Game of Thrones

The Moon's Child

Chapter 27

The Great Council

305 AC- The Stormlands- Storm's End

Gendry fidgets with the items on his desk. He gets up, straightens his tunic and walks to the window. His solar was large and empty overlooking Cape Wrath he peers over what are now his lands. He looked to the warhammer, stood in the corner and let out a sigh, life made sense in front of a forge, why had fate picked him? To be the bastard of a King, to be sent to the Night's Watch, to join the Brotherhood Without Banners, to be a sacrifice for another King, to go beyond the wall, to fight the dead… to be here. Why had fate chosen him? The knock on his door echoed through the solar. "Come in" He called, trying his best to be stern. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back ready to meet his visitor.

"My Lord." Une bowed slightly as he entered his solar "Am I interrupting something?"

"Nothing" Gendry exclaimed as he threw his arms out to his side "I am literally doing nothing… what is a Lord supposed to do anyway… you're a Lord Une, you tell me."

"A very minor Lord, My Lord." He bowed modestly "And you are doing fine, The Stormlands are at peace the people are fed."

"We should go and see Ky and Albert." Gendry nodded "It sounds like The Marches are the place to be."

Une cringed slightly "The Marcher Lords are best left to themselves My Lord, The Reeve is on top of The Marches in your name… besides you have an invitation."

"To what?" Gendry asked nervously

"To a Great Council My Lord." Une produced a scroll from his sleeve "All the Great Houses are invited."

Gendry looked at the scroll and mumbled aloud "The Tully's of The Riverlands, The Greyjoys of The Iron Islands, The Aryn's of The Vale, The Martells of Dorne… and The Stark's of The North." He sighed

"She could be there My Lord." Une smiled knowingly

"She doesn't want me." Gendry sighed as he handed the scroll back, I'd only embarrass myself."

"You are a Baratheon My Lord." Une told him, "There will be no embarrassment. With the Tyrell's gone the Tarley's will be representing the Reach, I don't know about The Westerlands… Brienne of Tarth has said she will sit for The Stormlands, but you should be there."

I don't know the first thing about being a Lord." Gendry sighed "I'm just a bastard."

"A bastard no more My Lord." Une continued "You could have a real say in the future of the Kingdoms, and it's fair to say peoples lives depend on it."

"Jon" Gendry, turned from him to look back out of the window "I fought with him. Our fathers were best friends. I can't believe he killed her… His Queen."

"There is little doubt in the matter My Lord." Une spoke "The Unsullied and Dothraki are demanding their heads."

"He deserves a fair trial." Gendry turned to face him again "The Kingdoms owe him that much. I'll go."

…..

305 AC- The Crownlands- Kings Landing

Greyworm's eyes narrowed. He stood atop The King's Gate, a Southern Entrance to the City. He watched cautiously as a snaking column of men came over the hills, as far as the eye can see. On foot and on horse, they march towards King's Landing. He nodded as one of his fellow Unsullied joined him at the battlements. Greyworm focussed on the banners coming towards them, A sun pierced by a spear on a brilliant yellow background. "Dornish" Greyworm said simply.

"A lot of them." The other Unsullied added "Dothraki scouts say ten thousand."

"Ten thousand" Greyworm repeated

"They declared for our Queen Greyworm. They are friends?"

"Where were these spears at Winterfell?" Greyworm frowned slightly "Where were they when she took the Throne?"

…..

The King's gate creaked open as Greyworm stepped out of the City Walls. He was approached by a black haired, bearded man in an orange and gold robe. "Prince Martell." He greeted him.

"You are in charge?"

"The Queen made me Master of War." Greyworm said coldly "I command The Unsullied."

"I've answered the invitation for this Great Council. It is true then, The Dragon Queen is dead?" Greyworm nodded slowly "And the man who killed her… this… Jon Snow?"

"He lives… as does the former Hand." Greyworm's voice almost seethed "The leaders of this country will have a say in what comes next."

"So there is no King at the moment?" The Prince of Dorne shrugged "I imagine there will be some claims to come."

"Is that why you have brought an Army Prince Martell?" Greyworm asked suspiciously

"Perhaps" The Prince smiled "Tell me, is it true you don't have a cock?"

Greyworm tensed his jaw and looked straight at The Prince with a glare "Welcome to King's Landing Prince Martell."

…

305 AC- The Stormlands- Nightsong

He brought the blade across his throat with one smooth motion, the soldier crumpled to the floor. A hooded figure skulks along the walls of Nightsong, he comes to another soldier, muttering a strange incantation he hurls a green orb, as soon as it makes contact the orb explodes into vines that encompass the soldier before he can draw his sword. As the man falls to the ground he races across the ground and plunges his knife into him. The hooded man looks up at the Walls of Nightsong, his eyes bloodshot, his face unshaven. "A Raven is Crowned, The Old Gods stir," He mutters as he throws a grapple hook up to the walls ledge "A raven is crowned the old gods stir," With unnatural speed he clambers up the side of the wall, dropping into the castle below "A raven is crowned the old gods stir" He continues to mumble before grabbing his head. A shooting pain radiates through his skull "The Moonchild bleeds, The Deep Ones Rise." He muttered as he disappeared into the shadows.

…

He moves silently through the castle, he knows every turn, every step, where every guard would be, as if being guided by a higher power. He had brought the bronze blade of his knife across the throats of two more men as he continued his way through the corridors. He came to a door and slowly brought his hand to the handle. Locked. He dropped to his knees and brought two small pins out and made quick work of the lock. He tried the handle again, the door creaked open, he closed it behind him quickly and made his way through someone's chambers. He walked under an arch and into a bed chamber, he could see two people sleeping beneath the furs, he looked past their bed to the cradle at the foot of the bed.

He silently drew his blade and walked to bed, he saw the same flame haired girl and one of the soldiers he had seen in Bravos. He raised his hand up as he got closer, he was in range… when two pairs of eyes opened. A sword came out of the furs as the man sat bold upright, it cut through the air towards him forcing him back. The flame haired girl jumped out of bed, a dagger in her hand. She quickly covered herself in a robe. The young man in the bed got out and held the sword out at arms length. Dressed in a night shirt and light breeches he stared down the hooded stranger "Hello Lord Reed." He said coldly "I thought you might turn up. GUARDS! GUARDS!"

Howland Reed pulled down his hood and stared at him with bloodshot eyes "A raven is crowned, the Old God's Stir." He mumbled as he drew a second knife from his belt "The Moon Child bleeds, the Deep Ones Rise."

"Guards" Ky called again as Reed lunged at him, Howland Reed ducked under Ky's blade as the younger man swung his sword, Reed pinned him to the bed before vaulting over it and slashing a blade at Lilly, the Wildling tried to stab at him, but he parried her dagger with his own. Ky leapt across the bed, and tackled him to the floor, one of Howlands Blades slid along the floor. Ky wrapped his hands around Reeds Throat. With his spare hand the Crannong man grabbed the young man's face, vines began to wrap around his face, and eyes causing him to claw at them to get them away, freeing Reed in the process. Lilly jumped forward and slashed him across the face, then the chest, deep cuts formed as his blood began to run. He grabbed her by the hair and slammed her head into the wall. Lifting his blade he walked towards the crib. Ky tackled him from behind, slamming him into a wall. The two began to fight again, Reed managed to mount the younger man and held his blade aloft. The door to their chambers slammed open as Albert and several soldiers ran in. The large man put a boot into Howland Reeds head sending the Lord crashing to the floor. One of the soldiers drove a spear into his leg as three more jumped on him. Lilly scooped the babe up in her arms and retreated to the back of the room, as Reed let out a cry of pain.

"The Moon Child Bleeds! The Deep Ones Rise" He cried in a panicked agony "The Deep Ones Rise! The Old Gods Stir." There were four soldiers on Reed now.

"Get him up." Albert yelled, he punched him in the face once, then twice… Reeds nose exploded under his fist, he kicked him in the ribs and could hear the crack, in a rage he grabbed at Reeds hooded tunic and pulled him, the garment tore and he saw a piece of tattooed flesh. Drawing his dagger he cut the woolen garment away, his body was twisted and contorted from years of wounds, his chest arms and back covered in strange runes and markings.

"The Moon Child Bleeds, The Deep Ones Rise." He muttered again, spitting blood as he did.

"Out the way." He told Albert as he picked up a blade and walked towards him, he grabbed the Lord by his chin "Whose man are you?" He demanded "Who sent you."

Reed looked past him to the corner where Lilly was stood with Kendra in her arms "A raven is crowned, the Old Gods Stir… The Moon Child Bleeds… The Deep Ones Rise."

"Wrong answer." Ky said coldly as he turned to Lilly "Take Kendra somewhere else."

"Ky wait a minute." Albert stopped him

"I don't care if he's a Lord Albert, he dies." Ky dismissed him

"Agreed" Albert nodded "But this isn't the first time this has happened Ky. A Faceless Man, the Carcosan, The sorcerer, and now him. Ky we put a sorcerers head on a spike above Nightsong. So that those magically inclined people would know we would fight to protect Kendra… but here we are, less than a year later and there's another one."

"So?" Ky shrugged

"So… we knew he was coming here… somehow. We need to consider the possibility that we are being watched by people who have not heeded our earlier message."

"I'm sure there's a point you're trying to make Albert." Ky sighed in frustration

"I'm saying we need to send a stronger message." Albert said menacingly "One his master, and anyone else with an interest in Kendra won't ignore."

Ky stayed silent for a moment, he looked over his shoulder at Lilly and Kendra, and then to the Crannogman kneeling before him behind restrained by several soldiers. Howland Reed looked straight at him, his hair matted to his forehead, his face covered in blood "The Moonchild Bleeds… The Deep Ones Rise." He sobbed. Ky's expression hardened as he nodded to himself, he noticed the flaming heart on one of his soldiers armour, as Albert's Words echoed in his mind "We need to send a stronger message. One his master can't ignore."

A wave of clarity swept over his mind as he looked to Albert "Take him away." His voice was eerily calm "Wake the townsfolk, build a pyre outside the walls."

Albert nodded eagerly as he struk Reed on the back of his head with a sword hilt. The soldiers grabbed him and dragged him out of their chambers, Albert patted Ky on the shoulder and followed them out.

"A pyre?" Lilly spoke up

"He tried to kill our daughter." Ky spoke coldly

"Ky you're not Stannis." Lilly snapped at him "There are laws here…"

"I'm the law here." Ky cut her off as he began to gather his clothes "Albert's right, we need to send a message to any other magic pricks that want to take a run at her."

"Ky I love this girl more than anything, she's my sisters child, my blood, and I will die to protect her, and he should die, but you can't get away with a public burning, the other Kneelers wont stand for it, he's not some foreign fanatic he's a Lord… A Westerosi Lord, his death will…"

"He burns." Ky said coldly as he brushed past Lilly into the next room.

….

In the cold night air, as a half moon hung in the sky the sleepy townsfolk had been told to gather, and so they had. Outside the walls of Nightsong, a stacked funeral pyre had been built, a single stake rose from it, with Howland Reed bound to it. The battered Crannogman continued to mumble the same phrases over and over again. Watching from the battlements The Wildling Lilly, Lady Dayne and Lady Caron. On the ground outside rows of men, some bearing flaming heart shields, all bearing torches await what is to come, the last vestiges of Stannis Baratheon's army, they stand ready. At the centre of them, Ky and Albert. They had dressed hastily, in the long black coats of the Reeves office, Ky's badge shining in the torchlight.

"Reeve" A stern voice called out "Reeve. If I may have a word."

"Ser Arnold." Ky sighed in frustration with a slight eye roll, as Lady Ariana's portly Knight walked through his men to his side.

"What is this Reeve?" He whispered under his breath

"What does it look like Ser Arnold" Albert answered for him "It's an execution. This man killed some of our Lord's soldiers, an attack on one of Our Lord's Soldiers is an attack on our Lord himself. He tried to kill an appointed official and his family, and who knows what he would have done had he not been stopped."

"He's a Lord." Ser Arnold whispered with a sense of urgency

"Lord or not." Albert shrugged "There is but one punishment."

"Agreed." Arnold nodded "Hang him, behead him, pull him apart with two horses if you must… but burning... that is not how we do things here. Your men are free to worship as they please, but The Seven are our God's."

"It's The Nine you want to worry about." Ky said coldly, "I trust you will not stand in my way?" Ser Arnold looked up to Lady Ariana on the battlements and silently withdrew.

Ky walked forward, he stopped at the foot of the pyre and looked up at Howland Reed "A Raven is Crowned, The Old Gods Stir. The Moonchild Bleeds, The Deep Ones Rise."

"You are charged with heresy by magic, attempted murder and murder. There can be only one sentence. Howland of House Reed, Lord of Greywater Watch, here in the sight of God's and Men, and in the name of Tristan of House Caron Lord of Nightsong, I Kylon Wheelwright, Reeve of the Marches sentence you to die. Do you have any final words?"

"The Moonchild bleeds, The Deep Ones Rise." His voice was panicked, full of fear "The Moonchild bleeds, The Deep Ones Rise."

Ky held out a hand as one of the soldiers placed a torch in it. He walked forward a couple of steps "Look to your sins Lord Howland." His voice was cold and low as he thrust the torch into the kindling. "For the night is dark and full of terrors."

"For the night is dark and full of terrors." The soldiers called back in unison.

Ky and Albert watched for a moment as the flames took hold, before turning away and walking back through the gates of Nightsong. As the gates closed behind them, Howland Reed's panic became screams, the same words over and over again, until the flames took him. "The Moonchild Bleeds, The Deep Ones Rise."

…

305 AC- The Crownlands- The King's Road

His eyes went from a milky white to their natural shade, he found himself bouncing around in his wheelhouse, a stench of fire in his nostrils and a piercing scream ringing in his ears. He winced as he managed to adjust how he was sitting.

"If you're going to keep doing that I'll travel in my own wheelhouse and leave you alone."

"What?" Bran asked as he noticed his companion

"I thought I'd keep you company Bran." Sansa sighed in frustration " I thought we could spend some time together, but you just roll your eyes into the back of your head and drift off into your own world."

"Forgive me." Bran said coldly "I was just…"

"I'm sure it is very important Three Eyed Raven business." Sansa cut him off unfeelingly

"I'll need the maester soon." Bran spoke coldly

"Are you alright?" Sansa asked, some concern in her voice

"Yes. I'll need him to send a raven North"

"To who?" Sansa asked him, "Everyone is either in the South or on their way with us."

"To Meera Reed." Bran stared off into the distance, "I have need of her now."

…

305 AC- The Crownlands- King's Landing

"What unites people? Armies? Gold? Flags? Stories. There's nothing more powerful in the world than a good story. Nothing can stop it. No enemy can defeat it. And who has a better story than Bran the Broken?... Who's better to lead us into the future?"

The Prince of Dorne sat awkwardly in his seat as Tyrion Lannister delivered his speech. This crippled boy from The North was an unknown. An anomaly The Nine had not planned for. But with the death of The Targaryen girl, this boy's coronation could be the perfect distraction to complete their plan. He had stayed silent here, let the others squabble, this boy's coronation would appease the Dothraki and Unsullied, it would send the Northern Army back North. And more importantly it would bury the bad news that there was another Targaryen heir that they did not control… send him back to The Wall where he would not be a problem. For a time. He signalled to Une, sat next to the new Storm Lord, a series of subtle hand signals anyone outside their order would not have understood. He listened to Tyrion Lannister sing the boys praises, and beg him to take the Throne.

"Why do you think I came all this way?" Bran asked with a slight grin

Tyrion Lannister threw his support behind him, Aye, Aye, Aye, Aye, they said one by one "Aye" Martell added his own voice to the mix.

"All hail Bran the Broken, King of The Andals and The First Men, Lord of the Six Kingdoms and Protector of The Realm. Long may he reign."

"A Raven is Crowned." Martell said under his breath.