I LOVE this episode, it doesn't have much other than the trial, but that's enough for it to be absolutely epic isn't it?
Like I said, Torrhen is back this episode. The bold speech in this chapter is Valyrian.
I own nothing but Torrhen.
The cabins of Frostfang had been silent. Torrhen and Cat both not knowing how to cope with losing Arya. For the first week or so they had taken to sleeping in the same cabin, not knowing what to say but keeping each other close, as if they were afraid to lose the other. They made it through the Stepstones and past Lys before Cat found the courage to say anything.
"You should have left us in the North."
"I know." Torrhen replied sadly.
Silence consumed them again, Torrhen was torn, he couldn't go outside as he would break down, but staying here meant feeling even more guilty at how broken his mother seemed.
"I was teaching her to fight." Torrhen sighed. "She was getting good too." He was met with just silence again. Not knowing what to say, and struggling to keep calm he walked over to the map. In a couple of days, they would stop at Volantis to resupply, and from then they would travel around the ruins of Valyria, and into Slavers Bay via the Gulf of Grief. Torrhen had wanted to travel through the Smoking Sea, so he could see Valyria for himself, but the captain of the ship had dissuaded him from that.
He felt arms wrap around him, and turned to find his mother hugging him. "I can't lose you too, not when I've lost everyone else." She sobbed.
"Bran and Rickon are still alive, Sansa too." Torrhen reassured her.
"They aren't here though, they aren't safe. You're safe."
"We need to be strong Mother; we need to show this Targaryen that she needs us." Torrhen told her.
"I still don't see why we have to do this."
"We have no other options; I'm not surrendering myself to the Boltons." Torrhen muttered darkly.
"Then we make sure we win. I want them all dead Tor, the Lannisters, the Freys, the Boltons, all of them."
"We will make them pay. They will rue the day they betrayed House Stark, Winter is Coming and we'll bring the cold." Torrhen said venomously.
Daenerys was taking her first court of her time in Meereen, and first up was a rather skittish man carrying something in a roll of cloth.
"You stand before Daenerys Stormborn of the House Targaryen, the First of Her Name, the Unburnt, Queen of Meereen, Queen of the Andals and the First Men, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Breaker of Chains and Mother of Dragons." Missandei announced to the man.
"Don't be afraid, my friend." Daenerys told him kindly. The man stayed where he was.
"The Queen says you may approach and speak." Missandei gestured for the man to come closer. He walked gingerly to the steps leading up to the throne and began talking in Ghiscari, a language Dany didn't understand.
"He is a goatherd. He says he prayed for your victory against the slave masters." Missandei interpreted.
"I thank him for his prayers." Daenerys said. Missandei interpreted and the goatherd knelt down and placed the charred remains of a goat on the floor, and began speaking again.
"It was your dragons, he says. They came this morning for his flock. He hopes he has not offended Your Grace, but now he has nothing." Missandei told her, and Dany was shocked.
"Tell this man I am sorry for his hardship. I cannot bring back his goats, but I will see he is paid their value three times over." Dany said, and the man was ecstatic in his thanks, thanking Dany over and over in his native tongue, collecting the remains and backing out of the throne room. "Send the next one in."
In came one of the richer citizens of Meereen, and the man next to him announced him. "The noble Hizdahr zo Loraq begs an audience with the Queen."
"The noble Hizdahr zo Loraq can speak to me himself." Dany said coolly, and the announcer bowed and moved over to one side, allowing Hizdahr to walk up the steps and talk to Dany.
"Queen Daenerys. Tales of your beauty were not exaggerated." Hizdahr said politely in the common tongue of Westeros.
"I thank you." Dany said, bordering on sarcastic.
"Mine is one of the oldest and proudest families in Meereen."
"Then it is my honour to receive you." She replied, in the same tone as before.
"My father, one of Meereen's most respected and beloved citizens, oversaw the restoration and maintenance of its greatest landmarks. This pyramid included." Hizdahr told her.
"For that, he has my gratitude. I should be honoured to meet him." She said, sarcastically again.
"You have, Your Grace. You crucified him." Hizdahr told her cruelly, and Dany's face fell from amusement to cold. "I pray you'll never live to see a member of your family treated so cruelly."
"Your father crucified innocent children." She accused.
"My father spoke out against crucifying those children. He decried it as a criminal act, but was overruled." Hizdahr said. "Is it justice to answer one crime with another?"
"I am sorry you no longer have a father, but my treatment of the masters was no crime. You'd be wise to remember that." Dany threatened.
"What's done is done. You are the queen and I am a servant of Meereen, a servant who does not wish to see its traditions eradicated." Hizdahr said.
"And what traditions do you speak of?" Dany asked.
"The tradition of funeral rite. Proper burial in the Temple of the Graces. My father and 162 noble Meereenese are still nailed to those posts, carrion for vultures, rotting in the sun." Hizdahr pleaded, kneeling before Daenerys. "Your Grace, I ask that you order these men taken down so that they might receive proper burials."
"And what of the slave children these noble Meereenese crucified? They were rotting in the sun as well. Would you have begged me for their right to a proper burial?" She said accusingly.
"Your Grace, I cannot defend the actions of the masters. I can only speak to you as a son who loved his father. Let me take his body down. Let me have him brought to the temple and buried with dignity so that he might find peace in the next world." Hizdahr pleaded.
After a moment of thought, Dany told him kindly. "Bury your father, Hizdahr zo Loraq."
"Thank you, my queen." And Hizdahr strode out of the room.
"How many more?" Dany asked sadly.
"There are 212 supplicants waiting, Your Grace." Missandei told her.
"212?" Dany asked, surprised. Sighing, she ordered. "Send the next one in."
The fleet docked at a port on the Eastern side of Volantis, just off of the long bridge, and they found themselves sat at a tavern on the bridge drinking solemnly. Torrhen found it fairly amusing how he felt more comfortable in battle than he did being in and around the large crowds of the Volantene markets, but he couldn't portray it as the feeling of losing Arya was too overwhelming. Some of his men were enjoying themselves with some of the whores on offer, but Torrhen was just sat to one side, letting them have their fun before they set sail. Catelyn was sat next to him, sipping at a drink but clearly not enjoying it.
"It's strange, this is the city Talisa grew up in, and we have no way of being able to find her family to tell them she's dead." Torrhen mumbled.
"One of the reigning Triarchs is a Maegyr…" Catelyn started, still unemotional after Arya.
"She told me she wasn't from the main branch, that's why we couldn't get any men from Volantis." Torrhen said bitterly.
"I'm sorry ser, I do not speak your Westerosi tongue but did you say Talisa Maegyr?" One of the whores asked in Low Valyrian, saddling up to Torrhen and perching herself on his lap. "I know of her, she helped my mother when she was sick."
"Prove that you know her and are not just trying to trick me." Torrhen asked suspiciously, his use of the language surprising Cat until she remembered Maester Luwin tried to teach all of the children Valyrian, although Torrhen and Arya were the only ones that seemed slightly interested.
"She always wore a dull blue and hated the slavery, she left to help people in a truly free city. I can take you to her family for a price." She said teasingly, fingering the hem of her skirts. Cat had forgotten most of her Valyrian lessons as a child but Torrhen considered himself almost fluent, and understood every word. He pushed her off his knee onto the floor and pulled out a knife to her throat, silencing the tavern as they stared at the altercation.
"You will take me to them now, or I will cut out your tongue and scar your body, meaning you can never work again" He growled, his Valyrian slightly rusty but she understood nonetheless. Terrified, the girl nodded, so Torrhen put away his blade but kept stern eyes on the girl, who had gotten up and led him to the exit of the tavern. "Four of you, with me." He ordered, and four men followed him.
The girl took them to a small shop, where they waited as she sent a message, and after impatiently waiting for a few hours, in came an older couple, nervous about being so far away from the Western side of the city.
"This is them, can I go now Westerosi?" The whore spat. Torrhen nodded and the girl ran off. The elder woman's face turned as if she had smelt Flea Bottom.
"Westerosi? Why have we been summoned here for a foreigner." She asked.
"My Lord, My Lady, I am Torrhen Stark." Torrhen began slowly, trying to remember everything.
"Stark? My Talisa wed some Westerosi savage named Stark." Lady Maegyr said.
"Yes, my brother Robb."
"I am sorry, I expected the first Stark I met to be my daughters husband." Lord Maegyr told him kindly.
"He was looking forward to meeting you, but I'm afraid I come with bad news." Torrhen said sadly. "King Robb and Queen Talisa were betrayed by one of their subjects, and were mercilessly killed before a wedding." Torrhen said, trying to stay strong as he remembered the sight atop the Twins. The elder couple gasped, searching his eyes for any lies. When they found none their reactions couldn't have been more different. Talisa's mother began emotionally screaming obscenities at him, trying to physically attack Torrhen, while Talisa's father tried to keep her back, wrapping her in his arms and nodding politely to Torrhen, thanking him for telling them.
"I know you did not have to come here, I… I thank you on behalf of my family." He choked.
"She was a brave woman; it was an honour to know her." Torrhen bowed his head, he may not have liked her but he could not deny her courage or how much she evidently cared for Robb. "I would have liked to have brought her bones back, but due to the betrayal I didn't have a chance, I don't even have my brothers." Torrhen said bitterly.
They held small talk for another few minutes, but Talisa's parents had to leave soon or they'd be stuck on the bridge that night, so her father wished them well, and took his still crying wife away. Torrhen sighed loudly, wishing it had gone better, but pleased that he felt lighter after telling them. Finding his way back to the tavern he noticed it was empty, so he walked back to Frostfang.
His mother was stood at the point where Arya had been blown overboard, silent, and Torrhen knew that she would be furious at his next words.
"I want to go to see the Doom." He told her, looking up at the Long Bridge. He didn't look at her as he couldn't tell if she would be upset or angry. It turned out it was the latter.
"You WHAT?" Cat screamed. "No, no I will not allow it!"
"Mother, hear me out." Torrhen pleaded.
"I've lost two children, one is probably North of the Wall right now, another is in the clutches of the Lannisters and my youngest is roaming the North with a Wildling. You are the only one I know is safe and you want to go on a suicide mission? No, I cannot support this." Cat ranted.
"I'm not asking you to support it, I'm telling you what I plan on doing. I think I know the safest route possible and I won't risk myself unnecessarily." Torrhen told her. "We could find something that will aide us in getting the Targaryen girl to hear us out, to not kill us on sight. I will do anything to make it easier to get Sansa back, to get our home back"
"Or you could get yourself killed! Nobody has come back from there Tor, nobody." Cat started to sob. Torrhen took her in his arms and tried to soothe her.
"I will take 50 men, I will be quick and if things look like they will turn out badly we will come straight back to the ship. This I swear to you on your gods and mine." Torrhen said regally. Cat sniffed and looked up at her son, who had now grown taller than her.
"I remember when you were born. Such a small little baby that wouldn't let go of your sister's hand for a second." She laughed slightly. "Now look at you, a king."
"You raised me to be strong, I have to do this. We have nothing that the Targaryen needs except men, we need more than that."
"You have the Stark name." Cat insisted.
"It isn't enough." Torrhen told her. "With any luck we can find dragon eggs and hatch them ourselves, imagine how much shit Roose Bolton would make when he sees that!"
"When do we leave?" Cat asked, changing the subject away from the man who murdered her son.
"Tomorrow, as soon as all of the men are back from warming a whores bed." Torrhen told her.
Tyrion was seething. His trial was going horribly, with witness after witness lying, twisting his own words so it would seem that he was the one to kill Joffrey. Shae's 'testimony' was the final straw and he mumbled. "Father, I wish to confess. I wish to confess!"
"You wish to confess?" Tywin Lannister asked loudly, for all in the Throne Room to hear. Tyrion turned round to the gathered crowd, looking as evil as the crime he was wrongly accused of.
"I saved you. I saved this city and all your worthless lives." He snarled. "I should have let Stannis kill you all." There were loud outcries of protest from the crowd.
"Tyrion. Do you wish to confess?" Tywin called again.
"Yes, Father. I'm guilty. Guilty. Is that what you want to hear?" He asked.
"You admit you poisoned the king?"
"No, of that I'm innocent." Tyrion told him. "I'm guilty of a far more monstrous crime. I am guilty of being a dwarf."
"You are not on trial for being a dwarf."
"Oh, yes, I am. I've been on trial for that my entire life." Tyrion snarled.
"Have you nothing to say in your defence?"
"Nothing but this- I did not do it. I did not kill Joffrey, but I wish that I had." He spat venomously, turning to Cersei. "Watching your vicious bastard die gave me more relief than 1,000 lying whores." He turned back to the crowd behind him. "I wish I was the monster you think I am. I wish I had enough poison for the whole pack of you. I would gladly give my life to watch you all swallow it."
"Ser Meryn. Ser Meryn. Escort the prisoner back to his cell." Tywin called, standing from the throne.
Tyrion wasn't done though, snarling at his father again. "I will not give my life for Joffrey's murder. And I know I'll get no justice here, so I will let the gods decide my fate. I demand a trial by combat."
The room was outraged, Lords and Ladies looking nervous and the crowd crying in outrage. Prince Oberyn, one of the judges looked on questioningly. None of that mattered to Tyrion though, he only had eyes for his father, as the two of them locked eyes with venomous glares.
I had to write something from the trial, it's just SUCH a good scene.
Volantis made sense as well, they'd need to stop somewhere and it gave me a chance to wrap up Talisa's storyline. It may be a bit of a lucky coincidence but oh well, I enjoyed thinking up her parent's reactions.
The other bits were natural, starting to bring more of Dany in as we gear up to the meeting of Wolf and Dragon.
Torrhen was always going to want to go to Valyria as well, thanks to Lilo23 for the idea, but I can rule out dragon eggs making an appearance.
Hint for Episode 7: Torrhen reaches the Doom.
I'm unsure of how to describe the ruins of Valyria, so if anyone has any thoughts, please do leave a review with ideas.
Reviews:
Lightningscar: It was intentional, the sword had just been used to behead another person and the blood was still warm. Jaime was treated as kindly as he could be when with Torrhen, remember he stood up for him in front of his men.
War Sage: He still has his name, which holds a lot of sway in the North.
jean d'arc: We have 2 left, Asher and Ryon. Elissa Forrester perished in the final fight with the Whitehills, but so did Ludd Whitehill.