Chapter 51; To have it end
Characters of the chapter
Agatha, Bard of Orlais
Alerie, Bard of Orlais
Alexander de Rozien, Chevalier of Orlais, Marshall of the Grand Army of Orlais, supreme commander of the Orlesian invasion of Westeros
Bazyl Joubert, Orlesian ambassador to the South Kingdom of the Twin Kingdoms
Brienne of Tarth Knight of the Twin Kingdoms
Daenerys Targaryen, The Mother of Dragons, the Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, the Unburnt, the Breaker of Chains, Queen of the of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the First Men of the South, Queen of the South Kingdom of the Twin kingdoms and Protector of the Realm
Haddon, Bard of Orlais
Jaime Lannister, Lord of Casterly Rock, Warden of the West
Jon Snow, also known as Aegon Targaryen and Jon Stark, King of the North Kingdom of the Twin Kingdoms
Roslin Tully, Lady of Riverrun, widow to Edmure Tully, the former Lord of Riverrun
Ser Kenton, Knight in the service of House Kronos
Tyrion Lannister, Hand of the Queen to Queen Daenerys
Cursive/Bold text is in Orlesian
Alexander de Rozien rode at the head of a small column of riders. Before him were the last few hills before White Harbor and the coastline. The remainder of his army was not far behind him, such as it was. Between the attacks from the dragon and the battles with the Westerosi army pursuing them his army had now been reduced to less than half the number that had come to this continent originally.
The dragon had not reappeared since they had managed to drive it off with the help of Lucas Holden, their Nevarran dragon hunter, so there was a respite from that threat. But the damage had been done, and the advantage had swung decisively in the favor of the Twin Kigdoms. Although the Queen's army had lost many forces breaking the siege of Winterfell and the battles since, the Grand army had lost more. The Twin Kingdoms now commanded the greater numbers, particularly since the remnants of the North Kingdom army had now rallied with the Queen's forces. Worst of all contact had been lost with the fleet. Not even Gagnon's inquiries had produced any clues to what had happened. With the loss of contact had also come the loss of the final Imperial supply line. Even with rationing his army only had food for a few days more. After that starvation would begin.
It had to be admitted that the campaign against the Twin Kingdoms had been a failure. Victory for Orlais had been so close, but that only made their defeat that much more bitter. They had underestimated the resilience of the Westerosi. And they had underestimated the dragon most of all. They had believed that they had a final answer to its threat, that they had it contained, only for the Queen to somehow (Alexanders still had no idea how that had been managed) prove this to be a false assumption. Perhaps they had had more artefacts made before starting this war, or if their resident dragon hunter had been with them from the start things might have been different. But there was no use in contemplating on might have beens, because now there was no longer a chance to turn the tide around. The defeats sustained during the time being chased by the enemy force had all but confirmed this. At best the Imperial Army might drag things on for some time longer, perhaps killing more of the Royalists. But what was the point of that now that the war had already been lost? Alexander could only hope he would not be penalized too harshly for having failed in this campaign. Without question His Majesty would be most displeased, but with some fortune the Emperor would realize that he had done his absolute best and that the circumstances had simply escaped beyond his control. If not, or if the Emperor decided he needed a scapegoat more than he needed the truth of what had happened… well it was all in the Maker's hands now.
Right now the Marshal's objective was to save as many of his troops as possible. To that end he had come to believe it would be necessary to do what the Imperial Navy had failed to accomplish and seize White Harbor. The enemy army was right at their heels, so there was precious little time for an evacuation while a call for peace was yet to be issued. With the army he still had at his command, striking without warning against a city that was already battered and weakened, he believed he had a decent chance of capturing the place. With White Harbor under their control they stood a chance of holding out until they could retreat to their ships or until a negotiated peace could be arranged. Distasteful as it was the populace of the city could be used to protect them from the dragon and the enemy army both. The fire breathing monster would still be a threat to their evacuation efforts, but they could hole up their fleet in the harbor and send ships out during the cover of darkness.
The Marshal and his entourage ascended the final hill blocking White Harbor from their view. At first he was delighted to note the Imperial fleet still holding the bay. But then he realized the ship designs were all wrong, the sails and banners carrying sigils foreign to his nation. It was a Westerosi fleet holding the bay, not an Orlesian one. Around the enemy ships there were several smoking and half submerged wrecks, the remnants of the proud Imperial armada. There was now no doubt as to why contact had been lost, what had happened to the Imperial fleet. Now there would be no leaving Westeros. And now there would not be taking White Harbor either. Not in time. Not with the enemy fleet able to bring their sailors ashore to bolster the city's defenses.
Now there was only one way to save his army. It would not make him any more popular in court, indeed it would be equal to political suicide. But the good of his troops and the security of the Empire demanded it be done. Orlais had lost enough sons and daughters in this mess. Any more would only leave them more weakened against enemies at home.
De Rozien bowed his head and motioned to one of the riders at his side. "Send for a messenger and a scribe. And make sure the messenger carries a white banner when he sets out."
The soldier he had addressed suppressed a gasp. "Yes ser." The soldier nonetheless said, saluted and rode off to fulfill the command given.
Alexander watched the soldier ride away. Of cource he had taken his Marshal's meaning. What other reason could there be to send a messenger with a banner of truce.
This army had belonged to De Rozien. His troops trusted him, even amidst this defeat. Alexander could not quite shake the feeling that in doing this he had let them down.
"But at least this way there is a chance that they get to go home." He tried to console himself.
Jon and Daenerys were at the head of their army. For a change the Queen was on horseback, since both she and Drogon were still on the mend from the injuries they sustained in their last attack against the Orlesian force. Jon for his part was glad of the company as he chatted with her, drifting from topic to topic without a clear course in their conversation. It was so good to be at her side at long last, and to just talk of matters other than this blasted war they had been caught in. Just by looking at her he could tell that she felt the same way. Ruling two different kingdoms meant they often had a thousand miles or more separating them from each other. They did what they could to keep in contact with one another of course, but even the most frequently sent letter could do only so much. Because of that every moment they did get to have together was precious to them, used to their fullest extent. That included circumstances as unusual and unfortunate as this conflict.
Overall the mood amongst the Twin Kingdoms forces was rather relaxed. While the enemy force still numbered in the tens of thousands, the Royalists knew that the advantage was now theirs, and that the enemy had now suffered numerous defeats at their hands. There was a feeling in the air that the end was in sight, at least as far as the threat presented by the Orlesian Empire was concerned. That knowledge cheered everyone's spirits. Of course there was still the matter of the Qunari to deal with. That was going to be a host of problems all of its own. It had taken a surprisingly long time for them to do so, but now they had started receiving reports of groups of the Oxmen having landed on the coast and an increased amount of naval activity on the Western seas. That meant they had to finish this opponent quickly and turn to face the fresh foe. But that did not detract from their accomplishment here.
And of course they still had to be cautious. The Orlesian host was still large enough to cause great havoc if they slipped away from them. To prevent that possibility they had scouts out at all times, watching for an enemy attempt to get around them.
It caught Jon's and Daenerys's attention to notice a group of those scouts riding back to them… with an Orlesian soldier riding between them.
"My King, My Queen. This man says he bring word to you from Marshal de Rozien." One of the scouts said upon reaching them.
The King and Queen exchanged looks. "Then let him speak, if he has something to say. What message have you been sent to bring us?" Daenerys said then.
The Orlesian soldier took a deep breath, clearly reluctant to perform this task. "Your Graces. The Grand Army has become aware that our line of retreat has been cut, and that our strategic situation has now become untenable. To save his army from total annihilation… Marshal De Rozien is willing to offer the Grand Army's surrender in exchange for the safe treatment of all our remaining forces."
"Here is the written message conveying the same request." The soldier said, handing a scroll to one of the scouts, to be handed over to the Monarchs.
There was a long pause as the two considered this unexpected offer. "While I am not entirely certain than an invading army that attacked our countries unprovoked is deserving of it… I am inclined to accept this surrender, for the good of my kingdom. I am sure the King in the North feels the same way." Daenerys said then.
"Aye, I do. The Marshal offered to treat my troops fairly when our positions were reversed. If he truly wishes to surrender then I find I can offer no less." Jon said.
"But what of your Empire, soldier? Is this it's surrender as well?" Daenerys asked then.
"Unfortunately at this time I have no information on any decision made by the Emperor regarding this conflict. But word has been sent to ambassador Joubert about the situation here. He will relay the information to his Majesty, who will then reach an appropriate decision. I have confidence the Emperor will inform you of anything you need to know regarding that decision." The soldier said.
"Very well." Jon said. "Return to your commander and tell him his offer of surrender is accepted."
"Thank you Your Graces. The Grand Army will be ready to be turned over to your custody when you reach us." The soldier said with a bow.
With that the Imperial soldier turned his horse around and rode back the way he came.
"Do you know what dislike most about the Orlesians? Their masks. Remind me far too much about the Sons of the Harpy. And you can never know what kind of thoughts they are really thinking behind those things." Daenerys said as she watched as the enemy rode away.
"Bring word to the rest of the army. I want no bloodshed unless the enemy provokes it out of us, but until they have actually surrendered we must keep ourselves ready for battle. And once you have delivered the message you are to return to scouting. I have no interest in walking in to an ambush." She then commanded the scouts. The scouts gave her a bow and rode off as well.
"The Orlesian's being cut off… Yara's doing?" Jon asked.
"Almost certainly." Daenerys said.
"It would seem that this is over, at long last." She added, relieved.
"Assuming the Emperor sues for peace." Jon said.
"He will. I can feel it in my bones. And what else is there for him to do? He could send another army I suppose. But it would take a long time to assemble one, and this time we would be expecting the blow. And he has lost tens of thousands of lives without gaining a damn thing, so I have a hard time believing his people will agree to go along with anything more." She said.
"I hope you are right. Because we still have the Qunari to face. Peace with the Empire would be timely." He said.
"Yes, and for more than one reason. You see, I don't think we have the power to face the Qunari on our own. Not anymore. These Orlesian shits took that from us. If we had that much strength to begin with. After what the Kirkwall ambassador has told me of them, I am less than certain. In either case we are going to need allies. And I think I know who we should approach first." She said.
"You mean the Inquisition." Jon guessed.
"Correct. Working on a peace treaty would give us direct access to the Lord Inquisitor, since I have high confidence he will be there to oversee this personally. I've not always trusted their intentions, but the Inquisition is a force to be reckoned with, and unlike us they have allies of their own, which they can call upon in need. Orlais they would not fight because of their ties. But perhaps they will fight the Qunari, if it gains them our friendship. And perhaps we can count on their aid against Tevinter as well."
"Tevinter?" Jon repeated, raising his eyebrows. "Enemies right at our doorstep, and you're thinking of the Imperium? I know the kind of stories they tell of them, but why worry over wrongdoers half a world away when we have so many issues right over here?"
"You forget where I came from, and what I did there. That is why Tevinter matters to me." Daenerys countered. "Jon, they are murdering my legacy. All the good I did in Essos… it has all become undone because of them. And they are not going to stop. If they have their way I never existed at all. They will do the same to anyone that opposes them. In their world the only nation ever to exist was Tevinter, and only their people ever accomplished anything of note. Everything else they will eradicate from history."
Jon sighed. "I can understand why that might frustrate you. But that doesn't change the fact that they are not here, unlike our other enemies."
"Not now they're not. But trust me, one day they will be. And if you are going to wait until they are marching across our lands, you will find it is far too late then to do anything to stop them. We must begin our preparation now, while we still can." Daenerys argued.
Jon did not respond at once. "The Inquisition will make fine ally, if they can be convinced. On that much at least we agree." He then concluded.
"Then that's good enough for me. For now." Daenerys said, deciding that convincing Jon of the Tevinter threat could wait for another day.
"Do you know what the people have taken to calling this war?" She asked after a moment of silence, changing the subject.
"What?" Jon asked.
"The War of the Winds." She said.
"A strange name." He commented.
"Very. It must have originated with a poet or some such." She said. "But apparently it's called that because of different cultures and geographies of the fighting sides. The Thedosians have their homelands far away to the north of us, hence they are collectively called the North Winds. We who live south of them are likewise called the South Winds. They were carried to our shores by their winds in the north, and like a wind they swept across our lands, first as merchants peddling their wares, and now as invaders. And when we rose to meet their threat, our country was embroiled in a strong and terrifying storm of war."
"I think you are right. Must have been a poet who thought of that." Jon said with a smirk. "You know, that reminds me that the more time passes the sillier it feels to call my Kingdom the North. At one time I believed the world ended at the Wall. Anything beyond it was some wasteland not worth considering part of the world. Then I went there and found there is a true North beyond the Wall. Eight years ago we learned there is a northern north beyond even that and bloody hells even that is not the end of it from what I hear".
He sighed. "Used to be we could think we know the world. Now we have to accept that we knew it not at all."
"Perhaps that is a sign of our times." She contemplated. "These are strange days we live in, Jon. Full of awe, mystery and change. Come what may, the Thedosians have changed us. Nothing will ever be quite the way it was again.
At Riverrun, several days later…
Alerie cautiously peered over the battlements, staring at a pair of Lannister soldiers close to the waterline. They looked to be gathering water from the river, scooping it up with buckets. Idiots. Wiser men would have done so further away from the castle, out of range from arrows. Weeks of dull, uneventful siege had made the Lannister troops complacent it seemed. Their mistake.
Alerie aimed with her crossbow for a few seconds, then fired. One of the Lannister soldiers got a crossbow bolt through the eye. The other one dropped his bucket and fled back towards the Royalist camp but left his fellow behind. Alerie reloaded and took aim again but lowered her weapon when she realized that the other one had gotten out of range.
"Lucky." She thought as she sat down on the battlements. "Or maybe not" She reconsidered. Sure, the other one had gotten away from her, but he would doubtless be feeling terrible later on for the one left behind. And his living buddies would be none too merciful that the two of them had gotten so careless and forgotten they were participating in a siege.
"Alerie, I really don't get why insist on doing that. You are supposed to be on watch duty. That's all you are really expected to do. So why are you shooting at things?" Haddon said as he joined her.
"Target of opportunity." Alerie said with a shrug. "Plus I have a quota of sorts to keep. I figure if I drop enough royalists Agatha might be willing to forgive earlier screw-ups on my part. I'd really like to get back in her good books if I can."
"I don't think you are in quite as much trouble as you seem to think. Sure, she's still irritated that you shot Lord Edmure, but only time can fix that. As for the other incident… she can accept that it was an honest miss. Annoying for her, but ultimately not your fault. And she's busier being mad at Kenton than being irritated with you." Haddon said as he sat down next to her.
"Well, maybe so. Still, it doesn't hurt to do this, right? Just to show her I'm not incompetent." Alerie said.
"She knows you are not. Just as she knows you still have much to learn about patience, of thinking ahead. She doesn't hate you, even if she sometimes gets impatient with you. And getting yourself killed isn't going to help anything." He said.
"Killed? What do you mean?" She asked.
Haddon rolled his eyes. "Did it occur to you this might have been a trick? Those two might have well been there to lure you out, so a hidden archer could then shoot you dead?"
"Well it wasn't a trick, and thanks to the shot I took there is now one enemy less for us to deal with. I fail to see how that could be a bad thing?" She said defiantly.
"Actually that too may have gotten to a point where it doesn't matter anymore. There's been a few developments. Tell you all about them." He said.
"Sure. But while we are talking… would you share some of your rations? I'm all out." She said.
"What? How can you be out already? Its early morning. These rations are supposed to last all day!" He asked.
"I know, I know. But you know the kind of pathetic scraps they have been handing out lately. Not enough for even a single proper meal." She said. "Come on, be a pal. I'm really hungry."
"And you think I'm not?" Haddon asked. Then he gave an irritated sigh. "Fine. Half my rations, no more. And I expect to get half of your rations next time they are passing them out." He said, taking out a small packet and handing her some of the bread and dried meat it contained.
"Sure thing. And thanks." Alerie said as she took what was offered.
"Oh man. Next time we have to sit through a siege we'd better stock up on supplies. It's just pathetic, the situation we have gotten ourselves in here." She said as she munched on the food.
"Agreed. But I'm guessing this whole siege thing wasn't what anyone was planning on. But now I believe I was about to tell you about what was happening elsewhere in Westeros. It's a good thing we are already sitting, because this is going to be a bit of a shock…
At the same time in another part of the castle Agatha stepped inside the space Kenton had turned into his personal office.
"Well? What do you want now?" Kenton asked curtly when he noticed her enter. He was currently seated before a desk, poring over some papers.
"News from the front." She replied equally as bluntly. "The Grand Army has been smashed to bits. Now they are going to fucking surrender."
"What? Shit!" Kenton said, standing up.
"I'm going to take my people home." She said, crossing her arms and going to stand next to a window.
"You are leaving!?" He asked.
"Tonight. Thanks to my talks with Lady Roslin I'm aware of paths one can take to escape the castle unnoticed, and the enemy army has become lax with inaction. With care and some luck us bards can slip past the siege lines and figure out the way back to Orlais from there." She said.
"You cannot do that! Your Emperor gave you strict orders to hold this castle! As my Lord gave to me!" Kenton protested.
"The Emperor gave those orders when he was still planning to win this war. That war is now over. I have to believe he values our lives as a resource more than stubbornly holding on to a castle that has lost strategic significance to the Empire."
"My Lord has given me a command and I will not disobey it." He said.
"For all I know your Lord is rotting somewhere ignoble. And I for one would feel silly doing the bidding of a corpse. But fine. I wasn't asking what your people are going to do."
"You must stay. Your people are required here to bolster our defenses." He said.
"True enough. Without us you'll probably get slaughtered here. Too bad for you. I will be generous and will allow your people to come with us when we go, provided they pull their weight and don't compromise my people in any way." She said with a smirk.
"You will go nowhere. I will not permit it." He said.
"Permit?" She sneered, then turned to leave. Things happened quickly then. One moment he was grabbing her by the shoulder to stop her, the next he found himself pinned against the wall, a knife to his throat.
"Never, ever, assume to get the jump on a bard. That kind of mistake could prove to be your last." She hissed. "I have had just about enough of you. And now there is no longer any alliance between us to make me stay my hand. Lucky for you I don't think you are even worth killing."
"My offer to your troops stand. But you? You are excluded. Since you wanted to stay here and die for your Lord, then that is exactly what you will do. You'll stay right in this castle and the enemy will kill you. You try to come with us and I'll kill you. Raise a hand to me, or do so much as irk me from this moment on, and I'll kill you. Do you understand?" She said, voice dripping with menace.
White like a ghost, Kenton nodded slowly. With a final look of contempt Agatha released him and strode from the room, leaving him quivering on the spot.
The following morning…
"Would you mind explaining again what is it that we are attempting to do here?" Brienne said to Jaime as the two were observing Riverrun.
"We are digging a tunnel under Riverrun's walls. As we dig the tunnel is supported with wooden beams. The walls will eventually come to rest on those beams as well. Once we have dug far enough fire will be set in the tunnel. When the tunnel collapses, so does the section of wall above it. Then we storm the breach and take the castle." Jaime explained.
"Interesting. And you came up with this idea by yourself?" She said.
"Not precisely. Tyrion once loaned me a book on the theory it might prove handy one day. The great sieges of Westeros it was called, by archmaester… by some archmaester whose name I could not pronounce even if my life depended upon it. Awful reading, but it had useful information. This tactic was among one of the passages." He said.
"I see. Do you think it will take much longer for our siege crews to finish?" She asked.
"Not long I'd wager. The reason this took as much time as it did was because we actually had to get below the river without flooding our own tunnels. That caused us complications. But now my engineers report they have finished digging. That's why I had the troops called to order.
Just then Jaime saw people emerging from the tent that hid the tunnel entrance. One of them came to him. "My Lord, the fire has been set."
"Good. Very good. Then now all there is to do is to wait for results." Jaime said.
For several minutes nothing happened, but smoke began billowing from the tunnel entrance. Then there was a deep rumble, the ground beneath their feet shuddering as long cracks appeared on Riverrun's walls. Then a thunderous noise followed as the wall came tumbling down, the rubble filling the moat, creating a makeshift bridge into the castle.
Brienne and Jaime nodded to each other and drew their swords. Jaime then turned to his soldiers.
"Attack." He shouted, pointing his blade at the castle. With him and Brienne in the lead a swarm of soldiers in red charged toward Riverrun. As they drew closer Jaime would have expected arrows to start hitting their ranks. But none came. Even when the Lannister troops began crossing the makeshift bridge and climbing the rubble to get to the breach there was nothing. No rocks, no oil, nothing.
"Perhaps the enemy had been caught unawares and none had reached their posts yet." Jaime thought as he clambered upwards with the others.
Brienne was the first to reach the top, where she was at last challenged by an enemy soldier. She cut down her opponent in short order. After that Jaime was at her side, cutting down another. Lannister soldiers streamed in after them and the battle inside the castle started in earnest. Brienne and Jaime fought together, she with the strength and skill she was known for, while he did his best to emulate that performance. He was still far removed from the swordsman he used to be, and in the past eight years he had certainly not gotten any younger. But even so his skill had improved over the years. Enough for him to do this part.
In the end the fight for the castle only lasted for about ten minutes before ending abruptly. The enemy fallen numbered well under fifty. Of the Lannister attackers only a handful had died. The rest were looking around, confused that the fight had ended so quickly.
"This can't possibly be all of them." Brienne said, keeping her sword at the ready, just in case.
"These are all in Westerosi armor. Where are the Orlesians?" She said, taking note of the bodies at her feet.
"Captain, divide your troops into squads. Search the castle. Find any other enemy troops and destroy them. And find me Lady Roslin and her son why you're at it." Jaime told the closest officer.
"Yes My Lord." Said the Captain.
"I do hope the rest of the enemy are still somewhere to be found. I would hate to have gone through all this effort for the majority of the enemy not to be here. It would feel like we have been played for fools." Jaime said to Brienne as his troops spread around to search the castle.
"Agreed. And I hope Lady Roslin and her boy are still ok." Brienne said.
"That too." Jaime concurred.
"My Lord. We have found them." The Captain said as he returned some time later. From behind his back emerged the lady of Riverrun, holding young Hoster by the hand. Both seemed tired and stressed out, but otherwise unharmed. Jaime smiled and stepped closer:
"My Lady. I am pleased that the enemy did not…"
A loud crack echoed in the courtyard as she slapped him across the face. On instinct the Lannister troops tensed for a moment before realizing she was surely no threat to their lord. Jaime could only stare at her in surprise, rubbing his cheek.
"For ignoring my orders and putting my son in danger." She said sharply. Then she grew calm again. "However, I am thankful that you freed us. And that you brought at least some of these fiends to justice."
"I am glad that I could be of service." Jaime said in a formal tone. "Tell me My Lady, do you know where the rest of the enemy might have gone."
"I believe they decided to flee sometime during the night. Doubtless with as much food and valuables as they could carry, adding theft to their other crimes. I suspect these ones refused to leave and decided to make a last stand instead. Other than that I know nothing. Were locked in our rooms, and not told much. I doubt we mattered much to the enemy by the end. We can only be thankful that they did not think to hurt us." She said.
"My Lord… you have already done much, and I am embarrassed to ask… but I could use your aid. By myself I must admit I am shorthanded. I ask access to your resources, to hire a new staff to the castle and restore a garrison here." She said then.
Jaime nodded. "Of course. Seeing as you are short on troops, I would be happy to lend you a contingent of my men until..."
"Pardon me my Lord. I would much rather have a Tully force defending Riverrun. You, ser Brienne and the required staff are welcome to stay here as my guests until matters are sorted, though I must apologize in advance for the state of the accommodations. Other than that, however, I would like your army to withdraw to another location, away from Riverrun. I am not... comfortable… in having them so close to my home." She cut in, holding up her hand.
"Ah. Because they are Lannister troops." He thought to himself, with no small amount of bitterness.
"I understand. That is well within your rights as the Lady of Riverrun. I shall have my forces do as you bid." He said aloud.
"Thank you. Not to appear blunt but after I have staff and soldiers of my own once again, I would appreciate if the rest of you left me in peace at that time. My son and I must mourn my husband properly. Afterwards there is rebuilding to be done." She said, a note of sadness visiting her voice when talking about her husband.
"Very well. We will remain only for as long as we are welcome, no longer." He said. He turned his attention to the breach. "For my part I'd wish to express my regrets that we damaged your castle during the assault, even though it was necessary. I would be willing to cover the expenses of rebuilding your walls, if you wish. As compensation."
"That is very generous of you My Lord Lannister. I accept your offer." Lady Roslin said.
In King's Landing, two weeks later
Ambassador Joubert sighed heavily, putting down a letter from the Emperor. It had arrived yesterday evening, and on the night that followed he had not slept at all. He had instead remained in his study, reading the words over and over, trying to force himself to accept them as real. Now dawn had arrived. It was time for him to perform his duty to the Empire. In some ways it was a relief that the war was now over and done with, but that did not take away the bitterness of defeat.
Slowly he stood up and walked to the door to his mansion. Along the way he motioned for six of his guards to follow him. Stepping outside he was met with the cool air of the early morning, the streets around him covered in a light mist.
This early in the morning most of the people of the city were still asleep. Some were about though, giving him hostile looks. But fortunately the citizens seemed to understand the meaning of ambassador well enough not to try anything else. Or maybe it was the presence of armed guards that deterred them from that.
Before the gates of the Red Keep he stopped and sighed again. Then he proceeded to announce himself to the guards protecting the gate. For reasons of security the entrance to the castle had kept closed for most of the war. But the guards knew who he was and after he had made it clear he was her on official business the way was opened for him. His path then took him to the tower of the hand and finally before Tyrion's chambers. There he was met by two more guards.
"The Lord Hand please. It is important." He told one of them.
"One moment, ambassador." The guard replied and vanished inside Tyrion's rooms. The ambassador was left standing outside the door for a time, patiently waiting. Then the soldier reemerged.
"The Lord Hand will see you now." The soldier told him. Joubert nodded and proceeded inside. He noticed Tyrion entering through another door and seat himself before his desk.
"Ah, Joubert. You're up early, I had barely risen myself. No matter. I had thought about summoning you later today anyway. You will be happy to hear that our efforts to keep the faiths from killing each other have been rather successful. Sure enough there have been some fights, but they have been broken up in short order before there was significant trouble. And the troops provided by the Thedosian ambassadors have done a great job in keeping the Chantry cathedral safe, including your guards. And while I can't tell you much, I have also been looking into the murder of the High Septon, found some promising leads, but also complications, which, pardon me, I would rather not tell you about at this time."
"My Lord…" Joubert interrupted calmly.
Tyrion paused, having noted the sad tone in his friend's voice. "What is it?" He asked.
"There has been a message from the Emperor. He has instructed me… he has instructed me to contact you, as well as the King and Queen, to begin arrangements to create a peace treaty between the Empire and the Kingdoms." Joubert said, leaving Tyrion stunned with surprise.