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Question – Does it annoy you that I am not posting on the days I am saying (but earlier) or would you rather I stick to a strict one chapter per week format on the same day schedule so you know exactly when the chapters will come out?
Enjoy the latest chapter!
Chapter 75: The East Wind
Same day …
A few miles from the Walls of Sunspear
Kenna patted the soft mane of her black horse as she took in the sight of the two armies advancing all around her from her. The light blue of her proud Valesmen were mingled in patches with the marching red segments of Lannister soldiers. All with the same destination. Sunspear.
The Dornish capital's walls were looming in the distance as the sun illuminated the path that they were on while the dusty sand in the air tried to obscure it in equal measure.
Kenna allowed herself to relax in the energy sapping heat coming off the desert floor and rock with the motion of her horse as it treaded froward in rhythm to the marching throng of soldiers around her. She was enjoying the rare moment of singular peace without the vigilant eyes of either Lord Royce or Lord Tywin on her. She knew both men were at the front of the two joined hosts leading the way to Sunspear.
Kenna heard the clattering of hoofs behind her and a moment later a smug voice beside her.
"Dear wife you look …. troubled. Missing Robb Stark already?"
"Shouldn't you be following your father around like the little puppy dog you are?" Kenna snapped back, displeased that her moment of quiet had been interrupted.
"Touchy today aren't we," Jaime replied back unfazed by her bite, "didn't get a very good sleep last night, did you?"
"My sleep was fine, being reminded that I am married to you is what vexes me now."
"I am afraid you are stuck with me until one of us dies, or you decide to murder me. You do have a past history of killing husbands."
"Stop tempting me, and Edywn Frey hardly counts as a husband," Kenna bit back remembering how the weasel's body had flopped to the floor after she had lodged a knife underneath his chin.
"True, he was a Frey," Jaime agreed casually as their horses walked side by side.
A nay from one of their mounts spurred Kenna on to ask the question that had been fermenting in her mind since Jaime had appeared at her shoulder.
"Was there something you wanted from me, other than to annoy me of course?"
"I am your husband it is my duty to annoy you," Jaime answered before his smile turned into a thin line and he contemplated his next words.
Kenna allowed him the time, curious as to what thoughts had wiped the blond man's smile from his face.
"I want your word that when your men enter Sunspear they will not hurt Myrcella if they find her before I do."
"I am not your father Jaime," Kenna replied as her mind went to the Sacking of King's Landing, "Myrcella has nothing to fear from me."
"My father didn't order Elia or her children's deaths .. he just didn't explicitly not order their deaths …"
Kenna's stiff and combative manner from earlier softened at the display of fatherly concern from Jaime, "I will let it be known that Myrcella Martell is not to be harmed under any circumstances."
"Thank you."
The next few moments Kenna was playing around in her head with the scenario of Jaime actually having children of his own that he could acknowledge and her mind conjured up the image of him being a good father, teaching swordplay and chasing the children around in that foolish manner of his. Maybe fate had simple been unkind to him, in another life maybe he would have been as honourable as Ser Barristan and the worthy heir to Casterly Rock that his father had wanted. He had after all saved King's Landing from burning to ashes but then there was the issue of Cersei's unnatural involvement in his life … and all the unnecessary destruction that had caused.
The hopeful idea of what type of man Jaime could have been was completely squashed a moment later when he opened his mouth, "You and your nephew seem to be very close."
Kenna eyes snapped to his suggestive ones and she thundered, "Not everyone is fucking a relative. Some people have morals."
"Who might they be?" Jaime continued to tease but relented in the face of Kenna's razor sharp glare, "I was just being-"
"A bastard?"
"Let's not get onto that topic, wouldn't end well for either of us I am afraid and besides I wasn't implying that you and Artys-"
"Of course you weren't," Kenna kicked her horse onwards to end the conversation and catch up with Lord Royce. Suddenly she wanted Lord Royce's vigilant eye on her to stop her doing anything stupid.
After a few minutes of hard riding, which did little to cool her temper and served only to agitate her back causing pain to mix with the anger bubbling away inside her she caught up with her mentor.
When her horse rode side by side with Lord Royce's it took only a few seconds for him to notice her demeanour, "What's happened?"
"I just prevented a murder," she muttered offhandedly.
"What? How did you do that?" Lord Royce asked as his whole body went tense, alert to any potential danger.
"Self-control," Kenna bluntly replied back.
Lord Royce's confused look dissipated along with the sudden tension in his body once he saw Jaime ride pasted them, "Ah I commend you on your restraint but we should focus on the coming siege not your husband's ability to irk you."
Kenna nodded and allowed Lord Royce to lull her into a strategic conversation on how best to conquer Sunspear's walls and what to do with its current inhabitants.
Same day …
The coast just outside the walls of Meereen, Slavers Bay, South Essos
Daenerys watched as horses and men were corralled onto the former Master's ships as her dragons flew over the assembled fleet. This process had been going on for two days now and she hoped it would soon end. She longed to see the place of her birth, the Kingdoms that were her birthright to rule.
"Your Grace, we are nearly ready to depart," Jorah informed his Queen.
"Take me to my ship," Daenerys ordered with excitement gleaming in her eyes. After all these years it was really happening. She was going home. She had heard so many stories from Viserys and Illyrio Mopatis she was eager to see the truth of them for herself.
Jorah led her onto the docks and up the ram onto the waiting lead ship where she was greeted by Grey Worm and Missandei. Cersei and Oberyn where together just behind the figure head of the ship while Ser Barristan was watching them from the quarter deck of the ship. Varys and Melisandre were nowhere to be seen but that wasn't unusual.
She walked up to the Dornish Prince and former Queen of the Seven Kingdoms.
"Your Grace," they greeted before both did a poor impression of a bow.
"May I speak with Lady Cersei alone?" Daenerys asked politely.
"Of course," Oberyn inclined his head before he kissed the back of Cersei's hand and sauntered off towards Jorah who was watching his Queen closely.
"How can I be of service?" Cersei said behind a tense smile.
"You seem to have made quite the impression on Prince Oberyn," Daenerys said noting their interaction.
"It is amazing what can grow between two people when they have a common goal in mind," Cersei responded pointedly.
Daenerys didn't miss the meaning in the blond woman's words but chose to go down a different path.
"I heard about your child and I wanted to give you my condolences. I know how it feels to lose a child in those circumstances."
Cersei gritted her teeth determined not to show any weakness in front of the young Queen, "I have lost children before."
"I imagine the blow does not soften simply because you have experienced it before."
Cersei hesitated between a lie and the truth but something in Daenerys's purple eyes told her that the young Queen was being sincere, "No … it does not. It feels like you lose a part of yourself as well as them when they die."
"I understand now why you would come to me and ask for your children to be spared. I want you to know that although I cannot promise the outcome of this war, I will try my best to leave your children unhurt."
"All I want is for my children to be happy and safe."
Daenerys placed a hand on her arm, "I give you my word I will try to secure that outcome for you but I will need you to convince King Tommen to put down his arms and not resist my ascension to the Iron Throne."
"I told you he is not the one in control," Cersei replied back with slight desperation in her tone.
"You can still try; he is nearly a grown man and a King. He should be able to make his own choices."
"I will try."
"That is all I ask," Daenerys took her hand away and turned to leave the Lannister woman to reflect on what had been said.
"Jorah are we ready to sail?" she asked as she walked up to the quarter deck to join Ser Barristan.
"We are," Jorah responded as he caught up to her.
"Then let down the sails," she commanded, before saying out loud to no one in particular, "This is the beginning and the end is when I am sitting on the Iron Throne."
Jorah bellowed out the order and the ship started to move out from the harbor into the open water. A few seconds later and the hundreds of ships behind them started to do the same.
Daenerys looked beyond Oberyn and Cersei to the open deep blue sea in front of them. She knew once she had crossed this stretch of water she would claim the Iron Throne and rule as her forebearers had and she would do it with fire and blood.
This was only the beginning of her reign and all those that got in her way would perish in dragon fire.
A few days later …
Just outside the walls of Sunspear
Tywin looked up at the two trebuchets erected either side of him. It had taken a full day to set the two mighty siege weapons up but he knew the time taken was worth the impact the two instruments would have upon Sunspears and the subsequent reduction in the loss of men required to secure the Dornish capital.
"They better be worth the wait," Kenna said as she maneuvered her horse to stand beside his larger white stallion.
Tywin kept his gaze on the walls that blocked his view to the city beyond, "I assure you that they are."
"I don't remember Lord Royce mentioning we had the use of such fine weapons?" Kenna inquired looking up at the large wooden beams and the counter weights that hung high in the air.
"They are called trebuchets. When we stopped at Oldtown a few of Lord Redwyne's men collected them from the Citadel and loaded their parts onto their ships as the Archmaesters tended to Lord Paxter's wounds."
"The Tyrells hid that secret well," Kenna said inspecting the large wooden instruments with a mixture of awe and intrigued curiosity before her face scrunched up in concerned thought.
Sensing where Kenna's mind had gone to Tywin nearly smirked, "They wouldn't work on the Eyrie. Trebuchets require flat ground to accurately hit their target."
Thank the Gods for that, Kenna thought as a wave of relief washed over her at Tywin's words.
A red clad messenger rushed in front of them, "Lord Jaime and Lord Royce are ready to start the siege. Lord Redwyne and Lord Grafton have already blockaded the city with the fleet."
Tywin looked down at the rosy cheeked man, "Tell them the signal to start their attack is when the first missile hits the wall."
"Yes, my Lord, Your Grace," the messenger bowed.
Kenna and Tywin watched in silence as the man jogged back through the organized lines of soldiers to reach the two vanguard commanders at the front and relay his given message.
Tywin raised his hand only when he saw the messenger resume his position within the front line but before his command to attack could leave his lips Kenna shouted at the top of her lungs.
"Fire!"
Tywin turned to Kenna, annoyed to have his command upended.
She had a beaming wide grin on her face, knowing she had cut him off but there was also excited anticipation in her eyes at seeing the trebuchets work and truth be told it was an excitement Tywin shared with her even if the emotion didn't show on his face.
He let her indiscretion slide. It was always a refreshing feeling to have someone that wasn't cowed by his presence but one he normally sought to vanquish at the earliest possible opportunity. Right now, he found Kenna's ability to keep him on his toes was helping him maintain his sharp mind and he needed that if he was going to lead his family through the war to come.
"You seem to have recovered well from your ordeal on Pyke," Tywin said secretly glad her treatment by Balon hadn't broken her as it would so many other women.
Kenna opened her mouth but her reply was cut off as two flaming tar covered stone balls were launched into the sky from the two trebuchets set up either side of them. They could both only watch in amazement as the two missiles streaked through the sky as if cutting a path right through the blue canvas towards the wall opposing them.
The projectiles smashed into the wall, and the impact seemed to shudder the entire structure but it was still standing. That would undoubtedly change after a few more impacts. Kenna could already see the targeted section of the wall had been dented by the first round and would surely crack and crumble under the impact of more flaming projectiles.
The combined Vale and Westerlands hosts gave out a battle cry as they began their march forward with some carrying ladders and Kenna could see a sole battle ram being carried by the hands of a dozen Lannister men. She suspected there would soon be no need for either to be used as the crews of the two trebuchets started to reload them.
"I can't afford to be broken right now. My Kingdom and my family need me," Kenna eventually replied in a quiet but resolute voice as she kept a close eye on Lord Royce's advancement on the walls of Sunspear.
"One can never afford to be broken," Tywin said enigmatically before reaching into the pouch on his horse, "and since you aren't, I can return these in good conscious that they will be useful to you."
Kenna watched in utter amazement as Tywin produced her hidden blades from his satchel bag.
"How?" Kenna questioned with her eyes still glued to her hidden blades, oh how she had missed their comforting weight on her wrists.
"My men found them in Balon's chambers when they ransacked it. They correctly thought the items of interest to me," Tywin stated as he leaned down towards Kenna from his stallion with the two hidden blades offered in his outstretched hand.
Kenna gratefully took the two blades and strapped them around her wrists as quickly as she could manage. She flexed her hands then gave two experimental thrusts out in front of her, just above her horse's head, that allowed the two blades to protrude smoothly from their hidden place in the wrist band.
She tore her attention away from her reunited blades to look into the emerald eyes that were watching her closely, "Thank you Lord Tywin. I have missed theses blades greatly."
The words had been spoken with genuine sincerity but he knew her next words were coming before they had left her mouth.
"Now tell me what you want for their return to me."
Tywin half smiled at the health dose of suspicion in Kenna's words before returning his gaze back to the besieged walls, "The fact I know you will use them against our common enemy is enough for me but I find myself now wondering how you ever came to possess those blades in the first place."
Kenna looked at the two blades resting against her inner wrists, "It is a long story and if it has escaped your notice, we are currently conducting a siege."
"I am able to use my eyes and ears at the same time," Tywin said in a tone that if uttered by any other man might have been a jest but Kenna noted the concentration in his eyes as they were fixed on the scene in front of them, "and contrary to popular belief sieges are often stilted engagements waiting for pivotal moments to occur before further commands can be given."
Kenna had to fight against herself for a full minute to not mention her sole siege experience of Casterly Rock and how quickly that siege had ended, knowing it would halt the current flow of relatively pleasant conversation she was enjoying with the Lion Lord. Instead, she let the opportunity slide in favour of starting the story Tywin had asked for.
"After I returned with my sister from the Greyjoy Rebellion, I told my father that I didn't want to go back to King's Landing, that I wanted to look after Alyssa in our childhood home of the Eyrie. I was fifteen and had joined the Stark's siege on Pyke without his permission. I expected him to fight my decision, demand that I returned to King's Landing at once and marry this or that Lord," Kenna let out a little chuckle, "But instead he made me the regent of the Eyrie and sent me these blades with a message that he wanted me to know how to use them in case someone ever tried to kidnap me or my sister again. The very next day I started practicing with Lord Royce."
After a beat of silence Kenna continued in a thoughtful voice, "But I guess my father never accounted for an entire army to come and take me away from the Eyrie."
"He probably never imagined you ousting his son, proclaiming yourself Queen over the Mountains and refusing the Iron Throne either," Tywin mused with a hand rubbing over the fair-haired stubble on his chin as he kept his concentration on the troop movements in front of him.
Nor would he have guessed you would be the father of his grandchildren, Kenna added whimsically in her mind trying not to imagine how that conversation would have gone if her father had still been alive.
The quiet that had surrounded them was broken by the clanking sounds of the crew reloading the trebuchets around them. Once again, the sky was set on fire and when the fourth round of burning stone balls hit the already weaken wall it collapsed completely allowing a line of ten men to walk through.
"One thousand," Kenna suddenly said observing their men spilling through the gap in the wall.
"What?" Tywin asked, knowing what she had said had been directed at him but he had no clue what she had meant.
"I think we will lose one thousand men; six hundred Valesmen and four hundred Westermen."
Tywin raised his eyebrows, "You think my soldiers are superior to yours?"
"No," Kenna replied flicking her eyes to his, "Valesmen are too proud for their own good. I think my men are braver than yours."
Tywin gave out a little huff of amusement before stating firmly, "Seven hundred Valesmen and three hundred Westermen."
"Your right. I hadn't accounted for outright cowardice on the part of your men," Kenna mocked back not allowing herself to miss another opportunity to ruffle the proud Lord's feathers.
Tywin pretended he had not heard Kenna's last retort, refusing to be drawn into a clash of tongues by her unsubtle baiting. Instead, he gave his full attention to the ongoing siege.
The wall had come down in the area that the trebuchets had focused their fire on. There were hardly any arrows being fired from the walls down on the attacking men and the walls in general looked scarcely defended indicating that most of the fighting men had gone with Trystane Martell to the Princess Pass or were mustering in the Boneway. The combined forces of the Vale and Westerland armies had reach the broken-down section of the wall and were flooding through that gap into the Dornish capital.
It was only a matter of time now until Sunspear fell to the combined might of the East and the West, of Kenna Lannister and Tywin Lannister.
Author's Notes:
Kenna's interactions with both Jaime and Tywin this chapter were to show that she is back to her fighting self in spirit and mind if not one hundred percent in body but she is basically there, I just didn't want to gloss over her torture at Pyke.
I really liked how Tywin and Kenna were guessing at the casualties while Jaime and Lord Royce led the charge as that shows the difference between the two pairings – Tywin and Kenna are more commanders and Jaime and Lord Royce are more soldiers.
Daenerys is finally on her way to Westeros and she is bringing a much larger army than anticipated and oh she still has her three dragons … not looking good for the Iron Throne/Crown alliance ….
Reviews:
Tohka123 – Thanks and yes things will start to unravel and get messy ;P
NightlyRowenTree – Thanks for reading Tree!
Ksyushangel (commented on Chapter 70 & 74) – Okay, I just wanted to check what you meant. The nightmare sequence was supposed to be a nice little window into Kenna's subconscious :D ARC III/Arc 3 is where I am trying to payoff everything I have been weaving together so I just hope it lives up to everyone's expectations :) Thank you for saying that but I do spend an a lot of time researching and thinking about various plot ideas and potential cool character dynamics I'd like to see XD
I wanted to try to keep the Greyjoy Arc compact so it didn't take up too many chapters so yes, a lot happened while you were away. I like plots that intertwine, burn up, take U turns and generally are unpredictable but when you read it you are like "what!/no way/ of course" :P
Thanks Ksyusha, hope the mind stays silent :)
Supremus85 – I know right … have I lost the Stranger's touch … ;P I think I get the reference now, you are anticipating a blood bath to occur so you need an umbrella? LOL if that is the case. I'd recommend to invest in one of those CSI crime scene suits instead :P Well you know how long you had to wait for Ramsey's death … ;D Yes the long term picture is always there in the background … she currently has three Kingdoms (okay kinda 2 and a half) whether she will be in a position … or alive to expand on that later is something you will have to wait to find out XD
DannyBlack70 – It was a lot bloodier in parts but with less flair I would say and longtime readers should hopefully know by now I like stylish and meaningful death scenes (don't at me about Ramsey's death people it was Robb doing the killing not Kenna) :D
Thanks, I am aware sometimes a story needs to calm down and relax at certain points. Are you worried for Tommen or little Steffon .. or both? :P
Chris141linardi – I just imagined that the group (Tyrion, Olenna, Kevan & Qyburn) would just get shit done and organized without any drama. I would say that there are still a few showdowns left before the 'final' one :D Will that promise come back to bite her it the arse? Ah IT equals Iron Throne. Tyrion and Tywin did discuss the plan in the aftermath of Daenerys's invasion, if they were still alive that is, in Chapter 55 while they were fishing.
NCVII (commented on chapters 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 74) – I had to study naval tactics for a bit to get that scene right and to make sure it was possible. I think I am too influenced by the show's version of Ashara/Yara as I just don't see Robb and her having any chemistry at all. Thanks, I just had to put it in! Plus, I was listening to the song as I wrote the scene :D I know! I had it in my mind before you mention it but then as soon as you mentioned it Balon's death scene was locked in and all the other ideas threw out. Ellaria was always going to die by Oberyn's hands once she had confessed to helping murder Doran, no way Oberyn was going to let that go even if he did love her. LOL yes Artys definitely overstretched but it is for the memory of his mother and his will to destroy what he sees an inherently destructive and evil way of life (raiding, raping, etc). Will this action of essentially religious genocide sow the seeds of his own destruction? Maybe XD
I have never read Toilkien so can't confirm this :P
What did you want to say about my planned ending?
Shadow Wolf 15846 – I think what happened will still affect her (e.g she isn't too keen on being surrounded by water anymore) and she will have those scars on her back forever now but as I attempted to show in this chapter, she has fully recovered her wits and is concentrated once again on the war with Daenerys Targaryen.
Guest (commented on 14/11/2020) – Hey, which babies? I mean Daenerys was a baby who had lost her father and mother in the same year as getting exiled to a foreign continent with a crazy brother who probably did little to help raise her into a decent human being. To be honest the fact that she turned out to be a caring and kind young woman who sought to free those that had been enslaved in her bid for power is a big credit to her in my opinion considering how she was raised and how she started out her life.
Next Up: Sunspear falls but Kenna is forced to choose between two people she loves and the consequences are far reaching.
If you are enjoying this story please *Toss a coin to your writer, Oh valley of readers* and review, follow and favorite!
