Chapter 37

Littlefinger frantically dismounted from his injured horse and sent it off to lead the men chasing him away. He finished running to the Dreadfort on foot and was relieved to see the gates already opened. He saw two horses that seemed prepared for a hunt. It seemed the Lord and Lady had not yet left, he was relieved to see that they were home. He approached the waiting horses and stopped about 10 feet in front of them.

There was a smile on his face as he caught his breath and gave a wave to the servants holding the horses. He was about to step past them when he heard a low growl. Baelish stopped moving to turn his head and spotted Margaery's wolf baring its teeth and growling at him. He chose to mind his distance from the large wolf. He then heard another growl that shook his very bones, he shifted his eyes to the right and saw a dragon that was twice the size of the wolf just silently watching him. Littlefinger's face went pale and he felt absolutely terrified.

What was a dragon doing here? And what was it doing loose?

Hannibal led Margaery out towards their prepared horses for their very special hunt. The servants had reported that the fox was being led to the front gates and would be arriving soon. They were both wearing the black hunting leathers they had used when he took Margaery on her first hunt in Winterfell.

As they approached, Hannibal strode up to Vhagar and pet the growing dragon on the side of his neck. He spoke in Valyrian. "Soon you will be strong enough to carry me upon your back. Then we can hunt larger prey together."

Vhagar rumbled lowly at Hannibal's words before snorting his answer. Lord Baelish was slightly calmed when it seemed that Hannibal had control over the dragon.

Margaery petted Mab's head before she 'noticed' Littlefinger standing just before their horses. Margaery looked down upon him with dark cruelty in her eyes. "Lord Baelish. So nice of you to visit the Dreadfort."

Littlefinger took a breath before giving a bow to them. "Lord and Lady Bolton, I humbly request sanctuary in your home. I was traveling in some haste when I was attacked. I am embarrassed to ask, but could you spare a man or two to escort me to Winterfell?"

Hannibal heard the request and walked slowly to stand by Margaery's side. He assisted Margaery into her saddle as she remained quiet while he toyed with Littlefinger. Mab chomped her teeth in anticipation of the hunt.

Hannibal stepped closer to the man as he chose to finally answer. "You do not seem to understand your current position very well. There is a price upon your head…set by the young Stark you attempted to manipulate and doubled by King's Landing once the Lannisters learned that you may or may not be harboring Stark children in the Vale. Young Sansa has requested that I claim the prize for turning you over." His eyes flashed with dark glee. "An offer I could not pass up…Littlefinger." He rumbled lowly.

Hannibal then turned to mount his own horse, then waited a moment to see if Littlefinger would be able to comprehend what was about to happen to him. "Run little fox…lest you make our hunt boring." He said before glancing to his wife. "How long should we give him for a head start?"

Littlefinger was frozen in shock and fear. All of his plans had just unraveled before his very eyes. He had not yet realized that he was about to be hunted for sport…he was still trying to figure out what had happened to cause Sansa to turn against him.

Margaery clicked her tongue to quiet Mab down for the time being. She was very eager to hunt this particular vermin, and was slightly annoyed that he had yet to flee. She reached for her bow and notched an arrow. With practiced ease, Margaery fired at Littlefinger's feet. This caused him to jump back like a scared deer. "He thinks this is a game, I see. He doesn't grasp the severity of his situation."

Littlefinger's face was pale. They were truly going to hunt and kill him. He stumbled back a bit as his sharp brain quickly filled in what his body was screaming to do. He turned to fly as fast as he could on foot. Why did he let his horse go!?

Margaery smirked when he finally began to run. "At least a five minute start." She finally answered Hannibal.

Hannibal nodded his head. "Agreed."

...

Daenerys cried out in pain once again as another wave of it raced across her very swollen belly. She was breathing hard and was more than ready to finally get the child within her out. She was told to give one more push before she felt the baby slip out of her. The pain ebbed and she was panting heavily as she closed her eyes for a moment to relax.

She heard the cry of the baby and her violet eyes snapped open. She looked around for her child. "What is it?"

Missandei helped to clean the child off before bringing it over. There was a large smile on her young face. "It is a daughter, Khaleesi." She said as she passed the small girl over.

The servants had quickly cleaned up the mess and properly covered their Queen. Then Missendi let Jorah in.

Jorah had been pacing nervously outside the door. He had heard Daenerys crying out in pain and nearly went in to comfort her. However, he had been commanded to wait outside. As soon as the door opened, he rushed to Daenerys' side and kissed her deeply. He then looked down at the child, eager to see their face.

Daenerys smiled and returned the kiss. "It is a girl."

Jorah's eyes lit with pride and a wide smile crossed his face. He looked down at their daughter and kissed her forehead tenderly. "A beautiful daughter to grow as strong as her mother. I could not be more overjoyed." He put his arm around his wife and smiled down at their baby daughter. "She has your hair." He noted as he saw the small tuft of silver hair.

Daenerys smiled when she saw how proud he was. He was such a good husband, so kind and caring towards her. She looked down at their small daughter and smiled brightly when she opened her little eyes. "Indeed, and she has your eyes."

Jorah smiled and nodded. "Hopefully she has your wit as well." He said with a hint of a smirk. "Although, with your wit that might become problematic once she grows older." He teased playfully.

Daenerys shook her head at that. "Problematic for you perhaps, but not for me."

This was a happy day indeed. They had not been sure they could even have children. They had feared the witch's curse had indeed made Daenerys barren. Thank the gods it was a lie. The Targaryen line could continue to rule after all. Daenerys felt a sense of joy and peace at his knowledge.

...

Yara Greyjoy crossed the swinging bridge that led to the main castle tower where her father was. There was a strong storm howling around her as she crossed the ancient bridge. She entered the tower and shook the water from her hair. She walked towards the low fire, in front of which her father sat. "You wished to see me?"

Balon Greyjoy did not turn to look at her. "It appears that the new Lord Bolton is now Warden of the North. I want you to lead a few reaving parties along the shores to see if he intends to treat us as poorly as those mongrel wolves did. I have never met the man and do not know how like his father he is.

However, the Boltons are far more likely to allow us to live more like we used to."

Yara set her jaw. The Boltons had killed her little brother. True, he was a fool for getting into that ridiculous situation, but he still deserved better than to die like that. A bit of reaving would be some revenge on the man who had killed Theon. She nodded her head. "I would be honored. Perhaps I could even get a bit of revenge on him for taking Theon."

Balon gave a shrug of his shoulders. "If that would make you feel better about it, fine." He never saw Theon as his after he was kept so long by those wolves. He was never a true Ironborn and he died like a pathetic wolf in the end. Balon cared not about that. He simply wondered how the new Lord Bolton would respond.

Yara never liked when her father spoke so lowly of her little brother. He had not been as bad as her father had feared. She turned on her heel to go and muster her crew. It was time to have a bit of fun.

Chapter 38

Littlefinger was panting heavily, he wanted to die and be done with it. They had let him run for nearly an hour. Between the dragon and the wolf he never got away from them. He should have provoked one of the animals into killing him instead of running right back to Hannibal and Margaery. He had tried to run into a river to hide his scent, but an arrow struck true in the back of his right ankle. He was unable to run and was easily caught.

He was dragged back to the Dreadfort behind Hannibal's horse. It had been a painful journey, but thankfully short. He should have realized all of the terrible things that were going to happen to him as he was bound in the middle of the great hall of the Dreadfort. Unfortunately, he was not able to think through what was going to happen until Margaery and Hannibal began to flay him from the neck down.

Littlefinger had screamed in pain as they flayed him alive. Everything hurt after that, even the air passing over his now-exposed muscles was excruciatingly painful. He had continued to scream in pain as the muscles of his right leg were cut off along with one of his delicate innards. He wished he could throw up as he watched what Hannibal had removed roasting over an open fire in the middle of the room. However, his lips had been sewn shut by Margaery for waking the young heirs of the Dreadfort from their nap with his screams. He began praying for death soon, he did not want to watch himself being eaten.

…

Jon paced in his chambers as he waited to hear word. They had been visited by a red priestess who said she was a servant of the Lord of Light. She had come to stand by Jon's side since she had been told in a vision that he would be the one to save the world from the dead. Jon did not like her, something about her was just weird and felt absolutely unnatural.

She had mentioned his half-sister Sansa and seeing the Bolton banner in Winterfell. He had taken a gamble and sent a raven to Winterfell to inquire about the inhabitants of the castle. He knew there was a new Lord Bolton, but this vision about Sansa had him worried.

Soon a man arrived at Castle Black with a message. It was sealed with the Bolton sigil; however, the wax was Stark grey. He opened the letter and immediately found his eyes drawn to the signature. He looked back up at the letter and found special words hidden within the letter. It was a special code only the Stark children were taught. Sansa must have written this herself! He read the message over at least four times. It sounded as if she was fine and that she was not in any danger. She was indeed in Winterfell for the time being, that was at least far away from the dreadful South where so much of their family had been lost.

There was a mix of strong emotions as he understood the response. There was relief at knowing she was alive and well for the time being; but there was also a sadness that he could not go to her and be of help during her time of transition. He had taken the black and sworn his oath.

One thing was for certain. The red woman had been right. Jon strode towards the chamber where she was staying. He wanted to discuss this with her, along with any other visions she had recently had.

...

Hannibal was tending to the meat. Since he had flayed Littlefinger first, it simply looked like cow or pig meat was cooking. Only if one looked at Littlefinger's body would they recognize that the meat was from his missing leg. Hannibal intended to cut up the meat so that it would be less noticeable to Margaery and she would be able to try it more easily.

Margaery knew exactly what Hannibal was cooking as the main course for dinner. She had not balked at this knowledge and was genuinely curious. He had told her of his experiences doing this before and why. She trusted him, but still felt a bit of nerves at the idea. The gods punished those who did this…didn't they? She shook off the lingering doubt, and she was indeed grateful that Hannibal seemed to be cutting the meat to mask its origin. "I'm curious and anxious to taste this fine meal you've prepared for us." She said as she looked into the crib to check on their growing children.

Hannibal smiled as he pulled the finished meat from the fire. He shifted the meat onto plates and put the leftovers into a bowl for Mab and Vhagar to enjoy. He carried the plates to the table and sat down next to Margaery. He raised his glass of wine to his wife. "To another successful hunt! Well done for disabling our dinner my dear."

Margaery raised her glass as well. "To us, to a successful hunt, and to the defeat of our enemies."

Hannibal smiled as they drank their toasts and he motioned to the leg meat. "Enjoy my dear, the fox looks quite flavorful and lean." He said as he took a bite of the leg meat first. It would be an easier flavor to enjoy before trying the liver pieces.

Margaery also picked up a piece of the leg meat as well. Tentatively she brought the meat to her lips and ate the piece slowly. It was…surprisingly familiar. Leaner than chicken and venison. Margaery remembered having bear meat at her wedding to Renly. The texture was not that different. She looked up to Hannibal and smiled. "Expertly seasoned, as expected, my love."

Hannibal smiled with pride when she seemed to enjoy it. "As I said, the fox was quite lean." He said before picking up a piece of the liver to eat. He hummed softly at the richness of the flavor. Littlefinger ate a rich diet indeed.

Margaery was hesitant to take a piece of the liver, but she brought it to her lips. The smell was different, and when she put it in her mouth she immediately felt the difference in texture. The organ was a bit slick and almost slimy. As she chewed it, she savored the sweet taste and swallowed it. "It's very sweet…I didn't expect that."

Hannibal nodded at her observation. "This has more flavor than the muscle. The muscle is good, lean meat. However, the best flavors are found within the body itself." He explained to her. "I typically save the sweeter meats for the end of my meal."

"My experienced huntsman." Margaery chuckled as she ate more of the liver. She didn't finish it completely before she began eating the leg again. It was a bit easier to stomach and swallow than the liver, as it was so similar to bear meat that she'd had before. "Tell me lover – do you have a preference?" Between animal flesh and human flesh, she meant.

Hannibal understood the meaning behind her question and gave a slow nod of his head. "I do indeed. However, my preference is far more difficult to find clean meat to hunt." He gave as an explanation without directly stating his answer.

Margaery felt herself a bit unnerved by his answer, but she was not concerned about herself or their children. "Do you intend to hunt more frequently when we take King's Landing?" She worried that such preferences would be found out easily in the capital, and that the masses would riot against them if they knew. Margaery also wondered if his preference was in truth a compulsion, and if it would overpower him one day.

Hannibal chuckled softly at that. "There is no worthy prey in King's Landing, and there are none South of King's Landing that are of interest." He answered her truthfully. Hannibal was in absolute control of his cravings. He would not endanger his overall plan simply for an indulgence.

Margaery smiled at that and relaxed a bit more. She looked to Littlefinger and regarded him slowly. "So then, what else should we do with him, my love?"

Hannibal chuckled at that. "Well, I'm sending his head to the King as a sign of good faith. We can do whatever we desire with the rest." He said before regarding the pelt he had peeled off of him. "I think his pelt would make a fine banner for my scouts and messengers to carry over the next few years…as a warning to those who would cross me." He mused aloud.

Margaery glanced to Littlefinger and smirked at the vision of him as a head shorter. "Mmmm, that is indeed an amusing thought." She leaned over to kiss Hannibal's jaw. "What would you do normally, my love? Shall we butcher him proper and store his meat for later?"

Hannibal smiled to her. "We can if the flavor pleases you. Do you prefer the lean muscle?"

Margaery considered his question. The taste of the organs was good, but the texture of the muscle was far preferable. "Yes, I do." She replied with a short nod.

Hannibal stood and offered her his hand. He led her over to Littlefinger and showed her how to remove the muscles piece by piece. Littlefinger would not die from the process, but he would indeed scream from the pain - if his mouth had not already been sewn shut. He would be on the brink of death after losing so much blood from being butchered properly.

Margaery did a remarkable job in removing the meat, she had remembered her hunting lessons quite well so far. Once they had harvested and salted the muscle, Hannibal looked over the man once again.

"How should we end his misery? Shall we remove his head slowly so that he can feel it being pulled from his body?" Hannibal asked.

Margaery was proud of the praise she received while collecting the meat. She nodded in agreement. "Yes, I'd like that. Off with his head, says I!"

Hannibal grinned darkly as he moved to dislocate the bones in Littlefinger's neck. It would be incredibly painful, but would not kill him. With all of the muscles gone, his body was literally dangling by the cord of nerves in his spine and his throat. Hannibal had a mirror brought forward so that the last thing Littlefinger saw would be of his head appearing to float above his skeleton and soft innards. Hannibal then sliced through the remaining pieces with a smooth cut of his sharp blade. What remained fell in a heap upon the floor.

Margaery watched with wide eyes as Hannibal slowly decapitated their victim. She wondered if anything remained of the man he was before he left the Eyrie. There was no arrogance, nor confidence in his eyes anymore. Margaery stepped in to wrap her arms around Hannibal's middle and kissed along his shoulder once he had fully decapitated Littlefinger. As the body hit the floor, she kissed the nape of Hannibal's neck.

"Send his head to the lioness. Let her be content with the Warden of the North. Then take me to King's Landing and give me the crown." She demanded.

Hannibal dropped the knife and turned to hold her close. His eyes were dark and filled with lust. "Soon my Queen, you will have what we both desire most."

Margaery laughed and wrapped her arms around him. She peppered kisses along the corner of his mouth. "Darling – I already have what I desire most. I may desire to be Queen – but you, you and our children, that is what I desire most of all. I already have you, and our beautiful children. The first two of many, I assume." She laughed playfully.

Hannibal smiled as he kissed her deeply. He pulled back to look over her body slowly. "Indeed they are beautiful. There is a strong possibility that you will have the burden of carrying more of our children. Although, I will do my best to not plant two within you at the same time again." He said as he led her back towards their sleeping children.

…

Jaime had been furious when he discovered that his remaining army and the Freys had allowed the Blackfish back into Riverrun - the Freys incompetence had stalled him in getting back to Cersei. It was an absolute mess to return to after losing Bronn. He had sent men to collect the special prisoner that the Freys held at the Twins...the Blackfish's nephew, the rightful Lord of Riverrun. Jaime had called for a parlay with the Blackfish and used the younger Lord Tully to get the men within Riverrun to disobey the Blackfish. Lord Tully command the gates to be opened and lowered and the men to stand down, he had managed to have a child with his Frey wife and knew that if he didn't obey Jaime, his wife and child would be in danger. Unfortunately for the Blackfish, a majority of the men followed their natural Lord and stood down.

Jaime had the castle searched and was livid when the Blackfish was not discovered within. He ordered the men of Riverrun to speak of all hidden passages and had every last one sealed off. He would not have the Blackfish slipping inside again. Now that this matter was finally settled, he intended to return to King's Landing to make a plan to remove the head of this beast his sister had re-created: the Faith Militant. He needed to get her out of the Sept.

…

Tyrion had finally managed to get an audience with the Dragon Queen. He entered the reception chamber hoping to win a place as an advisor to her, or at the very least permission to live in Mereen with his head still attached to his shoulders.

Chapter 39

Cersei Lannister was presiding over the King's Small Council to settle a few matters and to speak of how the Faith Militant had overstepped their authority by what had been done to her. None of the men before her had a plan of action that would satisfy her desire to see them all burn. She would need to take matters into her own hands it would seem.

Two servants were permitted entrance carrying boxes. They gave a bow as they were presented. The seal of the Dreadfort was upon the boxes. A messenger displaying the Bolton crest was carrying a slightly larger box than the two servants. He bowed before Cersei. "A gift from the Warden of the North."

Cersei raised an eyebrow at that and the other men on the council seemed curious as to what was contained within the boxes. "A gift? It looks like there are three gifts."

The messenger bowed his head again. "Indeed my Queen. These were the gifts promised by my Lord to send to the King to prove his fealty while he deals with uprisings in the North." He gave a nod and the three boxes were opened. A few of the men turned away in disgust once they saw the contents.

Cersei's eyes narrowed a bit once she saw the macabre scene unfolding before her eyes. Until she saw the first face. "Why would he think that Lord Baelish would be satisfactory?" She asked.

The messenger smiled brightly as he motioned for the other two heads to be brought closer. "Because, my Queen, he was discovered hiding these two in the Eerie. My Lord thought you would enjoy placing them with their treacherous father."

Cersei was about to send him off to become a head shorter when the other two heads were brought closer. She did not care so much for the dark-haired girl. The other with the red hair though…she wanted a better look at that face. She inspected the fair face carefully, she then looked up at the servant. "He confirmed her identity before chopping her head off, I assume?"

The servant bowed his head with a smirk. "No one keeps secrets when their skin is peeled off piece by piece, your grace. Both girls confessed their true identities before my Lord relieved them of their heads. The King should no longer fear for a Stark in Winterfell. All that is left is the Bastard who took the black. He swore an oath to not be involved. My Lord will strike him down should he ever wander South."

Many men around the table blanched at what was being described. Flaying was not commonly practiced, and it was always on grown men. Women and children were never treated like that, even enemies. This new Lord Bolton was even more ruthless than his father before him.

Cersei sat back and a slight smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth. She nodded to the servants. "Let them be put on display next to their father. Spread the word that those who are traitors will indeed be found and be brought to justice. The last of the Starks have been found and killed for their treachery."

The servants bowed their heads and left to place the heads on the spikes.

The messenger bowed his head. "My Lord hopes these gifts please the King."

Cersei regarded the messenger for a moment. She still wanted that little whore Tyrell to be dragged to King's Landing and chained up by those filthy Sparrows. However, knowing she had to watch her new husband flay and behead two little girls might cool her feelings and leave her feeling trapped within her own marriage. Perhaps that was a better punishment than separation…she gave a nod to the messenger.

"Yes, the King is very grateful for these gifts and will indeed be relieved that one of his brother's murderers was brought to justice. Take word back to your Lord that he should continue keeping the North secure as he is, it is a great comfort to the King to know that the North is secured by such a loyal Warden." She said before adding. "Also let him know that should he discover the other murderer of my son and my father…the King would very much enjoy receiving his head in a box as well."

The messenger smirked. "I am not certain My Lord has a box that small, my Queen. However, I will indeed pass along the message." He said before bowing and waiting for Cersei to dismiss him. Cersei nodded and waved him off to return to his Lord.

The messenger left and mounted his horse quickly. His master would indeed be very pleased at his report. The Lannister bitch had fallen for the masterful imposters perfectly. He wondered how he would be rewarded.

…

Sansa heard from Margaery that she had safely delivered twins, and that Littlefinger had been executed. She could nearly feel true freedom once again. It was absolutely thrilling to hope to be rid of the fear of Cersei Lannister finding her. Truly she was the only remaining enemy.

She set the message from Margaery down on top of the scroll she had received from Jon weeks ago. He was alive and the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. He had managed to become a man of honor after all. Her father would have been proud of him.

…

Yohn Royce had just finished training the young Lord Arryn on archery once again when a messenger bearing the Bolton crest arrived. He sent the young lord indoors for a meal after another attempt at shooting arrows.

He looked at the messenger. "What is this about?"

The messenger bowed his head. "I have come from my master to deliver information to you, in private."

Yohn was suspicious, but led the messenger to a quiet area where no one would hear them. "Say what you have been sent to say."

The messenger leaned in to speak lowly. "Littlefinger has been executed at the hands of my master, carrying out the King's justice. My master has been named the Lord Protector of the Vale by the King. A raven will be sent out from King's Landing soon with this news. M'Lord wishes to name you the commander of the Knights of the Vale."

Yohn was shocked at the words he just heard. "Only the Lord of the Vale can name me as the commander."

The messenger smirked. "My Master is the Lord Protector. Should the young Lord Arryn meet with some illness...my Master would become the new Lord of the Vale."

Yohn set his jaw and his eyes hardened. "Did your Master suggest this? What you are suggesting is dishonorable!"

The messenger shook his head. "What I'm suggesting is that a boy who is not fit to rule is removed from power. Westeros does not need another like Joffrey."

Yohn clenched his teeth together when he heard this. He did not disagree, but it still felt wrong.

The messenger saw his opportunity. "If you approve, I would like to pay my respects to the young Lord. Wish him good health and great improvement to his...archery skills."

Yohn was not a fool, he understood what was really being offered before him. The boy was a growing menace. He pointed to a small building. "Lord Arryn is enjoying a meal after a long day of training."

The messenger smiled as he bowed his head once again. "Look for a raven from my Master soon, Commander." He then turned to speak to the boy. He had a vial of slow acting poison in his pocket. It would kill the boy slowly enough that no one would immediately suspect foul play.

…

Jaime led his men back to King's Landing, taking a slightly slower pace having received a raven from the capital that Cersei had been released from the Faith Militant's prison and was back safely in the Red Keep. Still, he was eager to get back to her - to protect her and Tommen and avenge her honor on the Sparrows for her imprisonment.

He paused at the crest of a hill to look at the trail of smoke he could see whisping into the air. The Sept of Baelor was missing! Jaime had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach as he looked at the area from this high hill. It looked as if an explosion had occurred, and it could only be one person's handiwork…he prayed to the gods Cersei hadn't used what he thought she used.

Jaime kicked his horse into a full gallop and the Lannister army was fast on his heels as he raced to the Red Keep. He rode into the main courtyard before jumping off of his horse and striding quickly towards Cersei's chambers. He did not care what she may or may not be doing as he burst into her room.

"What have you done?" he demanded.

Cersei was looking over a few options of what to build atop the ruins that used to be the Sept. Her hair had grown out slightly, but it was barely longer than a few inches in length. "The Faith Militant grossly overstepped their authority and had to be dealt with severely. They have all been taken care of and the King has once again outlawed the faith to arm themselves for any reason." She explained calmly.

Jaime strode to her side and gave her a hard look. "How were they put down? You did not have an army here to protect you. You only had the Gold Cloaks as protection. The Sept is completely gone…what was used?"

Cersei's eyes narrowed a bit as she gave Jaime a glare. "Had you returned when I requested it, I would have had an army. Since I was limited with my options of force, I used an old weapon discovered deep within the Red Keep. There were thousands of barrels. Just a few hundred packed directly beneath the Sept was all I needed to destroy the pestilence. They were all there, waiting for me to arrive for my 'trial'."

Jaime knew exactly what she was speaking about. He looked absolutely horrified when she confessed it. He had personally killed the last Targaryen king to prevent exactly this from happening. He took a few steps back from her. "You used Wildfire? You could have burned the entire city down with that much!"

Cersei didn't flinch or seem the least bit disturbed. "It was under control. The only thing destroyed was done so as intended." She said to end the matter. She then moved on to a new topic, tired of dragging this up. "Our Warden of the North sent a gift while you were away. He sent three lovely heads in boxes to us. I have had them placed on spikes next to their treacherous father. Lord Baelish tagged along on a nearby spike. Did you happen to see them on your way in?"

Jaime was not going to let this go. He seemed a bit stunned at her comment about the heads. He shook his head at her question. "No, I did not happen to look up as I entered. I was far more concerned about the smoke still rising from where the Sept should be." He said with an edge of anger in his voice.

Cersei waved him off. "Go and enjoy the gifts. I have decided the Warden of the North has proven his fealty with his gifts. He can remain in the North until all of the King's enemies in hiding have been killed and their heads removed." She said to dismiss Jaime.

Jaime ground his teeth when she intended to dismiss him so easily. "Do you intend to use the remainder of this weapon on any enemy in the future?"

Cersei smirked coldly at him. "It is quite the effective weapon. I like how cleanly it destroys everything so that I can start anew."

Jaime clenched his jaw and gave a bow before turning to leave. Cersei had changed…something within her had snapped since they lost two of their children. She was not the same woman he had loved only a few years ago. He was going to dispose of as much of the wildfire as he could without her knowing. He was not going to allow her to have this sort of power. He did not care what might become of him. He stormed out of the Red Keep and stopped at the bridge to look up at the heads. He froze when he saw the heads of two girls and Littlefinger...the Stark girls had indeed been found.

…

Daenerys had just returned to Mereen after being taken on an extended ride on Drogon's back and being captured by a Khalassar after Drogon stranded her in the wilderness. It had been weeks that she had been away from her sweet daughter and husband. She had left clues for Jorah to follow so he could come to rescue her…but he didn't come for her. She had killed all of the great Khals and now commanded all Dothraki as she flew back into Mereen upon Drogon's back.

She was going to end these Sons of the Harpy once and for all. She saw the slavers ships in her bay destroying her harbor. She had not been gone for very long, and it seemed like Tyrion Lannister was not so good with making deals as he thought himself to be. She had returned to this mess and had found Tyrion to form a plan with Grey Worm.

They were relieved to see her once again and she quickly took command of the situation. She sent Tyrion to settle terms with the Masters. She mounted upon Drogon's back to finish this battle. Tyrion told the Masters of the terms they would accept, as Daenerys burned their ships with her three dragons. They quickly surrendered to her and the battle stopped. All members of the Sons of the Harpy were executed for treason. By nightfall she once again had full control of Mereen. Daenerys entered her chambers and looked at Jorah and their young daughter.

Jorah hugged her close and peppered her with kisses. "Khaleesi, forgive me…I wanted to find you and bring you home. I was so worried. I did not feel I could trust anyone other than Missandei and Grey Worm with our daughter, and I was so worried about what could happen to her with Tyrion here running things in your absence." He began. "Please forgive me for not coming for you."

Daenerys was a bit cross with him, but she understood the difficult position he had been left in. "I forgive you Jorah. We should discuss a plan of what we will do as we begin preparations to travel east. I will not leave either of you two behind, but I am also concerned about her being anywhere near the actual fighting."

Jorah was relieved that she was willing to forgive him. He nodded in agreement at her words. "I agree. We should have a plan in place for her care during our conquest of your rightful home."

Daenerys smiled up to him and kissed him deeply. She felt her desire for him stirring deep within her. She had greatly missed him, in every manner she could possibly miss him. His confidence in their ability to easily conquer the seven kingdoms was very attractive to her. She smiled at their growing, but still small, daughter. "It is well past your bedtime my sweet one. Your father and I have serious work to do this evening. Now, be a good girl and go to sleep for us." She said as she carried their daughter to her crib and hummed softly to get her to fall asleep.

Jorah had given over their daughter to Daenerys easily enough as his mind began spinning immediately from the passionate kiss she had just given him. He listened to her words and was already working to remove his clothing down to his small clothes. He then looked over her reverently, but with pure desire in his eyes.

Daenerys only needed a moment to put their daughter to sleep. She turned around to look upon her husband and was very pleased to see that he understood her and had stripped down to only his small clothes. She allowed her loose gown to fall from her shoulders and pool around her ankles before stepping out of it. She was bared in an instant as she approached Jorah slowly. "To earn my full forgiveness. I demand you worship my body until I am thoroughly satisfied."

Jorah removed his small clothes once their daughter was soundly asleep. He gave a bow of his head as his eyes showed his eagerness to follow her command immediately. "As always I am at your command." He said before slowly kneeling before her to earn her full forgiveness.

Chapter 40

It had been nearly two years since young Rhys and Reina were born. Both were walking well and were speaking in limited phrases. Hannibal was immensely proud of both of his children. However, as their plans to overthrow Cersei Lannister progressed rapidly he began to worry about the safety of his young family. He had spoken with the blacksmith and had special pieces of armor ordered. They were finally ready, just as they were prepared to finally begin their march south. There was only one minor complication to his plan.

Hannibal had the items placed in boxes and carried behind him as he approached Margaery and their two children playing in their chambers.

Rhys smiled brightly and pointed to him. "Papa!"

Reina didn't want to be bested by her brother and pointed to the presents being carried in. "Gift!" She proclaimed.

Hannibal smiled proudly at that as he nodded his head. "Well done my dear! These are indeed gifts."

Hannibal gave one to each of the children before giving one to Margaery. Inside the children's boxes were special cloaks with metal sewn between thick layers of fabric to protect them from spears, arrows, and swords. They were made so that they were plenty light enough to not hinder the children from walking around.

"These are for when we travel. I want you to wear them everyday and keep them pulled tight around you whenever it gets loud. Make sure to put the hoods up as well." Hannibal said as the children put the crimson cloaks on.

Both of them cried out in delight and put them on before racing around the room in excitement. Hannibal chuckled as he looked to Margaery. "Those are armored to keep them safe should any stray blade get close." He whispered lowly for only her ears.

Margaery smiled as she saw the children playing, but listened when Hannibal explained the gift. She felt both relief and worry at their purpose. "They look so light…" She whispered.

Hannibal smiled as he leaned in to kiss over her ear. "I will demonstrate their abilities tonight after they go to bed. Now, why don't you open your gift?"

Margaery would find three different sets of what looked like clothes within the box. They were the exact same style as her black hunting outfit in their fit. The fabric was also filled with metal to form extremely lightweight armor. The three outfits were colored purple, dark green, and crimson.

Margaery looked confused for a moment as she lifted one of them. "Clothes? These hardly seem proper for battle."

Hannibal pulled out a small knife. "Hold the fabric taut." He said before trying to stab through the fabric and failing. He tried to cut through it and the knife tore the fabric slightly, but the metal beneath was undamaged. "I also have matching hooded cloaks to complete your armor my love. I wanted something to suit your style, but not give away to our enemies that you are indeed protected by armor. I could not take my family into battle without some form of protection." He said. He reached down to rub his hand over her small belly, she was with child again and would likely give birth at some point along the march south.

Margaery watched with a bit of worry as he brought the blade up to the fine gown. Her eyes widened with surprise before a grin broke across her face as she realized the full purpose. She smiled as he mentioned their latest child growing within her. She was concerned about beginning this journey while she carried another child, but waiting much longer could be dangerous in its own way. There was a mischievous light in her eyes as she spoke to him lowly. "Perhaps this dress would survive your wrath. You will have to peel this off of me instead of simply tearing it off." She teased before looking over the three different colors. "Why three?"

Hannibal smirked as he heard her comment. "That way you would not have to wear the same outfit during any lengthy battles." He said. With Vhagar, he did not expect any battle to take more than three days.

Margaery tilted a brow at that. "So confident of victory my love? I think I will save this purple one for when we enter King's Landing."

Hannibal smiled at that. "I also have a small dagger for you, but it will not be ready until we are loading up to depart in the morning. We have the complete portion of the Tyrell army your grandmother promised us and I have heard that Jaime Lannister has been sent again to Riverrun to flank us when we march towards King's Landing. We will stop by for a final visit with the toothless lion. First we will eliminate the pestilence that lies within the Twins."

Margaery nodded and listened as he spoke. "Do we outmatch our enemies?"

Hannibal nodded his head. "With Vhagar, the additional men sent from the Tyrells, the soldiers of the Vale, and those sent from Sansa in addition to our own troops have us outnumbering our enemies on the way to King's Landing three men to one. These are excellent odds, but we should not be too overconfident when we go into battle. I would like to win without losing a single man in any of the battles heading South. I will try a psychological tactic first before sending men in to fight." He said to her before clenching his jaw. "To play the psychological game will be dangerous. I might need you to be prepared to act as bait…I hate the idea to my core, but it might be more effective than a siege that could last weeks on end in Riverrun."

Margaery listened for a moment before she felt her stomach drop a bit. "We will discuss this after the children are in bed. I want to know what it is you have in mind."

Hannibal nodded in agreement. He hated the idea, but he had an insider who assured him it would work.

…

Jaime led the whole of the Lannister army directly into Riverrun to set up his stronghold. Cersei had discovered him lurking about the Red Keep with maps of the labyrinth beneath King's Landing and suspected he was plotting something against her. She was not wrong, but at least he still had his head for the time being.

They had discovered that there had been secret movements of a portion of the Tyrell army to the North. This was troubling news indeed and Jaime had willingly agreed to march to Riverrun and join forces with the Freys to keep those in the North where they were and away from reuniting with the rest of the forces at Highgarden. There had been whispers that this new Lord Bolton was planning a coup after what Cersei had done to the Faith Militant.

Jaime had questioned the logic behind leaving only half of the Tyrell army in Highgarden and sending the rest up North. He did not like the idea of only leaving the Gold Cloaks as protection for the Red Keep, this felt far too much like a trap in his mind. However, the Small Council overruled him and said that the threat from the North required the full Lannister army as protection from these rumors.

Once they arrived at Riverrun, Jaime had all of the tunnels double checked to ensure that the castle was indeed secured as it should be. He did not want to give Hannibal Bolton an advantage like a secret tunnel into Riverrun. He then met with some of his spies and set them the task of keeping an eye out for the Bolton army and how they were camped. They were instructed to kidnap any target of value to use as a bargaining chip if the opportunity arose. He warned them that they would be better off killing themselves rather than be captured. Getting caught as a spy would mean an agonizing death to any of them at the hands of Hannibal himself.

Jaime then sat and began calculating what he thought Bolton's numbers would be. He would have to leave a certain number of men at the Dreadfort and in Winterfell to prevent any rebellions and to keep his wife and children safe. Jaime had no doubt that Hannibal had the forces of the Eyrie and half of the Tyrell army to bolster his numbers. However, the Freys combined with the Lannister men would make the numbers more even. Especially since they would have to wait out a siege. That would slow Hannibal down and he would likely lose a fair number of men if they died from trying to wait out a siege. Jaime just hoped that Frey would hold firm against Hannibal and wouldn't turn to save his own skin.