Dany lands in Dorne and deals with Ellaria, Olenna and the rest of her allies. I wanted to add Arianne Martell, since she's one of the few additions I liked in the later books, but it'd be weird within the context of the show.
I'm considering another fanfic, this time starting over from season 5 (or from S04E10 - The Children). I would definitely add Arianne and a bunch of other book characters, not to mention change some story arcs I didn't like very much. Of course, I'd have to change the story enough to be different from this one.
I don't know, it's just an idea. Let's focus on this one first. It's much closer to the end.
9. Queen's Landing - Tyrion
"Dorne is yours, Your Grace." Ellaria Sand greeted the queen, bowing low. Tyrion couldn't hide the grimace on his face. Myrcella. This woman and her Sand Snakes had killed an innocent girl. Her only crime was being a Lannister. And I sent her to a nest of vipers.
Sunspear had been a pleasant change from Volantis. The weather was similar, yet the air felt a bit lighter. It smells far better too. He closed his eyes and sniffed the dornish red being poured into his cup. Opening his eyes, he glanced around. They must hate walls, was his first thought. The room was filled with tall archways, most of them opening to the outside where a beautiful fountain stood in the center of a garden, spraying water high into the air.
"Thank you for the warm welcome." Queen Daenerys spoke, bringing his attention back. "It's a nice change from the last city we visited." She smiled and took a seat closer to the garden. She must have noticed the view too.
There were no wooden chairs in the room, but the seats were made of a very comfortable fabric. Tyrion almost sunk into the fluffy sheets. This feels more like a bed, he thought, looking at the soft pillows.
Ellaria smiled back and took a seat too. "Yes, I've heard about Volantis." She ran her eyes across High Priestess Kinvara, before returning to the queen. "I trust everything went well?"
"As well as could be expected. Most of the fighting was done by the former slaves." The queen motioned towards Kinvara. "Though without the Fiery Hand things could've gotten much worse." The red priestess nodded in thanks, but remained quiet.
"Well, now that we've all settled down, let us discuss how best to go about killing Cersei." Lady Olenna Tyrell was dressed in black, clearly still mourning the loss of most of her family.
The woman seeks vengeance. So do I, he thought bitterly. How many enemies has my sweet sister created? He briefly wondered if he might become the last Lannister, before remembering his brother. I hope Jaime has the good sense to leave her before the end.
The queen looked at Tyrion for a moment, before replying, "Indeed. The Iron Throne belongs to my family. Cersei has no place there. The sooner we remove her the better." She hesitated, looking around the room. "Since all my allies are gathered here, this is a good opportunity to hear what each of you have to say." She motioned at him. "My Hand and I have worked out a strategy, yet I'd be remiss if I didn't hear you too. Have any of you considered the best way to end this war?"
The room was quiet for a while. Nobody wants to speak first. Then Yara Greyjoy stepped forward. "You have the biggest army. You have the biggest fleet. And you have three dragons. A frontal assault is the best choice. If Cersei is smart, she'll flee to Essos before you can burn her bony ass."
He shook his head. "My sister isn't smart. She thinks she is, though. And a frontal assault would be a mistake."
"Why?" Ellaria's voice was filled with scorn. "Maybe you just don't want to see your family die."
"Cersei has earned her punishment." He took a deep breath, trying and failing to keep his temper in check. "Unlike Myrcella." He glared at the woman. "She was an innocent girl. And you murdered her."
"She was a Lannister." Ellaria spoke the word as if it was poison out of her mouth.
"Not all Lannisters are the same." He wanted to go on and explain the difference, but he simply shook his head. There's no reasoning with this one. "Enough of this." He took another deep breath to gather his thoughts. "The reason why a frontal assault would be folly is the same reason I won the battle of the Blackwater when Stannis Baratheon stormed the gates of King's Landing: Wildfire."
"What do you mean?" Yara Greyjoy asked.
"I've already mentioned this to Queen Daenerys, but it's about time everyone else knows too." He gathered himself. "When my brother Jaime killed Aerys, the mad king had been about to blow up the entire city." He paused here to let the information sink in. Jaime was too proud to say something, the fool. "Imagine what Cersei did to the Great Sept of Baelor, but everywhere. Thousands upon thousands of people burning alive from wildfire."
He continued, "If Cersei believes she's about to lose, what's to stop her from doing what Aerys couldn't? I'm not sure my brother will be there a second time." Or if he would be willing to stop her. Tyrion didn't dare to voice that thought. He was still figuring out a way to convince the queen to allow his brother to live.
They all stopped to consider his words, allowing him to take another sip of his Dornish Red. Not as good as Arbor Gold, but better than the dog piss I've had to drink in Essos. He glanced at the others. Varys was smiling at him. Ellaria seemed conflicted. The Sand Snakes looked bored, making faces at each other. Lady Olenna was looking at the fountain outside. Missandei was sneaking glances at Grey Worm, who stood so still it was a wonder how he breathed. Kinvara was looking back at him, her eyes burning red. She does have a ruby on her neck, just like Melisandre. He briefly wondered why, before moving on. Yara was frowning. And Theon was trying to blend into the wall. What did the Bolton boy do to him?
"Very well." Queen Daenerys spoke up, and everyone paid attention. "I suppose we'll go with the original plan, then." She motioned to him. "Lord Tyrion? If you would explain."
He cleared his throat and called the servants to clear the table. After they were done, he unfurled a map over it. They had gone over the details during the voyage, and it was much better when he could point to a specific place.
"We'll divide our forces here." He pointed at where they were, Sunspear. "The fleet is strong, but not everyone is able to fight at sea. The Dothraki will fare better on land." He turned to Ellaria and Olenna. "I'm told your armies are gathered here?" They nodded. "Good. Our first target is Casterly Rock."
He pointed at his childhood home on the map. "The better part of the Dothraki and at least half of each of your armies will march here. It should be a long march, but don't bother keeping it secret. In fact, make sure everyone hears where they're going. I doubt Cersei will fall for the bait, however." If he knew his sister, she would never risk a battle without being assured of victory. Unless her children were involved. Or Jaime.
"No, the more likely answer will be a retreat." Tyrion pointed at King's Landing. "She'll call her forces back to the capital. They'll move along the Goldroad." He traced his finger on the line. "That's where we get them." He allowed himself a small smile.
"Over here." He pointed at Storm's End. "Is where the rest of our forces will land. They'll ride hard to intercept the Lannister force and take them by surprise."
"That's all well and good." Lady Olenna said, frowning. "But I still haven't heard exactly how you plan to take King's Landing. Hoping they'll surrender?"
He barked a bitter laugh. "Cersei will never surrender. No, our best bet is to erode her support. She'll lose Casterly Rock. She'll lose her army. Even if she can't see reason, the people around her will." Hopefully, he added mentally. "And if she's alone, her threat is gone. I doubt she would light the wildfire herself. Cersei was never one to sully her own hands." It was still a gamble, he had to admit. There was nothing stopping her from burning everything anyway. Yet it was far safer than bringing dragons to the Red Keep.
"So you plan to stay at Storm's End, Your Grace?" Ellaria asked.
The queen shook her head. "No. I will make for Dragonstone with the rest of the fleet. Should we need to lay siege to King's Landing, my family's ancestral island is in the perfect spot." She glanced at the map, then raised her head. "Are there any further questions?"
"Yes. Have you given any thought to the North?" Lady Olenna asked. "I hear they have a new king now."
Tyrion saw the queen's nostrils flare. "I will deal with him later. Lord Tyrion assures me he could be an ally, but I don't know him. And I doubt his forces would be of any use to us at this moment." She sighed. "He's too far away to make a difference, either for us or against us."
Lady Olenna nodded. "True. However, if you want an old woman's advice, don't ignore him. This Jon Snow has ties to the Vale and the Riverlands. That's almost half of your Seven Kingdoms." That's true, Tyrion considered, kicking himself for not realising this sooner. Jon could very well prove to be a problem in the future. The Queen of Thorns continued, "The easiest solution is to marry him and be done with it."
"Excuse me?" Queen Daenerys was taken aback. But that really was an excellent solution, Tyrion had to agree. It solved several problems at the same time.
"You're young and unmarried. He's young and unmarried." Lady Olenna had the bored air of someone tired of explaining the obvious. "Why not? It's a good match. From what I hear of the boy, he's quite valorous in battle and easy on the eyes too. He won't stay unmarried for long."
"Yes. Well. I'll think about it." The queen seemed uncomfortable with this discussion.
"You must consider the future, Your Grace." Lady Olenna didn't relent. "Wars come and go, but what the realm needs is stability. The people need to know who rules now and who will rule later. For that, you'll need heirs. Sons and daughters."
"Enough!" Queen Daenerys stood up. Tyrion had gotten better at reading her moods, and he could tell she was angrier than usual. She can't have children. He knew that, but the people must never know. She took a deep breath, then continued in a calmer tone, "I appreciate your counsel, Lady Olenna." Turning to the others, she pointed at the map on the table. "You all know what to do. If there's any further doubt, I'm sure Lord Tyrion will be happy to clarify. If you'll excuse me."
And with that, she left the room.
This was more interesting than I thought it would be at first. I enjoyed writing Olenna. Maybe she'll stay alive, I haven't decided yet.
So the wheels are in motion. But remember: whenever a plan is laid out so clearly, it will always fail.
The date is 17/05/2019