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CHAPTER 262

296 AC

POV THIRD PERSON

Jon had to make it obvious they weren't in any way connected to this, but he had to be sure. First, he questioned Lord Belmore and he thought Balmore would never have the guts to do something like this. He had denied any knowledge of this attempt and Jon believed him.

Now, he was in front of Lord Grafton's room; he was different. If he wanted to, Graffon could arrange something like this right away.

He had to tread carefully; accusations of an assassination attempt were serious matters, and he needed to ascertain the truth without escalating the tension further. The door creaked open, revealing Lord Grafton, who met Jon's gaze with a mix of disdain and hostility since he hadn't done anything to Aermir.

"Lord Grafton," Jon began, his tone measured, "I need to discuss a matter of utmost importance. An attempt on Lord Drasil's life has just occurred, and we must get to the bottom of this."

Lord Grafton's eyes narrowed, and a sneer played on his lips. "An attempt on that savage's life? I can't say I'm surprised. There are many who would like to see him removed."

Jon nodded, acknowledging the sentiment. "That may be true, but as the Lord Paramount, it is my duty to ensure the safety of all present, regardless of personal feelings. I need your assurance, Lord Grafton, that you and your men had no part in this."

Lord Grafton's response was laced with bitterness. "Assurance? You doubt me, Arryn? I may have no love for that fake noble, but I am not foolish enough to resort to such methods. My grievances with him are not hidden, but I am no assassin. I expected my lord to give his punishment for what he did to us, but it looks like I was wrong."

Jon acted like he didn't hear the jab lord Grafton threw at him. Jon studied Grafton's face for any sign of deception. The hatred was evident, but whether it translated into a direct attempt on Aermir's life remained uncertain. "I need your word, Lord Grafton. Can you honestly tell me that you had no involvement in this?"

Grafton scoffed, crossing his arms defensively. "I may despise the man, but I am not involved. From the pain, I didn't ever have time to think about him."

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Jon sighed, weighing Grafton's words. "I take your word for now, but understand this, Lord Grafton. We are here for peace talks, and such actions threaten not only Aermir but the fragile peace we are trying to achieve. If it is revealed that you had a hand in this, the consequences will be severe not only for you but the Vale too."

Lord Grafton looked at him with eyes full of poison and said,

"As I said, I have nothing to do with this, but my lord, will you tell me if you find out who did this? I would love to send a thank you note."

Jon got out of the room, and he was furious. What did they expect him to do when they were facing two armies from two sides and a fucking spell caster that could siege a castle by himself. They were the idiots who couldn't hold their tongue and attacked an unarmed man with weapons. Even if he had killed them all, he couldn't do anything without risking war with The North.

The mountain clans were acting too disciplined and were moving with purpose. He was sure as day the Druid and Aermir were behind all this, but he had no proof other than his intuition and some weapons trade.

At that moment, he thought of a possibility but shook his head in denial. It was too absurd and crazy to be a real plan. One wrong step, and he would have died.

....

Aermir and Lord Stark rode full speed and almost got through the mountain pass. The rest of his men had left the castle without a problem and joined up with them.

Sith had no problem with this tempo. It was even slow to her, but the rest of the mounts had to rest, so they started to slow down to trotting speed. Seeing this opportunity, Lord Stark approached Aermir with angry eyes.

"How is it possible for you to be hit by an arrow?"

Aermir had already pulled out the arrow and healed the wound. He shrugged his shoulders and said,

" Isn't it obvious I didn't put up my defensive spell?"

Ned squinted his eyes with skepticism. Aermir was very calm for someone who had been subjected to an assassination attempt. At that moment, it dawned on him.

"You did this! You are the one who arranged it. Why?"

Aermir looked at him like it was obvious and said,

"I had to look like I want peace, or Jon might be able to convince the king to mediate, then I would have no choice but to agree, and now peace is impossible until the Vale yields."

At that moment, Ned felt a pang of anxiety. Aermir wasn't even afraid of hurting himself to achieve his goal. As the years passed, he became more calculating and cold. But one thing was sure: he was happier to be on his side than be the one receiving his eerie.

He knew Aermir had long passed his sphere of control, but at least Ned wanted him to be more humane. "Why do you want to fight with Vale so much? I know you can reason with Jon if you stop being unreasonable with your demands. The thing you are fearing will not happen as long as Jon is the leader of Vale."

Aermir sighed. He looked a bit annoyed by Ned's incessant nagging about please and said,

"My lord, when did I ever broker a promise I have given you?"

Ned looked a bit bothered by the question.

" You didn't break any of it."

"Then Why are you riding me about it? Do I look so untrustworthy that I need to be constantly reminded to be peaceful?"

"If you don't want war, why did you shoot yourself? Why do you need to be so excessive? "

Aermir knew Ned was trying to make him a responsible lord. He was trying to be a voice of reason for someone with so much power. He always meant good with his nagging, but knowing that didn't make it less annoying.

" I will keep my promise as long as you won't try to warn them; Lord Drasil and his army will stay at Three Sisters and the Pebble. As for Jon being the leader, I don't leave my fate in other people's hands. My lord, I told you before we need a buffer next to Vale and I am going to achieve that."

Aermir looked at him, eyes full of determination,

"But they cannot beat the Vale army by themselves. I need another army to divide their manpower and pull their attention. That's why I cannot have a ceasefire with them."

With the attempted murder, Vale won't be able to leave their back open against Aermir and have to leave considerable force at the shores of the Bite.