Alright, this chapter will start with one flashback then some march and talk between Arthur and his people, a cut to the Brotherhood and Mya, some Lannister scenes and a finale with Petyr and a very much aware Sansa.
Chapter 28: Our Time Comes Again
The North
The Northern army marched on, passing Long Lake. They should be at the Wall within a day or two.
Arthur sat back on his horse, thinking about the past several days since the aptly named Battle of the Last River. Since his sister found her way back home, with a rather unwanted friend.
He wasn't there when his father and the others were betrayed, but he knew from gloating Goldcloaks he had killed getting into the city that they were originally going to side with his father, that was until they were paid to kill him... Paid by the Master of Coin.
It took everything within him not to cut Petyr Baelish in two, he wanted to carve his head off as the Lannisters were going to do to his father.
He brought his sisters and his cousin and mother into the Lord's chambers, telling them everything and about what they will do to Littlefinger.
"So, he betrayed father? Betrayed us?" Sansa questioned him and he nodded, she shed even more tears but not of sorrow, they were of vengeance. "He wants power, all of it... He betrayed father and was named Lord of Harrenhal and Lord Paramount of the Riverlands. He married my aunt and murdered her in front of me." He felt terrible for what Sansa might be thinking.
To her, the man who saved her from the capital was also the one to betray their father.
"I'll kill him myself!" Arya declared and went for the door, he stopped his little sister the moment she turned the knob.
"He will die, sister, I promise you." He said and looked at everyone in the room, "We will play him like he played our father, prey on him like he had done to us... We will show him that one wolf is much easier to handle than a pack, and he'll get torn apart."
Petyr Baelish is apart of everything that went wrong in his family, before the end, he will see the weasel flayed and executed.
Arya and Sansa will do well, they will lure him in and betray him. It's not just my justice, it's theirs as well. It's true, he killed Roose and Walder who killed Catelyn and Robb, he killed Ramsay who murdered Rickon. He thought it was only right for his sisters to avenge their father for the betrayal at King's Landing.
Sansa, he was happy she had come home but he questioned if that was all she and Baelish brought North, if the man has an army coming from the Vale of Arryn.
She said no, but, he did speak of bringing an army to help him. He doesn't believe that, and neither did she when the truth was told. If anything, the man would use that army to kill them all, take the North from them so soon after retaking it.
"You are worried about them?" He was asked and turned his head to Edric, beside him was the Greatjon and Lord Karstark.
There are others, the commanders of the many men here. Gregor Forrester decided to remain at Winterfell, Lord Glover wanted to stay home but sent half of his men. Rodrik Forrester and the men of Highpoint was with him, Lord Manderly sends his best men while keeping the other half at White Harbor.
Cerwyn, Ryswell, Dustin, Flint, Tallhart, Reed, Mormont, all of them marching in the army going to the Wall to defeat the Wildling King.
"Of course I am, Sans and Arya and Jon, Bran too, they are all I've got left." Jon, his would be brother came to mind once more and yet, he can't help but think of him as his brother nonetheless.
He didn't tell Arya or Sansa before he left, he wanted to do it when he told Jon. His brother deserves the truth before anyone else knows.
"Arya is a devil, she can handle herself and protect Princess Sansa, Arthur." Greatjon encouraged him to be sure, he nodded and looked past to the glimpse of Long Lake.
"You are right, all of you... Push on!" The group urged their horses forward to the Wall.
The Riverlands
Several men were being noosed to a tree, a large group of men was watching it be done.
A wild-looking Mya Stark washed her face of the blood, there were a dozen soldiers raping in that village and they all should be here but some resisted, she left them in pieces.
"Know why you're here?" She asked the brigands, they belonged to a group called the Brave Companions, a mercenary band from Qohor.
"We know who you are, Lady Stoneheart... " One man said with forced bravery, the other began to beg, "Please, let us live and we will leave from here!" She shook her head and scoffed.
"So you could tear more wives and daughters from their husbands and fathers, rape them and gut like you lot have been doing? No, I won't have that on my conscience." With swift feet, she kicked the blocks keeping the men from choking and let them fall, she looked them in their eyes as their lives left them.
Afterward, she and the Brotherhood left them there to be found by Lannister outriders, the lions hadn't ceased trying to take the Riverlands, she won't let them have their way if she can't be allowed to go kill the Queen.
It's been several weeks since she joined the Brotherhood Without Banners, choosing to be with them than go to Arthur.
She loves him, will always love him, but it's better if he thought her dead and moved on. She wished it could be different, that they could get past what happened at the Twins and she could have her baby back.
But we can't, I will never get passed it. Hatred and anger is what fills her soul, now, anger for the Lannisters, for the Freys, for all of the people who had or didn't have anything to do with the Red Wedding.
Arthur, she's heard it all. He killed Walder Frey, defeated and kicked Roose's body in the river, even forced the rebel Houses of the North to their knees. Thoros, he can see it all in his fire at night, she told him how the Lords of the North and of the Trident followed Robb's last decree and ascended her love to that of a King.
The funny thing is, she still goes by Mya Stark, she was legitimized by King Robb when he made Arthur a Stark. She could go by Mya Baratheon, take her father's name.
But she won't, she won't do that to Arthur. She is still his wife, a dead wife whose life should have ended when she was stabbed by one of Walder's many sons.
"Why do women have to think all the bloody time," The remark came from Sandor, the Hound looked at her with a permanent sour face, she gave one back and sipped some wine from her skin.
"No more than you avoid fire, Clegane." She commented and he barked, just like the dog he was. "I find it funny, my husband killing the man you've wanted dead for the longest time." It wasn't a secret, nothing is kept secret in King's Landing.
"Aye, I wanted my brother dead, no more than you want your step-mother dead." She snapped at him for bringing that rigid woman up.
"Shut up, I will actually kill the bitch. Cersei will lose her life, then her sons life." Whenever the Brotherhood accepts letting me go. Beric has become a little responsible for her, she thinks it's because her father used to be his liege lord when he was just Lord of Storm's End and Lord Paramount of the Stormlands.
She appreciates his intent, but she is fine, she's fine to leave and do what she intends to do.
A sigh left her lips as she continued down the road with the others, nearing the safe place that the Brotherhood had made their home.
She rested for the night, being awoken by whispers and saw Thoros praying into the fires. He's been doing it a lot lately, always looking and seeing things.
"What do you see, Thoros?" Beric was watching him as well, leaned up against the stone wall. Thoros pulled away and sighed, looking up to his friend and then to her.
"A castle torched, the people slaughtered. A cloaked man on the road, a dark star overhead and a lion's last sunset." What does that mean? She raised herself from a lying position to one of a sitting position.
"What can you decipher about it, Princess." She had to think about it, only seeing the realization of one.
"A lion's last sunset... A Lannister is dying." She answered and Beric and Thoros nodded, but the question remains...
Which Lannister is going with the Stranger this night?
King's Landing
"Tyrion?" Tywin nervously greeted his son interrupting him on the privy. "Who released you, hmm? Jaime, I assume. He was always so soft to you." The Lord Lannister commented on both of his sons, they both have done enough to put a stain on his legacy.
The trial by combat ended a day ago, his son being convicted of Joffrey's death and sentenced to beheading as befitting to a nobleman. He lost two sons on that day, Jaime remains in the Kingsguard, Tyrion being sent to the Stranger. Cersei is all he has other than Kevan's son, Lancel but he wouldn't let it come to that.
Cersei will marry and birth a son, two if she tries and one will be groomed to rule the Westerlands with the name of Lannister.
"What are you doing, put down that crossbow." He calmly said to his son, narrowing his eyes at the boy.
"I loved her... " Who? He thought for a moment and wanted to scoff, "I loved Tysha, and you took them both from me." Tyrion said to him and he shook his head. "I choked her, Shae, I took her life and watched with pain... All because of you." Tyrion continued and he couldn't believe his son is here for this.
"You aren't here for a whore, or a past whore." He watched his son raise the crossbow at him, "Is this how you want to do this, kill your own father on the privy?" He asked Tyrion who stayed silent while he also stayed still.
A little monster. Taking away all the joy from his life, taking pride away from this House, taking away his wife who died in pain.
"You knew I didn't kill Joffrey, you sentenced me to death anyway... Why?" It wasn't a question he could answer for he himself was dying.
He could feel it in his bones, his time is coming to an end and whether it was because of his many rivals or the North retaliating for his final stroke to deal with them. Either way, he is not living past this night.
"Tyrion... Put down that crossbow and we will speak about this in my chambers." Tyrion shook his head no, that made him want to growl in frustration.
"She is in there, we will speak here." His son would embarrass him like this? He scoffed openly, now, thinking that his son just doesn't want to see his whore.
"Afraid of seeing a dead whore- " The crossbow bolt hit him in the stomach, he began to bleed, "You shot me... " Tyrion set up another bolt and aimed it at his chest, "You're no son of mine... " It would be the last he will say, curse them all for this that his children would be the end of him before the poison finishes its work.
"I am your son, I have always been your son... " The crossbow bolt shot forth and hit him in the heart, he felt nothing and saw nothing a moment later.
Tyrion thought it was funny in a dark sort of way. In the end, the great Tywin Lannister didn't, in fact, shit gold...
Winterfell
Petyr Baelish sighed heavily and was frustrated.
Cersei demands his presence in the South, he had just received word of Tywin's assassination and immediately assumed it must have been his son, Tyrion Lannister.
His work here has only begun, with Arthur gone he could plant his seeds of discontent and buy off the most ambitious Lords of the North over to his side. The Knights of the Vale await his order or the order of their Protector as Robert was coming of age, nearly fifteen, now.
His army would come North, he would defeat what's left of the Northmen and Wildlings at the Wall, slaying the Night's Watch if needs be.
Sansa would belong to him, he would make her his and lead forth, taking Westeros from all of the Great Houses who had ruled for over 300 years, some even thousands. They would all belong to him and he would climb those steps, he'd sit upon the Iron Throne as the new King, the little Lord from the edges of the Fingers to the Lord of the Seven Kingdoms.
"Cersei, ever the woman to be a thorn... " He muttered and began walking towards the great hall, it was where Sansa spends most of her time. "Get the wagon ready, I set sail to King's Landing." He told of the men in his employ.
He didn't even get near before Ashara Dayne appeared, armed and several Northmen standing at the door.
"Lord Baelish, Princess Sansa is expecting you." She told him, he narrowed his eyes at the woman who made the honorable Ned Stark betray his vows.
"A Lady of Starfall, Mother to the King of Winter and now a Door guard. Stars do fall and rise, indeed." He commented and walked passed her.
It serves her right, she was one of those who would look down on him, even when coming back from the afterlife. He held his head high and entered the hall that had Sansa, her sister, Lady Dacey Mormont, Lord Gregor Forrester, he also saw a dozen guards and all were staring back at him.
"Sansa, my dear. I received news and I must return to the Vale." He lied, the girl was always so naive and should believe him but a creeping feeling crawled up his spine when she and Arya looked at him, "I have to leave immediately, but I will return, I promise you." He added and smirked at the girl who he's desired since the Freys and Roose murdered Cat.
"The Vale... Don't you mean King's Landing?" He took a step back, hiding one of his hands behind his back.
"Sansa, I know- " Arya cut him off, harshly and to the point. He heard the doors open and Ashara stepped inside, a Dornish spear in her hands.
"Quit lying, today is about justice and not false truths." The smaller Stark told him and he wanted to escape now, get back to his own lands where his power is recognized.
How was he found out, the letter given to him by the Maester Wolken wasn't broken somhow could... They recreated the letter. He thought and tried to leave but was stopped by the guards. His own returned and faced those guarding the door.
"Sansa... " She wouldn't hear him and he turned to his men, "Cut them down and get me to safety." He commanded, his captain of the guard stood there.
"Lord Manderly offered them a position and gold for their service," Sansa began, descending from the dais, "They accepted because it was coin, they followed the one who pays them, not because of loyalty." She continued and it was true, his guards stood down and turned away as the doors closed once more.
Everything was falling apart for him, he turned to Sansa, his expression betraying everything he was and should have been.
"Sansa, please, I loved your mother since I was a boy."
"Yet you betrayed her, you would have betrayed me and Arthur. Wouldn't you?" He was asked and he shook his head, "As acting Lady of Winterfell, I, Sansa of the House Stark and Princess of the North do sentenc you to die." A spear plunged into his back and out of his chest, blood pouring out of his mouth yet he had the strength to look back and see Ashara with tears in her eyes.
"This was for my Ned... Burn in all the Seven Hells, Littlefinger."
Petyr Baelish fell to his knees once Ashara pulled the speak from his chest, clutching the hole which bled profusely. His sights blurred as Sansa came to him, he reached for her and she took a step back letting him fall to the stone floor.
The Lord of Harrenhal fell to the curse without so much as being inside the castle, the three women smiled with acknowledging that the deed was done and the former Master of Coin breathed his last.
Once Petyr Baelish was removed from the great hall, Sansa, Arya, and Ashara.
They were discussing on what to do about the Vale, the Lords of Arryn are a split group, one imposed order against Petyr and the others followed Baelish's way of things.
"Robert loved Baelish, he'll want revenge." Sansa stated, Arya watched as the two older women talked about what to do.
Ashara stared coldly at the blood, she narrowed her eyes and turned back to her sons sister.
"Send word that Baelish was killed, murdered by his enemies, the Tyrells and Lannisters." Was all she said before leaving the hall, tears falling from her face over the death and justice served for her love whom rests within the crypts of Winterfell.
AN: Apologies, had to finish this chapter at work. I hope you all enjoyed though it was basically a slow chapter.
Untill chapter 29, I Hail King Cerion do hope you all have a good night.
