Chapter 2 Spoils of War
"John is King of the North?" repeated Arya and studied carefully Hotpie.
"Yes. He has been chosen by the lords of the North. They call him the White Wolf." Confirmed Hotpie.
"Hotpie, come here!" called the old woman that was the owner of the tavern. He looked apologetically at her and walked from her table.
Arya was left to contemplate what she had just learnt. 'John is alive and ruling the North. I can go home!'
'And do what?' she asked herself. 'What will happen with my revenge? Cercei will continue to live and rule in King's Landing. And eventually if she wins against the Targaryen, her armies will march to the North…'
Arya had heard Jaqen talking about Daenerys Targaryen and her forces, about her Dragons, so it was unlikely that Cercei would win. Which meant that someone would take her revenge from her. 'Just like Joffrey…'
Arya imagined Cercei, sitting on the Iron Throne and ruling, alive and well, and her father unavenged.
She looked at the delicious pie on her plate. Hotpie had definitely mastered the pie making. She had to ask him for the recipe. 'Sansa killed Joffrey," chewing thoughtfully, she imagined Joffrey's head in a pie. Too bad that the little shit had died by another's hand. But at least, he was killed by a Stark.
Hel list was getting shorter.
She had killed Meryn Trant and Walder Frey. Tywin Lannister was killed by the dwarf.
Beric Dondarion, Thoros of Myr and the Hound were somewhere in Westeros so it would take time to chase them and kill them. And she didn't know where the Red woman was. Besides, they were not the top priority in her list.
'Cercei…' she plunged her knife in the pie.
Yes, she shouldn't lose her focus on who was her main goal. And Cercei was in King's Landing. There she could find Ilyn Payne and the Mountain. Three kills…
Arya took a bite of the pie. She was going to King's Landing to kill that bitch before the Dragon Queen killed her first. This was her personal war with Cercei Lannister and no one would take her spoils of wars.
x x x
'Daenerys Targaryen, The Dragon Queen,' practiced mentally Daenerys, staring at the enormous mirror on the wall. But in the mirror she didn't see anything extraordinary, just a slender short woman, with deshelled from the sleep silver hair and pale face.
In the back of her mind she was feeling the connection with her Dragons, all sated and sunbathing in the mountains in the South. She had ordered them to avoid humans and as they had fed well, they just relaxed like three lazy cats.
She had decided to stay at the invitation of her friend and ally Lady Olenna. The old dame had insisted that Daenerys presides on her Judgement over Tarly's and the captured soldiers. Daenerys knew that it will be a brutal execution but she was a Queen and had to stay.
Besides her army was yet to come. She had first thought to fly back home but after that she had sent a raven to Casterly Rock to check how was Greyworm and the Unsullied and another to Dragonstone to inform Misandei and Varys about her victory. The raven to Casterly Rock should've reached it yesterday evening so the answer should be coming today. As for Dragonstone, she didn't expect answer earlier than four days. And she was curious what the Citadel will respond. Two days for her raven to reach King's Landing and two days to return with the answer from Cercei.
Lady Olenna had offered her the Master Chambers but Daenerys had declined politely and instead had taken a room that had belonged to Olenna's granddaughter Margaery. She tried to imagine what this young noble maiden had thought and felt, growing in unbelievable luxury and surrounded by people that loved her. 'And then she had been sent to Lannisters…'
She well remembered how she had felt when her brother had married her to Drogo and from what she knew about Margaery her marriages hadn't brought her love, unlike hers with Drogo.
The wardrobe was full with amazing dresses in all colors. Weather in Highgarden was much warmer, almost warm enough like Pentos. Daenery rummaged in the clothes and finally chose one that resembled the outfits she had worn in Mereen.
The dress was pale blue that left her hands, upper back and almost whole shoulders naked. Tiny straps, decorated with silver embroidery on her shoulders kept the dress on her body. Generous part of her breasts was revealed and the silk was flowing down to the ground. On the front, the skirt was opened over a silver petticoat that was slightly transparent.
'For a shy maiden, Lady Margaery had a good taste in fashion!' decided Daenerys. She was tired of the heavy black coats and dresses that she was wearing from her coming to Dragonstone.
A knock on the door and a pack of maids entered, bringing water for bathing and a pile of other things, plates with food and vases with flowers.
Daenerys decided that she could give herself some relax.
Just like her babies.
x x x
The morning light, flowing through the small window of the cell was pouring over the faint marks.
Archmaester Ebrose touched the skin with the pointer and pressed. The elastic skin didn't give up. He tried on a few other places but the result was still the same.
He looked at the patient and then at Samuel Tarly.
"How did you do it?" he asked.
Tarly licked his lips, "I applied a paste of dragonglass and Valyrian moss on the skin after removing the infected tissue."
The Archmaester shook his head, "This is truly magnificent, Tarly."
He thought how should he proceed. Hiding it was one option but…He sighed, 'The Citadel won't have enough resources to heal everyone with greyscale…' And the young Tarly had made something amazing.
He glanced at him. The apprentice looked uncertain what would happen. He probably expected to be punished for disobeying an order.
"I will recommend you to be elevated to a Maester." Archmaester Ebrose almost smirked at the bewildered expression on Tarly's face. Then he turned to Ser Jorah Mormont, "Your decease appears to no longer be active. You are free to go. This cell is needed to patients who are sick."
Jorah Mormont bowed and exchanged a smile with Tarly.
Ebrose put the pointer and the gloves on the tray and cleaned his hands.
He turned without another word and headed to the door. He was composing his speech about Tarly, when an apprentice of Maester Aimos, who were in charge of the ravens, ran in the cell and almost knocked him off. Ser Jorah caught him and kept him up.
Apprentice Ergil's wide eyes traced him frantically, "The Dragon Queen…She had burned the Lannister and Tarly army and is now in Highgarden with her Dragons!" he shrieked, sprinkling him with saliva, "She has sent an invitation for the Maesters to meet with her!"
He heard Jorah's sharp intake of air, the sound of gasping Tarly and tried to wipe the fluids Ergil had deposited on his face.
Composing his voice, he said as calmly as possible, "That was to be expected. She wouldn't stand on Dragonstone forever."
His words had a calming effect on Ergil, who stopped panting. Ebrose silently wanted to feel the calmness he was projecting but his insides were twisted in worry, "Had the other Archmaesters gathered?"
"Yes, Archmaester, I was sent to call you. They want to discuss the message and how to respond," Ergil told him.
Ebrose looked at sticken Tarly. He wanted to say something encouraging to the young man but he couldn't waste time, "Tarly. You are coming with me. Ergil…" he nodded at Ser Jorah, "Provide the patient with clean clothes and a bath. He is healed."
Achmaester Ebrose exited through the door, with Tarly in toe.
He knew that the answer to the Targaryen Queen had to be written by the fastest way possible.
He well remembered how impatient was another Targaryen, the Mad King.
x x x
Bathed, dressed in a beautiful dress and with intricate hairdo that resembled a crown with silver curls, flowing on her naked back, Daenerys felt like a Queen for the first time since coming to Westeros.
She had eaten some fruits and nuts for breakfast and had braced for the official meeting.
Lord Thaddeus was her escort along with a dozen armed guards and Daenerys could see how smitten he was by her looks. She eyed him playfully and contemplated inviting him later in her bedroom.
'To Hell with another smart plan of Tyrion!' she wasn't a maiden, waiting for her lord. She was a full blooded woman and Daario wasn't around. And someday she would have to choose a new Warden of the South, so maybe testing the young lord wasn't such a bad idea.
But now she had more important things to do and the image of Tyrion's expression at her action almost made her groan.
Accompanied by the love stricken lord and the guards, Daenerys walked in the main yard of Highgarden. It was a huge place, paved with stone plates and with flowers and green plants on the walls surrounding the yard. It was big enough for her three dragons to land here without problems.
Right now if was full with the captured soldiers. She thought that very few had survived but she was surprised to find that there was more than a thousand captured. The majority were wearing the sigil of House Tarly but there were many Lannisters as well. They were guarded by the loyal forces and tied with ropes. The soldiers were still covered with ash and blood from the battle and most of them were wounded or with burns. She knew that in Westeros the captured were executed but to kill so many now that they had surrendered…
The Valyrian sword Widow's Wail was presented on a table, covered with Targaryen and Tyrell flags. Daenerys has agreed to be used for the execution. After all it would be symbolic that a sword, crafted for Cercei's son will be used to kill a traitor that followed her.
She bit her lip and tried to think, while walking to the gathered lords and Lady Olenna. She noticed Bronn was here too. He made a chivalry bow to her and came to stand at her side.
In front of the soldiers were standing Lord Randyll Tarly and his son. He was looking like a grim old man. Dickon was standing next to him with an expression of a lost sheep, glancing at his father for orders.
Daenerys had a feeling it was really going to be like sheep slaughter. With internal sigh she pasted a neutral mask on her face and joined Lady Olenna.
"Come, my dear," welcomed her Lady Olenna. Daenerys noticed that she had replaced her widow black dress and head gear for bright red clothes. "You look ravishing in that dress. I remember that Margaery liked it very much."
Daenerys smiled politely, keeping up with the old woman's antics.
"Ah, the Targaryen hair…" lady Olenna took one of the silver curls between her fingers, "I was betrothed once to a Targaryen…"she mumbled and Daenerys looked surprised at her. Lady Olenna smirked, "Prince Aemon was charming and had a similar silver hair like you. A pure blood Targaryen. Then I met my future husband and Aemon met a common girl…"
For a moment Lady Olenna eye's lost focus like she was imagining what would've been if she had chosen a different path but she quickly backed up. Daenerys felt sympathy for her, she had also thought of the different paths she would've chosen to save Drogo and her son.
Two women in dusty and torn clothes were dragged in chains in the yard. These were the wife of Randyll Tarly and his daughter Talla.
Daenerys noticed that Talla cast a murderous look at her father and judging from the frown on Randyll's face, the feeling was mutual. It seemed that the daughter didn't approve her father's actions. She was tall, too tall for a woman, with long dark hair and bright eyes. Her face wasn't going to make any poet to write poetry and she was probably in her late twenties. 'An old age by Westerosi standard…' thought Daenerys. Which most likely meant that Talla was considered a splinter, too old to marry and a burden to her father.
Lord Mathis, the father of young Thaddaeus stepped and bowed to her and Lady Olenna. After that he started to speak about the crimes of Randyll Tarly and how he had brought dishonor.
Daenerys had read a lot of the history books and she knew that it was the common rule in Westeros to erase the House that had rebelled. That's how Castamere of House Reyne was wiped out in the lands of Tywin Lannister. And that's how very recently House Bolton was eradicated.
A thought appeared in her mind, 'Only Jon Snow hadn't judged a daughter for her father's crimes…'
Why was she thinking again for that stubborn man when there were so many available and willing around? But she well remembered how Varys had informed her of the actions of Jon Snow as a King.
"Jon Snow would spare that woman….but I am not him!' she watched as Talla tried to cover her breasts with the remnants of a dress. 'And what would Aegon do?'
Again the memory of those history books that Jorah had given her, came around. Orys Baratheon, a rumored bastard brother of Aegon had married the daughter of the defeated King of Storm Lands. She had been the Spoils of War that Aegon gifted to him.
'And after that his descendants rebelled against your father,' a voice whispered in her mind.
Looking at the defiant woman, Daenerys decided. She was not going to let this brave woman be killed. The future was not set in stone, here and now she was doing her choices, not some mystical fate.
She glanced at Bronn who was looking at Talla with pity and he caught her stare. She made a sign for him to approach and he obeyed.
"Bronn, what do you think of marrying that woman?' whispered Daenerys. She could see Bronn thinking quickly about his castle so she added, "I can ask Lady Olenna to spare her lands and castle if you agree."
Bronn eyed the tall woman and a smile spread on his face, "We have a deal, my Queen."
"If you marry her, I want you to treat her gently and with respect, not like a brooding mare,"clarified Daenerys.
Bronn took a second glance at Talla, "You have my word, Your Grace."
Satisfied, Daenerys walked to Lady Olenna, "May I have a word with you, Lady Olenna?
She quickly explained her desire to spare the life of Talla and her mother and to give Tarly's House to Bronn.
Lady Olenna thought for a second and then nodded, "Talla is a good woman, she was a handmaiden once to Margaery and I know how much she suffered under Randyll. But…"Olenna twisted her lips, "The name Tarly must be wiped out!"
"How about House Blackwater?" Bronn was quick to insert in the conversation.
"Blackwater?" Lady Olenna was perplexed, trying to find in her memories such noble family "Where did your father hail from?" she asked.
"I don't know," said Bronn, "my mother was a maid in Dayne House and after that worked in a tavern so I guess he must have been from that area."
Lady Olenna's sharp eyes measured him. Daenerys had no idea what was behind these dark eyes but after a long pause Lady Olenna said, "Very well, a Blackwater it will be."
She quickly turned to Talla, "Our Queen has found mercy in her heart," announced Lady Olenna and Talla looked anxiously at Daenerys, not sure what a Mad King's daughter mercy may be. "Our Queen offers you Talla, daughter of Randyll Tarly a choice. Bend a knee and marry Ser Bronn of Blackwater and she will pardon your life and the life of your mother. Your lands will be under the sigil of House Blackwater. Do you agree?"
Talla looked at Daenerys with emerging hope, then turned her eyes to Bronn. He smiled encouragingly and Talla's pale lips moved into a semblance of a smile. She knelt, revealing the scrapped skin on her knees. "I, Talla of House Tarly, bend the knee to you, my Queen"
Daenerys nodded graciously. Bronn quickly went to Talla and covered her with his cloak. He helped Talla and her mother to stand and a group of servants escorted his newly minted wife-to-be and mother-in-law in the castle. There was no need for them to witness the beheading.
Bronn followed Daenerys as she stood before the gathered captured soldiers.
She looked at the ashen faces. Thousands of eyes, some hopeful, other scared met her. Tarly's soldiers were in wonder of what had just transpired and had hopes that the clemency may extend to them. Lannister's didn't seem so optimistic.
"I am Daenerys Targaryen," faced them Daenerys. "I know what Cercei has told you. That I am going to burn your children and my army will destroy your villages. I know that you have been fed lies since the day she usurped the Iron Throne!"
She took a breath, "I am not going to convince you with words, I will prove myself with actions! I won't judge children for the deeds of their fathers and I will not judge soldiers for following their commanders in battle. As you saw Talla Tarly is now a free woman that chose to marry and live a happy life." Her voice sounded strong and confident, resonating across the stone walls.
"I offer you a choice as well. Bend the knee and follow me or follow the people that had lied and used you to your execution!"
She looked at the captured soldiers. Some were blinking, like they didn't believe what they were hearing, others looked uncertainly around. Then a man in Tarly uniform knelt and was followed by another one and another one.
Hesitantly the first Lannister soldier bent a knee and after that all that could stand followed them.
She was patiently waiting till the last one knelt before turning to Bronn.
"Lord Blackwater," He gave her a strange look and Daenerys knew that she had made a point here. "Please arrange the soldiers to be fed, clothed and the wounded healed. I expect you to make a viable army from them and to assist in the transportation of food supplies."
Bronn bowed and quickly began organizing her orders into actions.
She walked back to Lady Tyrell, who had watched with blank expression her little recruitment speech. Thaddeus was throwing her burning looks and Daenerys noticed that most of the lords looked pleased.
Lady Olenna gave the order. A henchman took the Valyrian sword. The blade shone in the sun light and effortlessly separated the head of Dickon from his body.
The head swung in the air and rolled behind the table. The shriek of Randyll Tarly echoed in the yard.
x x x
The guards flanked him, carefully pulling his chains through the corridors of Highgarden.
Jaime Lannister, the Kingslayer, the best of the best, was feeling old and defeated. 'Three dragons…' he thought. Daenerys Targaryen hadn't even used the Dothraki riders to turn the best army in Westeros into a burning pile. Just like Aegon, Daenerys and her dragons had created a new Field of Fire. And here another Lannister was defeated.
He had seen people turning into ashes in a blink of an eye, had stood there helplessly while the Dragon Queen had wreaked havoc and destroyed with single command hundreds of men.
He had the whole night, staying in the dungeon to see again and again in his thoughts the terrible death of his men. He was awakened by the guards at what was about to be a morning. He knew that it wasn't his execution, he had heard Daenerys telling that she will exchange him for the captured allies.
Guards stopped in front of elaborately decorated door and walked him inside. The room was opulent, with a big bed and a steaming bath. He blinked at the morning sun, shining through the slips in the heavy curtains, covering the windows. A male servant was waiting next to the bath and a chest with towels.
"Undress, Ser Jaime and take a bath." Ordered the commander of the guards. Jaime had expected to be tortured in the dungeon, just like Cercei had done to the captured Dornish ruler.
He allowed the servant to bathe him, took new clothes and his cleaned armor was brought back and put on him. After that the servants escorted him through the corridors to another decorated room.
Without a word, they took to the door and Jaime was forced to follow. They crossed the entryway and his eyes adjusted to the painful sunlight. When he was able to focus, he wished he had stayed in the dungeon.
This was the main yard of Highgarden. It was big enough to host more than a thousand bannermen of House Tyrell and a still covered with ashes Lord Randyll Tarly. He was unchained but surrounded by Olenna's soldiers.
At this place of the yard where Lady Olenna's guards had brought him, Jaime saw her liege lords, all standing and waiting for her. Bronn was there too. Jaime avoided looking at him. The sellsword always chooses the winning side.
Daenerys Targaryen stood there, wearing a silk blue dress, that left little to imagination. She stood next to the lords. Her silver hair was flowing freely around her shoulders, like waves of ice and silver. Jaime had to admit that Targaryens had unique features. He remembered how beautiful was Daenerys's mother. Just like her daughter.
On a table, covered with the red and black flag of Targaryen House and that of the Reach was his sword, The Widow's Wail. Jaime had last seen this sigil more than twenty years ago, during the siege of King's Landing. The blood on the blade, was in a strangely beautiful harmony with the three red dragons.
He felt his hairs stand up.
The guards pulled his chains and Jaime saw what was on the other side of the table. A head, it was the head of Dickon Tarly... Even now Dickon's eyes were looking like a lost goat, even after his father wasn't giving him orders.
There were two crystal glasses and a golden wine goblet on the table, next to Widow's Wail.
Lady Olenna Tyrell now was wearing all red like she was rejoicing. 'She chose the winning side too…' thought bitterly Jaime.
Graciously, Lady of the Reach gifted Jaime with a smile.
"Come and take a glass of wine at my table, Lord Jaime. Unlike your sister, I am known to show my manners to my guests." She delicately took the goblet and poured red wine in the two glasses.
Jaime awkwardly took the glass.
"How bravely your army fought," said Lady Olenna. "Lions indeed…"
Jaime took a gulp and kept silent. He stared at the wine, so he can avoid the eyes of the Dragon Queen and the lords.
"I have done things, terrible things to protect my family," she told him, "and I have never lost my sleep. But your sister…" her lips thinned, like even the thought of Cercei was leaving a bad taste in her mouth. "She did things that I couldn't even imagine. That was my weakness, I failed to imagine the horrors she would do."
He really didn't know what to say. He had seen the empty pit that was now the Great Septa but he still loved his sister. 'Even if she is a monster…Cercei needs me!'
"How did Cercei wanted to kill me, once you have taken Highgarden?" changed the topic Lady Olenna.
"She wanted to parade you through the streets of King's Landing and then behead you. I talked her out of that," he confessed. "I brought a poison."
"Would it'd been painful?" inquired Olenna with mild curiosity like she was asking about breakfast tea.
"No…" Jaime shook his head. He remembered how angry was Cercei when he had insisted Lady Tyrell die with honor.
"She is a decease your sister," Jaime lifted his eyes from the empty glass. She was watching him closely. "I regret my role in spreading it. And soon you will regret it too," continued Lady Olenna.
Jaime couldn't blame her. He knew how deeply she was mourning her grandchildren.
She put her half empty glass on the table and turned to Lord Tarly
"My dear friend Randyll…" Lady Olenna said but she didn't address her words at Jaime. Instead she was fixing with venom the covered with ash Lord Tarly. "He was my best friend, he knew my grandchildren, he knew how I mourned for them…But his lust to be Warden of the South was above our friendship, above his loyalty…"
Randyll Tarly was looking like a broken man.
"House Tarly is no more!" spat Lady Olenna, "He betrayed me, he betrayed everything he had sworn to protect. He betrayed his honor." She looked Jaime in the eyes. "So I took his precious son, just like my grandchildren were killed by that mad bitch Cercei!"
Suddenly she smiled, "I'd hate for him to die like your son-clawing at his neck, foam and bile spilling from his mouth, eyes blood red, skin purple. It must have been horrible for you, as a Kingsguard, as a father. It was horrible enough for me, a shocking scene, not at all what I intended. You see, I'd never seen the poison work before. Tell Cersei. I want her to know it was me."
Jaime gaped. The true meaning of her words reached him. 'Tyrion didn't kill Joffrey.'
The vial with poison and the half empty glass of wine that Lady Tyrrell had left, were brought on a tray by a servant. Lady Olenna poured it in the glass of wine and Lord Randyll Tarly stoically drank it.
Jaime felt something clawing in him. Another man was killed before his eyes. Another man, who had chosen to follow him. 'Father knew that Tyrion was innocent...Cercei …' He didn't want to think about that. She must've not known that Tyrion was innocent…
He looked at the crumbling Tarly, looked at Lady of the Reach and met the eyes of Daenerys Targaryen. With her silver hair she was in stark contrast with the other people, like a princess from those fairy tales for the Ancient Valyrians that his nannies weaved when he was a child.
She returned his gaze with such power that Jaime finally realized something.
'There is no escape from the Dragon Queen…'
This was a lesson Daenerys had allowed.
Lord Tarly and his son had been a game meat from the moment Tarly had accepted Cercei's offer to be Warden of the South. She had used Olenna's grief to execute Randyll and his son in such a way that would cast her in good light as protector of the blood right of her ally and moderate and wise ruler, without the need to burn alive the traitors.
Granting Tarly to Olenna for execution made a point more brutal than feeding them to her Dragons.
'She isn't like her father, she isn't mad. She won't burn at stake people for her amusement.' Jaime thought, watching her. 'She is cunning and intelligent, just like Aegon The Conquerer before her. And like Aegon, she will crush everything and everyone standing on her way.'
x x x
The scroll of paper was standing next to Storms End castle, dropped there by Cercei.
She was staring at the painted Highgarden castle, not really seeing it.
'The Dragon Queen just singlehanedly wiped my army…' she thought and the image of her brother and lover Jaime emerged in her mind. 'He was captured…' This infuriated her. Again he has lost his army and was captured, leaving her alone, 'There won't be a third time….'
The heavy steps of Ser Gregor Clegane echoed in the small yard. Bracing herself, Cercei looked at the representative of the Iron Bank.
The smug look on Tycho Nestoris face really grated on her nerves. He had told her that she won't win against Dragons and she had challenged his belief.
"It seems that you couldn't establish your control over the continent," said Tycho, "And there is no gold coming to pay the debts of the Crown."
Cercei really wanted to order The Mountain to smash this weasel but she had to put off that for after the war.
"If Daenerys Targaryen wins, do you think she will pay the Crown's debt?" she felt pure delight, watching Tycho's smirk fade. "If the Iron Bank supports me, I will repay the debt. If they don't, then you will lose your investment in Westeros, just like you did with the slave trade in Mereen and Astapor. And didn't Daenerys Targaryen also put an end to the lucrative slave trade in the Dothraki Grass Sea?" she kindly asked. "I heard that her Viceroy in Mereen, Daario Naharis is very good in establishing her revolutionary vision about slaves over all territories of her Empire in Essos. And beyond…"
She knew from her spies that Nestoris had received a raven three days ago with a cart blanche to finance her against the Dragon Queen. And her Hand that she had sent to Essos, needed the money of the Iron Bank to hire the Golden Company mercenaries. Euron was back in King's Landing with his fleet, so she only needed to secure the gold.
Tycho Nestoris looked at her, "You need our gold to hire the Golden Company…" Cercei was sure that the spies of the Iron Bank haven't been idle. "But we will require much higher interest rate and more returns after the war is over."
She had expected that, "When I win the war, I will give you a complete control over Dorne and its wine and silk trade." The carrot she had waved under the weasel's nose, made the eyes of Tycho Nestoris shone. Dorne had long resisted the influence of the Iron Bank as she well knew.
"I will send a raven to the commander Strickland that we will finance the war." Tycho said.
Cercei smiled sweetly at his words and accompanied Tycho to the column gallery. The Mountain stepped on the scroll flattening it against the paintings of Storms Land.
"What about your brother, he was captured, wasn't he?" remembered the Iron Bank representative.
Cercei didn't change the expression of her face, "I will send tomorrow a message to Daenerys that I can't trade both of her allies in exchange of one captured Lannister." Tycho raised his brows, he obviously didn't expect that she will dump her brother so fast, "This will win us time…" she paused, "And Euron is reluctant to part with his spoils of war, so I can only negotiate for the Dornish bitch…"
She could see how Tycho's thoughts were calculating her words. It would take 3 days for Euron's fast ships to cross the Narrow Sea to Essos, at least two days for the mercenaries to take on the ships and 3 days back to Kings Landing. 9 days…
The raven will be sent tomorrow, it will need 2 days to fly to Highgarden and 2 days back and the negotiations will take place for at least two more flights…The Dragon's Queen Dothraki army was still at Dragonstone and her Unsullied were in Casterly Rock…
Tycho Nestoris oily smile spread on his face, "You are a true daughter of Tywin Lannister! We have been right to invest in you!"
Cercei's lips spread, imitating a smile. 'Once I win the war against that Dragon bitch, your head will be the first of many to decorate the walls of my capital…'
She had no intention of paying even a coin to the Iron Bank.
x x x
A horn sounded in the distance and Jon Snow stood up from his work. He was carrying the crates with dragonglass to the boat. Ser Davos was behind him with the Dothraki that Daenerys had provided.
Jon looked at the sea and noticed that a small boat was separating from a ship that was likely a merchant vessel.
At least two dozen Dothraki riders and Misandei were approaching in the distance, almost as quick as the boat. Whoever was rowing it was very good at doing it.
As the boat approached, the Dothraki took positions with weapons ready to strike.
Jon could see that in the boat was only one man. He looked his age, with black hair and eyes so light that even from in the pale light coming through the stormy clouds Joh could tell they were blue. The man stepped over the board in the sea water and with his strength pulled the boat to the sand shore.
He was not very tall but very stocky and build like a bull, with powerful arms and chest. The man was wearing coarse clothes and as he came closer Jon could see his calloused hands. This wasn't a lord.
The man stood still, eyeing the Dothraki, suddenly looking anxious.
"Well, well, I was sure you are still rowing…" Ser Davos exclaimed and laughing went and hug the man, who smiled and hugged back.
Ser Davos turned to Jon and Misandei, "This is Gendry! He is a blacksmith from King's Landing. He was captured by the Red Priestess and I set him free…" he looked fondly at Gendry who stepped and his blue eyes ran between Jon and Misandei.
"I am Gendry, a bastard of Robert Baratheon but I have no ill feelings toward Queen Daenerys Targaryen. I have been raised as a slave at a blacksmith in King's Landing and then I was forced to flee when Cercei killed all bastards that my father had left."
Gendry's pale face showed how his speech was grating at his courage. Jon was impressed how bravely he stood there, unarmed and saying he was a son of the man who had killed Daenerys brother and rebelled against her father.
"I was captured by the Red witch and she was about to sacrifice me, when Ser Davos set me free. Since then I was hiding in King's Landing, making weapons for the Lannisters. But when I heard of the Dragon Queen coming to Westeros, I couldn't stay there anymore and create weapons for the people I despise." He took a deep breath and continued, "I have come to offer my services to the Dragon Queen and to bend the knee."
Misandei studied for a long moment the pale man and then she nodded, welcoming Gendry. He took his instruments and a giant hammer from the boat. The Dothraki escorted him to the lower buildings next to the castle where the riders were stationed.
Jon looked thoughtfully at the group of Dotraki riders, Misandei and Gendry.
Ser Davos stepped next him, "She really inspires people, doesn't she?" This was not a question.
Jon returned to the dragonglass but he could feel the eyes of Ser Davos on him.
Without looking at his Hand, he whispered, "She does…'