House of The Dragon-A God Amongst Men-Chapter 195: A Rift in The Riverlands

(Drakken's POV)

"Who does he think he is?!" I exclaimed as I paced back and forth, "Your fucking Father, telling me to send my son to Casterly Rock to ward?! Is he mad?! Should I remind him who he serves?!"

Daranne sat on the chair, "I am sorry, My Lord." She said softly, "I should have rejected him but I told him I would discuss it with you.."

"There is no discussion, Daranne." I said seriously as I stopped and looked at her, "Sylas is our son. He is not a Lannister, do you understand? He may have your Father's blood, but he is a Drakkengard. As are you, don't forget that!"

She nodded as she stood up, "I apologize." She said, "B-But I figured it would be good. House Lannister is a Great House of the Realm, he could learn a few things over there."

I walked up to her, "The only thing my son needs to learn is how to destroy his enemies." I told her, "I will not ship him off to a stupid rock away from his Family, doing whatever it is your Father plans on doing. Unacceptable, the mere suggestion is insulting."

She grabbed my hands, "I....well..." She said softly, "I was simply thinking of the good it could do. To strengthen our relationship with House Lannister and the other Houses of the Westerlands. Having a Drakkengard ward for House Lannister will reinforce their standing over there, aside from the Dukguard stationed there."

"No." I said, "He is my son. Do you understand?"

She smiled, "I did not think you would care this much for your boys." She said, "It gladdens me."

"Of course I do." I said as I pulled away, "They're mine."

"That's what it is?" She asked, "Possessions? That is what they are?"

I looked at her, "I...I did not mean it that way." I told her, "Daranne, you are not a Lannister, not anymore."

She nodded, "I know." She said softly, "He is still my Father."

"The Father who so willingly sold you to me." I said, "Do you truly expect me to hand over anything of mine to him?"

"My Lord..." She said, "Forgive me for ever mentioning it.....I.....I deeply regret it."

I sighed, "Listen..." I said as I walked back to her, "I have something good going on here. I have plans....."

"Plans?" She said with a frown as I wrapped my arms around her waist, "What sort of plans?"

"I need Sylas and Riktor here." I told her as I leaned down closer to her, "Just trust me on this. Whatever it is other Houses want, they don't matter to me."

"I-It should..." She said, "Alliances shift all the time."

"If House Lannister wants to shift their alliance..." I said as I caressed her cheek with the back of my hand, "Well, I do not need to tell you what would happen to them. My dear Daranne....you know me...."

She nodded, "I do...."

"Then know that I am serious when I say this." I leaned down and kissed her cheek, "I am thinking of us. Our Family."

"Are you certain?" She asked

"Yes." I said, "Chaos....War...Death.....Destruction.....what better way to spread it if I am not with my Family."

"Oh." She said

"Write to your Father." I told her, "Tell him that I refuse his offer."

"He should know better."

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(Third Person POV)

[Somewhere Near Stone Hedge]

"Filthy fucking Brackens!" a Blackwood soldier said as he was mounted on his horse, "Do you understand what you've done?!"

A Bracken Rider was before him, behind him a group of other riders, "What we've done? I will tell you what we're about to do." He said, "If you don't get off this territory, we're going to skin you lot alive!"

"You ransacked our shrines and desecrated our tombs!!" the Blackwood soldier said, "Know that the wrath of the Old Gods will befall upon your House!"

"Go ahead and try it." The Bracken said, "You will achieve nothing."

"You filthy Faith lapdogs...." The Blackwood said, "Your kind were always so stuck-up and weak...."

"You dare insult the Faith?" the Bracken said, "You don't know what you're doing. Soon, the Faith will remind everyone in the Realm that those who do not follow the true gods will have nothing but suffering!!"

"I would like to see you try something!!" The Blackwood said, "We'll return and Lord Blackwood will send an army to destroy you and your homes!!"

"If that is a threat, it is one that won't be taken lightly!!" The Bracken rider said as he steered away, "Go back to your holes, Blackwood, filthy mongrels."

Suddenly, one of the Bracken riders behind him was struck by an arrow that was fired from somewhere in the distance. The arrow pierced the man's heart and dismounted him, alarming the other riders.

"W-What?! Archer!!!" the Bracken rider exclaimed

The rest drew their swords, prompting the Blackwoods to do the same.

"You filthy dogs!!!" The Bracken soldier shouted, "You dare attack us from the shadows?!"

"That was not us!" the Blackwood exclaimed, "If you don't sheathe your blades, we will have no choice but to fight back!!"

"Well, you best make sure you've done everything in your life, because you fucking die today!!" The Bracken shouted

The riders then charged at each other and clashed hard against each other, swinging their swords against each other as they were still on horseback.

The Blackwoods were surrounding the Brackens as they got the upper-hand within the minute-long struggle when an arrow flew from a distance, piercing a Blackwood from the back of the head and causing his corpse to fall down.

"Heathens!!!" The Blackwood rider exclaimed, "You also have an archer from the shadows!!!"

"You lie!!" the Bracken shouted

From then on, the two groups would clash fiercely with their swords, shedding blood on the land of House Bracken. Only one of the Blackwood riders would survive and escape back to inform his Lord of what had transpired.

It was this moment that sparked a serious conflict in the Riverlands, one that would remind everyone of the War that happened years prior, the one that ripped apart the land with ease. A war that was led by the God of War and Death, who inflicted nothing but fear into the Riverlands, traumatizing them all with his mere existence.

Whatever happened at that moment, the two arrows that killed men from both sides, it did not matter. Whoever was responsible for firing said arrows would be singularly responsible for the deaths of many lives.

A war was on the horizon.

One that would shake the Riverlands once again unless something was done about it.