After Missandei had left, Tyrion had expected to spend the rest of his evening alone with the sole company being a flagon of fruity wine that hadn't been drunk during their time together. It was an unexpected friendship that they had formed but it was beneficial for the both of them he found. Tyrion helped Missandei come out of her shell more, whereas she gave him a different perspective on the goings on around here and life as a whole. It definitely made for interesting conversations. Yet his peace was interrupted by a knock at his door. He knew who it would likely be at this time of night. He stumbled towards the door, having to hold onto the table for a moment to compose himself. The wine was obviously having an effect on him now. He forgot how many glasses he'd consumed whilst they whiled away the hours.
Varys stood in the dark corridor when he opened the door. He wordlessly motioned for him to enter, which he did. It was if he glided into the room, the slippers he wore making no noise on the stone floor. No words were spoken as Tyrion motioned his head to the flagon on the table, Varys nodding his head in acceptance of the beverage. Once poured, the dwarf seated himself, taking a sip from his own glass. The eunuch opted to stay standing.
"I'm sure you've heard the news from King's Landing?" Varys began. Tyrion hadn't. And suddenly, the pitch black setting of the night seemed to suit this conversation. Spiders operate at night. He noted how Varys's eyebrows raised when Tyrion shook his head in the negative. "There has been a development. It seems there was some sort of coup against the Queen Regent. Your sister."
"About time. But who has the balls to take on Cersei?"
"The King." Varys's short answer made Tyrion sit up quickly. This was a surprising turn of events. Tommen had always appeared to be so meak. Something had changed since he had left.
"What's changed to make her own son strike against her. She's too calculating to make such a mistake."
"I've been told that the King had a meeting with the High Septon prior to her arrest." The Faith being involved added another dangerous element to be considered in this equation.
"So she's being held in the Sept?" he asked.
"Yes. And has been for three weeks now. But that won't last for long."
"I guess they're pressing for a trial." There was something more about it. Varys waited for him to figure it out. "A trial...but if she's being held in the Sept, then it won't be a usual trial. She won't have any sway over the verdict."
"Exactly. The High Septon is due to preside over it, along with six other high standing followers of their religion." Cersei was a dead woman walking then. Again, something was niggling at him.
"What were the charges?"
"They haven't made them public yet. I'm sure the trial will make them clear. But, if the Faith are involved, it will involve some sort of sin."
"Cersei has committed too much of that to count. There has to be something really specific that would get her in this much trouble." He didn't care about what happened to his sister - she had treated him with nothing but hatred during their time together. But for her to be falling meant that the political landscape was shifting, which would make their efforts to place Daenerys there even more difficult.
"Whatever it is, she is to be tried in the morning."
"And Tommen will be free from her scheming."
"From her scheming, yes. But the void will quickly be filled."
Tyrion realised what the eunuch was implying. "The wife. The Tyrells. They're practically the most powerful family in Westeros now because they'll control the King."
"As well as the High Septon. He now sits on the Council too." Tyrion figured out what was bugging him so much.
"What about Jaime?" The one person in his family he truly cared for. Probably the only one who cared for him.
"Disappeared as if he was simply a puff of smoke, although some of my Birds saw him leave the city limits accompanied by another man. We don't know where he was heading." The important thing was that he had gotten himself out of there and was probably safe now.
"He did the right thing."
"Maybe that's so but it means there is only one Lannister in the capital and your uncle Kevan was never the strongest lion. Certainly a good advisor but will not be tempted by a better offer."
"So it is likely that we will have to take the city by force."
"It was always likely, especially with the way our Queen is. But I serve the Realm Tyrion and it cannot survive a full blown attack. When the time comes, we have to persuade Daenerys to seek a more peaceful route. The people will bow to her in that case, instead of falling in the ash."
"I'll give you that task. She wants that Throne more than anything else. Although don't forget she is under the influence of the Mormont knight, as well as the wizard. I believe they would advocate for a safer approach."
"Be that as it may, she will have to remove the king. Your nephew. And I'm sure you know what I mean by remove." Tyrion's smile faded at the thought. Tommen was still just a boy. "And she must get rid of him permanently if she is to be secure on the Throne."
"That was the point of this conversation. To assuage my loyalty to the Queen."
"No, not the Queen. The Realm. It has struggled with the prospect of usurpers for too long. It will benefit from being ruled by an outright commander."
"I left my family behind a long time ago. You helped, Varys. I serve Daenerys and only Daenerys."
"Then we should be fine."
"And I expect there will be a lot of time before we have to face these decisions. The Queen is being pulled further North to fight another war. A war that will determine the state of your precious realm."
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The morning came with a bright shining sun that juxtaposed the restless night of before. There was one thing on the agenda for those living on Dragonstone today and that was to visit the caves beneath the castle that were said to hold the main reserves of dragonglass. The group walked across the sand as they approached the cave system. Daenerys led them, curious to find out what secrets lay beneath her ancestral home. She was flagged by Jorah, who was slightly apprehensive about them all going in when it could surely collapse on them, and Bruda, who was looking forward to see this discovery. Tyrion was attempting to keep up with them but thought it easier to keep pace with Sam and Marwyn, the least physically fit out of the group.
They stopped outside the large cavernous mouth that led into the cave. Jorah gave Daenerys an uneasy look before reaching for a torch that some Unsullied guards had left when they were sent to initially check it out. He placed it briefly into an open fire to set it alight before they all slowly walked inside. Even with the fire, it was still incredibly dark inside the cave. Bruda rolled his eyes at the Mormont knight and lifted his staff into the air. A ball of blue light grew from the tip before it elegantly floated away, reaching the roof of the cave. The light seemed to bounce off the shiny rock embedded into the walls, sending shards of light criss-crossing around them. It took Daenerys's breath away, seeing such natural beauty. Jorah lifted his hand to touch one of the beams of light, watching as it weaved in between his fingers.
"It's beautiful," she whispered. Bruda was feeling the wall with one hand, dragging his palm against the rough surface.
"It's more than we will ever need," he replied, a small grin lighting up his face. She eyed him with thinly veiled disgust and amusement when he licked his palm tentatively, as if to get a sense of what the dragonglass was like. He was as strange a person as she had met. And she thoroughly enjoyed his company, the old warlock straight from out of her young childhood dreams.
Marwyn looked around. "We will be able to arm an entire army judging by the amount in here. And this is just the front part of the cave. It will go on for quite a while, I'm sure."
"Is there a practical and safe way to extract the dragonglass without risking the foundations of the castle?" Jorah asked the archmaester.
"Luckily, Dragonstone is mainly built upon sturdier ground so, even if this was to collapse, very little damage would come to it. But, if we were to start at the very back of the cave, with enough people, then it should be no danger to those in here." The knight nodded his head at the reassurances.
"Jon will be gobsmacked by this when he sees it." This time it was Sam who spoke, prompting the others to look at him.
"Jon?" Daenerys questioned.
"J...Jon Snow, your Grace. My best friend. He's working with Stannis Baratheon at Winterfell and is the one person who was pushing this issue."
"The Stark bastard. Worked with my father on the Wall," supplied Jorah. Daenerys looked at him carefully, noting his distant voice as he spoke.
"With such backing, I look forward to meeting him," she said, her voice echoing against the dark walls. "But that isn't my concern right now. I want to explore all...this." The walls seemed to go on forever, reaching into the deepest darkness ahead of her and above her. She watched amused as Bruda examined the dragonglass. The wisps of energy in his staff appeared to want to reach out to the stone, which seemed to confuse but also entertain the warlock. She walked up to him. "Why is it doing that?" He looked at her with wide eyes, his back bent over slightly.
"I...don't know. Isn't that exciting. When the mining process begins, I'd like to take a closer look at a specimen."
"I'm sure that can be arranged. Since it's you."
"Khaleesi," Jorah shouted out to her from up ahead. "There's a path down here that leads further into the cave. You might want to take a look at this." She looked at Bruda's aged face and saw him raise his eyebrows in invitation. They walked at a quick pace to catch up with the others before they entered the next large alcove. The dragonglass was less obvious here but Daenerys's attention wasn't on that. Her eyes were drawn to crude but mesmerising drawings across the stone walls. Bruda almost ran to look at one example, his finger tracing a looping pattern.
"How long have these been here?" It was Marwyn who answered her.
"They appear to originate from the Children of the Forest. Which means they are much older than this castle, as well as that Throne you strive for."
She looked at one of the paintings, marvelling at the abundance of colour shown. "What are they showing?"
"I've seen images like this before in books of my childhood," Tyrion said. Daenerys had almost forgotten he was there with them. "The smaller people represent the Children. The taller ones are the First Men."
"So they drew images of their war against the first men?" she asked them.
"No, no," Marwyn responded, shaking his head lightly. "They are fighting together in the drawings, against a common enemy." The archmaester moved towards a darker image that was tucked into the corner. It depicted three figures, with one closer to the forefront. They were similar to men but where white, and their faces were cragged and broken. The closest one seemed to have horns on its head as well.
"What are they?" she whispered, getting close to Jorah. He looked at her warily.
"I think that's what we're heading to fight," he answered her in a similar tone.
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The ship rocked gently from side to side as it glided over the waves. The deep blue water seemed to part in the wake of the boat as they crusaded the ocean. Davos watched this happen and then repeat from upon the deck. The action tended to calm him, especially from his annoying thoughts. This journey they were going on just didn't settle with him properly. He expected something to go wrong; he didn't know yet whether that would happen at Dragonstone whilst they were there or back at Winterfell. The thought of Shireen being trouble and him not being able to help her sent a cold shiver down his back. He was leaving judgement until he met the Targaryen girl about what she was like and what her motives were. They had a bad reputation, that was for sure yet Jon said this was their only hope. He had come to trust the lad a lot even if they hadn't spent a lot of time together. It was the way he spoke, that no nonsense attitude that he had. It buoyed the confidence when it truly needed lifting. That didn't mean he hadn't realised how young boys like him often charged into a situation when it was usually more appropriate to use a cool head. At least they had a few men to protect them if something did go wrong. Stannis had made sure a hundred soldiers and sailors came with them, not just as a precautionary measure but also to show the people at Dragonstone that they would not be shoved aside easily.
"Thank you for joining me on this...trip." He was startled by the boy's voice next to him. Despite the situation they were heading into, Jon still had a small smile on his face.
"No thanks needed. I realised that you need someone with at least a small experience of diplomacy if you are to get through this meeting unscathed." The smile faltered for a moment. Jon hadn't thought about that. He had just presumed that Daenerys would gladly hand over the dragonglass in the name of their alliance. Davos could feel the sudden increase in worry. "We should be fine. Should being the main word there. It won't hurt if we play it safe when we meet her and her council. Remember to treat them with respect but don't let them bend you over."
"That's a very fine line you've drawn for me," Jon said, a laugh escaping his lips. He'd been slightly reassured by Davos's words of wisdom.
"Then get practicing your balancing. But, if she is reasonable, which I really hope she will be, then it shouldn't be too difficult. The only issue would arise if you went into the conversation expecting a positive outcome. It's a likelihood but not dead certain."
"She'll have to see that we need this dragonglass to save Westeros." Davos wanted to sigh; the boy was so adamant and stubborn in regards to that growing issue that he was becoming blind to another.
"You can talk about what's right to her until you're blue in the face. I know that it is a major concern of yours, of ours, but she won't see it like that. She hasn't experienced the North or what horrors lie waiting for us. For all she knows, you could be a spy trying to undermine her campaign for the Throne."
"It always comes back to that bloody throne!" Jon shouted into the open sea ahead of them. His head dropped so that he was looking directly down at the glistening water.
"Aye. Welcome to the world of politics. Completely different to your world of fantasies and demons but no less terrifying at times. It just adds another element to consider in these discussions. I'm hoping she'll trust you enough to put on hold her desires to fight this war."
"Do you think it's likely?" There was a new found vulnerability in Jon's voice as he spoke in that moment. He's too young to be in this position. Thrust into this situation with the heaviest of burdens on his back.
"Jon, from what I have seen, if anyone can persuade her, it's you. You managed to help unite the wildlings with Stannis's army, which is no mean feat by the way. Without a lot of evidence, you got Stannis on your side against our common enemy. You're more of a diplomat than you realise." They went back to looking at the ocean. Around them, they could hear the others on the ship milling around, making sure everything was in order. This was where Davos used to belong. Sailing across the many seas. It was nice to be back on a ship like this but he felt an odd emptiness at the thought now. It was strange to him but he knew that his life had changed so much that it meant he was more accustomed to being a figure in the games of rulers now. It probably had something to do with how he had been betrayed by a ship in essence - that was where he had lost his son after all. He was probably still in the water somewhere, dead. And everyone else would be dead if they didn't succeed.
It had been another couple of days until they were awoken by the loudest sound they had ever heard. It had made Davos quickly leave his room and make his way up on deck, an action mirrored by Jon. They looked up at the sky, shielding their eyes from the bright sun, in an attempt to see what had made the sound. Further away this time, they heard it again. It sent dread down their spines. An ear-splitting roar, a noise that shouldn't exist anymore. Then, a shadow appeared against the Sun, getting larger by the second. He knew what it was from the books Shireen had made him read.
The dragon, black with hints of red around its body, soared over their heads, so close that it blew the sails and their clothes wildly. It took six men to keep their course true. Jon marvelled at the creature, as did Davos. In some respects, he wished he had brought Shireen with him so she could see for herself how her stories were true. The dragon lazily circled them, as if it was assessing whether to let them continue. Jon looked at it hopefully; if Daenerys agreed to help them, then this would be a mighty tool against the White Walkers. They were so distracted by the beast that the two of them hardly noticed their destination comes into view on the horizon. Davos had spent a long time in its bowels and the castle looked even more imposing than it usually did.
In Dragonstone itself, Jorah hurried to get to Daenerys's room. It was on the other side to the castle as to what was approaching them so she wouldn't know just yet. He knocked politely on her door, although more hastily than he usually did. When she allowed him entry, he quickly walked into her room. She was draped on a soft bench in front of a large window. She lifted her head to see what the problem was but was surprised to see that her knight wasn't exactly in distress.
"Jorah," she said with uncertainty. "What's happening?"
"They're here, Khaleesi." Now this should be interesting.
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They led her into the main chamber shackled in chains, as if she were cattle. She was still the Queen! The disgrace of it all and the humiliation could be felt deep within her core. Cersei looked at the size of the crowd packed within the Great Sept of Baelor and it certainly added to the injustice of it all. These were commoners, watching on as she was tried. They should all be tried in her eyes. Filthy pigs, the lot of them. As she was forced to move into the centre of the room, she noticed more familiar faces. The Tyrell women, Olenna and Margaery, sat close to the front, the same smirk lining their faces. What hurt was seeing Tommen there too, an expressionless look on his face. It was like he didn't care what the outcome was. He looked at her as if she was one of those commoners. Not worth his time. In that moment, she lost any remaining faith that she would get through this.
The High Septon was stood in his usual tatty robes. Did he not care for ceremony? Or was that a sin too? The voice inside her head was scathing. She found it helped her slightly in this awful situation. As she stood in the centre of the circle on the floor, she locked eyes with other six septons sat in wooden chairs around her. The people who would bring judgement down. None of them looked her in the eye too. Apart from the High Septon himself. She had a bit of respect for him in that moment. A bit.
"Welcome," he began, speaking loudly so the large crowd would be able to hear him properly. "Today is a solemn affair." How can he say such words with a straight face? "Today we ask the gods to look down upon Cersei Lannister in judgement for her potential sins. We ask them to be as just and correct as they always are in deciding her fate. Yet this woman could still decide her fate for herself. Cersei Lannister." He looked at her directly this time, instead of the crowd. "I ask you, do you repent of any and all sins you have committed." When she didn't answer, she didn't know whether the sorrow on his face was real or well faked. "So be it."
Then came the witnesses. They went by like a blur, each adding to her misery. Olenna Tyrell spoke of her secret dalliances. How she had known about her love affair with Jaime was unknown but the crowd lapped it up like drama-hungry dogs. Margaery, that sickly sweet smile on her face, spoke of how she had tried to manipulate Tommen to do her bidding. She wanted to shout at her, to tell the public of how she was doing the same. Yet she kept her mouth closed. Anything she said would cement her woeful position. They would use any outburst to show how she was growing insane after all her years in the Red Keep. Pycelle, that old rat, hobbled up to speak and wittered on about how she had often asked strange favours of him. Asking him to look up peculiar ingredients or ancient laws. He never went into detail, which didn't surprise her really. He'd be too worried about putting himself in her position if he spoke too much.
The one witness that surprised her was Lancel Lannister. He had a strange marking etched into her forehead and his hair was now practically shaven, instead of the long blonde hair that she remembered. She almost collapsed out of desperation when he told everyone about their incestual relationship. Even Olenna seemed surprised at the revelation, which showed how well kept a secret it had been. She wanted to know why he had given into the High Septon. Then the person in question spoke to the crowd, who she noticed were beginning to want Lancel to pay for his crimes too. At least the attention was off her for the time being. He told them of how Lancel had willfully come to him and sought repentance of his sins. Apparently, the gods had been merciful. How fortunate. Would they act the same to her?
Over ten witnesses came forward to speak of her misgivings. The hearing lasted at least two hours, although it felt longer to Cersei. Once they had spoken, the High Septon gathered the other high standing followers of the Faith so they could discuss what they thought of what they had heard. She tried to listen in but they whispered too quietly. Their discussion was over far too quickly for her liking.
"Before I deliver the judgement the gods have sought through us, I feel I must ask one more time. Cersei Lannister, will you repent of any and all sins you have committed?" This time she truly considered the option. She knew it was her only chance now. Her voice was raspy due to a lack of use when she spoke.
"I repent." The crowd acted as if they couldn't hear, or maybe they couldn't. She spoke louder the next time. "I repent." The High Septon nodded his head slowly.
"That is commendable. And I hope you have learnt a valuable lesson in doing so, in admitting one's mistakes when our pride holds us back." Things seemed to be on the up for Cersei. "Yet some mistakes are too large to be undone in the eyes of the gods. I take it upon myself to deliver their judgement in front of all of you today. Cersei Lannister, the gods take note of your repentance and acknowledge how that can redeem oneself from their sins. But they also acknowledge how your crimes are severe and, in their eyes, a single declaration of repentance is insufficient. Let it be known, that the gods look down upon Cersei Lannister and charge her with death."
Cersei stood there in shock. "But I repent!" she screamed at his face. Three guards were quickly by her side and began to drag her out of the chamber. "But I repent!" she repeated, even more ferociously, and she kept repeating herself as she was forced away, back into the darkness of her cell.