Disclaimer: I do not own Game of Thrones or anything related. It belongs to George R.R. Martin, the creator of this wonderful universe and David Benioff and D. B. Weiss who created the show.
Face Claim for Queen Sanira: Caitlin Stasey.
Chapter Sixteen: The Monster of Casterly Rock.
Sitting in the dark of his cell, Tyrion Lannister couldn't help but think about how he had ended up in this situation; the fact that Cersei would finally get her wish to rid herself of the brother that she felt had ruined her life. Neither Bronn nor Jaime would fight the Mountain for him in his trial by combat, he felt anger that this was how his life would come to an end when he had done everything to support his family and defend them.
It had been him that had led the defences when Stannis had attacked the city, it had been him that had tried to curtain Joffrey's more violent urges while Cersei sat around and did nothing. Now he would pay with his life for a crime that he didn't commit, he wished that he'd allowed Stannis to take the city now; he had wasted so much of his life trying to please these people that now wanted him dead.
The door to his cell opened and he looked up from his wallowing, he hadn't been expecting any more visitors and there was no one that he could imagine that would come to his aid. Prince Oberyn stepped inside allowing the guard to close the door behind him as he stared at the darkened cell that had been Tyrion's home since Cersei had him arrested.
"I imagined you'd be back at the brothel at this hour," Tyrion noted staring up at the Dornish Prince, he couldn't quite imagine what had brought the man to his humble abode at this hour. It had to be late, although Tyrion couldn't be sure as other than the torch upon the wall there was no other light in this cell; it could be the middle of the day for all he knew.
"I did spend some time with an absolutely stunning blonde the other day," Oberyn noted with amusement, he crossed the room to lean against a post across from where Tyrion was seated. His dark eyes taking in the man before him and knowing that his mission was an important one, one that his brother would certainly approve of.
"Mm, do tell. I've got every kind of filth down here except the kind I like," Tyrion replied gesturing to the cell, it was more a cave carved out of the ground but at least he wasn't exposed to the elements like he had been in the Vale. He couldn't quite imagine anything worse than the sky cells but being here condemned by his own family was coming a close second.
"Your sister," Oberyn revealed watching Tyrion's face close, he had to admit that it was a rather amusing situation in his mind especially given his hatred for the Lannisters. Tyrion was silent, a grim look on his face and he could only imagine what Cersei had approached Oberyn for; the man had been a judge at his trial and she was ever so determined to see him executed for the death of her son.
"Cersei approached me. We spoke a great deal about her daughter. How worried your sister is about her. She was trying very hard to pretend she had not come to sway me against you. I think she may have even believed it herself," Oberyn mused, his voice revealing nothing and he instead watched Tyrion waiting to see how he would respond to all of this. There were no champions stepping forward to aid him, none that would dare risk there lives especially knowing who Cersei had chosen as her champion.
"Making honest feelings do dishonest work is one of her many gifts," Tyrion replied shifting to try and find a more comfortable spot that he might sit in, he had been stuck down here for what felt like a lifetime with little comfort. Even the cramped cupboard that he been dumped in after the Battle of Blackwater had been more comfortable than this.
"It was difficult for her to hide her true intentions. It is rare to meet a Lannister who shares my enthusiasm for dead Lannisters. She desperately wants to see you killed," Oberyn continued on as if nothing phased him. Cersei was intent to see her brother die for a crime that anyone with a brain could see that he did not commit, even the trial had been a farce in Oberyn's opinion.
The look on Cersei's face had said it all, all the witnesses lined up where her people to ensure that Tyrion looked as guilty as possible with no consideration to the fact that the real killer was still out there. Oberyn had to wonder what would happen if they executed Tyrion only for the same attacker to strike again, he would put his money on it being one of the Tyrells.
"She didn't need to bother you. It looks as though I've taken care of that myself. The joy she will feel when my head leaves my neck. She's wanted this for a long time," Tyrion said mournfully, if no one stepped up as his champion then he would be forced to face the Mountain himself. It would be a bloodbath, something that he was rather sure that Cersei would enjoy.
Afterall, she had done a good job of bribing any allies that he had left in this world to turn on him; even the woman that he thought he loved had turned her back on him. All he had done to protect her from Cersei had been for nothing, she had angrily condemned him and tormented him during the trial as if she didn't care for him.
"Yes, I know. We met, you and I. Many years ago," Oberyn stated breaking Tyrion from his thoughts as he moved to take a seat across from Tyrion and leaned back against the wall. The torch doing little to improve the light in the room cast shadows across Oberyn's face as he seated himself.
"You had just been born. Our father brought me and my sister Elia with him on a visit to Casterly Rock. My first time away from Dorne. I didn't like anything about the Rock. Not the food, not the weather, your accents. Nothing. But the biggest disappointment... you," Oberyn began to tell his tale, his mind drifting back to their short visit to the Rock. So much had changed since then, he longed for a happy ending for his sister; one that had been robbed from her when she'd been murdered in this place.
"You and my family have more in common than you might admit," scoffed Tyrion, he had no memory of such a visit and he doubted that it would have matter anyway given his family's distain for him. The fact that he had killed his mother had been enough to see him ignored for the most part.
"The whole way from Dorne all anyone talked about was the monster that had been born to Tywin Lannister. A head twice the size of his body, a tail between his legs, claws, one red eye, the privates of both a girl and a boy," Oberyn said recounting all the things that he had heard on the way to Casterly Rock from Dorne. He and his sister had been so excited to see the Monster of Casterly Rock, it had been all that they had talked about on the way there; their father has scolded them several times reminding them to be polite.
"When we met your sister, she promised she would show you to us. Every day we would ask. Every day she would say, "Soon." Then she and your brother took us to your nursery and... she unveiled the freak. Your head was a bit large. Your arms and legs were a bit small, but no claw. No red eye. No tail between your legs. Just a tiny pink cock," Oberyn recalled with a shake of his head. He could still feel the disappointment that he had felt looking about the baby that everyone had told him was some sort of monster that had been born to the Lannisters.
"We didn't try to hide our disappointment. "That's not a monster," I told Cersei. "That's just a baby." And she said, "He killed my mother." And she pinched your little cock so hard, I thought she might pull it off. Until your brother made her stop. "It doesn't matter," she told us. "Everyone says he will die soon. I hope they are right. He should not have lived this long." Oberyn continued with a frown on his face.
He could still hear the disgust in Cersei's voice as she talked about Tyrion and how he would die soon, it had been as if she was talking about anything other than her baby brother who had just been born. The cruelness that Cersei had insisted on unleashing on the baby had been the reason that Oberyn had begged his father not to allow the matches that were being proposed between their parents.
"Well... sooner or later, Cersei always gets what she wants," Tyrion laughed softly, he had no doubt in what Oberyn had claimed when he knew that Cersei had always wanted him dead. It wasn't a secret that she blamed him for their mother's death, she'd reminded him of it often when they had been growing up. In all his thirty years of life, there had never been a moment where she had treated him with any sort of kindness and Tyrion had come to expect that from her.
"And what about what I want? Justice for my sister and her children," Oberyn asked angrily, no one here seemed to care about the injustice that had been suffered by Elia and her two children. Her husband running off with another woman was one thing but her death and the murder of her children, it had been something that Oberyn had never been able to forgive.
Those responsible were here in King's Landing and they hide behind lies and half-truths about what had been done to Elia and her children; they would pay for what they had done and Oberyn was determined to bring justice to them. They had been denied this for long enough and the alliance would ensure that one way or another, both Oberyn and Dorian could get their revenge for the hurt that had been caused.
"If you want justice, you've come to the wrong place," Tyrion laughed, he couldn't even get a fair trial without someone from his own family trying to ensure that he was guilty. There was no way that Oberyn would get justice for his sister, there was no way that Tywin would allow such a thing without implicating himself in the murders.
"I disagree," Oberyn mused leaning forward, he knew that he had to be careful; his words would be reported to Tywin and he could not reveal to Tyrion just yet what was at play to see him freed from his imprisonment. He rose to his feet and stared down at Tyrion who looked rather confused, he didn't understand what Oberyn meant and the look on the other man's face told him that there were things at play that he didn't know about.
"I've come to the perfect place. I want to bring those who have wronged me to justice. And all those who have wronged me are right here. I will begin with Ser Gregor Clegane, who killed my sister's children and then raped her with their blood still on his hands before killing her, too. I will be your champion," Oberyn boasted with a grin. He had been waiting long enough to get his hands on Gregor for what he had done, Cersei had called the man back to the capital to serve as her champion thinking that no one would win against him.
It had been her mistake that would allow him to avenge his sister and her children, it would be the beginning of the end for the Lannisters; they had no idea what was coming for them nor did they realise that their time was coming to an end.
Riding on his white stallion towards the gathering that was waiting for him, Ser Harry Strickland held his head high knowing that their arrival in Westeros had to be one of the best secrets that they had. Their spy in King's Landing assured them that the Lannisters were far too distracted by the happenings there to even look North at what might be happening.
The murder of King Joffrey Baratheon was still the main focus even if the trial by combat was due to take place in the coming weeks to decide the fate of Tyrion Lannister. It had been four generations since his own family had been in Westeros, exiled along with the surviving Blackfyre supporters after the first rebellion. There hadn't been a true Blackfyre heir for the Golden Company to follow in many years with the house going extinct but Sanira was as close as they could get without straying into Targaryen territory, after everything that had happened to her and survived she was something that they could believe in.
"Your Grace, may I present my commander. Ser Harry Strickland," Jon Connington announced from his place beside the young Queen, he had explained their proposition well after everything had calm down. Sanira taking great interest in his words and the promise of support during this war, something that wasn't too be sniffed at especially with the army focused on dealing with the Lannisters and their allies at this time.
The army currently held Casterly Rock and were busy securing the Westerlands while they awaited the verdict from Tyrion Lannister's trial by combat that was due to take place any day now. Dismounting his horse, Ser Harry swept into a bow before approaching Sanira who watched him with mounting interest as he approached; her eyes leaving him only once to take in the army that he had lead to the Vale.
"20,000 men?" Sanira asked peeking at the large gathering before her, it matched up with the number of men that had been sworn to her husband at the start of this war. It felt like a lifetime ago since this all started, the years slowly passing them by and most of it had been spent dealing with the war that seemed never ending.
"Yes, Your Grace. A few died in transit but we are at your command," Ser Harry replied knowing that with a few days rest they'd be ready, he had no doubts by the look on Sanira's face that she already knew what her next move was going to be.
Please Review, Favourite and Follow xx