Chapter 15: Dominion's Price, A Prince's Shadow
The swift, brutal dismantling of Lord Arryk Swann's forces and the subsequent harsh terms imposed upon House Swann echoed through the Stormlands with the chilling finality of a death knell. Where the annihilation of House Morriggen had been shocking, it had been partially attributed to sellsword treachery and the audacity of a minor lord. The crushing defeat of a respected, established house like Swann in a pitched, albeit one-sided, battle was a different matter entirely. It was a raw display of the Hawk of Stonefang's terrifying military efficiency and his utter ruthlessness.
Darth Vorhax wasted no time in absorbing his latest acquisitions. The fertile lands ceded by Swann, along with the yearly tribute of timber and stone, further bolstered his already burgeoning resource base. The remaining minor lordlings in the surrounding territories, those who had not already sought terms with Stonefang, now scrambled to offer fealty or tribute. Fear, Vorhax found, was a remarkably effective catalyst for political realignment. Within months, a significant swathe of the southern Stormlands, from the coast deep into the hinterlands bordering the Dornish Marches, had fallen under the Hawk's shadow, creating a de facto Vorant Hegemony. Some whispered that Lord Ellys Vorant now commanded more land and men than many of the lesser marcher lords.
This rapid expansion, however, did not go unnoticed at Storm's End. Lord Robert Baratheon, according to Will's increasingly well-placed informants, was said to have flown into a rage upon hearing of Swann's defeat and Vorhax's territorial gains. While Swann had arguably initiated the conflict after Vorhax's deliberate provocation over the disputed forest, the scale and brutality of Vorhax's response, and the subsequent land grab, were a clear overreach of a bannerman's authority.
Ser Stannis, predictably, urged his brother to take immediate and decisive action. "This Vorant is a cancer, Robert!" Will's source reported Stannis as saying in a private council. "He carves out a kingdom for himself under your very nose! First Morriggen, now Swann. Who will be next? He must be brought to heel, stripped of his gains, or he will unravel the peace of your domain!"
Robert, however, was in a difficult position. Vorhax, while undeniably aggressive, had framed the Swann conflict as a response to provocation. He had also meticulously maintained the appearance of loyalty, his fine for the Morriggen affair having been paid in full, and his lands were, by all accounts, more orderly and productive than ever before. More pragmatically, Vorhax now commanded a formidable military force – the Obsidian Guard, the Wolf Brigade, and the levies from his expanded territories. Bringing him to heel would require a significant military campaign, a distraction Robert, still consolidating his own authority as Lord Paramount and dealing with the broader instabilities of the realm, could ill afford.
Nevertheless, a summons arrived, harsher in tone than the last. Lord Ellys Vorant was commanded to present himself at Storm's End once more, to explain his "unsanctioned warfare against Lord Swann and the subsequent seizure of his ancestral lands."
Vorhax received the summons with cold composure. He had anticipated this. He traveled to Storm's End with the same disciplined retinue as before, perhaps even slightly larger, their dark armor gleaming, their presence a silent testament to his growing power.
The audience with Robert Baratheon was stormy. The young Lord Paramount, his face flushed with anger, paced the Great Hall, his voice thundering accusations. Stannis stood beside him, his expression like a thundercloud, occasionally interjecting with sharp, legalistic points about feudal obligations and the King's Peace.
Vorhax listened impassively, his Sith training allowing him to remain an island of calm amidst Robert's fury. When it was his turn to speak, his defense was a masterpiece of calculated humility, feigned loyalty, and subtle threats. He presented evidence of Swann's initial aggression in the disputed forest. He argued that his response, while firm, was necessary to protect his own lands and people, lands granted to him by Robert himself. He emphasized that a weak lord on his borders invited chaos, which would ultimately trouble Storm's End.
Then came the masterstroke. "My lord Robert," Vorhax said, his voice resonating with carefully crafted sincerity, "the lands taken from Lord Swann were taken only to secure a defensible border and end his persistent aggression. I hold them, as I hold all my lands, in your service. If it is your will that these newly secured territories be returned to a chastened Lord Swann, or granted to another more deserving, I will, of course, obey your command." He then added, with a chilling undertone, "Though I cannot then guarantee the peace of that border, nor the security of the diligent smallfolk now under my protection, should a resentful and re-armed Swann seek to reclaim what he lost through his own folly."
He further offered a significant portion of Swann's hefty ransom as a "voluntary contribution to the treasury of Storm's End, to aid our Lord Paramount in maintaining the peace and strength of the realm." He even offered, as a sign of his unwavering fealty, to station a rotating company of fifty Obsidian Guard at Storm's End for a year, to serve directly under Robert's command, "that my lord might personally attest to their discipline and loyalty, and that they might learn from the martial prowess of House Baratheon."
Robert was caught. Vorhax had conceded nothing in principle, yet had offered obedience, tribute, and even a portion of his elite troops. To refuse would make Robert seem unreasonable; to accept would further legitimize Vorhax's gains. Stannis argued vehemently against it, seeing the offer of troops as a ploy to insert spies, but Robert, ever the pragmatist and perhaps intrigued by the prospect of having a company of the feared Obsidian Guard under his direct command, eventually relented.
Vorhax was censured, fined (though the "contribution" more than covered it), and given another stark warning. But he kept his lands. He returned to his domain more powerful than ever, his reputation as a dangerous but indispensable force further solidified. Stannis's enmity, however, was now absolute, a cold, burning hatred that Vorhax knew would one day need to be addressed.
With his regional dominance becoming increasingly unassailable, Vorhax turned his attention back to dynastic matters. Maester Vymar had presented a list of potential brides. Vorhax, after careful consideration of bloodlines, alliances, and dowries, made his choice: Lady Anya Weatherwax, the eighteen-year-old daughter of Lord Harmon Weatherwax of Mistwood, a minor but ancient house whose lands bordered the northern edge of the former Morriggen territory. Mistwood was strategically located, controlling a key river crossing, and Lord Harmon, while not powerful, was respected for his quiet integrity. An alliance would secure Vorhax's northern flank and bring a veneer of traditional respectability to his feared name. The dowry was modest, but included rights to valuable timber stands.
Negotiations were swift. Lord Weatherwax, undoubtedly aware of Vorhax's reputation and the fate of those who crossed him, was eager to secure the Hawk's "friendship." Lady Anya herself was said to be quiet and dutiful. Vorhax had no interest in her personality beyond her capacity to produce an heir to carry the "Vorant" name and her willingness to be a compliant political tool. The betrothal was announced, the wedding planned for the following spring.
Meanwhile, Vorhax's intelligence network, under the capable direction of Will and Anya (the servant girl, no relation to the noble house), continued to feed him information from across the realm. The news from King's Landing was increasingly dire. King Aerys's paranoia had now firmly fixated upon his son, Rhaegar. The Crown Prince, beloved by the smallfolk and respected by many lords for his skill and grace, was seen by his father as a rival, a threat. Aerys spoke openly of plots, of Rhaegar's ambition, and his rants against his own son grew more frequent and venomous. Queen Rhaella suffered greatly under his madness. The small council, led by the amiable but ineffective Lord Merryweather, was powerless to restrain the King.
Prince Rhaegar, for his part, was said to be growing more melancholic, spending much of his time with his books or his closest companions, perhaps contemplating the prophecies he was known to be obsessed with. He made few public appearances, likely to avoid provoking his father further. Vorhax watched these developments with keen interest. The father-son conflict within the Targaryen dynasty was a critical fault line, one that would inevitably rupture.
In his Stonefang sanctum, Vorhax's own power continued to grow. His experiments with Stonefang iron bore fruit. He, along with Hemmet (who attributed the results to unique properties in the ore and Vorhax's "inspired" forging methods), managed to produce a limited number of blades that were lighter, stronger, and held an edge far longer than even the best regular Stonefang steel. These were not true Valyrian steel, lacking the characteristic ripples and the magical enchantments, but they were a significant step beyond anything else being forged in Westeros. He reserved these blades for himself and the command officers of his Obsidian Guard. Nyx, his goshawk, now seemed to possess an almost human level of understanding, carrying complex messages, undertaking long-range reconnaissance with uncanny accuracy, and even acting as a silent, intimidating sentinel during Vorhax's audiences.
The Obsidian Guard themselves were evolving. Beyond their brutal physical training, Vorhax began to subtly indoctrinate the most promising NCOs and officers into a diluted form of Sith ideology – an emphasis on absolute loyalty to him, the pursuit of strength and order above all else, a disdain for weakness, and the acceptance of ruthlessness as a necessary tool. He did not speak of the Force or the Sith, of course, but he was shaping their minds, forging them into a cadre that was not just militarily superior, but ideologically bound to his will.
As the year drew to a close, a raven arrived from Storm's End. It was not a summons, but a formal request from Lord Robert Baratheon, seconded by Maester Cressen. Given the increasing instability in the Crownlands and the King's erratic behavior, Lord Robert was convening a Great Council of his principal bannermen at Storm's End after the New Year to discuss matters of regional security and preparedness. Lord Ellys Vorant, as a significant landholder and military power, was "invited and expected" to attend.
Vorhax read the missive, a faint, predatory smile touching his lips. Robert was finally beginning to see the storm clouds gathering on the national horizon, not just the minor squalls within his own lands. Or perhaps Stannis had finally convinced him that the great lords needed to confer. This council would be an opportunity – to gauge the mood of the other Stormlords, to assess Robert's leadership in a broader context, and to subtly position himself for the greater conflicts to come.
He looked at his map of Westeros, the familiar names of the great houses – Stark, Tully, Arryn, Lannister, Baratheon, Tyrell, Martell, Targaryen – each a piece in the complex, deadly game he was playing. The Lion had retreated from the King's side. The Dragon was consuming itself. The Stag was growing restless. And the Hawk, from its growing dominion in the south, watched, waited, and prepared to strike when the time was right. The price of his dominion had been vigilance and ruthlessness; the prize, he knew, would be a continent.
(Word Count: Approx. 4250 words)