A/N: I told you all that there was a rhyme and reason behind the assassination, and though there have been some good guesses, I'll keep the mystery still going. This next chapter is a very brief interlude onto the consequences of Tyrion's assassination, and poor Jaime's attempt to get revenge. The War will begin in earnest in the next chapter, so look forward to that. Hope you enjoy the chapter!
Interlude: The White Lion's Revenge
My brother is dead and all I can do is prepare for war. They will all pay for this.
When Jaime ran into the Tower of the Hand and found Tyrion's cooling corpse lain down in bed, with one whore dead in front of him and another whore crying, half in terror and half in apology, Jaime could do nothing but cry. The golden rose at the bottom of the note, the way that Tyrion's known weakness for wine and whores were exploited...all of that told a story. Jaime was not the smartest Lannister by any means, as that had been Tyrion and Father's job, but even he knew of an assassination plot when he saw one.
And yet here I stand uselessly, with no possible retaliation I could make. If it had been the other way around, my brother would have found at least ten different ways to effectively retaliate against our foes.
Even Cersei, who had shown animosity towards Tyrion, was noticeably subdued after Tyrion's death. Yet, Cersei didn't even seem to regret Tyrion's death. Jaime knew his twin about as well as he knew himself - they had come into the world together and they would leave the world together - and it seemed as though Cersei only regretted the inconvenient timing of Tyrion's death rather than it happening.
The specter of possibility that his beloved Cersei could have been a kinslayer and had killed Jaime's beloved little brother haunted him. He knew full well the depths Cersei would go to protect her children - even to the point of nearly publicly assassinating Robert, and he knew Cersei had been deeply unhappy about sending Myrcella away. If Cersei, the person he loved most, had murdered Tyrion, the other person he had loved most...but no, he had to clear that specter now before it ruined everything. And so, Jaime confronted Cersei after one night of particularly vigorous lovemaking.
"Cersei," Jaime whispered softly, lightly playing with a lock of her hair.
"Yes, my love?" Cersei asked Jaime, smiling at the sight of her beloved. She suddenly flinched unconsciously as his eyes hardened, and at Jaime's uncharacteristic behavior towards her.
"Did you kill Tyrion?" he asked, his voice flat.
"What's brought this on, my love?" Cersei asked, attempting to defuse the situation.
"Cersei. Sweet sister. I am no fool." Jaime replied heavily. "You were deeply unhappy with our brother after he sent Myrcella away. I know you've always disliked him, but I ignored it because I loved you and I loved him. But if you were the one behind the plot to kill him…"
Cersei looked at Jaime's hardened eyes, filled with despair and grief and anguish, and watched as his grip on her suddenly became bruising and his shoulders started shaking. Instead of feeling or acting fearful though, her eyes softened, as she looked at Jaime.
"Jaime.." she began, causing Jaime to look at his sister. Nude, and looking as though she was struggling to speak, Jaime was breathless at the sight.
"I…" she stuttered. "I….it is true I never liked the Imp." It looked as though she was struggling to find the right words.
"Tyrion, Cersei, our brother's name is Tyrion!" Jaime roared in anger. "He's not an Imp and he never will be again!"
"Jaime, my love...I may not have liked…" and with that, Cersei took a pause, "Tyrion…"
"But?"
"But he was our brother, and a Lannister even so." Cersei said. "The im- Tyrion, was a nuisance at best, but he was trying to protect our family, and I cannot fault him for that. I may have….hated...the little mo- Tyrion, for what he did to our mother, but I would never have murdered him needlessly."
"And yet you have always wanted power, Cersei," Jaime noted coldly, causing Cersei to flinch back.
"Don't give me that look! I know you were unhappy the moment Father sent Tyrion to King's Landing!" Jaime shouted. "You have always wanted to rule, Cersei, and with our brother sent as acting Hand your grasp at power was cut!"
"Jaime-"
"..And so you murdered him, to get more power, and as revenge, for sending Myrcella away! Tell me that wasn't what happened, Cersei," Jaime roared, his face turning red.
"Jaime, please," Cersei began with a desperate tone, "I would never have killed our brother. Gods, I may have disliked him, but he was protecting Joff, Myrcella, and Tommen. Protecting our golden children. And while I disliked him, I would not have aimed to murder him had I really wanted to do so - I would have found a way to remove him from his position and send him back to father."
The fight went out of Jaime as he realized the point and conceded Cersei's innocence.
"So who killed him, Cersei? Who killed Tyrion?" Jaime asked quietly, drained from anger and rage. Cersei cupped his face with her hands gently, as if afraid he would break from the stress.
"Oh, there are plenty of suspects that would wish to disrespect the Lannister Lion, my love, the Queen of Thorns chief among them" Cersei said gently. "But Jaime, my love, they will hear us roar."
He sagged in relief and kissed Cersei.
That led Jaime to his current dilemma. How would he avenge his brother's poisoning?
Someone would pay for the death of my baby brother. Even if it besmirches the honor I am trying to gain, a Lannister always pays his debts.
The golden rose on Tyrion's bedside was almost a calling card, and the only person so brazen enough to announce that calling card would be the Queen of Thorns. As Jaime thought about it, the more it made sense. Jaime was no politician and no player of the Game, but even he could see how Tyrion's death would benefit the Roses.
His father would most likely also be vying for blood for the death of his son as well. Oh, Jaime had no illusions that his father never liked Tyrion, but at the very least, Father would find some way to take revenge for the grievous crime of Tyrion's death. Cersei would agree to anything Jaime said, so long as it made sense, as Jaime never truly requested anything. But here, and now, Jaime knew in his angered and grief-maddened state, he would do anything to strike back at the killers, and the only viable targets for him to take out his anger on were the hostage Lord Eddard Stark and his young son.
Tommen cares about the son though, Jaime remembered, and would be deeply unhappy if the son were to die. But the father...the father…that would be revenge enough towards the roses and the wolves. And then I will go to the Reach and kill the rest.
And so Jaime stood at the Black Cells, staring at Lord Eddard Stark. Though gaunt, the man held a stubbornness in him that was characteristic of the captive Lord of Winterfell.
"Stark," Jaime growled.
"Kingslayer," Eddard Stark replied, entirely unruffled. "What brings you to my cell?"
"You and yours have claimed the life of someone I loved very dearly." Jaime said darkly, "the life of the brother I loved."
Eddard Stark sighed.
"For what it's worth, I am sorry, Ser Jaime," Eddard Stark said quietly. "I cannot say that it was my intention, but I understand what it means for me and my son."
"The Queen of Thorns killed my baby brother!" Jaime shouted. "And all you can say is sorry?"
"Cersei Lannister killed Robert, you killed all of my men, and you imprisoned my son and I in King's Landing with your actions!" Eddard replied angrily. "And yet here you are, with the gall to make me apologize for the death of one man. Is that all your honor is worth, Ser?"
"Fuck honor!" Jaime cried out. "Your ilk killed my brother, and so I will take one in return. You are to die on the morrow, Stark. Say your goodbyes to your precious son, who I am only sparing out of love for my nephew. Let's see how much your honor is worth in the Seven Hells."
"Your son, you mean," Eddard Stark muttered, proud to the core. "The North remembers, Kingslayer, and your House will certainly remember that when you all enter the Seven Hells. Goodbye, Kingslayer."
Cersei had acquiesced to the execution after Jaime had requested it. They had one Stark hostage and needed to show the strength of the Lion, Jaime had pleaded with Cersei, they needed revenge or else they would be seen as weak. Cersei had been hesitant, but given the lack of a Hand, Cersei was Queen Regent, and Cersei had agreed, setting up the execution at the Sept of Baelor on the morrow, with Bran Stark as chief witness. He was to be guarded at all times, but he would see the price of revenge.
The day of the execution was a cloudless day, sunny, even, if Jaime thought about it. Smallfolk lined up at the Sept of Baelor as Illyn Payne stood next to Eddard Stark, gaunt, and in chains. The smallfolk were agitated at the appearance of the former Hand, shouting and spitting curses, though at who, Jaime could not tell. He could see the boy, Bran, standing next to Ser Barristan and looking absolutely horrified. Jaime stood by, guarding Cersei, as his nephew alongside the High Septon stood by the traitorous Hand atop the pulpit.
"Eddard Stark," the newly crowned boy King Joffrey said, "You are accused for the crime of murder. You murdered my father, King Robert, and sought to depose his son from the Throne. What say you to these charges?"
"These charges are false," Eddard Stark replied serenly. "You are merely the bastard get of the Queen and the Kingslayer, and your mother, the Queen, poisoned the King in an effort to depose him. In the sight of gods and men, I confess that I am innocent of all crimes. The North remembers, Joffrey Waters, and you are no true King."
"LIES!" his nephew shouted, face purpling in rage. Evidently, the prospect of impending death had made the former Hand bold. "YOU LIE! MY FATHER WAS KING ROBERT BARATHEON, AND I AM HIS TRUEBORN SON!"
"This man will not confess his treason, my King," The High Septon spoke, in a voice clearly used for public speaking. "And there is only one punishment for those who lie in the sight of Gods and Men."
"I sentence you to die, Lord Eddard!" Joffrey spoke loudly. "SER ILLYN! BRING ME HIS HEAD!"
Bran fell to his knees in front of the crowd, clutching at Ser Barristan. "FATHER NO! NOOO!" he shouted before beginning to sob hysterically. Ser Barristan looked...blank, as he gently hushed his charge and held his charge in his arms quietly.
Ser Illyn barked out an order as Lord Eddard was forced onto the marble, his head and chest over the edge. A great broadsword was held in Ser Illyn's hand, most likely intended to be the weapon used to execute Eddard Stark. The two handed blade was drawn, and was held above the man, as Ser Illyn prepared to make the downward cut.
Finally, the blade swung downward, and with a neat cut, Eddard Stark's neatly decapitated head fell to the ground. Jaime smirked as he saw the decapitated head.
And that is revenge for my baby brother's death. A Lannister pays his debts, Tyrell scum.
A hushed silence fell over the crowd as they processed the events that had occurred, and the execution of their Hand.
A single voice broke out of the crowd.
"Bastard!" the voice screamed at Joffrey. Other insults crowded out the single cry, as the crowd cried in anger and frustration over the recent murder. "Justice!" Jaime heard over the noise. "Aegon, Stannis!"
The crowd began whipping up into a frenzy, throwing stones, dung, and other foul things at the top of the pulpit.
"Feed us!" Jaime heard a voice shout over all the others, and the shouts began to change to food-related shouts. "Bread! We want bread, bastard!" A thousand voices followed into the chant, until the crowd worked themselves into a frenzy over bread.
Suddenly, a well-placed throw of a stone hit Joffrey, nailing him in the cheek. Blood poured his nose as he attempted to clutch at something to stymie the bleeding, which did not look deep, but still looked painful. Jaime could see his sweet sister paling and trying her best to stop Joffrey's bleeding.
Yet Joffrey looked even angrier than he already was, as he shouted, "KINGSGUARD! BRING ME THEIR HEADS!"
As all the Kingsguard, save for Ser Barristan, who was focused on protecting his two charges from the chaos, he and the rest of the men charged to permanently end the rioting, Jaime had wondered if he had made a mistake.
Ending A/N: You thought King's Landing was already bad? Welcome to the hot mess that is King's Landing - it's a hot mess, and it's only going to get hotter as time goes on. If you're wondering why Jaime was so bloodthirsty, keep in mind that:
1. Jaime nearly blamed Cersei until she detracted him from it, and if Cersei had truly been the one to kill Tyrion, Jaime would have taken revenge.
2. Given that it wasn't Cersei, the golden rose calling card immediately pointed to the Queen of Thorns, and Jaime wanted to get revenge the fastest way he knew how to. Jaime is a pretty shortsighted thinker, and so wanted that roaring rampage of revenge to start with killing Ned Stark.
3. Thus, Cersei, who wanted to please her brother, but also wanted a show of strength, agreed to the death of one of their two hostages. Bran would still be alive, which was something they could trade, but House Lannister could still "get" revenge.
Then, the riots. Unlike in canon, the Tyrells were much harsher with their immediate food shortage, and with Dorne's forces also agreeing to blockade King's Landing, conditions were MUCH harsher than in canon. Eddard Stark also had no reason to confess his treason, and went out with a bang, unintentionally riling the population of King's Landing, and boom, riots, and a hot mess for King's Landing. It only gets worse from here.
