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.


Chapter Eight: News Travels.

"Your Grace. A letter from the King," Aiana stated handing over the letter that had arrived, the seal unbroken and there was no sign of tampering when the letter had been given to her by the messenger before the man had been sent to rest. He had ridden hard from Casterly Rock where King Robb was currently stationed with Stannis plotting their next move against the Lannisters who had yet to learn that the Rock had fallen.

Wincing as she moved slightly in her seat, Sanira tried to shift into a more comfortable position and she cursed herself for not wearing the chain mail that had been offered to her. The wounds to her stomach were healing nicely and Sanira was eager to leave the twins behind, she did not wish to linger in such a place after all that had happened in its halls.

"Joffrey Baratheon is dead. Poisoned at his own wedding to Margaery Tyrell it seems," Sanira said reading the letter aloud for those around her to hear. Her stomach twisting not sure how to feel at the news that her cousin had been murdered at his own wedding; she guessed the Gods did have a strange sense of justice after what had been done to her at Edmure's wedding.

Robb's uncle might have ridden off to war with him but his new bride remained here with Sanira and it was hard to ignore the younger woman especially when news had spread that she was already with child. Despite the horror that had occurred on her wedding night, Roslin Tully had conceived and had done her upmost to avoid Sanira not wishing to upset her Queen with the news.

"It is suspected that Tyrion was behind it," Sanira continued reading the news that had arrived, a frown on deepening on her face at such an idea; the man was clever and she could not imagine he would have poisoned Joffrey when people knew they were so at odds. Joffrey had borne himself many enemies since he had risen to the throne, word having spread about the cruel child that now called himself King despite the rumours that he was nothing more than Cersei's incestuous bastard.

"Sansa has also been named but she had disappeared from the capital," Sanira murmured fearing just what may have become of the young woman that she had not seen in three years. It felt like a lifetime ago since Sansa and Arya had left Winterfell with Lord Eddard to travel to King's Landing; her dreams of becoming Queen being all that Sansa had talked about.

The years would not have been kind to Sansa while she was trapped in the capital, there was no news if Arya were even with her despite the fact that the Lannisters claimed to have both girls. Sanira prayed that whatever had become of the younger Stark sister that she was well, she could not imagine how these years might have changed her.

There was little other news that Robb shared with her, though she could imagine he was eager for her full recovery especially when there was still the Vale of Arryn to consider. Another messenger had been sent, though this time with a Baratheon seal on the parchment instead of a Stark one in an attempt to hide the Stark victory at the Twins.

There was still no sign of movement from Lysa, she seemed determined to hide away from the world while it tore itself apart and Sanira could not shake the feeling that there was something more at play. The Vale had been too silent during the war, it did not seem to matter to them that their relatives had been 'murdered' at the wedding of Edmure.

As far as they knew, Catelyn and Robb had been murdered and yet still the Vale did nothing and Lysa acted like she had not lost a sister and nephew. Sanira folded the letter and carefully moved to stand, she winced as she did so and Aiana stepped forward to support her as she straightened up. A deep breath escaped her for a moment and Sanira hated feeling so weak, she wanted nothing more than to move forward and be of some use and yet she was trapped here.

Moving away from Aiana, Sanira knew that the sooner she could travel to the Vale and confront Lysa that the sooner that they might have the answers that she needed. The nagging feeling was not going away and Sanira feared that it might be something that they could use, something they were overlooking that might aid them in defeating the Lannisters.


"My Lord. You have a visitor," a servant murmured interrupting Tywin's talk with the new King, he hesitated for a moment in seeing that they had just come from viewing the body of the late King Joffrey. His body still streaked with purple and he had stones covering his eyes, he lay still in the Sept where only hours before his death; he had been married to Margaery, now he lay here awaiting his burial alongside his father.

Sighing, Tywin stepped away from Tommen knowing that he had much to teach his young grandson if he was going to make a good King especially after what they had endured with Joffrey. The boy had not been fit to be King and Tywin was almost relieved that he no longer had to deal with him; he would have brought nothing but trouble with his actions especially when there was still Stannis to deal with.

"What are you doing here? I left you in charge of Casterly Rock," Tywin demanded coming to a stop when he saw who had come to speak with him; this was the last thing that he needed right now. Storming towards his sister, Tywin grabbed her by the arm and dragged her towards a place where they could speak privately; he had given her strict orders to remain at Casterly Rock for a reason.

Arlenna frowned at how her brother greeted her and struggled against his hold, furious at the notion that he would treat her so; did he not recall what she had done for him and who she was. She had done away with the bore of a husband that she had been married to, stopped him from siding with their daughter in a war against the Lannisters and now she had not been permitted to attend the royal wedding.

"Well I couldn't very well stay there with an army at the door," Arlenna informed him annoyed with his treatment, she shrugged her brother off and glared at him wondering if this was the thanks that she got for coming to warn him. Not that she would admit that she had fled from Casterly Rock before a battle had even taken place; she had no intentions of being a prisoner of war.

Tywin stared at her, his mind racing trying to think who would still have such an army that would dare march on the rock while he was here in the capital burying a grandson and ruling as Hand of the King.

"It appears Lord Bolton has betrayed you. The Stark banners were sighted along with those of Stannis Baratheon marching for your gates," Arlenna informed him knowing that there could be no one else that would do such a thing. Surely the new Warden of the North would have known about such an uprising against them and would have sent a raven to inform them that the already weakened Northern army was on the moved.

Tywin did not say a word, his eyes staring at Arlenna while he calculated his next response knowing that if she had fled Casterly Rock then their ancestral home was in the hands of their enemies. He could not recall the last time that he had received a report from House Bolton since the assassination of Robb Stark and his wife, along with several of their important bannermen at the Twins. From what he could recall, the attack had been a success according to the report that he had received and there had been no whispers that anything was far out of the ordinary.

"The Stark bannerman must have sided with Stannis after the death of Robb Stark," Tywin mused knowing that this could easily be dealt with, it would make a fine start to Tommen's reign if they were to beat back the weakened armies and restore order to the Seven Kingdoms. That was without considering the threat that was growing across the sea in the form on a Targaryen Queen who had arrived in Meereen from the accounts that Tywin was hearing.

Arlenna did not speak, her blue eyes taking in her brother for a moment having no doubts that he would be able to handle it; this also meant that she could enjoy the luxurious of the capital while she was here. Despite having missed out on the wedding and by all accounts the murder of King Joffrey, Arlenna was sure that the coronation of the new King would be just as grand and if she played her cards right then she could find herself in his favour.

Tommen had only been a little boy the last time that she had seen him and Arlenna was in no doubt that her position was difficult right now; she had no husband and her children were all but lost to her after she had put her family before them.


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