Happy Friday everyone,

This chapter starts with a weird stand off and got unexpectantly emotional on me while I was writing it and contains my favourite thing …. a death ;P

Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 43: Choices

A week later ….

Gardens, Red Keep, King's Landing, Seat of power of House Baratheon (of Dragonstone) in the Crownlands, Capital of the Seven Kingdoms

Melisandre watched from her vantage point on the balcony as Commander Strickland and Lady Kenna completed their third circuit of the gardens. A combination of Golden Company mercenaries and Arryn guards kept a respectable distance from the two but were maintaining a protective circle around them as they wandered around the shrubbery and colorful flowers.

Melisandre was concentrating so hard on Commander Strickland and Lady Kenna she didn't hear when a man crept up beside her and rested his arms on the balcony railing she was currently staring over.

"Lady Kenna has captured your interest I see. She does that," came a quite but confident voice.

Melisandre turned slightly to her left to see a surprisingly familiar face, "Just as I appear to have captured yours."

Qyburn smiled at Melisandre's quick retort, "A priestess of R'hllor isn't a normal occurrence in King's Landing."

"Under Stannis that will change," Melisandre replied before turning her attention once more to the strolling Lady and Commander below.

"Excellent," Qyburn said without hesitation.

Melisandre raised an eyebrow at the little man's reaction.

"I find your claims of foresight fascinating. The more there are of you or the more claims you make the more I can study you and find out if you are all charlatans or if the future is truly foreseeable," Qyburn stated as if he was excited with either outcome.

Melisandre rebounded on the odd man, "It is not for us to understand the Lord of Light, just to follow his visions and make his wishes come true. I doubt a man not touched with the faith of R'hllor would be able to understand his visions."

"Oh, my Lady everything can be understood and taken apart, it just requires patience and time," Qyburn said as he gave the priestess an appraising look.

Melisandre took a few steps away from the little man as she realised that his attention and words were unnerving her.

"I have seen you in one of my visions," she said trying to rid herself of the uncomfortable feeling that had seeped into her while she had been in this scholarly man's presence.

"What was I doing?" Qyburn asked with zeal, eager to begin his research.

"You were screaming as you burned on a pyre."

If his prophesied death had surprised him Qyburn hid it well, "And how did your god communicate my death to you? Did you dream it? Did you see it in a fire? Did he write you a letter and send it by raven?"

"You mock what you don't understand," Melisandre snapped.

"Perhaps," Qyburn said turning from the garden to walk back to his lab, "Or are you mocking all of us with your fake tales and predictions. I guess only the future will tell."

Half an hour later …

Qyburn shut the door to his lab as he stepped back into his domain. He didn't see Artys and shook his head slightly, that boy has been scarce since King's Landing had fallen into Stannis's hands.

Qyburn didn't have long to ponder on where his assistant was spending his time as Lord Royce and Lord Grafton entered into his lab.

Both Lords gave him a serious look, this can't be good, thought Qyburn as he walked over to his work bench so it was between him and the Lords.

"We know," Lord Royce said before Lord Grafton added, "So don't deny it."

"What are you talking about?" Qyburn asked genuinely confused.

"Artys told us you visited Kenna's chambers last night," Lord Royce said with a tense expression on his face. "Is she okay?"

"Yes of course. She isn't ill," Qyburn answered trying to alleviate Lord Royce's fears.

"Then why were you visiting her?" Lord Grafton asked immediately.

"Ah, um I think Lady Kenna should tell you herself," Qyburn said but he instantly regretted his words of secrecy as both Lords walked around the work bench in a pincer move and towered over him.

"I am asking you," Lord Royce said in a deep voice with a slight edge to it.

"I … am not sure it is any of your business," Qyburn stuttered under the Lords' scrutiny.

"Everything to do with her is my business," Lord Royce stated with absolute certainty.

As the two Vale Lords invaded his personal space even more than they had already Qyburn's mind flashed back towards the time he had spent at Harrenhal and decided the only time he had felt more uncomfortable than he currently felt was the experience of surviving the Mountain's massacre at the burnt out castle.

He cracked.

A few minutes later …

Kenna sat on her bed staring at two little bottles that rested in her hands. Qyburn had delivered the two bottles to her earlier that morning before her meeting with Commandeer Strickland. Each one contained a deadly poison. She was deciding on which to administer to her chosen target when she heard her two most loyal Lords burst through her main chamber door and ushered her handmaidens out of her chambers.

Kenna heard through her closed bedroom door the slam of the main chamber door shutting and the footsteps of heavy Lords advancing on her position.

Kenna had a good idea what knowledge had prompted this sudden transgression of her personal chambers.

I should have known that Qyburn's visit would have been noticed and they would have managed to get him to spill his secret, Kenna huffed to personal experience Kenna knew how persuasive Lord Royce could be when he knew you were hiding a secret.

Lord Royce burst through the door but Kenna heard Lord Grafton speak first.

"You are pregnant," he practically shouted as he rushed through the doorway.

"Why didn't you tell us," Lord Royce demanded as his boulder like frame filled the space of her bedroom.

Kenna slowly placed the bottles of poison on her bed and rose to stand before the two apprehensive Lords.

"I only found out yesterday," Kenna said calmly, "and I didn't know what your reactions would be considering my child's parentage."

"Ba," Lord Grafton dismissed Kenna's concerns, "As far as I am concerned the only thing that matters is it will be your child. Children are the greatest joy in the world. My six light up my world."

The beaming joy Lord Grafton was getting from Kenna's news settled her own nerves and she let the tension she had been holding ooze out of her.

"I don't care if Jamie Lannister is the father," Lord Grafton stated.

Kenna quickly moved her hand to the stocky man's shoulder, "Lord Grafton … Gerold, please keep my pregnancy a secret. I am not ready for the rest of King's Landing to know just yet."

Lord Grafton pulled Kenna into a bear hug, "Of course. I am just happy for you."

"Thank you," Kenna replied as Lord Grafton released her.

"I better go apologize to Qyburn. I think we nearly frightened the poor man to death earlier," Lord Grafton laughed as he exited the chambers.

It was only when Kenna heard the main chamber door close again that she turned to her mentor, "You are very quiet."

Lord Royce's eyes borrowed into her own, "Yes, because I don't like being lied to."

Kenna gulped, she had never been able to fool him, "I was lying to you?"

"You told me Jamie Lannister had no interest in bedding you and you didn't mention that he had changed his mind before he was sent back to the Westerlands."

When Kenna remained silent and avoided his gaze. Lord Royce took a few short steps towards Kenna and held her chin gently up to him, forcing her to look at him.

"Who is the father?"

"I …. Ah …You won't ….. You won't approve …" Kenna struggled to say as cold dread started to rise in her stomach.

Lord Royce seeing the distress Kenna was in at his question guided her to the bed and knelt in front of her as Kenna sat on her bed with one hand resting on her stomach.

"Kenna," Lord Royce started as he took a hold of one of her hands, "I don't want to cause you any harm but I need to know who the father is so I can do my job and protect you. We can say the father is Jamie Lannister. I see no issue with that and I don't care if you strayed from your husband. I care about your well-being and if the father might be a problem down the line."

He is defiantly going to be a problem, Kenna thought.

Kenna gathered her courage and looked directly into the eyes of the person she valued the most and revealed her greatest secret.

"The father is Tywin Lannister."

Lord Royce was visibly rocked by the information but kept ahold of Kenna's hand as if it was his anchor to the world.

It took him nearly a full minute to gather back his wits to form words. Kenna just waited and hoped she still had the kneeling man's trust after what she just admitted.

"Kenna …. did he force you?"

"Not in the way you are thinking." Upon seeing Lord Royce's concerned eyes and the way his body was trembling in rage at the conclusion his mind was reaching Kenna elaborated, "I made a deal with him."

"A deal?" Lord Royce questioned as Kenna started rubbing circles into his hand to calm him down.

"In the Eyrie when I thought you were dead and the Vale had fallen to the armies of the Lannisters and Tyrells all I could think of was how I was going to die without fulfilling my revenge on Lysa and Littlefinger. How they were going to get away with murdering my father and sister. Lord Tywin came to me with a proposition. Marry his son, produce a male heir and he would guarantee Littlefinger and Lysa's deaths. He was going to marry me to his son anyway so I agreed."

"Life for death," Lord Royce muttered.

"Exactly. But then Jamie made it clear he was only interested in his sister and that was fine until Tywin fucking Lannister actually delivered on his word and gave me the chance to execute Lysa and Littlefinger myself. If a man like him could honour his word then I was damn well going to do the same."

Kenna took a deep breath reliving her own memories, "But I couldn't entice Jamie to my bed. I was going to reveal their incest to Tywin, to explain why I couldn't deliver on my end of the bargain. Which I did despite the assassination attempt on his life. He came to the conclusion that he was best place to produce his own heir and I wanted to keep my word so I didn't refuse. I agreed."

"You upheld the deal you made because of your honour," Lord Royce said in an emotional voice. "You really are as high as honour. If I get the chance, I am going to kill him for taking advantage of your honour."

Lord Royce dragged Kenna off the bed as he rose and encircled her with his arms. He held her while she sank into him as if revealing the truth had taken all her energy.

Lord Royce whispered tenderly into Kenna's ear," There is nothing you can do that would make me disappointed in you or turn me against you. Just tell me the truth. I will always be there for you."

The sentiment in Lord Royce's voice chocked Kenna up and caused tears to run down her face, "I know. And I will."

When the hug came to an end Lord Royce wiped the tears gently from Kenna's eyes. "Now what are those bottles for?"

Kenna gave a bubbling laugh, "You miss nothing. I intend to serve justice with them. Want to join me?"

"Always."

Half an hour later …

The Black Cells, Red Keep, King's Landing, Seat of power of House Baratheon (of Dragonstone) in the Crownlands, Capital of the Seven Kingdoms

Kenna and Lord Royce made their way down the steps of the Black Cells to the second lowest level. Lord Royce held a torch that lit their way. They were not stopped by the numerous Golden Company mercenaries that maned the infamous prison.

The two Vale nobles ducked through a dank archway and passed by the door Kenna knew led to where Margaery and Olenna Tyrell were being held. Kenna didn't imagine the pretty roses where handling their captivity too well.

Tyrion, Cersei and Tommen were all being kept in different cells on the lowest level of the Black Cells. Isolation was sometimes a formidable weapon when trying to wear people down. Kenna suspected Tyrion was grateful he had been separated from his sister but also that the little lion wouldn't enjoying his own company as much as he would think he would.

They reached their destination and Lord Royce held open the door and angled his torch so that Kenna could peak beyond into the shadows.

There sat, in a heap of chains, was the former Grand Maester to Aegon V Targaryen, Jaehaerys II Targaryen, Aerys II Targaryen, Robert Baratheon, Joffrey Baratheon and Tommen Baratheon. The old man's face was covered in grim but the feeble act was gone as he pushed himself to his feet with a vigour not seen in public for near a decade.

"What do you want?" Pycelle said in a downbeaten tone, not sure why Kenna had graced him with her presence.

Kenna grinned at the white-haired man as she clasped her hands behind her back, "I want what I have always wanted. Justice."

Pycelle blinked slowly, "Did you not get your justice when you executed your good-mother and Lord Baelish?"

"Yes, I got my justice, well most of it anyway. But what of justice for Brienne of Tarth and Podrick Payne?" Kenna queried at the now visibly shocked man.

"I don't know what you are talking about," Pycelle responded loudly as if his denial now could rewrite the past.

Kenna rubbed her chin pretending to think, "Mmm must be your aging mind, as Vary's little birds saw you enter Lady Brienne's chambers right before she and her squire died due to poisoning."

"Lord Varys is a traitor he was just trying to spread chaos," Pycelle blustered, "I didn't visit Lady Brienne's chambers. On the Seven, I did not."

"See the problem I have with that statement is that I still trust Vary's word over yours and I don't think you care about the Gods. But not to worry I have come up with a rather elegant solution," Kenna said producing the two bottles from behind her back and looking at them before continuing, "You attended to my father did you not on the night he died?"

"Yes, I did. I am sorry I could not save him," Pycelle said while eyeing the two bottles, suspicion laced his eyes.

"Well you didn't try though, did you?" Kenna said rolling the bottles around in her hands as a hint of danger hung on her words.

"What … what are you insinuating?" he said dragging his eyes up from the bottles to Kenna's face.

"I am saying that my father was poisoned with Tears of Lys and a man of your talents would have been able to work that out," Kenna admonished.

Pycelle started his defence, "It is very hard to identify the symptoms of a victim of tears of Lys and-"

"Really," Kenna said cutting through Pycelle's words, "Qyburn said you would have been easily able to tell the difference between a fever and someone poisoned with Tears of Lys. So Grand Maester Pycelle, why didn't you give my father the antidote? Why did you give him milk of the poppy and leave him to die?"

"I … I," Pycelle stuttered as his mind raced to create a plausible scenario.

"Enough with the bumbling," Kenna roared. "The truth will do."

As Kenna's words echoed around the cell Pycelle straightened himself as if finally accepting he had been caught, "I thought the Queen had poisoned your father and I had no intention of getting in her way."

Kenna shook her head but couldn't fault Pycelle's logic, she too had thought Cersei was the culprit.

"And what poisoned did you use on Brienne and Podrick Payne?"

"Widow's Blood."

"Excellent, Qyburn thought as much. Now I will give you a choice. Choose to either die like my father in withering hallucinations or die like Lady Brienne, with the poison eating you from the inside?"

When Pycelle remained quiet Kenna added, "The third choice is Lord Royce beats you to a bloody pulp and leaves you to die of thirst which is definitely longer than the other two and arguably more painful."

Pycelle opened his palm towards the bottle containing Tears of Lys and Kenna placed the bottle in the old man's hand.

Pycelle tried one last time, "What of all the good I have done. The sick people I have healed and the advice I have given. Am I not more use alive than dead?"

Lord Royce took a step towards the now shaking former Grand Maester making his answer known and Kenna outright laughed in the weasels face before cutting his argument for mercy into tatters, "What of all the people you condemned to death when you convinced the Mad King to open the gates of King's Landing to Tywin Lannister or all the people you have killed on the orders of Cersei Lannister. Tell me was Robert's hunting accident simply that or did you have a hand in that death too?"

"I saved your life," he shrieked as Lord Royce closed in on him.

Both Kenna and Lord Royce looked at him questioningly.

Pycelle directed his worried countenance at Lord Royce, "The day of the trial by combat when you fought Ser Meryn Trant, I laced his water with milk of the poppy. To make it easier for you to win."

Kenna and Lord Royce exchange disbelieving glances as both threw their minds back to that nearly tragic day.

"You don't do something like that on your own. Who gave you the order?" Kenna asked.

"Lord Tywin," Pycelle shot out quickly like his life depended on it.

Kenna nodded slightly at this news, so the Old Lion didn't want his son to die.

"I thank you for your part in hindering Ser Meryn Trant but you still let my father die and murdered Lady Brienne and Podrick Payne so I am afraid I will have to insist on you drinking that," Kenna said pointing to the bottle resting in Pycelle's hand.

Pycelle still hesitated. Or maybe he was praying it was hard to tell in the badly lit cell.

"I am sure Lord Royce can help you if you can't manage it on your own," Kenna said darkly.

Pycelle finally found his courage and quickly brought the bottle to his lips. Kenna watched as he gulped down the liquid. He dropped the bottle to the floor. The sound of glass smashing against stone could be heard a second later and Pycelle slid to the floor as he felt the deadly liquid make its way down his throat.

The soon to be dead man looked no different after a few seconds and Lord Royce placed a hand on Kenna's arm, "You don't have to see this."

"I do though," Kenna said while facing the now sweating man, "I need to see what my father's final moments were like. He had no one but this sorry excuse for a man in his last moments."

Lord Royce nodded his understanding and retreated to stand in the doorway allowing Kenna some privacy with Pycelle and the memory of her father.

"How does it feel to be dying?" Kenna asked softly as she let her emotions shine through her constructed mental amour now that the outcome of this meeting was decided.

"Terrifying," Pycelle answered honestly.

"You are a man that has encountered death before. You know how it looks, how it smells, how it ends."

"Yes, but I have never felt it," Pycelle ground out as his breathing quickened.

"Tell me, how did my father's death look?" Kenna said as her mind struggled with the image of her father's painful end.

"Very much like mine will," Pycelle said as he lifted his head up, "But that is why you are here, hovering over me like the Stranger. You want to know how it all ended for your father. Well the truth my Lady is, he simply faded into the night, murmuring about this and that."

"Murmuring about what exactly," Kenna asked sharply wanting to know every detail of her father's passing.

"He kept muttering 'The seed is strong, Stannis will come, they should have stayed together' and towards the end he kept saying over and over that he was sorry."

The first two batches of words Kenna easily attributed to the discovery of the parentage of Cersei's children but the last one hit her hard. Father blamed himself for what happened to Alyssa, for sending her away in my place.

That knowledge clawed at her neck like a tightening noose.

My father's final thoughts were of how he had failed my sister.After a beat Kenna harrowingly realised, My final thoughts will probably be the same.

Kenna settled herself down on the cold stone floor, across from Pycelle, "I wonder what you will murmur about."

Two weeks after Stannis captures King's Landing

Winterfell, Seat of power of House Stark in the North, Capital of the Kingdom of the North

Arya was perched on the rooftop of the Great Keep of Winterfell by an open window to her late father's solar listening to Lord Karstark complain about how Robb had taken the Karhold.

"Robb Stark and his Wildling army have captured Karhold. You know they will take the Dreadfort next."

"Let them," came Ramsey's short reply. He was clearly growing tired of the Karstark's presence. "Each battle he enters weakens him for the only one that matters. Robb Stark can have Last Hearth, Karhold and the Dreadfort but as long as I have Winterfell, I have the North."

Robb is heading for the Dreadfort next, Arya picked up.

Arya shifted from her perched position to look down into the courtyard of Winterfell and watch as the patrolling Bolton guards gingerly wandered around the open area, halfheartedly waving their torches around the shadowy structures of Winterfell.

Arya saw her target through the thick darkness.

The Hound sat in his cage, draped in a blanket of shadows. His cell backed onto the southern wall of Winterfell. Between her and the Hound were a few drowsy guards. They would be no problem for Arya. And indeed, they were no problem as she climbed down from the rooftop, landing cat like on the floor and slipping past them effortlessly jumping from one shadow to another. If she had wanted to, she could have left a bloody trial in her wake but the objective was to remain anonymous and slink into the black night.

She reached the Hound's cage but he didn't move or speak. His eyes were closed. Arya reached out but before she could touch him, the Hound came alive and grabbed Arya's arm yanking her towards the bars of the cage so she slammed painfully into the metal bars of the Hound's cage.

It took all of Arya's self-taught control not to yelp out in pain and alert the guards to her presence.

The Hounds eyes flashed in recognition and he immediately released her. Arya looked quickly behind her but the guards were still too far away to see her without the help of a torch and no one had heard her body colliding with the bars.

Arya gave the Hound a glare of profound annoyance before unlocking his cage quickly. The Hound raised an eyebrow when the lock clicked and the door was released.

"It wasn't hard to get the key," Arya whispered.

Arya suddenly took a step back as she saw another form move at the back of the cage.

One of Ramsey's hounds, was Arya's first thought but the form morphed into a human from the darkness. Arya recognized that form.

Yara Greyjoy stretched as she stepped past the Hound quickly taking in the situation and exiting the cage carefully watching behind Arya's back.

The Hound was about to open his mouth when Arya placed a finger to her mouth, "We can talk later when we are out of here."

"I couldn't agree more," Yara murmured as she kept her gaze on the patrolling Bolton guards.

The Hound in answer closed the cell door and followed the two woman who plotted a path to the southern gate of Winterfell.

Arya's knowledge of Winterfell and the blackness of night allowed the three escapees a cover of darkness to maneuver in and they avoided any possible confrontation with ease.

Only half a dozen guards were standing in the vicinity of the gate. The Hound eyed them like a wolf would a herd of sheep.

Before his mind could begin to visualize what, he intended to do, two pairs of hands dragged him around a corner.

Author' Notes:

What did you think of Qyburn unnerving Melisandre? They are the creepiest characters so far :P

Lots of people have suspected and it is now confirmed Kenna is pregnant (about two months if my calculations are correct) and Lord Royce knows the truth about the father. He really is the sweetest man in the whole of Westeros :) He just has Kenna's back no matter what but takes no shit from her and calls out her BS too.

Was Pycelle's death satisfying? He finally got plucked from the garden and returned to the dirt :P

The Hound isn't very good at being sneaky is he ;P

Reviews:

NightlyRowenTree – Thank you for continuing to read the story andyou are most welcome :)

NCVII – The first part of your review I felt like you were Arthur Dayne saying 'I wish you good fortune in the wars to come' LOL

Keep fighting that fight. My Stannis is no fool but he has his flaws like the rest of the characters. Stannis is like the Tyrells worst nightmare he can't be seduced or reasoned with :P The Lannisters are chilling in the Black Cells for now but we will catch up with them soon …. I love Davos too! He is like the Uncle I always wanted. Mel is like the creepy Aunt I never wanted.

It seems like you have a complicated relationship with technology and chicken from what I can gather :P Lord Royce won't let me leave him alone he keeps getting in-between Kenna and danger and our girl has a habit of putting herself right in the thick of it. RIP Pod he took his secret to the grave :( Yeah, I have seen some interviews and they are super sweet :) I watched Merlin when I was younger and I seem to remember enjoying the earlier seasons and then thinking the later ones weren't as good. I'll have a think on Merlin.

Till next time C.

SarahELupin – Yeah me too, I think it is the crazy conviction she gets in her eyes as she is burning people ….. Did you like how Qyburn manages to creep her out? LOL

Ms. Ladyaries08 – I do think Stannis is very stubborn but he is also no fool. He knows the way he is (single minded, like Iron – break before he bends etc.) doesn't win him any friends but he is Stannis so he won't change course. He just keeps going forwards until he is stopped …..

Guest (commented 29/01/2020) – Thanks mate! I will :)

Tildaswann (commented on Chapter 22) – I haven't heard of that Ned centric story but I'll take your word for it :) Robb certainly is a character that has evolved in my story, I don't see how he could survive the Red Weddings and not change at some base level. If you are still reading this story and have got up to this point then you know you were right to be worried about Ramsey ;) Thank you for saying that!

Vixy29001 (Guest) – (To myself don't blush don't blush *I am blushing*) Aw thanks so much for your review :) New chapters are on the way! Thank you for complimenting my OC character. I put in a lot of effort into try to balance Kenna out into what might have been a real character in the G.O.T universe, i.e not a push over but not a Mary Sue. Yes! A fellow Witcher watcher!

RIP

Grand Maester Pycelle (forced to drink Tears of Lys by Kenna and Lord Royce in retaliation for the murders of Brienne and Pod as well as his refusal to save Jon Arryn when he had the chance)

Well this guy had been around for a long time! He served six Kings but never the one he thought should wear the crown. He survived for eighty-four years …. EIGHTY-FOUR YEARS! In the universe of Game of Thrones. But I couldn't let him get away with Brienne and Pods' murders and I thought his death would be a nice reminder/call back to Kenna's original motives for her involvement in the War of the Five Kings and a Queen. Anyway, take a bow Pycelle, you played the game well if not spectacularly.

Next up: The Baratheon and Arryn alliance tiptoes into cooperation, Arya witnesses a forgotten man take center stage and a hound is fed his dinner.

If you are enjoying this story please *Toss a coin to your writer, Oh valley of readers* and review, follow and favorite :)

PS: Tell me if the above is getting annoying I can't get the song out of my head!

See you guys next Friday!