A Feast for Dragons

and Barba’s Teats. Missy’s Teats,
the Blackwoods call them, but they were Barba’s first. Honeytree and all the
hives. Here, I’ve marked them out if my lord would like a look.” He rooted
about on a table and produced a parchment map.
    Jaime took it with his good hand, but he had to use the gold
to open it and hold it flat. “This is a deal of land,” he observed. “You will
be increasing your domains by a quarter.”
    Bracken’s mouth set stubbornly. “All these lands belonged to
Stone Hedge once. The Blackwoods stole them from us.”
    “What about this village here, between the Teats?” Jaime
tapped the map with a gilded knuckle.
    “Pennytree. That was ours once too, but it’s been a royal
fief for a hundred years. Leave that out. We ask only for the lands stolen by
the Blackwoods. Your lord father promised to restore them to us if we would
subdue Lord Tytos for him.”
    “Yet as I was riding up, I saw Tully banners flying from the
castle walls, and the direwolf of Stark as well. That would seem to suggest
that Lord Tytos has not been subdued.”
    “We’ve driven him and his from the field and penned them up
inside Raventree. Give me sufficient men to storm his walls, my lord, and I
will subdue the whole lot of them to their graves.”
    “If I gave you sufficient men, they would be doing the
subduing, not you. In which case I should reward myself.” Jaime let the map
roll up again. “I’ll keep this if I might.”
    “The map is yours. The lands are ours. It’s said that a
Lannister always pays his debts. We fought for you.”
    “Not half as long as you fought against us.”
    “The king has pardoned us for that. I lost my nephew to your
swords, and my natural son. Your Mountain stole my harvest and burned
everything he could not carry off. He put my castle to the torch and raped one
of my daughters. I will have recompense.”
    “The Mountain’s dead, as is my father,” Jaime told him, “and
some might say your head was recompense enough. You
did
declare
for Stark, and kept faith with him until Lord Walder killed him.”
    “Murdered him, and a dozen good men of my own blood.” Lord
Jonos turned his head and spat. “Aye, I kept faith with the Young Wolf. As I’ll
keep faith with you, so long as you treat me fair. I bent the knee because I
saw no sense in dying for the dead nor shedding Bracken blood in a lost cause.”
    “A prudent man.”
Though some might say that Lord
Blackwood has been more honorable
. “You’ll get your lands. Some of them,
at least. Since you partly subdued the Blackwoods.”
    That seemed to satisfy Lord Jonos. “We will be content with
whatever portion my lord thinks fair. If I may offer you some counsel, though,
it does not serve to be too gentle with these Blackwoods. Treachery runs in
their blood. Before the Andals came to Westeros, House Bracken ruled this
river. We were kings and the Blackwoods were our vassals, but they betrayed us
and usurped the crown. Every Blackwood is born a turncloak. You would do well
to remember that when you are making terms.”
    “Oh, I shall,” Jaime promised.
    When he rode from Bracken’s siege camp to the gates of
Raventree, Peck went before him with a peace banner. Before they reached the
castle, twenty pairs of eyes were watching them from the gatehouse ramparts. He
drew Honor to a halt at the edge of the moat, a deep trench lined with stone,
its green waters choked by scum. Jaime was about to command Ser Kennos to sound
the Horn of Herrock when the drawbridge began to descend.
    Lord Tytos Blackwood met him in the outer ward, mounted on a
destrier as gaunt as himself. Very tall and very thin, the Lord of Raventree
had a hook nose, long hair, and a ragged salt-and-pepper beard that showed more
salt than pepper. In silver inlay on the breastplate of his burnished scarlet
armor was a white tree bare and dead, surrounded by a flock of onyx ravens
taking flight. A cloak of raven feathers fluttered from his shoulders.
    “Lord Tytos,” Jaime said.
    “Ser.”
    “Thank you for allowing me to enter.”
    “I will not say that you are welcome. Nor will I deny that I
have hoped that you might come. You are here for my sword.”
    “I am here to make an end of this. Your men have fought
valiantly, but your war is lost. Are you prepared to yield?”
    “To the king. Not to Jonos Bracken.”
    “I understand.”
    Blackwood hesitated a moment. “Is it your wish that I
dismount and kneel before you here and now?”
    A hundred