Disclaimer: I don't own Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire
Alyssa I Targaryen
Book : The War of the Four Sovereigns
Chapter 6: The Battle of King's Landing
Beta:
The day after the last of the defectors had left Bitterbridge, Alyssa gathered the remaining Rainbow Guard in Bitterbridge's archery range. It was just Loras as Lord Commander, Ser Robar Royce, Ser Emmon Cuy and Brienne of Tarth left. Lord Bryce Caron, Ser Guyard Morrigen, and Ser Parmen Crane having decided to defect to Stannis after Renly's death.
"I suppose you might be wondering why I've summoned all of you here," Alyssa said as she paced stood in front of her four remaining sworn protectors. "It is quite simple actually. We will be beginning our march on King's Landing soon and before I do I would like to make some changes to the Rainbow Guard."
She looked across the four warriors for any sign of dissent but found none, so with a pleased grin she continued.
"Firstly, I'm changing the name of your order from the Rainbow Guard to Queensguard. As innovative as the Rainbow Guard is, tying it to the Faith of the Seven is problematic as not all of the Seven Kingdoms follows the Faith and it would not do for any King or Queen that professes to rule them all to so obviously privilege one Faith over the others. So where I can help it, I shall minimize this. In addition, Queensguard will also serve to hark back to the long standing Kingsguard as well which helps my legitimacy. I have no qualms with all of you maintaining your armor as is since it is a fitting tribute to Renly but I will not ask any future members to wear colored armor either."
"Your grace," Loras said stepping forward. "How then will we maintain a sense of identity?"
Alyssa blinked at that. She hadn't considered that point at all.
"What would you suggest Lord Commander?"
"Perhaps a compromise?" He suggested. "We maintain our current armor as tributes to King Renly as you say, but wear a piece in the White of the old Kingsguard?"
"That is a good compromise." Alyssa said agreeably. "Can I leave the decision of which armor piece to be changed up to you and your fellow Queensguard? I know nothing of armor."
"Of course, your grace." Loras said with a grateful bow and stepped back in line with his fellows.
Seeing this, Alyssa continued.
"In addition to the issue of armor, I would also like to retain the Rainbow Guard's lack of restriction in regards to owning land, marriage, or having children. Furthermore, to make this more manageable, I intend to make service in the Guard a matter of terms of five years allowing for more easy replacement of members as and when required. Of course, those who wish to serve longer may request new terms of service but the reigning monarch shall reserve the right to grant or refuse such requests."
This was met with nods of relief from Ser Robar Royce and Ser Emmon Cuy, to whom Alyssa offered a smile.
"Lastly, I want to introduce a new addition to the Guard." Alyssa said gesturing for an immense bald man with a large mustache stepped forward from where he had been standing patiently nearby. "This is Ser Wendel Manderly, he accompanied my brother's party south and I have decided to induct him into the Guard where I hope he will represent the North with honor."
"I will do so or die trying, your grace." Ser Wendel said with a polite bow.
"Your grace," Loras said sounding uncertain even as he eyed the rotund knight warily, expressing the skepticism at her choice of the rest of her Queensguard. "Is Ser Wendel's appointment purely a political move?"
"Hardly," Alyssa said with a giggle. "Ser Wendel perhaps you should demonstrate your impressive skill with a bow."
"As you command, your grace." Ser Wendel said as he moved to one of the firing positions of the range, unslinging the longbow across his back and got into a ready position.
As he fired shot after shot, Alyssa watched the looks of skepticism on her other Queensguard vanish as Ser Wendel hit the bullseye on all the targets, on more than one occasion splitting the previous arrow embedded in half in the process, despite firing as quickly as he could draw back his bow which was impressively fast in its own right as he worked his way through all the arrows in his quiver.
"Now do you see why I chose Ser Wendel to join the Guard?" Alyssa asked rhetorically when the master archer finally ran out of arrows. "As a dragonrider, I will inevitably spend a significant amount of time on Ghost's back where a sword is not as useful as a bow, it was with this in mind that I chose Ser Wendel, renowned throughout the North for his archery skills, for the post."
"A wise choice, your grace." Loras said. "Apologies Ser Wendel for our doubts."
"Think nothing of it Lord Commander," the Northern Knight waved the apology away. "I understand your doubts. If you didn't have them, you wouldn't be worthy protectors of her grace."
This seemed to endear Ser Wendel even more to the rest of her Queensguard as they offered him pleased grins.
"Your grace."
"Yes Lord Commander?"
"What of the two remaining seats? Do you have any candidates in mind?"
"They shall remain open for the moment." Alyssa told him. "It is my hope that in time they can be filled by worthy warriors from other Kingdoms."
"A noble goal, your grace." Loras said offering his agreement.
Settling the reform of the Rainbow Guard into her Queensguard was only one matter Alyssa had to handle before the army began marching on King's Landing at long last, another matter was the situation at the Wall which her Scrying of Castle Black and of Mance Rayder showed her was growing critical. Hence, she had summoned Robb to her solar to discuss a response.
"Alys, you wanted to see me?" Robb asked as he entered the room.
"Yes, Robb." Alyssa said gesturing for him to take a seat. "Tell me what do you of the situation at the Wall?"
"The Wall?" Robb asked, surprised by the question even as he took his seat in front of her desk. "Last I heard, the Lord Commander Mormont was killed. Supposedly by wights, or so the new Lord Commander Thorne says but that's likely just stories."
"It isn't," Alyssa told him and he startled. "But that threat is not the pressing one. Look."
Silently casting a Scrying spell and Minor Illusion she created an image over the desk of a vast Wildling host massing to attack the Wall.
"The Wildlings, or Free Folk as they preferred to be called, have fled from their homes due to the Others and their wight hordes and rallied under the banner of a new King-Beyond-the-Wall, a Night's Watch deserter named Mance Rayder." Alyssa told her brother based more on knowledge from her past life than what she had learned in this one.
Much to her chagrin, she'd been so preoccupied with affairs in the South that except for the occasional Scrying spell to check on events at the Wall and beyond she had barely paid the matter any mind. It was thus pure luck that she had spotted the mustering of Mance Rayder's army in time to formulate a response as was the fact that her friend from her past life, Samwell Tarly, was still alive without her there to aid him.
"How many are there?" Robb asked as he got over the shock of what she was showing him.
"Around sixteen thousand." Alyssa told him recalling an estimate Stannis Baratheon had made after he'd defeated Mance's army during the Battle beneath the Wall in her past life.
"The Night's Watch can't possibly hope to stand against such a large force." Robb declared. "They have less than a thousand men at best."
Less than six hundred actually, Alyssa corrected mentally recalling the dire situation her past life had been faced with after the Attack at the Fist of the First Men.
"Exactly," Alyssa told him. "That's why you need to send ravens North immediately to arrange for men to go support the Night's Watch. It will slow the efforts to drive out the Ironborn but if the Free Folk-"
"If the Wildlings get through the Wall, we'll fight a two front war." Robb said with alarm, cutting her off and stood. "I'll prepare the missives immediately."
"Robb wait!" Alyssa called out. "I want you to give orders to capture as many of the Wildlings as you can afterwards, even the women and children. And burn the dead."
"Why?"
"If we don't. The Others will raise the dead as wights and kill the survivors to do the same, adding them to their Army of the Dead."
Robb rolled his eyes in disbelief. "You can't believe in the Others-"
Alyssa's reply was to alter the image of her Minor Illusion, causing it to show a memory from her past life of a white walker and a band of wights at Hardhome. It hadn't happened yet and Lord Nameless forbid, it would never happen but despite the subtle deception it managed to get the point across.
"Good gods!" Robb gasped as he saw the monstrous wights and their inhuman master. "They're real? You've seen them with your magic?"
"Yes," Alyssa told him a half-truth. She had actively avoided Scrying the Others, especially since the only one of their kind she knew was the Night King and she did not want to risk him knowing of her until it was absolutely necessary.
Robb paled and Alyssa continued, dismissing the illusion completely.
"I know convincing the Northern lords to obey will not be easy so tell them that the Free Folk will be forcibly settled in the Gift where they will become smallfolk and support the Night's Watch."
Tearing his eyes off where the image of the Other had been just moments ago, Robb nodded.
"Can the Watch trust the Wildlings though?"
"The fear of the Others will keep them mostly in line for now but in the long run Winterfell will have to manage it, in exchange for a cut of the land's taxes of course. Of course any other Houses willing to assist in such will likewise receive the same benefit."
"I think I can convince most of the lords." Robb said. "But some of them-"
"If anyone refuses, refer them to me." Alyssa told him. "But handle Mance Rayder's attack first."
Robb nodded.
"Oh, and before I forget. After you have repelled the attack, work with the Night's Watch and any Free Folk that might volunteer to arrange for an expedition to head beyond the Wall to capture at least one Wight but preferably two or three and bring them to Castle Black."
"Why- Ah! You want to use them to convince the lords of their existence."
"And the need to fight them yes."
"I'll get it done, sister." Robb assured her. "If there's nothing else?"
"No, that's all." Alyssa told him with a grin. "Go send those ravens."
Nodding, Robb turned and left leaving Alyssa to worry over the situation at the Wall. She had many friends there from her last life, friends that she'd probably doomed or at least consigned to a harder life by choosing in this life to focus on matters in the South first. The guilt of that gnawed at her.
Lady Jeyne Darry had very much enjoyed her time as a lady in waiting to Queen Alyssa. The Queen was as personable and friendly as she remembered her from her brief visit to Darry almost a year ago in spite of her greatly elevated station. That her grace was also surprisingly frugal and insistent on tending to most of her personal care meant there was also surprisingly little for her to do except stand around waiting expectantly for the Queen to need something. Jeyne was performing just such a duty one day as they encamped somewhere along the Roseroad whilst the Queen was preparing her plans to attack King's Landing by looking over a map of the city and the surrounding region when an unexpected visitor arrived.
"Your grace, Lord Varys seeks an audience." Ser Robar Royce said as he entered the tent, looking perturbed.
Alyssa looked up in surprise. "What? How come this is the first I heard of him being in our camp? Did he just suddenly appear out of nowhere?"
"It certainly seemed like it," the Queensguard said. Jeyne's fellow ladies in waiting had described him as comely in a rough-hewn way but she regarded as merely plain then again she regarded most men that way.
"Was there a group walking by just before he appeared?" the Queen asked for some reason.
"Now that you mention it, your grace, yes there was."
"Parlor tricks then," the Queen said with a dismissive snort. "But whatever the source of his tricks, the Spider is useful. Send him in."
"As you command, your grace."
A moment later the plump, bald, and effeminate eunuch that had been the Master of Whisperers for three Kings stood before the Queen with Ser Royce standing behind him as an escort, his hand firmly on the hilt of his sword.
"Why have you come Lord Varys?" Alyssa asked, leaning back in her chair and looking the picture of impatience. "I had thought that after you vanished after my rampage at the Sept of Baelor that you had made your way back across the Narrow Sea to Essos and wherever you called home, washing your hands of Westerosi affairs."
"Never, your grace," The perfumed eunuch said with a low bow. "I would never abandon the Realm. I have come to offer you my services."
"Why me though?" Alyssa questioned. "You could have continued serving Joffrey Waters or sought out Stannis or even tried your luck with Greyjoy. Why choose me?"
"I have always worked for the best of the Realm, your grace. For stability. And now, I feel that the Seven Kingdoms' best hope for that is with you."
"Even though you are known for your distrust of magic users and I am openly a mage?"
Varys blinked in surprise, though Jeyne wasn't certain he was genuine. Among other things, a Master of Whisperers had to be an expert actor and there was no one alive more worthy of the title than the Spider.
"I am surprised, your grace, that you know that detail about me."
He's using the Queen's formal address far too often to be wholly natural. What is his game?
"While I do not have your little birds, Lord Varys, I do have my own means of learning secrets."
"You impress me again, your grace." The Spider said with a grin. "You impress me enough that I am willing to make an exception in regards to my distrust of magicians."
Queen Alyssa looked at the eunuch searchingly for a long moment before coming to a decision.
"Very well," she said sounding resigned more than anything else. "I will accept your service and place you as my Master of Whisperers but you must provide me with something first."
"I understand. Would word from the former Targaryen Loyalists among Stannis' forces that they are willing to defect to your side at a provided signal suffice? Or the means to safely correspond with them to make arrangements without our enemies knowing?"
"That is helpful but something I could manage on my own." Her grace said with a dismissive wave. "No, I want to know news from within the capitol."
"I trust that you already know that your sister was forcefully wed to Tyrion Lannister?" Lord Varys asked.
The Queen nodded, her eyes narrowed in anger. Jeyne remembered well how incensed her grace had been when the news first reached their camp. She had stiffened like she was a statue, no perhaps a glacier would be a more appropriate comparison considering the cold rage she'd radiated then. This reminded Jeyne of the Queen's reaction to the first attempt to rescue Lady Sansa from King's Landing using the Gate spell which had been thwarted by the constant guards kept around her person and their willingness to use take her life hostage. Said failure and those of the subsequent attempts having just incensed the Queen further.
"I am aware. At last report, the marriage was still unconsummated."
Lord Varys winced slightly at that.
"I'm afraid, your grace, that your information is somewhat out of date. My little birds tell me that the couple, at Lady Sansa's request, began being intimate some time ago." Lord Varys said as delicately as he could, watching nervously as the Queen's eyes literally began to blaze as he spoke, "Furthermore, evidence suggests that while it has not yet been announced, the Lady Sansa is pregnant with her husband's child."
For a moment the tent was consumed by absolute silence. The only sound coming from the crackling flames of the candles and braziers that illuminated its interior. Then suddenly the Queen's fury erupted and standing she slammed her hand into the campaign desk where she'd been reviewing maps earlier which was promptly consumed by a fireball.
"Out!" The Queen roared. "Everyone out! Now!"
Some of the more cowardly fled immediately, but the rest stayed.
"Didn't you hear me!? Out!" Her grace demanded as an aura of flames surrounded her.
At this, most of the rest retreated, ushered out by Lord Varys and Ser Royce. The knight gestured at Jeyne to follow him, but she ignored him and instead moved to the Queen.
"It's going to be alright, Alys." Jeyne told her friend, addressing her with the pet name that she had been told to use when in private even as she hugged her close.
The Queen did not respond, just cried inconsolably into Jeyne's shoulder muttering about how she'd failed her sister. The eldest Darry child did not know how long she just held Alys but eventually the Lady Margaery arrived.
Jeyne opened her mouth to explain to the Queen's Mistress what happened and avoid being misconstrued as having been in an intimate situation with the other woman's lover but to her surprise, the Lady Margaery simply waved her attempt away and knelt down beside them.
"Alys, why don't you come with me and take a rest?" The Tyrell coaxed. "We can talk about what's got you so upset in private there, how about that?"
Jeyne honestly did not think something like that would be enough but much to her surprise Alys did disentangle herself and turned towards her mistress.
"Margey?"
"Yes, it's me." Lady Margaery said, running a hand over the Queen's face and wiping away her tears. "Want to come with me?"
Nodding liking she was a little child, the usually strong looking Queen allowed her mistress to help her back to her feet and pull her close, before walking off towards their private tent.
All the whilst, Jeyne could only look on with longing.
Much to her own personal annoyance and Margey's worry, Alyssa didn't get the time to fully overcome her upset over the news of Sansa's pregnancy as just two days later they arrived at the position from which they planned to strike at King's Landing. Thus Alyssa was forced to push aside her emotions and don the mask of the confident Witch Queen as she observed Stannis' attack on King's Landing with her lords from the safety of the command tent, a day's journey from the city through the use of a Scrying spell coupled with an Illusion.
Stannis had chosen to start the battle with a naval engagement and had sent his numerically superior navy up the Blackwater Rush to secure it which would allow his army on its southern shore to cross it and attack the city. A tactic that seemed to be going well as his ships brushed aside the Royal Fleet's stubborn resistance despite heavy support by various siege machines mounted on the walls, and especially the three trebuchets built on Visenya's Hill, and they advanced up the river to get into position to ferry the large Baratheon host in the Kingswood to the flat ground outside the Lion Gate where they could most easily form up for their main attack.
"Those siege weapons will be a threat to our troops." Lord Mace said, stating the obvious.
"I'll handle them first when the time comes." Alyssa assured him.
"What are those hulks the Lannisters are launching?" The slight man that was Lord Beric Dondarrion freshly rescued from his guerilla war against the Lannisters in the Riverlands asked. "Are they trying to clog the river with them to block Stannis' fleet?"
"No. That wouldn't work." The balding and stoop shouldered Lord Paxter Redwyne said, offering his naval expertise. "There must be some trick-"
The trick presented itself as one of Stannis' ships rammed one of the hulks and it promptly exploded in a massive green explosion.
"Wildfire!" Lord Redwyne breathed, expressing the shocked awe of the assembled lords. "The Lannisters are using Wildfire fire ships!"
I knew the Imp would do this but to actually see it happen is another thing entirely. Alyssa thought as she took a moment to take in the carnage as the Blackwater Rush was transformed by the Wildfire into a sea of green flames.
"Lord Redwyne!" Alyssa shouted as she regained her wits. "Does Stannis still have enough ships to ferry his army across to the northern bank?"
The commander of the Redwyne fleet did some quick calculations as he surveyed the scene before turning to Alyssa with a frown.
"Yes, he does your grace."
"Then despite the Imp's brilliant use of Wildfire, Stannis has won this round of the battle." Alyssa declared. "Let us check on Lord Tywin's position shall we?"
With that she changed the target of her Scrying spell to Lord Tywin and the image projected by the Illusion changed with it to show the tall, slender, broad-shouldered Lion of the Rock standing in a command tent discussing something with his lieutenants.
"They've made camp." Ser Loras pointed out. "Your grace, could you give us a bird's eye view? Perhaps we can spot some landmarks that might help us identify their location."
"I can do one better," Alyssa said as she adjusted her spell, causing the image to slowly move skyward from Tywin himself. Pulling out of the tent, it showed a large Lannister host making camp before pulling back even further until it was possible to discern King's Landing and the burning Wildfire on the Blackwater on the edges of the projection.
There were murmurs of awe at this feat, but Alyssa ignored them as she frowned when she noticed Tywin's position.
"He's closer to King's Landing than we are." Robb noted. "Why isn't his force marching to the city to reinforce it against Stannis? Is he-"
"Thinking of hitting them in the rear most likely." The lean and balding man with a short, bristly grey beard that was Lord Randyll Tarly opined. Alyssa honestly hated the man for how he had treated his son in this life and her last, but the man's military skill was undeniable and she simply could not afford to alienate him.
"Most likely," Alyssa agreed as she dismissed her spells, though a satisfied smile spread across her face. "All is at last in place. All the key Lannister leaders and Stannis along with their armies are finally within our grasp. It is almost time to take them all out in one fell swoop as we had planned."
There was murmurings of eager agreement from everyone.
"We just need a little more patience," Alyssa said, more to herself than her lords. "Neither Stannis nor Tywin are in a position to act any time soon. The former will take the rest of the day, at least, to ferry his troops across the river and Tywin will only act after Stannis has. So for now we wait."
There were murmurs of agreement from the gathered lords.
"But my lords," Alyssa said as she stood. "Tell your men to prepare themselves for it is likely that we will be taking the field tomorrow."
Alyssa watched from atop Ghost's back and through his superior sight he relayed to her in a steady stream of images that was at once similar to but completely different from her past life's limited experiences with Warging as Stannis' army advanced on King's Landing western wall.
Much to the surprise of her and her advisors, Stannis had somehow managed to prepare siege engines of his own beforehand and brought them with him, presumably in pieces on his ships. Having assembled them overnight, he was now using them to cover his men as they sought to scale the capitol's formidable walls.
The fighting had been going on for hours now and this was Alyssa's fifth flight up to check on its progress. Not that there was much to observe, as the fighting was wholly indecisive.
"Your grace," Loras said from behind her where he'd been keeping watch in the direction of where they knew the Westermen army was. "Tywin's army is here."
Spinning to look in the direction, Alyssa smiled as she saw the lead elements of Tywin Lannister's army were indeed marching towards Stannis' exposed rear.
"Aye and Stannis sees them too or will soon." Ser Wendel, the other Queensguard she taken aloft with her said as he pointed to the many Baratheon scouts galloping desperately to deliver the news of the arrival of the new enemy to their lords.
A task that they accomplished with time to spare. And to her goodbrother's credit, he reacted with impressive speed as within minutes of the first scout making it to his camp he was reinforcing his rear and preparing for an attack.
Alyssa herself was not idle however and had used that same time to use a Message to contact her own men.
Robb. She sent telepathically to her brother through the spell. Tywin's forces are attacking. Prepare our own men. I'll be opening the Gate shortly.
Understood. Robb sent back. We'll be ready.
Cutting the connection, Alyssa waited with anticipation as the Lannister army charged Stannis' camp. She gave it a good fifteen minutes after that to make sure both sides were fully committed, a nerve wracking time for everyone in the air with her as they itched to make their move.
But only when she was sure that the battle was in full swing did she call on her magic.
"Gate!" She cast, causing a massive oval shaped vertical portal of swirling darkness to open both in front of her camp and at the flank of the two already fighting armies.
The move expectedly caught the two armies by surprise and thus neither were able to react meaningfully as her knights charged out of the portal in a massive arrowhead formation. They cut deeply into the enemy ranks, opening ground to allow her infantry to march out to replace the knights as they wheeled away. This probably created more than enough confusion among her enemies, but Alyssa was not done quite yet. Reacting to the arrival of her army as the signal that it was, Targaryen Loyalists among the Crownlands contingent of Stannis' army promptly turned on him, defecting to her side and hastily throwing up Targaryen banners of red and black.
"Hang on," Alyssa told her Queensguard. "We're going in. Ghost!"
She did not even need to tell her dragon what to do, acting on a deep eagerness he dove down towards the thickest concentration of enemy troops on the plain far below.
"Dracarys!" Alyssa commanded as they got within range, the word rolling off her tongue easily despite it being the first time she'd spoken it. Her familiar dutifully unleashing his dragonfire at her call, sending a jet of white flame shooting from his maw as he strafed the enemy lines that froze and burned in equal measure, killing hundreds with a single pass.
The various siege weapon engineers desperately tried to train their weapons at her, sending scorpion bolts and boulders flying at her in a bid to recreate the Ullers' feat of killing Qheen Rhaenys Targaryen and Meraxes during the First Dornish War. Sadly none of them had anywhere near the same luck and the shots all flew past by large margins causing Alyssa to start to feel that the Mage Armor she'd cast over Ghost had been as unnecessary as he told her it would be.
Nevertheless, the siege weapons needed to be dealt with.
"Ghost, torch the siege engines!" She ordered her dragon who winged towards the nearest cluster of the aforementioned weapons without once letting up on the continual stream of dragonfire he was breathing on the unfortunate souls beneath them.
At the same time, Alyssa targeted the three large trebuchets on Visenya's Hill.
"Blizzard!" She cast sending hundreds of ice shards, some as large as small houses falling down from the sky onto the area where the three machines had been set up, crashing them without much trouble.
By the time her spell petered out and the trebuchets were little more than kindling, Ghost was banking towards the city where he proceeded to strafe the walls where the majority of the Lannister machines had been installed. Deciding to help him along, Alyssa began hurling explosive Freezing Spheres at the weapons on the far side of the city from where they were. Working together, they had cleared the walls of all siege weapons after only completing three quarters of a circuit of the walls.
At this point, Alyssa shot the Red Keep a longing look as they flew past it but Loras grabbed her shoulder.
"It can wait." The Lord Commander of her Queensguard said firmly. "If I can forego my chance at personal vengeance against Stannis for the greater good. Then you can do the same. The men on the ground need us."
"Ser Loras is right, your grace." Ser Wendel chimed in.
Alyssa frowned but nodded.
"Ghost, take us back to the battle outside the city."
"Looks like her Queensguard finally managed to pressure the Queen off the battlefield to get some rest," the Greatjon commented almost absently as he cut down a pair of unlucky Red Cloaks with a swing of his greatsword.
Glancing back towards their camp, Robb noted that the massive form of his sister's dragon was indeed flying away from the battlefield at last.
"She's reckless." Robb replied to the Lord of Last Hearth as he slashed Ice at his opponent and the Valyrian steel blade easily cut through the other man's blade as he brought it in a guard and tore open his throat. "She's pregnant yet still insists on joining the battle."
"At least she's doing it atop that dragon of hers," Greatjon retorted. "That's a lot safer than if she was fighting down here. Though even if she was she'd still be doing better than most of you lot!"
The last was shouted at the men who opposed them as they fought their way up Aegon's High Hill towards the Red Keep. They had mostly secured the city by this point, the Gold Cloaks had even surrendered an hour ago after Alys had shattered the Lion Gate with Ghost's dragonfire to allow their men to swarm through the walls, but despite the foregone conclusion that the battle had become the Lannisters still refused to yield.
"Olyvar, any news from Lord Mace?" Robb asked his squire as they moved a little ways back from the heat of the fighting.
"No my lord," the loyal boy said with a shake of his head. "Not since that last runner brought news that he was going with Lord Varys to access the Red Keep through the secret passages."
"Archers!" Someone shouted and Robb and Olyvar both turned to look up at the top of the Red Keep's curtain walls where it seemed the Lannisters had managed chip enough of the towering blocks ice Alyssa and Ghost had created there to deploy their archers once more. Sadly for them, they had only managed to clear a small portion of the wall thus leaving the handful of bowmen who made easy targets for the combined weight of fire for the Loyalist archers who rained down enough arrows on the tiny section of wall to silent the enemy within a few minutes.
"That's the third time they tried that," Olyvar pointed out. "And the third time it failed. Why do they keep trying something that they must know wouldn't work?"
"Because they are desperate." Robb told him. "And desperate men do stupid things. Now let's rejoin the fight. It's almost over."
Olyvar nodded and the two of them began walking unhurriedly back towards the frontlines which Robb noted had advanced noticeably since he'd broken off for his short break. The desperate Red Cloaks and their remaining allies forced to give ground inch by inch as the weight of the loyalist numbers pushed them back. Not helped by how they had used consistent pressure to prevent them from forming up into a proper shield wall or any cohesive formation for that matter after their last attempt to do so at the base of the Hill had been torn apart by a pillar of fire that Alys had sent down upon them with her magic.
He'd just rejoined the lines and soon found himself thick in the action when an axe wielding Mountain Clansmen from the Vale leapt at him. Robb ducked to the side, narrowly avoiding the powerful overhead blow that likely would have cut him open from head to groin. A little too powerful it turned out as the Valeman's axe embedded itself into the cobblestone street, leaving him open as he struggled to pull it out. It was not Robb how finished him off though but Olyvar who stabbed the distracted man through the heart from behind.
"You alright, milord?" The young squire asked.
"Yes. Thank you Olyvar." Robb said as he stabbed a recklessly charging Red Cloak who couldn't have been much older, if at all, from running his squire through with his spear.
The sudden sound of cheering caught everyone by surprise and the fighting paused for a moment as the combatants turned to see its cause and found the great bronze gate of the Red Keep's gatehouse opening and Reachmen pouring out from within.
"Looks like Lord Mace managed to get in." Robb noted with a grin.
"Looks like, milord." Olyvar agreed.
"Sard this!" A Red Cloak nearby declared loudly as he dropped his sword. "I yield!"
For a moment his fellows hesitated so Robb decided to give them an incentive.
"Give quarter to all who yield!" Robb shouted. "Lord Stark, cousin to the Queen, commands it!"
With this assurance, the sounds of discarded swords and cries of men giving their surrender began to drown out everything else.
"Lord Stark," Mace Tyrell greeted his gooddaughter's brother-cousin as he joined him in the sunken courtyard of the main building of the Red Keep.
Oh, he knew that the Queen wasn't technically his gooddaughter but his Margaery had the girl so tightly wound around her little finger that she might as well be. It was for this reason, and the Queen's terrifying dragon and magic, that he made no objection to Margey's lost chance at being Queen. She might not have the title, but being one in all but name was good enough especially when her lover was as powerful as Alyssa I Targaryen.
"Lord Mace, Ser Garlan." The young Stark lord greeted him and his son. "Are your men still securing the keep?"
"Yes, my lord." Garlan told the younger man. "Lord Varys is assisting them."
"Waters has not surrendered even now?" Stark asked, incredulous.
"No." Mace told him with an equally exasperated shake of his head. "Perhaps he is as mad as they say and is delusional enough to think he can somehow still win."
"That or he thinks he can use the nobles of his court as hostages." Garlan suggested instead. "According to the prisoners we've taken, he ordered them all brought to the Great Hall when the battle began this morning."
"If so then we have hostages of our own," the young Stark countered. "I got word before I arrived that my men have secured Tywin Lannister."
"Didn't he attempt an escape after the battle outside the walls turned into a bloodbath for his men?" Mace asked, curiously. "Your cavalry chased him down?"
Robb nodded. "With a little help from my direwolf. He tracked the old lion down for my riders."
"Well done, my lord." Garlan complimented the other Lord Paramount. "With him in custody there is a good chance we can force Waters' surrender."
"No need for that, my lords." Lord Varys said, appearing suddenly out of a section of wall that swung open a short distance away from where they stood, startling all three of them with Garlan and Stark drawing their swords. "Apologies. I seemed to have startled you."
"Please don't do that again, Lord Varys." Stark said as he sheathed Ice, the famous Valyrian steel greatsword of House Stark. A sight that filled Mace with jealousy that he quickly squashed.
"I will try, Lord Stark." The Spider said insincerely.
"You said we would not need to force Waters' surrender? Why?" Mace asked, getting to the point. He hated dealing with the Master of Whisperers, the man had an uncanny knack for knowing things which he shouldn't which considering his profession might have been forgivable if only he did not always flaunt his superior knowledge so.
"He has surrendered, Lord Tyrell." Lord Varys said with a grin.
"How?" Garlan asked, blinking in surprise. "Last I heard our men were still at least two levels from the Great Hall."
The Spider merely nodded back towards whence he came. "He became quite amenable to surrender when I led three hundred heavily armed and very enthusiastic knights directly into the Throne Room through the forgotten passages."
"Well done, Lord Varys." Robb Stark said with a grin. "You've saved us plenty of hard fighting. The Queen will be pleased."
Sansa Stark, she refused to be called Lannister no matter who her husband was, watched with no small amount of satisfaction as the usurper Joffrey Waters' world came crashing down around him as her sister and rightful Queen's armies tore their way through his men and advanced steadily towards the Great Hall of the Red Keep. Where like the coward that he was, Joffrey had holed up whilst taking what nobles from court he could round up as hostages.
"Do you think my sister will attempt to rescue me by magic again? Considering the circumstances it might work this time." Sansa asked eagerly.
"I doubt it. She'll likely try something more conventional this time, I imagine. Magic has failed her in that regard after all. It is time to rely on more mundane means." Tyrion said with a shake of his head. "Besides, I doubt your sister wants to draw too much attention to you at the moment, wife. Joffrey might get over his panic and remember you exist. To that end you are too obvious in your glee." Tyrion warned her in a harsh whisper, pushing her back into the back of the crowds and keeping them as out of sight as possible. "Your sister has not won yet. And until she has, we are not safe. We cannot risk earning Joffrey's ire. Think of the baby."
"You worry too much Tyrion," Sansa chided her husband. "He is too busy issuing orders to even notice us."
She wasn't wrong. Waters was in a flown blown panic, issuing one nonsensical order after another that must have seemed in his own deluded mind as being able to salvage his hopeless situation. His cronies had entertained him at first, sending messengers to relay his foolish orders but as they became ever more unhinged - Where in the Nine Hells would they find new scorpions after Alys had destroyed them all with her dragon and magic? - even the sycophants had started to ignore him. In fact, by his point no one was paying attention to the usurper as he raved like a madman.
"Still-"
Tyrion's cautious reproach was cut shot when screams erupted throughout the Great Hall and he spun around, drawing a dagger to defend them even as he passed her one as well.
I wish Bronn was here, Sansa thought absently of the loyal former sellsword that served as the captain of their guard who Joffrey had sent away with the bulk of the city's fighting men to fight in its futile defense.
He wasn't there however so it was just her and Tyrion armed and ready to die fighting if need be. A need that seemed unlikely as the couple were shocked to see dozens of heavily armed Reachmen, Northmen and Stormlanders suddenly surging into the hall from hidden openings in the walls. The few Red Cloaks present tried to put up a fight but they were so badly outnumbered that they barely lasted a few minutes before they were cut down.
Joffrey's Kingsguard fared better. But whilst they killed many of the attackers through their sheer skill even they were quickly brought low when the attackers brought crossbows into the fray.
"I surrender!" Waters cried as the last of his Kingsguard, Ser Preston Greenfield, fell and a wet stain began to spread over his groin.
Seeing the sight, Sansa couldn't help it. She laughed. Not just at the humorous sight of her tormentor wetting himself in the face of defeat but more out of sheer joy. Her sister had won! After almost a year of being a prisoner to the Lannisters, she was free at last!
Despite the overwhelming advantage of their surprise and Ghost, the stubborn Lannisters had not surrendered and Stannis despite the odds had actually managed to make a retreat to his ships in Blackwater Bay. The last detail was of great consternation to not just Alyssa but Ser Loras as well, both of whom dearly wanted his head for his part in killing Renly. Worse yet, thanks to all that the battle had dragged on for most of the day.
So much so that at Ser Wendel's insistence and concern for her unborn child, they had flown behind their lines after an hour of supporting their men from the air to rest and have a meal. Even though her men were still securing the city at that point.
She was still having this meal in a hastily set up command tent, when a messenger came rushing in.
"Your grace," the young man in Tyrell livery said as he fell to one knee. "I bring news from the front."
Setting aside the bowl of stew she was eating, Alyssa turned to the man.
"What is it?" She demanded.
"The usurper Joffrey Waters has surrendered, your grace. Lord Mace and Lord Robb are securing the city and the Red Keep as we speak with the help of Lord Varys."
A brilliant smile spread across her face at the news. They had won! They had taken King's Landing!
Done!
Hope you guys liked it.
Now some of you might be annoyed that the scenes of the actual battle were so short in comparison to the build up and yes I'll admit that's the case. That said, there are two reasons for this:
i) The story, with a few exceptions, is being told from Alyssa's perspective and as a pregnant Queen, no one wants her on the field long if at all.
ii) I wanted to convey how for military campaigns, especially successful ones, the planning stage can far exceed the actual engagements. So this is an attempt to reflect that.
Guest review response:
The guest who asked "Why is Jaime still alive? Somebody kills [Alyssa's] little brother and all she does is flirt with his daughter?":
First off, apologies for deleting your review. I was moderating it on my phone and my fat fingers accidentally ticked the wrong box.
Onto your question. The answer is simple. Killing him without proof before the War of the Four Sovereigns kicked off would have lead to war prematurely, an outcome she was trying to avoid for the safety of her surviving family. Her overcautious nature in this regard is a failing on her part. Rushing off to kill him once the war started would've ruined her war plan which is revealed in this next chapter. As for the flirting with Myrcella, as explained in-story she is driven by her magic to do so.
Well that's it for the chapter till next time lamtumirë!