom seen without his armor on though on the rare occasion the importance of his title reflects in his attire; rich fabrics will grant him a statuesque image that praises his esteemed function as blackened satins, tanned leathers and colored velvets are common elements that return in his wardrobe. Next to those scarce days spend free of the thrill of battle, ser Ronald goes dressed in the ancestral armor of his family as the heir of House Vance of Atranta; gilded comes the steel that guards his life as the heavy plates are strong and prestigious shaping the armor worthy of a king. Like the rare Damascus steel the metal is bend and shaped in the most detailed of patterns that seem to create a new dimension to his person while the sun seems to reflect of its gold-like surface. Beneath the plate cuirass and pauldrons goes a brigandine blue like the midnight sky while the shield becomes an extension of himself; midnight blue stands the center that’s marked with a gilded eight-point star while the golden detail trims this encumbering shield with a beauty that seldom found in a suit of armor crafted for battle. The steel never bends, cracks or rusts for some reason leaving the gilded surface spotless and without blemishes of battles long past yet nothing is as recognizable as the Mask of Vance. Passed down from father to son since the day House Vance began the heir will go into battle wearing a golden masked helmet that embodies fear in the eyes of its enemies; the evil brow and ominous beard of the visor protect the wearer’s face completely from harm except for the eyes that are left exposed…

Powers and Abilities:
Though only for the past few years he was tainted by the bane of Sanguinare Vampiris, his powers as a vampire developed most swiftly in the striking contrast to his younger brother Kirth of whom he was granted with this curse and blessing. Where the fourth son from Lord Norbert was given a remarkable unstoppable swiftness to his step, Ronald the Bad was bestowed with the legendary strength of the vampire. Incredible might resides in each of his blows, enough to leave even the sturdiest of steel shields trembling long after the hit landed as the heir of Atranta is capable of bending castle forged steel with his bare hands; he’s no stranger to having stone splinter beneath his fists or wooden doors kicked straight of their hinges as this daunting strength resides between his wide shoulders. The sons of Vance describe a hit of Ronald’s shield like getting crushed by a herd of horses trampling you a million times all over again; to block the swing of his sword is like trying to stop the current in the largest of waterfalls in the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. Like his younger brother though he prefers to hide his abilities to avoid having to face the judgment of society only occasionally turning this tremendous strength…

Ser Ronald Vance however doesn’t possess the wondrous gift to sire others to his will, believed to be so for he hasn’t had the bane long enough to develop; on the other hand however his blood thirst has opened an alternative talent that’s most useful in battle as he calls it the Hunger. The thirst for blood lets him sense the presence of all living creatures weither their forms are shrouded by barriers or the night leaves him to stare in darkness. In a way he can see them or better feel the presence of individuals preventing people from sneaking up on him. In combat it allows him to know exactly how many men stand against him, where they are hiding and how close or far they are off him all within the radius of a single league. It’s the Hunger, the manifestation of the vampire’s bloodlust showing him just that which he most desires; the strength of this gift varies in time for right after a feeding it is weakest while the longer he’d deprived of blood the further and more detailed his visions of coursing blood get. One week without his thirst lessened lets him sense a mouse’s presence through a stone wall, one month and not ever the most powerful of magic can shroud the essence that runs through each person …

Strengths:
• Duty
• Honor
• Family

Weaknesses:
• Love
• Friendship
• Compromise

Weapons of Choice:

As a Knight of the Riverlands ser Ronald Vance started at a young age with exploring the many possibilities that resided in his father’s armory; he was classically trained with a sword and shield, the technique that he to this day still prefers yet one can never tell what weapon the Gilded Knight will raise as the fires of battle rage on. His favorite is a 33 inch long spatha sword that features a double edged blade with an asymmetry near the point and the signature Vance guard that protects the wielding hand fully by an encircling steel coil. Tied to his shield is a curved cutting edged knife that replaces the traditional dagger each knight has strapped to his belt while every campaign is started with the following equipment: a dispensable javelin that’s thrown from the back of his horse killing either horse or rider on the enemy ranks; second comes a two-handed cleaver sword that slices through enemy ranks like a knife through butter while a light axe and medium sword are then turned to once he gets lifted from his saddle by surprise. All these weapons are remarkably crude and simple weapons for a knight of his prestige as each of them can be abandoned if the battle calls for such discarding; the ancestral shield and sword however are seldom wielded in times of war reserved only to trials by combat and tournaments for they are too precious and expensive for common battle…

Armor of Choice:
Though the heirloom weapons of House Vance of Atranta are seldom carried into battle, ser Ronald Vance has sworn a solemn oath to defend the Riverlands and protect its people and for that he turns towards the ancestral armor of his family that instills hope and courage in the hearts of his men…

Heavy comes this plate armor of the Vance ancestors as the remarkable craft of this gilded steel speaks of the legends that laid the grounds for this noble house; like the scales of a fish the metal is entirely etched in the delicate manner that adds dimension and resilience to an otherwise common desire for not even a single scratch has been made across its surface in eleven generations of Vance heirs. It consists of the main chest plate that covers only the breast of its wearer while a three piece set of pauldrons guards the shoulders. The seams at this steel armor are thin as a hair and carefully forged by a master blacksmith whose name had gone lost in history though his craft has survived ages without even the slightest hint of wear on the gilded surface…

Most infamous of all suits of armor in the Riverlands comes the Mask of Vance; a Morion helmet unique in its kind is gilded in the same fashion of the armor leaving it almost to shine as the purest gold found in the Seven Kingdoms. The visor of the knight’s helmet however is what truly sets it apart from the rest as a man like mask of gilded steel protects the entire facial region of he who wears the ancestral armor; the heavy brow of the mask, along with the stern gaze and long beard serves as a symbol of status as well as an impregnable defense against the accidental risks that come with battle; only the eyes are left exposed while the mouth of this faced mask is shaped in such a way breathing is uninhibited though nothing can enter. The Mask of Vance is a proven protection against the blaze of fire permitting the knight to march straight through the flames without risking burns on his expression; it’s a ward against splinters and arrows that are simply deflected on its shiny surface but most of all it’s the face Vance bannermen have learn to follow unquestioned into battle, giving them hope, strength and courage in the bleakest of circumstances…

Background History:
The halls of Atranta were vacant when the sun settled across the Riverlands for servants had been dismissed to their quarters and guardsmen had taken to their posts. Occasionally the sound of footsteps echoed through its corridors as a handmaiden hurried to fulfill the requests of their ladies but otherwise silence had fallen over Lord Norbert Vance’s keep. In the main hall however two souls had remained, father and son seated across from eachother on this warm summer’s day; portraits of each Vance son in the history of their house was pictured along the walls leaving spaces empty for those still to come while others were stricken from the family history for the shame they’d brought to their family. The last of paintings had only been hung eleven years ago when Maester Jon Vance was welcomed in this household, featuring aside his elder brothers in the order of age with Kirth Louis to his right who the stood shoulder to shoulder with ser Ellery Hector, ser Hugo Vincent and the heir to this noble house and the man seated now before his father ser Ronald Maximus Vance. It wasn’t idle pride that had these portraits raised within the keep, but as their solemn duty to educate the generations to come to the rich history of this knightly house. Every son that carried the Vance surname would have to memorize each of their ancestors by name, title, wife and greatest accomplishment so they can learn from the past. With all these ancestors present as their witness father and son began to bring their affairs in order for the days to come. Lord Norbert Vance was an old statuesque man whom lost his sight years ago yet never once did he lose the noble presence of a man leading his people with a generous heart and just hand though he could feel his end approaching. Ser Ronald had been summoned to his father’s keep from his place in the Vance campaign against the raiders of House Clegane to discuss the matters of inheritance. Fists were often struck on the tables in dispute, tempers flaring between two stubborn individuals each with reasons of their own to disagree with the opinions of the other. All could be hear the heated conversation but knew better than to interfere in the affairs of House Vance though to those witnesses the events could be described as the following…

With a courteous bow ser Ronald Vance entered in the Hall of Ancestors, his hands pushing open the gilded doors that had left his father isolated from the court so long; illness had come to the man as his coughs had worsened to the point that blood got spilled in the violent bursts of his father. Even now as he marched proudly into the halls he called home he could see the sickly man that fathered him seated on his chair at the table confident as ever. Always had he admired the strength of his father who though sickness and worries often burdened him continued to remain a good lord to the people of the surrounding lands, a brilliant commander of his army and a stern but righteous father. Dressed in the colors of Atranta of black, green and white Lord Norbert greeted his heir and gestured to the vacant seat in front of him to debate the bitter reality of the House affairs. “You summoned me father so this must be urgent. My men need me at the frontiers as we’re in pursuit of the raiders…” The knight’s voice was deep and stern like a general practiced to speaking before his men yet before his sentence could be finished, a hand sign of his father silenced him almost immediately. “Always such brass approach, my son; I know of the importance of your campaign but these are matters that supersede the war. It regards the inheritance of my title and my keep which as my first son and heir will be turned over to you, Ronald.” Ronald had always know this day was to come but he’d always dreaded the idea; the political affairs of being lord to this House had never been of interest to him as the knight had hoped his father would reconsider appointing Hugo as his heir. “Father, you know I’ve no place here in the Keep as Lord; my place is shoulder to shoulder with the men fighting on behalf of the Riverlands. Give Hugo the title, you know he ambitions the politics and nobody has the people eating from their hand like he does…” He’d risen from his seat to put some more dominant note to his complaint but his father wouldn’t have any of it; with brisk nods of the head he gazed in disappointment on his son. “I will not have such talk, especially not from my own son; were you anyone else you’d have hanged for insubordination. Remember your place, son; remember what happened last when you defined your birthright…” Ronald bit his lip at the mere memory of what his father was talking about…

The grass lawns of Atranta awaited outside on this early day of autumn when Ronald walked out onto the training grounds where his father stood in waiting. Merely ten years of age he already showed the large frame and broad shoulders that would one day make him the iconic knight that leads the troops of Vance of Atranta. The gilded armor on his father’s shoulders seemed to glow in the light of dawn as father and son were about began the first stages of Ronald’s training into knighthood. Today would be the first day an actual sword would be held by his young hand and the mere anticipation of this crucial moment in his life had kept his up all night. His knees were buckling, palms sweaty and his mouth dry when Lord Norbert threw the crude steel blade his way. Catching it instinctively, fingers for the first time being entrusted with the weight of the lethal weapon, the young boy gazed upon the metal that trembled just slightly in his hands. “Commence boy”, shouted his father who stood challengingly before his first son and heir with his own blade aimed taunting for that first blow. Amateurish Ronald came swinging, aimlessly lashing out to his father who parried each hit with greatest ease as most swings only hit air. “Focus boy, we’ve gone through this before. Don’t hold back, don’t hesitate and do not permit your opponent one second to think. Each battle should get decided in three seconds any longer and the chance of a lucky blow will be too realistic…” Ronald however was no longer listening, simply lashing out growing more frustrated with each of his hits being deflected and his father noticed this. A lack of patience had cost many men their lives for when instincts take over from training and rational thinking errors were made; Norbert took his first swing to his boy and the hit landed with the flat of the sword against his head. “Boy, listen to what I say, quit acting on impulse and focus…” But though the warning was said, naivety guided Ronald to continue impulsively driven by frustrations only to meet the harsh punishment of his father; swing after swing by the ancestral blade of Vance hit Ronald hard with the flat surface, bruising and beating his son to make his point…

With a shrug of his shoulders and a brief moment of closure, ser Ronald returned to his seat with his hand subconsciously touching the bridge of his nose where his father had first hit him on that mentioned day. Hard and severe was the training each Vance son underwent to enter knighthood leaving each practice dangerously close to an actual battle to be fought against enemies; real steel, real risks and real determination was required of these men to claim victory only to have the same routine repeated the next day. His hands rested on the table, fingers digging in on the hard wooden surface in agitation for his father’s decision. “I’m no longer the kid you can push around father, all my decisions are made in the best interest of this house and the Riverlands. Hugo holds the interest of the people; he should serve as Lord of Atranta while I continue commanding our troops…” Now the tone of his voice had changed, no longer friendly chatting with his father but actually raising his voice to the point that it began to echo in his father’s hall. The old man sick and dying as he may be, responded in a similar fashion having his face color red in anger at this blatant defiance of his wishes. “You just listen to me and listen well son for I will only say this once. These papers in front of me stipulate my will and it states that my first son will be the heir to Atranta. You will become Lord as you were destined to be as will your brothers fulfill their roles for this family. Do you understand?” It had demanded the utmost effort from the old lord to enforce his demands, leaving him to cough and heave violently afterwards with his lungs pained by the raising of his voice. Tempers were stirred up, powerful egos forced to face one another in this dispute over significant matters. Ronald knew each of his brothers had been bred and educated to play their respective parts in this household; his brother ser Hugo would become the ambassador of Vance trying to establish alliances and treaties between different houses throughout the Seven Kingdoms. Ser Ellery would be tasked to aid their uncle in Wayfarer’s Rest where there were hundreds of refugees seeking protection every day from the raiders of House Clegane and Lannister. Kirth would found a new cadet branch near the western border and become their secret weapon against the enemy threat as their youngest was in Oldtown for his Maester education…


It was a bright sunny days at the ruins of Stoney Sept when all sons of House Vance of Atranta sat upon this historical landmark; it was a place where heroes have fought bravely against the enemies of the peace for the Riverlands and where legends had been brought to life. Recently their father had begun to lay new stones to the old keep foundations reconstructing this once mighty keep to its former glory. The young Kirth had been running back and forth giving instructions to the masons and workers for he would become the Castilian of Stoney Sept. Ronald watched with his brothers at the newest branch of their family getting founded discussing political and personal matters on this wondrous day. Ronald sat down on a stool with his brother Ellery kneeled beside him, Hugo standing back with Lord Karyl Vance of Wayfarer’s Rest. It was the most important milestone in their House’s history in the century to add another Keep to their ranks that would serve and defend the citizens of the Riverlands. As his father could be here for its opening due to his illness, it was left to ser Ronald’s responsibility to see this project completed on schedule. It had been too long since he’d been reunited with his brothers, having missed the large family feasts that were held frequently in Atranta but with the Riverlands under siege by rogue raiders under Clegane banners such banquets hadn’t taken place in nearly a year. Now each of them had abandoned their post and duties to attend Kirth’s moment as the last stone was laid to Stoney Sept; with this third castle installed, House Vance would raise an iron curtain of bannermen sworn to the Riverlands and House Tully against the invading forces of the Westerlands. Here on these sacred grounds they’d make their stand against the raiders, to rip apart any army that would seek to march onward to Riverrun. The young but ambitious squire of their family would have to defend this part of the border becoming the final corner to the triangle of the House Vance barrier…”

Ronald understood all too well the responsibility he would bear for this House, especially now when the wolves, stags and lions have began to march out to their wars that all seemed to collide within the Riverlands. His father may have reminded him of the importance he played in all this but that didn’t influence his visions for their House. Atranta was but one piece in the House Vance Barrier that guarded the Western border; his father’s reluctance to assign Hugo to a more strategic role would debilitate them from truly becoming the invincible wall against invaders that Ronald intended them to become. Why his father was so determined to send ser Hugo out to seek new alliances while there was a more tactical vital role awaiting for his brother, Ronald couldn’t understand; he wished to give his brother lordship over Atranta so that he could lead an army in such a manner that their enemies were led into the triangle that was guarded by the three Vance keeps for not even the Lannisters and their allies could stand against an attack from all three fronts. “Father I mean no offense to your judgment but the times have changed and require more drastic decisions. I know your faith in my brother has fainted by the actions in his past but his talent must be acknowledged. Hugo has the best in heart for Atranta but he can’t lead an army that is needed; I can so permit me this favor and I shall take this House into the books of history as the guardians of the Riverlands in this war…” With Ronald so convinced of his case, his stubborn mind dead-set on having his way, Lord Norbert lost his temper completely as the shattering sound of goblets getting flung from the table struck like thunder through this hall. With an accusing finger he stood before his heir, face red and veins in his forehead throbbing as spit flew from the corners of his mouth in his outraged speech. “Curse the day you were born, son for I will not have this betrayal. Your ambition will lead this House in ruins and as Lord of this keep I shall not…” Pain suddenly took the blind Lord’s face, leaving a grim agonized mask to grab hold of his patriarch figure as his boney hand clenched upon his chest; the man’s heart hadn’t withstood the stress of his frustration and tempered explosion as he nearly fell upon the oaken table. Ronald came to his aid catching his father before he hit the table wondering what he had done…

His father collapsed in the deathly combination of both his illness and the stress this dispute had caused him; the man he loved, admired even in all their differences was suffering from a heart attack that had been caused by Ronald’s defiance against the man’s final wishes. Guilt struck him hard as he tried to aid the man that had made this House wealthy and successful in the Riverlands. Though he knew he’d been right in the strategy he’d laid out for his father, Ronald couldn’t help but feel the burden of his condition land upon his shoulder. As he called for help, the Maester came running in the hall only to conclude what the Gilded Knight already knew: death come quick and unstoppable. “Father you cannot do this, not now, not like this. You’ve survived wounds far greater than this; you must fight this…” Ronald’s pleas were empty for he knew words nor medicine could bring life back to his dying father leaving him no other choice but reach for the one final solution he was aware off. “Father, you must sign your will as I cannot be Lord; not like this, never like this. I will not take Atranta as my own knowing your death is on my hands. Sign it and I shall do as you commanded…” Ronald handed the parchment to his father along with an inked quill that was pressed within the feeble hands of his father; the dying man signed with the last of his energy though not the papers he’d made. Ronald had swapped his father’s will with the will their brother Maester Jon had penned in Oldtown bearing his father’s seal. The document had been Ronald’s last resort to assure his father would make the decision needed for House Vance of Atranta for with that ink his brother Hugo was declared Lord while Ronald remained commander of the Vance army....

Remaining at his father’s side even with the document signed, Ronald watched the healers and the Maester tend to the dying lord. The halls had come to life with concerned servants and guests that were residing in the castle chambers; some were guided by sincere compassion for their lord, others simply were drawn towards the commotion of every that was happening. With the last stroke his father made with the quill, unaware of the content of this paper he was signing their lord’s body went limp as the light faded from his blinded eyes. Lord Norbert Vance of Atranta was no more. Ronald rose to his feet with the document in hand as his hand fell in sympathy on the shoulder of the castle steward. His voice was stricken with the pain of this loss, the guilt to forever carry with him but the Gilded Knight needed to get all important issues addressed. With clear instructions he took charge within the chaos. “Send word to my brothers that our father has passed and prepare a funeral fit of the brave warrior my father was. Tell ser Hugo that we proceed upon the course discussed and then leave me be. I shall return to the frontiers at the next full moon. Send a raven to my brother Kirth that he is to inform Lord Edmure Tully of our father’s death to be succeeded by ser Hugo rather than myself…” The steward looked puzzled briefly at the instructions as they went against the ancient customs of this noble House; duty however directed him not to question the motivations of his master as Ronald made way to his chambers. Once more ser Ronald had given reason to be whispered about as Ronald the Bad…


The Battle of the Golden Tooth that had left the numbers of the Riverlands armies badly shrunk had been the cause to ser Ronald Vance marching towards Wayfarer’s Rest; his nephew had taken over command of the remnants of his uncle’s troops after this beloved uncle fell victim to the armies of House Lannisters. Now both Houses of Vance were reunited near Wayfarer’s Rest where the war council had been raised. All bannermen leaders had assembled at the tactician’s tent where Ronald sat as their commanding officer to debate their next move in the ongoing war. Knights had begun complaining and doubting their chances of victory against the Lion’s raiders but with his stern hand and famed skill in battle all bannermen had bowed their knee to Ronald’s command. The tent was crowded but their mission required each of the gathered leaders to take part in this strategic decision when the sound of a galloping horse swept through the camp. A rider in red, scout and messenger bearing the colors of House Lannister came bearing the declaration of war against the lords of the Riverlands where they were asked to kneel before Ser Jaimee Lannister or be slain in the battle to come. Ronald’s frigid gaze lingered as the boy stood before him with this treaty of surrender; what were the lions thinking he wondered as his hand gestured the boy to step forward. Messengers were protected by the ancient rules of War not to be killed when on duty but with this violent breach of the Riverlands one may consider the contrary. Ronald stepped up from his seat and stared down the messenger in red and gold with a blank expression on his face. “So now the lions decide to speak before they attack though the coward dares not face us; instead he sends a boy to do a man’s job hoping we’d show him mercy. The Lannisters came to our Riverlands without pretence and burned down our villages; they killed our brothers and raped our women and they send a boy while the Mountain pushes onward. Let me show what our answer is to their treaty…” With a violent blow he hit the messenger to the ground, tied a blue and red rope around his neck in a hangman’s noose before dragging the boy across the ground back to his horse. Tying the rope to the boy’s horse he sent the animal back in the direction from which is came while his sword was pushed in the kid’s gut. He leaned to the boy’s face that stood petrified in pain and whispered. “Send the lions my regards for I’ll gut them one by one and kill one child for every citizen of the Riverlands they’ve murdered. Tell them Roland the Bad will be waiting for them…” The flat of his blade struck the horse’s rear sending it in a mad gallop dragging the body of the messenger along like a ragdoll…

And with that last memory ser Ronald Vance returned to his chambers where his seat was readied at a desk with enough parchment to get all affairs in order; he’d send for reinforcements from Riverrun to join him in the hunt for these treacherous lions of the Westerlands. His quill moved fast across the scrolls sending words to the king on the Iron Throne of the troops marching onward, preparing a similar message for the wolves that had marched out along with briefing the Brotherhood without Banners on the last known whereabouts of ser Gregor Clegane. War had come to their doorstep and House Vance of Atranta would not stand for the violence and bloodshed the lions had brought to their beloved Riverlands; he’d see their armies destroyed with the aid of his old friend Lord Edmure Tully who would never permit this injustice against his people and trusted followers…

Additional Pictures:



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