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Merry Christmas for tomorrow!
An entire chapter with Dany, enjoy :)
Chapter 84: Fire, Blood and Skulls
A few minutes later …
The cliffs just outside of Dragonstone Castle, Dragonstone, Blackwater Bay, East Crownlands, Westeros
Drogon landed back on the spot he had picked his mother up from. Rhaegal and Viserion continued to fly above as Daenerys eyes searched for any sign of Ser Jorah, Ser Barristan or Cersei. But they weren't standing anywhere nearby.
Rubble of the ruined castle had spread even too the cliff edge. Broken black stone covered the shallow green grass underneath her feet. Her eyes scanned the smoking carcass of the castle she had been walking around only minutes before.
Daenerys saw numerous injured unsullied climbing out of the piles of cracked stone, coughing on the clouds of swirling dust in the air and carrying either unconscious or dead bodies between them.
One of them she recognised.
"Grey Worm," she said rushing over to where here loyal commander sat on a large rock.
"My Queen," the Captain of the Unsullied choked out as he held his side and rose slowly, "What happened?"
Daenerys opened her mouth but the voice that answered wasn't hers.
"My brother happened, I suspect," Cersei announced from behind them.
Daenerys turned to see Cersei, Ser Barristan and Ser Jorah walking towards her. All three were dripping wet with their clothes completely soaked through.
Daenerys took in the white cloak surrounding Cersei's shivering shoulders and shot Jorah a puzzled look.
"We were forced to jump over the cliff edge to avoid the flaming flying remnants of the castle," Ser Jorah replied closing the distance between himself and his Queen.
"I recall being pushed actually," Cersei snapped as water still dripped from the ends of her golden hair.
"You are welcome," Ser Barristan cut in from beside her.
"How do you know Lord Tyrion was responsible for this?" Daenerys shifted her attention from her Hand to Cersei.
"The green colour of the explosion indicates it was caused by wildfire and I know for a fact that my brother has access to enough wildfire to level an entire city not just a castle," Cersei reasoned.
"The Imp used wildfire to destroy Stannis Baratheon at Blackwater Bay," Ser Jorah added watching Daenerys closely.
"What do you think Ser Barristan?" Daenerys asked of her protector.
"I think they are probably right on who to blame but we need to search for survivors now and we can't stay on Dragonstone," Ser Barristan counselled.
The white-haired knight's words seemed to physically shake Daenerys.
She looked back at the smoking castle of Dragonstone, "Where is Missandei and Melisandre?"
"I will go look for them," Grey Worm said, rising slowly from his position.
"You are injured, stay with Daenerys," Ser Jorah replied firmly as he and Ser Barristan started making their way towards the rubble.
"Where is Oberyn?" Cersei said quietly to Grey Worm.
Grey Worm looked up at Cersei then flicked his eyes to Daenerys who nodded at him, "I was sparring with him in the Courtyard when the walls of the nearby keep fell down. I do not remember anything after that until I was dragged from the debris."
Cersei turned to the sea to conceal her face but was met by Drogon's intense state instead as the large black dragon waited on its mother's next move.
A few minutes later ..
Cersei stared at the handsome Prince that was laid out on the cleared grass in front of her. His sleek black hair was plastered the side of his face with blood. His usually permanently smiling lips were in a thin line upon his sun kissed face. His yellow robes were dirtied and torn in some places as if he had been dragged by his arms.
But the steady and shallow rise and fall of his chest indicated that he was still alive albeit unconscious.
"Will he recover?" Cersei asked as she pressed a sea-soaked piece of her dress against Oberyn's head in a bid to stem the now light trickle of blood coming from the cut.
Ser Barristan switched his attention from his Queen and Ser Jorah who were hovering above the blanket covered form of Melisandre to address his former Queen.
"He was knocked out when I found him but I couldn't find any broken bones. Just that nasty cut on the side of his head. He should wake up in due time."
Cersei only nodded in response as she held her kneeling position by Oberyn's head.
"She was naked when you found her?" Daenerys questioned slowly staring at the glowing red necklace that rested at the slumbering woman's throat.
"Yes Khaleesi. She was right in the middle of all the damage, where the Drum Keep would have stood," Ser Jorah answered.
"How is that possible? Is she part Targaryen?"
"No, she is a Red Priestess of R'hollar," Ser Jorah stated.
Daenerys shook her head, not understanding but she could not argue with what her eyes were telling her. Melisandre was physically laying before her. She had survived the wildfire explosion despite being at the centre of it.
But there was still one burning question Daenerys had no answer to.
Where was Missandei and Lord Varys?
"They are dead."
Ser Jorah's eyes widened at Daenerys before they both looked down at Melisandre. Her eyes were no longer closed and she was staring up into the sky.
Ser Jorah helped her to a sitting position as Daenerys asked the obvious question.
"Who?"
"The Spider and Missandei," Melisandre replied as her big brown eyes settled on Daenerys, "They no longer walk among the living. Both were consumed by the green fire."
"How are you alive?" Ser Jorah inquired holding onto one of the Red Woman's arm to steady her.
"The Lord of Light determined my work is not yet finished," Melisandre replied forthrightly moving one hand to cover the throbbing necklace which in turn caused the grey blanket to slide slightly off one of her shoulders.
Daenerys tried to hold her emotions back but her hastily built wall was no match for the years of friendship that ran through her mind at the realisation she was never going to see her best friend's face again or enjoy a bout of giggles with her.
"Missandei," the word fell from her lips as her knees hit the cold grassy ground of what was left of Dragonstone.
"Khaleesi," Ser Jorah said with alarm as he went to her.
"She didn't deserve to die here on this bleak rock," Daenerys chocked out before curling her hands into fists, "She was no threat to anyone. She just wanted to help people."
Ser Jorah's hands grasped Daenerys's trembling shoulders lightly, "We will make them pay for her death, I promise you."
Daenerys exploded out of Ser Jorah's grip and took a few steps towards the ruin of her ancestral castle.
"Tommen Baratheon's supporters will see today as a decisive blow against me but all they have really done his hasten their fall," Daenerys stated with all-consuming anger evident in her tone, "They have shown what they are capable of, now it is our turn and we will hurt them more than they have hurt us."
Two weeks later … a day after the successful takeover of the Eyrie
Kenna's bed chambers & Solar, in the Eyrie, Seat of power of House Arryn (Targaryen) in the Vale, Capital of the Vale Kingdom
Daenerys sat behind Kenna's personal solar desk with her eyes firmly set on the four skulls placed around the surface of the desk, "Who were they?"
Cersei leaned on the desk and tapped the smallest skull that faced outwards from the chair, "This one was Lysa Arryn, former Lady of the Eyrie before she was personally killed at the hands of her own Good-daughter for a false confession."
Cersei hands picked up the next skull that sat beside Lysa's, "And this was Petyr Baelish, former Master of Coin, Lord of Harrenhal and for a time Lord of the Eyrie until he run afoul of my father and Kenna Arryn."
Daenerys, noting the smirk that had settled on Cersei lips as she looked into the empty sockets of her former fellow schemer, prodded, "A friend of yours?"
Cersei placed the skull back down, "We had our moments."
"And who was that?" Daenerys pointed towards an enormous skull that had been repurposed as an ink pot.
"Ser Gregor Clegane, the Mountain. I think Oberyn will want to take his skull when we leave," Cersei said, letting her mind drift to the recovered Prince who had made the journey with her to the Vale.
"Yes, he has mentioned the atrocity that occurred to his sister and her children during the sacking. He can have the skull and Tywin Lannister's head when we take King's Landing."
Cersei's eyes shifted from the Queen's steely face to the last skull, that was serving as a paper weight a top some loosely piled pieces of parchment.
"All these skulls are trophies and Kenna Arryn's most precious trophy is this one," Cersei reached out and placed her whole palm on the top of the last skull, "This is Euron Greyjoy's skull, her first kill."
Daenerys grimaced, "It is barbaric to keep trophies of your kills."
"It was barbaric the way she butchered Euron," Ser Jorah chimed in from his position leaning on the wall to Daenerys's right remembering how the blood had coated the young Lady Kenna. He had been one of the soldiers there that day when Eddard had practically had to haul the Arryn Lady off the body of Euron Greyjoy to stop her from mutilating the corpse any further.
"She fully earned her moniker of Bloody Falcon," Cersei said adding the final touches to the vicious picture forming in Daenerys's mind.
"She was such a quiet child," Ser Barristan said so softly Daenerys nearly missed it.
The silver haired Queen looked to her protector who lingered by the doors entrance and beckoned him closer, wanting to know what he had to say.
"When she was in King's Landing with her twin sister, they looked identical and often enough dressed in the same clothes but I could always tell which one was Alyssa and which one was Kenna. If they were apart Alyssa would be running around the Red Keep getting into all manner of mishaps, it greatly amused King Robert, while Kenna could always be found in the Red Keep's library surrounded by piles of books tall than her. If they were together it was Alyssa that would lead and Kenna that would follow."
"She is no longer that quiet little child and it appears she has been done with following for a while," Cersei rounded on Barristan's memories as she folded her arms to her chest, "She didn't just mauled Euron to death, she usurped her own brother's claim on the Vale, she killed a lady of the court right in front of me in cold blood, Stannis heeded her call for help and he was rewarded with betrayal, her wrath led to the extinction of the Greyjoy line and most recently she is responsible for the deaths of Oberyn's daughters in Sunspear."
Before Cersei could continue to list off Kenna's more deplorable actions Daenerys stood from the desk, "Queen Kenna will face justice for everything she has done as will your father and brothers, as will all those that oppose their rightful Queen. But I must deal with Robin Arryn and Shireen Baratheon now."
Jorah pushed off the wall to join Daenerys by the desk, "I would advise you to install Robin Arryn as Lord of the Eyrie. Get him to bend the knee for the Vale while Shireen Baratheon is the heir to Storm's End and soon of marriageable age. Through them we can claim the Vale and Stormlands."
Daenerys nodded, "How is Daario progressing with the Dothraki?"
"They successfully pillaged Gulltown and are currently occupying Wickenden looting it for supplies," Barristan answered, "Daario will steer the Dothraki to Darry once they have picked the town clean. We need to be careful that the Dothraki do not rampage all over Westeros and take from the smallfolk you are trying to save."
Daenerys heard Barristan's warning but knew there was no alternative. She had a Kingdom to claim and she needed a well-fed army to take it.
"Once we are done here, we and the Unsullied can march to meet them there and start our advancement on King's Landing," Jorah recited knowing his Queen was eager to claim her throne and crown, "Our ships can then attack from the east as we attack from the west."
"Let us be done with this place then," Daenerys announced, "Bring Queen Kenna's High Council to the High Hall."
Half an hour later …
The High Hall, in the Eyrie, Seat of power of House Arryn (Targaryen) in the Vale, Capital of the Vale Kingdom
"I Robin Arryn, son of Jon Arryn and Lysa Arryn, rightful Lord of the Vale, pledge my loyalty to you Daenerys Targaryen, the rightful Queen of the Seven Kingdoms."
Daenerys accepted Robin's oath then gestured to the chair placed to her left.
The handsome albeit thin new Lord of the Vale straightened from his kneeling position and took his place by his Queen's side.
All eyes turned to the marked girl that had replaced Robin on the cold stone floor of the High Hall.
"I Shireen Baratheon, daughter of Stannis Baratheon, Lady of Storm's End, pledge my loyalty and that of the Stormlands to you."
"Thank you, Lady Shireen. Now please join me," Daenerys lifted her hand towards the empty chair on her right.
"Bring the High Council in," Daenerys commanded.
Her demands were met a few seconds later as unsullied escorted two chained men and one bound woman from the group of captured Vale nobles gathered at the back of the High Hall to the space were Robin and Shireen had knelt.
Daenerys eyes the three Vale nobles with a heated glare, "Denounce Kenna Arryn as your Queen and Lady. She is rightfully neither."
Lady Waynwood stood in between Lord Hunter and Lord Redfort. They all exchanged dire looks but shook their heads in agreement.
Daenerys watched closely as the wizened looking Lady Waynwood stepped forward with her chained hands swaying in front of her dress.
The Lady of Ironoaks unclasped her hands as she looked up at the latest Targaryen invader, "Robin was fathered by Petyr Baelish not Jon Arryn therefore he is not the rightful Lord of the Eyrie. Our honour will not allow us to place a bastard on the Weirwood Throne when a true born daughter of Jon Arryn still breaths."
Robin squirmed in his seat at Lady Waynwood's words but he did not speak up.
The stocky and old frame of Lord Redfort joined Lady Waynwood in her advanced position, "Our honour will not allow us to take you as our Queen because we have already given oaths to another."
"You will not bend the knee to me or listen to your new liege Lord?" Daenerys questioned as a distant loud screech could be heard in the back ground.
"No," Lord Hunter said definitively as he stepped forward to join his fellow council members, "We are loyal to Queen Kenna. No other, especially one that would unleash the savagery of the Dothraki on Westeros and threaten to burn everything and everyone in their path."
A resigned and grave look fell upon Daenerys's features, "You will kneel either way and I will have my throne. Ser Jorah."
Her Hand took his cue, knowing what had to happen next as some unsullied broke from their protective formation around Daenerys to follow Ser Jorah.
Ser Jorah stood in front of the three Vale vassals as the unsullied forced each one to the ground, "Will you not reconsider?"
All three now kneeling nobles looked up at Jorah with defiant faces.
Jorah lightly shook his head, "Then you have chosen your fates and that is really all a person can ask for in this life."
He unsheathed his sword as the unsullied held the rebel Lords and Lady in place.
Ser Jorah looked back at Daenerys who returned his questioning gaze with a firm nod.
He swung his sword down in one powerful and accurate stroke. A small gasp slipped from Shireen's mouth as she witnessed her first sight of violence up close.
Lord Redfort's head fell to the floor and his normally kind expression faded into a slack blank sheet as his head was followed to the floor by his body that was spurting blood from the stomp at its top.
Ser Jorah steadied his position above Lady Waynwood making sure his feet were planted in an area of the floor not covered in blood.
In the next second there were two heads resting on the floor. The Lady hadn't made a noise as the sword had flashed down on her. She had been praying to the Mother with her eyes closed.
Ser Jorah moved on to the last rebel. Lord Hunter's fierce blue eyes and red hair gave the impression of a rowdy blusterous Lord but his voice was even, "You are nothing but a disgraced knight Mormont. Your legacy will be one of dishonor, mass death and cowardice."
Ser Jorah's reply was swift.
Lord Hunter's head joined his High Council member's. The area before the Weirwood chair was covered in a shallow lake of blood that was spilling from the three now headless bodies that lay before Daenerys.
A loud shout from the captured nobles at the back caught her attention and she could see a young man aggressively trying to break past the line of unsullied pinning the noble prisoners in.
"Let him through," Daenerys commanded and the blond-haired youth sprinted to where the three bodies laid as fast as he could manage with his hands bound with rope.
"Father!" the young man screamed almost falling over when he saw the extent of the scene.
"Who are you?" Daenerys asked, giving the grieving man no pity.
"I am Ser Mychel Redfort, and I am going to kill you," the blond man roared before lunging towards Daenerys.
Ser Jorah easily subdued the bound mourning son and wrestled him to the ground so his own face was mere inches away from the decapitated head of his father and his front was resting in blood.
"What you will do Ser Mychel," Daenerys thundered demanding Mychel's eyes, "is take the heads of these traitors to your usurper Queen in King's Landing and tell her she is next."
Ser Mychel let out a painful cry as Ser Jorah pressurized his shoulders to get a response, "Yes … your Grace."
Ser Jorah released the young knight who couldn't have been more than a boy and returned to Daenerys's side.
The young Vale knight got to his knees barely taking his eyes off the decapitated head of his father.
Daenerys turned to Robin as Ser Mychel started to haltingly gather up the three heads of the High Council, "The nobles and people of the Vale display a deep loyalty to your sister. If you are going to hold the Vale in my name, I need to demonstrate the cost of their loyalty to her. I need to tear down the symbol of her power."
"What do you mean your Grace?" Robin asked nervously but Daenerys was already pushing herself from the Weirwood Throne and walking away from him.
"Move your people from the Eyrie to the Gates of the Moon and do it quickly," Daenerys threw over her shoulder.
Robin stood confused in the middle of the High Hall but Ser Jorah ushered him on and with the help of the unsullied the current Vale Lords understood it was time to leave the Eyrie behind.
An hour after Robin had left the Eyrie and was walking down the High road surrounded by unsullied and with Shireen by his side, he understood Queen Daenerys words.
It was hard not to as the first steel shattering screech reached his ears. Both he and Shireen looked back at the Eyrie to see their new Queen's dragons circling the white marble castle that was nestled atop the mountains. To his horror the dragons started to spew fire down on the Eyrie. Even from this distance Robin could see how the white walls collapsed and seemed to slide off the very mountain itself. He didn't know for how long he watched the destruction of the place he had called home for the last seven years all he knew was it was no longer a bright shining beacon of chivalry on the grey mountains of the Vale but a blackened scar of smoking ruins.
In his mind he knew who he blamed and it wasn't the Mother of Dragons.
Author's Notes
I bet pushing Cersei off the cliff edge was very therapeutic for Selmy Barristan lol. I know Ser Barristan discarded his white cloak in the Throne room in canon but imagine for this story he kept it and wears it when serving Dany. I just like the symbolism of Ser Barristan giving Cersei his white cloak for warmth when it was her that stripped it of him in the first place.
Dany took the Eyrie initially like Visenya Targaryen did during Aegon's Conquest, just flew her dragons up to the Eyrie and demanded their surrender or burn everything .. which I guess she did anyway but the Targaryen restoration party is moving to the Riverlands.
Shireen, Robin & Ser Mychel (Youngest son of Lord Hunter and a skilled swordsmen) are all fifteen in this chapter.
RIP:
Missandei (Died in Wildfire explosion)
How will Dany handle this loss? Didn't handle it too well in the show …. I had my eye on an early Missandei death because once she was out of Essos her usefulness kinda went (for me) but her death is all about the impact on Dany and Grey Worm which you see a bit in this chapter.
Lord Horton Redfort (Beheaded by Ser Jorah Mormont)
He was Kenna's Master of Laws and by all accounts he was a kindly old man who valued honour and politeness. Disliked Peytr Baelish and the Lannisters but was devoutly loyal to the Arryns of the Vale. Let's hope his youngest son Ser Mychel can avenge him. His death is a loss for Kenna's control over the Vale.
Lady Anya Waynwood (Beheaded by Ser Jorah Mormont)
She Kenna's spymaster and her loyalty was to Kenna so like Lord Redfort she will be a great loss to Kenna in the Vale.
Lord Gilwood Hunter (Beheaded by Ser Jorah Mormont)
He was Kenna's Master of Coin and a good fighter too but the deaths of the High Council is all about Daenerys sweeping through the Vale and these three were never going to just kneel to Daenerys and accept Robin as their Lord knowing he was most likely a bastard of Petyr Baelish.
Reviews:
David Daniel B – I think Tyrion came up with the strategy with input from Olenna and Qyburn helped with the logistics of moving the wildfire. So, team effort I guess. Oh yeah Dany is pissed, took it out on the Vale.
Tohka123 – It was a bit :P Dany is definitely run out of patience and mercy for anyone now. Missandei wasn't just her translator, she was a best friend, a calming influence. Varys wasn't just a spymaster but an advisor and secret keeper that could have stirred her clear of certain pitfalls.
Ser Dorito of Aisle 13 – Missandei died too but I didn't want to reveal that till this chapter for the suspense :P There was a bit in the last chapter where Varys and Missandei were saying how Dany needed the other (Varys's cunning, Missandei's honesty) and I knew I was going to kill them both, technically, in that chapter. I was just trying to remind you guys what she was going to be missing in the future lol.
Supremus85 – She was extremely pissed and I think a little unhinged, she lost her spymaster and her best friend …
NightlyRowenTree – Your welcome :)
Guest (commented 16/12/2020) – Thanks! Yes, Tyrion went for it but missed the main target sadly for him and his side.
Ksyushangel – Lol love your review! Well there is a lot more chaos, twists, coming togethers and (because it is me as the writer) .. deaths! Honestly, I think if Tyrion & Kenna went head-to-head in an intrigue battle Tyrion would win, which is bad news for her :P Kenna can't spend anytime with her children but I thought a dialogue between Arya & Sansa was the perfect opportunity to showcase that the twins are growing and developing at Winterfell.
Shadow Wolf 15846 – I think it is fun XD
Guest (commented 23/12/2020) – Why don't you give yourself a guest name? Your reviews are constructive criticisms and I do appreciate them! Bruise my ego a bit but how else is an author supposed to get better if they don't receive and listen to other opinions and thoughts? I know my story isn't perfect and your reviews just reminds me that there are some stretches here or there (particularly with Robb's actions). I know where I want the story to go and what I want characters to achieve. I am trying to make their journeys GOT universe compliant/realistic but I guess I am going to fail in parts due to my beginner level writing ability.
I think I covered my thoughts on Robb in my last reply to you. I am happy with Robb's overall plot in my story. I think I just executed it poorly in some areas (Maybe Robb should have refused to ally with the Crown but just saved Kenna at Pyke but then he would have all but given up on Northern independence).
Kenna is a bit manipulative (drugging/threatening Robin to get Lysa's cooperation during the trial) and is not above excluding the truth (not lying – everyone assuming Jaime is the father) to protect (get Robb's support) those she cares about (Vale & children). She isn't a classic Arryn leader anymore who puts honour above everything due to her experiences (sister, betrayals, dethroned, prisoner in KL etc) and is not afraid to use violence either but she does keep her promises. I would say her honour now only goes so far or she has her own code now. She has underappreciated Robb Stark so far in this story and I have done that on purpose. That is her character and if you don't like her anymore, I am sorry but her experiences had to affect her and change her. I still don't think she has done anything too vindictive and you haven't given examples of this; I think making Pycelle commit suicide and watching him die was the darkest thing she has done but I guess no one liked Pycelle so no one cared. Maybe I am a bit blind but I do get the feeling you are a bit of a Stark stan.
The Margaery conversation was more about their individual friendship than their houses. If Dany is defeated and they all survive the Long Night I agree Kenna would be on a collision course with the Tyrells and Lannisters again.
I am happy with people sharing suggestions (you correctly predicted the Eyrie bit!). I have a fully plotted story in my head anyway so I know where it is going.
Thanks, Boreamir!
Next Up: In the face of bad news Kenna retreats to a solitary place to reflect, Jon and Daenerys finally meet, a parlay is called to face the true threat.
If you are enjoying this story please *Toss a coin to your writer, Oh valley of readers* and review, follow and favorite!
The next chapter is the last of Section 2 and should be out before New Year then I will have a bit of a break to reassess Section 3.
