Hi guys! Sorry for the delay in posting a new chapter. I was out of town and didn't have the chance.
Here's chapter 4!
With tens of thousands of troops camped outside the walls of Kingslanding, the City Guard had little choice but to open the gates for Jon and his men. It was either that or be slaughtered and sacked like the Lannisters did during the last war and many did not want that to happen again.
As Jon rode through the town, surrounded by his most trusted men and allies, he saw the people of Kingslanding standing off the side, watching him warily. Jon wore dark armor, accented by the red cape attached to his shoulders. And the men riding with him flew the three headed dragon banners, he was sure many of the people were unsure about whether he would be mad like his grandfather and burn the city to the ground.
Eventually they made it to the Red Keep where Jon saw many nobles who had yet to flee the city waiting for him and his retinue. After dismounting all the nobles bowed to him as he made his way into the Keep and the Throne room. Jon gazed around the room as he made his way to the throne. He had never been south of the neck in his past life and he had never even imagined of seeing the Red Keep let alone the throne room but here he was, walking up the steps until he slowly sat down on the seat. His back was straight and rigid, afraid to move an inch. It was an uncomfortable throne, but Dany had once told him that a throne should never be comfortable because ruling should never be comfortable.
Looking down at his father and the lords who had followed him in, he gave them a small smirk as he said, "Well. Let's get started shall we?"
It had been a sennight since they "took" Kingslanding and Jon sat for the first time on the throne. The last several days had been busy organizing the troops, the city and dealing with all the nobles who were flocking to the capital to earn favor with him.
Jon was currently seated on his throne, his father stood to his right while the Kingsguard was arrayed at the bottom of the steps. Many nobles lined the throne room and there were dozens of Stark men to protect everyone.
"Let us begin. Send in the Small Council." Jaehaerys said to the steward. The grand doors to the room opened allowing three men to enter. There was Varys, Littlefinger and a maester who could only be Pycelle. They each walked slowly towards the throne, Pycelle walking slower than the others, and bowed a few feet before the steps.
"Your Grace." The three said in unison before straightening and looking at him.
"You three are what remains of the small council. But there are matters we must address." All three bowed their heads in agreement. "Lord Varys, send out your little birds. I want to know when Stannis takes a shit. I want numbers, how many men, how many ships, anything and everything. Understood?"
"Of course your Grace." The Spider said, bowing before him. Truthfully, Jon had met the master of whispers the first day he had arrived at the capital, and the two of them had a long chat but Jon definitely didn't want the others in the room to know that.
"Good. Grand Maester. Tell me of the Hand of the King." Jon asked.
"Your Grace?" The maester asked in confusion.
"Jon Arryn. How did he die?"
"A fever. Your Grace. It took him quickly."
"And you did not think this odd? Jon Arryn had passed many name days, that is true. But from what I have heard he was still a strong and fit man. Did you really think a fever could take him that quickly and easily?" Jon continued to ask.
"All signs showed a fever your Grace. What else could it have been?" The old man asked.
"Poison." Jon said, causing his father to snap his head to look at the king. "Tears of Lys I believe. You are the Grand Maester of the Citadel and yet you cannot either detect poison or stop a fever."
"Your Grace. Tears of Lys is impossible to detect. I was positive it was a simple fever."
"A simple fever...and yet you could not stop it from taking Jon Arryn's life." Jon took a second to compose himself as he realized his voice had started to rise. "I thank you for your services to the Crown, Grand Maester. But I will be requesting a new maester from the citadel. You will be granted passage to Old Town where you may return to the Conclave."
"Your G-Grace. The Conclave decides who will advise the King, a-and I was selected to serve the King." Pycelle stuttered out.
"If you want to advise a King, then go see Stannis. I do not need a maester who cannot detect poison and walks slower than an ant! I also do not need an advisor who will easily sell my secrets for a little gold or a whore in his bed. If you wish to remain in the capital, by all means you can, but you will no longer advise the crown. Thank you for your service." Jon said, dismissing the man who shuffled out of the room, mumbling to himself.
"Finally Lord Baelish. You have been Master of Coin for quite a few years is that correct?" Jon asked the man.
"It is, Your Grace. And I hope to continue to serve you if you will have me of course." The man said with a smile that made Jon want to punch him. Before Jon could answer the doors to the throne room opened again and two men entered. Or rather a man and a half-man.
"Ah. Welcome Lord Tywin and Lord Tyrion." Jon said as the two men walked forward and bowed their heads, earning a few shocked expressions from those in the hall. Obviously not everyone had been informed of the new alliance between the westernlands and the north.
"How was the Wall Lord Tyrion? Did you have the chance to piss off the edge?" Jon said in amusement. Many of the nobles looked shocked at the crass talk of their King but many of the Northerners let out chuckles.
"I did, but I think it froze on the way down. I wish I could have stayed longer but the cold does things to a mans anatomy." Tyrion said.
"Ah yes. And the whores would scream from the Wall to Dorne if your pecker fell off due to the cold." Jon replied.
Tyrion laughed but Tywin developed a pulsing vein in his forehead. "And Lord Tywin, the Iron Islands are under control again I assume?"
"Yes your Grace." He said in his deep baritone voice.
"Good. I have need of the both of you here in Kingslanding. But first, Lord Baelish." Jon said, turning his attention back to the man. He looked at him for a moment before nodding at two Stark guards who were off to the side and had moved forward when he had been talking with the Lannisters. They moved and roughly grabbed Baelish who struggled but couldn't overcome the strength of the two large men.
"Jon, what are you doing?" Ned whispered to his son. Catelyn had told Ned to trust Petyr if they ever made it to Kingslanding, since she knew him as a child. Now his son was arresting him for no apparent reason.
Jon ignored his fathers whispers and stared down the man who was now on his knees before him. "Lord Baelish. You are charged with treason and murder. Put him in the cells. Your trial will be three days from now." The two guards nodded before dragging the man away who was kicking and pleading with Jon to let him explain, but Jon kept a blank face until the screams cut off as the doors shut behind them.
"Now we are another member of the Small Council short. Lord Tyrion, I offer you the position as Master of Coin, if you wish it. And Lord Tywin. I offer you the position as Hand of the King." Jon said, earning him surprised gasps from many in the hall.
"I graciously accept your grace." Tyrion said as he bowed.
"Is not Lord Stark Hand of the King?" Tywin asked.
"My father is of the North. He does not want to play politics here in Kingslanding. When this war is over, he will return North as Warden and to Winterfell." Jon said, now looking at his father who nodded at him in agreement.
"Then I accept." Lord Tywin said.
"Good. Lord Tyrion, I will have the ledgers sent to your chambers. The crown is in debt. I want it out of debt as soon as possible. Lord Tywin. The Hands Tower is open to you. Now, it is time for our war council. Stannis moves closer by the hour." Jon said, before standing and dismissing the rest of the room.
In the small council chambers later that day the King and his council were discussing the imminent arrival of Stannis and his army.
"He is sailing with most of his army and will come through the Blackwater. The rest of his army is marching North from Storms End and will be ferried across the Blackwater Rush." Lord Umber said.
"What is his strength?" Jon asked, looking down at a map of Kingslanding and the surrounding area.
"65 to 70 000. He conscripted some men from the Stormlands. Greenboys, the lot of them, but they will bolster his forces." One of the Crownlands Lords said. "His fleet is also massive, our last reports show him gaining ships from a few pirates and from Storms End"
"And after leaving 5000 with Lord Karstark and the men we left in the holdings in the Crownlands, how many do we have?" Jon asked his council, hoping he hadn't made a mistake in leaving sizable forces in each castle, city or keep they took to maintain the peace and hold them if Stannis decided to attack the Crownlands instead of sailing directly for Kingslanding.
"You marched South with 30 000 Northerners and 30 000 from the Riverlands. We gained 10 000 from the Lannisters but lost 5 with Lord Karstark. We left 5000 in Harrenhal to stop all the bandits and raiders and to keep the peace in the Riverlands. Through the Crownlands we left around 15 000 in case Stannis lands his fleet near Crackclaw Point and tries to take the forts there. We have 45 000 left. We've been training them well but most are unblooded. Even with the walls, we won't be able to hold, especially if they hit the mud gate." His father said, looking from him to the other lords.
"Stannis knows this city. He spent a long time here over the years. He will know the mudgate is the weakest." Lord Tywin said, now with the Hand symbol pinned to his breast. The man was smart, if he had to choose between Jon and Stannis, he would pick the lesser evil. Jon was offering him power in the capital while Stannis would offer a sword to his neck. He would help the young dragon-wolf win this war...for now.
"How many ships do we have Lord Varys?" Jon asked the eunuch.
"8 war galleys and a dozen or so trade galleys your Grace." The man said in his customary silky voice. "But I have good news from my little birds. Just like here, Stannis does not yet know that the Westernlands have joined you. He will assume you left a sizable force to hold them at bay while you continued south."
This was good news, Jon thought. Now looking more closely at the map laid out. "So Stannis will think we left between 15 to 30 thousand in the Riverlands. He will rush hard at us, thinking he can easily overwhelm us." Jon said, as he looked further east on the map, from where Stannis would come with his fleet. Looking east to Kingslanding he saw something that made him pause, but the map cut off just a little further. Striding across the room he went to another map hanging from the wall that showed all of Westeros in detail. Running his calloused hands across it he saw exactly what he wanted and started thinking about all the information his lords had given him and the directions he had given Varys a week ago. Finally after a few minutes he let a genuine smile spread across his face, and turning to the lords who were all now watching him he said, "My Lords, I have a plan."
Hope you enjoyed it. Next chapter will be the battle for Kingslanding.
Thanks!
