Hi everyone,
Wow! This is Chapter 50! And I think it has nearly been a year since I started this story ….. Fuck me XD
Anyway, another chapter, enjoy!
Chapter 50: The Lone Stag
A few hours later ….
Black Cells, King's Landing, Seat of power of House Baratheon (Arryn) in the Crownlands, Capital of the Seven Kingdoms
Tyrion strained his ears to hear shouts in the distance and the pitter patter of marching feet.
His father's army was in the Red Keep, that meant Lady, no Queen Kenna, Tyrion corrected himself, had left with her fleet and that Stannis's fate was now all but certain.
Tyrion prodded his head through the bars of his cell to try to get a look at the last Baratheon brother.
All he saw was an unmoving shadow.
Tyrion smirked, that was all Stannis should have been to his family an unmoving shadow boxed in at Dragon Stone with his defeat at Blackwater Bay never to resurface. But to everyone's surprise he had resurfaced, with Kenna Lannister's help to take King's Landing from underneath the golden lions.
Tyrion's curiosity got the better of him, like it always did.
"How does it feel to have gotten so close to your objective just to have it snatched away by the very person who helped you achieve it?"
Tyrion's words echoed around the dark torchlit room but it was clear his words had been meant for Stannis.
After a half a minute of patient waiting, Tyrion gave up on receiving an answer but then he heard a shuffle of feet and then saw Stannis's head poke out of his cell's bars to mirror his own positioning, slightly hanging out his cell.
"The Gods will avenge me. Kenna Lannister may think she has everything she wants but her traitorous actions will mark her for the rest of her life. She betrayed the true King. She betrayed her honour."
Tyrion saw the believe burn in Stannis's eyes but he couldn't help but think that Ned Stark would have though the same way and the Gods had not saw it fit to avenge his fate.
"Which Gods are those? The Seven or the Lord of Light?" Tyrion replied pointing out Stannis's divided loyalties. "Honorable is not the word I would use to describe the action of letting their King lop of their head with no resistance. I would use the word stupid. And if there is one thing I know about Kenna Lannister; it is that she isn't stupid."
Stannis looked like he was about to refute Tyrion's statement but as he opened his mouth the door to their gloomy room burst open to reveal Loras Tyrell standing in the doorway in his shiny and polished amour.
The Knight of Flowers gave Stannis a razor-sharp look before moving from the door to allow his father to plod past. Upon seeing his grubby looking daughter behind bars Mace Tyrell rushed to the cell housing Tommen and Margaery.
"Someone get this cell open now," Mace Tyrell yelped while reaching for his daughter's hand through the bars and mostly ignoring Tommen in the back of the cell.
Tywin entered the room next and Tyrion noted how the room seemed to shrink as he did.
"Father," Tyrion greeted but saw how his father's eyes scanned the room taking in the placement of all the nobles and no doubt realizing why Kenna had placed them all there.
Two dethrones Kings, a Queen, and a Master of Coin.
Tyrion had noticed the not so subtle boast as soon as Tommen and Stannis had been housed in the same room. It seemed that King's Landing had nurtured Kenna's pride and it had bloomed to cast a shadow over her defeated foes.
Tyrion silently chuckled, as he saw his father's face tighten. He still reveled in seeing his father lose that calm aura he had built in himself. Tyrion knew he could crack it once in a while and he took pleasure it that fact his good-sister had that ability too.
"Open the cells," Tywin commanded and a Lannister solider appeared behind his shoulder with three keys in his hand.
The young blond man held one out to Loras who took it and approached his father, who was still fawning over his imprisoned daughter.
Tywin held out his own hand and the solider placed the second key in his Liege Lords palm while he took the remaining key and opened Tyrion's cage swiftly.
"Tyrion see that Tommen and Margaery are resettled into their rooms and then come to the Throne room," Tywin said before taking a step towards the caged stag and adding, "there will be an announcement shortly."
Tyrion nodded, looking between his father and Stannis before walking out of his cell and following the Tyrell party, that now included an exhausted Tommen, to walk out of the room and escape the dank darkness of the Black Cells. Not once did he look back as he climbed the shadowy stairs behind Loras Tyrell who supported his sister along the stairway.
Stannis and his father had only ever met on a few occasions so there was no bad history between them but they were juggernauts of the current era of Westeros, histories and lores would be recorded and made up about their actions and a meeting between the two would be an interesting affair.
He was slightly miffed that he would be missing such a meeting.
Tywin waited for everyone to leave the room so that only Stannis and himself where present in the confined space. His personal guards respectfully stood vigilant on the other side of the open door.
To Tywin's surprise he was not the first to speak.
"I remember my first visit to King's Landing; I must have been no more than four years old. My father took Robert and I to see King Aerys II Targaryen holding court on the Iron Throne. We never agreed on much but we agreed on that day that the King had been as noble as the dragons were fearsome," Stannis let out a rusty laugh as if the Gods had been playing a trick on him the whole time and he only just found out he was the punchline. "It was years later than my father told us that it hadn't been Aerys Targaryen holding court that day, he had cut himself on the throne earlier, but his Hand Tywin Lannister."
Tywin remained silent wondering if this offered piece of information was meant to invoke feelings of leniency. There had been a time when the Lannister and Baratheon ties had been strong and solid. A time where Tywin would have marched his armies to a Baratheon call. A time when Steffon Baratheon had been alive and not at the bottom of Shipbreaker Bay. Steffon Baratheon had been his best friend but Tywin held no love for his friends' sons. Bonds were not passed down in blood automatically, they had to be renewed with each generation.
Tywin didn't know who would have been more disappointed in their children his old friend or himself.
"My question is what happened to that man that impressed my brother and I so much? You let Aerys make your son and heir a Kingsguard. You suffered his refusal of your daughter's marriage proposal. You left King's Landing to the mercy of a Mad King when you knew he was unraveling. You ran away. You holed yourself up in Casterly Rock while my brother and I fought to take a tyrant down," Stannis took a breath from his rant before finishing, "You are a coward."
It was an interesting question, one that had an easy answer.
His entire world had crashed around him. The love of his life had died, leaving a gaping hole in his heart that had never healed. He had turned off his emotions so he wouldn't have to face what he had lost.
It was true, when Joanna had died, he had run away to a place filled with happy memories of her but each recollection just reminded him that he would never be able to bask in the warmth of her smile or drink in the sound of her golden laughter ever again. He had receded into himself and focused on the family name and legacy.
He knew now that his reaction to Joanna's death had deeply impacted all three of his children in ways, he regretted but the past was the past all he could do now was stop the rot.
Tywin ignored Stannis's insults and accusations, verbally at least as a dead man's question didn't require an answer, and proceeded with the planned course of events.
"You will be put on trial for treason against your nephew-" Tywin started.
"My nephew," Stannis thundered over Tywin while walking closer to the metal bars that separated the men, "he has none of Robert in him whatsoever and you know it. The boy is two halves Lannister. You are his grandfather two times over."
Ignoring Stannis's expected retort and using this predicted moment to regain control of the conversation Tywin delved into a more personal topic, "Why did Lady Kenna turn on you?"
Stannis seemed taken aback in the change in topic but only took a few moments to spit out his reply, "Because she is a Lannister."
Tywin suppressed the slight snort that came to him over Stannis's words, if Kenna had heard Stannis's statement, she would have been at the man's throat denying the truth of it. She was an Arryn by birth and a Lannister by marriage. The interesting question was what was she by nature?
"I don't think my good-daughter would be pleased with that assessment," Tywin said evenly as he reigned in his thoughts on Kenna and directed them back on the latest failed usurper of the Iron Throne.
"She left me here at your mercy, behind unlocked gates and unguarded streets …. for what peace?" Stannis genuinely questioned.
"She got an independent Vale in return as well as peace," Tywin confirmed.
Stannis leaned back of the bars as if the existence of a peace pact and an arrangement to exchange kingdoms with the man before him had reiterated Kenna's deceitful nature in his mind. He walked further back into his cell while Tywin's catlike eyes followed his every step. Waiting for the moment Stannis would make his final demand.
Tywin didn't have to wait very long.
Stannis squared up to Tywin with a last burst of determination etched on his stony face, "I will not be paraded around and made a mockery off in a court. I demand a trial by combat. I have lived by the sword and I will die by the sword."
Very well," Tywin said as if he had been expecting this outcome. And in truth he had.
Half an hour later ….
Throne Room,Red Keep, King's Landing, Seat of power of House Baratheon (Lannister) in the Crownlands, Capital of the Seven Kingdoms
Tyrion was in the middle of trying to redirect Mace Tyrell's nonsensical rambling elsewhere and reach Tommen who sat on the Iron Throne with Margaery draped by his side when his father marched into the Throne room with Stannis Baratheon behind him in chains. The defeated man was flanked by two tall Lannister guards.
"Lord Stannis has demanded a trial by combat," Tywin announced as he walked to the Throne, "and I see no reason in why we should delay justice being dealt."
"But who will our champion be?" Mace Tyrell squeaked as he stepped down from the conversation he was having with Tyrion on the steps to the Throne.
"I will be the Crown's champion," came Loras's strong voice as he eyed Stannis with utter contempt.
Tyrion nodded at the development it was logical that Stannis, a hardened warrior would demand to be judged by the sword rather than his peers and it was extremely likely that Loras Tyrell would seek revenge for the death of his lover, Renly Baratheon.
Tyrion looked to his father; he had clearly wanted this outcome. It pacified the Tyrells and allowed them to take center stage in the fall of Stannis Baratheon.
Tyrion watched as Ser Loras, still wearing his amour stepped towards Stannis. There was only one thing on the young knight's mind.
Revenge.
Stannis held up his hands for the chains to be unlocked before he then stepped towards Loras Tyrell.
"Am I to fight with thin air?" he growled.
Tywin snapped his fingers at one of his guards who quickly presented Stannis with his own sword.
"Still not fair though is it," Loras muttered with rage now burning in his eyes but he was a knight so as Stannis gained a sword he shed his amour.
Now they were evenly equipped.
"You may begin," Tywin declared as he reached the arm of the Throne and turned to watch the fight begin. Tommen shifted his attention from Margaery to his good-brother who swung wildly at Stannis.
Tyrion noticed how the childish countenance that Tommen usually held had vanished and he now calmly watched as his uncle and good-brother thrusted and parried each other's blows. It appeared that the young King's experience in the Black Cells had hardened him to the harsh realities of his life and future.
The King kept his hand curled around Queen Margaery's as the clash of metal on metal rang out in the Throne room but this time it seemed like he was the one comforting his Queen and not the other way around as it had clearly been in the Black Cells.
There was a cry of pain that restored Tyrion's attention on the fight happening before the Throne.
Stannis had managed to nick Loras's upper thigh and blood was dripping down his right leg as he backed off Stannis to regroup.
Stannis pressed his advantage and tried to corner Loras against one of the large white pillars that supported the Throne room but the young man bit down through the pain of his injury and spun around the pillar to the other side and began circling back to the center of the room.
"Is that all you got?" Loras threw at Stannis.
But this wasn't Stannis's first taste of one-on-one combat, he ignored Loras's obvious attempts to distract him and launched another arcing swing that had Loras jumping back out of reach.
He is making Loras work his legs, Tyrion accrued. Smart when the opponent had an injured one.
Stannis pounced again, his sword once again swiped at thin air but Loras this time had surprisingly charged forward and launched an attack of his own.
Stannis managed to block the strike and took a few steps back but Loras kept coming and Stannis's labored breath become more prominent the more flurries of parrying the men exchanged between them.
Loras didn't seem to be struggling with his leg anymore.
Clever boy, Tyrion nearly said out loud. Loras Tyrell had been faking the extent of his injury to lure Stannis into overexerting himself and that is exactly what had happened.
In the next instant Loras pinned Stannis against the very pillar his opponent had sought to trap him against and kneed Stannis in the ribs. But the grizzled man still held onto his sword and tried his best to push Loras off.
But the younger man was fresher and stronger. Loras easily tangled his sword with Stannis's and twisted it so Stannis was forced to drop his weapon or suffer a broken wrist.
The sword clattered to the floor and the edge of Loras's gleaming blade was at Stannis's throat.
For a few moments all that could be heard was the heavy breathing between Loras and Stannis. No one wanted to intervene in the moment.
"Do what you must," Stannis said coldly without feeling to his young conqueror.
"Do you regret it?" Loras quested as he restrained himself from cutting Stannis's throat immediately.
Stannis looked into Loras's eyes as his next word came out in a deep suffering rumble, "I regret that my brother was cajoled into opposing me."
Loras's anger at the implication that he himself was ultimately responsible for Renly's death by supporting the young Baratheon's push for the Throne was too much for him to handle and he rammed the hilt into Stannis's face over and over until the Lord's face was mostly covered in blood.
Stannis tried to bring up his hands to defend himself but he had no energy left. The metal hilt easily tore through his weak defenses. He felt Loras grip his shoulder and throw him away from the pillar so when he looked up, he saw Tommen Baratheon sitting on the Iron Throne and then felt a ripping pain in the middle of his torso.
He looked down to see a sharp sword jutting out of his gut, with his own blood smeared onto the once polished surface.
The sword was retracted and Stannis crumbled to the floor in a fit of gasps and coughs.
All eyes watched as Stannis rolled onto his back and continued to gurgle as blood filled his lungs and started to soak his clothes.
Loras Tyrell knelt beside Stannis with his sword point resting near the man's head as he bent over his fallen opponent to whisper in the dying man's ear, "This was for Renly. You murdered him when he had nothing but good intentions. He would have been a better King than you. He cared-," Loras stopped himself before he got too emotional and focused purely on the dying stag that lay before him.
It only took a few more moments for Stannis Baratheon's last labored breath to leave him.
The sound of clapping snapped everyone out of their thoughts.
Tyrion turned back to see Tommen had stood from his Throne and was clapping for his good-brother, "Well done Ser Loras, once the matters of state have been dealt with, I will throw a banquet in your honour. You have dispatched an enemy of the Crown today and you have my eternal thanks now and forever."
Loras bowed before his King as his sister took her husband's hand and they both glided out the Throne room, followed by all of the Lannister guards.
Mace Tyrell ate up the space between him and his bowing son, "Well done my boy. Let us get that leg of yours looked at. We must write to your grandmother of what has happened. She will want to know everything."
Loras let himself be dragged off by his father which left Tyrion and Tywin alone with the bloodied body of Stannis Baratheon.
Tyrion didn't look behind him, he knew his father's eyes were on him.
Tyrion wandered down the remaining steps of the Throne room and stopped to look at the pooling blood springing from underneath Stannis. The crimson liquid had reached the dead man's outstretched hands and was making its way to his knees.
The expression on his face hadn't changed in death. His eyes remained open and staring at the ceiling while the hard-cold look that had dominated his face in life stayed carved on his face in death.
Tyrion smirked, even death couldn't change Stannis Baratheon.
Tyrion heard his father's steps and felt the man's tall presence beside him as they now both looked down on the fallen stag. In the end he had had no one and that had been his downfall.
The Lone Stag was always hunted down eventually.
"Follow me," Tywin demanded unceremoniously before walking away from Stannis's still bleeding body towards the open doors of the Throne room.
Tyrion sighed, guessing some unfortunately servant was going to have to clean up Ser Loras's mess for him, before begrudgingly following in his father's footsteps.
Half an hour later ….
The Hand's Study,Tower of the Hand, King's Landing, Seat of power of House Baratheon (Lannister) in the Crownlands, Capital of the Seven Kingdoms
"Father, I think I might be able to better utilize my talents if you clued me into what your plans are," Tyrion remarked snidely as both men entered the Hand's study.
"Fine," Tywin barked as he passed the table Kenna had pointed a crossbow at him and strode into the room that contained his study desk, where he had nearly died, twice.
There were reminders of Kenna's actions everywhere and Tywin was trying his hardest to blot out the memories and focus on the current threats at hand.
He didn't wait for Tyrion's reply before he dropped into his chair to start writing the numerous letters that would need to go out to mobilize the forces needed to reply all the oncoming threats to Lannister dominance.
Before his hand reached for the quill and the ink pot, he was faced with a disorientating image laid bare on his desk.
A skull, surrounded by a long maester's chain, with a golden pendant glistening in the skulls mouth.
"Looks like Queen Kenna left you a present," Tyrion said interrupting his father's thoughts from across the desk, "and I think we both know who's skull that is."
The chain made it obvious. Pycelle had finally been plucked from the garden.
Tywin reached for the skull, tipping it so that the golden lion pendant slid into his open hand.
His hand curled around the small piece of gold. It seemed that the placement of prisoners in the Black Cells wasn't Kenna's only message to Tywin.
The return of the golden lion pendant stated loud and clear to Tywin that Kenna no longer considered herself a Lannister, was no longer under any obligation to the Lannister patriarch or wanted anything to do with running Casterly Rock.
Tywin placed the golden chain around his neck and made sure that the lion pendant was hidden below his shirt line before he turned to his sitting son.
"You want to help your family, well now is the time that the Lannister name needs you the most. Your brother is all but a glorified hostage again, and I have no intention to fight for his release. Your sister took off with Oberyn Martell and she plots to kill us both to save her remaining children. How she thinks she will be able to guarantee Tommen and Myrcella's safety in the coming chaos I have no idea but your sister is resourceful."
"I have been avoiding Cersei's murderous intent all my life. But I am afraid that threats from within our own family isn't the extend of our problems," Tyrion pointed out trying not to let his father's acknowledgement that he needed his help go to his head.
"Dorne won't move on us until the Dragon Queen leaves Meeren. Doran is a cautious man; he will not attack unless victory is all but guaranteed," Tywin expounded as he rested in his chair running possible future scenarios through his head.
"You know Dorne is in league with Daenerys Targaryen?" Tyrion asked with little surprise in his voice.
"Not for sure," Tywin answered back lightly drumming his fingers on his wooden desk, "but Varys wouldn't let the opportunity to add the might of Dorne to his chosen Queens's army. With the past history between the Lannisters and the Martells it is an obvious alliance."
"Perhaps an obvious alliance but it does seem quite unstoppable once you factor in the three fire breathing weapons that can destroy an entire army in one fell swoop."
"Dragons are not invincible, they are just very hard to kill," Tywin said, reluctantly repeating Kenna's words to his son.
"Tell that to Sharra Arryn or Harren the Black," Tyrion shot at his father, "Please tell me you have a plan to deal with the Targaryen girl when she comes?"
"I do but there is much work to be done to implement it," Tywin said slowly eyeing his son with his piercing green eyes.
"What?" Tyrion questioned, feeling nervous under his father's intense stare.
"For my plan to work I am going to have to trust you," Tywin ground out.
"Well that would be a first for you."
Tywin stroked the newly grown stubble on chin and caught sight of the scar on his hand. Oberyn Martell had nearly killed him that night when he had plunged his knife into his hand. It was a reminder that no man was immortal. Eventually the father had to pass on power to his son. Tywin had always envisaged that son being Jaime not Tyrion but now was the time to finally admit that Tyrion was the son that could play the game and he was the son that was best placed to lead when he was gone, until his child by Kenna reached adulthood of course but Tywin knew the odds of him surviving long enough to see that child come of age where slim.
"I intend to leave King's Landing once Tommen has settled on the Throne."
"What?" Tyrion half spluttered in a loud voice.
"We need all the allies we can get against Daenerys Targaryen; she has the Dornish and we need to make sure that she can't turn any other great house against us."
"You trust me to run King's Landing and fend off the Tyrells grab for power?"
"I need you here Tyrion," Tywin said in an unnaturally quite voice as if he still didn't want to admit to needing his sons help.
"Or is this an excuse for you to march an army to the Eyrie again and demand Kenna provide you an heir … by Jaime of course."
Tywin shifted uncomfortably in his chair, "That will not be necessary she is pregnant already."
Tyrion went extremely still as he processed the news. He had always been the youngest, the littlest of lions. Now he was going to be a big brother.
"When is she expecting?" Tyrion inquired, biting the inside of his mouth.
Tywin gave a shrug of forced indifference and pushed on with his strategic plans, eager to brush over the topic of Kenna's pregnancy as quickly as possible, "We have the Crownlands, Stormlands and Westerlands through family. The Reach through the Tyrells. The Riverlands though conquest. And the Vale through our new alliance. The Greyjoys and the North are the unspoken houses left with any sort of army and I do not want them declaring for Daenerys Targaryen."
"You think the Vale would really fight with us after everything that has happened?" Tyrion asked with a hand brushing over his chin then counting through the amount of transgressions that had happened between the Lannisters and the Arryns on his hands.
One; They fought with the Starks against us during the War of the Five Kings and a Queen.
Two; They took Casterly Rock and Kenna declared the Vale independent from the Crown.
Three; Father planned the Red Weddings where Kenna nearly died and she ended up in the hands of the Mountain.
Four; We took the Eyrie which resulted in Alyssa Arryn dying and Kenna being forced to marry Jaime and losing control of her Kingdom to Littlefinger and Lysa Arryn.
Five; Cersei threatened to have Kenna thrown off the roof of the Tower of the Hand.
Tyrion started to use his other hand to count.
Six; Joffrey nearly inadvertently killed Kenna Arryn during his attempt at assassinating father.
Seven; Father framed Littlefinger and Lysa for Joffrey's murder, mmm …. that seemed more like a favour to Kenna than a transgression. Tyrion put down one finger to restart.
Seven; Father decided to ensure he got his heir … Mmmm Is that a transgression, Tyrion wondered …. I'll count it.
Eight; Kenna turned the tables and took King's Landing but then she gave it back …
Tyrion let his hands fall to his sides. After a certain point it got a bit too complicated to keep track of relationship between House Arryn and Lannister.
Maybe I will just leave Kenna for father to deal with and see how that goes, Tyrion smiled at the thought as the relationship between his father and the restored Queen over the Mountains intrigued him.
The sound of shuffling papers brought Tyrion's attention back onto his father.
"When I sealed our alliance with … Queen Kenna, we talked on how to deal with the Targaryen girl. Did you think I would ally our house to another without discussing the looming threats we would face," Tywin scolded as he began reorganizing his desk around the presented skull, "I expect our pact to remain intact. An Arryn always keeps their word."
Yes, and a Lannister always pays their debts. I know the sayings but this is potential house extinction we are talking about."
"They are sayings for a reason," Tywin snapped back as he moved the chain and skull to the side of the desk, "and I know that Varys considers Kenna a long-term threat to Daenerys's potential rule. She is an opponent of the Targaryen girl whether she wants to be or not. She will fight with us. She is married to a Lannister and about to bear a Lannister child. She is tied to us by more than just a piece of paper or a declaration of loyalty."
"Mmmm," Tyrion agreed, "The armies of the Westerlands, The Reach, and the Vale as well as the Golden Company men would be more than enough to repel the armies under Daenerys Targaryen's command but we aren't fighting man to man are we."
"And there lies our biggest problem, how do you kill three fully grown dragons?"
"Are you asking me Father or trying to figure out the answer yourself?"
"I am gambling everything on one of us finding out the answer," Tywin said back in a serious manner.
"Fine, I will add that to the long list of things I need to work on it but I would suggest trying to secure the Greyjoys loyalties first, their fleet will come in handy when trying to block Daenerys Targaryen's armies from reaching Westeros's shores."
"Balon will demand independence in return," came Tywin's stern voice.
"And?" Tyrion questioned, "Let him have it in name only."
"I have already given one Kingdom its independence I do not want to give away another one," Tywin said as his hands tightened around the arms of his chair.
"If you want your family to survive and your legacy to continue you may have too," Tyrion replied noting how his father was reacting to their conversation.
He isn't feeling confident on the future, Tyrion guessed as he leaned towards his father, or maybe he feels like a fool with how King's Landing was taken and given back.
"I am guessing you have a plan for the North as well," Tywin deduced by the way his son had shifted forward in his chair.
"I do," Tyrion answered shaking himself from his previous thoughts, "but I don't think you are going to like it and I think I need some more time to .. refine it."
"Then we have done enough for one day," Tywin stated while standing up from his desk.
Tyrion nodded his agreement and waddled to the doorway only to turn around and say in a genuine tone, "Congratulations Father," before vanishing into the other room.
It took Tywin a few seconds to realize that he had been talking about his impending fatherhood and he slowly lowered himself back into his chair, the letters in front of him forgotten as he felt for the golden lion pendant underneath his shirt.
Author' Notes:
No Kenna or Co this chapter I know, she is in the next one as well as the characters that made the trip out of King's Landing. The chapter just started getting too large so had to move a few bits into the next one.
Thoughts on the Stannis Tywin scene in the Black Cells and the Loras vs Stannis fight scene?
Looks like Tywin is appreciating Tyrion's talents with his other two children out of his reach.
Who doesn't love a human skull as a present? :P
Reviews:
Guest (commented on 1/04/2020) – On it :)
NCVII – S'up N, you were right it was Ramsey's girlfriend – I didn't think I had to introduce her in the battle scene. As I have said before Kenna isn't a Mary Sue and she won't be a Mary Sue she spent Chapter 20 to roughly Chapter 41 being a virtual prisoner to the Lannisters and now she has broken free. I guess this is her moment of triumph currently so it might seem she is on top right now but remember the game of thrones is like a wheel that is always turning …. And yes the Gods are cunts.
On the Margaery point yes I feel like I will change that scene slightly but that ultimately she would get a bit snappy because in that moment she believes Kenna was going to have her executed along with Tommen so her desperation came out a bit in anger (like with the Cersei scene when Margaery was in prison in the TV show) as at this point there is no bargaining or charming to be done. She thought her fate was decided already. I could not leave Stannis alone XD and Melisandre will come back into the story later ….
I am really excited by the Dornish plot in my story (unlike the TV shows Dornish plot). Danny Kenna as well as Dany vs Kenna are interesting arcs and so many situations are in my head for these scenarios ;P Danny definitely has more fire power but the game isn't always about military strength :D The actual enemy hasn't really been outed yet and still remains in the shadow but we will be returning the Wall before ARC II wraps up :)
'Regrets' will be continued but it isn't a high priority right now – 'Dance of the Falcon' is :) PMs are broken for everyone I think so people check your inboxes! I play chess but I need to get better at it :P
Toss a coin to your witcher is a banger of a song :P
Supremus85 – It is a bit scary you know my writing and rhythms so well – if there hasn't been many deaths in my story recently it is normally because I am storing them up for a bloodbath :P Note that Myranda did die last chapter but she wasn't a major character and Stannis the Mannis fell this chapter so I am keeping to my quota … maybe ….. One of my favorite quotes is "Si vis pacem, para bellum" XD Yeah, a story with Ramsey being good but still a bit shady is a cool idea! How would you go about it I wonder but I am really interested in what you might do :)
SarahELupin – Their meeting was fun to write and interesting to imagine playing out as both share quite a few similar characteristics and they got no scenes together in the show.
Shadow Wolf 15846 – Really glad to hear it as I love her too :D I have rather a lot planned ;)
Ksyushangel – Shireen's death in the TV show just did not sit well with me :( Everything is good right now thank you :) Jaime is taken to the Eyrie as insurance against Tywin for possible future events and because he is still Kenna's husband and their marriage is a symbol of the peace between the Vale and the Crown. Arya does get herself into some interesting situations in the future XD Mmm let's just say Daenerys Targaryen is coming :P I don't intent to include giant falcons in this story sorry. Hahaha yeah magic would be cool but I don't want her to be overpowered. The best thing about Kenna is that she can only try her best and sometimes that isn't good enough (Eyrie falling – yes she turned it around but that took over a year and really replied on Stannis's predictability to work). Thank you, angel! Same to you!
Cashy7183980 – Yes I am :) Trying my best, if anything kills me it will be the heat here.
NightlyRowenTree – Thanks dude :)I hope it gets back to normal soon! As always thanks for reading!
Krionik (commented on chapter 9) – You are so right :P Tywin, Gerion, Genna, Tygett ….. and Kevan LOL What were his parents thinking.
RIP
Stannis Baratheon (Loras Tyrell shoved his sword through his back in retaliation for the murder of Renly Baratheon)
I thought Stannis's death in the TV show was lackluster so I went with a nice mirror of how Renly died as I think in my story the murder of his brother was his worst action. Stannis in my story was never going to survive as he just doesn't have the characteristics that is needed to thrive in the current political climate and as soon as Kenna noticed this and realised Stannis's favour for her was waning with each clash in decision and action she had to make her move. But his legacy carries on in his daughter … where will she end up? I imagine if Stannis had proved slightly more flexible and able to work with Kenna his story would have turned out massively different.
Next up: Dreadfort welcomes more travelers, while Robb ponders his next move, and Kenna enjoys the wind whipping around her hair.
If you are enjoying this story please *Toss a coin to your writer, Oh valley of readers* and review, follow and favorite :)
See you guys next chapter!
SIDE NOTE: I did the test what character are you on the open psychometrics . Org website and my best personality matches for the GOT universe were Olenna Tyrell ….. at 86% ….. Varys at 85% and then Tywin at 84% …. Mmmm what does that say about me :P – Try it out guys and tell me what your best personality match was in the GOT universe XD
