I squinted from the balcony, for there was cavalry on the horizon, and then swift footsteps in the corridor, and a sharp rap on the door.

It had been only food and garments for many months, and handmaids who had said nothing when my waters broke.

The door swung open, and Garth stood there, and I sobbed.

"Has he let me go?"

Garth shut the door, and hurried to my side with an embrace. I clutched him and moaned, a piteous wail, and Garth held my face up to his.

He sat down, wizened, and I sat beside him.

"I am glad it is over. He cannot - he could not have only wanted me alive for Margaery."

Garth's hands shook.

"Alerie - "

"Tell me. What is to become of me?"

Garth shook his head. "What of House Tyrell… "

I watched him rise and pace, then sit down again.

"After your imprisonment, Willas rallied the banners and marched for an ambush. He sprung upon Robert so fiercely that many more heads were taken than were routed. He proceeded into the stormlands - "

"He besieged it?"

"With a smaller force, and with Lord Redwyne upon the seas, Willas captured and sacked every vassal castle sworn to Storm's End. When he marched on the last, Stannis was betrayed by one of his own, and Willas' men took Storm's End, slew them all and burned Storm's End, though its old magic held and so did the walls."

I gripped his hand, which was trembling. Garth continued.

"Willas proceeded at once to continue towards the capital, where he promptly joined forces with Jon Connington's mighty army. Together, they marched on the riverlands, taking castles one by one for their insolence to not declaring for the crown at once."

"No!"

Garth nodded. "The rebels were aghast at the loss of Robert and his kin, and justly so at the attack on the riverlands, on the poor smallfolk. Ned and Jon Arryn, who might have prepared to bend the knee, attacked out of honor . And so they were slain."

Garth cleared his throat.

"Willas and Jon Connington marched upon Riverrun, finding Lord Tywin had long since besieged it, likely having struck when the riverlands began to be plundered. Lord Frey came late, to offer what he could, hoping, I suspect, for a share of the pie."

Garth took a quavering breath.

"With the rebellion quashed, Willas did not stop there. He proposed, as he had to the king, that the north and the Vale still lay ripe for taking. Speaking on the king's behalf, Willas proposed that by avoiding the Neck, he could sail from the right side of Westeros to land at White Harbor, while Jon Connington took the Vale's vassal castles one by one, and Lord Tywin to sail from the left side of Westeros, to begin at Bear Island, and come together to take Winterfell."

"And?"

"Lord Tywin was no fool."

" Was ?"

"He knew he must meet the ironborn in battle, whose fleet would surely sink his. Lord Tywin proposed that he and Willas both sail to White Harbor so as to avoid a possible enemy fleet, and Jon Connington was satisfied. Willas, however was not."

"He slew Lord Tywin?"

"And all his men, for the Reach fields plenty of men, but the battle was made easier by Jon Connington who sought glory. With Lord Tywin slain, Willas saw that the west was now open, and Jon Connington was hard pressed not to follow him. Willas and Jon Connington bypassed the Golden Tooth using a goat path, and there razed many if not all of the west castles, and came to besiege Casterly Rock - "

I rose.

"Casterly Rock! He cannot have taken it!"

Garth nodded sourly.

"He did. There was something about an entrance in the sewers, and heavy fighting, which Willas was at ease to convince Jon Connington to do, wisely recognising that the Reachmen, battle hardened, were slowly dropping. Casterly Rock was claimed, and Jon Connington envisioning all that might be rewarded to him , and then Willas turned to the capital."

"To do what?"

"To ask for Princess Daenerys' hand, who had been newly born to Queen Rhaella. She was but a babe, but Willas was sixteen… "

I turned to the balcony, where the calvary was now closer. They raised banners with the three headed dragon, red on black. I whirled back.

"What do you mean, was ?"

Garth took a pained breath.

"Aerys denied him, and named Willas before the court a traitor… the king said that it was not his orders that the realm should have bled so. Ser Jaime cut the throat of his father's killer. And now, the king wishes to make an example of us… "