Harrenhal was an immensely strong castle with five towers of dizzying size and monstrous and thick curtain walls. The interior was built as if to house giants instead of humans. Which would support the claim that it held the largest chamber in Westeros, larger than the Red Keep's throne room. The castle covered three times the ground that Winterfell did and was so large that the two couldn't even be compared. Old Harren Hoare had built this place and made it so anyone behind its walls was protected from whatever attacked from the other side of its walls. But The Mountain was no such man to cower in fear, nor were the Brave Companions that accompanied him.
The Lannister men placed in the castle met the Targaryen forces head-on outside the walls of Harrenhal, three hundred ruthless animals against twenty thousand of the dragon's men. Arrows rained down from Brynden and his bowmen, cutting the numbers down to more than half. The remainder of the men were swiftly dealt with by the other loyal fighters. The only problem was The Mountain, who took fifteen men on alone and killed them all on his lonesome, chief amongst them being Lord Medger Cerwyn, who ironically died in these lands in a time that no longer would come to pass. It took Brynden entering his mind and breaking it terribly to down the big man. All that was left of the once fearsome Gregor Clegane was his giant body and a broken mind.
The dead were burned, as were the instructions by King Jon. With the forces of the dead coming, nobody wanted to take any chances. The ashes of Medger Cerwyn were stored in a vase-like ornament that had a lid, it was to be sent North to his family. The other dead soldiers though were burned and their ashes scattered in the winds of Harrenhal. The men and women that served the men stationed at Harrenhal and by extension House Lannister, were given the option of either defecting or meeting their end by the sword. They made the obvious choice and defected to The Targaryen side. Jon had instructed Brynden to keep a closer eye on them when Ned cautioned Jon about them potentially trying to kill him.
"Amory Lorch and Gregor Clegane would go a long way to establishing peace with Dorne" Ser Wyllis Manderly had said.
"Tywin's head too" SerWendel Manderly had added.
Jon nodded to both their suggestions. He kept Gregor and Amory for that purpose, prisoners of war. But the part about Tywin Lannister, he did not decide on yet.
The Targaryen men departed Harrenhal the next day with Fifteen Thousand men, leaving the prisoners and a few hundred men with Ned Stark, who Jon had declared the temporary Lord of Harrenhal in the absence of Lady Shella Whent. There would be no avoiding any battles from this point on, and Jon wanted to keep his uncle who was still recovering from his leg injury out of it. The man hadn't fought in any of the battles so far, staying back and helping with tactics and war plans. The plan was already done, so Ned had been told to stay behind with one order. A day after the army departs, he was to send a raven to all stationed men to begin advancing and prepare for the attack.
With the size of the army, Jon knew he wouldn't reach the capital before his men. And he had been right. The first to attack was the naval army, which was the closest. They had been warned about a potential lone boat being sent to them fitted with Wildfire, so when that came to pass, they had shot it down before it could reach them. The next to reach were the men from The Reach, coming down on Kings Landing from The South. The two Stark armies reached roughly at the same time, Robb's forces a few hours before Jon's did. By the time they had reached, most of the Lannister forces and City Watch were taken down and put to the sword. The nobility was taken hostage and the capital was claimed under Jon's name.
This was the first time that Jon was going to meet his southern loyal lords, a good show of power had to be made. It was a notion shared by everyone in The Targaryen camp, including Jon himself. So when he entered the Throne room, he was flanked by the Northern and Riverlands Lords. The Southern Lords all stood and watched silently, but Jon knew none of them was too impressed by the looks of Jon Targaryen. They had expected a Targaryen King but all they saw was a Stark King.
Jon took his rightful place at the throne and just as one of The Southern Lords, he was not sure who it was, had gone on to speak a piercing shriek had interrupted him. Through the large windows flew in Rhaegal and Lya. The Southern Lords watched in astonishment, reverence and fear as the two dragons circled the room, lighting the Lannister and Baratheon banners on fire before resting beside Jon, a dragon on each side of the throne, and looked at the gathered men before them, steam falling from their snouts and slightly opened mouths.
"ALL HAIL JON TARGARYEN, FIRST OF HIS NAME, KING OF THE ANDALS, THE RHOYNAR, AND THE FIRST MEN, LORD OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS AND PROTECTOR OF THE REALM" roared one Ser Loras Tyrell and with him roared the remainder of the people, before they all knelt to him.
Jon halted their chants and bid them stand. He then called for the Lords to submit their loyalties to him. Houses Celtigar, Massey and Velarion were the first to comply. They hadn't submitted in person and so here they were now, submitting to the rule of Jon Targaryen in the flesh. Following their example, the houses from The Reach went first. Their procession started with House Tyrell, his soon to be good family. Following them came Houses Hightower, Redwyne, Tarly, Rowan, Fossoway, Oakheart, Caswell, Merryweather, Florent, Meadows, Ashford and Peake. Jon listened to them in earnest and accepted their vow of fealty to him.
When they were done, The Stormlands houses approached and Jon was surprised to see Shireen with them. The young girl knelt and swore fealty of House Baratheon to House Targaryen. She was the last surviving trueborn Baratheon, Jon realized. Following her came Houses Dondarrion, Caron, Swann, Morrigen, Selmy, Grandison, Fell, Caffren, Buckler, Tarth, Errol and Mertyns.
When they were done, Jon called for the prisoners to be brought in. Ser Loras was all too happy to comply, dragging Brienne of Tarth by her hair before unceremoniously throwing her before Jon. "This woman killed Renly when she had sworn to protect him" snarled Loras. Brienne looked at Jon with pleading eyes but hadn't said anything. The bruises on her face made Jon think that she couldn't say anything at the moment.
"Ser Loras," Jon said gently, yet the sternness in his voice had Loras straighten. "I heard a tale from Ser Davos here about Stannis and his red witch committing dark acts to conjure demons from shadows to assassinate Renly" Jon spoke and watched Loras' face colour. He held his hand up as Loras went to speak. "Allow me to finish" he intoned, "I would not have believed him, had not a shadow with Stannis' face attacked me. It is only because of Lya here that I survived" Jon gently scratched the white dragon under her chin. "Your culprits are none other than Stannis Baratheon and Melissandre of Asshai, Ser Loras" he finished. Ser Loras looked angered, but the anger was not directed at Brienn or Jon.
"Lady Brienne, please stand and join your father's side" Jon spoke and the woman shakily stood and made her way to her father. Jon called on the next prisoners. The Crownlands Lords was called on next and given the choice to either bend the knee or be sent to The Wall. They bent the knee without a fuss. The next batch though was troublesome.
"UNHAND ME YOUR TRAITORS! I AM YOUR KING! I'LL HAVE ALL YOUR HEADS!" Joffrey screeched as his once-loyal Baratheon men dragged him into The Great Hall. Following him were a silent but glaring Cersei, her silent and pondering father and two scared children, along with the ones that served as part of Joffrey's council. When Joffrey's eyes fell on Jon, his face went red and he broke free and charged him. But a burst of fire hitting right before him had halted his advance. Pure hate-filled eyes looked to where the flame came from and instantly the hate was replaced by fear.
"Easy Rhaegal," Jon said in a non-committal chiding tone. The dragon is question snarled but heeded Jon's words. "Now, House Lannister will be dealt with when my uncle arrives with Jaime Lannister and two of your loyal men. Grand Maester Pycelle" Jon barked and the old maester shakily stepped forward. "You've served The Seven Kingdoms for forty years, maester. You served my grandfather and advised him to open the gates to let Tywin Lannister in. That was commendable I suppose. My grandfather was a mad man hell-bent on burning the entirety of The Seven Kingdoms to ash. But, your services after Robert Baratheon took the throne have been anything acceptable. Jon Arryn died under your watchful eyes, poisoned by someone in this room. A man as experienced as you should have known that by the signs alone."
"Your grace-"
"I have not finished" Jon intoned and Pycelle flinched. "All through Robert's reign, you have ill-advised him, only supported the cause of House Lannister and did nothing to assist Lord Arryn during his tenure as Hand. And then stood by to watch him die later. There is also the case of you bending the vows of your order to fulfil your basic needs" Jon finished. "You will not lose your head for the service you did in ridding the world of The Mad King. But you will be escorted back to The Citadel on the morrow with a letter that entails the vows you've bent or broken. You will be detained in your chambers for today" Jon finished. The maester shook and looked at Jon in shock, unable to say anything. Jon ordered him to be pulled aside and the next person was called forward, Petyr Baelish.
"Your Grace" Petyr bent his knee and immediately proclaimed his loyalty to House Targaryen. When he looked at Jon, expecting the same small welcoming smile, he received scorn.
"Petyr Baelish, you are being tried for the murder of Lord Jon Arryn. How do you plead?" Jon declared and a round of whispers broke out in the room.
"Your Grace, I don't understand" Petyr stated, looking confused.
"Oh? Allow me to clarify. Lord Varys" Jon called and the spider moved forward, his hands tucked in the sleeves of his robe. "Please call forth your witness" Jon requested.
"Your Grace" Varys lowered his head slightly and whispered to the guard to his right. The guard moved away and exited the room, coming back not too long after with a woman that made Baelish narrow his eyes.
"I was here with my uncle when he was appointed as Hand of The King by Robert Baratheon. During my time here, my uncle and I had discovered that Jon Arryn had been poisoned. My uncle thought it was the work of The Lannisters, but to me, that felt too obvious to be true. But I had little time on my hands to investigate. So I asked Lord Varys to pick it up from where I left it. He has been my informer here and we have kept in touch all this time. He was the one who told me about a woman who was in service to Lady Lyssa Arryn, who had been left behind when she escaped and Lord Baelish had hidden her in his brothels. Lord Varys kept a close eye on her and when the war broke out he moved her somewhere safe, so when I asked for her he could bring her in."
Jon motioned for the woman to speak and she went into detail about what happened, giving details about how Jon Arryn wanted to foster his son Robyn Arryn at Dragonstone so Lyssa Arryn and Petyr Baelish had concocted a plan to be rid of Lord Arryn. She mentioned the use of The Tears of Lys and how Lady Arryn had convinced Lord Arryn to rid of his taste tester. Jon asked Maester Pycelle if the symptoms of poisoning were prevalent in Jon Arryn, specifically that of The Tears of Lys. The old maester agreed, out of just judgment or fear Jon wasn't sure nor did he care. By the end every Lord that knew and loved the man that Jon Arryn had been fumed in outrage.
"For your crimes against The Crown, I sentence you to die" Jon declared. Petyr Baelish surged forward with words of how the woman was lying and that Pycelle and Varys were playing him. But his words stopped abruptly when instead he began screaming in agony. Both Lya and Rhaegal released streams of flames at Baelish. The white and gold mixed around Baelish like a blanket while Baelish writhed and rolled to put it out. The screaming soon stopped and the body of Baelish lay motionless on the ground, burning a mix of white and gold.