Here we are then with another chapter! A filler chapter I think, but don't fret we are getting closer to something big.
I don't think I've got too much to say in the intro really, other than we're almost at 200 reviews after only 11 chapters! I doubt I'll be able to write and update tomorrow as I'm off on a trip for a uni assignment and then going to see the new Thor film, so hopefully, albeit very unlikely, we can get 20 reviews on this chapter to push it to over 200. I know more than 20 of you read this, so go on and leave a little comment down below and let me know what you're thinking.
I own nothing but Durran, everything else is the property of HBO and George RR Martin.
302 AC
Durran walked into the Small Council chamber with Stannis and Ser Barristan to see it busier than it must have been in years. Inside already where the members of the Council in the Capital, with the sole exception of Mace Tyrell who was travelling down the Roseroad that very moment with his daughter. Baelish, Varys, Pycelle, Lord Randyll and Renly all sat down waiting for the King. They stood and bowed as Durran made himself seen.
"Sit, My Lords. A new year, yet the same Kingdom to rule. Shall we get straight down to business." Durran said. They all sat down at their respective places, and Durran sat in the King's chair, in between Stannis and Pycelle.
"How goes work on the walls?" Stannis asked.
"Coin has been acquired for the materials and we're gathering as much stone as we can for the efforts. The Gate of the Gods will need significant repairs though, as will the Lion Gate." Baelish told them all.
"See to it that work is completed as quickly as possible. The Gold Cloaks can help." Stannis nodded at Renly, who nodded back. "What of the actual city?"
"Getting back to normal, whatever normal is." Renly told them. "The rebuilding will help as more jobs will be available, but we'll need to pay them."
"Not a problem." Stannis told them. "Lord Mace is bringing cart loads of food stock for the Castle, we can pay them in long lasting food if there isn't enough coin."
"What of Robb Stark and the Northerners? Have they made contact?" Durran asked.
"No, Your Grace." Varys told him. "I believe Robb Stark is nearing Harrenhal though."
"Harrenhal? I thought he was moving Northwards?" Stannis asked.
"A ploy, he's used the same trick twice." Randyll said gruffly. "Tricked Tywin Lannister it seems, the Lannister army is heading eastwards, towards Antlers."
"There is even graver news." Varys said. "Tywin Lannister was murdered at Harrenhal."
Silence fell over the room, as the information was digested. "Murdered?" Stannis asked.
"Yes, he and a serving girl were attacked by a mysterious assailant, she survived and the attacker was never found." Varys explained.
"How are we sure the girl didn't murder him?" Randyll asked.
"Have you ever known Lord Tywin to underestimate anybody? If it was the girl, she'd be dead with him." Baelish laughed.
"What of the Lannister forces? Who is in command?" Durran asked.
"Ser Kevan." Randyll said.
"He has sent word." Varys told them all, pulling out a raven scroll and handing it to Durran. He opened the seal and read the message.
"Kevan Lannister has sworn fealty, he will bend the knee when he arrives at the Capital." Durran read aloud. "So we just have the North and the Riverlands to go to end this war."
"Send a raven message to Robb Stark at Harrenhal. Appeal to his better nature. We aren't his enemy." Stannis said. "He will bend the knee to Durran."
"He's a boy that's won too many battles." Randyll acknowledged. "He'll keep going until he loses or dies."
"I'll write to him myself." Durran told them. "We got on well at Winterfell, I can try and reason with him."
"Very good, Your Grace." Stannis nodded. "We heard about Ironborn raids in the North, what of that?"
"Yes. Deepwood Motte, Torrhen's Square and Moat Cailin were all attacked. Torrhen's Square were the only successful defenders." Varys said. "Winterfell has also fallen. Theon Greyjoy turned on his foster family it seems."
"He was a prisoner there, and felt like he had something to prove." Randyll surmised.
"What of the boys? Catelyn Stark's youngest?" Baelish asked.
"Dead as far as my reports go." Varys said sadly. "Theon and the Ironborn seem to have disappeared too, and Winterfell was burnt. It lies in ruin."
Durran swore quietly. "Find Greyjoy if you can, part of the terms I will offer to Robb is help rebuilding and men and ships to fight the Ironborn."
"Your Grace." Varys nodded.
"Is there anything about my Uncle Jaime in your letters?" Durran asked.
"No, Your Grace. I'll keep trying though." Varys said.
"Good. As for the prisoners…" Stannis began, and the meeting droned on for at least another hour, as the medial matters of state were decided.
They had travelled for around a week and a half, not really knowing where they were going when Arya heard singing. Pulling the two boys behind a large tree, she held her breath, until she thought she recognised the voice.
"And the stars in the night were the eyes of his wolf." The man was singing. "And the wind itself was their…"
Hot Pie had moved and snapped a twig, and immediately swords were drawn from the men beyond the tree.
"You idiot!" Arya whispered.
"Sorry." Hot Pie replied, terrified.
"Come out now and we won't kill you." A soldier said.
"Yet." Another added, and the group laughed.
Arya gripped her sword and walked out alone, facing off to a group of six men. Gendry quickly followed her, and Hot Pie behind him.
"What do we have here, three boys alone in the woods." The one that was singing said. "It's not safe here."
"It's not safe anywhere." Arya replied, recognising the man as a guard from Winterfell. The men laughed.
"Where are you from?" He asked.
"You should know Rickard. You brought me back into the castle once after I ran into the Wolfswood." She said, still gripping her sword in case it didn't work. Rickard looked in confusion.
"Don't play games with me." He warned.
"'Lady Arya, you do that again and your Lord Father will have both of our hides.'" She quoted, and Rickard's eyes widened. "You told me you were named for my Grandfather."
"Fuck me…" He began. "Swords away boys. We need to find King Robb."
"Why?" One asked.
"Because this one isn't a boy." He said. "It's the Princess Arya Stark."
The guards stepped aside again, as Durran entered his Mother's rooms. She was entertaining Tommen for dinner.
"Am I alright to join you both?" He asked.
"Durran!" Tommen exclaimed. Cersei chuckled.
"Of course. This is a nice surprise." Cersei said, setting a place and putting some food on a plate. Durran sighed.
"It's not really. I need to talk to you both about something important." He said, cutting into some beef. "Mother, I'm so sorry. Grandfather was killed."
Cersei looked in shock. "How?" She asked.
"We're not sure, claims of an assassin were made." Durran told her. "It leaves a problem over the succession."
Cersei nodded, downing a cup of wine before she could continue. "Someone would have paid a lot of money to kill him. I assume you're finding out who?"
Durran nodded. "Varys is on it. I wanted to talk to you about Casterly Rock."
"It's Jaime's." Cersei said quickly.
"No." Durran replied. "I can't let him in a seat of that power, not after everything. Plus he's Kingsguard, he's sworn off all titles and lands."
"You're letting him back onto your Kingsguard?" Cersei asked.
"I'll talk to him about that." Durran told her. "I want to legitimise Tommen as a Lannister. By rights the castle is yours, but you will remain here. I want you to pass over the castle to Tommen publicly."
Cersei sighed, staring at her son. "If I refuse?"
Durran looked back strongly. "Then documents have been found at Casterly Rock that claim Lord Tywin made me his heir before he marched out to war. I obviously can't take it, meaning Tommen will be Lord of the Rock."
"I don't want to be Lord of a rock." Tommen piped up. Durran had to try not to laugh.
"Not a rock, Casterly Rock." Cersei explained. Looking back at Durran she said. "You've given me no choice."
Durran sighed. "This will be instead of your other punishment, the servants still won't listen to you, but you can have a seat on my council and I won't confine you to Maegor's any longer."
Cersei nodded. "Very well. What is to happen with my Father's bones?"
"They're being sent here, for us to mourn and hold a service, and then they will go to Casterly Rock to be buried in the Hall of Heroes." Durran explained.
"Thank you." Cersei said, grateful she would get a chance to say goodbye. "Any word on Jaime?"
Durran clenched his teeth. "We're doing all we can." He told her. "We'll confirm Tommen as a Lannister tomorrow, then we'll prepare for Myrcella to arrive." His sister had left Storm's End a week ago, and was almost through the Kingswood.
Cersei smiled at the thought of her daughter. "I shall see you tomorrow then."
Durran nodded, rising and giving Tommen's hair a ruffle before he left the room.
In another part of the castle, Dany was hosting Melisandre, as Aelyx and Dārys played roughly around the room. Dany observed her dragons, pleased to see that Rhaellar, clearly the calmest, was just watching her siblings carefully.
"They have grown a lot, no?" Melisandre asked. They were currently the size of a large dog, having grown so much in such a short space of time. "Soon they will need to fly outside."
"They do at nights." Dany smiled, throwing a leg of lamb over and chuckling as the three dragons began fighting each other for the scraps. "Durran isn't sure how to tell people we have dragons yet…"
"They are not creatures to be hidden away and feared, My Queen." Melisandre told her. "They are fire made flesh, the creation of the Lord of Light to defeat his only enemy."
Dany looked thoughtful at that. "Tell me about your God." She said.
Melisandre grinned. "The Lord of Light is not my God, Your Grace. The Lord of Light is the God of us all, locked in an eternal battle with the Great Other. He is a God of light and love and joy, whereas the Great Other is a God of darkness, evil and fear. He and all his demons must be destroyed for R'hllor to bring light to even the darkest corners of the world."
Dany was confused. "Demons?"
"Demons." Melisandre repeated. "The Drowned God, the trees of the forest, the Seven, they are all demons created by the Great Other to test us and our true faith."
"How do you know it's the only faith though?" Dany asked. "Every religion believes that of themselves."
"They do, but the false prophets give no power to mere mortals." Melisandre smiled. "I am but a former slave, born again in the light of the Lord. He gave me the power to hatch your Dragons, he gives me the power to do a great many other things, My Queen."
"Like what?" Dany asked. Melisandre smiled, and took Dany's hands, leading her to the fire in the room.
"Visions, Your Grace." She said enticingly. "Come, stare into the fire with me."
Dany stood forward and looked into the flames. "I see only fire."
"Stare, let the dance of the flames fill your mind." Melisandre said soothingly.
"What do you see?" Dany asked.
Melisandre stared intently at the flames, her eyes unblinking. "I see a wolf pounce, a fish and a stag dancing, I see three become two and I see a tower draped white."
"All of that in the flames?" Dany asked, unbelieving.
"You shall too." Melisandre smiled. She stood behind Dany, guiding the Queen's body into the right position. "Look, feel."
Dany did, and after a few moments of nothing, her eyes widened in evident surprise. "What is this?" Dany asked, scared.
"What do you see, My Queen?" Melisandre asked.
"I… I see a dragon. A golden dragon laughing as it drops a young girl from great distance." Dany said, confused. "What does it mean?"
"It can mean many things and it can mean one thing. It can be far off, and it can be just around the corner." Melisandre said cryptically. "We shan't know until it passes, Your Grace."
"You're a Princess?" Gendry laughed.
"Shut up!" Arya exclaimed. They were being led back to Harrenhal where they could see the Northern army streaming in to the castle. She gasped as she saw Robb in the distance atop a horse next to a man she didn't know. Rickard told them all to wait there as he ran over to talk to the two men. Robb immediately jumped off of his horse and followed Rickard, with the other man following at a slower pace. Robb stopped directly in front of her, staring intently into her eyes.
"Hello Robb." She said nervously, and Robb broke into a huge grin, letting a laugh out.
"Arya." He whispered, kneeling down and hugging her fiercely. She nestled into his strong arms, not wanting to let go. He did though, before looking at her questioningly. "We thought you were in King's Landing?"
"Escaped." She shook her head. "I saw it though, I saw Father…" She trailed off.
"You're safe now." He insisted. "Harrenhal is ours. Tywin Lannister retreated East over a week back, we're here to fortify the castle and chase them." Robb told her. "You can stay here for now, Mother will be."
"Mother…" She grinned. "Wait, Robb. Kevan Lannister is in charge, not Tywin."
"What do you mean?" He asked.
"Tywin Lannister is dead." Arya told him. "I killed him." Robb looked at her, before he broke into a grin and burst out laughing. Arya was furious. "I'm not lying! We were captured on our way back North and taken to Harrenhal. Tywin found out I was a girl and tasked me as his cupbearer, and when I knew he planned to leave I killed him!"
"Lord Tywin is dead, milord." Gendry added. "They made a huge fuss about it before we escaped."
"I thought some assassin killed him?" Hot Pie asked.
"I lied, stupid. I had to make it look like someone else killed him!" Arya exclaimed.
"No matter!" Robb said, raising his voice. "We will still give chase. Come, let us get inside. I know a woman that will be very happy to see you."
Another thing on Durran's 'to do list' was to pay a visit to the one bargaining chip he had over Robb Stark. Sansa had mainly stuck to the shadows in official events so far, so Durran hadn't really seen her. He knocked on the door and opened it to find Sansa sat at her dressing table.
"Your Grace." She said, surprised. She stood up and curtseyed.
"Please, there's no need for that." Durran waved off. "I came to see how you were."
"Very well thank you, Your Grace." Sansa lied.
"You don't need to lie to me, Sansa." Durran smiled, sitting on the bed. "You're in no danger here."
"I'm not lying." Sansa smiled sweetly. Durran just chuckled.
"I want to tell you what's going on. If I could, I'd let you go back to Winterfell." He told her. "But until Robb bends the knee, I can't afford that. You're the only thing that will stay his hand, do you understand?"
"I'm still a prisoner then." She said sadly.
"No, if you wish, I'll allow you to serve as the Queen's handmaiden." Durran said.
"Really?" Sansa said.
"You both need friends here to make life easier. I've… heard… about the things my Brother did and I apologise profoundly." He said. "He was cruel and vicious, and I want you to feel comfortable here."
"My Father was murdered here." Sansa said quickly, before apologising. "I'm sorry Your Grace I didn't mean…"
"Yes you did." Durran told her. "And I agree, what happened to your Father was murder plain and simple, and I will be trying to make up for that." He said, a whining from the corner distracted him, and Durran was surprised to see the direwolf Lady. "Lady's still here?"
"She knows where to hide and be quiet when I have visitors normally." She said, glaring at the wolf.
"It's ok. No harm will come to her." Durran laughed, before turning serious for a moment. "I was wondering if you knew what happened to Arya. I was surprised she wasn't in the city."
Sansa turned away, not wanting him to see her upset. "I've not seen Arya since before my Father was arrested." She admitted.
"Very well." Durran smiled sadly. "You shall be treated with the utmost respect, My Lady. I promise you, no more beatings or taunts or stripping or anything of the nature. Everything you do here, within reason, will be down to your choices."
"Thank you, Your Grace." Sansa smiled.
"Hopefully you'll be up in Winterfell in no time." He smiled, rising. He gave a nervous look towards the wolf, before leaving the room to let Sansa take in her new situation.
Catelyn Stark was worried. Not that that was anything new though, ever since Ned had died she had been worried for many reasons. For her son, fighting in a war for independence against the rest of the world. For her two youngest, all alone in the North surrounded by enemies. But mainly for her two girls, in the capital surrounded by people that hate them.
She looked around Harrenhal with Rickard Karstark, at the massacre that had taken place there. "So many dead…" She whispered.
"We need to do the same to theirs." Karstark told her, angrily.
"The Kingslayer is too valuable Rickard." Catelyn tried to soothe. "We need him alive, he's our only bargaining tool."
"Aye, I understand." Karstark growled. "I still want him to suffer."
"He will suffer My Lord. He will suffer." Catelyn nodded. She looked behind her, as Robb and Lord Bolton entered the castle with a small group.
"Lord Karstark. Yourself and Lord Bolton shall oversee the burial of the dead. Let's ease their journey into the next life as much as we can." Robb told them. Karstark and Bolton nodded, going to oversee the efforts.
"We cannot let this go unpunished Robb." Catelyn told her son.
"We won't." Robb told her. "First, I need to tell you something."
Catelyn looked at her son questioningly. "What?"
"The Lannisters lied." Robb told her. "They only had Sansa, Arya escaped."
Catelyn's breath hitched in her chest. "She escaped?"
"Aye." Robb grinned. "Escaped King's Landing, escaped a party of Gold Cloaks trying to find her, and escaped Harrenhal before all this."
Catelyn's mind was going haywire. "How… how do you know?" She asked. A small boy came out from behind Robb, and Catelyn almost didn't look twice before her eyes widened. The child looked like a boy, but the face… the face was all Ned. She took the child's face in her hands, and the tears coming from the child told her everything. "Arya?"
"Mother." Arya cried, and the two girls gripped each other fiercely, both sobbing their eyes out. Robb stood there a bit uncomfortably, but happy for his Mother.
"Come, let us get somewhere privately, we have quite a tale for you." Robb grinned.
Durran hadn't expected to go down to the cells at any point in his first few weeks as King, but that's where he found himself heading too. A prisoner had been throwing his recently confirmed dead Uncle's name around, and Durran wanted to handle it himself.
The cell door was opened, and inside was a man in his seeming mid 30's lounging around on a bed, with a young man in Lannister leathers on the floor beside him.
"Your Grace." The young man said, snapping to attention.
"Which one of you has been mentioning my Uncle constantly." Durran asked.
"That would be me." Bronn said, sitting upright. "I'm in his service, I was making sure he'd not forgotten about me. He owes me debts."
Durran clenched his teeth. "You should have saved him then. My Uncle died at the Gate of the Gods." He had heard numerous reports on the man called Bronn, and none had been that the man lacked for words. He did now though, as he opened and closed his mouth constantly, not knowing what to say. Durran continued. "So now, you both have options. Any promise my Uncle made you can tell me, if you prove yourself to me then I'll consider them. You fought on the wrong side of the battle so you have two choices. Bend the knee and come into my service and you'll be looked after. Refuse and I'll have you both hung."
The pair looked between them. The younger one immediately bent the knee. "Lord Tyrion always spoke well of you Your Grace. I would serve you if you would have me."
Durran nodded, and gestured for a guard to remove Podrick Payne to new quarters. Once Pod had been removed, he turned to Bronn. "And you?"
"I'm a sellsword, Your Grace." Bronn told him. "You pay me, and my sword is yours."
Durran laughed. "Are you always this brash? You don't make demands of me."
"Your Uncle enjoyed it." Bronn shrugged.
Durran thought for a moment. "I pay every man in my employ. You would no longer be a sellsword, you'd be a soldier for House Baratheon."
Bronn looked uneasy. "I'm no soldier."
"Then hang." Durran told him impatiently. "I've not got time for this. Apparently my Uncle liked you, I'm not sure why but he did. You can go on in his memory serving me and my family, or you can join my Uncle. Take your choice, sellsword."
Bronn thought for a moment. "Lord Tyrion promised me a castle and a wife."
"I'm also a Lannister." Durran told the man. "Serve me well and I'll see what I can do."
Bronn stood up then, sniffed and got down on one knee roughly. "Then I'll kill whoever you want me to, Your Grace."
Durran nodded, and turned to his guard. "Set him up with Payne, they can stay together." The guard nodded, and turned to take Bronn to some new chambers. Durran stopped the guard and whispered in his ear. "Watch him carefully, I don't trust him."
The next day, Durran stood at the entrance to the Red Keep. Dany and Cersei were either side of him, with Tommen next to Cersei and the Small Council all close. Looking up, he saw three ravens depart the castle. Two heading Northwards to Harrenhal and the Eyrie, and one heading Southwards to Sunspear. Hoping for the best, he turned his eyes downwards as the wheelhouse holding his little sister rolled into view.
Looking sideways towards his Mother, he grinned as he saw her beaming face looking down as the wheelhouse rolled to a stop. Turning back, he saw the golden hair of Myrcella emerge from the wheelhouse, closely followed by the black hair of Shireen.
Surprised, he waited for Myrcella to walk up to him, and the two girls curtseyed low. "Your Grace." They both said.
"Sister, cousin." Durran smiled. "Welcome to King's Landing. I trust your journey was well?"
"Well enough, Your Grace." Shireen grinned. "My Mother asked me to give this to you." She handed him a letter with Stannis' seal on, and Durran ripped it open. It asked him to take Shireen on as a ward, in hope of a better match eventually and Durran could accept that. Pocketing the letter, he continued to make brief small talk with the girls when Durran heard a slight cough from Cersei next to him and he turned, giving her a stern look.
"May I introduce my wife, Queen Daenerys." He told them both. Dany stepped forwards and brought Myrcella into a hug.
"Sister." She smiled.
"My Queen." Myrcella curtseyed again, and Shireen followed suit.
"Dinner has been prepared in the Queen Mother's chambers." Durran told them both. "You must both been famished."
"We are." They both said, giggling at the unison. Durran laughed lightly.
"I'll let you all get reacquainted and join you soon. My Queen?" He said, offering out his arm. Dany graciously accepted it, and they both turned back towards the castle, leaving Cersei and Tommen to rush towards Myrcella to informally welcome her home.
Now, here is another issue of doing such a large story based on the shows. In the books and the canon there, it apparently takes years to be able to see things in the flames, and another few years after that to actively be able to interpret them. In the show however, Sandor Clegane took less than a minute to be able to see something in the flames, Stannis could do it etc. I've used the show's excuse again, so Dany can see images in the flames. She has an affinity with fire I guess but still. All of those visions are plot points in the story, some minor, some major.
In regards to the direwolves. Basically Nymeria ran off once Arya had blended into the shadows of the city and hasn't been seen since. Lady stayed with Sansa, as a silent protector in her chambers.
I'm not sure what to do with Bronn really yet, but I have some big plans for Podrick Payne.
Tommen will be the new Lord Lannister then. Thoughts on the decision to skip over Cersei? Durran loves her, but he doesn't trust her at all.
There's Sansa too, I know a couple of people have wondered about her.
No Dany/Durran scene this time, but maybe next chapter ;)
Again, please leave a review to let me know what you think. Your feedback keeps me going and I get ideas from you too.
Next Chapter: One of the three ravens gets sent back.
Reviews:
Nipplegunz: Thing is there's 9 Kingdoms, and 2 that don't actually have Knights so they're automatically out. The thing I've come up with makes it so all the other 6 other than the Crownlands get their own representative on the Kingsguard.
Sparky She-Demon: Sort of addressed here, but you'll find out soon enough!
Fantasymaker76: Littlefinger publicly hasn't done anything wrong yet like you said, so until then Durran thinks he's a good bet.
Many Faced Mage: They'll be addressed soon enough. Baelish may have something to do soon too. Tyrion is 100% dead.
RHatch89: I've tried to keep the Starks suspicious so far, it's more dramatic that way.
EyesLikeLiquidFire: Dany will do eventually yes. Because I think this Dany is sweeter than her counterpart post Drogo, and she named Viserion for her Mother, meaning a closer connection. I've had second thoughts about Durran and Dragons after remembering his Great Grandma is a Targaryen, but it won't be as easy as a 'boom, he's a rider'. Jon's plot is staying the same for now.
jgs237: He doesn't know about Baelish's misdeeds yet though. I like that idea of a scene, maybe next chapter. They went eastwards, and are going to head South after that.
Bobby B: Lots of time off this week has helped that, but I doubt that'll be the same this week.
BLACK-OP1: Gendry and Durran will meet eventually. I agree if Stannis and Renly could have worked it out they would have steamrolled everybody, but then the series would have been much shorter!
vampwalker709: That'd be funny, a Baratheon v a Dragon!
Boramir: Tyrion is dead. Pycelle he can't get rid of, he's an elected official by the Citadel and that's for life. He also has had no reason to be suspicious of Baelish. Tyrion only found out when he took over as Master of Coin and had to look through Baelish's books.
Hail King Cerion: I think the deaths of Loras, Tyrion, Dickon, the thousands of men in and within the army and Joffrey make up for Stefan. As for favouriting you, I enjoy your stories a lot! Especially that Targaryen one.