Kevan
"What do you think it means?" Willem asked as he pointed to the red comet in the skies. "Is it an omen as the smallfolk say?"
Kevan, instead of giving an answer, reached for the reins of his son's mount. The boy's horse came to a halt just in front of a peddler's stand.
"Keep your eyes on the street before you, instead of up in the sky, boy." He said sternly, throwing the reins back into the mindless boy's hands.
Willem looked at the ground. "Sorry father." He guided his horse around the peddler, who was obviously suppressing his rage and then quickly caught up again. "It is just that... it has to have some meaning, doesn't it? Why else would the gods send it?"
"You need not concern yourself with omens, son." Kevan replied. "Foolish men believe in omens, smart men tell them what they mean. This comet could represent the onset of war. It could mean the end of the season. To us it hails the new king of Lannister blood. Crimson and gold are our colours and he rules from the red keep." He pointed to the castle that now was not far off anymore.
"I have heard some people call it the dragon's tail." It seemed like the boy really had been listening to all this superstition.
"The last dragon is dead. I told you so yesterday. He was crowned with molten gold by the Dothraki, or so the rumours say."
"But he still had a sister, did he not?"
Kevan pinched his nose. He shouldn't have let his mother tell him too many tales as a child. "Yes he had a sister who now rots on the Dothraki plain far to the east. One of these days she will anger her husband as her brother did and he will slit her throat. That is the way of savages."
Willem seemed to finally understand that his father was not in a good mood and remained silent for the rest of the ride.
As they neared the Keep's outer walls they heard noise from the inside. Kevan caught his son's questioning look. "Probably someone protesting the outcome of a joust. It is Joffrey's name day after all." The gatekeepers had been informed of their arrival and raised the portcullis. The scene that was revealed to them was most unexpected.
The bailey indeed had been prepared for a tourney, but in the center of the square instead of two knights fighting each other there stood a cask filled with water, with a man hanging upside down above it.
"What is going here?" Kevan screamed in anger.
A scream of joy came from the honor seats. He turned his head to see his grand nephew Tommen run towards him. He dismounted and threw the giggling boy in the air a few times, before returning to the issue at hand. "What has this man done, to deserve to be drowned publicly?"
Joffrey, who had silently sat on his seat until now, made no effort to hide his displeasure at being interrupted: "Uncle. It is good to see you." He gestured to the wheezing man who was currently being pulled out of the cask again. "Ser Dontos Hollard chose to honor me on my name day, by showing up drunk and unable to joust. I thought this to be a befitting punishment. Ser Blount, please proceed." With a splash the fat knight fell into the water again.
"It is bad luck to kill a man on one's name day. Even more so if that man is the last of a proud house. Ser Blount cut him down now. I will speak justice over him later."
The white cloak hesitated and looked over to the king.
"Ignore him and proceed with the punishment." Joffrey turned to his uncle. "May I ask, what gives you the right to contradict the king's orders?"
Kevan waved to Willem, who came forward with Tywin letters. "You yourself, your grace. As hand of the king I am tasked with advising you and protecting you. And now I am protecting you from the wrath of the gods. Ser Boros, I will not ask you a second time." The fat knight cursed and kicked over the cask. The water turned the bailey's hard sand floor into mud.
As Ser Hollard was taken to the back cells he fell over himself in thanks to Kevan, but he had no time to receive those thanks since Joffrey had stood up and pointed a shaking finger at him. "A hand's task is to serve. I am the king and I want that man executed."
Into what hell has Tywin send me? Kevan thought. "He will be punished your grace, in due time. A king must know that rash judgements are not the best. Tomorrow when you have cooled your head we will speak justice over that man and you will be most pleased with the verdict. In the meantime please do enjoy the rest of your name day." He made a gesture that encompassed the audience and knights in attendance. "I believe that a tourney is supposed to take place in your honor. It would be uncourteous to interrupt it."
Joffrey gasped a few times for air, seemingly baffled by Kevan's audacity then sat down with an indignant grumble. As he made his way into the keep Kevan took time to note that Lady Margaery was whispering to Joffrey provoking a smile from him. Well at least there was one calming influence close to the boy.
"The queen does not wish the meeting to be disturbed." Even while guarding the small council's door Ser Mandon Moore showed almost no emotion.
"And the hand wishes to attend the meeting." Kevan replied while handing over Tywin's letter.
Ser Mandon was not impressed. "I only answer to the queen's orders."
"And these twenty men I have with me answer to my orders." Had everyone in this court gone mad?
Ser Mandon swayed his head a bit then he stepped aside.
The council was almost completely assembled: The old members, Varys, Littlefinger and Pycelle as well as the new addition of Willas Tyrell and the Queen Regent of course.
"Uncle." Was all she said.
"I see where your son learned his courtesies." Kevan made his way over to the hand's seat. "I have a letter from my brother."
As Cersei skimmed it he face started to light up. "Ah, so you are to be my hand. That is good." She turned to the others assembled around the table. "Please, could you leave us alone for a while?"
Kevan dismissed the idea with a hand gesture. "No need for that. There is nothing we need to hide from our trusted", he fixed Willas with his eyes, "council members." The boy made a little nod in reply. Another ally against foolery.
"It is not that I distrust them uncle." Cersei was irritated. "I just wanted to talk to you as a niece after not seeing you for such a long time."
"That can wait for later." Her face darkened. "For now we have other things to worry about. My brother has sent me here to put an end to the foolishness that has been going on, and I am here to ask the questions that plague the Hand. Why is the king free to drown a man in the courtyard? Why was an honourable man dismissed from the kingsguard? Why is there still no peace in the streets of the capital? Why was Eddard Stark executed instead of taking the black and on holy ground no less? And how in seven hells does a traitor's daughter get the opportunity to murder the king in his own keep?" Awkward silence filled the room.
That is except Cersei, who spoke up in anger. "Are you questioning the king's judgement?"
"I am questioning the judgement of a boy and a grieving widow." Cersei flashed her eyes at him. "What is done is done. From now on the king will be no longer allowed to pass any judgement without consulting this council beforehand. We will pay the High Septon a generous amount and silence his complaints with that. There will be no more dismissals of honourable kingsguard members." Ser Moore stirred in his corner. "And we will send word to Highgarden to send troops to so we can ensure the peace in the streets."
"They should send their entire army to defend the city against Stannis and Renly." She sounds like a little girl who's demanding a new toy.
Before Kevan could reply, Willas did: "They will do no such thing. Randyll Tarly is already marching on Storm's End. Should Renly not bend the knee then we will lay Siege to it as we did during Robert's' rebellion. The city is in no danger from the Baratheons."
Kevan gave the boy an approving nod. "That is a wise course of action, but I must ask for Highgarden to sent another host north. My brother will need assistance should Lysa Tully join her sister in war."
"That will not be necessary." Littlefinger interjected. "I know Lysa very well and can tell you that she will do no such thing. I have already written to her." Kevan lifted an eyebrow, but did not want to ask further questions. Littlefinger may not be a loyal to House Lannister, but one could rely on him pleasing his own ego.
"Very well. That brings us to the last point of order. Anna Stark." He glance at each of the men around the table, noticing how Willas' features had darkened. "Why was she not executed?"
Willas, obviously trying to suppress anger, answered. "The king wanted to publicly judge her. When she was asked to speak to defend herself she insisted on her right to trial by combat, and she could not have been denied without losing face."
Kevan sighed. "At least you made sure that her bastard brother loses. But giving Ser Gregor a white cloak was still not the ideal solution." He saw the eyes of the other council members dart to Cersei. He should have known.
"Very well, that would be all. Go do your usual business, while I now talk to my beloved niece."
One after the other they took their leave. Only Ser Mandon stayed behind until Cersei dismissed him. That was worrying. Kevan made a mental note to buy himself the loyalty of one or two white cloaks as long as Jaime was gone.
"So, what do you wish to speak of?" he asked his niece.
"You are the hand." She hissed. "Not the regent. I am queen regent and you will not embarrass me again in front of the council members like that."
"Will I? I was only speaking the truth and giving an opinion that both Tywin and myself share. If you are regent, then you have done a very poor job. I did not ask this while they were in attendance, but why was Willas Tyrell forced to kneel in front of a filled court?"
Cersei bit her lip.
"You will from now on follow my orders, niece. You will retain the title of regent for now and should you prove yourself to be able to learn, then I will not revoke it. Otherwise I will see myself forced to marry you to Willas Tyrell once his betrothed is executed."
Her eyes shot arrows at him. "You would not dare."
"It is your father's order, nothing more. But you can avoid this, by cooperating with me. If you do that, I will advise my brother against marrying you off."
Now hate started to fill her eyes.
"Now tell me: Who killed Jon Arryn?"
"I do not know." She gasped out. "Eddard Stark asked me the same thing. He implied that Jon Arryn suspected me of-"
"Incest, yes." She stared at him in shock. "Not all men are as blind as my brother. I am sure Tyrion knows too. That is another thing that I intend to put a stop to. You have disgraced Tywin enough." Cersei raised her hand to slap him, but seemed to reconsider. "You are learning. Now where is my son?"
"He is in his rooms. He feels guilt for giving Robert wine during the hunt."
He scoffed. "What a fool, Robert has hunted drunk for years." A fool like his brother, Kevan thought.
"But it was wine that I gave him." He stared at her in disbelief. "The way he is now he will tell you either way, so I will not attempt to hide it from you."
For the first time Kevan felt hatred replace his anger. As he stood up he tried to keep his voice calm. "Tomorrow Lancel is to ride to the Riverlands to become Jaime's squire. If you should ever use him or any of my sons again, then I will make sure that Tywin learns about all things you have kept secret from him in your life." At the door of the small council he turned one last time. "And should Lancel tell me that you seduced him, then I will send ravens right away."
As he made his way to find his heir he thought of the fate of his six predecessors. Each one of them was struck down by fate. Four of them died in office. But if this first day was any indication, then death came to the hands as a salvation.