Chapter 53
Hannibal watched as his family slept peacefully. The twins were sleeping in their cribs next to the bed and young Aenar was curled into Margaery as they both slept. Hannibal was fully dressed in his armor as he watched over them. There was something nagging at the back of his mind that prevented him from sleeping tonight.
He set his best guards at the doors before moving to walk along the top of the walls. He didn't like the scent in the air. There was something foul ruining the smell of the flowers. Hannibal was watching carefully when a silent signal was sent across the top of the wall. Hannibal moved to where the alarm had been raised and looked out. He spotted the creature moving in the dark. It was plenty big enough to see, even though he was moving with great stealth. But there was no mistaking the glint of golden armor. He was nearly at the first ring of pits that had been dug out in front of the castle walls.
Everyone upon the wall watched with bated breath as it moved towards the castle. Every step it took closer grew the doubt that the traps would work. However, it eventually did step into a trap. No one moved as they watched to see if it would crawl out.
Hannibal called for Vhagar. He commanded his dragon to roast the creature thoroughly before tearing it to pieces and burning it.
Vhagar flew out and filled the hole with his flame. There was a sound that could be heard, but it was not that of a living being. Hannibal watched as Vhagar reached in with his claws to pick up the fried body and carry it to the clear ground on the opposite sides of the pits before the castle.
Everyone watched as Vhagar used his sharp claws to tear the creature into shreds. He then spit fire upon it once again. Hannibal signaled to a special squad of men to go as he gave a low whistle for Vhagar to return. They laid out the wood to cross the pits safely before getting to the remains of the creature. Chunks of the creature that remained were put into jars and brought within Highgarden and taken to the cauldron in the center of the main courtyard. A strong acid was added to each jar to fully destroy the tissue. Once the jars had been sealed with the acid, they were placed inside the cauldron and the last of the wildfire was poured in. Hannibal gave the order for the wildfire to be lit and he left men to ensure every piece had been destroyed by the wildfire completely.
Hannibal then went back inside and sent a messenger to ensure that the Sand Snakes had begun their mission. He also gave the command for the digging teams to remove the acid vials, pour the poison-neutralizing elixir over all of the spikes, and begin to fill the holes in again. He wanted a clear path to be available for the Sand Snakes to return safely in two days' time.
His final order was to a team of men to clean Vhagar off before he went to where Jaime Lannister was. He backhanded the man to wake him up.
"Your whore of a sister's other great protector has now been utterly destroyed. There is no one left to loyally protect her from any attacks. I will allow you to speak a few words that will be sent in a message to her. I want you to encourage surrender."
There was true fear and worry in Jaime's eyes when he heard that the Mountain had managed to be killed…again. However, the demand to encourage Cersei to surrender was met with a weak laugh. "Even if I weren't your prisoner she would not listen to me if I said the mere word 'surrender'."
Hannibal had expected that response. He gripped Jaime's strong jaw firmly in his palm. "Would your son be as stubborn? Or would he listen to the reasoning of his father who he thinks is his uncle?"
Jaime hissed from the tight grip to his jaw. There was a bit of fire in his eyes at the mention of Tommen, but that quickly diminished at the realization of what Hannibal was meaning by his words. He waited for his jaw to be released before speaking slowly. "He might."
Hannibal nodded as he brought his Maester forth. "Tell him your message to your bastard son. It might just save his hide from being mounted upon my wall." He said.
Hannibal left the Maester to take the message, he would have Willas inspect it before the raven would be sent. Hannibal then returned within the castle and went to his chambers. He removed his armor and slid into bed behind Margaery as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed the back of her head tenderly. He hoped the Sand Snakes would be successful in bringing Cersei here. The boy King would crumble and surrender quickly with neither of his parents there to guide him. Hannibal had no doubt that the King's Small Council had no appetite for war. Without Cersei there to push them…it would be quick.
...
Arya had returned from her mission and landed near Highgarden. She was making her way carefully towards the large keep. She could smell the poison beneath the flowers and knew something was out of place. She stopped and hid in the tree line when she spotted a massive man working his way towards the keep.
She saw him being cautious, but fall into a hidden pit. The sound she heard sent a cold chill down her spine. She had not felt this way since she had entered the house of Black and White. She continued to watch and found her eyes widen in amazement as she saw a great dragon take to the skies to deal with whatever remained of the creature.
She began to look around to see if there was a safe path to the keep. She saw a group of men working their way across as they placed long wooden planks to cross safely to where the dragon had left the pieces. She saw a second team coming out and beginning to pull the covers off of hidden pits. It looked as if they were beginning to fill the pits back in.
She would make camp and wait for a path to be cleared before entering Highgarden with her prizes. No need to take a difficult path if an easy one would be opened soon.
...
Cersei had thrown the whole raven into the fire. It seemed that rose cunt had popped out yet another child. She was glad she had sent her Mountain for Jaime. She had told him to break the rose as he left. She hoped the Mountain would kill the newborn babe to give that whore a taste of what Cersei had suffered for the throne.
The thought of Margaery screaming and crying in agony put a dark smirk on Cersei's face as she went to drink more wine. She frowned when she found the flask empty. These new servants were the most useless ones yet, in her opinion. She picked up the empty pitcher with frustration and made her way down towards the wine cellar.
She stumbled slightly as she made her way to a barrel. Suddenly she was grabbed from behind and a cloth soaked with a liquid was put over her mouth and nose. She tried not to breathe and struggled greatly to try and break free.
Obara Sand stepped in front of her and pressed the cloth more firmly into her mouth and nose. "We heard you missed fucking your brother. We are your personal escort back to his side."
Cersei recognized the tan skin and she hissed in anger as she struggled even more to try and break free. Unfortunately the scent of the cloth combined with the alcohol in her blood became her immediate enemy and she felt herself beginning to lose control of her body as the world slowly began to grow dark.
The Sand Snakes waited until she was completely limp. They then tied her up very securely, tied a very snug gag over her mouth and put her in a bag. They placed her inside of an empty wine barrel before rolling her to a cart with other empty wine barrels. They put their disguises back on and worked on taking the cart out of the castle and into the main city. It was not unusual for empty wine barrels to be taken from the Red Keep, especially these days. The gold cloaks did not question them in the least.
The Sand Snakes continued by taking the barrels to a storage place. They then paid off a man at the warehouse to take the barrel with Cersei inside with them away from the storage place. They rolled her to a small house before pulling the bag she was in out of the barrel. They tossed the barrel into the fire within the house and moved to enter the sewers. They kept her in the bag until they had gotten to the riverbank where the sewers ended.
They found clean water and washed up before finally pulling Cersei out of the bag. They held her in the water to get some of the smell off of her, but left her bound and gagged. Cersei was tied down across the front of Obara's horse as they mounted up and began riding towards Highgarden at a full gallop. It seemed like they were going to succeed with their plan even easier than they had initially thought.
As they rode away from King's Landing they came across a patrol. The three sisters remained quiet, unsure if the patrol was trustworthy enough to be seen by. They saw two more patrols moving that they would cross paths with as well.
Tyene gave both of her sisters a nod. She took off quickly and made plenty of noise to attract the attention of all the patrols in the area. She raced in the opposite direction from Highgarden. Obara and Nymeria rode quickly past where the patrols had been. They silently agreed to ride fast and not to stop until they were in sight of Highgarden.
...
Sansa sighed deeply as she fell back against the bed. Today had felt like there was so much information given to her that her mind might just burst.
Thomas followed her into their room and shut the door behind him. He sighed softly as he slowly leaned over her to kiss her forehead. "You know I want to send a raven to inform our future King of this information."
Sansa smiled at the tender kiss. She propped herself up on her elbows to look at him before nodding her head. "I don't like this, but I agree that we should inform him. Bran can be absolute proof of his family heritage."
Thomas nodded in agreement. "Do you wish for me to mention Bran? Or do you want me to leave him as a secret?"
Sansa thought about that for a few moments. "Mention him. We can't afford any distrust between us and our future King."
Thomas smiled as he kissed her tenderly. "Especially since he is going to officially annul your prior marriage to Tyrion Lannister, that way you and I will be free to marry."
This put a bright smile on Sansa's face. "That is an excellent argument. Do you think they would come if we invited them to the ceremony?"
Thomas thought about that for a moment before nodding his head. "I think they would. Unless the future Queen was great with child or in labor once again." He winked.
Sansa blushed lightly at that as she bit at her lower lip. "That is true." She hesitated for a moment as she looked up at him. "You don't hold the same expectations of me, do you?" She asked with a bit of worry.
Thomas moved to sit next to Sansa on the bed as he pulled her closer and tenderly brushed his thumb over her cheek. "If the gods were to bless us with one child I would be content. If it is not in the gods' will for us to have children, I would also be content."
Sansa smiled and breathed a small sigh of relief when she heard that. "I love you, Thomas." She said softly.
Thomas smiled as he brought her lips close to his. "I love you, Sansa." He whispered before kissing her deeply.
Chapter 54
Margaery had woken up first. Aenar had whined in hunger early. Hannibal had told her that they had destroyed the Mountain the previous night. She had felt relief knowing that the reanimated abomination was dead. She just hoped the Sand Snakes would be successful in their mission as well. She settled back against her pillows with Aenar in her arms as she began to feed him.
Hannibal woke up and found Margaery shifting slightly against him as she fed Aenar. He smirked as he wrapped an arm around her waist to pull her closer to his body. He kissed and nipped over her ear. "Are you intentionally trying to tease me while you feed our son?"
Margaery smiled as she felt Hannibal move beside her. She bit her lower lip to stifle a soft moan. "Not intentionally. Although, it is difficult not to tease you with how naturally ravenous you are for me."
Hannibal chuckled as he nibbled along her ear. "I find it amusing that you do not confess your own appetite for me."
It was Margaery's turn to chuckle softly. "Perhaps I do." She shifted to put a bit of space between them. "Don't make me accidentally smother our son with your passions."
Hannibal shifted back to give her space, but his mouth remained by her ear. "Very well, but once he is done and asleep I will satisfy my hunger." He promised her.
Margaery felt heat building within her at the thought. "I wonder if your patience will last. He eats as much as the twins did combined. It would seem he inherited your appetite."
Hannibal smirked at that, but before he could respond there was a knock at the door. Before either of them could answer, the door opened and Olenna stepped into their chamber. "Do the two of you have any self-control when it comes to decency before your children?" She said upon glancing at the bed and their apparently naked bodies beneath the covers.
Hannibal raised an eyebrow at her comment before propping himself up onto one elbow. "We are beneath the sheets. Besides, all of the children are intimately familiar with their mother's breasts. If you desire to see a true lack of decency, you should come back in an hour."
Margaery was a bit surprised when her grandmother barged in and blushed slightly at the accusation, before that same blush darkened at Hannibal's words. She gave him a light swat. "These are the chambers we are using while we stay here Grandmother. Our manner of dress and undress is as we deem necessary for such private areas." She said with a slightly scolding tone.
Olenna rolled her eyes a bit before focusing on Margaery. "Do not expect that same level of privacy within the Red Keep as King and Queen," she warned before looking to Hannibal. "We have received word that a group of Lannister spies were seen moving from camp to camp to try and provoke an attack. They came across your three spies - Tyene made it to one of the Tyrell camps badly wounded by the group. She did not survive her wounds, but left a message to be passed along to her two sisters, should they reach Highgarden. Willas is on the wall with a spyglass and says he can see two riders coming fast towards us, but they are still a few hours away yet. He thinks he sees a woman tied across the front of one of the horses."
Hannibal was sitting up by the time Olenna finished talking, keeping the lower half of his body covered. He glanced to Margaery for a moment before looking to Olenna. He shifted the sheet to cover Margaery more fully while she continued to feed their son, then he summoned his Captain. "Set up a second stand next to the prisoner. Make sure all of my tools are prepared and waiting there by the prisoner. Once the second prisoner arrives, tie her in the same fashion as her brother. Remove the extra clothing, but leave her covered with a simple night dress. Make certain they are both watered, fed, and awake."
His captain bowed before turning to leave and carry out the commands.
Olenna frowned as she listened. "You don't intend to have your children watch whatever it is you are planning, do you?"
Margaery did not want Aenar to see, but she was not certain if Rhys and Reina should. They had seen what was done to Bronn and Jaime so far, but this could be considerably worse.
Hannibal shook his head. "No, I do not. This is more than just punishment. Are you willing to entertain them? We will wait until Aenar has had his next feeding before beginning." Hannibal wanted Margaery to be there with him.
Olenna nodded her approval. "Yes, Mace can make himself useful and will help me keep them occupied. I think we will take them into the gardens for a morning picnic." She hoped that would be far enough away to avoid hearing too much screaming.
Margaery looked a bit relieved and nodded her head in agreement. "Yes, I think they will enjoy the gardens as much as I do."
Hannibal nodded in agreement. "I would like Willas to be present for the judgment I will give. Along with Ellaria Sand."
Olenna nodded. "I will pass the message along as I speak with the servants about preparing a picnic for my great-grandchildren." Olenna turned to leave and shut the door behind her.
Hannibal sighed as he turned to look at Margaery. "It sounds as if the sisters were successful in their task. They will be sad to hear of the loss of their third sister."
Margaery nodded her head in agreement. "Yes, they will want even more revenge upon the pair of prisoners."
Hannibal nodded. "I intend to give them the opportunity. In fact, I intend to give those I am considering having upon my Small Council an opportunity to punish the pair for some of the crimes they have committed, with the exception of actually killing them. That way when we march into the city and their true punishment begins, those directly upon my council will not be seen dirtying their hands with those two vile creatures."
Margaery nodded her head in agreement when she heard his overall plan. "Do you intend to have them stand trial in King's Landing?"
Hannibal smirked. "Yes, I intend to dress them up to look half-human as they kneel before the Iron Throne. I will allow as many citizens as can fit into the hall within the castle walls as I give them a trial for their crimes and pronounce immediate judgment. This will happen after my coronation as King. I want the common people and the military men to see that even the vilest of people will receive a trial during my reign."
"That is wise," Margaery agreed.
Hannibal nodded before turning to look at her again. "What we will do to them in a few hours will not be pleasant. However, the punishment I intend to command once we reach King's Landing will be worse in its own way. I want you to prepare yourself so that you can watch the punishment begin by my side without wavering."
Margaery tilted a brow at him. "What could be worse than flaying a man slowly piece by piece?"
Hannibal paused for a moment before looking over his shoulder to see if the twins were awake. He leaned in and whispered his plan into her ear softly so that only she would hear. Margaery's eyes widened a bit when she heard the details. She did indeed squirm a bit in discomfort at the thought.
Hannibal watched as she processed his plan and gave a nod of his head. "Yes, you will need some time to prepare yourself for that."
Hannibal glanced down to watch young Aenar finish feeding. He chuckled as his son released Margaery's breast and had a satisfied smile on his face. Margaery smiled when Aenar finished his meal. She lifted him to burp him before cradling and rocking him gently back to sleep.
Hannibal leaned in and nibbled on Margaery's ear. "Just think…in a few hours Cersei Lannister will be at your mercy. Yours will be the first hand to punish her for what she has done. You will get to inflict the pain upon her she so justly deserves."
Hannibal's words in Margaery's ear sparked dark arousal within her. She had desired what he was describing for some time now. Finally being within reach of that goal…it was quite a rush. She turned to look at Hannibal. "Now you are teasing me."
Hannibal smirked as he began to kiss and nip along the side of her neck. "Put Aenar in his crib. Allow me to show you the true meaning of tease." He rumbled lowly as his hands moved up to cup her full breasts and give them a firm squeeze.
...
Meera had gone with Bran and Jon to the library. She and Jon were looking for a specific book, while Bran was looking at the drawing Meera had made based off of what he had drawn in the snow.
Melisandre snuck into the library and approached Bran quietly. She tried to glimpse the piece of parchment over his shoulder, but could not view it clearly. She heard the books being called out and knew immediately that they were looking in the wrong place.
Ser Davos was watching the red witch carefully. There was something about her that didn't sit right with him - never had. He saw her lurking as the library was searched. He stepped into the light so that he would be seen and looked directly at Melisandre. "If you have an idea on how to help them, you should speak up."
Jon and Meera stopped at the sound of Ser Davos' voice, and finally saw Melisandre. Meera frowned, she was not a fan of this woman and did not like that she had been spying on them.
Bran turned to look at her with a bit of hesitance. "Is this a spell of your order? Is there even a book here to describe it?"
Melisandre gave Davos a harsh look before stepping closer to Bran. "It is possible. May I see it?"
Bran nodded as he handed her the piece of parchment. Jon took a few steps towards her. "Do you recognize it?" He only half trusted her after she resurrected him.
Melisandre looked over the various characters carefully. Her eyes widened as she recognized some of them. She set the parchment down and produced a small book from within her sleeve. She flipped through it until she found the spell she was looking for. Her mouth went dry and she passed the small book to Bran as she pointed out the spell.
Bran's eyes widened a bit as he read from the small book. He looked up to her, "Are you certain this is the spell?"
Melisandre nodded her head. "There is one symbol in your drawing that is only used in this spell from the Lord of Light."
Jon didn't like the look in her eyes. He walked around the table to Bran and looked down at the book. Jon didn't understand what he was looking at exactly. "What is the purpose of this spell?"
Davos and Meera stood where they were as they waited to hear Melisandre's answer.
Melisandre breathed deeply before looking up. "It is a spell to mask an evil, monstrous being into one that looks human. This is a spell that is forbidden to use unless the fate of the world is at stake. I don't know why she would use such a spell, or on whom she used it."
Bran thought back on the vision and considered some options. "What exactly is done to the person the spell is performed on?"
Thomas had been informed that the small group with Jon was in the library. He had brought Sansa down and they listened in on what the group was doing. It seemed that there was more to what Bran had seen yesterday.
Melisandre looked to Bran. "A tonic must be consumed and the spell must be said for a week by the one casting the spell. After that, a blade of Valyrian steel must permanently mark the skin of the one for whom the spell is cast."
Bran nodded his understanding. "Does the spell pass down from generation to generation? Or does it need to be repeated?"
Melisandre shook her head. "It is said it is naturally carried down. However, it grows more and more diluted with each generation. It is thought that by the time the spell is no longer effective, the line will have grown so populous with other people the spell will no longer be needed."
Jon didn't like where this line of questions was going, but he held his tongue for the time being. Ser Davos had a bad feeling about all of this information.
Bran nodded, but still frowned. "But what does it do? Would those down the line possess any superior powers or abilities?"
Melisandre had to think for a long moment. "It is not known. No one in my order has ever used this spell."
Bran puzzled over this information as he thought back to what the three-eyed raven had said. He looked out at the group gathered around him. "Yesterday in the visions I had Tyanna encountered the Night King before she fled South of The Wall. He touched her belly to claim her growing son. She fought back with her power and fled, but she died shortly after giving birth. I saw the last Red King mark the newborn boy with a Valyrian steel blade that was red hot. The boy's eyes went from ice blue to dark brown."
The room went dead silent as everyone slowly began to process the information. They all glanced at each other before Jon spoke up. "Do you really mean to say that there is a bit of the Night King within the man who is about to claim the Iron Throne?"
Melisandre nodded her head slowly. "It would appear so…"
Bran saw Jon looking concerned. He looked to Melisandre. "This spell is to prevent the appearance from transferring? Not the personality or other traits?"
Melisandre nodded her head. "This spell is only to change the physical appearance. If the Night King had desired to plant evil intentions within the child, they would not have been stopped by the spell."
Bran looked to Jon. "The Night King is still the enemy here Jon. Hannibal will be needed to defeat him and secure the safety of the Seven Kingdoms."
Jon frowned at that. "He might change his mind about that during battle."
Thomas stepped out from the shadows and leaned against a nearby bookcase. "No he won't. He has a wife and a rapidly growing family. My lord would not throw that away in a battle. I know none of you will believe me, but he does care very deeply about some things."
They all jumped when Thomas suddenly appeared. Jon turned and was a bit cross at his sudden appearance. "Spying on us, were you? I'm sure Sansa would like to know that you are spying for your former master."
Sansa stepped out and stood next to Thomas. "Since when did you assume the worst of people, Jon?
Thomas does not send any ravens that I am not aware of. The Maester brings all of them to me to read. I am sad to see that you do not trust the man I will soon marry."
Bran's eyes widened at that. Jon looked shocked at the news as well. Melisandre found it somewhat entertaining.
Davos saw how dense the two brothers seemed to be, but there were more pressing matters to discuss. "That is happy news indeed for the pair of you. Those of us not related to you saw how happy you two are and wish you the best." He looked to Melisandre. "But what does all this mean, exactly?"
Melisandre chose to speak. "It means that two of the dragon's heads have been discovered and need to be brought together. Then they can bring in the third head of the dragon from Essos to save the Seven Kingdoms."
They all stopped then to look at Melisandre. There was only one person she could be referring to…Daenerys Targaryen.
Chapter 55
Cersei Lannister woke up with a start. She tried to move, but found herself restrained with her arms above her head and her legs spread apart. She felt goosebumps across her entire body, and was suddenly very aware that she had practically no clothing on her body. She looked around in a panic until she spotted Jaime strung up in a similar fashion. He was directly in front of her. She saw that he was missing both of his hands now, and he had only one remaining eye and ear.
She barely recognized him - but still, she did recognize him. Jaime looked worried and afraid. Those were two things she didn't like seeing on his face. Cersei kept her eyes focused on him. "Where are we?"
Jaime was worried because he knew that they were both going to die very slowly. He did not want this sort of end for either of them, but especially not Cersei. "Highgarden."
Cersei looked around when he said where they were, she refused to show fear to these people. Her great protector must have simply taken longer to get here than she had originally thought. Those whore Sand Snakes probably traveled considerably faster only because they were so much smaller. She focused on Jaime.
"We will be out of here soon. Don't let the enemy see this weakness of yours." She hissed.
Jaime sighed deeply before shaking his head with pity. When had she become so delusional? Or had she always been this way and love had blinded him to it? "Cersei...they have destroyed that protector of yours you sent to get me. I heard him torn to shreds by Hannibal's dragon. Then they burned what remained of him with wildfire until there was nothing left. There is no rescue coming. We are not going to survive this. We are going to die very slowly. My only hope is that they kill us before they march on King's Landing. I don't want our son to see us like this."
Cersei felt like ice had covered her heart and was slowing it down. She couldn't breathe for a moment as his words sank in. Her eyes widened and she began to pant as panic set in slowly. How could all of their plans end here? She could not believe that everything they had worked and bled for was destroyed.
...
Arya had gone into Highgarden after the two tan-skinned riders had entered. She hid in the many halls and saw Jaime Lannister strapped up in the center courtyard. Arya was surprised when she saw Cersei brought in as well, and tied up in the same way. She wanted to kill both of them right then, but she saw many torture devices being sharpened and prepared and decided to wait and see what Hannibal would do to them.
Perhaps he would punish them far better than simply killing them.
...
Daenerys was playing with her daughter in her chambers atop the great pyramid in Mereen. She was smiling and laughing with joy. They finally had enough ships to set sail for Westeros and reclaim her throne. She could not have been happier about this turn of events. Preparations were being made to set sail by the end of the month.
Jorah pushed the doors to the royal chambers open. He turned to find his wife and looked at her with deep sadness in his eyes. There was soot covering his whole body in a light coat. Grey Worm and Tyrion were right behind him, looking equally somber.
Daenerys heard the doors open and smiled to her husband. But her smile slowly faded when she saw the look upon the faces of the three men. Seeing all three of them covered in soot had her concerned. "What has happened?"
Jorah swallowed hard but chose to speak. "Someone set fire to the ships in the harbor."
Daenerys felt as if she couldn't breathe. She felt somehow betrayed at this news. She looked to Tyrion. "How many ships can still sail?"
Tyrion bowed his head before speaking. "All of the ships were damaged, but some can still sail once we make repairs. Once this is done, we should have enough working ships to carry all of your Unsullied or half of the Dothraki with their horses."
Daenerys set her jaw in anger. "And how long will these repairs take to complete?"
Tyrion hesitated, glancing to Jorah and Grey Worm before finally answering. "Through the end of the month, your grace."
Daenerys stood absolutely still as she processed this information slowly. Her jaw remained clenched as she understood the full meaning of these words. "Come up with an alternative solution for getting all of my troops to Dragonstone. We will not wait for two more years to rebuild all of my ships."
They all bowed, but Grey Worm took a step forward. "We caught criminal who did this to ships, Khaleesi."
Her violet eyes narrowed. "Bring him to the main hall. I will know the reason why he did this." She then strode to and past the three men to go and sit upon the throne they had found for her to await this criminal.
Missandei stepped forward to tend to her mistress' daughter as the three men followed Daenerys to her throne. Grey Worm ordered the Unsullied to bring the man forward.
Beck, Hannibal's spy, smirked as he was led in by two Unsullied. He looked upon Daenerys and wondered if she would even recognize him as the 'loyal servant' who had been working for them in this pyramid.
Daenerys did indeed recognize him and her gaze darkened. "Why did you do this?'
He chuckled and bowed his head low. "Did you enjoy my little fire? I assure you, Khaleesi, that was not the best trick I have done since I began my stay here."
Jorah felt his anger rile at that arrogant statement. He gave a glare to the man, but held his tongue. It was not his place to speak out at this point in time.
Daenerys felt her own anger rising at the absolute arrogance of this man. "You failed to answer my question. You will answer me now: Why did you do this?"
Beck continued to smirk. "Oh...you aren't the least bit curious or concerned about what else I've done? You are quite brave indeed."
Tyrion knew this man was flirting with instant death and briefly wondered if that was his end goal. His own patience was wearing thin with the game this man was playing.
Daenerys never shifted her gaze as she watched the man. "Why are you here? Who sent you?"
He gave a humble bow to her. "Ah, I forget my manners! I was sent to present three gifts to you. The first was delivered and after being here for a full year, I have no doubt that it has taken well with you. The second was the bright, glorious blaze last night. I do feel confident that my mistress will be quite pleased with my successes so far."
Jorah's jaw was clenched shut tightly. He did not like what this man was saying. He took a few steps closer to his wife as he instantly became very wary of what this strange man might do.
Tyrion frowned, there were not many 'mistresses' in Westeros who would have enough influence...he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. Gods, he hoped Cersei hadn't sent this creature.
Daenerys continued to hold the gaze. "Who is your mistress? What was this first 'gift' of yours? We are all quite healthy regardless of your intentions, so poison was clearly not your game."
Grey Worm took a half step forward with a frown on his face. "What is third gift?"
Beck smirked as he stayed focused upon Daenerys. "It is odd that you have yet to conceive another child, even after two full years since the last one." He began. "My mistress is the great Cersei Lannister, Queen of the Seven Kingdoms." he said before turning to look at Grey Worm. "The third gift is so special I must give it in person."
He then pulled out a knife to lunge at Grey Worm. The Unsullied around him quickly drew their blades to kill him when he attacked Grey Worm. Exactly as he had wanted so that he could fulfill his promise to his true master...Hannibal.
Tyrion had a sinking feeling as the man spoke. He felt anger and sadness when he heard Cersei's name. He then tried to stop the Unsullied but he was far too late. He turned to look at Daenerys. "I do not doubt his claim that my bitch of a sister sent him, but intentionally pulling that knife was his effort to get himself killed before he was questioned further."
Jorah had bit his tongue in his anger, but what Tyrion said caused him to pause and think. He looked to Daenerys. "It is possible that he did force his own death."
Daenerys was frozen for a moment at the rapid turn of events. She did not know how she felt about such things. The first comment, about her lack of children, had her frowning. She did not seem too concerned with him desiring to die at the moment. Or that Cersei Lannister seemed to be behind it. She turned to look at Jorah. "What did he mean about no other children being here?"
Jorah froze for a second as he realized what that could potentially mean. He shook his head as he tried to connect the dots.
Tyrion sighed deeply. "There is an herb. A powerful one. It can prevent people from having children. Even if they found the most fertile partner, they could never conceive with them." He said as he looked up. "My sister had discovered the herb and was toying with the idea of giving it to her husband to prevent any more bastards from being produced."
Daenerys turned to focus her gaze upon Tyrion. She felt both anger and sadness fill her at this news. "Why would she send someone to do such a thing?"
Tyrion took a breath before looking up at her. "Because she is a selfish bitch who wants to keep everything she thinks is hers exactly as it is...no matter the cost."
Jorah frowned before he reached over to rest his hand on Daenerys'. He gave her hand a tender squeeze.
Daenerys felt deep sadness fill her at this news. She took Jorah's hand as she thought of their sweet daughter. Her heart felt icy as she turned and looked at Jorah. "Daella…" She whispered.
Jorah saw the look in her eyes as she said their daughter's name. He knelt down and shook his head slowly. "I don't think they are that heartless. Unfortunately, there is no way to know for years."
Tyrion heard the concern, but chose not to speak. He knew that Cersei would indeed poison a child with such an herb. However, he did not want to upset them anymore than they were right now.
Chapter 56
Hannibal had given strict orders that both of the prisoners were to be guarded with the utmost security. Arya had returned with the Greyjoy heads he had requested. He sent a messenger with the heads to Yara to confirm the identities. Hannibal then told Arya that she was welcome to observe what was about to happen to the Lannisters and that she could join in on the punishment if she so desired. He was not certain what she would do.
Olenna had the servants pack a delightful picnic, and as planned Mace was going along with her to help manage the three children. Hannibal and Margaery reminded Rhys and Reina to not cause too much trouble for their great-grandmother. The small group left for their picnic along with a group of guards led by Brienne to ensure their absolute safety.
Hannibal then led Margaery down to the main courtyard where the two prisoners were. Willas was there along with the two surviving Sand Snakes and Ellaria Sand. He spotted Arya standing in the shadows and gave her a nod.
Margaery's eyes darkened when she saw Cersei Lannister. She was mentally gutting Cersei alive and watching all of her organs fall out. However, she would wait. She would follow Hannibal's lead in this matter.
Servants brought out a series of blades and other tools meant to remove things and cause extreme pain. Both Lannister twins looked a bit apprehensive about the proximity of those tools near them. Hannibal moved first and placed two different blades into a small fire set up near the bound captives. Jaime shuddered with fear at the sight. Hannibal gave a nod to Margaery that she could speak first.
Margaery showed fury in her eyes as she focused on Cersei. "All this chaos. All this bloodshed. It's your fault. All you have ever cared about are your bastard children and the man who fathered them. Now what will you do? He's been so emasculated, he can't even pleasure himself."
Hannibal looked at Cersei darkly. "No matter how much I choose to remove...you will not die until I command it. Your lover has been kept alive and healthy for a full week after I took his other hand." The words were meant to be a warning to those watching not to kill her on their own.
Hannibal snapped his fingers and servants moved in to remove all clothing covering the Lannister twins. Once the clothing was gone, there was a flicker of fear that moved across Cersei's face as she looked to Jaime. Margaery found herself overwhelmed with rage when she saw that and she moved in to punch Cersei square in the jaw, just as she had seen Loras do hundreds of times during his melee fights. Hannibal moved in and wrapped his arms around her to pull her back.
He spoke lowly into her ear. "You'll be happier if it's dragged out."
Margaery didn't fight back as Hannibal restrained her. She nodded her head in agreement, knowing he was right.
Hannibal let Margaery go after she had calmed down and he moved to Cersei Lannister. He had spotted the doubt in her eyes but now he saw the anger and fire in them after the strike from Margaery. He gripped Cersei's jaw tightly enough to leave clear bruises on her fair skin as he forced her to look into his eyes.
"There is no rescue from this. The gods have abandoned you." He said lowly before letting go of her jaw.
Margaery had collected herself and moved to stand by Willas and the Sand Snakes. She knew she would get her opportunity first. Obara and Nymeria were glaring at the pair. Willas and Ellaria looked on with no sympathy either. Arya remained in the shadows and kept her face a mask void of emotion. She would watch first and then decide if she wanted to join in the torture.
Hannibal looked to the group standing nearby. "I will give each of you an opportunity to request a punishment for this pair to be met out here. I only require that your request does not kill them or marr their skin. I intend to flay them alive before posting what remains of their bodies atop the gates of the Red Keep. I will use their hides to make a nice rug at the foot of the iron throne." He paused to let that sink in to everyone around the room. He then looked to Margaery. "Starting with you, my dear. What would you like to see them lose?"
Jaime didn't like how any of this was beginning to turn out. His head hung in absolute defeat. He knew that there was no hope out of this. He had given up. Cersei's eyes went wide with pure fear when she heard Hannibal's intentions. She glanced at the blades in terror before looking at Jaime with pleading eyes.
Margaery knew that there was another punishment prior to the flaying, but she held her tongue for the time being. She stood taller as she looked at the pair. "I think she should enjoy her favorite bit of her lover."
Hannibal gave a nod before he snapped his fingers. A male servant with blonde hair approached. The servant got down on his knees and began stroking and sucking on Jaime's cock to make it hard.
Hannibal saw as Jaime tried to recoil from the man, but his cock did indeed grow hard from the stimulation. "Perhaps my servants at the Dreadfort were not as satisfying as your sister. Although, it seems this has been some time for you." He then turned to look at Cersei. "Perhaps this is a mercy. He might have fucked his own son since you have left him so unsatisfied." He taunted her. He wanted to play a few mind games to break Cersei like he had managed to break Jaime.
The small audience watched, Willas was struggling the most to maintain his composure. He had a bad feeling about what was about to happen. The women from Dorne were watching intently. They were enjoying how degrading this seemed to be for Jaime. Arya found it odd that Margaery had made such a request, she wondered what the intention was with getting him aroused.
Hannibal saw Jaime trying desperately to hold back. He also saw how stunned and disgusted Cersei was at how easy it was for Jaime to get so hard by a man. Hannibal waited until he saw Jaime on the brink. He picked up one of the now red-hot blades. He had the servant hold Jaime out before Hannibal easily sliced off his cock and balls. The heat from the blade sealed the wound so that Jaime would not bleed out.
Jaime cried out in absolute agony as he became a eunuch. He was panting heavily as the pain raced through his body. Cersei's eyes were wide with shock and her mouth hung partially open in disbelief.
Willas cringed a bit and found himself hunching over slightly on instinct at the sight. The women of Dorne, however, laughed at the stunned look on Cersei's face along with the sheer agony on Jaime's.
Margaery smirked, she had an idea of what would happen next. She did find herself satisfied with what had happened so far.
Hannibal took the cock and balls from the servant. He then forced them down Cersei's throat and forced her jaw closed after the last bit that he washed down with water. He spoke with a dark edge to his tone. "If you force yourself to throw that up, I will force it back down your throat again and again until you keep it down. That was your favorite part of him was it not? It would be rude to simply spit it back up."
The laughter had died off a bit, now the Dornish women joined Willas in trying not to feel too queasy at what they had just seen.
Arya found the forced cannibalism to be interesting, but more so she found it curious that such a punishment was dealt out so easily by Hannibal. She noticed that Margaery didn't seem to be upset or disgusted by this. She wondered how many times Margaery had witnessed something similar to be so comfortable with this form of punishment.
Jaime was panting to regain his composure. He had not realized what had just happened to Cersei due to the pain he was in.
Cersei had indeed swallowed down what had been shoved down her throat and was just about to retch. However, she believed Hannibal when he said he would force her to eat her own vomit. She would rather not taste that a second time.
Margaery nodded her approval to Hannibal that she was satisfied with her request.
Hannibal turned to look at Willas. "Is there anything you desire to see, brother? Pain to be inflicted based upon their crimes."
Willas had something in mind, but it seemed tame in his mind compared to what had just happened. "I don't want to hear another word of protest from either of them."
Hannibal gave a nod of his head as he picked up a pair of tongs. He motioned for Willas to join him. "If you could hold her mouth open, that would be of great help."
Cersei's eyes went wide with rage. "Don't you dare, touch me one more time and you will regret it!"
Willas ignored her empty threat and hobbled over to put on a pair of gloves before he forced Cersei's jaw open. Hannibal used the tongs to pull her tongue out as far as he could. Hannibal then used the smaller hot knife to cleanly slice off her tongue before tossing it into a bowl.
Cersei had tried to fight, but failed. She screamed in pain as her tongue was removed from her mouth.
They then went to Jaime and repeated the process. Jaime also screamed as his tongue was removed, but he did not put up as much of a fight as Cersei had.
Willas went back to where the women in the audience were, satisfied with his request.
Hannibal then looked to Ellaria Sand and her two daughters. "What would you like to have done to them?"
Obara and Nymeria glanced at each other before nodding. "We want the fingers they placed the mark of their love upon."
Cersei's eyes widened in shock when she heard that. She did not realize anyone knew about that.
Hannibal gave a nod of his head and placed two smaller blades in the fire. "Once those are hot, you may each remove the finger of your choice. I'm afraid I have robbed you of the finger you desire from Jaime. Feel free to remove an extra from Cersei, or a toe as compensation." He then looked to Ellaria. "What would you desire?"
Ellaria Sand looked deep in thought for a few moments. "I want them to know the pain of being fucked by enemies you thought were friends."
Cersei was focused on the two Sand Snakes in front of her with red-hot knives, looking over her fingers. She did not hear the other conversation going on around her.
Hannibal looked at Ellaria Sand with curiosity. "By your own hand? Or through another?"
Ellaria looked to Hannibal. "I would not place my hand into such a filthy place."
Margaery shifted slightly, she knew her husband well enough that she had an idea of what he was about to do. She was still unsure of how she felt about this part of his plan.
Arya quickly picked up Margaery's shifting. She was less sure of what was about to be brought out. Arya wondered what was about to happen.
Hannibal snapped his fingers and four pieces of metal were brought out. They were all in the shape of a cock. They were eight inches in length and two inches in diameter. He then looked to Ellaria. "Would these better serve your purpose?" He asked her.
Ellaria looked at the devices for a long moment. A cruel smirk crossed her face as she looked over the well-crafted items. "Did you read my mind? Or did you have other plans for these?"
Margaery saw them and knew exactly what Hannibal had planned for them to be used on. Gods...they were quite large. Those would be incredibly uncomfortable if the person was not well-prepared beforehand.
Willas saw the devices and gave a glance to Margaery, it was not difficult to guess their purpose. This was very close to crossing a line he was not comfortable with.
Obara and Nymeria had collected their chosen fingers from Cersei and were looking over the pieces of metal with interest. Cersei and Jaime were whimpering and moaning from the pain their bodies were feeling. There were unaware of the talk going on next to them about the metal cocks.
Hannibal smirked as he looked to Ellaria. "I do have intentions for those. I intend to allow the loving citizens of King's Landing to have their desired opportunity with the Lannisters just before I remove them from their skins. I will give the people a full day and night of enjoyment, and provide these to those like yourself who do not wish to dirty their own hands."
Willas felt his throat going a bit dry at what was described. He looked to Margaery who gave a nod of her head that she had approved of this. He coughed slightly and made a note to be very busy during that day and night.
Arya heard the words and a slight smirk crossed her face. Now she was glad that she hadn't slit their throats last night. This was a far better punishment than a simple death. They had beheaded her innocent father after all.
The two Sand Snakes listened carefully. They paused to turn and look at Hannibal as he laid out his full intentions for the Lannister's. They moved back to stand near their mother. Ellaria glanced at the metal cocks for a long moment. "I would indeed like to see that."
Hannibal gave a nod of his head. "I will make certain you and your daughters have the best seats to view the festivities if you would like. However, if there is any desire to partake in the punishment...I would prefer you did that now. I do not want any members of my future Small Council seen participating in their punishment. Observing the punishment is fine."
Willas seemed relieved when he heard that. He had been growing concerned he might be expected to participate.
Margaery saw how relieved her brother looked and remained focused on Hannibal. She now had a better idea of what would be happening once they arrived at King's Landing. She would be ready to act as if this didn't bother her before the public eye.
Ellaria paused for a moment to consider Hannibal's words. She looked to her daughters. Nymeria seemed content with her finger, but Obara was looking between Jaime and the metal cocks. Ellaria did want to participate in their torture.
Ellaria moved in front of Cersei, "I'm going to enjoy this far more than you. You had my beloved killed after he won his battle with the Mountain. I blame you for my greatest loss."