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Chapter 39: Let the World Burn
The Crownlands
Bronn saved Jaime again from perishing to a Royce household Knight's greatsword, the Commander of the Royal Forces looked at the sight of yet another victory against the Vale and it's Lord.
The Valemen were very swift, seizing all of Crackclaw Point and laying siege and taking the Antlers and Rook's Rest.
Robert Arryn's men have since been funneling men across from Wickenden to Maidenpool, Yohn Royce and Jasper Redfort proved true commanders in their tactics to bring them down.
Sadly, that's where the progress of the Little Falcon ended.
It was fast and subtle when he lit the camp at the Antlers, sending in Tarly shock-troops to seize the castle back and killed six-thousand soldiers and eight-hundred enemy horses.
From that point on it was victory after victory, and now came his greatest feat since becoming the youngest knight in the Seven Kingdoms.
Yohn Royce fell in the initial commencement of the final fight near Maidenpool, the town will have fallen already by Randyll Tarly and now the young Jasper Redfort leads the final seven-thousand man force against his greater numbers.
"You owe me the largest castle you've got," Bronn commented and sheathed his blade, they both can relax while the others handle the retreating force of Valemen Knights.
"A Lannister Always Pays his- " He was going to say until the man cut him off.
"Don't say it, don't fucking say it." He found himself chuckling as the Sellsword Knight walked off to no doubt pick through the dead for coin or treasures.
Jon Arryn's whelp will calm down, now, he's lost a total of 13,000 men to play his game of vengeance for the man who wasn't worth it. Jaime sighed and looked above, seeing crows and for some reason, he saw a raven flying with a scroll on its leg.
That's coming from the North, the Vale? No, it would've flown toward Maidenpool.
The new Lord of Casterly Rock left for his camp after he made sure the battle was over, Jasper was caught and put into a wagon along with four other noblemen.
All others escaped back across the Bay to Wickenden, he planned to leave a force of four-thousand as a stationary force to deter future assaults whilst scouring Crackclaw Point for scavengers and occupiers.
In his mind, resting in his cot he thought about that raven and shot up quickly at the thought of something horrible.
Arthur Snow, might he be making his move to avenge Robb Stark? Claim all their heads for his trophy room? "Jaime, a rider's come from the capital." One of his men, Adam Marbrand said left.
It was one of Cersei's personal guards, stating that his sister had been released and urges him to return to the capital with the army and free her.
What's worse is she accepted the judgments of those wrinkled cunts, walking naked for atonement to escape her cell. He growled and apologized to the guard after hitting him with his golden hand, he even offed the man his best bits of meat and wine.
Jaime scratched his chin, turning to Adam. "Lord Marbrand, I want you to hold here at Maidenpool with three-thousand men... I will take the rest to the Capital." He'd have left them all if not for the unpredictability of the Sparrows, that, and now he has to worry about the Vale and the Northmen... Led by Arthur.
When morning dawned on the camp, he led five-thousand back to King's Landing so he may protect his sister.
King's Landing
Thirty of the Brotherhood easily infiltrated the city, most needn't wear hoods to conceal them except for Mya and Sandor.
The Bastard Princess looked up the hill going to the Red Keep, she was reminded of her father speaking to her on his death bed.
It still pains her to return to the place she considered a home for all her life, since her Kingly father brought her to court for the first time despite his wife looking and treating her with contempt.
"Princess, we should scurry somewhere safe." She heard Beric say, she turned her head a little and nodded.
"I know where we can stay, come with me." With that being said, she led the troop towards the street of steel and found the shop where Gendry once called home for several years.
Tobho Mott was initially shocked to see her after all this time, she remembered coming here for jewelry when she was given her annual allowance.
When asked about how Gendry was doing, she reluctantly told him that he had been killed by the Freys and Roose at the Twins, the blacksmith was saddened and apologized for her loss but it was long ago, now.
The dead don't come back, no matter how much you wish it... Unless you are Lord Dondarrion.
"I hate to trouble you, but can we stay in your shop for a day or two? We will leave by ship when it comes in." Tobho agreed wholeheartedly, for Gendry's memory and his skill with a hammer.
She was up when the moon rose, watching the flickering of torches coming from the Red Keep and for a moment dreamed about taking it back from those who seized it.
"Still a sight, even when it holds horrors that we cannot comprehend." Beric surprised her, she saw him approach and share the window with her.
"I spent many years there, I used to look down at the city and the many candles and torches look like a starry sky... Truly, a beautiful place but not anymore." She said and started walking away until Beric stopped her.
"It can be beautiful and bright again, Princess. But it won't if you pursue vengeance, and not justice." She turned around sharply with a hard glare at the undead man, the fury burning inside of her.
"The Lannisters has taken every bit of happiness from me, where else can I get my justice if not from here?" She demanded seethingly, Beric stood tall and looked at her with a little pity to which she hated even more.
"... We find justice by working for the people, fighting a greater threat than that of House Lannister." She took a step back then forward, the tears choking from the emotions she was emitting. "Dear child, we must turn ourselves to the North, that is where we will find your justice."
She immediately shook her head in agreement, "I cannot go North. I can't face Arthur knowing I refused to return to him, making him suffer and believe I had died." She sat down on a chair, closing her eyes and trying to think straight.
Beric sighed, putting a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it slightly in a comforting manner. "I did not know Arthur well. You still love him, don't you?" She nodded resolutely, "He must love you deeply to bury you in the Stark crypt," She would have asked him how he knew that, but then again what was the point when he'd just say that it was his God.
Feeling the rage leave her, she agreed that her pursuit of killing Cersei wasn't the right time yet.
Sandor and Anguy weren't exactly excited to be leaving instead of doing what they came to do, she partly still didn't want to leave either but Beric was right that they should instead go North.
Tobho Mott stood out from his shop at, geared in his best armor and she was quite confused.
"Princess Mya, I admired your father and held a strong bond for Gendry... For that," Tobho got on one knee and held a Warhammer fashioned black with a stag on it, "I want to swear my fealty to you, to follow wherever it is you may go." She was shocked at his oath to her, she couldn't possibly deserve it.
Mya hesitantly lifted the blacksmith up, "I accept your allegiance, Tobho, and swear to you that you will be greatly rewarded for your loyalty." She swore and Tobho and the rest of them exited the shop and started leaving the city.
Something didn't feel right, today. The bell at Baelor's Sept started ringing, "What's going on?" She asked a passing man wearing a black robe with the seven-pointed star on his forehead.
"Today is the trial of Dowager Queen, Cersei Baratheon. Now farewell." And the man's words shocked her, she didn't realize that things have gone this bad for Cersei and her plots to usurp power.
Cersei getting put on trial was all too humorous to Mya, the woman would finally get what was coming to her in the eyes of those she lorded over for the past two decades.
She turned to Beric, "I want to stay a while longer, I need to see her get executed myself." The city was eerily quiet as they made their way to the Great Sept, they even stopped once they made it to the steps and saw the doors close.
"Mya, we need to leave." More robed men saw them and started coming toward them with clubs, she glared and wanted to go inside and drew her sword.
"Enough, I am Mya Stark and if you stand in my way then you shall perish!" She shouted readied to fight until they heard a rumble beneath the ground.
It came like a thunderous crack, flames blew out of the Sept and silenced the screams coming from within. "Run!" Beric yelled and she and her party started sprinting away from the implosion that had commenced.
Many guessed but she knew better, so does Sandor and Beric and Thoros. It was Wildfire, the liquid that once burned flesh for the Mad King's entertainment and was also used in a tactic that defeated her uncle at the Blackwater.
There were thirty members of their band, the green flames caught up to them at the last second just as they jumped into one of the lower staircases. Eighteen men blew away in a flash of green fire, nothing was left of them but tattered and burnt clothing and one hand still melting from the fires.
Tobho Mott was caught too and if not for the sand Thoros carried, he might have died.
Mya could only blame one person for this atrocity, Cersei. She did this, she actually killed thousands within the city just to escape her fate.
"Mya, we have to leave before the gates are all sealed," She didn't argue and the remaining twelve escaped out of the Gate of the Gods, thankfully the guards let them leave with little resistance.
She stopped and looked at the fire and smoke coming from the city, tearing for those who have lost their lives so one selfish woman can keep her corrupted power. "Mya, where are we going?" She was asked by Anguy who looked to her for guidance.
"We head North, to the Vale of Arryn to raise an army." With that, they left and she would remember the pain of this day and how Cersei mimicked and all but made herself the successor to the Mad Kings insanity.
Jaime
Miles Northeast, after riding hard for a day, Jaime had returned coming over the hills and saw the city in smoke, the sight bring back memories of the day his father sacked King's Landing.
Bronn looked to him and sighed, kicking his horse forward and led the men back into the city through the Old Gate. The people were terrified and some still shook from what transpired
He wondered why this happened, his brother had used the Wildfire on Stannis so wasn't that all of it. Damn it, he should have killed all of those Pyromancers after he got home with Brienne.
Jaime took fifty men and Bronn to the Red Keep, telling everyone else to help with the damage and aiding in putting out the remaining fires that caught on.
"Move aside!" He shoved past a guard on his way to the throne room and caught sight of something that he never expected.
"I now proclaim Cersei of the House Lannister, the first of her name. Queen of the Andals, Rhoynar, and the First Men. Protector of the Seven Kingdoms." Qyburn then placed a circlet crown on his sister's head, a sister he can barely recognize apart from her eyes which now seem to be lifeless and cruel.
In his mind, this room and atmosphere reminded him all too much of his time serving Aerys. Jaime found himself quickly doubting the legacy they took from their father.
A deep pit fell through him, he closed his eyes and wiped away a tear realizing that Tommen is gone. He started walking away but not before his sister's coronation completed itself with...
"Long may she reign!" The former Maester said and the court or what's left of them repeated it... Long may she reign.
AN: I know, super short considering the length that the chapters have been. The next one will at least be three-k or more. I also apologize for how this was basically a rehash of the Ep.10 Season Six of Game of Thrones with more detail on Mya and Jaime than ones like Margaery or Cersei.
Well, in any event, I do hope you all enjoyed reading despite out short it is.
This has been HKC, I hope you all are staying safe out there and good night.