Consequences
The Wall
Arthur Dayne
'The mighty sword of the morning, the best swordsman alive' they used to call him, but now he was just a drunk in the edges of the known world, what else could he do in his situation, a member of the Kingsguard who failed twice. First, Robert Baratheon killed Rhaegar in the trident and now Walder Frey and Roose Bolton disappeared Jon and captured Robb, he should have been there to behead the traitors, but he was in the Wall when the raven arrived with the news, he was about to leave castle black when Maester Aemon convinced him to stay there.
He heard steps then, it was Maester Aemon and his steward Samwell Tarly, Lord Tarly's first born son who was forced to join the Night's watch in his brother's favor, the boy was fat and a coward, but he was smarter than most of the men in Castle Black, but his father only recognized strength more than anything else.
He raised from his chair, but stumbled and nearly fell on the library's floor, but somehow he managed himself to stay on foot.
"You have been drinking too much, Arthur." Maester Aemon reproached, "What do you say about this Samwell, did you ever thought that you would live to see the sword of the morning turned into a drunk in the Wall?" Maester Aemon asked his steward, his voice was weak because of his age, but it was still an audible voice. The young lad just looked down in an apologetic way.
"Why did you came here Maester?" he asked with some difficulty, his tongue didn't work properly when he was drunk.
"Well, Mance wishes to talk with you, he wants to see your sword too." The maestee said.
"I'm a lucky one, I guess." He said and walked out of the room leaving Aemon and Sam alone, the Wall was a joke by the time he arrived looking for Maester Aemon, they barely had a thousand men and they lost most of them when Jeor Mormont went beyond the wall. When the King beyond the wall attacked the night's didn't gave a fight, the mammoths opened the gates in minutes and soon the bulk of the wildlings crossed.
Then he reached for the main hall where Mance was sitting with Tormund Giantsbane, Val and Sigorn, the magnar of the Thenns.
"Ah!, The sword of the morning, Ser Arthur Dayne." Mance spoke amused, he used to be a crow, but he deserted of the watch, a deserter wasn't someone who could ask for respect in Arthur's mind.
"What do you want?" Arthur said with an annoyed tone. "Is it my sword what you want? Do you want me to kneel?"
Mance laughed then with all his companions making Arthur feel that he was no more than a drunk. "Trust me, the last thing I would ask of you is your blade and you should know by now that we do not kneel".
"Then why did you called for me?" Arthur asked again.
Mance raised a parchment showing the Bolton sigil. "It seems that now that we are here they care for the crows, the warden of the north is threatening us with killing every man, women and children between this walls."
The memory of Roose Bolton only made him feel disgusted, his bastard destroyed Winterfell arter Theon Greyjoy kidnapped Lord Stark's children. Now he wanted to kill more people, Arthur came from Dorne and understood what was not kneeling in front of a monarch.
"But there are more news, news for the old Maester." Mance said with very curious look. "Daenerys Targaryen has taken Yunkai with her dragons, you can tell the old man about it, maybe I can make some arrangements to get you a ship on Eastwatch by the sea, our people has taken the castle." Mance said and dismissed Arthur.
"A Targaryen alone in the world is a terrible thing" Maester Aemon said with his weak voice. "she needs orientation, she needs a Maester with her as soon as possible." He added very worried.
"Mance offered us a ship to get there if that's what you desire Maester." Arthur said grabbing his hand, it was thin and fragile.
"We Need to find her as soon as possible, I need to see my kin one last time before I die." Aemon spoke very excited. "Maybe she can avenge the boy." He said, but his emotion has suddenly disappeared, the memory of Jon Snow made both men feel horrible.
"I'll arrange everything with Mance if this is what you desire" Arthur nodded and left the room.
The Twins
Robb Stark
The taste of raw meat filled his mouth and his nose opened to all the smells that he could find, he was able to run and hunt freely. He felt free for a moment, but then Olyvar's voice woke him, his eyes could barely see anything in the darkness of the dungeons, like him, many Lords were prisoners, Jon was dead and Theon kidnapped his little brothers.
"What's happening, Olyvar?" he asked with his weakened voice, the young wolf was in the edge of Darkness, he was walking between staying sane or falling to the insanity void. "Do you have permission to talk with me?"
"No, my lord, but you need to know that Roslin is pregnant, she's carrying your son." Olyvar spoke with extreme caution.
"A son?" what did that mean, he barely spent a few nights with his wife and every time they forced him to impregnate her, many times they played with him making him feel comfortable, only to beat him with sticks a few moments later and throw him back into the dungeon.
"Yes, your heir is growing inside Roslin." His squire was happy.
"You should leave now, Olyvar, we don't need to get you in troubles" Robb said as his voice started to break.
"Yes, my Lord, just one last thing. Your uncle and great uncle are holding Riverrun, we will send reinforcements tomorrow." The loyal squire informed him.
"Thank you… for everything." Robb replied, he just looked at the floor in the darkness.
He started to think about his father, about his mother, about Jon, he just disappeared, maybe he was just another flayed man hanging in the dreadfort. What could he do against such cruelty?
Married to a woman that he barely knew, brother if two missing sisters and two hostages. 'Theon Greyjoy, Walder Frey, Roose Bolton.' The men that ruined his life forever, just thinking about their names made his blood boil.
"Walder Frey!" he called with an strange force, a force that he was saving. "I will hang your kin across your shitty bridge once I get out of here!" no one replied, there were no guards or other prisoners that could hear his words, then the young wolf just broke and filled the cell with sadness and desperation.
The next morning he heard a group of soldiers marching, then Black Walder opened the door and untied him. "If your uncle doesn't surrender the castle we will hang you in front of him, you little shit." He said dragging him out of the cell.
They dragged him to a horse and placed him on it, he wanted to ride away, but his hands were tied. They rode out of the Twins with many men, for days they marched and barely stopped to take some rest, it was when they were marching across a deep forest that maybe the gods heard his words, as soon as they entered into the wood he heard many birds singing repeatedly and he recognized that those weren't birds at all when an arrow pierced one of his captors neck from side to side to side.
More arrows found their way to his captors, suddenly someone started to drag him into the woods, a man with just one eye and a fat man with red clothes.
"Too heavy for a starving man" the man in red said as he dragged him.
"Leave, Lord Stark's son alone Thoros." The one eyed man said.
"Thoros?..." Robb said, hut he was already fainting.
The Eyrie
Catelyn Stark
A prisoner in her sister's home, that was what she was, Lord Tywin sent her as gift for Petyr Baelish, 'oh, sweet Petyr' she thought that she was safe in the Eyrie, but she proved herself wrong the first time she saw her sister.
Poor Lysa's madness made her look older and very different, her hair had the texture of dead grass and her eyes were lost in her delirium, she was the lady of The Eyrie, but Petyr was the man controlling everything.
"I know that this isn't easy for you, sweet Cat, but it was the best option, your better here than in King's Landing or The Twins." Petyr said as he caressed her cheek with his fingertips.
She wasn't strong enough to fight in that moment, just thinking about her children made her feel weaker, Robb in the Twins, Sansa killed in the battle of the Blackwater, Arya disappeared and her little boys as hostages in Pyke. Petyr made sure to tell her every detail, she felt confused from time to time with Petyr's behaviour, sometimes he was sweet and seemed like he was trying to help, and other times he looked as a sinister man that would do anything for his own benefit.
"Why?" she asked "why did you betray us?...Why did you betray Ned?" Her poor Ned only wanted to do what was right, he never pushed Jon to take the throne, he just wanted to keep peace in the realm and kings like Joffrey had a special love for war.
"I warned Ned back in King's Landing, but he didn't listen" Petyr talked and looked like a snake for her. "But now, I have an army and I'm with you, my sweet Cat, I can take the Twins and save Robb if that's what you want." He grabbed her hands tightly. "I can convince Lord Tywin of paying Brann and Rickon's rescue." He said almost whispering.
She what she had to do, she needed to be more strong than ever, she knew Petyr since they were children, she know how much he loved her, she just needed to make the things right in order to get revenge, for her people.
King's Landing
Ashara Dayne
The queen's dresses were beautiful, but Ashara couldn't say the same of the queen, Cersei Lannister, the queen mother, a woman that never loved her husband and despised her own son, Orys Baratheon was rotting in the Sept of Baelor with his father, Stannis tried to take King's Landing after killing his own kin and failed when the Tyrell army arrived with Lord Tywin.
"Here you are, quick little whore, the prince of Dorne has arrived, give me that yellow dress over there" Cersei talked pointing at the golden dress.
After she was dressed Cersei remained looking at Ashara, her green eyes that looked like emeralds fixed on her violet eyes, she knew that the queen wasn't thinking something good, after what happened she liked to remind her about Jon and all the things she lost.
"Do you think abut him?" Cersei asked.
"about who? your Grace" Ashara asked, she needed to be patient, she knew of who was Cersei talking, it was like a knife that someone buried in her heart.
"The bastard boy, Jon Snow." Cersei said, her words were poison. "Your brother knighted him, poor boy, as if making a bastard a knight would make him suitor for the Iron Throne."
Ashara tightened the grip on the Ivory hair brush, she was ready to cut her throat, it was the only thing that she truly desired, that and see her little boy again, she raised him, she fed him and she wouldn't rest until they could show her his corpse, he just disappeared in the air and no one saw him again, Ashara knew that Jon was alive, she felt it as she felt her brother's pain.
"Does it feels painful?" Cersei asked again "Loosing a son, be unable to protect him... I have never felt that." She said, and then Ashara understood that the queen never loved her firstborn.
"Nevermind, prince Oberyn is waiting for us, I need to hear about Myrcella." Cersei then raised from the chair giving an end to her monologue.
'Oberyn Martell' she thought then, she felt fear, would he recognize her? Would Cersei tell him about her futile attempt of supporting Rhaegar's son? She knew that the red viper didn't hold love for his sister's husband, even less after he ran away with Lyanna Stark.
Joffrey was about to get married with Lady Margaery Tyrell, the preparations for the royal wedding were being carried out and many noble Lords arrived to celebrate their king's wedding. But even then Joffrey couldn't behave like a good king, that afternoon Ashara and the rest of the court witnessed how Illyn Payne cut off a Bard's tongue for mocking Joffrey in a canteen.
She didn't see prince Oberyn in the Throne room, but Ashara knew that the Red Viper of Dorne never liked the court, he lived for war and women only and, after Robert's rebellion, for vengeance.
Oberyn Martell
King's Landing was a stinking shit pile for him, the smell of shit in the streets only confirmed his thoughts, he was forced to take his brother's post in the Small council, he only wanted to stay in Dorne, but he had things to do, he needed to know the truth, the mountain was death, killed by a boy, he laughed so hard when the messenger arrived with the news of Ser Gregor's death, but then he felt the frustration of being deprived of his desire for revenge, he wanted to carry Lord Tywin's head to Dorn and put it at Doran's feet.
The only good thing in the capital were the brothels, the only place were people really enjoyed themselves. He spend the morning with a couple of girls and boys, He missed Ellaria and his daughters, the sand snakes, the most dangerous girls in Dorne.
A couple of Lannister soldiers were eating in the same brothel, he despised the Lannisters, but he needed to act like a decent man to keep his brother reputation.
"Well, there goes a dornish goat fucker" one of the soldiers jested making his companion laugh.
Oberyn knew what he had to do then, he had his dagger ready to take the man's life, he just needed to get closer. "Do you know why all the world hates the Lannisters?" He asked as he bridged the distance between him and the soldiers.
They perceived his intentions and rose from their chairs, there was a longsword over the table.
"You think that your gold and lions and golden lions make you better than the rest of us." He took a small pause and approached to the soldier. "May I tell you a secret?" he asked but didn't wait for an answer, his hand already on the hilt of his dagger. "You are not a golden lion, your just a pink little man who's far too slow on the draw." He said and as soon as the soldier tried to reach for his sword Oberyn's blade pierced his wrist like a knife buried in cheese.
The man screamed in pain as he twisted the blade in his wrist, he studied in the Citadel, he knew how human body worked. "A longsword is a horrible option in close quarters, my friend." The other soldier tried to unsheathe his sword but Oberyn's words stopped him.
"In the moment I pull out my blade your friend will start bleeding, quite a lot I'm afraid, there are so many veins in wrist, but you can save him if you get help right away so... Decisions." he said and noticed the man's panicked glare.
"Prince Oberyn, I was told that you were her—" Tyrion stopped talking as Oberyn pulled out his blade from the man's wrist, they immediately left to find some help leaving Tyrion, Oberyn and Bronn alone in the brothel room.
"The imp of Casterly Rock" he said while he examined Tyrion.
"Prince Oberyn, I need to ask you to follow me, the queen regent has summoned your presence in the Red Keep." Tyrion said.
"Then we should leave, now" Oberyn smiled and walked out of the brothel.
Lord Tyrion was the master of coin, an important seat on the small council. They walked through the streets Ser Bronn of the Blackwater walked a few steps behind, he was Tyrion's personal guard. The red keep looked bigger with each step that he gave.
"So, why are you here, Prince Oberyn?" Tyrion asked.
"I've been invited to the royal wedding and to be part of the small council in my brother's name." He said, it wasn't true, he was there for other reasons.
"I thought that we could speak with truth, do you think me naïve enough to believe that story?" Tyrion asked him, the man was many things, but a fool was not one of them.
"Many years ago, I came to this city to celebrate another wedding, Ellia's wedding, she married Rhaegar Targaryen, she gave birth to his children, she rocked them, fed them and then the Last Dragon left her for another woman." He stopped for a second, the memory of his sister always made him feel sad and angry. "Rhaegar's decisions started a war and the war ended here, when your father sacked the city. Ellia was in the Red keep with her children when your father's men butchered my nephew and niece, carved them up and wrapped them in Lannisters clothes and presented them as a gift for Robert Baratheon, some people say that he laughed so hard that you could hear him from the outer gates." A gruesome story it was, but the little Lannister looked different from his siblings and father.
"The consequences of war are pretty awful if you ask me. My father is well known for that." Tyrion replied, a small spark of shame was visible in his eyes.
"Do you know what they did to my sister, Ellia?" Oberyn asked with a note of anger and frustration.
Tyrion remained silent.
"I asked you a question, Lord Tyrion" he insisted.
"I only heard rumours" the dwarf replied ashamed.
"Rumours" he said. "The rumour that I keep listening is that Ser Gregor Clegane raped my sister and the cut her in the half with his giant sword." He said with anger. "If the Mountain killed Ellia and her children, it means that your father gave the order, Ser Gregor Clegane, an honourable knight is dead, killed by a Stark boy I heard, but your father is alive, my Lord, you should tell him that I'm here and tell him that the Lannisters are not the only ones who paid their debts." He spoke and noticed how Tyrion was walking now closer to his personal guard.
After walking through the Red keep's halls and corridors he found the queen regent in the gardens, she was sitting on a bench with the most beautiful woman of the continent. The memory of Ashara Dayne immediately came to his head, but it was impossible, Ser Arthur died in Dorne and Ashara disappeared from Starfall soon after that.
"Prince Oberyn, I'm glad to see you in the capital it has been years." Cersei talked kindly, but Oberyn was no fool, he noticed that he had different intentions, she wanted to know about Princess Myrcella.
"Your Grace, your beauty only grows with the time." He tried to be polite, Cersei just smiled and Oberyn noticed that her cheeks flushed a little with his words. He then looked at the queen's maid, the woman looked nervous and distant she was trying to hide. "Pardon me, your grace, but I didn't knew that your maids where that beautiful." He said as he reached for the woman's hand and kissed it. Her pale cheeks flushed and the he saw them, two violet eyes that he saw in the tourney if Harrenhal many years ago, she was older but didn't change a bit.
"She's not a maid, she's our prisoner" Cersei answered a bit annoyed.
"Prisoner? Why such a beautiful woman could be a prisoner?" he askes confused.
"This woman here supported a traitor and now is paying the price if treason, she's out hostage now, I would liked to kill her, but my father insisted to keep her alive." The queen angrily replied.
"Oh, I understand, your father is such a merciful man, in Sunspear traitors are hanged or behaded as soon as they are judged. Maybe I can help you, Queen regent, it has been a long journey from Dorne and my men would like to give this traitor a proper lesson." He said, Cersei looked convinced and Lady Ashara looked bewildered.
"It sounds like a wonderful idea, but make sure that they don't hit her face, my father would hang them if he discovers that they gave her a 'proper lesson', you know how it is." The queen said.
The night came and a couple of golden cloaks arrived to the brothel with Lady Ashara, she walked into the room looking confused and afraid of him.
"Come in my Lady, please take a seat." He said moving a chair. "Gentlemen if you are so kind to leave us alone, I'll bring her back once we are done with her." With that the golden cloaks left the brothel and now the beautiful woman was alone with him in brothel.
When Oberyn tried to bridge the distance between them, Lady Ashara took a knife from the table and pressed its edge against her throat. "Don't walk any closer." She said, her violet eyes looked beautiful, even when she was afraid.
"Oh no no, there is no need for that, My Lady, I don't mean to harm you, I would never harm one of my sister's best friends?" he asked with a soft tone.
Ashara was astonished with his words, her eyes were brighter than ever. "So you still remember me?" she said, her voice was almost breaking.
"Only Cersei is fool enough to leave me alone with Lady Ashara Dayne, a dornish woman from Starfall" he said and made a subtle bow. "We need to talk a lot, My lady."