Chapter 14:
The entire Red Keep was on edge with a sudden increase in Gold Cloaks that now roamed the halls, while those loyal to the Hand of the King increased their guard surrounding the Hand's Tower. Servants scurried across corridors and courtyards while many of the court nobles now talked in hush whispers, afraid and curious at the increasing tension between the Lannisters and Starks.
Cersei Lannister barely slept since she had first learned that her brother was taken hostage by Catelyn Tully. Though she hated her younger brother, it was still an insult to her family, their honour, and slight to her beloved Jamie. It was her extreme fondness of Jamie Lannister that forced her to tolerate Tyrion, and it was his love for their brother that caused him to attack Ned Stark, flee King's Landing and was now currently hoisting an army that was set to march into the Riverlands.
A knock on her door, sent on of her ladies to see who the visitor was. As the young brunette girl came running in back to her drawing room, she dipped into a quick curtsey before announcing that it was Lancel Lannister, the Queen's cousin seeking a private audience.
He was much younger than herself, but stood tall and proud like any hardened Lannister. His face, still youthful was framed by the trademark Lannister golden hair, and though he looked hollow and small in the new armour he was adorned in, he was still admired by many of the ladies at court. He gave a low bow to her. "My Queen."
"What news of my brother and father?" she inquired.
"They've nearly an army of twenty-thousand, my Lady. Your father has already commanded the Mountain to raid the Riverlands with an army of one hundred, and your brother is awaiting your father's orders to attack."
"And the Hand? Has he woken yet?"
"No, my Lady. I'm told by the servants that he has not stirred yet…but there is speculation that should he wake, he will not remain in King's Landing for much longer."
"A wise decision, for the offense his wife has taken against us."
She gave her younger cousin an admiring smile and walked over to him. She cupped his cheeks with her hands and placed a kiss on his lips, to which she felt he slightly quivered under her touch.
"To think you were almost betrothed to that Arryn girl," she mused, "You were too good for her. Father never have never suggested it..to have our Lannister blood become dirtied with our enemies."
Lancel gulped at the mention of Isabel, but felt his stomach flutter at her slight compliment. He always admired Cersei since he was a young child and since coming to King's Landing made the extra effort to impress her so that one day she would speak in his favour when it came time when Lancel was knighted and lead an army like his father.
"She has left for the Eyrie, I am told. King Robert issued the dispensation to her," he stated.
Her smiled disappeared from her face and sat back down, clearly not amused anymore. "She's clearly no use to us anymore."
"Will she be an eventual threat?"
She pondered for a moment, "It's difficult to say…the Valemen are one of the strongest armies in the realm and they command a fleet of ships that could easily rival the Iron Islands, but her involvement in our quarrels will all depend on whether she can gain enough support from her lords. Not every man is willing to take orders from a woman. She refuses to alliance with us, so I begin to wonder who will be her saviour when she comes falling down."
"Another suitor?"
"I believe so...but whether it's that Stark boy, a Frey, Tully or some other house in the Vale I do not know. Whoever her suitors are…they may pose a threat to us. It may double her power within this realm."
"Do you believe she will come to their aide when the time comes?"
"I've been watching Isabel for a long time…she has the heart and strength of her father, thinks and plots like Petyr Baelish. Isabel Arryn would have been a powerful ally had she agreed to our alliance, but she made her decision. She's not stupid, she knows this isn't her battle…and she'll be smart enough to keep her pretty head out of this war."
"And if she doesn't?"
"Then she will have to face the wrath of the lions…and that is something that will bring her down to her knees."
The moment the ship docked at the ports of Gulltown, Isabel had almost flung herself off the ship and onto a horse to make her way to the Eyrie. The journey was rough, and they were met with a particular nasty storm that had delayed their arrival until almost mid-day. Isabel had gotten very little sleep and felt her body failing as every movement she began to make felt slower and heavier. With time now running out, she knew Tyrion's life was now in danger and she was eager to arrive at the Eyrie before anything could happen.
Lord Hersy once again welcomed her to the Vale and now rode beside her as they raced back to High Hall.
"What news, Lord Hersy?"
"The Lannister spent the night in the sky cells and Lysa Arryn wishes to try him for murder. She's called on all the Lords of the Vale to witness this."
"Then that does not give me much time. If Lysa Arryn throws him through the Moon Door, she will seal our fate and invite us to war with the Lannisters," she said worriedly.
"There's no way for us to release Tyrion, unless he requests trial by combat and I suspect he should. However there will be no one here to battle as his champion, and in that case he'll be sent flying without wings."
"Then let us pray that we arrive in time and put a stop to all of this," she said hurriedly and kicked her saddle to put her horse into a fast gallop.
The words of Varys stung through her heart since she left King's Landing as she remembered the very moment where she finally gave into his request. She was betrothed now, promised to marry the dragon who would cement her claim to the Vale.
It felt like she had sold her soul to the Seven Hells.
She had decided that she would keep this arrangement strictly to herself until the time was right to reveal her marriage. She hated the prospect that marriage was the only powerful leverage that women had over this realm. Isabel had seen fathers selling off their daughters in return for more land and power and the numerous unhappy marriages that followed through. And now it sickened her that she had fallen into the very same trap that she had tried to avoid.
But that was the reality she lived in – should her brother still oppose her, her claim would not be secure unless she married and produced an heir to the Arryn line.
Varys was right; she couldn't do this alone.
As they reached to the doors of the Eyrie, Isabel immediately jumped off her horse with Lord Hersy and Ser Tommas following closely behind. The guards, recognizing her were quick to move out of the way while giving her a quick bow. They had simply lost too much time, and she was now worried that Tyrion was already dead.
She stopped in front of the doors leading to the High Halls and took a deep breathe. Looking behind her shoulder, Ser Tommas gave her a nod of support, silently telling her that this was now her moment to shine, and her moment to claim what was truly hers.
She pushed the doors open to a rather large crowd which encircled the Moon Door. Isabel heard clashes and grunts, and she flinched at the sounds as she recognized that a trial by combat had already begun. Nobody had paid much attention to her entrance as everybody was enthralled by the battle that was taking place.
He cannot die here, a voice spoke to her.
She opened her mouth, but no sound came out and suddenly feeling like the young girl she was when she was first introduced at court; small, meek and scared. Ser Tommas squeezed her shoulder lightly, as if he had read her mind and she immediately relaxed.
Taking another deep breathe, she let her voice engulf the room. "Stop this at once!"
The clashes of steel slowly dissolved and one by one the heads of the lords and knights of the Vale slowly turned towards her. Holding her head up high and her shoulders back, she moved her way forward until she was in between the two champions.
"You will stop this trial, in the name of your lady," she commanded.
Lysa Arryn jumped up from her chair, eyes wide and fuming with anger. Beside her, Robert looked on with pure curiousity, unaware of the growing tension that was engulfing the room, but he smiled at the sight of his sister, like the naïve child he was.
"You have no authority here, Isabel Arryn," she seethed and looked at the champions, "Continue!"
Before she knew it, she reached out and placed her hand on the swords to prevent the fighting from recommencing. Glancing at the corner of her eye, she saw Tyrion Lannister, standing near the front of the crowd with a slightly perplexed but amused look on his face.
"We will have no trial. You shall put down your swords," she repeated, "Tyrion Lannister is not a prisoner of the Eyrie."
"And what makes you think you can just walk in here and act like you are the rightful heir to your father's titles? Robert is the Lord, and I am his Regent…and you are nothing," she yelled.
It was at that moment she reached into her cloak and presented the King's dispensation, and she could not help by form a triumphant smile on her face.
"By orders of King Robert himself," she explained, "He has issued a dispensation and has recognized me, Isabel Arryn, eldest child of Jon Arryn as the rightful heir and Lady of the Vale."
Lord Nestor Royce came forward and gave a low bow and took the scroll from Isabel to read out loud the contents. As his eyes scanned the document, Isabel's gaze never left her step-mother, as the two women's eyes had locked down to a death stare.
"It is the official seal of the King," Lord Nestor declared to the lords, "He has relinquished Robert Arryn's claim and has named Isabel Arryn as Lady of the Vale and Warden of the East."
Its confirmation was met with murmurs within the room and Isabel decided to break her gaze and looked to the lords for her support. Some frowned and shook her head, while others gave her a nod and acknowledgement.
"Lord Robert is the firstborn son," yelled one lord, "He is the rightful heir!"
"If King Robert recognizes Isabel, then she will have my support!"
"You're only a woman…you cannot lead us!"
The room became quickly divided, with lords and knights yelling over one another, one side supporting Robert Arryn and the other supporting Isabel. As Ser Tommas and her guards struggled to maintain order, Lysa yelled shrieked in a hysterical laughter silencing the room once more.
"You have no idea what you've done now, girl. You've brought civil war to these lands and I will not have you proclaiming yourself as the rightful heir when you're just an imposter," she spat.
"I am the rightful heir," she repeated.
"You are nobody! Look at you..you stand there as if you think you can rule the Vale. You think just because you know the ways of court intrigue that you know the way to the hearts and desire of men? Who will follow you? My son is the rightful heir, the rightful lord and the rightful ruler! Your father should have shipped you off to the North when he had the chance. He should have gotten rid of you, just like how he got rid of your mother."
Something within Isabel snapped, and her eyes widened as if the flames of the dark shadows suddenly ignited within her. "You have no right to speak about my mother like that," she slowly seethed.
"Have I touched a nerve, my dear child?" Lysa knowingly taunted.
"My mother was a thousand times more worthy of carrying the Arryn name than you. She's worth a thousand times more than you, and she bore a true Arryn heir...not some sickly child on the brink of death. If it wasn't for her death, you wouldn't even be here. You'd be back in the Riverlands...still a maid. From what I hear, no good lord wanted to take you as a wife, but my father needed an alliance and he took pity on you."
"You watch your tongue, girl. I could have it cut out," she threatened.
Her eyes darted to the side of the hall, towards her gaurdsmen who made the slight move towards his sword. However, this was quickly noticed by Ser Tommas and the older knight was even quicker to draw his sword and pointed it at the other knight's neck. Sensing his predicament, he gave an unsure glace at Lysa Arryn before retreating a few steps back and admitting defeat.
"You have no more power here," Isabel said defiantly.
The air in the room remained still and silent, and the tension between the two women hung above the entire hall.
"You would dare to defy the King's orders?" she questioned, and raised the scroll containing the royal seal for all the Lords of the Vale to see.
Lysa's lips quivered and fell back on her seat, silently admitting to herself that she could not go against the king's word. "Do not think for a second that this is over Isabel Arryn," she said, "You have begun a war between us that will bring you to your ruin."
"You forget my lady, it was you who chose war," she reminded her, "I gave you an out, and you refused me."
At a loss for words, Lysa walked down from her seat until she was face to face with Isabel. "I will fight you until my very last breathe," she whispered.
"So be it," she stated, and sealing the women's fate.
Isabel glanced over her shoulder and gave Lord Nestor Royce and Lord Hersy a slight nod. Within a second they called for their men and surrounded her step-mother as well as the Lords of the houses who had voiced their opposition, to prevent any potential bloodshed.
"We will escort the Lady Lysa Arryn and her son, Lord Robert Arryn back to their chambers," she instructed, and it's meaning being understood to the entire room.
"Isabel, they are your family," Catelyn Stark protested, "You cannot confine them like prisoners."
"It is only a temporary measure, I promise," she replied, "...until my step-mother is well-rested."
No one dared to move in the room, but she saw many of the knights had already positioned themselves, ready to draw blood at any given moment. Lysa Arryn looked around, sensing no way out but only to admit defeat for the time-being. She called for her son, and the little lord ran down to hug his mother's right thigh as his big bulgy blue eyes looked up at Isabel.
"Leave now," Isabel commanded, unable to look into her brother's innocent gaze anymore.
As her step-mother and brother left High Hall, a handful of lords and knights from the houses that voice opposition to Isabel's claim stormed out in defiance. As the room cleared out, so did the huge burden that had finally begun to lift off Isabel's shoulders.
"Well, that was certainly entertaining...and I thought my family had problems," Tyrion dryly remarked.
His hands were still chained together, and Isabel gave a quick nod to the guard to release him from his imprisonment. As the heavy metal dropped to the ground, he rubbed his bruised wrists in relief, and gave a quick bow to Isabel in thanks.
"I do apologize for the maltreatment you've received." she said, in a vain apology.
"Isabel, he is still my prisoner," Catelyn interjected, "He tried to murder my son!"
"Do you have any solid proof, my Lady?" she asked, "An accusation is one matter, but taking a high lord hostage on empty grounds is another."
"I didn't kill your son," he pleaded again, "Why would I want to kill a mere child? The boy was no threat to me."
"Because he saw something! Something you Lannisters would kill to keep secret!"
"Every family has secrets…to which secret would you be referring to? There's so many of them, I sometimes can't even keep track of all of them," he coolly replied.
"Lady Stark," Isabel interrupted, "It would be in your best interest to release Tyrion for the time being, unless you can acquire more proof. Word has already reach King's Landing of this and Tywin Lannister is on the verge of raiding your father's lands for this offense."
The colour slightly drained from the woman's face. "What has happened?"
"Jamie Lannister and his father is rumoured to have gathered an army of twenty-thousand…when they will attack, no one knows. Your husband has fallen to an injury because the Kingslayer ambushed him on the streets….if you retain Tyrion as your prisoner, then war is certain."
"Ah! So my family has not forgotten about me," he remarked, "I'm glad to see my father fighting for my honour."
"Ned?" Catelyn asked in disbelief, ignoring the dwarf, "What of my daughters? What have you heard?"
"Your daughters are safe and but your husband has not woken yet. Time will only tell," she reassured her, "It is imperative you free Tyrion…we must retain the peace within this realm."
Reluctantly, Lady Catelyn nodded in consent and sat down on the stone bench still in shock that her actions had sparked such outrage. Had she had known she put her daughters and husband in danger, she would have reconsidered apprehending Tyrion at the inn. Now she had openly invited warfare onto the Riverlands, something she did not anticipate.
Taking leave, Tyrion and his sellsword who was acting as his champion made another bow before walking out of the High Hall. Isabel was quick to follow the Lannister out, hoping to catch a private word with him.
"Lannister," she called out.
He turned around and let out a sigh. "What crime have I committed now?"
"None that has come to my attention yet," she replied,
"I must say, Lady Arryn that you were quite remarkable in there…I should caution you on the days that lie ahead of you. The quest for power is not an easy journey."
"So I've been told."
"Perhaps my father underestimated you," he thought out loud, "He thought you would have needed our help to regain your father's titles. He thought your lords would turn you away, and yet you have accomplished the improbable…and you did it all alone."
She gave a humorous smirk. "Perhaps not entirely alone," she replied knowingly.
"I didn't kill your father and I had nothing to do with the Stark boy," he said suddenly.
"I know," she said, "It seems like there are birds and spiders whispering lies into our ears."
"Perhaps," he agreed, "..someone possibly wanting to ignite a war again…to create havoc and chaos in this realm…"
"…and when these lands have been ravaged with war and death, an unknown hero will come in and save the day," she finished for him.
"And I am curious as to who this hero will be," he wondered.
She smiled, but said nothing to suggest anything more. Of all the Lannisters, Tyrion was the only one whom Isabel held any respect for. He recognized the faults of his family though he was adherently loyal to them, and yet Isabel often found Tyrion good company despite his seedy reputation and his habit of visiting the brothels everyday.
"We will supply you with a horse to help you back to the High Road," she offered, "You'll need it…those mountain men…they're ruthless creatures."
"What? No escort party?"
"Don't push your luck Lannister," she warned, "Should I send you with my men…I really can't guarantee you'll make it through the mountains alive."
"Ah…well, then I will better take my chances through the mountains alone, along with Bronn of course."
The sellsword grunted at the sound of his name, but made no more effort in adding to their conversation. As Isabel turned around and had begun to make her way back to the High Hall, she called out over her shoulder, "You owe me, Lannister."
"What do you mean?" he asked humorously.
"A Lannister always pays his debts," she reminded him.
"I think Bronn was doing pretty good before you strolled in and stopped our battle," he challenged.
"And what if he lost? Then I suppose that my timely arrival saved you a deathly journey through the Moon Door," she countered.
"I had full confidence that I would have won,"
"Well, we'll never know now, will we?"
"Then I will not forget your mercy, my Lady," he said annoyingly as he gave his final bow, "A Lannister always pays his debts….and I am in your gratitude and service…should you ever call upon me."
A/N: Enjoy :)