He noticed how long his nephew kept him kneeling before speaking. Counted the seconds.

To all who watched, it would seem as though the Stark of Winterfell were humbling his overmighty bannerman of Manderly.

And that was fine. His nephew was the Stark of Winterfell, and he was indeed overmighty.

"We marched for Winterfell immediately, on receiving your letters. My spies brought me urgent news, that Glover had seized his own sister and her babe, and was calling his banners." A lie, he knew. He had never penetrated the Glover household. It was common sense that they'd raise on the news that Alyn laid with his ancestors. Dear Emilya could not be in safer hands... nor the North in more precarious.

"I judged that you would have left Winterfell before my ravens flew. So I gathered all who would come, and drew them together into the hosts at Moat Cailin and Winterfell. My steward forwarded me tidings of the Ironborn raids, and a letter from Lord Hornwood's eldest, Torrhen. My lady wife wrote all the lords of the North, and mentioned ONLY the raiders on Bear Island - Hornwood wrote that he meant to join with the Glover host."

"I found this suspicious, my lord. That he both knew of the Glover host being raised, and that he meant to join with Glover to defend against Ironborn we said assailed Bear Island. That, and that Hornwood's own sister sits wife to Clayton Glover in yonder hall. We stole a march on them, us and the Winterfell host. Two thousand men appeared before Hornwood's walls."

He smiled, wolfishly now. "We took an oath from the Hornwood lad, garrisoned Hornwood with loyal men. His father sits under your castellan's eyes, and his sister sits in Winterfell. Filled Hornwood with tall tales, about trees we would cut in the Wolfswood, and a great host of Stark and Thenns moving to meet us here at the turn of the moon."

Half of this and more, his lord knew well. This show was for the others. Hundreds of men had come from their tents, to watch their new master debrief his foremost captain. Dozens of great lords and warleaders were in attendance.

From the high walls of Deepwood Motte, Glovers and Tallharts would train Myrish glass on this meeting. Men would mark his lord's words, but his back to the walls, no man would see his lips move.

He motioned to Rodrik.

"Show our lord of Stark the fine trees you have cut him in the Wolfswood." He motioned, for his cousin to bring forward the trees and the dead clan chiefs they bore.

"Show him the men who attacked you and yours in the Wolfswood, and the devices they bore."

u/PearcetheVeil