The purple wedding
Tyrion Lannister
The most important wedding in Westeros was taking place in the Red Keep that day, jugglers and trained dogs acted to please King Joffrey Baratheon and Queen Margaery Tyrell, for Tyrion they were just stupid people kissing the feet of a vicious idiot, he lost faith in any god many years ago, but that same day he prayed to any god to kill Joffrey, a sadist with the support of the Tyrells was a serious thing.
Prince Oberyn Martell approached him during the feast to talk, The Red Viper of Dorne looked like most of Dornish people look like, nothing impresive for Tyrion, but despite being a proud man, Oberyn showed him more respect than his own father and sister ever showed him.
"The king must be happy with this new alliance." Oberyn said as he leaned closer to Tyrion.
"Well, at least the girl knows how to handle him a little bit more than my sister." Tyrion said taking a sip of dornish wine.
Oberyn just chuckled. "I never trusted the Tyrells, they never trusted us." he said "It must be hard for your sister, you know, she looks quite displeased with her new daughter in law."
Tyrion was about to reply when he felt the wine bathing his head, he liked wine, but not that much, it was cleaner to drink it, at least in the beginning.
"Looks like my cup is empty, uncle." Joffrey spoke, he was clearly drunk, nothing more dangerous than a vicious drunk. "I'll grant you the honour of being my cup bearer in this feast, unless you want your head on a spike." he threatened.
Furious Tyrion obeyed, people expected that, cup after cup he served, Joffrey kept mocking him as he got more drunk. The only moment when Joffrey left him in peace was when the wedding cake arrived, it was enormous and Joffrey cut it with his new Valyrian steel sword, Widow's wail, white pigeons came out flying from the cake, a beautiful sight for the noble men and women present.
It was the moment when Joffrey ate the cake that he started to choke, maybe it was a piece of cake stuck in his throat, he didn't care, but then Joffrey's skin turned purple, he stumbled and tried to throw up, nothing came out of his mouth, he started to suffocate, his eyes were filled with blood and blood came out of his nose, a gruesome view for sure, the only thing the boy king did before dying was pointing at Tyrion, he didn't understand why, but it was enough to make his sister lose control and accuse him of regicide.
And that's how he got imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit, Margaery Tyrell disappeared with her grandmother and brothers after the wedding, but Cersei still blamed him, Joffrey was a despicable human being, but Tyrion was smart enough to not comit regicide in the royal wedding.
But Cersei never had space in her head to look beyond her desires and her children, every decision he made brought troubles for their family. The sound of keys in the door making him get on his feet, he didn't expect to have visits in a dark cell, Ned Stark remained alone in the cells until his death.
Jaime came in, his golden hand shone with the torch's light. He looked conflicted, he always loved Tyrion, even when all the world despised him.
"Look now, the kingslayer came to talk with the kingslayer, we make a good couple did you know that?" Tyrio said as he pissed on a bucket.
Jaime chuckled at that. "I know you didn't kill Joffrey, but I can't save you from your trial." he lowered his head, "I'm sorry."
"You have learned a few things after being a prisoner, humility is a good thing, but don't feel sad for me, maybe the man that wanted me dead my whole life will see that I'm innocent." Tyrion replied, the darkness and silence of the dark cells started to nick his mind.
"I wish I could find a way to save you from this." Jaime said.
"You have always treated me like a human being; I'll always be grateful for that." Tyrion said a little pained, he never liked to see Jaime pained or sad, the kingslayer was his brother after all.
"Yes" he said and let out a long sigh before continuing. "except once."
"What do you mean?" Tyrion asked intrigued.
"I lied to you about Tysha, father told me that she was trying to get our wealth, so I told you that she was a whore." he stopped for a moment. "She wasn't a whore, Tyrion, just a low born girl, I never expected what happened after that." he said, his voice starting to break.
Tyrion felt numb then, his own brother lied to him, he expected a treason from anyone in his family, except Jaime, but now he was just like the rest of them, treacherous and despiteful, the anger took control over his mouth then, he cursed Jaime so many times that he lost the count, he yelled and slapped his brother, his heart was broken again, the only woman he loved was innocent, she truly loved him and his father destroyed her.
"Leave... Now." Tyrion said almost whispering, his hands were shaking. "Go back with Cersei and never come back, now I know what you are."
"What?" Jaime asked confused.
"You're just a dog that follows orders, a dog pretending to be a lion, did Cersei cut off your balls?" Tyrion said as Jaime raised from his chair and turned to leave. "Never come back, you're dead to me! My brother died when I was thirteen!" he yelled as he sat to cry in the darkness.
He cried alone for hours, he couldn't count them there, but he heard the door opening again, this time he saw the figure of a Dornish man, Oberyn Martell.
"Have you come to mock of me too?" he asked bitterly.
"Not at all, Lord Tyrion, I came to tell you that you still have some friends in the capital, follow me." Oberyn said dragging him out of his cell.
Tywin Lannister
Cersei was dumb enough blame Tyrion for Joffrey's murder, even when Littlefinger and the Tyrells disappeared soon after the wedding. He didn't feel sad for his grandson, the boy king was a mad dog, sometimes mad dogs must be put down for the good of the people, just like Jaime did with the mad king years ago.
The council was ready, Oberyn Martell, Grand Maester Pycelle, Cersei and Varys, they were all present, he needed to rule a kingdom and he needed to crown Tommen as soon as possible.
"Tyrion's trial will start tomorrow, what new do we have?" He asked to the master of Whispers.
"Sandor Clegane has been spotted in the Riverlands, he killed five of our soldiers, my lord." The spider said.
"A Coward and a traitor." Cersei said bitterly.
"Offer a hundred silver stags for his head." he sentenced and Lord Varys nodded. "Any other news?" he asked.
"More whispers from the east, my Lord." Varys replied.
"The Targaryen girl?" he asked a little surprised, a few years ago the girl was sold to a Khal and then disappeared for a time.
"Daenerys Targaryen has taken residence in Meereen, she's conquered the city and rules as its queen." the masters of whispers said, the Targaryen girl conquered one of the most important cities in Essos, a huge trouble for Westeros if she decided to invade the seven kingdoms without a crowned king.
"She conquered the city with what?." Cersei asked incredulous.
"She leads an army of Unsullied, my queen, some eight thousand strong, three companies of sellswords, a dothraki composed of forty thousand riders, at least." The spider replied, it didn't sound good for Tywin.
"How can a girl muster that amount of men?" he asked.
"It seems like the Dothraki follow her because of her dragon, three dragons, my lord." Varys answered.
"Baby dragons" Cersei said trying to avoid the topic.
"Larger every year, Your grace." The master of whispers said.
"Dragons haven't won a war in years; fighters win wars every time." Prince Oberyn intervened.
"Of course, it seems like Daenerys has a well formed queensguard, my lord." the eunuch said.
"A queens guard of barbarians?" Cersei chuckled with her own words, his daughter over confidence infuriated him.
"Not at all, it seems like the knights Gerold Hightower, Oswell Whent, Jorah Mormont and Barristan Selmy are fully devoted to her, her mother, Rhaella is counselling her too and my little birds saw Sansa Stark as a member of her court." Varys informed.
"Just old men and that little whore." Cersei replied bitterly.
"A man who has survived long enough to be called old is dangerous, even more in a profession where men die young." Oberyn said more serious than ever.
"SANSA STARK!?" Tywin asked loud dropping his fist on the table.
"Yes my Lord hand and it doesn't end there, Jon Snow, a former pretender to the Iron Throne is fighting for her too, it's said that the boy fought against Meereen's champion and defeated him, it looks like Ser Arthur Dayne's apprentice learned well" Varys added.
"The council is over... leave... now." he said furious.
Cersei was about to leave when he stopped her with one sentence. "Not you." he said and his daughter immediately sat down.
"At the beginning of this war I had three Starks in the Red Keep, you let your son execute one and let the other two escape." he said quietly but with anger.
"It wasn't my fault I just couldn't..." She tried to argue but he cut her off immediately.
"Of course, it was your fault, you were the Queen!" he exclaimed. "Now, Daenerys Targaryen has allies in the north, the Reach and the Riverlands, at least." the situation was horrible, and Stannis Baratheon was mustering a new army somewhere. "And this... Jon Snow, the bastard has more reasons to hate us than the Targeryen girl, now he's fighting for her."
"The Dothraki have never crossed the Narrow sea" Cersei argued.
"The Dothraki never followed women, now they are following one and she has dragons." he replied annoyed.
"We will throw them back to their ships if they land in our shores." She naively said.
"With what army? The Tyrells left the capital after Joffrey's death, Roose Bolton isn't someone that can be trusted, Walder Frey has been struggling to take Riverrun for months and Dorne is a pit of snakes." he said with frustration. "Four seasoned warriors and a boy that never lost a battle, this is worse than I thought." he needed to do something, but what...
Meereen
Daenerys Targaryen
While Conquering a city was one thing, ruling it was another very different, 'The sons of the Harpy' were killing freed men and her soldiers and brazen beasts, she only wanted to rest, to keep training her children, they grew larger and smarter every day, always respectful of her and Rhaella, the only one that bothered them was Caraxes, Jon Snow's dragon, the red and white dragon was always looking after him, day and night.
And there she was thinking again in this Jon Snow, Aemon Targaryen, the Dragonknight of Winterfell, her nephew. The young man was intelligent, he helped chasing the Sons of the Harpy, followed some of them and recognized some noble meereenese men selling knifes and giving masks. Ironically Jon Snow interrupted her thoughts when he entered into the throne room.
"Your Grace, Hizdahr zo Loraq, has come to speak with you, he says that it's about his father and their business." The young knight spoke respectfully, his beard grew a little, but he always kept his hair above his neck, because of the heat, he said once, but Ser Gerold told her that the boy's instructor never let him grow his hair.
"Tell him that I shall speak with him immediately." She replied with her regal tone, she needed to learn how to hold court. Jon Snow made a quick bow and opened the doors with the help of an unsullied.
Hizdahr zo Loraq, on of the most noble men in Meereen walked in with his tokar, she noticed many jewels hanging from it, a demonstration of wealth and power, that was the reason of using that tokar.
"Your grace, I thank you for this opportunity." The young man said bowing.
"Let it be brief, what do you need to say?" she replied coldly, the man was a slaver, know for earning money with the fighting pits.
"I came here to ask you for mercy, for my father's life and the fighting pits." the nobleman said, the man wanted to reopen the fighting pits, his father was being judged because of the crucified children in the coast Road.
"your father will get the mercy that he deserves after his trial." Dany replied solemnly she couldn't afford herself to look weak in front of the noble men of Meereen and Justice wasn't a negotiable thing for he, it had to be delivered as soon as possible.
"But your grace, he didn't commit any crime, he was forced to agree with that savagery." The noble man argued.
"It will be the duty of a jury to determine your father's innocence, and the fighting pits won't be reopened." She said sharply. "Now, I ask you to leave and desist in this attempt of convincing me." She added.
Hizdahr made a subtle reverence, and walked out angrily, but before he could reach the door Daenerys addressed him again. "You should be careful with the places that you visit, my lord, these...'Sons of the Harpy' are killing citizens in the streets, they even killed some of my men." she warned the young man who only replied with a surprised look.
Ser Jon Snow gave her a knowing look, she just nodded and the knight walked out of the throne room, she needed to rest.
Rhaella Targaryen
She didn't expect to stay in Meereen for too long, they just needed to build a fleet and get the problem of the sons of the harpy done, news from Astapor and Yunkai arrived that morning, Galvart Snow and the Wolf Pack barely escaped from the armies of New Ghis and Volantis.
Her daughter didn't received the news well.
"My children have grown enough, they obey me, I'll go there and show them what happens when they challenge the mother of dragons." She said with her characteristic determination.
"If you go out there and use the dragons to burn your enemies, you'll be exposing yourself to be captured or killed." She said worried.
"But they will remain slaving people." Dany replied.
"Your grace, we heard rumours of a disease that was killing the people of Astapor, they call ot the Pale Mare." Galvart Snow intervened.
"These are horrible news, Your Grace, soon the refugees will be flooding the city and they will spread the disease." Ser Barristan said.
"Maybe this isn't so horrible." Jon Snow said.
"What do you mean?" she asked confused.
"The armies of Volantis and New Ghis retreated in order to increase their numbers after they took both cities." He said pointing at a map location with his burned hand. "Let me go to negotiate with our enemies, I'll need some Brazen beasts, their commander, Lord Hizdahr and the Green Grace." He added.
"Why would you take your suspect to negotiate with the enemy?" her daughter asked just as confused as herself.
"I'll take him out of the city, he's smart, offer him something that will make him appease the Harpy, something that will make them stop killing people for a while." Jon said.
"The fighting pits." Ser Oswell said completing the idea.
"You'll do this as a promise in exchange for his service in the negotiations, if they really stop, then we will know who's giving them the orders." Jon said excited with his plan.
"Cut the head and the body will die, Khaleesi." Rakharo said in a broken common tongue.
Jon Snow
Hizdahr took the news of the reopening of the fighting pits very well, now they were riding to meet with the enemy generals.
Hizdahr zo Loraq talked, then was time for the Green Grace to talk, they negotiated to avoid more deaths and a possible field of fire, but they failed, now they kne that the Volanteen fleet was getting ready to block the bay as the armies moved to block the supply routes.
Frustrated they rode back to Meereen avoiding the people, the last thing he needed was to take the Pale Mare into Meereen, into the city where his family was. He rode surrounded by Brazen beasts and besides Hizdahr zo Loraq and the Green Grace.
"I heard that you convinced the queen to reopen the fighting pits." Hizdahr said.
"Aye, I did." Jon said, he didn't want to talk with the noble man.
"It's good to see a reasonable man among those who follow her." The Green Grace said with her old voice.
"Now even my Brazen beasts will fight for glory." Skahaz said and laughed.
"The Queen needs to make allies, but she's just a little girl pretending to be a ruler, do you think that the Dothraki follow her because of her strength?." He said bitterly "They follow her because of her cunt and her dragons, nothing more."
His companions shared knowing looks between them, Jon noticed it quickly enough.
"Then we need to talk about something, if you say that your Queen is just a girl, we can find a proper ruler, a Queen with experience, a queen like The Green Grace." Hizdahr said.
Jon stopped his horse for a moment after hearing that, Hizdahr wasn't the head of the Harpy, he was a coordinator. "What you say is treason... How can I know that your plan will work?" he asked.
"Because you can take out the queen for us, Bastard knight, we will give you gold and women just for you." The noble man offered, Jon laughed inside, his bastard name always made people think the worst of him, even in Essos.
"So, you all want me to murder the queen?" he asked hesitantly, he needed to make them think that he was a turncloack, just like some westerosi knights that joined them back to the city.
"You would be the richest man in Westeros if you bring Daenerys Targaryen head." the Shavepate said.
"Then the brazen beasts have been working for the Sons of the Harpy all this time." Jon said.
"Don't judge us boy." The Green Grace said. "We just want to find the peace we had before your queen arrived to this bay."
In those moments the Jon had the solution for the city's problem, he wasn't a butcher, but he wanted to behead all of them. "Then I will do as you ask, but if you even think in betraying me, I will hunt you all down." he warned gripping Longclaw's hilt, the bear pommel was gone, replaced by a wolf head carved in bone with rubies in its eyes, a way to show Ser Jorah's gratitude for Jeor, Lyra and Dacey.
They stopped and camped during the night, the Green Grace was a fragile woman, 'a delicate but poisonous flower' Jon thought as he saw the traitors entering into the main tent, Jory was next to him with some Dothraki riders and men from the stormcrows, a little more distanced were the knights that turned their cloaks.
The youngest of them, a squire named Frog was giving commands to two of the knights that accompanied him, Jon saw how cocky the boy talked to the older men, but when he saw the boy taking out a dirty rag his suspicions were confirmed, the boy was no squire, but a noble, a Dornish Noble, the rag had a sun and a spear embroidered, 'Martell' was the only word he thought before get on his feet to talk with him.
"Good evening, friends." He said gently.
The biggest of them was bald and similar to Belwas in many ways, but the man returned his greeting with a nod, the others just did the same.
"You're a westerosi." The boy said pryingly. The big knight gave him a killer glare then, Jon was sure that he was about to hit him.
"You should excuse my squire here, he's inexperienced and impertinent." The big man said apologetically.
Jon just chuckled at that. "There's no problem, it's good to see people from my country, I was raised by a couple of Dornish siblings." He said suggestively and turned to leave his new companions.
"Wait!... How... How did you noticed it?" the young squire was surprised.
"You should be careful with that dirty rag of yours, I noticed how you talked to your friends here." He said pointing at both knights. "I used to be a squire, I never talked to my lord like that." He added.
"And who were these... dornish siblings that raised you?" the big knight asked a little curious.
"Arthur Dayne and his sister." He replied gently.
"Impossible!" the knight called Drink said.
"How in seven hells Ser Arthur Dayne's squire ended here, working for Daenerys Targaryen." Greenguts, the giant man, asked.
"I can tell you that, or you can win our queen's favour..." he said.
"The Queen's favour? How? Is this a trick?" the squire asked excited.
"those men with masks are traitors, they are protecting the noble man and the religious woman, they have been organising attacks against the freedmen and the queen's soldiers in Meereen, they are undermining her reign." He explained.
"And you need our help to kill them... We heard something about the Sons of the Harpy in Volantis." Drink said.
"A couple of swords would be really helpful." Jon added.
"You can count with us then." Greenguts replied and grabbed his hammer.
Everything was ready then, fifty brazen beast weren't a real challenge, but he needed to be sure of having the numerical superiority. Jon walked towards the main tent where the Green Grace, Hizdahr zo Loraq and the shavepate were eating, he made a subtle nod to Jory and they sat to eat too.
"Can we trust you? Bastards are treasonous in your country." The Shavepate spoke.
"I'm already betraying the dragon whore for gold, I grew very fond the life of a sell sword." He replied with a little note of anger, the mere thought of his aunt dying made him feel sick, she helped him to fight his demons, everything shone brighter when she was present, her silver mane and amethysts eyes only accentuated that effect, the kindest queen he ever met, maybe if she wasn't his aunt, he could marry her, legitimise his own identity once and for all and help her.
The scream of the Dothraki and the clash of steel was the signal to begin, Jon unsheathed his dagger and buried its blade in the Shavepate's hand leaving him stuck in the table.
Jory cut through one of the guards torso while Jon did the same with the other. "Jory, if any of them moves you cut him like a ham." He commanded.
"As you wish." Jory replied nodding.
He exited the tent and saw the young squire Frog being attacked by a Brazen beast, the man was delivering blow after blow and the boy just managed himself to block it with his shield. Frog stumbled and fell on the ground a moment later, the enemy was ready to deliver the killing blow when Jon stabbed him with Longclaw, the man gave out a scream before falling dead over Frog, Jon moved the corpse and helped the young squire to get on his feet.
"Keep that shield up and your legs firm, go into the tent and help Jory with the prisoners!" he said and Frog walked through the battlefield evading all the enemies.
The fight ended quickly after that, they barely lost men in the battle while the Brazen beasts were all dead or surrendered, their new noble prisoners were there too in a cage carried by oxen, the Shavepate cursed in Ghiscari and the common tongue and sometimes he pleaded for mercy only to be whipped in the face by one of the Dothraki.
He felt happy, but his happiness disappeared with the thoughts of the coming war, the enemy was formidable and so were they, the Volanteen fleet was the objective, they could capture the fleet and used to conquer Westeros.
Days later...
Daenerys Targaryen
Being one of the last Targaryens alive made her be known among the people and now that she had taken Meereen many knights and noble men came to ask for her hand, some of them were handsome others not so much, but every day she refused another proposal, the Sons of the Harpy stopped killing people while Hizdahr, the Shavepate, the Green Grace and Jon were negotiating with her enemies. A rare coincidence for some people, a clear answer to her doubts.
"Your Grace, a man wants to speak with you." Grey Worm said.
"What's his name? " she asked curiously.
"Aemon Targaryen, your grace." The unsullied replied.
Jon was here? How could he arrive so fast? The last messenger he sent said that they would arrive at sunset.
When the man arrived she saw a middle-aged man that carried a greatsword across his back his armour didn't look good and he carried an old man on his arms, the old man looked minuscule compared to the knight carrying him. She heard her mother take a deep breath then, she looked pale and her hands were shaking, Dany held her hands to calm her.
The knight put down the old man and they slowly walked forward. "My apologize, your grace, but this old man cannot kneel anymore." He said with his fragile voice although it sounded like a voice full of happiness.
"Is true? You're Aemon Targaryen?" she asked hesitantly.
"Yes, that's my name child, Aemon Targaryen, a Maester of the Citadel, and your great-greatuncle" he smiled at her.
She looked astonished, she walked down the steps to stand closer to the oldest man she ever saw, her mother was there too, the man touched their faces and his smile widened, he was blind.
"You truly are mother and daughter." He said laughing, his eyes lost in the horizon of his mind.
"Seven Hells!" she heard Ser Barristan say.
"It's good to see Ser Barristan the bold again." The knight who carried Aemon said smiling, his purple eyes shone with happiness.
"It was all true then... you really survived boy." Ser Barristan said.
"The sword of the morning is at your service, your grace" The knight said kneeling in front of Dany.
"welcome to Meereen, Ser Arthur Dayne." Her mother said grabbing the knight's hand to make him stand up.
Jon Snow
They arrived at the city sooner than expected, the people surrounded them to see the traitors in their cage, freed men and even some Noblemen started to throw rotten fruits at the traitors cursing them.
The gates of the throne room opened, he was happy to see his family again, Daenerys, Sansa and Rhaella were standing in the throne room.
"Your grace I..." he said but immediately stopped talking, a Ghost of the past, no, two ghosts standing there, a greatsword as pale as milk, a greatsword he cleaned a thousand times when he was young, and a pair of purple eyes looking directly at him.
"Uncle Arthur?" he asked feeling like a little boy again.