Jmg94: Joffrey was Cersei's firstborn. She loved him so much that she refused to see all his faults or the fact that he was a wicked, little shit.
Trap3r: I prefer cunning actually ;)
Dicsclaimer: I don't own Game of Thrones/ASOIAF
Tyrion
Caspian was the first one to step off the row boat and make land on the opposite bank of the Blackwater Rush that had previously been occupied by Renly's forces. Tyrion was the next one to also make land, although he had some difficulty trying to stay balanced on the swaying of the boat until it ran aground.
He could tell that the rowers on the boat found the sight of him waddling about unbalanced extremely amusing, maybe even some of them hoping he would make an arse out of himself and fall over, They would just love that wouldn't it?
By now, he had already gotten used to the aroma of death, but once again, he couldn't help himself when he found his stomach growling when the scent of cooked meat hit his nostrils. Cooked human meat.
He wanted to puke.
The wildfire had roasted many bodies, some had the luck that they had been cooked when they were already dead, others weren't so lucky as they found themselves cooked and roasted alive. As he made his way towards his nephew, he looked around and saw some melted armor and weapons that the wildfire had melted.
A relative of dragonfire indeed. The stories said that dragonfire was amongst the hottest fire in the world. Hot enough to melt stone. Harrenhal was enough of a testament and proof to that old story and it seemed wildfire was living to its reputation as a cousin of that legendary fire.
"Hungry uncle?" He head Caspian asked as he glanced down at him, "I heard your stomach growling. I wasn't aware you were into cannibalism."
Tyrion waddled into step beside his nephew as they made their way across the bank towards the hill that overlooked it. All around them, they could see knights and horsemen of the Stormlands moving about the bank, carrying bodies and placing them into piles. He also saw other men with a strange sigil doing the same, a stag within a burning heart.
"I'm not." Tyrion eventually said as they began to make their ascent on the small hill, "I just haven't had a decent meal all night, and who knew human meat smelled so tasty after being cooked alive?"
The prince laughed, "I understand that I guess. I'm sure when this is all over and done with, there will be a mighty feast to celebrate our victory."
Tyrion glanced up at his nephew as he struggled with the ascent of the hill, "You are aware we still have food problems, no?"
"Something will appear." Replied the prince, "I'm sure of it. I can feel it in my balls."
"Of course you do." Tyrion had replied with a roll of the eyes and a small, crooked smile of amusement at his nephew.
Although he was actually walking up the hill that Renly's army had made it's appearance from, Tyrion still found himself in stark disbelief that one side of this war was actually going to be over.
The wildfire had burned till the crack of dawn. When Tyrion had opened his eyes after taking a small nap, the green, ethereal flames had disappeared from the Rush. He had expected to prepare himself for another day of battle only to see the crowned personal stag of Prince Caspian flying on the opposite shore.
He had been stunned in silence, even the men that had been manning the walls had also been stunned into silence. Some didn't know what to make of this. Others thought that it was some ploy by Renly to make them lower their guard, others thought they were reinforcements from the Stormlands, but that thought and words were said apprehensively.
It wasn't until Caspian had actually been woken up from his own bed and showed the unusual did he merely smile and ordered for the gates to be opened and for someone to get him a row boat to cross the Rush and for the defenders to go and get their dead and any man who had survived several hours of stifling heat near the unnatural green flames.
When they had waited for the row boat to make it appearance, Tyrion had vigorously questioned his nephew about the whole situation, "Remember back when you inspected the walls and said to me that you were sure we were missing some men?" He had said, with, at the time, an extremely infuriating and knowing smile on his face.
"Yes," Tyrion had said, nodding his oversized head, "I do remember that."
Caspian had just nodded with his head in the direction of the opposite bank were the stag banners were billowing in the gentle wind, "Yeah, well, there's the rest of them." He had said, "I had them set up further down the bank of the Rush, away from Renly's forces. They were to come in and attack them when they saw the signal."
Tyrion had not needed any more information to know what the 'signal' was, "The Blackwater Rush turning green with fire." He recalled saying, rather sure that his eyes had been widened somewhat.
"Exactly." His favorite nephew said to him, "Seems like it worked. I seem to be rather good at taking people in the flank." He had then seen his nephew observe the opposite bank some more, "...Although I don't have the stuffiest clue as to who the fiery banner is supposed to represent. I might have an inkling, but nothing concrete."
They had then managed to make it up the hill. Tyrion took that moment to glance back down to the river bank that was strewn with Reach dead that were being moved by their own captured Reachmen and then his eyes hovered from them to King's Landing.
He could feel a sense of proud accomplishment blossom deep within his being, So this is victory? He thought to himself, I rather like the feeling. King's Landing had never seemed so beautiful in his life, with the Red Keep glistening atop Aegon's Hill from the early morning sun.
The sun itself had yet to peer itself fully from over the dawning horizon in the east. It made for a beautiful sight.
When he had last left, riders had been sent throughout the city to spread the message that they had won. He was sure by the time that he returned to the city, people would be waving and cheering and crying in gratefulness.
But most of all, Tyrion thought as he turned to face his nephew, his white hair flecked with black glistening in the early morning sun, They will be cheering the name of their new king who also happened to be their saviour. He made his way towards his nephew who had stopped to talk to someone. From what Tyrion could see, he was talking to a lordling, big across the chest with arms thick with muscle. He looked like he was capable of snapping the lanky prince in two with those arms and muscles of his.
"Good work Ser Balon." He heard Caspian say as he neared his side once more, "I knew you wouldn't fail me with this task."
The knight gave the prince a light bow at the hip, "I exist to serve, my prince."
"It's 'Your Grace'." Tyrion said as he chimed into the conversation, attracting the attention of his nephew and the knight. The knight seemed confused as he looked down at him, whilst his nephew had a slightly amused look about him.
"Excuse me, my lord?" The knight replied, a perplexed expression on his face.
Tyrion gave him a crooked, knowing smile, "It's not 'My Prince' anymore Ser Balon. You now have to refer to my darling nephew as 'His Grace'."
Ser Balon looked from him to Caspian, with the same expression still eschewed on his face, "I don't understand."
Caspian helped remedy that, "My brother is dead." He said bluntly as if he was talking about the weather, "By the looks of it, I'm going to be king. Isn't that fantastic?" He finished, a wry smile on his face.
Ser Balon was taken aback, "His Grace is dead? I'm sorry for your loss, my-Your Grace." He finished, quick to change to the proper way to address the newly-expectant but yet uncoronated king.
"It's fine." The prince said with a sigh, "My brother always did seem like the type of person that would go on to die young." He then looked around, "You wouldn't happen to know where I can find my uncle now would you Ser Balon?"
The knight gave a nod of his head before pointing in the direction of the kingswood, further down from the hill were many a tents were laid. Ser Balon was pointing to one of the larger tents arrayed in Tyrell colours of green and gold, "That tent there, Your Grace."
Caspian gave a nod of the head to the knight in thanks, "Thank you, Ser Balon." He said and motioned for Tyrion, "Come along uncle. Let's go meet Uncle Stannis."
Tyrion nearly faltered in his steps and he was sure his eyes would have bulged from their sockets, "Stannis?" He said quickly.
The prince gave a nod of his head, "Yeah. The other banners belong to him. It seems he's turned to the faith of R'Hllor. I never thought he would do it. I guess the Lady Melisandre is more capable than I thought."
Oh this wasn't good. This was not good at all. Stannis and Caspian meeting was the worst thing he could probably imagine right now. If Stannis was somehow capable of convincing Caspian that his siblings were actually bastard children the product of incest as he had claimed in his letters throughout the realm, then Cersei was going to lose her pretty, little head and so would Jaime.
He couldn't particularly give a damn about Cersei in the grand scheme of things, but he did particularly care for his older brother. Jaime had always been good to him when everyone else treated him like shit.
He had to find some way to stop the two from spending enough time so that Stannis could get his story across. It also didn't help that Caspian also had several doubts about his mother, no part thanks to Cersei's actions, especially the whole business with the bastards.
She could have at least done it in a way that wouldn't attract attention. He hated himself for thinking such a thought, but he couldn't help but think it. He blamed Cersei for this. If she had just done her duty as a wife and gave Robert trueborn children, then she could have continued fucking Jaime at the side for all he cared.
That had always been the problem with Cersei, she was never one to think things through. She liked to think herself their father's daughter, more along the lines of Tywin Lannister with teats and a cunt, but she could hardly fill the shoes that their lord father wore.
The only good thing that could come to mind about the whole thing was that Caspian was himself rather sceptical of the story. Why wouldn't he? He had been brought up under the Faith of the Seven, although nowhere near an ardent follower, he held the usual Westerosi aversion to a taboo such as incest.
He would need cold, hard evidence to be brought to believe that his mother and uncle had been fucking since their teenage years. But that brokered the question of what if Stannis had the evidence to back up his claim?
His stomach was nought with worry and anxiety as they reached the tent and entered it.
The first person his eyes laid on was a woman of great beauty. She had a heart-shaped face and her hair was long and the colour of burnished copper and her skin was pale and unblemished. Her red dress did nothing to hide her full breasts and narrow waist and strangely, her eyes were red in colour with her lips also rouged.
He couldn't help but find his blood rushing and a stirring of his primal feelings come to mind as his eyes roamed over her body. He then saw the eyes and smile she cast him, She knows. He thought. She knew that he was watching her, And dare I say, she knows I want to fuck her and hear her scream my name.
It took some willpower on his part but he was able to look away from her and look at the other attendees in the tent. His eyes then laid rest to a slight man with brown hair and eyes, his beard peppered with grey.
Then his eyes laid on the man that held the biggest risk to the life of his brother if he could sway his nephew. Stannis Baratheon. Tyrion had always known that people towered over him, but he felt that feeling even more in the presence of the second son of the late lord Steffon Baratheon.
He gave the man who never seemed to smile, a smile of his own, "Lord Stannis," He said, gaining the man's attention as he looked at him, "Rather timely of you to join the fight to protect your nephew's crown. Running a little late though no?"
Stannis' jaw tightened as he spoke, "That boy is no nephew of mine."
This is going to be difficult. Tyrion thought as he cast a quick look in Caspian's direction who didn't seem to react at the way Stannis spoke. Sometimes he hated the fact that his nephew could never show his inner feelings whenever prompted, "Ah yes, I saw that little letter of yours. Cersei wasn't at all amused, accusing her of such a crime."
"I doubt she would be even less amused when she losses her head," Stannis replied, "Her and that brother of yours for their vile actions."
The temperature in the tent seemed to drop several degrees and become cooler and colder. Outside the tent, horses and men moved, shouting orders or instructions as they went about clearing the dead.
A slight breeze came through the tent flap, "Well then," His nephew suddenly spoke up, his voice holding some mirth in it, "If I didn't know any better, it would seem like you two are just raring to go at each other. I wish you wouldn't though. I doubt it would end prettily for one of you."
Me, of course. Tyrion thought as he continued to look up at Stannis, This isn't the time to get defensive. I first have to know what he knows before doing anything and I definitely can't let Stannis be alone with Caspian for any period of time. Time to change the subject. His eyes then drifted to the woman in red he had seen when he had first entered, "My apologies," He said as he gave a smile and bow at the woman, "I did not catch your name, my lady."
She smiled at him. Well, that was a first for Tyrion. Her smile didn't seem to be filled with the usual disgust most women looked at him with, the same went with her eyes. He couldn't see any revulsion or disgust in those burning red eyes of hers.
"You can call me Melisandre, Lord Tyrion." She said, that smile of hers still on her lips. Her eyes then trailed to his nephew, "Prince Caspian, you have certainly changed from when I last saw you."
Caspian merely looked at her with an easy smile on his lips, "Well, when I last saw you, you were naked and your breasts were juggling up and down as you rode my cock." He stopped for a moment to think about something before speaking once more, "Somewhat surprisingly, you are still by far the best lay I ever heard."
Tyrion's jaw dropped as he quickly looked from his nephew to the woman. So this was the red priest that had been taken in by Lady Selyse? Well, now he certainly wanted to know all the details, and he couldn't help but once again feel a sense of pride for his nephew.
The red woman still had that smile of hers on her face. It seemed to Tyrion that she was taking what he had said as a compliment. The only reaction he could see from Stannis was the fact that his jaw had tightened ever so much, more so than it already was.
Ser Davos' cheeks were aflame, "My lords, lady, I believe we have important matters to speak off."
Tyrion was slightly disappointed, he had wanted to see if his nephew and the priestess would go into further detail about their activities, but he would be sure to quickly move the conversation in a direction that he wanted it to go, "Yes, yes we do." He said, stepping forward, "For starters, Lord Stannis, you can start by bending the knee and swearing fealty to your king."
He could practically hear the grinding of Stannis' teeth, "I will bend no knee to that false king."
He doesn't know. Tyrion almost smiled in glee, but he didn't. Instead, he allowed a small smile of knowing to come to his lips, "I'm surprised you would call Caspian a false king."
That seemed to catch him and Ser Davos unaware as they looked from him to Caspian. The red woman simply didn't change her expression as she continued to have that composed and calm look about her. Tyrion saw the way she looked, She couldn't know, could she? He shook away the thought. How could she know and the others not? They had only arrived on the battlefield when the Rush was aflame or sometime during that time.
"The boy Joffrey...?" Stannis asked, trailing off at the question.
Tyrion was rather surprised when the red woman spoke, "Gone. Your nephew is now king."
"Going to be king." Caspian chimed in, "We all seem to be forgetting I haven't been coroneted yet."
Tyrion rolled his eyes as he waved his nephews words away, "It's the same thing. Either way, you are going to be king."
"If that is so," Stannis said, speaking up, "I have matters to talk about with you, Your Grace."
Damn him, he's stubborn as a mule. "I'm sure you do, Lord Stannis, but we still have a war to fight and I'm sure someone of your skills would be needed leading a host against the northmen and riverlande-."
"It's alright," Caspian suddenly said, cutting into the conversation, "I'll hear what my uncle has to say."
A thousand thoughts of panic whirled through Tyrion's head, but he was still able to keep himself composed and relaxed, "You will?"
Caspian nodded, "Yeah, better now rather than later."
Stannis' eyes drifted towards Tyrion, his eyes boring into him. Tyrion could see he mistrusted him, He thinks I'll run off to Cersei or try and convince Caspian other wise of whatever he will tell him. Well, Tyrion couldn't really say he was wrong. He would definitely do that.
"This matter is better spoken privily." The Lord of Dragonstone eventually said.
"Very well," Caspian said with a nod and led his uncle outside, "We shall talk privily then."
Tyrion could only watch with his heart literally in his throat. He could only hope against all hope nothing to damning would be said.
XxX
Tyrion had waited with abetted breath, waiting for Stannis and Caspian to return. He had tried to make conversation with Ser Davos and the red woman, but he had realised Ser Davos was guarded and wary around him and the red woman wasn't particularly interested in holding a conversation with him.
What to do, what to do. He thought furiously as his hands lay crossed in front of him. What could he do? When Caspian and Stannis returned, if he tried to inquire what they had spoken about, it would seem rather odd for him to inquire about such a thing, especially with the fact that the conversation that was being spoken was private.
As things went on, he couldn't help but think that it was probably best for Jaime to continue rotting in whatever dungeon the Starks and Tullys had placed in him. He stopped and thought about it, On second thought, Jaime might as well be good and dead. His value as a prisoner and a hostage would decrease dramatically if what he and Cersei had been up to became public knowledge, Maybe I can somehow convince Caspian?
He shook his head. It wouldn't work. Caspian was fair and just to everybody, and what Cersei and Jaime had been doing was punishable by the death. He couldn't help but muse morbidly how a king could lay with any number of women and get off without so much as a word but when a queen does lay with someone, it involves death, ...Then again, Cersei did seat a bastard on the throne. Even if she was allowed to lay with others, seating a bastard? That simply wasn't acceptable.
"You worry too much." The red woman said, bringing Tyrion out from the depths of his thoughts.
He looked at her, finding those red eyes of hers somewhat attractive, "Excuse me?"
She cast a look in his direction, her eyes boring into him. He felt uncomfortable underneath the gaze of the woman. Her eyes seemed to bore deep into his soul and bring out every tiny speck of dirty they could gather, "I said, you worry too much." She said, repeating the words she had first spoken, "Your brother is safe."
Tyrion's breath hitched within the confines of his throat, She knew. He didn't have to ask how she knew or how she had come to know, but something told him that she knew that Jaime and Cersei had a far deeper bond than that was normal for siblings.
He forced himself to give her a smile, a quick look cast in the direction of Ser Davos, "I don't really know what you mean."
Her deep red lips morphed into a smile, "That game is it? Very well, I shall play with you." She said, "Your brother is safe, no harm will come to him...for now at least. We all make our fates and one day, we'll be judged for the choices we have made. Your brother will meet that very same judge, soon, but not now."
Tyrion suddenly found himself less and less willing to fuck her and becoming more and more unnerved and uneased by her very presence, "Well, that's nice to know." He said casually, his tone also dismissing, The less talked about this subject the better.
Tyrion had people enter the tent and turned around, ready to face whoever had come in, thinking it was his nephew and Stannis. He blinked when he noticed it was neither Stannis or Caspian. Actually, Stannis and Caspian had entered the tent, but they were not alone, with them came in Mace Tyrell who seemed to have an anxious look about him and Lady Catelyn who had an unreadable expression on his face.
His eyes then widened when he saw a very familiar face enter the tent, Renly. The youngest of the three Baratheon brothers had a very downcast expression on his face. He looked like a man who had lost a war and was walking towards the gallows...which he very well was doing or was going to be doing soon enough.
Tyrion cast his eyes away from the former would be king and waddled towards Caspian, "What's all this about then dearest nephew?" He asked when he reached Caspian's side, the young prince, no, king now standing on the other side of a table looking at the Lord of the Reach himself.
He cast a pensive look at Stannis who stood beside his nephew, his arms crossed over his chest and his face stern. Tyrion wondered what it was like to be on the other side of that deep blue gaze, that unwavering gaze that was judging all of them. He shivered, he hoped he would never be on the end of that gaze, but his eyes lingered to the red woman once again, She knows. Not just about Jaime or Cersei, but everything about him.
He just knew.
"Just getting their terms of surrender." His nephew replied succinctly enough, but Tyrion had known him long enough to know that there was something on his mind...and whatever was on his mind didn't feel him with any small measure of hope, "Right, shall we keep this brief? I imagine you have lands to take care off back in the Reach...what with the ironborn raiding from the north to the south." He said light-heartedly but that didn't seem to alleviate the atmosphere and the tension in the room, and Tyrion saw that Caspian had also noticed it, "Well...that didn't work out as well as I thought it would. Look, I'm not going to ask you what fit of madness overwhelmed you to try and place the fifth in line on the throne in front of the other four."
His nephew turned to look at Lord Mace Tyrell, and he noticed for the first time that his nephew had lost his casual look and was giving the lord of Highgarden the same look he would expect his lord father to give him, "Frankly Lord Mace, I should strip you and your House of all your lands and incomes. I'm sure the Florents, the Rowans, the Oakhearts among others wouldn't mind replacing you." Tyrion would have smiled at the sheer aghast expression that overcame the man's face at the thought, Lord Mace Tyrell... He mused, The man who would go down in history as having destroyed House Tyrell.
"Y-You can't do that." Mace Tyrell squawked, "Only the king has the right to do that."
"Unfortunately or fortunately depending on who is asked," Caspian began to say, "King Joffrey, the First of His Name, is rather dead..." That seemed to shock the Reach lords, something Tyrion wondered if Caspian had set out to do, "...Probably. We'll find a body soon enough...if the wildfire didn't get to it first. So that means you are looking at your future king." He waved a hand in a dismissive gesture, "Unfortunately, until me and my council comes up with the necessary punishment, I hope you and the rest of the other Reach lords we captured will find the Red Keep most accommodating, and as a measure of good will, I shall be sending Lord Stannis with the royal fleet to help you deal with the ironborn raiders, I'm sure the Redwynne fleet would find itself overtasked with defeating the entirety of the ironborn armada." That gained looks of surprise cast at Caspian's direction but he seemed to ignore it, "And I shall also dispatch a raven to Lord Buckler to help with the protection of your coasts."
The silence in the tent was palpable. It was only broken by the occasional sounds coming from outside the tent as well.
Eventually, Mace Tyrell went to a knee, "As you will, Your Grace."
"Get up," Caspian said, "You may very well hate me by the time I'm done thinking up of what to do with you all." He motioned at the guards at the tent opening, "Make sure that our guests arrive at the Red Keep safely and given the best rooms, including my uncle."
"Yes, m'lord." The guards said in sync before they lead out the Reach lords.
"Lady Catelyn if you could stay please." Caspian was quick to call out.
Tyrion was surprised to see Catelyn. He had nearly missed her standing within the tent, his thoughts taken elsewhere by the thought of Stannis and Caspian. He was wondering what she was doing here and then remembered that she had been with Renly before the start of the battle, when they had met to treat.
His mind was already working on what to do with such a valuable person within their custody. He went to talk to Caspian but a quick look from his nephew made the words die within his mouth. He found himself pleasantly surprised that his nephew was capable of forcing him to keep his mouth shut.
"Prince Caspian," Lady Catelyn said. Her lips thinned into a small, very unnoticeable smile, "Or is it King Caspian now?"
"I prefer Prince Caspian." His nephew replied easily enough, his tone far more relaxed and casual than the one he had used with the Reach lords, "I think it sounds better and rolls of the tongue better too."
Lady Catelyn seemed to think that the pleasantries had been said and done, "So what will be made of me?" She asked, her voice neutral. Tyrion couldn't tell what she was thinking, "A guest like my daughter Sansa?"
Caspian shook his head, "Honestly, I'm hoping by the end of this moon's turn Sansa will be back home in Winterfell."
That shocked Tyrion and so to did it shock Lady Catelyn, "I'm sorry?" She finally said, finding the words to speak.
The prince who was soon going to be the king ran a hand through his white hair that was freckled with black, "Robb listens to you. Can you pass a message to him? I want to meet him, for peace talks."
"Peace talks?" Lady Catelyn said the words slowly.
Tyrion watched his nephew nod his head, "Peace talks. Somewhere neutral, say the border of the Crownlands and the Riverlands."
Lady Catelyn gave him a look, "Why would you want to hold peace talks?"
"Because I would prefer having Robb alive than dead Lady Catelyn." Caspian said, once again, that stark bluntness of his making its appearance, "He's one of the only few people that I would call a friend. I'm sure our fathers wouldn't want to see us trying to kill each other."
The Lady of Winterfell bit her lip before speaking once more, "Very well, I shall deliver your message for you."
"Will you require an escort?" Caspian asked, "Or do you still have your original escort?"
"Some." She replied.
"Then you shall have more. You are the mother of a friend." Caspian said before turning to Stannis, "Could you see to that Uncle Stannis?"
Stannis gave a curt, firm nod of the head, "Very well."
Before she left, Lady Catelyn turned around to ask him a question, "You could very well send a raven, why send me?"
Caspian could only smile, "Robb has always been something of a mother's boy. I think he would be more than willing to hear me out if it came from his own mother, rather than a parchment of paper."
"And Sansa?" She asked, "Will you keep true to your word you will send her home?"
Caspian gave a firm nod of the head, "Of course. My brother left me with the task of rebuilding the relationships of the kingdoms back from this dismal state. Sending Sansa home would be the best course of action to just do that."
Lady Catelyn could only nod her head before leaving. Before he noticed it, Tyrion was left in the tent alone with his nephew. He looked up at Caspian, "You are actually going to send the Stark girl home?"
Caspian took a seat and sighed, "Yes. I know what you want to say uncle, I know, but just trust me on this."
Tyrion bit his lip, "Your grandfather would think you soft if you let the rebels off lightly."
"I don't plan on letting them off lightly." His nephew replied, "I also have to think of other matters to you know? Unlike Joffrey, I plan to take my duties as king seriously." He looked to the side with a thoughtful look in his eyes, "I should probably send Tommen to be fostered by grandfather or someone else capable."
"Your mother won't like that." Tyrion said, but he knew that now with Caspian king, Tywin could very well take Tommen as a ward and heir to Casterly Rock. The thought that his lord father would soon rather leave Casterly Rock in the hands of a one-and-ten year old child left him a bitter taste in his mouth, "You know how she is."
He waved dismissively at him, "I'll deal with it when it comes to it." He said. They stayed silent for a few moments before speaking once more, "Say uncle..."
"Yes?"
"You wouldn't lie to me would you?"
The question made Tyrion's heart skip a beat, "Of course not. You're my favourite nephew, why would I lie to you? What's all this about Caspian?"
Tyrion thought his nephew had cast a quick look in his direction, but he wasn't certain. Maybe it had been the light playing tricks.
Caspian eventually sighed as he rose from the seat, "No, it's nothing. I think the fact that I'm going to be king is actually starting to come to the forefront of my mind." He said as he began to make for the exit of the tent.
Tyrion waddled in step with his nephew, grateful that it was now instinctual for the young man that he would slow his steps whenever it came to walking with his uncle, "You'll be fine Caspian. You have the right temperament for it. And a working brain to go along with it."
"I hope so uncle," Caspian said slowly, "I hope so."
XxX
Sansa
The past few days had been a whirlwind for Sansa. The Red Keep and most likely King's Landing had been dominated with two facts of news.
Joffrey was dead.
And Caspian was to be king.
The bells had rung for an entire day when the news that Joffrey was dead had been told to the city. Their were many a stories as to how he died, some more ridiculous than others. Some say that he died bravely fighting against Renly's soldiers, felling many a soldiers before he was cut down himself.
Others said that he led a heroic sortie into the midst of enemy forces from one of the other gates to attack the flank of Renly's soldiers and stop them from battering the River Gate with a ram. All of those stories made Sansa want to laugh.
She couldn't see or imagine Joffrey doing any of those things. He had always hidden behind those white cloaks of his. The only person that knew the truth would have been the surviving soldiers but she couldn't very well ask them.
She could have asked Caspian, but the prince, no, king couldn't be found anywhere. He was still in the Red Keep that was for certain. He showed himself whenever he had to attend the plannings for his coronation, but for the rest of the time, he was completely unaccounted for.
The queen had also been disappearing of late. Whenever she saw the queen, she always wore black, clothes of mourning. She had worn black too, especially on the day when they laid an empty tomb into the Great Sept of Baelor. Joffrey becoming the first of the Baratheon line of kings to be laid there.
The tomb had been empty. They couldn't find the king's body. There were many a reasons why, some thought that the body had been burnt to a degree that it became undistinguishable. It was said that some of the bodies burned by the wildifre were black as charcoal and others had been melted in puddles of goo, or the body had been washed away by the Blackwater.
Since the body couldn't be found, the tomb had to be laid empty into the crypt. The queen had wanted her son's bones or body to be laid in the tomb. Since they couldn't be found, the tomb had been encrypted empty.
She wandered into the godswood at night, looking up at the starry sky above, I wonder if Caspian will allow me to go back home? She thought to herself. She wanted to think Caspian would be kind enough to do that for her. For their friendship, for the time they had been...connected together. That brought her to a stop and a frown to come across her face, ...Maybe he'll make me stay at the Red Keep to be his mistress? Aegon IV had done as such. She remembered a hostage that had been brought to King's Landing by Aegon IV, Cassela Vaith.
In the history books, it was said Aegon kept Cassella a 'hostage' within his own chambers, Is that what awaits me? She tried to banish away the thoughts. Caspian wouldn't do that, would he? She was unsure.
Her own feelings on the matter seemed to be confused at the subject. On one hand, after everything Joffrey had put her through, she wanted to be home in Winterfell, court-life had not been as glorious as she thought it would be.
And on the other, Caspian had been kind and gentle to her. Protected her from both his mother and brother and she had found herself thinking about him occasionally. Even more during the battle.
A note of music reached her ears, causing her to startle in alert. She looked around before straining her ears before she picked up the quiet sounds of music being played, Is that a...harp? She thought. She found herself following the music.
She was curious, apart from her meetings with Ser Dontos, she had yet to meet anyone that ever came to the godswood. She seemed to be the only person in the Red Keep that prayed to the old gods as well as the new ones.
That, and the music was rather nice to listen too.
She rounded one of the trees in the godswood and stopped in her tracks when she noticed who it was, "Caspian?" She called out unintentionally.
She seemed to have startled the prince who snapped his head in her direction, dropping the small harp that had been in his hands, "Sansa..." He said slowly when he took her in, "What are you doing here?"
She made her way towards him, cautiously. The thoughts from before still lingering in her mind, "Shouldn't I be the one asking that?" She returned, "You follow the new gods."
The king-No, prince. He hasn't been coroneted yet-prince, gave her a queer expression, "That I do. But I like coming here, it's quiet and peaceful. That, and the fact that no-one hardly ever comes here. There aren't many who follow the old gods in King's Landing, let alone this far south. I like to come here so I can be alone." He looked at her, his blue eye looked deeper than before his lilac eye seemed to almost glow in the moonlight, "Are you just going to stand there?" He asked as he patted at the spot beside him, "Come, sit."
She thought about it, before she made her way towards him, "You are going to be king." She blurted out suddenly as she took a seat beside him.
A hollow laugh came from his mouth, "Yes, I suppose I am, aren't I? I do wonder if that's a good or a bad thing."
"You can't be any worse than Joffrey." She said without thought, before quickly covering her mouth, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean any-."
Caspian stopped her, "It's alright. I doubt I can be worse than Joffrey, that's true."
The two allowed a comfortable silence to come over them, but Sansa couldn't let it last, "What will become of me?"
Caspian cast a quick, furtive glance in her direction, "If all goes well, you shall be back in Winterfell soon enough."
Sansa could not have turned to look at him any faster, "Really?"
He nodded, "Really. I plan to hold peace talks with Robb, come to some sort of peace between us."
A gust of wind blew through the godswood, sweeping her hair to the side and that of Caspian's. She had noticed it before, but the she found his hair colour now rather odd and strange to look at but it served to give him some sort of appeal.
He noticed her looking at him, "What is it? Something on face?"
She moved a lock of hair from his eye and tucked it behind his ear, "No, it's nothing." She said softly.
Caspian clasped her hand and brought her in close for a kiss. The next moments where a whirlwind for Sansa. She remembered Caspian dexterously opening her bodice to allow her still going breasts to spill out from their confines, before pulling up her skirts.
She must have wanted him just as mush as he wanted her as she had worked to unlace his breeches. She then soon found herself leaning forward onto one of the trees of the godswood with Caspian thrusting into her from behind.
She should have felt ashamed at doing such an activity within a holy place like a godswood, but she told herself that King's Landing godswood wasn't a proper godswood. It didn't have a weirwood and she soon found out that fact they were having relations in an open, public space were anyone could find them was thrilling and excited her ever more.
It had been a challenge to keep her moans of pleasure low in volume. Caspian knew what made her tick, what pleasured her, what didn't. Whether it be the massaging of her breasts or her lower lips whilst he thrust into her, or soft tender kisses onto her nape and neck.
Caspian had spilled his seed inside her three times that night.
XxX
Cersei
"Black looks horrible on you." Tyrion said, "With your fair skin, it makes you far too pale."
Cersei frowned at her dwarf brother, making sure she showed all the disdain she felt about him showed, "What do you want Tyrion?" She should never have opened the door.
Tyrion gave her one of those crooked smiles of his. Those ugly smiles that made her shiver, "I thought you should know that Stannis had a nice little bonding session with Caspian."
Her eyes widened in alarm, "What? When?" She hissed, "What lies did that fool tell my son?"
Tyrion quirked an eyebrow in amusement, "Lies? I am rather sure that Stannis' lies are actually truths. You are fucking Jaime no? Or is there another golden haired Lannister that looks like Jaime I have yet to meet?"
Cersei reached out a hand and slapped him hard across the face, "I don't have the time to deal with your vile games Tyrion. My son is dead, if you have nothing better to do, let me grieve for him."
The words hurt to say. She had yet to still come to accept Joffrey's death. There may still be hope yet. Her golden lion's body could not be found. He may still be alive.
She had to hold out hope. The gods couldn't be so cruel to take away such a strong lion from this world before his time.
That night, when the Blackwater Rush was on fire, when she had seen the helmet, she had grieved and cried. She had taken Osney Kettleblack into her bed, to replace the pain and grief with the pleasure of the flesh.
Osney had been disappointing. If it had been Jaime, she knew he would have been able to make her forget, for he would also grieve with her for their child and would also want to abate the pain, even a little.
Tyrion still had that smile on his face as he rubbed his cheek, "My apologies. I thought telling you that Stannis telling Caspian about you and Jaime would be some rather particularly important news."
She pursed her lips before speaking to the vile dwarf, "What became of it?"
Tyrion gave her a shrug, "I do not know." He said, "Whatever Stannis told him, he does not tell me. I've tried, but the boy is insightful enough to know my intentions and divert the subject. I've stopped since then, if I keep going any harder, he will have reason to suspect me, if he already doesn't."
Cersei found herself chewing her lip in thought, "If he knew the truth, I would be in the black cells already."
Tyrion nodded in agreement with her, "I believe that as well. Most likely, I think Stannis told him of his thoughts, but he didn't have an evidence to back up his claims." A wry smile came across the Imp's features, "At least we can count on the fact that Caspian doesn't act unless there is overwhelming evidence. So I ask this, is there overwhelming evidence? If not, we can just say that your three bastards inherited your features instead of Robert's."Cerse hissed at him in warning, but Tyrion did not seem afraid. He only shrugged his shoulders, "That's what they are Cersei. Bastards. Did they come from Robert's seed? No? I didn't think so."
She wanted to slap him again for his insolence, but she controlled herself before bringing up a hand to her head and began rub her temple. Her eyes narrowed in thought, "A book or so." She finally said, "That is the only thing I can think off."
"A book, you say?" Tyrion repeated, "And what does this book contain that could incriminate you?"
Cersei gave him a shrug, "I don't know. You would have to ask Pycelle. It's some kind of book that keeps track of all the lineages of the Houses of Westeros." She then saw her brother's eyes rise up in alarm and Cersei couldn't help but find herself somewhat worried, "What is it?"
Tyrion quickly hopped to his feet, "Come with me. I must see this book for myself. So should you."
He didn't wait for her to reply. The sheer insolence that was needed to make her, the queen of the Seven Kingdoms follow him was too large to ignore, but she knew that it was pointless to worry about that at the moment. The current situation was of more importance but she was going to make sure Tyrion got his due.
She followed him through the hallways of the Red Keep in silence. Some of the many rooms of the Keep had been taken by the captured lords of the Reach that included the likes of Ser Loras Tyrell, the lord oaf of Highgarden himself, Mace Tyrell, Mathis Rowan among many others. She had wanted the traitor Renly to be put into the black cells, but instead, Caspian had commanded he be put into a tower cell instead.
This wasn't good.
Caspian was too soft. If it had been Joffrey, he would have sent that vile traitor Renly, him and his compatriots into the black cells and have Renly's head by dawn. But Caspian kept them alive and well treated.
How was he going to rule the Seven Kingdoms if he was going to be soft? It would be like the rule of Tytos Lannister all over again. His vassals would laugh at him.
Did grandfather not teach him anything during his time with him? Caspian should know that it was better to be feared than loved. Fear brought loyalty and respect.
She would have to teach him the proper way to rule. He was still five-and-ten. Still a child by the laws of the realm and not yet a man. Whilst she is regent, she would show him how to rule.
But yet, she still held out hope. Hope that her golden lion was still alive. Her lion who had taken her teachings too heart, and until he could be found, she would teach Caspian how to properly rule the kingdoms.
They eventually reached the Grand Maester's quarters and offices. They had, had to wait for a while before the old man eventually opened his door. A look of disgust had come across Cersei's features when she had smelled the odour that was on his persons.
She almost felt sorry for whatever whore that had to lie with him.
"Your Grace?" Pycelle said in surprise, "Lord Tyrion? How can I help you, so late at night?"
Tyrion was the one to answer, apparently not at all disgusted or reviled by the sight, Then again, whores have to lie with that ugly being. They should be brothers, not him and I. "Apparently, you have a book that me and the queen would ever be so interested in reading." Her vile brother said.
Pycelle blinked down at him, "I don't understand, my lord."
Cersei wanted this to be over and done with, "The book that Ned Stark and Jon Arryn loaned from you. Do you have it or not Pycelle?" She asked impatiently.
The old man's eyes widened ever so much, "Ah yes, that book. I do so in fact have it, Your Grace." He motioned them in, "This way if you please."
Cersei had to scrunch up her nose at the smell. She had to wonder how such an old man was able to keep his cock working and how his heart had yet to give out, Then again, Ossifer Plumm was of the same age...or was he older?
Pycelle led them to his office before going onto a book shelf. He hefted off a massive book off the book shelf and his legs wobbled as he carried it to the desk and dropped it with a heavy thud, "Here it is, Your Grace, my lord." He said as he turned to face the two of them.
Tyrion waved him away, "Thank you ever so much, Pycelle. You can go back to your whore now." Pycelle's face became aflame before he quickly made his way out of the office. Tyrion waddled that waddle of his to the desk and lifted himself onto a chair and began to flip through the pages, "This looks like a rather toilsome read to be honest. Why anyone would read this is beyond me."
Cersei made her way to the edge of the desk, "Well?" She said, "What could be so threatening about this book?" Jon Arryn and Ned Stark had read it. Clearly something within its boundaries must give some sort of clue or evidence that damned her.
"Give me a moment." Tyrion said, his stubby hand trailing down the lineages of House Baratheon.
Cersei found herself growing impatient as her younger brother continued to read the book to himself. She could be doing much better things with her time, "Find anything yet? I have things to do."
Tyrion held up one stubby finger, gesturing her to wait a moment before he suddenly spoke, "Oh well now, this is interesting."
She moved around the table to stand beside him, "What is?" She asked, looking down at the book.
A stubby finger tapped on one of the lines of the book, "This. What does this say?"
She looked at the book, squinting her eyes to make sure she read the words carefully in the lowlight, "Gowen Baratheon married Tya Lannister. One child, black hair, blue eyes." She raised her head away, "What is that supposed to tell me?"
She could feel Tyrion roll his eyes derisively, "Every Baratheon born has always had black hair and blue eyes." He told her, "Not many Lannisters have married into the Baratheon line, but for those that did, they all bore black haired and blue eyed children." He then flipped the page, moving his hand towards the most recent addition, Robert Baratheon and Cersei Lannister, "And then we come to you and Robert, see anything amiss?"
Cersei looked at the book and could see what Tyrion was pointing out to her, "We have to destroy the book." There was no other way to stop this from being learned.
Tyrion scoffed, "And what if Caspian learns of the book and comes in search of it? Only to learn that it had 'mysteriously' been destroyed? That would give him more reason to be suspicious."
"Then what would you have me do?" Cersei hissed at him. She could feel herself starting to panic.
"For starters, I think we ask Pycelle to see if he can alter the book. Make some slight changes to the Baratheon line to make it seem like some of them bore traits of their parents. I'm sure he can do that, either that, or have him rewrite this whole book from scratch and make him make the changes."
"And what else?"
Tyrion gave her a long hard look. She could see that he also held a pained expression in his mismatched eyes, "This is...hard for me and even harder for you I'm sure. But you will have to release Jaime from his duties as Kingsguard, so that father will sent him to Casterly Rock when this is all over and he is returned to us."
Cersei looked at him dumbfounded in shock. Her wits then returned to her quickly like a sudden storm, "You would have us apart!?" No, she would not have it. Jaime and her were one. They could not bare to be away from each other.
"That," Tyrion began calmly, "Or have him around, around long enough for Caspian to note that Joffrey and Tommen look a bit too much like their uncle. And let's not forget that he's also knowledgeable of some of his father's bastards, Mya Stone and Edric Storm. He's eventually going to connect the dots. This might be difficult for you, but you have to sent Jaime away. For both of you."
Cersei shook her head, "No. Jaime's place is here. With me."
Tyrion grinded his teeth, "You are going to get yourselves killed then!"
"And why do you care?"
"For you? Not a single damn." Tyrion was quick to reply, angrily, "But for Jaime? The world." He dropped down from the chair he had been standing on and made for the door, "Think over this quickly Cersei. If Jaime learns that Caspian is close to knowing your secret, he will try to kill him. And honestly? They might end up both killing each other. Caspian is his father's son. Someone not to be trifled with in combat. And if people were to learn that Jaime killed another king?" He shrugged as he placed a hand on the door knob, "Then there is no helping him. It will be death for him." With that, he left, leaving Cersei to her thoughts.
AN: Right, I'm having a bit of a dilemma. See, the thing is, I have a lot of things planned out for the story and to make it somewhat realistic, I'll need a longer time frame than the one GRRM has given us. That and the fact that the Wind of Winter hasn't been released yet and with the rate I'm going, I'll probably be hitting ADWD soon, I plan on tweaking the date a little bit, like making the war of the five kings start earlier and be resolved earlier to give me time to put in some original story, canon diversion into play or maybe push winter back so it doesn't happen until way later instead of the year 300AL.
That's why I need your help with this boys and girls.
Should I tweak the dates back, or push winter forward? I am rather confident that you will all have a liking for the original plot story I have planned that would take place during this new 'blank period', a little glimpse it will involve war, politics and quite a number of changes to the whole of Westeros.
I wouldn't have to do this if only GRRM had actually done a five year time skip in his books like he had once thought of doing. That would have given me a lot of leeway to work my magic. So how about it boys & girls, thoughts, ideas, anything?
Leave a review or a pm or check out my page. I'm going to make a poll and leave it to you guys to decide. It doesn't matter what you guys choose, I'll still be able to work in my story.
TheForeverKing