Chapter 57
Yara had not expected the messenger with a wooden box for her. She had been shocked to see the heads of her two uncles contained within. The messenger also gave her a message - reminding her that she need only complete her part of the bargain and the Iron Islands would be hers once again.
She sent the messenger back with a promise that she would hold firm and that the heads inside were indeed her wandering uncles. She stepped out on deck and looked over her men. Yara shouted orders for them to be even more aggressive with the blockade. She was not going to lose this opportunity to rule the Iron Islands as she wanted.
...
The captain of the guard made sure that the two prisoners were tied back up to the metal crosses properly. He then made certain they were fed and had plenty of water to drink - even when he had to force them. He had a thin sheet he used to drape over Cersei to mostly cover her once again, as there was nothing left of Jaime that needed covering anymore. The metal cocks were cleaned off and placed in a box to travel with the main party. Special carts were brought in to move the metal stands easier. They would be marching upon King's Landing starting tomorrow. The plan was to march fast enough to be at the gates of the Red Keep within three days.
He was to ensure the prisoners were plenty healthy for their trial and punishment.
...
Jon made a final adjustment to the custom saddle for Bran to ride. They had agreed that horseback would be the fastest way south. It was a small company traveling to meet the man they were anticipating to be the new king once they arrived in King's Landing. Sansa had insisted on sending a few guards with them. There was still a war going on and having the Bolton banner with them was likely far safer than traveling without a banner at all. Jon had begrudgingly agreed.
The final group would be four Bolton men, Bran, Jon, Tormund, Meera, Davos, and Melisandre. Sansa had sent word by raven that they would be arriving. Hopefully that meant they would be welcomed in King's Landing. Jon still had his doubts as to how trustworthy this Hannibal was, but Sansa's absolute faith in him had him at the very least open-minded about it.
The party came out and Tormund set Bran in his saddle. Jon looked up at his cousin. "This horse is tethered between my horse and Tormund's. Do you feel balanced?"
Bran shifted a bit in the saddle to test it before smiling to Jon. "It's perfect. Let's head south."
The rest of the company mounted onto their horses and waved goodbye to Sansa before beginning their journey. They were all a bit nervous to tell a new king that a war that could end in the death of all living things was about to begin so early into his reign.
...
Hannibal returned to his chambers after sending out orders for all of his men surrounding King's Landing to go into the city and secure it, but not to attack the Red Keep. They were not to harm any citizens unless they directly attacked his solders first. He wanted a direct line to the Red Keep upon his arrival at King's Landing.
Margaery was still wrestling with how she felt about what she had just witnessed. She was surprised to discover something more terrible than being flayed alive. She turned when Hannibal walked in and gave him a hesitant smile.
Hannibal moved to her and kissed her temple tenderly. "You did well. I know you are not comfortable with such a severe punishment."
Margaery turned to look at him. "Are you certain that punishment will not be seen as too harsh?"
Hannibal shook his head. "After everything she has done in King's Landing, there will not be a single tear shed for her once the punishment concludes. There are many who will have no pity for Jaime either."
Margaery sighed as she slowly nodded her head. She knew he was right. Before she could say more, Rhys and Reina came bursting into the room and they raced towards their parents to hug them tight.
Olenna came in, huffing slightly behind them and holding young Aenar. "All done I see. Here are your children back, filled to bursting with fire plums."
Reina giggled and clapped her hands. "Plum plum!"
"Sister ate my plum." Rhys pouted slightly, apparently still a bit sore about the one particular treat.
Hannibal looked to Reina. "Did you take one of your brother's plum?" He asked with an almost stern look on his face.
Reina looked a bit sheepish as she leaned into Margaery. "Brother said he full. I ate." She confessed.
Hannibal looked to his son. "Did you say you were full?" He gave the same look to his eldest son.
Rhys pouted before hanging his head and tracing circles with his foot. "Yes."
Hannibal nodded before turning to Reina, "Next time ask before eating. Even if the person says they are full." He told her. He then turned to Rhys. "You should have said you wanted to keep it if you planned on eating it later."
Both children nodded their heads and answered in unison. "Yes Papa."
Olenna huffed a bit at the exchange. Margaery watched with pride as her children came to a positive understanding. She looked at her grandmother in curiosity. "They did not give you trouble now, did they grandmother?"
Olenna shrugged her shoulders. "They did as well as one would expect for children so spoiled."
"If I want to spoil my children I will do so, grandmother." Margaery giggled as she rubbed her nose against Reina's.
Hannibal chuckled as Olenna scoffed at that. "Perhaps we do spoil them a bit. However, they still know how to use proper manners when the time comes." He said as he looked to Rhys. "Did you give your great-grandmother a headache?"
Rhys giggled before smirking up at his father.
Margaery looked at young Reina. "And you my little love? Did you upset your poor great-grandmother?"
Reina giggled and tugged at her own locks a bit.
Margaery smiled. "That's my girl."
Olenna rolled her eyes as she moved to pass Aenar back to Margaery. "It starts when they're born, you realize.
"Of course, they're perfectly behaved otherwise with us, grandmother." Margaery pointed out.
Hannibal looked to Rhys. "Did you apologize to her yet, son?"
Rhys looked to Hannibal before he slowly made his way over to Olenna. He hugged her legs as he looked up at her. "Sowwy Meme."
Hannibal smirked at the new nickname and gave a wink to Margaery.
Reina did not want to be outdone by her brother. She raced towards Olenna and hugged her legs as best she could. "Sowwy Meme!"
Margaery pouted her lips before looking up to her grandmother. "Look at their faces, how can you stay mad?" She teased.
Olenna kissed each child in turn before shaking her head at Margaery. "You are lucky they're cute."
Hannibal chuckled at that. "The gods have blessed them with their mother's beauty." he said as a complement to both his wife and the women of the South.
"Which she inherited from my family." Olenna tilted her head haughtily.
Margaery smiled and kissed Reina's cheek. "Indeed I did."
Rhys clapped his hands before going towards the bed and motioning for Reina to follow. "Nigh-nigh, we sleep for Papa's play." he said. Reina giggled as she nodded and followed her brother to the two beds they slept in.
Hannibal gave the children the signal to grow quieter. They nodded and shushed each other as they climbed into their separate beds and lay down.
Olenna tilted a brow at them both at that proclamation. "Do you often 'play' with the children watching?"
"No, they are usually asleep." Margaery replied nonchalantly as Hannibal moved to take Aenar and put him in his crib to sleep as well.
"Usually?" Olenna grumbled.
"Well, I can hardly control when they wake up, even if it is inconvenient." Margaery shrugged.
Olenna waved them off and rolled her eyes once again. "Very well then, I'll leave you two to celebrate the victory." She chuckled. "It's not every day one overthrows a regime and takes over an empire." Olenna kissed Margaery's cheek and smiled. "I'm proud of you."
As Olenna left, Margaery was finally able to fully grasp the situation. She had been so distracted with the punishment that she had not realized what had actually happened. She turned to look at Hannibal. "...we truly did do this didn't we?" She said in disbelief.
Hannibal smiled and signaled to the twins to close their eyes and go to sleep. He moved to Margaery and pulled her close to kiss her forehead tenderly. "We have indeed. At very little loss of life to our forces. All that is left is for those in the Red Keep to surrender."
As Hannibal drew her close, Margaery nuzzled against his neck. "Could you have ever imagined doing this?" She wondered if he would have done this alone without her; or how successful he might have been.
Hannibal smiled as he kissed her temple. "I did, but I never imagined it would be this easy. You and your multiple gifts to me have made this a much easier task than I had originally thought." he praised, referring to their children and to Vhagar.
Margaery smiled. "You're too kind, my love. I always knew I would be Queen, but I could never truly envision it. Not before I married you." She smiled and kissed him deep before pulling back. "You've made good on your promise. And for that I thank you in turn."
Hannibal smirked before he swept her off of her feet and carried her to their bed. "Indeed I have and I look forward to breaking in our new chambers in the Red Keep in a few nights. However, I think a few rounds of our favorite game are in order to properly celebrate our victory today." He said with a low rumble.
Margaery chuckled as she felt him pick her up and move her to the bed. A teasing smirk crossed her face at his words. "We have a few more mattresses to ruin before we go home." She teased.
Chapter 58
Cersei woke with a start from the worst nightmare of her life. She tried to sit up, but quickly realized that she was restrained. She looked around in a panic before the realization sank in that the nightmare had been reality. Her chest tightened as panic set in.
She cried out as a guard struck her and doused her with water. The pain and the ice cold water forced her to focus as she became suddenly aware of the pain she was feeling in her body. Truth be told, Corsei still felt pain from when that bitch Ellaria Sand had-...no, she refused to remember that.
She felt like the beams she was tied down to were flat and rolling along the ground. She could see the sky, but could not tell what was around her other than the guards. She was curious where they were, that soon ended as she saw the bricks pass above her and she finally recognized the stench of King's Landing. There were men on the walls, but they bore the Tyrell sigil. She hoped that all of the Gold Cloaks were in the Red Keep keeping her last son safe.
Cersei glared out at the people around her. She was not going to let Hannibal and his little bitch wife think they won. She refused to back down and cower before them. They were going to parade her and Jaime around to try and force a surrender. She filled herself with pride and put on her best face. She was a Lannister. She would not let them use her to gain their victory like this.
...
The Small Council was meeting for what they knew was the last time. With the Queen Mother absent, King's Landing had been taken easily. The people of the city had turned on them as soon as the rebel forces began moving towards the city. They were trapped within the Red Keep with no way out. Even the secret passages were being watched by Bolton's men. They knew it was surrender or death. They had heard of the dragons and had no doubt what their fate would be should they try to fight. Young King Tommen was in complete agreement. They would put up the white flag and he would surrender once the formal parlay began.
They heard the sudden roar of a dragon and every man flinched. Tommen was as pale as a ghost at the sound. They went out to a small balcony that overlooked the main drawbridge. They all froze once they were outside. There were two stands, each in the shape of an X approaching. The men looked at each other nervously.
That was not a good sign.
...
Hannibal saw the signal from Margaery that everyone was in place. He had Vhagar fly over the city and roar loudly before he landed near the foot of the drawbridge that was currently closed. He had spotted Tommen on a small balcony below him and smirked to himself.
He dismounted Vhagar as he moved to stand near his wife and children. He looked up at the balcony as he motioned for the Lannister twins to be brought forward and put on display as he began speaking. "I hope you can show your treacherous, incestuous parents how to let go of your pride and do what is best for those around you. I gave them an opportunity to confess their various sins and to make them right by surrendering the false crown they placed upon your head. Neither of them took my offer."
Both Jaime and Cersei were now on full display for young Tommen to see. There wasn't a shred of clothing on either of them. Hannibal was curious what the boy would do when faced with his potential fate.
Tommen felt sick to his stomach when he saw his mother. He saw his Uncle Jaime and nearly threw up when he saw that he had been maimed so badly. His legs shook with fear and he felt warm liquid running down his legs as his fear gripped him. Tommen did not want to fight, but he also did not want to suffer like his mother had. He set his hands on the low railing before turning around to look at his advisors. He then closed his eyes and leaned back as he fell over the ledge and into the pit of spikes surrounding the Red Keep.
The Small Council had not moved, hoping that the King was about to give the order to raise the white flag. They did not realize his intentions until it was too late. The Hand of the King quickly went in search of the flag as soon as he lost his king.
Hannibal watched with a cool expression as Tommen turned before choosing the coward's way out. He turned and saw Jaime's eyes fill with pity and heard Cersei scream as she saw her last child kill himself rather than face Hannibal. He turned and spoke plenty loud enough to Jaime and Cersei so everyone could hear him. "It seems your last bastard was the biggest coward of them all."
Margaery had jumped slightly when Tommen ended his own life. She did feel a bit sad at this turn of events, but in the end it was better than what might have been necessary had Tommen lived. She rocked Aenar in her arms gently as she waited to see what would happen now.
Hannibal turned to look up at the men who remained on the wall. "What fate have you chosen for yourselves? Will you join your false king?"
The white flag was quickly raised as the drawbridge was lowered. Hannibal nodded as a group of archers stood between Hannibal and the gate that was opening. He looked up at the men as he gave his first command to them.
"Have every man strip off his armor and weapons before he crosses the bridge. My men will shoot any man who is armed or armored before they cross. The members of the Small Council will be the final people out of the castle to complete the surrender."
Some Gold Cloaks had stepped through the gate, but froze and began to strip their armor before setting foot on the bridge. A few only tossed their weapons aside before moving to stride across. They were shot down upon setting foot on the bridge. The message did not need to be repeated. Every man who surrendered as instructed was led to what remained of the Sept. They were chained together as prisoners to be tried individually to see if they would be loyal to the new king.
Hannibal nodded and messengers raced through the city proclaiming victory to the new king and that all were invited to his coronation at sunset along with the great trial of Cersei and Jaime Lannister. Hannibal wanted as many in the city as possible to hear of the fate that awaited the Lannister twins. He had given secret orders for his men to take every remaining Lannister prisoner and kill them quietly. He watched as the Red Keep slowly emptied and he turned to give a nod to Margaery as their plan seemed to be going so smoothly.
Margaery had felt relief when the Red Keep began to empty out. The archers were doing an excellent job of ensuring that everyone who surrendered was locked up for a trial.
...
Bran woke with a start and saw both Meera and Jon watching over him. Jon looked concerned and Meera looked curious. Bran took a few breaths to steady himself. "It seems that his enemies simply fold under the fear of facing him. He will be settled as the new king once we arrive."
Jon nodded with a slight frown. "I wonder which banner will be flying."
Bran considered that for a moment. "Likely the three-headed dragon."
Meera's eyes lit with a bit of excitement for a moment. "How big do you think his dragon is? I've heard people whispering about it in fear."
Bran looked to her with a wry smile. "Big enough to carry him. I certainly hope it is big enough to eat a few White Walkers."
Jon nodded in grim agreement. However, he was a bit concerned with the idea of a real dragon being around so many people. He had doubts this man could control the dragon as well as he claimed he could.
...
The Bolton vanguard moved into the Red Keep and began a detailed sweep to ensure that every living inhabitant had indeed given up his arms and surrendered. They moved carefully and quickly. They had to fully sweep the castle so that the preparations for the coronation could begin.
After three hours the captain returned to his king and bent the knee. "The Red Keep is yours."
Chapter 59
Yara had seen the great dragon circle around the city and spotted who she assumed would be her new king riding upon the dragon's back. There had been whispers from people wondering how he could command a dragon if he was only a Bolton.
She picked up her spyglass to look towards the tall walls of the Red Keep. She saw a white flag raised and a huge smile crossed her face. She pumped her fist and got her crew cheering in victory. They would wait for orders that they could come ashore and stop the blockade, but it definitely looked like a victory for their side.
...
The Red Keep was abuzz with activity as all of the banners from the houses Baratheon and Lannister were torn down and burned. The new sigil of the three headed dragon flying above a flayed man were hoisted above the Red Keep and lined the great hall that led to the Iron Throne. Vhagar had been brought inside and was curled up behind the Iron Throne napping for the time being.
A black carpet was rolled out from the Iron Throne down to the end of the great hall. Many people from the city were flocking to the Red Keep, and those who could not enter the great hall went to the grand arena behind the keep. Two low stockades were being set up in the center of the arena. The people looked on in curiosity as to what was being set up.
A half hour before sunset, horns began to sound in the great hall and the people had quieted down to listen. All eyes were looking to the back of the room to catch a glimpse of the family about to be crowned as the new royal family.
Hannibal entered first. He was wearing a deep black outfit. The sword strapped to his waist was a Valyrian steel blade with the Targaryen crest upon the hilt. His long cape was a deep, dark red. He walked steadily towards the Iron Throne with confidence in his stride and posture. His face was a mask as he walked.
Margaery followed behind him. She was wearing the deep purple gown Hannibal had made for her. It was trimmed in gold. Her hair was held back with a small, golden clip in the shape of a rose. She walked directly behind Hannibal as she carried young Aenar in her arms. Rhys and Reina were walking on either side of Margaery behind their father. The children were wearing outfits that matched their parents.
The people in the crowd watched in amazement as the surprisingly large family approached the Iron Throne. They whispered how handsome the family looked and some spotted the purple eyes and silver hair of the different children; the whispers that had been spoken about this Hannibal seemed to be true if his children had such traits.
Hannibal stopped just before the Iron Throne and knelt down to look up at the Septon. Margaery stopped with the children just behind Hannibal and waited patiently.
The Septon looked out over the crowd as he spoke loudly and began the coronation ceremony. Finally, he picked up the crown and slowly placed it upon Hannibal's head before smaller crowns were placed on Margaery's head, followed by the three children.
"All hail His Grace, Hannibal of House Targaryen, First of His Name, King of the Andals and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, and Protector of the Realm." The Septon proclaimed.
Hannibal stood to his full height and approached the Iron Throne. He slowly turned to look out at the crowd before sitting in the metal chair. Vhagar sat up to tower over the Iron Throne and the three younger dragons appeared on the top of the great chair as well. Margaery stood off to Hannibal's right, with Rhys and Reina standing before her.
The crowd cheered loudly as they looked upon their new king. A few that had been standing close had shifted back slightly once the great dragon sat up to look out over them.
Hannibal waited for the crowd to quiet down as they saw the carpet being removed quickly. Hannibal then spoke with absolute authority in his voice. "You have been mistreated by the traitorous Lannisters for far too long. This city has fallen into ruin under their control. We will begin rebuilding this city to its former glory. The Sept will be rebuilt so that those who seek the wisdom of the gods can go for counsel. Those who agree to work on the construction will be paid double the normal rates. The Wall in the North is a safeguard to all. The Lannisters have been sending nothing but personal enemies, thieves, and rapists to serve in the Night's Watch. If you volunteer to go and protect my Kingdom from the dangers North of The Wall, those you leave behind will never be left hungry or thirsty for the rest of their days. Trade with Essos will be reopened. Many more will be needed to work at the docks and in the shipyards to accommodate the increase in trade."
He paused to let those words sink in.
The people were stunned at what he was saying, but many began to cheer excitedly. They weren't sure if he was telling the complete truth, but many of them began to hope for something a little better than what they had.
Hannibal had discussed these plans with his advisors in private. They were going to seize all of the riches of Casterly Rock. Those would be used as the coffers to start off his reign without draining any of his personal family finances.
Margaery saw hope within the crowd and felt a sense of pride. She glanced down at her children and felt even prouder as she saw how well they were behaving. Reina had the smallest of smiles on her face to be a picture of happiness. Rhys was doing his best to stand like his Papa, but his eyes were shining with happiness.
Once the crowd quieted down, Hannibal spoke again. "Those who follow the laws will live peaceful, happy lives. Those who break the laws will endure severe punishment equal to their crimes." He turned to look at a side door near the throne. "Bring forth the traitors."
Four guards dragged Cersei and Jaime in and forced them both to their knees at the foot of the throne. There was a sheer sheet draped over each of them to somewhat cover their nakedness. Both of them stared aimlessly at the stones before them, there was no more pride within them at this point.
Hannibal looked at them as if they were the most wretched creatures that have ever existed. He motioned to them as he looked out at the crowd. "Behold the last of the mighty Lannisters. Brother and sister, so corrupted with their own beauty that they committed incest with each other time after time after time. They spawned three golden-haired bastards from their unholy union. Two were falsely crowned as kings because the whore was too consumed with her own pride and vanity to confess her sins. So consumed was she with her guilt that she destroyed the very religion that tried to free her from her sins!"
The people booed at Cersei loudly, Hannibal paused for them to quiet down. Cersei had made quite a mess of things here, making the judgment he was about to pronounce much easier for the people to cheer about.
"They have now confessed all their sins, but have yet to let go of all their pride and vanity. Since they do not willingly let go of these things, they must be forced to before their final punishment can commence. I will have them bound in the great arena. They will be bent over and fully exposed for what they are. To eliminate their pride and vanity, I want you all to use them as you please until the sun sets tomorrow. There will be tools to assist you with this task. There will be guards and a member of my Small Council present to oversee that everyone has an opportunity. After the sun sets tomorrow, they will be washed and set up on special pedestals above the gate to the Red Keep. There I will remove their masks so that the gods can see them for what they really are. There they will remain until the gods choose to take them.
The people listened and quite a few laughed or cheered at some of what was explained as the judgment for the Lannister's crimes. There were a few who squirmed a bit in discomfort at the thought of what was being described. Most of the people seemed absolutely fine with the idea and a few crude comments could be heard throughout the crowd.
Hannibal gave a nod of his head. "Begin their punishment."
The guards picked up the Lannister twins and took them down to the great arena. They were locked into place bent over like they had been at Highgarden. This time they were set up facing each other so that they could see what happened to the other. Obara and Ellaria Sand were overseeing the 'orderly fashion' of this portion of the punishment.
The crowd within the keep was told to either go to the arena or return to their homes for the evening. The crowd began to disperse quickly. Many went to the grand arena to at least see what was going to happen. There were plenty of insults being shouted to the pair as the first few people entered the arena to enjoy the Lannisters.
After the great hall had emptied, the current brothel owners were brought forward to the throne. The men glanced at each other a bit nervously. Hannibal looked over each of them for a long moment before speaking.
"Littlefinger has fallen upon bad luck and has been killed. His former businesses are now in need of new management. I am entrusting you gentlemen to ensure that they are taken care of properly. I do not mind your various businesses. My only requirement is that you charge any heads of houses a higher fee and report to me any useful information they might talk about while enjoying your various establishments. I want to be aware of any and all information you, or your employees, hear."
The men had been nervous at first, but they all relaxed quickly as Hannibal spoke. They were grinning from ear to ear as they all bowed low to him. They found his requirements to be very agreeable. One man spoke for the group. "Certainly, your grace, we will be certain to keep you well-informed."
Hannibal nodded before motioning for them to leave. The men bowed again before they turned to obey. This new king seemed to be a very reasonable man. He was letting them stay in business, that was an excellent sign.
Hannibal was now left with what remained of his current Small Council and his family. He stood and looked to them all. "Let us adjourn to the Small Council chamber. We have more to discuss."
Hannibal told Vhagar to resume his nap. The other three dragons went closer to Vhagar and curled up by his large head to sleep alongside him. The others stood and followed Hannibal through the halls to the Small Council chamber.
...
Bran couldn't stop staring. He was a bit shocked to see nothing but absolute rubble where a large castle had once stood. They could see a mangle of bodies and stone even from a distance. A part of him wanted to feel pity on those people, but Sansa and Jon had both told him what the Freys had done to his mother, brother, and pregnant sister-in-law. He turned to look at Jon. "I did not think a dragon could do this much damage."
Davos shook his head. "There was more than just dragon fire here. That kind of fire can burn a man easily enough, but I don't know of it melting rock this much. There's only one thing that can melt solid rock down to nothing."
Meera was staring wide-eyed at the scene. "Wildfire."
Bran and Jon shifted a bit uncomfortably on their horses. Bran looked at Jon. "Do you think Wildfire would kill the Night King?"
Jon frowned slightly as he considered it. "Maybe, but I don't like the thought of it anywhere near The Wall."
They all nodded their heads in agreement. Wildfire was more dangerous to use against the Night King. They were not even certain if it would work on the undead.
Chapter 60
Hannibal sat down at the head of the Small Council table and Margaery sat just to his right. Hannibal allowed Rhys and Reina to sit in his lap while Margaery held young Aenar. Willas sat just to the left of Hannibal. His personal Maester was seated at the table, along with Captain Beric of Hannibal's troops, Olenna, Nymeria Martell, Mace Tyrell, the current High Septon, Yara Greyjoy, Brynden Tully, and some of the most loyal officers that had assisted in preparing this victory. They all took their seats and Hannibal glanced around the table slowly for a moment before speaking.
"Now we need to establish some new titles. Some of you here I would like to appoint to the King's Guard. I will also need a new captain of the City Watch. I know who I will name as my four wardens, should they accept. The rest of you can submit your names to various positions and I will consider them." He began.
They all looked around at each other for a moment. Hannibal gave a nod of his head. "I will begin by naming my Hand." He turned to look at Willas as he was passed the metal fist pin from Margaery. He set it on the table in front of Willas. "Do you accept the duties to serve as Hand of the King, brother?"
No one at the table was truly surprised by this first appointment. Willas looked at the well-known symbol. He then looked to Hannibal and bowed his head graciously. "Thank you for this high honor, your grace. I willingly accept this office." He said as he picked up the badge and pinned it in his tunic.
Olenna nodded her head in agreement, as did Mace. House Tyrell was quite secure in its rise and future.
Hannibal then looked out over the table. "I intend to extend an offer to Ellaria Sand to be Warden of the South. I also intend to extend an offer to Sansa Stark to be Warden of the North."
The first warden was not as surprising as the second. Quite a few of the people around the table had thought the poor girl was dead for some time now.
The Blackfish spoke up. "My niece is alive?"
Hannibal nodded his head. "Yes, she has been safely living in Winterfell for a few years now. I am formally abolishing any prior marriage she was forced into and am giving her permission to wed anyone she so chooses."
Everyone in the room nodded in agreement. Many seemed relieved to know that the severed head they had heard Cersei bragging about being Sansa's was apparently a fake.
Olenna tilted a brow to Hannibal. There was a light in her eyes and she intended to speak with the pair of them about this later. However, she held her tongue for the time being.
Willas gave a nod of his head as he glanced around the table. "That leaves a Warden of the East and West."
Hannibal nodded before he looked at the Blackfish. "Lord Tulley. Would you accept the duty of being Warden of the West? The title will pass on through your successors."
Everyone turned to look at the Blackfish. He had not been expecting the offer. He considered his answer for a few moments before nodding his head. "I would be honored."
Hannibal named his Captain Beric as Lord Commander of the City Watch. He then Named Yara Greyjoy as Admiral of his fleet. He then offered the position of Lord Commander of the Gold Cloaks to Brienne of Tarth. She accepted after she recovered from her surprise at the offer. The other minor positions were filled in quickly and any spare attendants were sent away. Once the room was full of the actual Small Council, Hannibal nodded his approval.
Olenna tilted an eyebrow as she looked at him. "You still need a Warden of the East. Do you have anyone in mind?"
Hannibal knew he could count on Olenna to return to that topic. He gave a nod of his head. "Indeed I do. Fortunately enough, I have recently received a raven from my Warden of the North that the man I have in mind will be arriving in King's Landing in a fortnight . Apparently Ned Stark kept a great-great nephew of mine an excellent secret. He gave the poor boy a bastard's name instead of his rightful one. He is bringing his cousin Bran Stark with him. The poor boy those incestuous bastards crippled when he discovered their lust."
Everyone other than Margaery froze and their eyes widened at this news. Another lost Targaryen? How was this possible? How did this information get passed along to him?
Margaery looked to her husband and gave a hint of a smile. He had shown her the raven from Sansa. It seemed to be quite the tale. However, Thomas had added a note on the end to verify that the information had been proven by Bran. There was also a line about how Bran had confirmed Hannibal's lineage as a Targaryen, so these guests would be welcomed indeed once they arrived.
Willas managed to find his voice first. "Are you referring to Jon Snow?"
Hannibal nodded his head. "Apparently it is Jon Targaryen."
Everyone seemed absolutely stunned by this news and just stared at each other across the table.
...
Tyrion stared at the raven scroll in his hands in absolute disbelief. He had sent a message to his brother Jaime in Riverrun. But apparently his brother was no longer there. The message he got back was sealed with the Bolton crest.
The message informed him exactly how his poor brother had been duped, and how two of his cousins had suffered horrendous deaths at the hands of Lord Hannibal Bolton. Tyrion felt anger boiling up within him, but he tried not to allow the boil to get too hot and spill out of him.
Lord Bolton...Tyrion was beginning to really hate this man. Yes he hated his siblings quite a bit, but what this man was doing was worse than anything his siblings had ever done. Using a dragon and wildfire to completely destroy a castle filled with innocent people, all while feeling no remorse was far too cruel. He secretly hoped Jaime either got away, or was able to get himself killed before anything truly vile happened to him.
Tyrion drained his wine glass and threw it to the ground as he glared angrily at the message once again. This news did not bode well for what would happen to King's Landing in the coming months. Now he needed to decide how much of this information to tell his Queen.