Taking ChargeSummoning his younger brothers to him, Richard wanting to patch up a truce between Gerry and Joff so together they could reinstate their family’s authority. Gerold blamed Joffrey for the descent of the Westerlands into anarchy saying he seduced several of them to revolt in hopes of gaining the lordship, while Joffrey claimed it was Gerold’s pomposity that had driven their bannermen to oppose him.
Richard soon found out, however, that it was their father and his mistress who were playing their children and setting them against one another. Even though Eleanor was not in open conflict with her stray husband, Gerry had been incited to take on Joff, for the former had stayed at Casterly Rock while the latter had followed their mother into self-imposed exile. In any case, the Westerlands burned for their family feuding and all the while ambitious lordlings had taken advantage of the power vacuum to seize lands and settle private scores.
Gerold remained at Casterly Rock, refusing Richard’s summons, but he did not stop Jonny to leave the Rock and join Richard at Crakehall. They were soon joined by Joffrey as well, and the three brothers made plans to deal with all of their problems. When Gerold realised which way the wind was blowing and wanted to defect to his brothers, Old Harry and his mistress dangled the ultimate prize before him: Hal’s inheritance, the lordship over the Westerlands. Officially third in line, Gerry was made Lord Hendry’s heir in 277. Outrage initially swept throughout the Realm, but when Hal reneged on responding appropriately, several bannermen confirmed Gerold’s future title, much to the chagrin of Richard.
Richard tasked Joffrey with swaying their father’s bannermen to their side, a task the honey-tongued schemer was well-suited to. Not before long Richard rode out with a sizeable force of knights, making his presence more than the fantasy Old Harry passed it off as.
Instead of marching off towards Lannisport and Casterly Rock, Richard and Jon made for Cornfield. Lord Swyft was the first to be called to account, and demanded to pay the debts he owed. When he was unable to forward the funds, he offered up his daughter as collateral for his good behaviour and gave Richard control over his knights and levies.
Meanwhile, Joffrey had arrived at his grandfather’s seat of Ashemark, and together with his mother marshalled the Marbrand men. With Richard and Jon still a great distance away, however, Lord Marbrand refused to entirely devote to his grand-sons’ cause. Both sides called the other rebellious, and he did not wish to lead his House to war.
By the end of the year 277, the Serrets of Silverhill and Lyddens of Deep Den had also been coaxed and cajoled to join Richard, Joffrey and Jon. By then, Lord Hendry and Gerold realised Richard’s plan: to take and garrison the castles along the Westerland’s eastern border, effectively choking off Lannisport and Casterly Rock from the landside. Still, Gerold was confident that with a great harbour like Lannisport they could rely on supplies reaching them over sea, and thus took his time in rallying his forces.
Richard did not take his time and moved on to complete the encirclement. House Brax of Hornvale was forced to submit. House Lefford of the Golden Tooth initially wanted to oppose Richard’s forces, but by now Lord Marbrand had made his choice and was leading a second army from the north-west to lay a joint siege to the Tooth. Lefford, too, bent the knee.
Increasingly desperate now, Gerold invited Ironborn pirates to bolster his ranks, and together with the coastal Lords he made to face Richard in that most dangerous gamble of all: a pitched battle.
Richard, backed by Houses Marbrand, Lefford, Lydden, Serret, Crakehall, Brax and Swyft, faced Gerold, backed by Kenning, Prester, Reyne, Tarbeck, Sarsfield, Farman and others, on a plain near the Gold Road. Only one year his senior, but Gerold had to admit his brother’s skills as a battle-commander exceeded him more than just that single year. Gerold and Hendry’s forces were roundly beaten in the slaughter that followed.
In the aftermath, the Ironborn took advantage and seized Fair Isle, the Banefort and whatever else they could get their hands on. Villages and Septs were raided and burnt. Hal still had not declared himself for one side or the other, thereby possibly ending the internecine conflict. Richard implored him again, but nothing came of it but quarrel.
Richard spent most of 278 bludgeoning out the rebels and their Ironborn allies from the castles they had taken while his father and brother, cooped up in Casterly Rock, licked their wounds. In early 279, though, confronted with an army outside Lannisport and the Rock itself, all but a few bannermen abandoned the sickening Old Harry. Those who threw themselves on Richard’s mercy were pardoned. Richard made a final plea and together with Joffrey managed to persuade Gerold to forsake their failed struggle. Lord Hendry died alone, for it was said not even his mistress – arguably the cause for all this misery – was around when he died.
Richard became interim Warden of the West and held Hal’s lands “until the rightful Lord returned to claim his inheritance”, though none held great stock in Harys leaving behind the life of a tourney knight.
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