The Chronicles of Valyria,
Book 1 Resurrection
Chapter 12
The day after the coronation was the day for the trials to begin. Originally it was planned that the Lannisters would be going first, but since three of the four had been broken out of prison, Tyrion was the only remaining Lannister who stood trial.
They had chosen the throne room to act as the court room, as it was the most spacious. Long benches had been placed on the floor before the throne, with roughly 20 feet between the dais and the first row of benches. In the open space, exactly in front of the Iron Throne, was a wooden lectern with a chair. The ones to stand trial would be placed on that chair during their trial.
On either side of the Iron Throne were padded chairs, five on each side. On the right side were seated in order, Lyanna, Eddard, Jon, Oberyn and Randyll. And on the left, were seated, Rhaella, Paxter, Stannis, Brynden and Victarion. Rhaegar sat on the Iron Throne and Aurora and Gabrielle were seated on heavy wooden seats on the middle of the dais, before and below the throne.
The chairs for Aurora and Gabrielle were heavier than the others, because when Aurora had sat herself down in a normal one, it splintered under the combined weight of her, her armor and her weapons.
The five remaining members of the Kingsguard were arrayed before the dais with Lord Commander Gerold Hightower in the middle and the others on either side of him.
When everyone was seated, Tyrion was brought in by a pair of gold cloaks and stood before the lectern.
His was one of the easier trials, as Tyrion had committed no crime and he was only placed under arrest because of him being a Lannister. So as soon as Tyrion stood before him, Rhaegar stood up and spoke,
"Tyrion Lannister, you have committed no crime against the crown, and are not held responsible for the crimes of your family. It is commonly known that both your father and your sister held you accountable for the death of your mother, and you have suffered much at their hands. This council has come to the following decision regarding your future.
You are hereby named Heir of Casterly Rock and Future Warden of the West. Until you are old and wise enough to hold these positions, they will be held by Lord Paxter Redwyne, who will also take care of the education you shall need to properly execute your duties when the time comes."
Tyrion bowed deeply and said, "I thank you for your generosity Your Grace and I would like to wish the best of luck to those who are going to hunt down my treacherous family."
Both Aurora and Gabrielle nodded in thanks and Tyrion's shackles were removed before he was led to a chair that stood before Lord Paxter on the same level as Aurora and Gabrielle. As he was now a free man and an heir apparent he would be involved in the rest of the trials though he did not have a vote yet.
The next to stand trial was the High Septon. The man was pushed into the room lying on a cart, since his current state of health allowed for little more.
When the cart was placed on the place of the lectern, which had been temporarily removed, Rhaegar again stood up and said, "High Septon, you have been accused of the following crimes, abuse of power, involvement in an illegal organization, disobeying a royal command and the attempted rape of two young children. How do you plead."
The High Septon was about to answer when Aurora stood up and walked forward until she could look the man in the eye. "Think very carefully about what you are going to say next. If you confess, you will receive a quick death. If you deny, I'll make sure your suffering thus far was nothing but an appetizer." The words were whispered so the High Septon was the only one who heard them, but they did their job.
"I plead guilty." The words rang through the throne room as most of the people watching sucked in their breath in disbelief.
Rhaegar again stood up and said, "Then by order of this council, you are condemned to death by decapitation."
The High Septon was whimpering softly while the cart was removed from the hall and he was placed in a side room to await his execution which would take place when all the trials had been dealt with.
Next up was Lord Elys Westerling. By orders of Gabrielle, Lord Elys was not shackled but he was still escorted by a pair of gold cloaks who remained standing on either side of him, when Rhaegar spoke again.
"Lord Elys Westerling, you have been found guilty of cooperating in a successful plot to sack the city of King's Landing. However, a plea has been done on your behalf and this council will listen to your side of the story before a punishment is decided upon."
Lord Elys took a deep breath before he spoke. "Your Graces, my Lords, my Ladies. It is true that I was involved in the sack of this city. I did as my liege lord commanded me to do even though it went against my very being. Tywin Lannister is a cruel and unforgiving man, if I had refused to obey him, my wife, my sons, my daughter and my entire family would have been slaughtered.
I know this does not excuse me from anything, but I did what I had to ensure the safety of my family as any man should. I will bear this guilt with me for the rest of my life, however long this council decide it shall be, and I ask but one thing. I will accept whatever punishment you decide, as the Gods know I deserve it, but I beg you not to lay a finger on my family, they carry no guilt in all of this."
Lord Elys sat down on the wooden chair and waited calmly as his fate was decided. The council discussed amongst themselves for ten minutes until they reached a verdict. Rhaegar once again stood up to deliver the verdict.
"Lord Elys Westerling, in consideration of the remorse you have shown and the efforts you have put into rebuilding that what you helped destroy, this council has come to the following decision. You shall remain Lord of the Crag, and all lands sworn to it will remain under your governance. However, you will supply 400 craftsmen for the expedition to Essos, all of their expenses in preparation for this journey to be paid by you. Furthermore, you will pay a fine of 25,000 gold dragons, which shall be used for the rebuilding of this city."
Lord Elys bowed his head in acceptance and thanked the council for their mercy. The fine would put a serious dent in his fortune, but at least he was spared the executioner or the Wall.
When Lord Elys was gone, the next captured lord took his place, this time it was Andros Brax.
The Lord of Hornvale stood proudly, despite his simple tunic of rough wool, bare feet and shackled hands. However, his pride soon disappeared when Rhaegar stood up and said, "Lord Andros Brax, you have been found guilty of helping to coordinate the sack of King's Landing. You shall pay a fine of 50,000 gold dragons and you are stripped of all titles. Your family will be allowed to remain at Hornvale and your son will become the new lord, but you shall spend the rest of your days serving the realm at the Wall. Take him away."
Two gold cloaks escorted a protesting Andros Brax out of the throne room and locked him up in a different room than the High Septon. Two different rooms had been assigned to hold the convicted, one for those who would be send to the Wall, and the other was for those who had been sentenced to death.
What followed was several hours of lesser lords and knight who were led before the throne and judged. In some cases, Aurora or Gabrielle were asked to discern a person's guilt or innocence, but most were simple cases. Lord Elys was the only lord who was allowed to keep his position, all others were either sent to the Wall or in a few cases sentenced to death.
Of the knights, many were sentenced to serve in the vanguard of the expedition, as they were given the choice between the Wall or Essos, and all of their wealth was confiscated by the crown. The families of those who were sent to Essos were left with enough to live for a year, after which they would have to take care of their own.
The second last to come before the council was Lord Mace Tyrell. The Lord of Highgarden stood proud when he was led in, but the shouting and curses directed at him soon saw him reduced to a subdued and humbled state.
When he stood before the council, his eyes first shot to his good friend Paxter, but the Lord of the Arbor had nothing but disdain and loathing in his eyes, an expression which was even more prominent on the face of Randyll Tarly.
"Lord Mace Tyrell," Rhaegar began as he stood up and the throne room was immediately quiet. "You stand here accused of the following crimes. Disobeying of a royal command, insulting an envoy of the King, and above all, cowardice on the field of battle that led to the death of 23,000 soldiers who were under your command. And which, as a direct consequence, allowed the Lannister army to reach the city and sack it. Do you have anything to say for yourself?"
The Lord of Highgarden swallowed, feeling very uncomfortable under the many hostile glances he received. "M… m… My Lords, My Ladies, Y… your Gra… Graces, I… I… I panicked." He took a deep breath to steady his nerves before he continued. "We were camped for the night everyone was asleep and suddenly thousands of men on horseback came storming into the camp, burning tents or simply trampling them as they rode, everyone would have panicked."
"Lord Randyll did not panic," Aurora interrupted him coldly. "He kept his head cool and gathered all the men he could find to organize a successful counterattack, which allowed the main body of your army to regroup, but they lost morale when everyone saw you flee. Because why would they fight for a lord who was not willing to do the same for them? So, they fled as well."
Lord Mace was feeling more and more like a cornered animal, it was clear that they were pushing him into a direction which could end only two ways, the Wall, or the executioner, so he chose the lesser of two evils.
"I'LL TAKE THE BLACK," he yelled through the throne room and small smile appeared on the faces of Aurora, Gabrielle and Rhaegar. This was exactly what they wanted, because it would not do to see a Lord Paramount lose his head for anything less than treason, which he technically did not commit.
Rhaegar stood up again and said, "Very well, Mace Tyrell, you are hereby stripped of all lands and titles, wealth and possessions and you shall be escorted to the Wall. Your son Willas will inherit everything once he comes of age, but until then, Lord Randyll Tarly will be acting Warden of the South and Lord of Highgarden.
You will be given a day to say goodbye to your family, but you will leave at dawn, day after tomorrow. Take him away."
Two gold cloaks escorted the former lord out of the throne room while the last prisoner was brought before the council. Robert Baratheon did not look well. Two weeks of poor treatment and imprisonment had left its marks on him. He had a short rough beard, his face was ashen and his open shirt revealed the large bruises and small puncture wounds caused by Aurora's blows during their duel.
When the former Lord of Storms End stood before the King, Rhaegar rose for the last time and said, "Robert Baratheon, former Lord of Storm's End and Lord Paramount of the Stormlands, you have been accused of the following crimes, treason, open rebellion, causing the deaths of innocent people, lying to your fellow lords which drew them into a conflict you started out of spite, and lastly, the intent to kidnap my wife. All of these accusations have been proven true by your loss in a trial by combat, so you are hereby sentenced to death."
Robert didn't speak, it was as if he didn't even hear Rhaegar, he only stared at Lyanna his eyes never leaving her. When he was dragged out of the throne room by a pair of gold cloaks, his eyes remained fixed on her until the doors closed behind him.
This having been the last trial, the crowd slowly left the hall and relocated to the courtyard, where an execution block had been set up, and where those who had been sentenced to death were brought to.
When he hall was nearly empty, only Rhaegar, Lyanna, and Rhaella remaining, Rhaegar looked at his mother and said softly, "Why is it that so many had to die, just because a few people wanted more power for themselves."
Rhaella shook her head softly and said, "I do not know my son, but the gods have a reason for everything."
Lyanna put her arms around Rhaegar's neck and sat herself on his lap while she said, "Do not worry about what has been my love, worry only on what might happen in the future." After some hesitation, she added, "The people will expect you to name a royal executioner."
Rhaegar nodded but by the tone in her voice he knew she disagreed. "You don't agree with that, do you?" he asked softly and Lyanna shook her head.
"No, in the North we do it the Old Way, which is better. The man who passes the sentence, should swing the sword. It would go a long way in earning the respect of the Northmen if you did the executions yourself, no matter how distasteful a job you may think it."
Rhaegar nodded softly and whispered, "You're right, we need the favor of the Northmen, if we are to have a chance at relocating the wildlings. And if this is what it takes to earn their respect, then so be it. But I will not be using Brightroar ever again, take it to Tobho Mott and have him re-forge it. There should be enough metal for a bastard sword and a long dagger."
Rhaella nodded but said, "Then I suggest you pick another sword for the time being, as the people will expect the executions to happen today."
Rhaegar sighed in acceptance before he gentle nudged Lyanna to rise from his lap so he could stand up. "I know mother, I'll ask Aurora if I can borrow one of hers for the moment."
Fifteen minutes later, the council was once again gathered, this time on a small rise next to the execution block where Aurora and Gabrielle stood as guards, both leaning casually on their battle axes and with Aurora whistling a merry tune beneath her breath.
When it was time, Rhaegar rose from his seat and walked towards the block before turning to the crowd. "It is customary for the King to name a royal executioner, but I will do no such thing. My wife told me of the way it is done in the North, and I agree with her that it is better that way. The man who passes the sentence should swing the sword." Turning to Aurora he said, "My Lady, could I borrow one of yours until I can recover my own?"
Aurora gave him a foreboding grin and pulled one of her hand-an-a-half swords from over her shoulder. She spun it around her fingers before handing it to Rhaegar.
To his surprise it was much bigger in his hands than it had seemed in hers, it weighed as much as a greatsword and was nearly as big. The blade had a length of 4 feet 2 inches and a width of 3.5 inches at the cross guard. The blade was perfectly balanced and the rather large pommel was shaped as a roaring dragonhead. The cross guards were decorated with a flame-like design which ended in a vicious spike on either side. The blade itself was plain looking but polished to a shine and he could see his own reflection in the black steel.
Giving the sword a few test swings, Rhaegar quickly got a feel for the blade and soon he felt as ready as he would ever be. He gave a short nod to Aurora, who, with a certain malicious glee, pulled the High Septon from the cart he lay on and dragged him towards the block where she pushed him down with his neck resting neatly on the surface of the block.
Standing up Aurora whispered to Rhaegar, "Don't put your strength behind it or you'll cleave the block as well. Just raise it above your head and then let it drop down, the blade will do the rest."
Rhaegar gave a small nod and once Aurora had stepped aside, he did as she said and raised the sword above his head before letting it fall down. The blade cleanly cut through the fat neck of the High Septon and stuck itself in the bloodstained wood of the chopping block.
The now headless corpse of the High Septon slipped from the block while large gusts of blood sprouted from his open neck. The head fell in a basket from which it was removed by a grinning Aurora, who then pushed it on a spear which was fastened to the raised dais on which the block stood.
Next to go was one of the lesser knights of house Brax, who had been found guilty of rampaging through an orphanage, killing all the caretakers and raping two of the older orphan girls. The man let out a deep sigh before he stepped onto the dais himself and laid his head down on the block before Aurora could force him. The knight and the next five men were executed in short order until the last one was forced onto the dais.
Robert Baratheon threw a last pleading look at Lyanna, but her only reply was snapping her fingers and saying, "Ser Barristan, please bring it to my husband."
Ser Barristan appeared from behind where Lyanna sat and replied, "Of course, Your Grace." And he walked towards the dais with a very familiar war hammer in his hands.
"My love," Lyanna spoke clearly so everyone could hear her, though she directed her words at Rhaegar. "Robert killed your good friend Jon Connington with this war hammer, I believe it is only right that you should now use it to kill him."
Rhaegar bowed his head in acknowledgment and returned the bloody sword he held to Aurora, before accepting the war hammer from Ser Barristan.
Aurora casually cleaned her sword using the clothes from the bodies that lay besides the dais, before sheathing it and forcing Robert to his knees before the block. Forcing his head away from Lyanna, she held him by the shoulders as he struggled to stand up while Rhaegar raised the great war hammer above his head.
With a sickening 'CRACK', the hammer struck Robert's skull and cracked it open like a ripe gourd. Pieces of brain, shards of bone and gushes of blood spurted to all directions as the hammer did its job and put a final end to the rebellion.
Now that the would-be usurper was dead, the people of Kings Landing cheered. The man who had caused so much suffering and death had finally met his justified end.
When the executions were done with, the crowd dispersed as there were still a few hours of daylight left and much still needed to be done in the capital. The council reconvened in the chambers of the Small Council, where they were joined by Varys, the master of Whispers and Lord Lucerys Velaryon, Master of the Eastern Navies.
They all took a seat and Aurora spoke first. "I believe I can speak for all of us when I say that I'm glad that's over and done with." She received a round of agreeing sounds before she continued. "If no one has any questions about the proceedings of today, then I suggest we continue with some logistical matters concerning our expedition."
Lord Paxter spoke up and said, "Now that you mention it, "Yes I actually do have a question. Why exactly was the High Septon executed, as no elaboration was given on his crimes and won't his execution anger the Faith?"
Aurora scoffed and said with disgust, "Like I give a shit. I had to kill quite a few of his little friends before I found him."
Being a religious man Paxter paled and gasped, "You killed men of the Faith?"
"No, I butchered nearly 50 members of the Faith Militant when they attacked me first. The Most Devout I killed because he was rude, and I kicked the High Septon down 4 flights of stairs because I really didn't like him."
Paxter now looked completely scandalized and sputtered, "But… but… but why?"
"Why?" Aurora growled out. "Because I caught those bastards red handed when they were about to rape two 8-year-old girls. I can overlook a lot of things, but there are three things I will not allow. Rape, the murder of women, and any kind of abuse or violence against children."
Paxter swallowed in fear as he saw the fury in Aurora's eyes, which had turned pitch-black and were burning with some inner fire.
Rhaegar coughed to get the attention of everyone at the table, who had been staring between Aurora and Paxter as if they were watching some kind of vocal contest, and said. "Now if there are no further matters, then perhaps we could continue with the subject which Lady Aurora just suggested."
Eddard cleared his throat before saying, "Well actually I might have a small point to add. Last night it dawned on me that even if we can get the wildlings to migrate south, what of the other beings that live north of the Wall? Wont they be turned by the White Walkers as well? Can we risk them raising armies of undead beast such as, mammoths, direwolves, shadowcats, snow bears, unicorns, and let's not forget, giants."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, did you just say giants?" Aurora said with a very disturbing glint in her eyes, which was mirrored in those of Gabrielle.
Eddard nodded mutely and Aurora turned to Rhaegar before saying, "Forget about sending messengers north of the Wall, we are going ourselves, we have got to see this."
"What are you planning?" Rhaegar asked suspiciously while he carefully eyed the expressions of both Aurora and Gabrielle.
"Oh, nothing much really. Just wanting to see if they would be willing to join us on our little field-trip to Essos."
The others had to blink a few times until Eddard said incredulously, "Wait, you want to try and get giants to join your army? Do you have any idea what those things can do to a man if they get angry?"
Both Aurora and Gabrielle nodded maniacally and Gabrielle said, "Oh yes, we know. If they are anything like the giants we know, then we can have a lot of fun together. I once saw a trio of giants fighting over a barrel of ale, that was the absolute best beer-fight I have ever seen."
All the others looked at them as if they were crazy, 'which was not entirely incorrect', thought Rhaegar, before he shook his head and muttered, "I really, really, don't want to know."
Their musings were interrupted though by someone knocking furiously on the door. "Enter," Rhaegar said before anyone could react and the door opened to show Ser Arthur Dayne. Curiously enough, his face showed an equal amount of utter rage, as it did pure shock.
"What is it Arthur?" Rhaegar asked gently, not wanting to piss off the already on-edge knight before them.
"Your Grace," the Sword of the Morning said between clenched lips, "There is a visitor for Lord Eddard Stark, and it is rather urgent."
"Is it from Catelyn," Eddard asked quickly. Before noticing the raised eyebrows of several of his fellows and he explained. "My lady wife could go into labor with our firstborn child at any moment. She sent me a raven last week telling me that it could happen any day."
A dark scowl appeared on the face of Ser Arthur as he growled, "It is not from your wife, Lord Stark. But it does concern your firstborn child." With those words, he stepped aside and there appeared a tall young woman of maybe 17 years old. She had long black hair and haunting violet eyes. She wore a simple dress of midnight blue wool and was a great beauty, but what was most surprising about her appearance, was the several months old baby she held in her arms.
Eddard got pale as a corpse and stuttered, "He.. he… hello Ashara," while secretly thinking, 'Seven Hells, Catelyn is gonne kill me."
