Hello again!

I really want to finish Section 2 of ARC III before Christmas so all these quick fire chapters are your Christmas presents okay :D (If you don't celebrate Christmas they are still presents for you!)

Enjoy this pretty dark chapter XD


Chapter 79: The Knives in the Darkness

A few minutes later …

Cellar of the Red Keep, King's Landing, Seat of power of House Baratheon (Lannister/Tyrell) in the Crownlands, Capital of the Seven Kingdoms


Tyrion walked past a completely crumbled stairway that led to an open-door frame with his torch illuminating his way forward.

He stopped right before the intimidating skull of Balerion the dread. It towered over him and the torch he was holding made it look like the long since dead dragon was grinning at him.

Tyrion took a moment to try to imagine the beast when it had been in its prime. Its tail whipping in the wind as its wings took it higher and higher only to swoop down and breath a road of fire on all of Aegon's enemies. Maybe that was the destiny of his House now, to join the ash pile of Aegon's fallen opponents.

His daydream came to an end when he heard the creaking of iron bars and the quick footsteps of an approaching party.

The group stopped just by the gate leading to the open spaced area and exchanged a few words with the Lannister guards Tyrion had left there on his own descent into the cellars of the Red Keep that now housed all the dragon's skulls.

Only one set of footsteps advanced beyond that point.

"Tyrion why am I here?"

Tyrion turned from Balerion's skull with a questioning smile, "Uncle Kevan surely it is I who should be asking that question. For it is you who summoned me."

"I did no such thing," Kevan shot back, annoyed he had been dragged down into the bowls of the Red Keep.

"So, you are not worried about the growing influence of the Tyrells in the capital?" Tyrion took out a piece of paper from his inner pocket and handed it over to his Uncle who read it furiously.

Kevan let the letter fall to the floor, "That is my handwriting and seal but I didn't write it."

Tyrion's smile faded at his Uncle's words, "I suppose you have a letter written in my handwriting with my seal on it asking you to meet me here at this time and location … because I too am worried about the cunning roses?"

"I think we should leave," Kevan answered unsheathing his sword and letting his eyes swept the torch lit chamber.

There were shadows everywhere.

Tyrion was about to rush to the gate when the guards they had left at the entrance started shouting and the distinctive sound of metal cutting through flesh could be heard.

"What is going on?" Kevan called out with his sword ready as Tyrion backed away behind him.

After a few more seconds two guards ran into the cellar with blood splattered on their face and coating their swords.

"There are too many of them," one spluttered with panic written all over his face.

"Too many of what?" Tyrion demanded but he had his answer as little children started to spill forward from the iron barred gate into the room.

Most of them had red patched on their tattered clothes and every single one of them had a knife in their hand. They had blank looks on their face as if murder was just another daily chore for them.

Tyrion felt the cold realisation of what was happening. "Varys," he muttered almost to himself.

The men backed away from the ever-increasing number of small children that were crowding into the room. There must have been at least twenty now in the cellar with them and they were blocking the only exit.

"Shit we aren't going to survive this," Tyrion said as he saw the points of the knives come closer and closer.

"No not all of us are," Kevan said glancing to the partially collapsed stone stairway to his right.

"What do you mean?" Tyrion asked with his eyes still glued to the advancing children.

The next thing he knew his Uncle had picked him up and thrown him upwards onto the time ravished rock stairs above.

Tyrion landed face first with a heavy thud that winded him. He had little time to contemplate his new elevated position as the children ran at Kevan and the two remaining Lannister guards. He quickly scrambled to look back down into the lower part of the cellar.

It was an eerie sight. The children didn't scream they just charged with their knives out. Tyrion couldn't look away as the children surrounded and jumped on the three men like ants would on a lion.

The knives came down and down and down. Blood spray landed on the skull of Balerion and it still seemed like the long dead dragon was grinning at the violence it was witnessing as if sensing it was happening at the behest of a Targaryen. The moving shadows of the brutal attack danced on the old walls as the torches started to dim on the sandy floor.

Tyrion was frozen in place above as he saw his Uncle stabbed more than twenty times as he tried to fight off the horde of children. The sound of multiple knives sliding into flesh was horrible but not as terrible as the screams of pain that emanated from Kevan's mouth as his skin was pierced again and again as he sunk to the floor under the children's frenzied attack.

He didn't deserve his fate.

Tyrion must have screamed out his Uncle's name as the blood covered children all stopped butchering the bodies of the recently deceased men below and looked up at him with cold eyes that had seen too much for their young minds to handle.

"Shit," Tyrion exclaimed as they tried to reach him but quickly found that they were too small to climb the crumbled steps and reach the platform Kevan had thrown him onto.

Suddenly in the near extinct light the children all started to disperse from the room.

They must know another way to get to me, Tyrion deduced by their coordinated running. I need to move.

He looked into the dark tunnel entrance at the top of the partially collapsed stairs. It was his only option but he no longer held a torch so his future journey would have to be made in total darkness.

This isn't how I am going to die, Tyrion told himself as he tentatively started to walk into the cloud of darkness, I am going to die in my bed with a girl's mouth around my cock.


Half an hour later …


Tyrion had been creeping around what seemed like endless tunnels for how long he didn't know. His hands were feeling his way froward on the muck covered walls and he just hoped he was going in the right direction to escape the maze he was currently caught in.

Every little noise he detected was amplified by the long dark passageways and the building terror in his mind.

He knew the children that had murdered his Uncle and their guards were Vary's little birds.

But why strike now? Tyrion wondered as he nearly stumbled in the darkness. The questioned distracted his mind as he continued to fumble his way along the wall.

Daenerys Targaryen was on her way, Tyrion knew this, she had left Meereen over two weeks ago.

Maybe Varys was attempting to make Daenerys path to the Iron Throne easier?

Oh God, Tyrion gasped in his mind, that meant he was probably not the only target. His mind immediately went to Tommen, Margaery and little Steffon.

He steeled his beating heart and renewed his determination to get out of his predicament alive. If there was a Lannister worth saving it was Tommen and his new born babe.

His newfound resolve quickly dissolved as tiny hands came out of the darkness and covered his mouth as well as pressed his whole body up against the wall he had been using for guidance.

"Sshhhh," he heard a little boys voice, "Follow us if you don't want to get shanked."

"What?" Tyrion whispered back, completely confused as to why he wasn't getting stabbed to death already.

Multiple little hands pushed him forward and one even grabbed a hold of his hand as they hurried along the passageway in the complete pitch darkness.

Tyrion tried to ask another question but the little boys shushed him again, "Wait till we are out of here."


Twenty minutes later …

At one of the entrances to the sewer tunnels that leads to the sea, Just outside the walls of King's Landing, Seat of power of House Baratheon (Lannister/Tyrell) in the Crownlands, Capital of the Seven Kingdoms


Tyrion took in a deep breath of fresh air as he crawled out the sewer tunnel, he had spent the last five minutes sloshing through and took in the crisp blue sky above him.

When he looked back down, he saw six small children surrounding him. None could have seen more than ten summers. They were all covered in dirt, as he was sure he was too, and the collective smell of them was ghastly.

"You are not Vary's little birds, are you?"

"No, I am little Lucas," a small boy missing his front two teeth replied proudly as he pushed his way to the front of the pack, "and we are Qyburn's."

"Oh, thank the Gods for Qyburn," Tyrion blurted out happy to be alive.

"If we were Varys's we wouldn't have any tongues but as you can see," the children all stuck their tongues out at Tyrion.

"Thank you," Tyrion said still not believing the day he had had so far and it wasn't even over.

"We need to get you back to the Red Keep or we won't get our sweets," Lucas said walking around Tyrion as if examining him.

Tyrion just stood there trying to decipher if the boys remark was code for something.

"You could pass for a child," Lucas added coming to a standstill right in front of the Lord.

"I have a beard," Tyrion pointed out.

The boy shrugged, "No one looks too closely at a bunch of street urchins running around."

And that is how he found himself an hour later walking up towards the gates of the Red Keep surrounded by a bunch of King's Landing orphans.

The guards looked at the group and were about to move them on when Tyrion emerged from the small rabble of children and revealed himself.

"Lord Tyrion?" one of the guards stammered at seeing the acting Lord Hand walk towards him covered from head to toe in dirt and who knows what else.

Yes, it is I, covered in shit and smelling like rotten vegetables, Tyrion though whimsically to himself.


Half an hour later …

Small Council Chamber, Red Keep, King's Landing, Seat of power of House Baratheon (Lannister/Tyrell) in the Crownlands, Capital of the Seven Kingdoms


"Uncle," Tommen yelled in relief as Tyrion passed by the vigilant Kingsguard at the entrance of the Small Council chamber and proceeded to stride towards the large table.

"When Ser Kevan's body was found we feared the worst," Tommen said hovering near Margaery who was sitting down with Steffon sleeping contently in her arms.

Tyrion reached the table and immediately reached for the jug of wine on the table. He didn't bother with a glass as he poured the sweet liquid down his throat.

"It is good to see you alive," Margaery said caressing the light brown hair a top of Steffon's head.

"I had to crawl through a literal pile of shit to get here and still be breathing but yes, it is good to be alive," Tyrion agreed wiping his mouth and putting the jug back on the table, "Where is Qyburn? I need to thank him for saving my life."

Tommen shot Margaery a look of concern, "He is tending to Lady Olenna's body."

"Olenna's body?" Tyrion choked out in disbelief.

"Yes, she died earlier today. We don't yet know if she died of old age," Tommen once again shot a quick look at Margaery, "or if someone .. poisoned her."

"Considering how my Uncle and I were just attacked I would go with poison. And I would guess Varys is behind it all. It was his little birds that killed Uncle Kevan and tried to do the same to me."

"How did you escape," Margaery asked innocently but Tyrion could detect the suspicion behind her mesmerising eyes.

"Uncle Kevan," Tyrion paused trying to block out the mentioned man's dying screams, "saved me. He quite literally threw me to safety but it was Qyburn's children that guided me out the tunnels and back to the Red Keep."

"His children?" Tommen questioned.

"My spy network your Grace."

They all turned to the entrance to see Qyburn walking towards them.

"Since I arrived in King's Landing, I have been identifying all those in the employ of the Spider and making sure that they can be no more use to him or his Dragon Queen," Qyburn stopped next to Tyrion, "All while cultivating my own network of informants."

"You have been locking them up?" Tommen inquired, confused as to why he had no knowledge of any new prisoners.

"Eh .. no, your Grace," Qyburn hesitated, picking his next words carefully, "I merely hastened their journey to the place Vary's was always going to send them to when they were no longer useful to him."

Margaery, reading in between the lines, quickly hurried the conversation onwards before Tommen could have time to think on the odd man's chosen words, "What did you find out about my Grandmother's death? Was she poisoned?"

"I checked for signs of poisoning; the eyes were clear, the mouth was free of foam, and there appears to have been no blood coming from any orifices of the body-"

"Qyburn, I do not need, or want to know your methods to discerning the truth. Just tell me what you found out," Margaery demanded with all the authority of a Queen.

"Lady Olenna had a bloated and blackened tongue. She must have consumed the poison, perhaps when she was enjoying lunch with your Grace."

One hand flew to Margaery's mouth as she cradled her new-born son in the other, "I …. I could have died too."

"Yes, I believe the intension was for both you and your grandmother to die," Qyburn concluded.

"How can we strike back?" Tommen said with uncharacteristic aggression stepping away from Margaery and rounding the table to stand in front of Qyburn and Tyrion.

"Daenerys Targaryen is currently on her way here so I think the opportunity to strike back will come soon," Tyrion answered.

"She has my mother. She just killed two members of my Small Council, attempted to kill my acting Hand and could have killed my wife," Tommen roared, waking up Steffon who started to fuss in Margaery's arms, "and all we can do is wait for her to reach our shores?"

Tyrion looked up at Tommen with a sympathetic face, "Our forces and planning have all been for a defence against an invasion let us not waste all our designs and strategy now by deviating from it. The best way to avenge Lady Olenna and Ser Kevan is to beat back Daenerys Targaryen and win this war."

Tommen reigned in his anger knowing good advice when he heard it, "Fine. How can we be sure there won't be other attempts on our lives?"

Qyburn gave Tommen one of his grandfatherly looks, "I assure you; Varys has no little birds left. The ones that were responsible for Ser Kevan's death were the last remaining spies of Varys's within the walls of King's Landing and they were caught in the tunnels."

"How can you be sure?" Tyrion questioned.

Qyburn gave Tyrion a small smile, "Vary's little birds all have a distinguishing feature; they have no tongues."

"So, you killed all the children in King's Landing that had no tongues?" Tyrion said in hesitant shock, "and you used the other children to do it?"

"Would you rather try to survive another attempt on your life?" Qyburn replied in a calm voice completely detached from the emotion of the actions he had ordered.

"I am beginning to see why Queen Kenna holds you in such high esteem," Tyrion remarked, noting to himself to keep an eye on the odd man in the future.

Qyburn inclined his head at that compliment.

"Right," Tyrion sniffed at himself before making a face, "If you will excuse me, I need to get all this shit off me and inform my father and brother of Ser Kevan's and Lady Olenna's deaths."

Tommen nodded, "They will be here within the week but they should hear of this news as soon as possible."

"Of course," Tyrion replied turning towards the door.


A few days later …. Three weeks after capturing a wright

Courtyard of Castle Black, just beneath the Wall, One week ride from Winterfell, Seat of power of House Stark in the North, Capital of the Kingdom of the North


"Well fuck me. His lily-livered ass is still alive," Thorne snorted upon seeing Jon and his party approach the Wall.

"Does he have dwarfs with him?" Edd asked squinting down from a top the Wall, trying to see better through the light snow fall.

"He seems to have come back with more bodies than when he set out," Thorne said ominously looking down on the group trudging closer and closer to the Wall.

"One has a horse as well," Edd noted with a confused look. He like the rest of the Night's Watch knew that horses rarely survived beyond the Wall due to the extreme cold.

"Let them through," the current Commander of the Watch ordered before walking towards the lift.


Thorne reached the ground as Jon's party was moving through the open gate.

All the gathered brothers of the Night's Watch were wearing faces of surprise and some had taken out swords.

"What the blazes is going on," Thorne yelled seeing the scared looks on his men's faces.

He turned to Jon's party then understood.

"What are those things?" the Crownlander shouted releasing his own sword from its sheath.

"They are the last remaining Children of the Forest," Benjen replied from his horse, "and they can understand you."

"Who are .." Thorne walked closer to the horse noting the young man that seemed to be unconscious behind the rider, "Benjen Stark?"

"It is good you can still recognise my voice," Benjen said removing his hood.

"Fuck what happened to you?" Thorne backed away seeing the condition of the former First Ranger's face then noticed how the horse too seemed half dead.

"I died," Benjen replied as if it was nothing, "The Children brought me back."

"What is going on?" Thorne shouted, wanting answers.

"The Night King is coming," Jon stepped towards Thorne, "He has an army of wrights and the Long Night will soon be upon us. We brought back a live wright to show the Lords and Ladies of Westeros so that they will stop fighting each other and start fighting the real enemy. The dead."

"You have proof?" Thorne said slowly.

"Aye," Jon signalled for the Hound to come forward.

The disfigured Knight lumbered forward with the tied-up wright and placed the skeleton on the ground before the Commander of the Night's Watch.

Alliser Thorne looked from the unmoving bones to Jon's serious face, "Is this your evidence?"

Ygritte lightly hit Jojen's shoulder. The young cragsman's eyes immediately rolled backwards and a few seconds later the young man on the horse behind Benjen stirred as did the pile of bones at Thorne's feet.

"What the fuck," the exiled Crownlander yelped as he stepped away from the now screaming skeleton who was wiggling towards him.

Its advance was halted when a slim sword was thrust through the rib cage pinning it to the floor.

Arya looked up at Alliser Thorne with a look as cold as winter itself, "Now you know what is coming to kill you. Let us pass with haste so the living can start preparing to fight the dead."

Thorne just nodded at the petit woman in front of him that was currently pinning the screeching wright down with her weight and small thin sword.

Grenn walked away from Jon's shoulder and stood beside Thorne who was still staring at the wright on the floor, "They will need supplies and a night's rest before they continue their journey."

"Before they?" Jon repeated.

"I am the First Ranger of the Wall my place is here," Grenn sneaked a look at Benjen who had replaced his hood around his face, "Maybe when I have been brought back to life I'll quit and start a farm somewhere but until my dying breath I will protect the realms of men."

"Let us rest then," Bran said with a strangely authoritative voice, "but we must reach Winterfell soon."

Jon nodded, there was so much that had to be done but he now had irrefutable proof of what was coming for them all. The squabbling Lord and Ladies of the Seven Kingdoms would have to listen to him. They would have to see reason and leave their petty fights with each other alone to face the real war, the real threat.


Author's Notes

I know some people will be like, why did Tyrion fall for the fake message gag but I think the fake letter would have worked because the little birds would have been able to forge the handwriting and steal the seal with ease and therefore make it look legit. Besides he brought guards so he felt safe … he just didn't think there would be 20 – 30 psychotic children there to kill everyone.

I didn't know how much I had missed writing Tyrion until this chapter!

Qyburn surprises a lot of people here because he has quietly gone about his business; built his spy network, designed and overseen the ballistas placed on the Walls of King's Landing and the Red Keep as well as some special wildfire projects. Basically, he is a shady bitch who gets work done :P

Jon's party actually made it to the Wall without further casualties .. I know what a surprise .. I wonder why I did that :P


RIP

Kevan Lannister (Stabbed to death by multiple 'little birds' on Varys's orders)

I was looking for an opportunity to get a 'little birds' kill into this story and I know it follows canon (books) but I thought this kill worked in my story too as Varys is looking to destabilize the power structure in King's Landing before Dany arrives to make the invasion easier for her so he obviously targets the controlling influences of Tyrion, Kevan, and Olenna who are within his King's Landing spy network's reach still. He had to strike at this moment as Qyburn was chipping away at his network so soon, he wouldn't have any little birds left to pull any strings with. Also, I just loved the image of Kevan yeeting Tyrion to safety XD


Reviews:

DesertMortician – No I haven't. I have a bunch of AUs of this AU which I am planning to post at the end of this story as a kind of extra/missing/what could have been scenes you will have to wait for that :( I think Margaery is less ruthless but still on the same level of cunning. She is young though, she may have time to develop up to Olenna's level if she survives long enough ;P I can't wait for a face to face between the main players to be honest XD

Chris141linardi – "This is ASOIAF after all" lol XD Thanks for reviewing and you were correct.

Lord Demolitions – Quick someone check the cheese! :P It is never the cheese come on; it was the wine! ;) Did you mean Tyrion when you wrote Tywin here? Tyrion and Kevan were too busy getting attacked by Varys little tongueless birds.

NightyRowenTree – Thanks for reading :)

Guest (commented 30/11/2020) – You are entitled to your opinion and I get it, Robb is your favorite character. Can't answer any of the questions as I don't do spoilers but rest assured, I have plans for Robb in this story that don't revolve around him simping for Kenna. Alyssa is dead I think you meant Kenna. Robb's host suffered more casualties in the "Battle in the Boneway" because as Northerners they are the ones least suited to the hot climate in Dorne. The Golden Company men are from Essos so they are used to fighting in the scorching sun while Mace's host didn't lose too many soldiers either because they were set up defensively at the top of the Boneway while the Northern host and the Golden Company were advancing from the bottom, doing most of the fighting. I feel like you are judging this story like it is complete, it isn't.

Guest (commented 30/11/2020) – He has the dragon's covered ;) But I was referring to his budding spy network in King's Landing with the 'side project' comment.

Supremus85 – Thank you :) Yes, she will be missed. Correct on the poisoning belief.

DannyBlack70 – It was poison but it was Varys behind it. Did Dany forgive him? I thought the scene at Winterfell played out more like Jon wanting every available man alive to fight the dead so Dany relented and let him live to fight the NK. Mmm perhaps if he told her why he killed Aerys then maybe but he wouldn't have anyway of actually proving that but Dany knows her father was called the Mad King for a reason.

Cashy7183980 – Good :)


Next Up: An entire chapter in King's Landing as the joined forces of the Reach, the North, the Westerlands, and the Vale converge on the capital. Expect a few tense moments!

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