I AM THE KING
JOFFREY
It was his cousin Ser Lancel Lannister who reports to Joffrey that war is over and Stannis has been crushed. "Lord Tywin reports that Stannis has been captured and that the Lannister/Tyrell forces are making their way here." He delivers the news in Joffrey's Solar.
"Good! Have the cooks and servants prepare a feast to celebrate Stannis' defeat."
"Yes your grace." Lancel bows and leaves.
Cersei enters the Solar, "Mother have you heard the news?"
"I have…"
"Stannis will bend the knee and then he will die…Then we deal with Jon Arryn, Hoster Tully, and Eddard Stark."
"One thing at a time My love. Listen to the council of your Grandfather. See what he has to say on the matter."
"Yes of course Mother."
"My advice is to cement our alliance with the Tyrells and settle affairs in the Stormlands."
Joffrey was King and those old feelings he had as Prince. The feeling that as a Prince he could do whatever he wanted; more so now that he is King. A King should be feared as the Western Lords feared his Grandfather Lord Tywin. News of the victory in the Step Stones against the enemy fleet arrived as well. The People of King's Landing were happy.
The day finally came when Tywin Lannister entered the throne room with Garland Tyrell and the other Lords who served in the war against Stannis. And then Stannis himself was bought into the throne room in chains, with a few of his Lords.
"Stannis Baratheon…My traitor Uncle…Kneel before your King!"
Stannis spits, "You are no kin to me bastard! You aren't even less than a King."
Ser Meryn Trant walks up to him and punches him in the gut. He goes down, but not to his knees. He looks up in defiance. "Kill me! For I never call you King!"
"Take him to the Black Cells…A few days in the Black Cells will change his mind." Joffrey wishes to reward Lord Randyl Tarly, but he left for his home with his men after Stannis fell. "Lord Balon Greyjoy step forward…I am told that you and the Iron Born sunk many ships."
"We did your grace."
"Your Valor on behalf of the crown shall be rewarded…I name you friend to the crown and lift the following restrictions my father placed on your people…You may build as many ships as you wish…Your people may reave all waters North of the Iron Islands."
"I thank you Your Grace."
After court Joffrey meets with the small council in the tower of the Hand. Tyrion gives his father the badge of office. "Houses Tully, Arryn, and Stark stand in defiance of my reign. As King I cannot allow this to stand. "Lord Hand…I order you to send my forces into the Riverlands, burn villages and towns. Lay siege to Castles until Hoster Tully submits to my will!"
"Your Grace…As you know the Tullys are allied with the Starks…Any aggression against them will rouse the Starks and their banners to war. And while Jon Arryn is no longer married to Lysa Tully, Lord Eddard Stark is like a son to him and will join the fight as well…Against such odds we would not fare well."
"If Randyl Tarly can defeat Stannis then Tully, Arryn, and Stark will be no match for him…And we have Wild Fire."
"Transporting Wild Fire a few miles is one thing. Transporting it a few hundred leagues is quit another."
"The best course of action your grace is to find out what their intentions are." Varys says speaking up.
"I am King! What kind of King am I if I do not punish those who defy my will?"
"There are other ways to strike at these Houses without bloodshed. We restrict all trade to the Riverlands, the Vale, and to the North…The Iron Born are good at Reaving…Let them reave…Unleash them." Tywin says. They discuss the other disloyal Houses of the crownlands and the Step Stones. Joffrey's marriage to Lady Margaery is also discussed.
Later Joffrey has a private meeting with Balon Greyjoy, "How confident are you that you can sail North and deliver a message for me to Jon Arryn and Eddard Stark…with Wild Fire."
Balon Greyjoy smiles, "Very confident My King."
BALON GREYJOY
"I do not like this brother." Victarion says standing next to him as City Watch guards load Wild Fire onto the Iron Born ships at night.
"It will be fine…The Imps invention worked on land and it will work at sea. Imagine all the plunder and salt wives we can take. Gulltown and White Harbor ripe for the plucking."
"Have you forgotten about Theon."
"Theon will soon be back where he belongs…At my side…When we attack White Harbor…Yara will use the confusion to sneak men up the White Knife to Winterfell and take back what is ours."
When the Wild Fire is loaded they set sail heading for Gulltown first. The trip takes a week, but as the lead ships are moving into position they are attacked by defenders on shore and are flanked by the Northern and Vale fleets. Balon Greyjoy is captured, his brother Victarion dies in a fiery explosion and his daughter Yara goes down with her ship. In defeat Balon is sent back south in his ship.
TYWIN
Balon Greyjoy stands before Tywin Lannister. "It was foolish of you to attack Gulltown in the first place."
"If I had support from you and the Tyrells."
"The other three Kingdoms would unite against us and we would still be at war."
"They are already united against you."
"Good day Lord Greyjoy…I have other matters to attend to." A few minutes pass before Balon actually leaves. The news that the North has a standing fleet is unsettling. Long ago their fleet was burned by a forgotten Stark King. It was only after Balon left did Tywin resume his work of writing letters to Houses, Arryn, Star, and Tully. He received no reply from any.
"Assassination!" Joffrey says at the next small council meeting. "We hire assassins to kill these disloyal dogs."
"Your Grace…We will deal with Lords Stark, Arryn, and Tully after we have secured our alliance with the Tyrells."
MARGAERY
From the day she was born Margaery Tyrell had been taught and trained to be a Queen. Nothing less would suffice for the Rose of High Garden. She decides to wear a gold dress to impress the King and it works, "Lady Margaery…You look extraordinary."
"Thank you my King."
"When we are alone call me Joffrey."
"Only if you will do me the honor of calling me Margaery." And so begins the romance. The two spend a lot of time together. She can tell that Joffrey only wants what House Tyrell can give him, food and troops to wage war on those he considers to be his enemies. Eventually his expressions of love become words of frustration with the wedding preparations and lack of communication from the Houses of the Riverlands, the Vale, and the North.
DAVOS
Ser Davos was a smuggler before he was Knighted by Stannis. He bought supplies to the besieged defenders of Storm's End. Stannis took three fingers for smuggling and then he Knighted Davos. Davos along with his ship, crew, and two of his sons survived the second battle of the Step Stones. They manages to hide near Tyrosh until the battle was over.
As he disembarks from his ship Queen Selyse is waiting. "Ser Davos."
"Your Grace."
"My husband is being held prisoner. That bastard demands that we come to King's Landing and bend the knee."
"Do you trust me my Queen?"
"My husband trusts you Ser Davos and so do I."
"Pack some clothes, supplies, and essentials. You and your daughter are coming with me."
"Where?"
After securing Queen Selyse, Princess Shireen, and his family Ser Davos disguises his ship as a merchant vessel and sails from Lys to the Capitol. As a former smuggler Ser Davos knows how to sneak things in and out of places. With his friend the Pirate Salladhor Saan, Davos gains entrance into the Red Keep. They steal three Lannister uniforms from the bathhouse and make their way to the Black Cells.
The Goaler and the guards have to be killed in order to free Stannis. "Ser Davos!"
"Quickly Your Grace put this on."
JOFFREY
When news reached Joffrey that Stannis had escaped he became infuriated. "I want Renly to be publicly executed!"
"That would not be wise Your Grace." Tywin says, "He can still be useful to us."
"No one tells me what is wise…I decide what is right! I am the King!"
"A good King listens to the advice of his councilors."
Joffrey storms out of the Tower of the Hand. He goes to the training yard and fires arrows from his crossbow into dummies. "Your Grace." Margaery says with a curtsy.
"What are you doing out here?"
"I heard what happened with Stannis."
"I am surrounded by incompetent people! Traitors! And people who think they know better than me."
She takes a step closer after he fires another arrow, "You do know better your Grace. But it is always wise to seek council from others."
"I don't need the advice of some stupid dreamy eyed bitch!" He slaps Margaery.
"My Lady!" Her guard Karlyn rushes over kneels down beside her. Margaery's lip is bleeding. The rest of her guards draw their swords. Ser Meryn and Ser Preston Greenfield draw their swords.
"You dare draw swords on the King?" Ser Meryn asks.
Karlyn scoops Margaery up in her arms and takes her back to the Keep. The rest of the Tyrell men leave with him.
OLENNA
When Olenna hears of Joffrey striking her Rose, she becomes infuriated. "Find my son!" She orders the Captain of the Guard. "I want extra men on duty around our rooms. And no one, but Lord Tywin is allowed to enter."
Alerie is present as well, "I will not allow my daughter to marry that animal!" She says.
"You are not alone in that regard my dear."
"Mother what is so urgent?" Mace says entering the sitting room.
"The King struck our daughter Mace." Allerie says.
"What!"
Ser Garson enters, "My Lord, My Ladies…Queen Cersei wishes an audience."
"Tell the Queen that we will only speak with Lord Tywin Lannister!"
"My Lady."
Not long after Cersei is turned away Lord Tywin shows up. He meets alone with Mace and Olenna. "My Granddaughter will not marry that boy!"
Tywin looks at Mace, "Do you feel this way my Lord?"
"Your Grandson struck my daughter…My Lord Hand…This kind of behavior is unacceptable."
"Before he died Robert was going to strip that boy of the crown and don't tell us otherwise, Lord Tywin."
"And what can I do to keep this alliance from falling apart?"
"Remove Joffrey as King and make Tommen King."
"Just like that?"
"We both know who the true power behind the crown is Lord Tywin."
"Put yourself in our shoes Lord Hand."
"Your men drew swords on the King."
"Our men will not be touched…They were defending my Granddaughter their charge." Olenna says.
TYWIN
Tywin meets with the small council and the High Septon. "He can be removed from the Iron Throne My Lord in favor of his brother. It has been done before." The High Septon says.
After his meeting with the small council and High Septon, Tywin meets with Cersei and informs her that Joffrey will be stripped of the crown. She does not take it well. "Grandfather you wanted to see me?"
"Yes…Tomorrow Joffrey will be stripped of the crown and you will be made King in his place."
"Me, but why?"
"Your brother is not a very good King."
"Because he struck Lady Margaery?"
"You heard about that?"
"Yes sir."
The next morning Tywin meets with the King's Guard. Then Tywin with ten men meet Joffrey as he is coming from his room. "What is this?"
"I'm afraid your reign as King is over. Seize him."
"Get your hands off me! You can't do this! I am the King!" As Joffrey is taken to the Citadel to be treated by the Maesters. As he is sailed off to Old Town Tommen is crowned King in Joffrey's place.
