Aedra Dragon of Sun and Nirn

by Ronin2106

Galahad Sundrake, the Dragonborn, Ysmir, Champion of Aedra and Nirn, the greatest hero since Talos... But once, he was Maegor Targaryen, second son of King Rhaegar and Lyanna Stark. Despised and hated for death of his mother, Maegor was sent to the Wall after he killed his uncle, yet ended up in Tamriel. That was 14 years ago, and now the past has come after him.

7. Chapter 7

Several hours later. Red Keep.

Following the destruction of the Great Sept of Baelor and Melisandre's speech, the riots and fighting in the city had finally started to end, and the Justicars and Purifiers put out the final pockets of resistance within the hour. Thankfully, once it became known what had happened to the Sparrows and their supporters, as well as the fact of Rhaenys' surrender became a public fact, the remaining noble supporters and remnants of their household guards fully surrendered in an unconditional fashion. Those of the Dornishmen who instead of following the traitors chose either neutrality or sided with Arianne were spared the prosecution. In light of such a chaos and short-lived anarchy, there was quite a serious chance of uprising and rioting in the streets, but Melisandre's proclamation about the divinity of Galahad had a calming effect on the people, and so the incidents were kept to an absolute minimum.

And even those were suppressed quickly and effectively by the Purifiers and Justicars, who were stationed and spread out in the various points and places, in order to maintain and keep peace in the King's Landing. At least for the time being, Rhaegar has allowed the institution of the martial law, upheld by Galahad and Uther's forces, which have proven their effectiveness and loyalty, while the Golden Cloaks, which were extremely depleted in numbers, with most either dead or in chains, were put out of commission. While the failed coup had allowed Galahad to deal with some serious problems and obstacles on his way, it also created a whole heap of new problems to deal with, inside and outside the city, with the biggest problem right now being Dorne and Martells.

Another serious problem that Rhaenys had created with her rebellion was the sudden vacuum of power within the government of the Seven Kingdoms, but that was actually to Galahad's advantage, for at least he wouldn't have to deal with Connington and Lonmouth. Though he was here for only a short time, he quickly came to realize that the two were borderline incompetent, and worse, was far more focused on advancing their positions in the Realm than actually advancing the Realm itself. The sole reason as to why they've gotten where they were was thanks to the fact that they were close with Rhaegar Targaryen, and so used this to get themselves into positions of power and influence, where they could gain riches and authority.

Naturally, this has created resentment and problems, which would soon make themselves known, especially in the Stormlands, which for the past twenty years was seemingly the sole target of the government's sanctions and mistreatment, officially instigated by the results of the failed Rebellion, and while in reality was the product of Connington's work on advancing himself and his own agendas. In all honesty, after hearing and reading Cypher's reports, Galahad was quite surprised by the fact that Stannis Baratheon hadn't rebelled yet, and had managed to keep his lords in line.

Another problem was the West, with Tywin Lannister and his family, who was all but waiting for the chance to rebel against Rhaegar and see them advance further up the social ladder, and from what became known just recently, Tywin was more than ready to play several parties at once. He had believed that the Old Lion was only in bed with the Blackfyres, but as it turned out, had Rhaenys succeeded in her designs, Lannisters would've pledged themselves to her without a second thought. Having taken the possession of the Martell's correspondence and thanks to Arianne's eager cooperation, it became clear why of all the Kingsguards, Jaime Lannister was spared in the ensuing chaos and merely knocked out by Martells, for his release and restoration of his rights as the Heir of Casterly Rock was what Tywin Lannister was promised for his support. A rather well-thought idea and plan, as Morgana and Galahad had thought of it, but one that would not see the light, at least not under Rhaenys.

There were great many things to worry about and problems that would need to be solved as soon as possible, but right now, the entirety of the Targaryen family, along with Pendragons, Sundrakes and Tyrells, plus Arianne Martell, were in the Small Council Chambers, debating what was to be done with the failed rebel Rhaenys. Though more correctly would be to say that Targaryens and Tyrells were arguing, while all the rest were currently watching and not interfering with the process, at least until Galahad finally decided to stop the pointless bickering and get to the point.

"The more you repeat yourselves, the more you are stalling with solution of this problem, and let me remind that time is not what we have in great supply." Galahad's authoritative voice finally calmed them all down and he was given the chance to speak. "Let us look this problem from the legal standpoint: Rhaenys and her supporters attempted to commit an act of high treason, which included regicide and multiple attempted murders of members of the royal family. Now, if I recall King Jaehaerys' the First "Act of Punishment" correctly, then the punishment for such an act for the women is to be burned on the stake." Galahad stated, which immediately got the reactions out of those present, with Rhaenys herself first to speak up.

"You wouldn't dare! I am the Princess of the Realm, the firstborn of the King, not some damned witch like your whore over there!" Rhaenys shouted, with the chains on her legs and arms clanking, as she was guarded by four Justicars. "Oh, you would definitely would want that, wouldn't you, Maegor? Just like your namesake, ready to burn all that stand in your way."

"I say that a pyre is too little too merciful for the traitorous snake like you." Aegon said with venom in his voice, as he looked with anger at Rhaenys. "You and those bitches of yours deserve to be hanged, drawn and quartered! If need be, I'll do it all myself to you personally, you damned bitch."

"Aegon, that's enough!" Elia stopped him, as she still tried to fully comprehend and recover from what had transpired today. "I will not have my children killing each other in cold blood."

"A bit too late for that one, if you ask me. She struck first." Visenya spoke up, with Rhaenys shooting her an angry look. "Be thankful you are not in the North, sister. There, you wouldn't even be allowed to speak, much less complain about how you will die."

"All of you, that is enough!" Rhaegar raised his voice, stopping all, as he drew his breath and collected himself. "I shall not have my daughter burned alive, for I am not my father."

"Your Grace, though I understand and sympathize you and your merciful nature, one can't deny that she had made an attempt on your entire family. My own daughter and her children, your grandchildren and future of your House, were nearly killed today." Mace Tyrell intervened. "Though she is a member of the Royal blood, she can't be simply excused and forgiven for such an act. She must be punished, and there is only one suitable punishment for such an act- execution." Rhaegar and others turned to Mace Tyrell, gauging him, and most understanding that those were the words of his mother, and not him.

"Before I do anything, I will have words with my daughter first." Rhaegar stated, as he turned and walked closer to her. "Tell me, Rhaenys, have I been unfair and unjust towards you? Have I been a bad father to you?" He asked of her with voice laced with grief and devoid of anger, hoping to make her feel guilt.

"You ask if you were, and I have an answer: yes, you were unjust and unfair, towards me, mother and Aegon, when you abandoned us in favor of your northern whore. And even when you came, you always had your eyes on that damned wildling of a daughter from her, and not me, yet I always were the better of all your children. First to speak, first to learn how to read and write, first in all things, and your first child, yet in your eyes, I was always second or third best, always behind that untamed mutt and glorified peacock." Rhaenys stated with venom, surprising Rhaegar and Elia. "You two… You both have looked down on me. Never saw me as someone worthy of your praise or even notice, even when I surpassed your precious heir and beloved daughter. I was like Maegor to you, if not even worse." Rhaenys spat out, shocking her parents.

"Do not even start to compare our positions, Princess." Galahad stated with coldness in his tone, as he locked eyes with her. "You never had to endure a madman beating you half to death whenever he was drunk or simply because he had an itch for it, nor did you have to live with the idea that you are the reason your mother is dead and father hates you. You've had a life and a childhood I once would've dreamed of, so don't try to play this neglected tune, and be honest: you just wanted to be the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, because you thought you deserved via primogeniture, and that is all." Galahad's steel cold explanation left Rhaenys unable to retort, and it became clear that he was right on all points.

"Is this true, Rhaenys? You did all this just because you wanted the Throne?!" Elia asked of her daughter, moving closer to her. "Please… Please tell me that it was not your idea. Oberyn and his whore, they had orchestrated it all, manipulated you for their own ends, and seduced you with this foolish idea. Tell us that it was their idea, that you were unwilling, that…" Elia pleaded and nearly begged her daughter, desperately hoping to save Rhaenys from the inevitable.

"Elia, stop it, please." Rhaella asked of her softly. "Even if she had been convinced or manipulated, it changes nothing of what had already happened."

"No, it changes everything!" Elia protested, while Rhaenys merely chuckled at that one. "Rhaenys, what is it, what do you find funny?"

"Funny? What I find funny is how pathetic you are, mother." She stated with stark irritation, shocking Elia. "Do you even hear yourself? Always one to find excuses, to make it all better, unable to deal with the reality and the truth of the world… I now see why uncle Oberyn said that you were no true Martell, not one of the blood of Nymeria. You are so damn weak that it makes me sick."

"Your mother is trying to save your life, and you call her weak?" Morgana asked of her in slight surprise.

"What should I call her? She had allowed her husband to be taken away by some northern sow, and then forgave him and even helped raise their bastard. A true Martell would never have allowed themselves to be humiliated as such and would've made them pay and regret such an act." Rhaenys stated with ferociousness, but Arianne simply scoffed at her. "And then there is this traitor. I did not think that you would have it in you to actually betray us like this, Arianne. Had I been Queen, I would've convinced Uncle Doran to not remove you from the line of succession, nor would I grant him the right to do so, and this is how you repay your blood?"

"Yes, this is how I repay my blood for betraying me first and for acting like the world revolves around them and that all should dance to the tune of Dorne and Dorne alone." Arianne answered to Rhaenys. "You are deluding yourself if you think that you would've been able to rule as a true Queen, for you are nothing but a puppet in the hands of my father, one that he had spent years training and tuning to dance to his song. And he has succeeded." Arianne simply stated to her.

"At least I did not betray my blood simply out of my own lust for a man." Rhaenys stated with venom, with Arianne smirking at her.

"No, you betrayed your own blood out of lust for power and throne. And I won't deny, that I am attracted to Galahad, but even without that, I would not have allowed you to do what you did." Arianne told her. "Not because I dislike you, though there is that. I simply understand what Dorne and its people need, and it is not what my father and uncle wish. We of Dorne did not conquer or expand like others did, nor did we challenge the Dragons or tried to rule them. Our people needed none of that, for that is not what Nymeria wished for us. She wished us to prosper and live in peace, to make Dorne into the shining jewel of Westeros, not through war and blood, but through better means."

"I would have led Dorne to its greatness, and you've destroyed that dream with your betrayal!" Rhaenys spat at her.

"No, I saved it, because I know that it is not Martells' place to forever rule, directly or not, and that if you had succeeded with your mad plan, you would've brought ruin and chaos, or rather opened the door for it all." Arianne stated to her, with Rhaenys glaring at her.

"Is there nothing that you can tell us in your defense? Have you truly set on this path out of your own free will and not been set upon it by your uncles and cousins?" Rhaegar asked of her.

"I chose my destiny, like Nymeria did, and so I failed." Rhaenys stated to him, with Rhaegar closing his eyes at her response, while Elia barely held herself back from crying openly. "Do what you want with me." Rhaenys resigned herself, with Rhaegar opening his eyes and speaking up.

"Take the Princess to her chambers and guard her at all times. She is confined to them until my say so, and none are to visit her without my express permission and approval." Rhaegar stated to the Justicars, who all then turned to Uther and Galahad, receiving their nods of approval, and then moving with the prisoner, leaving the chambers. "I would have expected them to execute my order immediately, instead of waiting for your approval." Rhaegar stated without malice or irritation to Uther and Galahad.

"Nothing surprising in that, simple demonstration of discipline and chain of command, of which you are not a part of." Uther stated blankly to Rhaegar, drawing his attention.

"They, as well as you, are here because we allow it, and therefore, we deserve to be treated with respect and reverence." Aegon chimed in, almost akin to a petulant child. "You are now in the Seven Kingdoms, and here my father rules, and I am his Crown Prince, while you…" Aegon was not given the chance to continue, as Uther interrupted him.

"While we are the sole reason why your city hasn't turned into a festival of anarchy and chaos, with blood, riots and uprisings aplenty." Uther reminded the Crown Prince sternly. "And it is thanks to my son here that you and your lass here can kiss your children good night, instead of being buried with them. Yet none of you seem to have even thanked him for this." Aegon looked almost outraged at the fact, that he was supposed to thank his brother for something, but Rhaegar had a different opinion on the matter.

"You are correct, Ser Uther. As the King of Seven Kingdoms and father of both my sons, I thank you, Maegor, and all of your warriors for intervening and stopping this madness." Rhaegar said to him with grace, though Uther almost scoffed at him, something that surprised Rhaegar. "Have I said something to upset you?"

"Aye, you called my son Galahad Maegor, when I am bloody sure you know full-well what his real name is, but that… That is by far the least of my grievances with you, King." Uther almost spat the last word out of his mouth. "But those can wait, for right now you have far more pressing matters to deal with."

"Yes, you are correct." Rhaegar agreed with him, as right now was the time to deal with the aftermath of the entire debacle. "First of, what is the status on those who had rebelled against the Crown in support of Rhaenys?"

"The last of her supporters had laid down their arms and surrendered at least an hour and a half ago, having been detained and put in irons. Martial law has been implemented, with Justicars and Purifiers maintaining it, since the City Watch is effectively gone, and while we have the numbers to maintain the order, additional manpower support would be welcome." Galahad stated, as he turned to the Tyrells. "Out of all the armed contingents, those of the Reach and House Tyrell in particular are the most numerous and well equipped, so I request to requisition part of those forces to bolster the city defenses and act as the temporary replacement for the City Watch, until the situation with their replenishment and training is resolved."

"Those forces are paramount to our protection, and you demand that we part ways with them?! Outrageous, especially in such time of unrest!" Mace puffed up, making a big show out of it all. "You two have more than enough men to do the job your own, so why must we give you our own men?"

"Because that is now my order, Lord Tyrell, and you and your vassals will provide Galahad will all the men he will require." Rhaegar stated to him with stern look. "I have observed the way in which your forces had acted, and I am ashamed to see the Knights of the Reach show themselves, as little more than a waste of space and air, when the rebels struck. They have ashamed themselves, and so you too have ashamed yourself, and you will see to it that this shame is cleansed by doing what is needed." Rhaegar ordered him, and meekly Mace bowed in accepting this order.

"And what about those Dornishmen that hadn't sided with Rhaenys? Are they just going to sit aside and do nothing, while Reachmen do all the work for them?" Aegon asked of Galahad.

"Those of my people who were wise not to side with Rhaenys and my relatives have also been conscripted in upholding the law and order in the city, and each of the Noble Houses had provided more than half of their household guards for this task already." Arianne answered, smiling at that one. "The true loyal sons and daughters of Dorne are always prepared to do their duty to the Crown when asked, even when we are but one sixth of the Reach's numbers at the moment."

"Your contribution and participation in this will not be forgotten, Lady Arianne, and I shall see to it that you are properly rewarded." Rhaegar assured her.

"The only reward that would satisfy me and my brethren is Dorne restored to the Realm and reclaimed from the hands of my father and brothers, who would see it burn because of their ambitions." Arianne stated openly. "Make no mistake, Your Grace, for it is my father who is the true mastermind behind this attack and betrayal, one he had spent years cultivating and brewing. So long as he is the Prince, you may consider Dorne lost to you."

"Yes, she is most certainly correct. Your Grace, with your permission, I shall ride home and assemble the host of Reach's greatest and mightiest Knights, and then, I shall personally bring you the scum Doran in chains!" Mace proclaimed proudly and foolishly.

"Oh do pipe down, Mace! The last thing we need is for you to die out in the desert for nothing." Olenna stated to him, with Mace forced to do so.

"Lord Tyrell, while your eagerness and resolve to see the traitors punished are admirable, I believe we can all agree that waging open war in Dorne is not a prospect that is bound to achieve success." Galahad decided to take a more diplomatic approach. "History has shown plenty of times, that even with success, the price in men and gold in this case would be extremely high, and that is not to mention occupation and pacification of the region. In that regard, not even Daeron the Young Dragon was successful, and Dorne regained its independence even when facing overwhelming odds."

"Apologies, but do I hear restraint and reluctance in your voice, brother? After the miracles you've performed today, one would think that such a thing as a little desert and heat wouldn't be too much of a problem, for the True Promised Prince and Dragonborn." Aegon decided to mock Galahad, through the Dragonborn didn't rise up to that taunt.

"Any man with military experience would tell you, dear brother that heat and desert are deadly foes for even the mightiest armies, and the Dornishmen know their lands, and how to use them." Galahad stated to Aegon.

"The Dorne had fallen to us once, and it shall do so again." Aegon retorted.

"Correction, it joined the Realm out of free will via marriage, Aegon, not because it was conquered." Galahad reminded him and everyone of that fact. "And as it stand, though Doran is now our enemy, we may not have lost Dorne fully, and there actually exists a good opportunity to reclaim it from the hands of the traitors, without the need to raise armies and marching into the scorching deserts."

"I take it you have some sort of the plan already?" Rhaegar asked of Galahad.

"The general idea belongs to Arianne, the details of its execution I shall personally oversee." Galahad said, giving Arianne the opportunity to speak up.

"While my father and uncle had planned this rebellion, they only allowed those whom they fully trusted to be included in on their plans, and as I am sure you have noticed, only those of minor gentry of Dorne and sons of Dornish Noble Houses fully supported this rebellion, but not the major Houses and their rulers." Arianne began to speak. "My father had long since grown detached from the internal affairs of Dorne, and my uncle, for all his fame and glory, was just as infamous and disliked by the higher nobles of Dorne, hence why they've gathered such a contingent, comprised of those they knew would support them fully. However, I can assure you, Your Grace that the true major powers of Dorne, the Houses of Dayne, Yronwood, Fowler and Allyrion, along with their direct vassals, were not included in on this plot."

"Yet among the traitors were members of said Houses, even an Heir of House Allyrion took part in this." Elia reminded Arianne.

"Those of them were either out of favor with their Houses, or overly ambitious rogues who wished for boons and power, with Ryon Allyrion being in the former and latter categories at the same time. He has long since lost favor with his mother and family, and believed that this enterprise would restore him his rightful place, for he had all but lost the right to inherit Godsgrace." Arianne assured Elia. "You may not know of it, but I do, for when I was not here, I was in Dorne, travelling all over it, visiting noble Houses and often solving the issues they had, issues that my father left unattended. The Lords and Ladies of Dorne know it, and they respect me as much as they are dissatisfied with how my father simply sits in his Water Gardens and not tends to matters of Dorne."

"And why exactly are you telling all of this to us?" Aegon asked of her directly.

"Because I believe that there is a perfect opportunity to deal with my father and restore Dorne to the Realm, without resorting to military intervention." Arianne stated, as she procured one of the letters of her father. "My father, for the first time in years, has returned back to the Sunspear and has summoned all of his vassals to attend. Officially, he desires to celebrate the anniversary of Nymeria's landing, which shall be in two weeks' time, but in reality, he will use this to announce the coronation of Rhaenys and have all of the vassals pledge their allegiance to her, or rather to him. This can be used against him, to depose him for good."

"And how do you mean to accomplish it? It would take months just to get to Sunspear either via land or sea, and by then he shall know of the death of his brother and failure in his plan, and so he will raise the entire Kingdom in rebellion." Aegon stated to her. "There is no way for you to get to Sunspear in time to that celebration, so you can forget about it. We need to call the banners and prepare for war while we have the chance."

"I believe it was already established that a military solution is ineffective, and this one solves our problems before they even truly take form." Galahad spoke up, drawing attention to him. "As for how Arianne would be able to get to Sunspear so quickly, that is the problem that I have a solution for, and one that I am more than able to apply."

"Let me guess: this is some of your sorcery of yours, isn't it?" Aegon asked of him with snide. "Some another trick, like one with the ice you pulled with the Sept of Baelor? Another miracle from a nascent God Maegor Targaryen?" Aegon mocked him.

"I could spend a few hours explaining it to you, Aegon, but I'll spare you from the strain of trying to understand things you never would realize are real." Galahad told him. "I will not divulge too much detail, and will simply say, that I have means of nigh instantaneous long-range travel, via which I can bring Arianne to Sunspear. She will either pressure her father in surrendering willingly, or I shall make him surrender, and Arianne shall assume her rightful office of Princess of Dorne. All accomplished by me and her and no soldier lost in a perilous journey through the desert."

"Preposterous! I cannot believe what I hear…" Mace Tyrell said exasperated, before turning to Rhaegar. "Your Grace, while none will deny that your son has some sort of magical power in him, it is most definitely unnatural and goes against all that is true in face of the Seven. We've seen that the Seven's words about bastards are true today, so it is possible that he could be harboring quite a malicious intent…"

"If you are implying that I want the Iron Throne, then ask yourselves this: why did I bother with saving your lives, when I could've allowed Rhaenys to do all the dirty work? I most certainly was in the position to do so, and then eliminate her and her supporters once the fighting was done, saving me the problem of dealing with all of you." Galahad pointed it out. "Yet instead of doing so, I went out of my trouble to save all of you, including the main candidates to the Iron Throne, among which is your grandson, along with his sister and mother."

"And yet you did not see fit to save my brother." Margeary reminded him with cold tone.

"He chose to face me out of his own free will, milady, and he had the chance to back off." Galahad reminded her.

"And you had the chance to choose not to kill him, to fight the Trial in a normal way, instead of appealing to those fanatics." Margeary stated with narrowed eyes. "You wanted to kill my brother, simply because he decided to stand in your way, to show to everyone that you can do what you did."

"I killed Loras, because he chose to participate in that Trial, when I have made it clear that I would fight with all my might and resolve. Had I wanted to be malicious towards you, I would've let your children die, along with you and your family, yet I did not do so." Galahad stated with steel to Margeary, who shook a little from it. "If you wish to further this conflict, be my guest, but do keep in mind, that you owe your lives to me and only because I decided to save you. As far as I am concerned, we best consider our conflict resolved here and now, instead of making it fester more."

"You may consider it so, but that won't restore my grandson to life, will it?" Olenna asked rhetorically of him. "Or you have a way of bringing the dead back to life, along with that mighty voice of yours?"

"I have, but I doubt you will want your grandson back as a drooling, mindless husk of a person he was back when he was alive." Galahad stated to her, before letting out a sigh. "While I cannot bring back your grandson, I can do something for your great-grandchildren, but seeing as you are so determined to not resolve this conflict, I see no need to do anything for them."

"Oh, and what exactly would be able to do for them?" Aegon asked daringly of them.

"Help improve their health and allow them to grow up healthy and strong as they deserve." Galahad stated to them, surprising them. "However, given how we are now on the opposite ends, I see no reason to do so."

"Enough, all of you. Lady Olenna, Lady Margeary, I can understand your loss and pain, but Loras chose his own fate and paid for it, knowing full well the stakes. The Trial of Seven has absolved Galahad of all the misdeeds and sins, and his actions today have undoubtedly proven that you have no right to be cross with him. This conflict between you ends, here and now, and if I hear of it again, then it shall be resolved by me in an appropriately definitive manner, do I make myself clear?" Rhaegar spoke with authority in his voice, and the Tyrell relented, agreeing with him.

"Yes, as you command, Your Grace." Olenna and Margeary replied, with Mace merely bowing his head at that.

"Good, and same goes for you, Aegon. From now on, I shall not have you insulting your brother or his family in any form or manner, do I make myself clear?" Rhaegar demanded, and Aegon relented, allowing the King to let out a sight. "Now, with that out of the way, there is the urgent matter that needs to be settled immediately. With Jon Connington dead, I am now without the loyal Hand."

"I-if I may, Your Grace, as your Master of Coin, Warden of the South and Lord Paramount of the Reach, not to mention your son's father-in-law, I will humbly shoulder the responsibility and assume the role as…" Mace decided to speak up, yet Rhaegar interrupted him.

"Lord Tyrell, I have considered your candidacy and found it wanting. Today, I was shown that there are great many problems that befall my Realm, issues and problems of which I was unaware and now find myself suffering from the consequences of my ignorance." Rhaegar stated, as he brought out the pin, before turning to Galahad. "And today, I saw someone who holds in himself the capacity to deal with these problems, who is unafraid of doing the right thing, even if it means becoming more than he is in the eyes of others. Maegor… No. Galahad Sundrake, I name you the Hand of the King, and grant you the responsibility of safeguarding and protecting the Realm and all its inhabitants." Nearly all looked at Rhaegar in shock, while Galahad merely raised his eyebrow, before accepting the brooch and, for the first time, bowing in respect to Rhaegar Targaryen.

"I accept the post and the responsibilities of the bestowed office upon myself, Your Grace." Galahad answered plainly and directly.

"Y-your Grace, t-this is…" Mace was trying to find the right words for it, but was, once again, interrupted.

"Father, you can't simply do this!" Aegon shouted out clearly. "I am your heir, your Crown Prince, and if anyone is worthy of that brooch, it is…"

"The fact that you speak in such way shows that I was wrong in the way I raised you, if you think that this is a privilege, instead of duty." Rhaegar stated to him coldly. "And I now see that Jon too was unable to distinguish that, and now… Now we suffer because of it, and I shall need someone who can help remedy it, and right now, I see none who are better suited for it than Galahad. From now on, he is to be respected and treated as befits his position, and is to be referred to only by his now current and true name, Galahad Sundrake. Now, are you certain that you will be able to deal with Doran as Arianne had suggested, without the need of calling the banners?"

"Yes, I am completely certain of that plan." Galahad stated to Rhaegar, who nodded to it. "The only forces that will be required are me and a company of the Purifiers as the guards and escorts for Princess Arianne. I am only capable of transporting so many at the same time, any more will be more of an encumbrance to us. We will set off on the morning of the anniversary, and by nighttime, Princess Arianne will be the holder of the office of Princess of Dorne, and Doran Martell will have been dealt with."

"Quite sure of it you sound. I've heard men hear just like that when they spoke of their plans, and all the times they have failed in their plans." Olenna chimed in.

"Then you've been around the wrong type of men, Lady Olenna." Morgana spoke up, drawing the eye from her. "Forgive me, but I seem to be under the impression that, according to your accounts, you have been surrounded by fools all your life. I can see how it can make one seem so sure of herself and her own wisdom, when all they have to go by is their own personal experience and assurances. Same assurances, I am certain, that you had in regards to the Faith of Seven, or rather the High Sparrow." Morgana's hint wasn't lost on anybody.

"Doesn't mean that I am wrong in doubting this little plan of yours." Olenna answered back.

"Doubt it all you want, Lady Olenna, but your opinion, as shocking as it may be to you, will not change it." Galahad stated to her, before he turned to Mace Tyrell. "Lord Tyrell, tomorrow I mean to convene the Small Council, or what remains of it. You, along with the rest of the council members, are to present me the full report on the state of Realm's affairs, pertaining to your specific sphere of duty. Can I count on you presenting said report tomorrow on the morrow?" Galahad asked of him, with Mace quite clearly caught unprepared.

"I-I… Prince G-Galahad, I-I believe t-that in light o-of today's events i-it would be w-wise to give all of a-a day o-or two calm our nerves and rest a-after a-all the excitement." Mace tried to sound convincing, but came off as pathetic, which didn't escape anyone.

"Firstly, you will refer to me as Lord Hand or Milord, not as Prince or Your Grace, for that is the proper protocol when conversing with one holding the office of Hand of the King. Secondly, the events and consequences of today are exactly the reason why the Small Council is to be convened at the earliest opportunity." Galahad stated with stern determination. "Thirdly, if you are in need of a prolonged rest, you are permitted to take a break from your immediate duties. If that is what you need, I will, naturally, nominate a suitable successor to your office as soon as it is possible."

"A-a successor?! Wh-what do you mean?" Mace was aghast when he heard it, with Galahad not even flinching.

"You have suggested that you are tired from your duties and unable to perform them, hence why you are permitted to resign and take a break from them, as extended as you see fit. However, given the critical importance of your office, I would need to nominate a suitable candidate to fill the vacant office as soon as possible." Galahad stated to him as a matter of a fact. "Or was I mistaken in my earlier assumption of your fatigue and inability to perform your duties as Master of Coin?" Galahad asked of Mace, who slumped a little and spoke up.

"N-no, Milord. I am perfectly c-capable of performing my duties." Mace answered to Galahad, who nodded to him.

"Then I will assume that there will be nothing to stop you from presenting the earlier requested report?" Galahad asked of him, with Mace nodding. "Excellent, I shall be expecting it to be thorough. Now, in light of the death of Master of Laws and given the lack of suitable permanent replacements, I nominate Prince Aegon as the temporary Master of Laws. Do you support this candidacy, Your Grace?" Galahad asked of Rhaegar, with Aegon surprised by this, while the king was clearly in favor of this.

"Father, do not tell me that you actually approve of this. I am your Heir and Crown Prince, the future King, and hence I can't just take orders from him like that." Aegon said impetuously, with Galahad speaking up to him.

"You are always free to decline the office, Your Grace. However, given your status and position, even a temporary assignment to such an office, in my opinion, would prove to be a valuable experience in statecraft and governing." Galahad noted with wisdom, with Rhaegar agreeing to it.

"Yes, I agree and support the notion. For the moment, Aegon, you shall be the Master of Laws, until or if a more suitable candidate can be found. And you will answer to me, my son, while Galahad is now my Hand, and you will afford him all the necessary respect." Rhaegar reminded him, before turning to Galahad. "And what about the Master of Whisperers and Varys? I understand that he too had committed treason, though of different kind."

"He is currently detained is being interrogated by specialists from Justicars. Until we have full information on his information network, it's work, members, system of operating it and all of his assets, he will remain alive. After we have all that, he will be quietly eliminated, while his network will be integrated by us for further usage." Galahad stated, with Rhaegar agreeing with the notion. "As for the potential replacement, I propose Queen Mother Rhaella Targaryen, if she is unopposed to taking the office."

"Not at all, though I doubt it will be any different from what I am doing every day." Rhaella said with a bit of a chuckle. "Oh well, at least now I'll have the air of authority and all that to it." She added with a laugh.

"P-pardon, Lord Hand, b-but p-putting a woman in the Small Council, t-that is unheard of." Mace Tyrell spoke up in protest. "E-even an office as disreputable as that of Master of Whisperers, i-is traditional held by a man. I-if you would permit, I-I would like to nominate my eldest son, Willas, as a potential Master of Whisperers."

"Your request is denied, Lord Tyrell, due to your eldest son being currently occupied with the duties as Regent of Highgarden and acting Lord Paramount of the Reach, and from what I understand, is unlikely to possess the required intelligence network necessary for this office." Galahad explained to him quickly, before adding. "And allow me to correct you, Lord Tyrell, for the officer of Master of Whisperers has been held by the women before, and the original holder of that office was a woman, Tyanna of Pentos. Given the precedent, I see no obstacle to nominating Queen Mother to such a position."

"B-but the stigma that comes from holding the office…" Mace bumbled on, with Galahad interrupting him for the final time.

"Lord Tyrell, you seem to be quite fatigued from the events of today. Perhaps it would be best if you retired for the bed early, and before you do so, might I recommend you pay a visit to Grand Maester Gormon and ask for some infusion of valerian." Galahad suggested the man in a tone, which made it clear that it is anything but a request. "It is an excellent remedy for rattled nerves, and will bring you swift sleep, quite effectively so."

"I-I… I shall take your advice, Lord Hand. Y-your Grace, with your permission." Mace Tyrell decided to follow the command, and left, with Olenna and Margeary remaining behind.

"Do you plan to send us to bed early too, Lord Hand?" Olenna asked in a semi-mocking manner.

"No, but I do recommend taking that infusion of valerian. If your stocks ran dry on it, I will be happy to lend you some of mine." Galahad simply stated, with Olenna deciding to leave with Margeary, seeing that there was little to nothing that could be said or done here.

"I think that with all of the events, it would be best if we all retired early. You all may leave. I require some privacy with my new Lord Hand." Rhaegar stated the command, and everyone decided to follow it and gave him and Galahad the needed privacy. "Am I to understand that you have changed your decision about your departure from Westeros?"

"If you are asking if I am staying here to deal with the upcoming threat of the Others, then yes, I am." Galahad answered directly to him. "But before you start to assume that I have taken to believing your words and are ready to all that you want, allow me to clarify: I stay here only to prepare Westeros for their arrival and to help destroy them, once and for all, before they become a real threat to the rest of the world. I do not intend to act in any accord with any of your prophecies or beliefs."

"Yet, you haven't denied the words of Melisandre about your divinity and place in the plans of Gods." Rhaegar pointed it out. "And you seem to have an accord with her, given that you allowed her to speak as she did of you."

"We have an amicable relationship and a clear understanding of our positions. She knows who and what I am, and understands my position on certain matters." Galahad told Rhaegar. "The important thing for you to understand, that now our priorities in stopping the Others now align, but only in that. The rest… That is to be seen, but I will not be a sycophant or a puppet like Connington was."

"If you say so, and you are correct: our main goals align, and as I see it, it is enough for me." Rhaegar told him with a sigh. "Regarding Rhaenys… I do not wish to see her die, for I see her as having been manipulated and used by Oberyn and Doran. As such, you are not to take her life."

"She may have been molded and sculptured to be a puppet of Doran and Oberyn, but her actions were of her own accord, and you know it. This cannot be allowed to go unpunished, and high treason is punishable with only one outcome." Galahad reminded the man, before letting out a breath. "The people and nobles already know of her part, and if you do not punish her in accordance to the degree of her guilt, it will make you look weaker than you already are. Burning on the stake can be changed for the decapitation, clean, swift and efficient, as well as relatively painless, given her royal status."

"Galahad… Rhaenys will be punished, but I will not see her dead in any way." Rhaegar stated to him. "She is my daughter, and I have failed her. If there is still a chance to undo the damage, then I shall take it."

"I very much doubt there is anything that can be done, especially after today." Galahad said, before closing his eyes and thinking about it for a bit. "There is one other alternative that I can think of that may permit for her to live, but I very much doubt that a person as prideful as Rhaenys would ever take it, willingly that is."

"And what that alternative is?" Rhaegar asked of him.

"In the history of the Westeros before the Conquest, there were several instances, when a person of royal blood was allowed to live after committing high treason, but after they openly confessed and pleaded mercy with mitigating circumstances being in their favor. However, the accused would be stripped of their birthright, disinherited and then exiled from Westeros, never to return under the threat of death." Galahad stated to Rhaegar, who looked conflicted after hearing it. "If Rhaenys confesses and pleads for mercy while stating that Martells manipulated and used her, it could serve as suitable mitigating circumstances. However, exile is not something that I see as being permitted, even with disinheritance, not after the Blackfyres. Even if she is officially disinherited, it could still be enough for some to back her up, and we may end up having a new threat to deal with."

"But if she pleads, then she will be able to save her life." Rhaegar pointed it out, with Galahad nodding to him. "Then that is what she will say, and what her punishment will be. She and the Sand Snakes will have an official trial, and on it all will hear of how she was exploited and used, and it will give us the mitigating circumstances needed to grant her life. And as for the exile… There are ways we can safeguard her, even in the exile."

"Or contain and limit her, rather." Galahad noted. "It is possible. provide her with means and a place to spend the rest of life comfortably and without a care in the world. A golden, cushioned cage, so to speak. Now all that we need is to convince her to listen to reason and save herself. However, I am in favor of dealing with her on a permanent basis, without leaving any loose ends." Galahad stated his opinion to Rhaegar, who looked at him not with pleasure.

"I will not let my daughter meet her end on the pyre or at the hands of an executioner, not when she was as much a victim as she was the perpetrator of today's events." Rhaegar stated his position to Galahad. "I can understand that you are angry at her for what she tried to do today, but that is my decision, and it is final."

"She was ready to kill you, sent minions to end your family for good. And that's not to mention her trying to use the Sparrows and thinking she can control them. You yourself saw what kind of a monster she unleashed in them, and I do not need to explain what would have happened if I didn't put an end to her early." Galahad countered. "Puppet or puppeteer, Rhaenys has shown what she is capable of and the extent of her ambitious far outreaches her morality. Even in exile, even disinherited, it will not stop her from plotting and desiring the Throne, and if she find support and have children, then there will be another Blackfyre-like pretender on the rise, multiple in all likelihood. I say we end this, once and for all, it will be a mercy for the Realm and its people."

"Yet will it be mercy for Rhaenys, who all her life was indoctrinated by Oberyn and Doran and the Sand Snakes?" Rhaegar asked of his Hand.

"One life in exchange of tens of thousands is not fair, but a necessity." Galahad noted with conviction, with Rhaegar's gaze hardening on him.

"You sound a great deal like Tywin Lannister when he was arguing with my father." Rhaegar noted. "In his eyes, death and violence was always the most effective tool to get the results. I do not believe that it will be necessary after Rhaenys comes to terms with her situation."

"The difference between me and Tywin is in the fact that I only use those methods when other alternatives are either inconclusive or ineffective entirely. And unlike the Old Lion of Casterly Rock, I see fear not as an effective motivator of loyalty, at least alone." Galahad countered, before letting out a sigh. "Alright, let's pretend that she agrees to plead and accepts exile. Can you truly be certain that she will not attempt to strike back at Westeros and the Crown in the future?" Galahad asked of Rhaegar.

"I have faith that she will listen to me." Rhaegar stated to him.

"Same faith that guided you when you secretly spirited away Lyanna Stark?" Galahad asked of him, his hint not lost on Rhaegar. "You of all people know how that turned out in the end, and the consequences of putting your confidence on your faith could be just as devastating in the future."

"That is enough of it, Galahad. I have heard you and I will consider your words, but as you are my Hand now, you shall respect and obey my commands." Rhaegar decided to stop this argument. "And it is my command and order that you do not do anything to Rhaenys and protect her until the time of her trial. And should there be any form of accidents happen to her while she is under arrest I will have you held responsible for it."

"As you wish, Your Grace, but I must inform you, that my opinion is likely shared not just by me, but also by the Tyrells and Aegon. And they have shown, that they are not so keen to simply obey your commands as they appear." Galahad reminded Rhaegar.

"They too will obey my command, or they will understand that the consequences for disobeying it will be quite severe for them." Rhaegar stated to him. "In any case, I place you in charge of safeguarding and protecting my daughter, including from those in this very Red Keep."

"As you command, Your Grace. I shall then place my hopes on you and Queen Elia to be able to persuade Rhaenys in repenting her ways in genuine form and way." Galahad replied.

"We will do so, Galahad." Rhaegar told him. "And in the meantime, I need you to restore the Realm to its pristine state and prepare its people for the upcoming war."

"As you wish, Your Grace." Galahad answered in a respectable manner, glad to have established at least somewhat productive accord with Rhaegar, for in the upcoming months and possibly years, it shall be needed.

But for now… For now he had a great deal of work to do.

---

Five days later.

To say that with the inherited office, Galahad also inherited a great deal responsibilities and all the problems that came with it would be an understatement, for with the office of Hand of the King also came all of the unresolved and festering problems that Jon Connington either ignored or did not even think of working on. Just as he had promised to Rhaegar, he got to work immediately the next day and started it with the great review that was provided to him by the Small Council on the state of the Realm, and just as he had suspected, it wasn't all that good.

There was a ton of unresolved issues that festered even from the times of the Rebellion, something that should've long since been resolved, yet Connington didn't do his job and instead allowed it to get even worse, mainly for his own benefit. The man, despite his near obsessive loyalty towards Rhaegar, was also a greedy and ambitious man, who in his efforts to undermine the Baratheon family and essentially usurp them, had brought the Stormlands to the brink of a new rebellion, one that was a hair away from becoming a reality. And a new rebellion was not what Galahad needed, not when the position of the Crown was as weak as it is, hence why he had convinced the King to compile a personal letter to Lord Stannis Baratheon and his highest members of gentry to come to King's Landing.

Now was the time to remedy the old wounds for good, and Galahad's role in this was first in assessing the damage done by Connington's mismanagement, and then finding ways of correcting them. The major damage was done through economic sanctions that stripped Stormlands of a great deal of its riches and forced the population to migrate out of there, leading to an even greater economic crisis, one that would need to be taken care of, and Galahad had a few ideas as to how accomplish that.

Another problem that Galahad needed to take care was Tywin Lannister and his ambitions, which pushed the man further into the alliances with the elements that were against the Crown. As much as Galahad had wished to simply eliminate this threat, he of all people knew that war with Lannisters meant war with Riverlands, and that one could spiral out of control, hence why he decided to take a different approach to addressing the situation between Lannisters and Targaryens. For all his ambitiousness and ruthless approach in achieving his goals, Tywin Lannister was easy to understand and discern on the matter of his ambitions, at least to Galahad's mind, so he will use it eliminate the threat of Lannisters for good. He had compiled a letter to the man and personally saw it being sent to him two days ago, inviting him into the capital, under the pretense of resolving long-standing strain on the relationship between Targaryens and Lannisters, as well as subtly hinting at the fact that Galahad was well aware of Tywin's dealings with Blackfyres and Rhaenys. If all went well, within a month or so, he would finally have the opportunity to meet the infamous Old Lion, along with the rest of his family.

At least there were no problems in the Vale and the North, which was a blessing for Galahad, for at least Houses Stark and Royce maintained if not loyal, then at least neutral stances with the Targaryens. While House Royce was granted the right to govern and rule the Vale after House Arryn had their titles and power revoked at the end of the war, it would be unwise to believe that they would readily agree to all that Targaryens were going to do. And at this point, Galahad would much rather see the Vale firmly on their side, rather than give them a chance to become their enemy, hence why he also invited House Royce to the Capital. And as for House Stark, they too were invited, for while the things were quiet in the North, it was wise to be prudent and to maintain good relations with them, and there was also a part of Galahad, admittedly a minor and extremely small, which was curious to meet the family of his blood mother.

But all that was for the future, and right now he was stabilizing the situation in the city itself, as well as dealing with the consequences of the failed coup. Thankfully, the populace had calmed down and after the first day, the incidents of any kind ceased to be, with the martial law now being lifted, thanks in no small part to Melisandre and her followers, the numbers of whom were now beginning to swell at an astonishing rate. After having witnessed the might and power of Galahad, the people acknowledged him as not a monster, but as a savior and a divine champion, for he did indeed free them from the oppressing radicals in form of Sparrows and saved King's Landing. The tale and legend of Galahad was spreading with the speed of wildfire, and soon enough, all of Seven Kingdoms will know of him, and that would bore both good and bad consequences. Galahad meant to eliminate, or at the very least minimize, the bad once, hence why he was currently expecting a certain specific guest, who for the past four days has been incessantly trying to get to him, and now he has granted this person the chance to see him. And when the knock on his door came, he already knew who it was, and simply spoke up.

"Enter." Galahad said, without even rising to meet his guard, and continuing on writing on the paper.

"Grand Master, Lady Alerie Tyrell is here, requesting an immediate audience with you in private." The Purifier stated to Galahad.

"Send her in." He simply answered, without stopping, with the said Lady, dressed in the colors of mourning, stepping inside and curtsied before him in a dignified manner. "Lady Tyrell, please forgive me for not standing up and greeting you. I fear that matters of state strip me of the ability to show even barest amount of courtesy, and all I may offer to you is this seat and some water as refreshment." Galahad spoke to the mother of Margeary Tyrell, motioning her to sit, with her complying.

"I thank you, Milord Sundrake, for granting me this audience, and I apologize for intruding without a prior notice." Lady Alerie spoke politely to him. "I have been trying to gain the audience with you for some time now, but without any success."

"I have been informed of your attempts, yes, but as I am sure you have noticed, I was preoccupied with the matter pertaining to my new duties, milady." Galahad answered, as he finished the new document, before pouring wax on it and then sealing it, putting it aside. "My apologies for not being able to receive you earlier, however, if you had some matter you wished to discuss, you could have relayed it through your husband, Lord Tyrell."

"My husband, along with my good-mother, does not know of my presence here, though I doubt my good-mother is unaware of my attempts to gain audience with you." Alerie replied, with Galahad now focusing his attention on her. "I had hoped to discuss a certain matter with you, Milord. The matter of the relationship between my family and you." She told him.

"I believe I have made my position clear, as did the King, and I intend to abide by his decision." Galahad told her, with Alerie looking convinced at his words. "But I imagine that given the events of the Trial, you and your family would most likely be far less interested in putting our differences behind us."

"Though I mourn the death of my youngest son, I know that it was his own choice to face you, and you did what you had to at the moment. I swear to you, that I bear no grudge towards you, Milord, and have come not as an enemy to you." Alerie stated to him, with Galahad knowing and believing her. "I know that it is thanks to you that my grandchildren and family are alive and well, and I am fully in your debt for their preservation. However… I also know that not all have the same sense of gratitude towards you."

"Your husband and good-mother, along with your daughter." Galahad named them openly, with Alerie agreeing with him. "I believe I can be candid with you and say that our relations have been set to be sour the moment they tried to use the Sparrows against me. I have had all the reason to retaliate against them back then, but I did not, nor did I let Rhaenys kill them, in hopes of resolving our conflict in a more civil manner. However, if they decide to persist, I will act in a more definitive and violent accord, if I need to."

"Yes, I understand, and I know that this is not a prospect I would wish to see, for I know for a fact the power you wield. I had advocated against acting against you when I heard your name, Milord, but as often the case, my voice was unheard and ignored by my good-mother, who holds the reigns in the House of Tyrell." Alerie said with a sigh. "I shall be candid with you, Milord: I respect my good-mother, but I do not particularly love or care for her, and I see her for what she is. I know what she has made my daughter into, and how she nearly crippled her with her teachings, and I know that in her eyes, you are now her worst enemy, and her enemies, or those she deems to be obstacles on her path to power, she eliminates. Do you know the story of how Lord Luthor, Mace's father, died?"

"I believe I heard that he died whilst hawking, by riding off a cliff, or something of that sort." Galahad said.

"Yes, and the story also claims that he was not looking, but do you know who produced said story? His widow, Olenna Tyrell, who orchestrated this strange death, all because he was in the way of her ambitions, and was not someone she could well control. I am sure you have noticed how she disparages about nearly all men being oafs, chief among them my husband, but that is the way she likes things: men are oafs and fools, while she is in control of them." Alerie explained to Galahad. "Lord Luthor was different from Mace, he was respected and well-loved by the smallfolk and the nobles, along with being a capable and good lord, but one who did not agree with his wife on a number of points. And when Lady Olenna saw her chance, she got rid of him, and put her then young son Mace in the place of his father, and since then used him."

"That is quite an accusation, Lady Alerie, but I do not think you are telling me this simply because you feel the need to confess." Galahad noted.

"I am telling you this because I wish you to know how dangerous the Queen of Thorns is, and how far she will go in order to achieve what she desires. And right now, you are her prime enemy, and so long as she persists, there will be no peace between you and Tyrells." Alerie's hint was as clear as day to Galahad.

"Then I guess you propose that I devise a way to eliminate her out of my way, or rather, out of your way, Lady Alerie." Galahad said, putting the lady on the back foot for a moment. "Forgive me, but the way I see it, you wish to use me to eliminate an obstacle on your way to achieving power within your own house. And the way I see it, I have no reason to really interfere in the internal affairs of your House, even if your family desires conflict with me. So tell me, why should I get involved?"

"Because if Olenna Tyrell isn't gone now, our vassals will likely rise up against us when she is dead later, for then there will be no way of mitigating the damage she had done to us. I know my husband, he is a good man but an oaf he is, but my sons, Willas and Garlan, they have it in them to see House Tyrell prosper and grow strong, without the shadow of their grandmother or me blocking the sun for them." Alerie stated to Galahad. "Assist me in this, and I shall guarantee you and the Crown, that Reach and Tyrells will forever be loyal to you and the King, truly loyal, and not merely because it suits Queen of Thorns." Alerie told Galahad, who took a moment to contemplate, before speaking up.

"Very well, Lady Alerie, I shall assist you in this affair, if only to finally put an end to these hostilities." Galahad told her, with Alerie glad to hear it. "However, in return, I will require something from you personally, Lady Alerie. Nothing out of the ordinary, mind you, merely assistance in establishing an accord with your father, Lord Leyton Hightower. I believe you maintain good relations with your family back in Oldtown?"

"Naturally I do, but to what end do you require an accord with my father, if I may ask?" Alerie inquired out of curiosity, having expected something different in return for his assistance.

"Certainly, I require your father's assistance in settling the matter of Faith of the Seven, and its current situation. I am sure you are aware, that after the failed coup against the Crown and death of all the Sparrows and High Sparrow, along with them the Most Devout and practically all of the Septons that were in the city were also killed, thanks to the madness of the last of the Sparrows." Galahad began to explain. "This has cleansed the city of the last of the zealots, but left the Faith essentially leaderless and with a vacuum of power at its core. And I would see said vacuum filled by those who are far more moderate in their views, and who are far more amicable in their opinion towards the Crown and the Realm." Alerie understood what Galahad meant, and nodded to him.

"I see what you mean, Milord. I shall make all the necessary arrangements to see it done, and I believe it will be quite possible to achieve. My family has always had a close bond with the Faith of the Seven, and I am certain my father will make the remaining high ranking Septons make the right choice, especially after the ruinous reign of High Sparrow and his fanatics." Alerie assured him, as she rose up. "With your permission, milord."

"Of course, but one last question before you leave." Galahad stopped her before she reached the door, for there was one more thing he wished to clarify. "Out of curiosity, why did you advocate against attacking me?"

"Because I had known about you for quite some time, Milord Hand, before you even came to this land." She answered to him. "Do you happen to know a lady by the name of Lynesse Rogare?"

"Yes, she is the wife of Alessandro Rogare, a good friend of mine and one of my chief partners in trade.' Galahad answered. "Hm, now I see the resemblance. Lady Lynesse did say that she was from Westeros when last I saw her in Daggerfall a year ago, though she never divulged from what House she was from, and I never pressed the matter."

"She had written a great deal of you to me, described you and your deeds in great detail, including how you saved her and her husband six years ago." Alerie revealed to him, before she bowed to him in respect. "Milord Hand." And with his she left the chambers, while Galahad had a small smile come up on his face.

This had gone exactly as he had expected, for he had been able to perceive that within the Tyrells' family, there was at least someone who was discontent with the situation and the way things were going for the House. And thanks to his Kyne's Sight, he knew that Alerie Tyrell was the person he needed in order to put an end to Tyrells and their interfering him for good, and along with that, she was the perfect candidate to help in accomplishing his designs with the Faith. He knew of Alerie and her relation to Lynesse before he had used Kyne's Sight and when he learned that she was eager to see the old bat that was Olenna Tyrell removed, Galahad saw an excellent opportunity to further his plans with the Faith.

Oldtown was the second most important in religious plan city, and there would be stationed the senior most Septons in all of the Realm, and it would be from their ranks that the next members of the new Most Devout will be drafted, and the High Septon chosen. The Faith of the Seven was the dominant religion of the Westeros, and held the minds of common and noble men and women, and therefore could dictate to the people the supposed "Will of the Gods,' or rather, the desires of the religious men. The Faith always was a power that needed to be taken into consideration by all who wished to be rulers, and Galahad was no different, hence why he wished to see the new Most Devout and High Septon chosen not out of the ranks of their enemies, but from loyal and amicable towards the Crown men. And who was better suited to completing this task than House Hightower and it's Lord Leyton, since it is only natural that House Hightower would maintain long-standing relations with the Faith and exert a certain amount of influence upon them, influence that could be useful in accomplishing Galahad's goal with the Faith. So, with all of that in mind, all he needed to do was nudge Lady Alerie to come see him via one of her handmaidens, who is in Rhaella's employment, and then let everything play out as it did.

As for Olenna Tyrell, in all honesty, Galahad was probably going to have to deal with her one way or the other, simply because it became clear that with her alive, there would be no end to hostilities with Tyrells, and that was not in his plans. But now, Galahad had managed to advance several of his objectives, and he considered it to be a good thing, for it brought the Realm closer to withstanding the attack of the Others in the future. And so he returned to his duties, already formulating a plan on how to eliminate the Queen of Thorns for good.

---

Nine days later. Dorne. Sunspear. Old Palace.

The traditional festivities were underway and the guests appeared to be enjoying themselves, though even now here and there Doran and his eldest son could hear grumbling and unpleased sounds of lords and ladies, speaking of how compared to the previous years, this year's celebration of Nymeria's Landing looked like a dull funeral. And such comments could be heard from all over the feast hall from all guests at different times, and in all honesty, these comments, especially when they also featured his eldest child Arianne, stung upon Doran's pride, though he did not allow it to be shown, for he was not in the mood to show any more signs of weakness than he already had. It has long been made clear, that in terms of producing a grand feast for the entirety of Dorne's nobility, Arianne was the undisputed mistress of the art, having long since mastered it to such a point that the festivities of Sunspear served to attract not just Dorne's nobles, but esteemed guests from Essos and Summer Isles even.

Compared to the festivities of the last year, this was indeed a dull affair and boring affair, even though Doran wasn't here last year to witness it, but heard enough of it from Oberyn and others to know. Some would think that this was exactly the reason why he had placed her in charge of the feasts and frolics in the first place, but in reality it was because Doran was all too well aware of how intelligent and effective his daughter was at governing and ruling. He knew that compared to impatient and rash Oberyn, Arianne was akin to a fish in the water when it came to governing the lands and Sunspear, and it was a fact well known by the nobility of Dorne as well. Most of Martells' Princes and Princesses would rejoice at the fact that they had such a good and promising heir, able to already take over the duties and lead Dorne into the better future, but not Doran, for he saw Arianne not as someone who would be able to continue his legacy, but as someone who would destroy it, leaving him as mere footnote in the pages of history, overlooked and forgotten.

This was not the fate that current Prince of Dorne was willing to accept, and though he made no mention or gave any sign to it, Doran was an ambitious man, who, much like Tywin Lannister wished to forge the dynasty that would last thousands of years. The dynasty, that would supplant the Targaryens and rule not just Dorne and its deserts, but all of the Seven Kingdoms, for in Doran's mind, they alone were worthy of it. When Aegon the Conqueror forged his Iron Throne and Westeros into one Realm, only Dorne resisted and fought back, killing one of his sisters and dragons, never bowing and submitting, remaining independent when the lions, wolves, falcons, stags, flowers, fishes and krakens bent the knee. Only Dorne and Martells remained independent, and it took not a war for Targaryens to make them join their Six Kingdoms, but diplomacy and marriage, de-facto recognizing them as equals to them and allowing their blood to marry into theirs. And so the blood of the Suns and Dragons joined, and now Doran believed that it was time for the Martell's sun to shine over all of Westeros.

He, Oberyn and his daughters have done very well in raising and preparing their future Queen Rhaenys for the role that Doran had for her in his plans, and though she may believe that she indeed would hold the power and throne, in reality, the Seven Kingdoms would belong to Doran. For this reason he had Oberyn and his Snakes teach and instruct her, filling her head with the ideas unbefitting of a normal Princess, fostering the resentment towards her bastard siblings, weakling brother and parents, who turned their eyes away from her. It was all too easy to do so, and in Rhaenys, Doran found the perfect candidate for the puppet Queen, and the seeds that were planted into her mind reaped a great bounty to him and Oberyn. All that remained afterwards was to wait and prepare for the eventual rise of Martells to the heights of power and authority, yet along the way Doran and his family encountered a certain obstacle and disappointment, in form of Arianne, who in all her acts and behavior went against Doran's wishes and plans, and worse, was poised to eclipse him completely.

In the beginning she was the perfect material for him to work with, a naïve little girl who was akin to wet clay in his hands, but after she had angered Prince Viserys and made friends with that bastard Maegor, she had changed, completely and irrevocably. Not only did she ruin his plans on having Viserys marry her and further driving the Targaryen blood into unity with Martells and giving it royal legitimacy, but she also openly spoke out against how Doran, Oberyn and others treated and spoke of Maegor, openly stating that he saved her life from a madman, and that she would never even dare to marry him. And after that, his proud yet gullible daughter began to transform into a shrewd, intelligent and decisive woman, someone whom he could no longer manipulate and use as he wished, and who showed in her the true markings of a new great Princess of Dorne.

Intelligent and beautiful, Arianne was also able to win hearts and minds of the people as well, earning their love and respect in ways that neither Doran nor Oberyn were able to do, and this began to further irk Doran. Over the years and years, he grew envious and jealous of the way his daughter already became the crown jewel of Dorne, respected and loved even by Martell's sworn enemies from House Yronwood, whom Doran had tried to win over with his son Quentyn, yet all he got was mocking from them and anger for the death of Lord Edgar, something that was not abated even when he sent his son to be fostered. However, when Arianne personally visited Yronwood and helped them settle matters and issues with Fowlers over border disputes, as well as reconciling the two great Houses, not only did she earn gratitude, but also respect and adoration of the two, something Doran could never gain.

Indeed, his daughter was all that he could not be and wished he could have and be, and he knew full well, that if Arianne were to remain as his heir, she would not just surpass him, but eclipse and leave him to be forgotten, his name only found in the dusty old books, but not in the minds and hearts of people. And that the proud Prince could not allow happening, for his pride could not allow him to live with the fact that his daughter would make him so insignificant and laughable, barely worth a memory, and that's not to mention how she would not go along with his ideals and ideas. This was the topic on which they had argued and disagreed the most, the future of Dorne and what better way was for it, and Arianne believed firmly that it was not their place or right to assert themselves like her father wanted. She openly believed and told him that none would even think of bowing their heads to them, and that all it would bring is war and destruction upon her, but Doran thought otherwise, and because of all that, because of his ill envy and jealousy towards his daughter, he decided to renounce her as his heir.

She was not willing to continue his plans and legacy, but would tear them down and apart, whereas Quentyn would finish his work, yet never be able to outshine his father in any way. Indeed, even Doran knew of Quentyn's mediocrity, and that was what had made him perfect in the eyes of his father to be his heir, and once it became known that Rhaenys was Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, he would announce it so. He had expected the news of their success to reach him many days ago, yet nothing came from the King's Landing, from his brother and his daughters, or even his spies. But there were rumors and stories spreading of things unnatural, of a demigod saving the capitol from fanatics, of a failed coup and dead snakes, and thousands more store stories, with nothing concrete or clear, and all Doran was left was hope and waning patience to hear anything from his Oberyn and Rhaenys of their success. And so he sat at the head of his table, watching as Anders Yronwood ate his meat and drank the wine, before speaking to Lord Franklyn Fowler, once his enemy, now father of his good-daughter and a good friend as well.

"Is it just me, or do the wine and meat this year taste as dull as the music, Lord Fowler?" Anders asked loud enough for most to hear, making it clear to all that he too was not about to be silent.

"Yes, Anders, it truly is, which is a shame and a shock to me. When I last visited Sunspear, I was greeted with such spices in wine and meat, that my tongue went numb from all the delicacies, but now I wish it was numb from all this blandness, as well as deaf and blind to not perceive this dull affair." Franklyn replied, with many agreeing to his statement. "This is not a celebration, but a mourning. Nay, I dare say, that even funerals of Princess Myriah, may she rest easy, were more colorful, though all were black and wept at her passing."

"Aye, but now I wish to weep from boredom." Lord Daeron Vaith stated, as he put the cup down strongly enough to make the vine spill out of it. "Where is the blazing hospitality of House Martell? Where are the dances and festivities, music and songs? Where is the warm embrace and welcome we always had? I ask, where are they?!"

"You accuse my father and my house ill-hospitality, Lord Vaith?" Quentyn spoke up, rising from his seat and facing the men and women. "Do you accuse us of not providing you the rites of hospitality? Is that what you are saying?"

"No, your father had offered us all the rite of hospitality, as is expected of him. However, when all of us last were here, either on matters of import and not, we were shown a true hospitality of Martells, warm and colorful, when music sounded loud and frolics were joyful to watch and partake." Daeron stated, with all agreeing with him. "But this… This is a poor mummer's joke, not a celebration, and it speaks greatly of the man who came up with it all, of his attitude and opinion of us!" Daeron shouted and all spoke in approval.

"You dare…" Quentyn was about to explode, but Doran stopped him.

"Quentyn, sit down, my boy." Doran finally spoke up. "Lord Daeron, you and everyone here, please forgive me, for I am do not possess the same talent for festivities and feasts as my brother and daughter do. It is a shame that they are not with us today, but I am sure they would be pleased to hear you speak so warmly of them."

"That was well noticed by us, Lord Doran, and I have many more good things to say of our future Princess, but not of her uncle, the Red Viper." Franklyn Fowler spoke up, with others agreeing with him at that. "Though it is not an appropriate time, but given the sheer boredom of the situation, I feel I speak for all when I ask you this, Lord Doran: for what crime have you decided to punish Arianne, by having her renounced as your heir?!" Franklyn almost roared out, surprising and catching Doran off-guard, with others looking with accusing eyes on him.

"Wherever did you hear this rumor?" He asked softly.

"Not much of a rumor, more like a fact that came from the lips of your very own brother some moons past, when wine loosed up his lips, which his whore quickly sealed with her own." Franklyn stated with ire in his tone. "All know how your brother gets when he has wine in his mouth and his whore on his lap, so do not try to deny it, Doran. Answer, why would you decide to do remove Arianne from the line of succession?"

"My father does not need to answer…" Quentyn tried to stand up for him, before he and others heard some rumbling from the other side of the doors. "What is going…" And in that moment, the doors into the feast hall swung open.

From the opened rich doors marched out a column of the plate armor clad warriors in white, bearing fine swords and greatshields adorned with the crests and symbols that the most Dornishmen have not seen before. As the warriors spread out in perfect order and discipline, they opened their ranks and revealed Princess Arianne Martell herself, followed by the commander and leader of these fine men, clad in ivory plate armor and with the golden colored kite greatshield, seemingly made out of gold, with his helm in his hand. Once the warriors took their positions across the hall, Arianne finally spoke up, addressing the shocked people of her land.

"Lords and ladies, brothers and father, please forgive my late arrival and such an unexpected manner of appearance." Arianne spoke to them in a tone they all knew well and which eased them from tenseness, which was what she needed. "Please, good men and women of Dorne, do not be alarmed or fearful of my companions and their appearance, for you have my word they came only with desire in heart and mind to protect me."

"Lady Arianne, it is a rather unexpected pleasure to see you, but do tell us, how are you here, in company of these…" Anders Yronwood tried to speak up, before he was interrupted.

"Those crests of the serrated sun on the white field, and these arms… I know them! They are knights of the Brotherhood of Purifiers, from Tamriel and… Galahad Pendragon, do my eyes deceive me, or is this truly you?" Ser Gulian Qorgyle spoke in shock and joy, as he rose up and walked to Galahad, smile on his face and arm outstretched to shake Galahad's own. "Gods be good, it is you! When we last saw each other, you were neither so tall nor with such arms. I take it you have risen in the ranks since we saw each other last."

"A pleasure to see you too, Ser Qorgyle, and I have risen to lead my Brotherhood, and have earned my own name. I now go by Galahad Sundrake." Galahad replied with a smile to an old friend.

"Gulian, you know him and these men?" Lord Quentyn Qorgyle asked of him.

"I do, Father. They are members of knightly brotherhood, righteous and great warriors to man and woman from Tamriel, and this is their now leader, Grand Master Galahad Sundrake, though I knew him as first a Neophyte nine years ago when I visited Tamriel." Gulian spoke up, before turning to Galahad. "But what are you and your men doing so far from your homeland, Galahad, and as an escort of Lady Arianne, no less?"

"All will be answered in due time, Ser Qorgyle, but for now, there is a serious matter I and milady must attend to." Galahad told him, before he and Arianne stepped forward and faced Doran Martell. "Prince Doran Martell, you are charged with high treason, conspiracy and attempted regicide of King Rhaegar Targaryen, First of His Name, King of Westeros, King of the Andals, Rhoynar and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm. His Grace has ordered your arrest, and all those who had taken part in this crime, directly or not. Surrender peacefully, and he promises to grant you clemency and mercy, for your past services to him as his good-brother." Galahad announced with full seriousness before all, shocking all, with Doran barely containing himself when confronted like that.

"This must be some kind of an absurd joke. Arianne, did you put this man to this?" Quentyn asked for his father.

"I wish it were a mere joke, Quentyn, but this is anything but a joke." Arianne stated, before she turned to face the Lords and Ladies of Dorne. "Lords and Ladies, I come to you to tell you, that your Prince had indeed conspired to see our King and his family murdered, to see a puppet installed in their place in form of Princess Rhaenys Targaryen. I tell you, that my uncle, Oberyn Martell, and his daughters had threatened and attempted to kill the King, the Crown Prince and all other Targaryens, but also myself, for when I learned of this madness and tried to stop it, I was met with malice and threats, and a revelation, that my very father had conspired and ordered it all! I know what I say to you sounds like a bad joke, but I came not with mere words, but with proof." She motioned, and the servants brought many letters of Oberyn and Doran, seized and taken back in King's Landing, detailing all of the plans of the Martells.

Once they found their way into the hands of the Lords and Ladies, there was no more defense or denial for Doran to hide behind, and from the looks on the faces of them he could clearly see it. He was not going to wait and hear them accuse of what he was doing, calling him traitor and a madman, nor was he going to give his daughter and her new pet the pleasure of seeing him fall. So instead, he subtly gave signal to Areo Hotah, and the moment he unsheathed his axe, the hidden trapdoors opened inside poured in the warriors, bearing the symbol of House Martell, flooding the feast hall. He had expected both the good and the bad news to arrive, and in case the bad ones arrived and he would be found on the back foot, he was prepared to have all of the nobility of Dorne taken hostage or executed.

However, what he could not have predicted was the arrival of the Purifiers, and though they were not outnumbering his forces, they did take up the suitable positions in which to intercept the warriors of Dorne. Along with that, their reaction and speed of acting were far better than he could've even predicted and they had their swords out and shields ready before Dornishmen could even properly engage them, taking the initiative. Coupled with the discipline and mastery, what should have been a surprise attack became a slogging match for a second, before it began to fully swing in favor of Purifiers. When they united and formed ranks and formations, they began to grind the attackers down, without panic or surprise to hamper them, nor needed a command of their leader.

And their leader himself acted as an icon of decisiveness and swiftness, putting his helm on and grabbing his bastard sword and quickly dispatching the incoming guards, protecting with his body Arianne and preventing any harm to come to her. He fought like a demon, always there when he needed to defend her, and even when Areo went after her in person, he did not hesitate and put himself before her and the captain of Doran's household guard, ready to fight and defeat the man. Areo had his traditional longaxe against Galahad's shield and sword, yet when the Norvosi swung at Galahad and meant to break his fancy shield, not only did it not break, but the blade cracked and Galahad not even flinched, while the shield seemed to glow a little. And when Hotah brought the axe back, Galahad charged the larger man, smashing his shield into him, unleashing a strange wave that sent the man flying away to the left and crushing into one of the columns, knocking him out.

The shock of what the people just saw seemed to have finally ended the will to fight for Doran's men, but not for Quentyn, for he grabbed one of the spears and charged straight Arianne with a look of crazed fury, frightening and making Arianne go pale from fear for her life. Yet even then her guardian was not about to fail her, and instead pushed her aside gently and took the blow straight into his abdomen, yet the blade of the spear was deflected away, unable to pierce the plate, before it was caught by Galahad's hand. And then he smashed his shield into Quentyn's face, breaking his lips, teeth, nose and face, and finally putting an end to it all, as his unconscious body hit the floor, and Galahad turned to face Doran Martell.

"You have lost, Prince." Galahad stated with confidence, before he motioned his Purifiers to flank the sitting man. "I believe you are aware of the punishment for the high treason. Out of consideration for your daughter's feelings, I was prepared to plead the King to be merciful on you, but now you have sealed your fate."

"Hm, if you expect me to grovel and beg, then you have come to the wrong Prince." Doran spat at him, before he turned and looked his daughter in the eyes. "I would have brought all of Westeros under our sun, but you… You have ruined it all, my daughter. Nymeria's dream will forever remain a dream now."

"Do not make it sound like what you wished was in line with our ancestor's dreams." Arianne told him with coldness. "This had nothing to do with Nymeria's dreams or the betterment of Dorne. It was all about you and your personal pride and so-called "legacy." She spat that one out on him.

"My legacy would have been Westeros in thralls of our Sun. Yours will be sand, deserts and frolics, nothing more." Doran stated to her with spite.

"Perhaps, but mine at least will be remembered with more warmth than yours, if anyone ordains to even recall your name." Arianne answered, before turning to Galahad. "He is all yours, Lord Hand." And with this, Galahad motioned to his men to wheel Doran out of the place, while he and Arianne turned to the shocked lords.

"Dear Lords and Ladies, I must apologize to you for such an abhorrent spectacle, and I know that all of you have questions and desire to have answers on them." Arianne began. "First of all, allow me to apologize to you for such a dull and boring celebration. Please give me two days, and I shall treat you all to a festival that shall outshine all that I had produced in the past. And now, with the most important part resolved, allow me to explain to you what had occurred and what is happening in the King's Landing…"

Later that night. Sun Tower. Personal quarters of Princess of Dorne.

"I must admit, that you have fully captivated and won your gentry today, not to mention explained to them the situation in less time than I had expected. Bravo." Galahad sincerely applauded Arianne, who accepted it with an elegant reverence.

"What can I say? I have learned to say the right things to the right people." Arianne chuckled, before she returned to being serious. "What awaits my father and Quentyn?"

"Given that they both have been involved in the high treason, and your brother very nearly tried to kill you, I believe it is safe to say that their prospects are not bright." Morgana replied, as she reclined in the chair and looked out at the sea, while Fianna and Grayfia were near her. "I understand that your brother will be granted the opportunity to join the Night's Watch, but I doubt the same will be afforded to your father, given his physical state."

"True, that is what Rhaegar intend to do." Galahad said, as he let out a sigh. "If you wish, I shall plead to him to offer Doran at least some clemency, but his life is forfeit."

"I know, and oddly enough… I am content with it. Just make it a clean one. No need to drag it more than it has to." Arianne asked of Galahad, and he assured her with the nod. "But now, let us turn away from the grim and serious matters. How do you find Dorne so far?"

"Hard to say, seeing as we have not had the chance to take in the sights and are only here on matters of state." Galahad noted.

"Well then, we shall have to rectify it then." Arianne told him with a smile. "I can't have my honored guests visit and not take in the splendor and warmth of my land. I shall personally introduce you to all that the hospitality of Dorne entails."

"A generous offer, Arianne, but Morgana and I should be going as soon as possible. The Purifiers, as agreed, shall remain here as your personal guard detail and…" Galahad was about to speak up, before Morgana rose up and quickly closed the distance, sealing her lips upon Galahad's, surprising him with her sudden motion, but not breaking the kiss immediately. "Morgana? Am I missing something…" Galahad asked, until he felt Fianna and Grayfia disrobing him.

"Yes, you are a great deal of relief and respite, and we are going to provide it to you, and great quantity, and quality." Morgana said with a seductive smile, before she stepped back and allowed Arianne to pounce him, stealing his kiss.

To say that Arianne was passionate would be an understatement, for even in this single act she showed sheer voraciousness and hungry lust that Galahad would only expect from one of Dovah, but not from her. However, it was not unwelcome, and indeed served as the spark to start to ignite his own passion and desires, letting go of the self-control bit by bit, with the yearning and desire starting to take hold over his mind, with the control over his aura lifted and now all of the women now had to breathe heavier from the sheer pressure felt from his spirit, but also how igniting it was. And as Fianna, Grayfia and Morgana began to disrobe themselves, Galahad landed on to the spacious bed, with Arianne on top of him, finally pulling back, her eyes showing clear desire and want, as she finally began to slip the straps of her loose and thin dress.

"Morgana told me, that your kind treasures actions over mere words, so I decided to act instead of talking." Arianne simply told him with a sultry smile, as she freed her voluptuous body from constrains of her dress, before Galahad grabbed and flipped her, pinning her to the bed. "Oh, someone's eager too!" Arianne exclaimed with glee, before shuddering from the hungry look Galahad gave her, as he leaned and in quietly purred into her ear.

"What do you want, my Princess?" He asked of her in a tone that made Arianne's heart skip a beat, before she answered in a pleading manner.

"You, my Dragon. I want you, to tame me." She told him, openly admitting her deepest heart desire, with Galahad smiling to her, and instead speaking, he proceeded to do just that, and it wasn't long, before cries and screams of passion and pleasure filled the chambers.

Dovah are creatures of power and might, possessing both in great amounts, including the endurance, and Galahad was the pinnacle of a Dovah, and so for him to take Arianne, but also his wife and two other Dovah was nothing outside of his abilities. Throughout the night, Arianne learned all too well, just what true Dovah passion and love means, being on the receiving end of it many a times, hours and hours no end, and though she would long passed out from exhaustion and pleasure, she was kept awake and refreshed by the Dovah, allowed a break while Galahad took another one of his women, or two at the same time. That night, none of them knew any sleep and even when the sun rose, they did not seize their lovemaking, and only after Galahad was finally and fully satiated did they finally end their carnal festivities, at the end of which Arianne was fully and irrevocably claimed by her Dragon.

---

Two weeks later. Straits of Arbor.

The Sea Bitch was gently rocked by the sea waves, as it sailed forward towards its intended targets, its presence hidden from all that dared to look towards the north east by the darkness and moonless night. There couldn't be a more perfect night to announce to all of the world the return of the Old Ways, the rebirth of the Kingdom of the Iron Isles, and the rebirth of the Iron Born, Theon Greyjoy thought with a predatory smile, as he could already taste the sweet Arbor wine and it's women servicing him. He knew that most of his crewmates were also of the same mind as he was, and were even more eager to pay the Iron Price for the plunder and slaves, and he could not blame them, for he too was itching for the blood, bitches, gold and wine.

It took them a great deal of effort, time, preparation, resources and patience, but it all paid off in the end, and now, finally, the Ironborn were again about to become the masters of the seas, and the greenlands were to become their prey for the plunder. Not since the days of Age of Heroes did the House of Greyjoy command such a massive and mighty force, outshining and outnumbering any and all greenlanders' navy by far, and with the master plan that his father and uncle Euron had compiled, they were about to become truly the undisputed rulers of the seas. All of the Iron Islands were summoned, all of their resources poured into, without any remaining or left, for if they did not win, they would be wiped out, for his father, lords, uncles, sons and daughters of the Iron Isles made the pledge before the Drowned God: either they shall rule all the seas, rivers and greenlands, or they shall join him in his halls.

And Theon was not yet eager or ready to join his god in feasting at his side, not before he had tasted blood and wine aplenty, and his men and armada did the same, as he led them towards Arbor, the target that his father chose for him. The Redwynes were among the richest greenlanders, thanks to their wine, and commanded one of the largest navies in the Westeros, and Theon was ready to plunder their cellars, coffers, docks and women. He stood before his men and addressed them.

"Men, I shall be brief. Tonight, we will feast on the greenlanders' blood, and come morning, we'll be feasting on their wine, wives and daughters!" Theon proclaimed, and the approving roar rocked the ship and others that followed him, as he grabbed his axe and proclaimed. "We do not SOW!"

"WE DO NOT SOW!" The roar of the Ironborn was the sole warning that the ignorant people of Arbor got, but by then it was already too late to do anything to stop it.

The attack had begun…

---

Took a day longer than needed, but I decided to put as much as I could into it, while I could. Hope you all enjoy the chapter, and give it a positive reception. Not much to tell you, aside from Galahad finally getting the respect and power he deserves, and receiving the much needed stress relieving after all the excitement.

Hope you will give me a review, a comment, a suggestion or ask a question about the story, which I encourage you to do, for your contributions help make it better.

Next time: Westeros at war; Sundrake plans and unites; The Golden Company arrives.

Until next time!