"Tyrion! You are a most welcome sight."
Tyrion Lannister, Hand of the King and a dwarf, looked up at his cousin's smile as they entered the windowless guardroom in the gatehouse. He had been informed by Ser Jacelyn that the Starks had sent an envoy bearing a peace banner and terms to King's Landing.
He had made his way to the gatehouse with his mountain clansmen and stepped into the room occupied by a haggard looking Cleos Frey. Aunt Genna's eldest son looked all too much like a Frey, for his face was thin and his chin was weak, so very unlike a Lannister. The man had stringy brown hair instead of the golden blond of his mother and he was rather thin, though that could have been from being a prisoner than his overall body shape.
But, while the rest of House Frey had sided with the Starks, Cleos Frey remained loyal to Casterly Rock, and that was all that really mattered in the end.
"I will say, you are a sight for sore eyes cousin." Tyrion said and gestured for the door to be closed. The room was lit by a couple torches in wall scones and gave the room an almost dilapidated look.
"I bring King Robb's letter and his offer of peace. Is Cersei here with you?" Cleos asked.
"Did word not reach before you departed from Riverrun?" Tyrion asked and got a shake of the head in turn. "Well, my dear sister is no longer the Queen Regent, she is just the Queen Mother now. Gerold, my older brother Jason's son, has taken up the position. He is the Lord Regent now and in all honesty he's probably the Protector of the Realm at this point…"
"For true?"
"Aye, Cersei and Joffrey hold no power in King's Landing as of now. My sister and her son are confined to Maegor's Holdfast as of now, and if you ask me Gerold couldn't have made a better decisions about it all."
"I… wouldn't have thought that Cersei would give up her power like that."
"Oh, she didn't. Needs must be cousin, and in times of war we all must be decisive."
Cleos lips formed a line and he nodded.
"Now, let us take this conversation to Gerold. He aught to hear what the Young Wolf has to say as well." Tyrion said and waved for his cousin to follow him.
The door to the little room in the gatehouse was opened and Tyrion had Cleos escorted with him towards the small council chamber. He had sent a servant off to inform everyone that needed to be present for the meeting and along the way he regaled his cousin of Frey about all the changes that had been made to the city since the change of power.
Things had been improving in the city if Tyrion was to be honest. Food was still an issue as the breadbasket that was the Reach was now cut off to them, but Gerold had worked to remedy the situation the best he could. Food was not being strictly rationed, and with the Gold Cloaks being brought into a semblance of order, the smallfolk were begrudgingly accepting the limited but constant stream of food and water.
Gerold had also taken the advice of Bronn, Tyrion's friendly sellsword, in imprisoning all the known thieves within King's Landy. They were going to be expecting the city to be under siege from either of the Baratheon brothers, and the last thing that any of them needed was a thief running off with the food. So, into the dungeons did the thieves go, and gone was at least one threat from within the walls.
Varys, as much as Tyrion disliked the eunuch, was proving useful. The Master of Whispers had fettered out the vocally disloyal amongst the small folk and Gerold had his men go out and take them prisoner. They didn't need the mood in the city to fall anymore than it already had. There was a war going on, and the last thing they needed was a riot that could potentially spell their doom. It had worked out for the most part, and while Gerold didn't like it, Tyrion knew that his nephew understood the necessity of it.
It was as he got around to explaining how the totally-not-a-coup had occurred within the Red Keep that they arrived at the small council chamber. There were several knights of the Lion Guard standing around the small council chambers. Two knights of the Kingsguard, or Ser Boros Blount and Sandor Clegane, stood on either side of the door. Blount looked… well, hungry, and Clegane looked bored. The fat knight sneered down at Tyrion but quickly backed off after Timett son of Timett stood at Tyrion's back.
Clegane snorted at the whole exchange and opened the door for them. Tyrion offered the scarred man a nod and entered the small council chamber and was greeted with what they were now calling the smaller council. They lacked a Master of Laws, a Master of Ships, and now a Master of Coin. Littlefinger had been thrown into a black cell and Gerold had no intention of letting the man out of it.
He was a traitor to the crown and had been one since the days of Robert Baratheon.
He wouldn't be missed.
Gerold sat at the head of the small council table with a plate of food in front of him. Tyrion belatedly realized that it was around time for the midday meal and felt quite hungry himself. Grand Maester Pycelle was nibbling on a piece of bread and Varys, the Master of Whispers, was sipping a cup of wine. There were many empty chairs around the table and gestured for Cleos to take one of them.
"Ah, Lord Tyrion, it is good to see you again." Varys tittered.
"You as well Lord Varys." Tyrion replied.
"Cousin Gerold." Cleos began. "I must congratulate you on your recent promotions."
"It's hardly something I wanted, but needs must be." Gerold said as he wiped his mouth and took a sip of water. "Last I heard you were a prisoner at Riverrun. Dare I say you've made an escape?"
"No, I… I've come bearing King Robb's terms of peace."
"Demands more like." Tyrion said.
"Robb Stark is a traitor ser, there is only one king." Grand Maester Pycelle said. The man had a sagely voice or was trying to use one. Pycelle was Lord Tywin's creatures, he always had been, so of course he would remain loyal.
"Of course, Grand Maester." Cleos said.
"It's a matter of semantics Cleos." Gerold waved off. "It's only a matter of time be-"
The door to the small council chamber burst open and they all watched as Ser Lancel Lannister actually fell over himself in his haste to enter. Tyrion's rather slim cousin pushed himself off the floor and reordered himself as if nothing had happened. He flushed in embarrassment but soon moved on to whatever he was here for.
"A raven, Lord Regent, from Ser Jason." Lancel said as he walked over to Gerold's side and handed him the rolled-up parchment.
Gerold quirked an eyebrow at Lancel as he broke the seal and read the contents. Tyrion watched as his nephew's eyes widened and the shock settled on his face. Gerold broke out into a smile as he chuckled to himself before handing the scroll to Tyrion.
"Well, your purpose here has become rather redundant cousin Cleos, Robb Stark is defeated and taken prisoner." Gerold said with a laugh.
"My lord?" Varys said.
"It is for true Lord Varys." Tyrion said. "Robb Stark's host somehow slipped past the Golden Tooth, only to fall between a Lannister hammer on a Lefford anvil."
"He's been taken prisoner, along with several Northern and Riverlander lords. For all intents and purposes, that war is over." Gerold said.
"This is joyous news." Grand Maester Pycelle said and gave a small chuckle.
"What about the…" Cleos trailed off.
"Robb Stark is captured cousin." Tyrion said with a smirk. "The war is over, at least the one against the Starks is."
"We need to send for Lord Tywin." Lancel said. "He needs to come to King's Landing before Stannis or Renly does."
"What is to happen with the new prisoners that Ser Jason has acquired?" Varys asked.
"He does not say Lord Varys," Gerold said. "but I'm sure you can figure it out."
Varys acted as if he didn't know what was being implied.
"Robb Stark may be captured, but the Riverlands are still very much at war. News needs to spread of the Young Wolf's defeat before my father can come. There's also Roose Bolton and his host that is still out there. The Northmen are not completely out of the fight just yet." Tyrion said.
"Aye, and Uncle Jaime is still a prisoner at Riverrun. Who is in command of the garrison at present?" Gerold said.
"My little birds say that Ser Edmure Tully is at Riverrun for the moment." Varys said.
"He's not the smartest man I've ever met, but he still is a threat." Tyrion said. "And I doubt that he'd just hand Jaime over now that we have Robb Stark."
"Are you suggesting another siege, my lord?" Grand Maester Pycelle asked.
"Mayhaps we can end hostilities by having Robb Stark bend the knee and swear fealty. Though, I have my doubts as to what will happen once Joffrey becomes a man grown and I can no longer keep him locked up." Gerold said.
Cleos blanched at the mention of their king being locked up like a common prisoner, but everyone else showed no sign of any expression on their faces. The Grand Maester was stroking his beard and Lancel had his hands on his hips. Varys was unreadable and Tyrion couldn't care less about what happened to Joffrey.
"It would be a prudent course of action." Varys said.
"What of Stannis and Renly? They're going to march on the city!" Lancel said.
"Varys, what do your spies say?" Tyrion asked.
"Renly Baratheon is currently moving to lift the siege of Strom's End. Stannis Baratheon is outnumbered in terms of men and horse, but the men he has are loyal to him. And most interestingly, Lady Catelyn Stark is with Renly's host." Varys tittered.
"Catelyn Stark? What the hells is she doing with Renly Baratheon?" Tyrion asked.
"Cleos, was Lady Stark at Riverrun when you left?" Gerold asked.
"Uh, last I saw her was when I was being given the task of bringing Robb Stark's demands to King's Landing and Cersei Lannister." Cleos said.
"She may not know of her son's defeat and capture yet." Tyrion noted.
"Well, I see no point in telling her, she'll figure it out eventually." Gerold said. "Spread the news of Robb Stark's defeat, that'll give the smallfolk something else to talk about for a couple days."
"W-What about the letter?" Cleos asked.
"The king who wrote that letter will soon no longer be a king." Grand Maester Pycelle said. "I see no reason why we must entertain it any longer."
"The Grand Maester speaks true, the war with the North and the Riverlands is all but over. You have no reason to return to Riverrun Cleos." Tyrion said.
"But I vowed that I would." Cleos said.
"You made a vow to traitors." Lancel snapped. "You don't need to keep it."
"Just stay for a couple of days. We'll figure something out by then." Gerold said and stood. "If there is nothing else, then this meeting is at an end. If any of you need me, I shall be visiting the Madienvault."
"My lord?" Varys asked somewhat confused.
"Someone needs to inform Lady Sansa of the news, and I'd rather it be done with the respect that is due to her station. She is Joffrey's betrothed after all." Gerold said over his shoulder as he left the room, his guards and the two men of the Kingsguard following him.
Tyrion watched his nephew go and looked back at the raven scroll in his hand.
One down, two to go.
"Gods, is this for true?"
"Aye, it is. Balon Greyjoy must be an idiot if he thinks he can hold all of the North."
"Did he have to murder both of the Stark boys? That's just cruel."
"War often is Leo, and Iron Born are especially ruthless."
Leo Lannister nodded his heat at his father's words. The Greyjoy Rebellion was still talked about down in Lannisport. Those rapists and reavers had thought that they could attack the Westerlands without consequence. They had thought wrong however, and Leo's father had been there to beat them back during the initial attack. Then he had been one of the first men to set foot on the Iron Islands during the days of the war.
His father was a veteran when dealing with Iron Born raiders, so Leo took what he said about them seriously.
Though, he didn't think they were all idiots.
"They cannot think they can hold the North." Leo said.
"Most certainly not." Ser Jason Lannister said. "Greyjoy's invasion was both poorly planned and executed. He lacks the manpower to truly hold his gains, and his son in particular is an idiot. Killing the Stark boys was unnecessary, they could have been used as hostages, but now? Poorly done."
"Has Robb Stark been informed yet?" Leo asked.
While he didn't like the Young Wolf who was sitting in a cell deep within Casterly Rock, but he could sympathize with him. Leo couldn't imagine losing Gerold and Isabella like Robb had lost Bran and Rickon. He didn't even want to think of his siblings' burnt bodies hanging from the walls of Casterly Rock.
Ser Jason looked towards the Maester who stood by the table they were both sitting at.
"No, he hasn't, my lord." Maester Creylen said. The man was balding and slightly round around the stomach. He was loyal to House Lannister and been at Casterly Rock since before Leo had been born.
"See to it that he is. The man may be a traitor, but he is still Lord of Winterfell. He deserves to know that his home has been taken and his family slaughtered." Ser Jason said.
"I shall do so at once, my lord." Maester Creylen said and hastily made his exit.
"So, the war in the North isn't truly over now, isn't it?" Leo asked once the door to his father's solar had closed.
"No, it isn't." The man sighed. "But that is a problem for another day. Right now, we still have to take care of rest of the Riverlands and both Baratheon brothers before we can turn our eyes north."
Leo looked down at the map that covered his father's great wooden table. Gerold was holding King's Landing with Uncle Tyrion and the latest raven from the city bore good news. Grandfather Tywin was still at Harrenhal with his host, and it looked like he planned to remain there for the time being. Uncle Jaime was still a prisoner at Riverrun, but hopefully that would change soon. Cousin Daven, Ser Stafford's son, was marching into the Riverlands with the veterans of the Battle of Oxcross.
It had truly been a bloody affair, but they had lost surprisingly few men. Ser Stafford had managed to gather twelve thousand men, mostly green boys and freeriders, but twelve thousand of them, nevertheless. That also wasn't taking into account the four thousand strong force led by Ser Forley Prester that had managed to escape Uncle Jaime's failed siege of Riverrun.
In the end, after the battle was done and the dead accounted for, some fourteen thousand men were marching back into the Riverlands with Ser Daven Lannister leading them. They were to besiege Riverrun again and this time with the goal of freeing Uncle Jaime and taking the castle.
Leo was still amazed at how fast everything had been organized. It had taken less than two days to get everyone sorted and put back on the march, and cousin Daven was eager to prove himself by taking Riverrun. Leo had thought about joining him, but decided against it in the end, he'd seen enough slaughter at the Battle of Oxcross.
"We need to send reinforcements to King's Landing." Leo said after looking over the map. "Gerold and Uncle Tyrion are dangerously exposed without a proper host to garrison the city."
The City Watch of King's Landing, the famed Gold Cloaks, weren't what Leo would call a proper army. His father had described them as upjumped sellswords and some of Gerold's ravens hadn't portrayed them in a good light either. If a siege were to happen, the last thing Gerold needed was a garrison that broke at the first sign of trouble.
"I'll send word for my father to move and support Gerold." Ser Jason said. "With Robb Stark prisoner and Roose Bolton still licking his wounds, the road to King's Landing should be open."
"We should-"
"It is nearly midnight boys." A stern voice called from the doorway. "The war can wait until morning."
Leo and his father both looked up and towards Lady Alysanne Lefford. She stood in the doorway with her hands on her hips and an expectant look on her face. Leo's lady mother was a stern woman when she wanted to be and right now, he knew that she wouldn't be taking no for an answer.
"Alysan-"
"Don't Alysanne me Jason." Leo's mother said she gave his father a look. "You two have already captured Robb Stark and most of the Northern and Riverlander lords with him. I'd say that was enough to warrant some sleep instead of hunching over a map."
"There's a war we have to plan for." Leo said.
"And you'll do so on the morn. Get to bed Leo, you need sleep." His lady mother said as she walked up to him. She took his face in her hand and looked over him. What she saw must have confirmed her words as she gave him a small smile before sending him towards the door.
Leo let himself be pushed towards the door as he knew arguing with his mother was a futile effort. Alysanne Lefford was always right when it came to these matters, and now that he took a moment, he was tired. He passed the two knights flanking either side of the door leading to his father's solar and the last thing he heard before turning the corner was the soft sounds of his parents' voices.