Beron IV

The Red Keep, 298 AC

Beron watched as the woman in red was dragged in chains across the throne room. Unlike what one would expect from a captive, she neither kicked nor screamed, just silently went along with the guards holding her. He looked at her red form-fitting dress, her curves and face, and couldn't help but find her attractive. From the corner of her eye, she noticed his stare and she gave him a smile that stirred something in his loins. He shifted his gaze to avoid further embarrassment.

"She's quite the looker, isn't she?" whispered Daven Lannister from Beron's right.

"Hmm." he just answered, trying to ignore the pang of desire he had felt as the woman smiled. She wasn't just pretty. She was easily one of the most beautiful women Beron had ever seen. Long red hair, shapely curves, and lips that promised wonderful gifts to any man lucky enough to taste them. And I had to meet her like this. Just my luck.

She had arrived that morning at the Red Keep with a small escort, introducing herself as an envoy of the "true king" and demanding for Queen Cersei to grant her audience. The queen had complied...kind of, as she had sent soldiers to kill the red woman's escort and arrest her.

Beron wondered what she had been thinking. An envoy of the imposter that had invaded the Stormlands...did she truly expect a different outcome? And what could she want from them? Did the imposter want to surrender? Did they want to negotiate something?

Whatever it was, he was going to find out soon.

The guards forced the red woman to kneel in front of the Iron Throne, where King Aegon was sitting flanked by his mother and sisters. Princess Rhaenys was holding her elder sister's hand, both looking at the red woman curiously, while Queen Cersei...well, she looked like the very personification of wrath. Beron suspected that she would have loved nothing more than to strangle the red woman with her own hands.

"State your name and intentions, whoever you are." Queen Cersei said coldly.

The red-haired woman raised her head. "I'm named Melisandre of Asshai, priestess of R'hlorr and envoy of the one true king, Aegon of House Targaryen, Sixth of His Name."

"The true king is right here, you foolish woman." said the queen. "The one you serve is an imposter! Another Blackfyre pretender!"

"No, Your Grace. It's quite the opposite." answered the woman in red. "The letter you received spoke the truth. The one you believe to be your son is an imposter, and..."

"LIAR!" screamed the queen, with such an intensity that led Beron to look around in search of broken glass. There was none, but he was sure that at the very least, by the end of the day, some people would have hearing problems.

"This is my son, you hear me? My son! Conceived by me and my late husband, and born into this world exactly three and ten years ago, in this very castle! Do you really think I wouldn't recognize the blood of my blood? Do you really think you would so easily fool us with your nonsense? LIAR!"

Princess Rhaenys hid in fear behind Princess Visenya, no doubt scared by her mother's outburst. Meanwhile, the king just stared, as if pondering what to say. The members of the Small Council looked alternatively from the queen to the red priestess.

"I understand your rage, my queen. But I can assure you that it's all true. I saw..."

"I don't care about what you saw! You will..."

"No, Mother, let her speak." spoke the young king for the first time. "I'm curious to hear whatever lies they have fed her with."

"They fed me no lies, you imposter." The woman, Melisandre, spoke, and Beron noticed how her voice was full of spite, now. While she had been speaking with the queen, she had been as courteous as a lady in waiting. She must truly believe in what she is saying. He wondered whether she was insane or just delusional.

"I saw the truth in my flames. Three small dragons, all in the same nest, but one was black and the other two red, and..."

"For gods' sake, this is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard!" Ser Oswell suddenly said. "Truth in flames? Small dragons in a nest? Your Grace, this woman is clearly insane! She has been speaking nonsense ever since her arrival!"

"Actually, there is a small grain of truth to her words."

All eyes turned to Lord Varys.

"What are you saying, Lord Varys? Are you secretely on this madwoman's side?" Lord Tywin asked.

The Master of Whispers half smiled. "Of course not, my Lord Hand. I am and will always be a loyal servant of the Iron Throne. What I meant, is that the priests of R'hlorr use to light fires hoping to see the future. This is a well known fact in Essos. However, they do so under the effects of mind-altering substances. Whatever they might end up seeing, is just an incoherent mess of illusions that are later twisted to the priests' own ends and have no acknowledgement in reality." He looked at the priestess. "Just like in this case."

"Those are visions sent by R'hlorr Himself! They represent the past, the present, and the future! And they are all true!" spat Melisandre venomously. "You will see! The true king will take his rightful place, and the imposter and his cronies will be vanquished! You will see proof of what I say once we take Dragonstone and awake the..."

"ENOUGH!" shouted the king. "I don't know whether you are insane or delusional, but I won't allow you to spread your filth any further! Guards, bring her to the black cells! She will be executed along with the imposter and his other lapdogs, were he to survive the royal host!"

The guards grabbed the red woman by the shoulders. She didn't try to struggle, though she gave one evil look to the king. "You will see, imposter! The true king will march on your bloody corpse and..." She was cut off when one of the guards hit her in the stomach. She howled in pain and made no further attempt to talk.

"Gods." said Daven as the woman was led away from the throne room. "Beautiful she may be, but she is beyond insane. How could she expect us to believe that stuff? What do you think, Beron?"

"I have no idea." He couldn't claim to know how the minds of madmen and traitors worked. He did know one thing, though.

Blood was going to be spilled. Lots of it.

AN: I'm sure you are all thinking: WTF?! Don't worry. Everything will be explained, eventually.