The Witch Queen of Essos
Tyene: (cheers) It's almost done!
Wanda: (groans) I'm not looking forward to trying to showcase the War for Dawn...there is no way I could do that justice, the way I want to anyway.
Tyene: Well, you can give it a shot, considering how you've built it up.
Wanda: (nods) I refer you to the first chapter for the disclaimer.
Chapter 14: Judgment and Marriage
"The sun hasn't come up." Lillian said, staring out her window. "I thought it would be up by now, Jon."
"It's only hiding from us." Jon said grimly, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. Lillian had been awake early thanks to a nightmare, and he'd found her on her balcony staring out across King's Landing. "The Long Night is starting."
"Is that why Ginny pulled her forces out of King's Landing and sent them to the Wall?" His younger sister asked.
"Yes. Hopefully, they will hold the wall until Aegon and I can summon the banners and march north to reinforce them." Jon said.
"Do you think we'll win?" Lillian asked.
Jon looked down at her and gave her a hug. "I believe it. We don't have much choice there." Lillian nodded and burrowed her head in his chest.
**~The Infirmary~**
Rhaenys sat next to Robb's bed; the new Lord of the North was still recovering from his injuries during the Red Dinner. Aegon, Jon and Rhaegar arranged for all the High Lords to arrive in King's Landing for the trials of Tywin, Robert, Cersei, Jamie and Baelish. It had been a couple days before Robb had been healthy enough to travel, and he'd spent most of them in feverish sleep. The combination of his injuries, his grief and the stress of being Lord of Winterfell hadn't been kind to him.
Thus, Rhaenys hadn't been able to adequately talk to him since that night.
Robb stirred and woke slowly. Rhaenys quickly closed her book and put a hand on his shoulder. "Robb...?"
"I'm awake," The young man murmured, blinking lethargically. "I think."
"Take your time. You're lucky to have recovered as well as you did..." Rhaenys turned and waved a servant over, ordering her to bring some water.
Viseyna's disgruntled growl drifted from the balcony. The violet dragon had taken to pacing along with Grey Wind at the nearest window during Robb's recovery; she seemed to share her rider's anxiety for his well being. The direwolf had been surprisingly amicable towards the larger monster, which the princesses took as a good sign.
Slowly, Robb sat up and rested against the head of his bed. Rhaenys regarded him with worry; he gently grabbed her hand when she moved to get a cloth.
"It's fine, Rhaenys." He said quietly. "I...I am as well as I can be...given the circumstances."
"I'm so sorry, Robb."
He looked oddly at her, and smiled weakly. "It's not your doing."
"I wish I could have done more."
"You saved my life." Robb broke in. "You saved me just by coming back."
Rhaenys gasped and her cheeks tinted red. The two sat in silence for a minute, simply taking in each other's company.
A nervous look overtook Robb's face. "Does...does your father know? A-about..." The new Lord of Winterfell winced and didn't finish that sentence. He was very aware that the dragons weren't far away; after what they did to the Bolton traitor he was more unnerved then ever about his potential fate. After all, Bran would take up the mantle at Wintefell if -something- were to happen to him...
Rhaenys read his expression and frowned. "No, but they know that if they do anything to you, I will be extremely disappointed in them."
"Strange that you two should be talking about that."
Queen Lyanna walked into the room a moment later. She had paused outside the door, listening to the two speak. She had been reminded of herself and Rhaegar, back when they were younger. She smiled warmly at her nephew and stepdaughter. "It's good to see you're well, Robb."
"Aunt Lyanna," Robb murmured. He tried to get up and winced; Rhaenys pushed him down by the shoulders and gave him a disapproving look.
Lyanna waved a hand, "There's no need for formalities, Robb. We are family, after all." She took an unused chair from the wall and sat down on the other side of the bed.
"Aunt Lyanna;" Rhaenys started uncertainly, her mind furiously working on how to frame this dreaded conversation, "there's-something I've neglected to tell you-"
"So I've heard, from Viserys." Lyanna said. "Perhaps we should have anticipated such a possibility when you and Emily were sent to the Stark camp."
"Viserys?" Rhaenys stammered, befuddled. "How did-" Her face fell. "He was in the Riverlands. The Freys."
Robb winced.
"Yes, Viserys was there when Walder was tipped off about the Stark camp's 'healer'." Lyanna held that conversation for a moment, before blithely going on, "he was concerned about the man's legendary tendencies to hold grudges, and tried to forestall any further mess by offering to marry Roslin Frey as a means of compensation."
"WHAT?!" The two lovers exploded simultaneously, shock written across their faces.
Lyanna chuckled before saying, "The appeal to Walder's greed and desire for social status worked wonders, I hear. Roslin seems to be the most charming of his lot. At the very least, Viserys adores her and if she shares any of Walder's detestable qualities, she's very good at hiding them. Her brother Olyvar (he is now squiring under The Hound) says that she has always taken after her mother in personality."
"But..." Robb blinked twice, trying to figure out whether or not he was still asleep. "Does that mean-?"
Lyanna smiled, "According to the letter, 'tell Lord Robb and Princess Rhaenys their slight is forgiven, and you have the full backing of House Frey'. Viserys may have some bouts of madness, but his mind hasn't crumbled like some of his forefathers."
Rhaenys resisted the urge to either leap out of her chair, find Viserys and crush him in a hug, or start crying with relief and joy. The contract was fulfilled without Robb!
"With that potential unpleasantness put aside," Lyanna said, leaning forward slightly, "I suppose there's only one question that matters now. Robb. Do you love Rhaenys?"
Robb nodded slowly. "Yes. I would die for her."
"Speak not of death, but of life," Rhaenys pleaded with her lover, who gave her a gentle smile in response.
"Good. You'll be married tomorrow then." Lyanna stood up and smiled at the pair. "Rest well, Robb." With that, she walked out of the room.
The pair sat in stunned silence for a moment. Rhaenys broke it with a laugh of delight.
"The gods are good; the old and the new!"
**~The Next Day~**
The sun rose very late; the Long Night was approaching steadily. Snowflakes fell in the capital, so the wedding ceremony took place inside the Sept of Baelor.
It was a dual wedding, with Rhaenys and Robb on one side and Viserys and Roslin on the other. The new Targaryen wide was in tears with joy; her brothers Olyvar and Alesander were standing off to the side as her family's representative.
No one radiated more joy than the new Lady of Winterfell and her husband. Rhaegar oversaw the ceremony, and he was quite visibly pleased. Aegon and Jon gave the families their blessing, while Lillian and Daenerys were all somewhat besotted by the romance of it all. Ginerva and Daemon, while not understanding the nature of romance yet, were pleased that their family was bigger.
Ginny stood off to the side, examining the crowd.
It hadn't escaped her notice that, when the dance started, the first man to approach Daenerys was Tyrion Lannister. The two had bonded over a shared love of old literature and spent a lot of time together in the library. A small, more innocent part of her was debating if she should -nudge- the pair closer together.
Jamie stood off to the side, looking somewhat awkward. While the dance shifted again, Ginny made her way over to him.
"Are you not planning to dance?" She asked.
Jamie cast her a surprised sideways look before shaking his head. "I don't have a partner." He explained, giving her a small half smile.
"Neither do I." Ginny noted, before holding out her hand. "Would you indulge me?"
Jamie looked at her for a moment before accepting. "As you wish, Your Grace."
The two walked down to the main dance floor. As the waltz started, Ginny put her hands on Jamie's shoulders and let the music lead on.
"Are you shaking a bit, Jamie?" Ginny asked gently, regarding his face curiously.
Jamie's lip twitched into a slight smile. "The last time I was this close to royalty, I got the name 'Kingslayer'. Are you not worried?"
"No. I trust you." Ginny responded.
Jamie chuckled softly, before blinking and glancing over her shoulder. "My trial is tomorrow. I'll see if your dragons feel the same."
Ginny smiled. "I can't say much here...but you have my support. I was there, after all."
"You owe me that," Jamie said quietly. "You changed me."
"Maybe." Ginny held his gaze. "You helped me remember that people can still be good. And doing what is good, rarely coincides with what is easy. People forget that fighting for what's right means walking uphill, no matter how tired you get."
The slight smile returned to Jamie's face. "That's right."
The music paused; the pair observed the two happy couples ascending up the stairs. Ginny smiled quietly, flashing back to her first wedding all those years ago. The sadness of her losses still lingered. Jamie glanced down at her, concern in his eyes. "It's nothing," The Queen murmured. "Memories."
"Memories have power." Jamie was thinking of his twin sister. In spite of knowing how twisted his relationship with her had been, he had sincerely loved her in his own way. But his decision to turn on his father's ways and try to be good had separated them permanently. It still hurt him to know what she had to become, and what her fate might be tomorrow.
"Of course. But they can only guide you; they can't come back from the ashes." Ginny said softly, blinking heavily to keep her emotions in check.
"Are you alright?" Jamie asked.
Ginny glanced at him, saw his concerned eyes, and felt something warm in her heart. "I will be." She promised. "It's what they would have wanted."
She would tell him about her first husband in time...if tomorrow went the way she hoped it would.
**~The Next Day: The Trial of Lannister and Barantheon~**
The courtroom was still extravagantly decorated from the wedding the next day. It was decided that the added flare to the importance of this day, so it had been left relatively alone while the servants cleaned the rooms.
Aegon and Jon were both seated on their thrones. Aegon was dressed in black, and Jon in red, signalling their shared rulership and Jon's mixed heritage. Aegon's wife Maegary was sitting next to him, clad in rich silks and a beautiful diamond tiara, looking proud and pleased as she asserted herself in her knew role. Rhaegar stood at the side of the Aegon's throne, the Hand pin on his right arm glinting in the firelight. He, too, wore black and red. Standing next to him was Lyanna Targaryen, wearing a brilliant white dress with her sword still strapped to her side.
Beside Lyanna was Ginny, dressed in her queen's robes though she had chosen not to bring her crown. So this way, she would not be seen as influencing the Kings decisions.
Robb Stark, the new Warden of the North, was at Jon's side alongside his wife Rhaenys Stark. Theon Greyjoy, Lord Rickard Karstark and Lord Greatjon Umbar, the Honourary Stark and the two lords who followed the dragons back to King's Landing to represent the North following the Red Dinner, sat further down from them but close to the throne.
Next to Robb was Viserys Targaryen, Prince of Dragonstone, and his new wife Roslin Targaryen. Olyvar Frey stood with them, representing House Frey in the proceedings. On Viserys's left was his sister Daenerys, dressed in a blue and black scaled dress with a sword at her side. And with her was Tyrion Lannister, current Master of Coin, standing proud with his new fiance.
It was Daenerys who requested the marriage, much to the surprise of her nephews. It took some arguing, given the animosity between the houses, but in the end Rhaegar gave her his blessing.
Tyrion looked as though he'd never been happier when he gave the Mother of Dragons an engagement ring.
Lillian Targaryen was standing on the opposite side of the room, next to Oberyn Martell and his four bastard children – the Sand Snakes. Obara, Nymeria, Tyene and Saella all looked beautiful and dangerous as ever. Nymeria had put a hand on Daemon's shoulder, since the young boy was twitching out of boredom. His sister Ginerva rolled her eyes at his antics.
At one point, Ginerva waved happily at Sandor Cleagane, who was guarding the doors. One of the most surprising friendships in King's Landing had blossomed between the young princess and her new guardian. Though Sandor had never acknowledged the reason, Ginerva reminded him intensely of his long deceased sister.
Brynden "Blackfish" Tully had arrived the previous night as Lysa Arryn's representative, having delivered her pledge of alliance to the new monarchs. He stood off to the right of the Starks. Edmure Tully, haven taken up the title of Lord of the Riverlands following his father's death, was there as well. Mace Tyrell was there as well, along with his formidable mother the Queen of Thorns.
"Are you nervous, my love?" Maegary asked, noticing Aegon's tight grip on the armrests of the Iron Throne.
"Somewhat." Aegon admitted.
"Good," Jon muttered; his shoulders were very rigid. "I'm not the only one, then."
"Relax," Maegary said, smiling. "You have lead men into battle. This is no different. Whatever your judgment is, we will all stand behind it."
Aegon nodded slowly and kissed his wife's hand. "Thank you, Maegary."
The brothers stood up together. "Rise." Jon commanded, and everyone in the room did so.
Jon Connington read off, "All Hail Their Grace, King Aegon the Sixth and King Jon the First. Kings of the Andals and the First Men. Lords of the Seven Kingdoms, Protector of the Realm and Shields of their People. All hail Her Grace, Queen Maegary of House Tyrell and Targaryen."
"Today marks a new day in our history." Jon began. "An era in which the Dragon will bring about a time of peace, compassion and prosperity for all who live in our lands."
"But before this can come to pass," Aegon continued, "We must first bring to justice those who believe that they are above justice and the law, who can massacre and manipulate the peoples without consequences. And, the history of our forfather Aerys II Targaryen must be examined and acknowledged, so such a man will never wear the crown again."
"To this end, the Lion, the Barantheon Usurper and their allies shall be brought to justice for their crimes at long last." Jon finished. "...Bring him in, Ser Clegane."
Sandor bowed his head. A moment later, he lead Jamie Lannister into the royal courtroom.
The lords whispered in surprise at how healthy and well treated the 'Kingslayer' seemed, while the smallfolk who were standing in the various doorways, anxiously waiting for convictions, cheered at the sight of their well loved protector.
Jon Connington handed Rhaegar the scroll. "Jamie Lannister, you stand accused of regicide against King Aerys II during Robert Barantheon's rebellion. How do you plead?"
Jamie took a deep breath. "I plead guilty." He said, his voice level and steady.
"Why?" Aegon asked, his voice low and threatening. "By what right did you slay my grandfather and break your oath as a member of the Kingsguard?"
Jamie squared his shoulders and responded, "I served King Aerys faithfully at first, even as he turned against my family and ordered me to kill my father when he ordered the sacking of King's Landing. When it became clear he was going to loose, Aerys revealed that he had buried caches of wildfyre all throughout the city. He called for his pyromancers to burn everyone in the city alive. Burn them in the streets, burn them in their beds...burn them all.
"If I stood and did nothing, millions of innocents would die burning. So I took my blade and drove it into his back. He died still saying, 'burn them all'."
Shocked murmurs burst among the lords. The knowledge of the wildfyre plot still wasn't well known. But after a moment, the smallfolk unsurprisingly burst into cheers, chanting Jamie's name and calling him a hero.
Aegon and Jon exchanged a long look, taking one last moment to deliberate. Then, Jon stood and spoke.
"The Kingsguard have discovered cases of wildfyre buried in various places among the castle itself. I believe this confirms Lannister's story." He paused, before declaring, "There is no greater courage than sacrificing one's future and honour for others. May it be known, Jamie Lannister, you have been spared the executioner's axe."
"However. Kingslaying cannot go unpunished. By this time tomorrow, you are banished from Westeros, to return only on pain of death."
Jamie looked stunned at this vindication. For a moment, he stood frozen, and for a second he swung his gaze over to Essos Queen Ginny, who smiled.
"Your Grace is gracious and compassionate." Jamie said, bowing his head.
With a nod from both kings, Sandor lead the former 'kingslayer' out of the room. Clapping and cheering filled the room from the bakers and blacksmiths and the goodwives, who for the first time felt safe under the rule of their royalty.
And with that, the trial commenced in force.
Tywin Lannister, Robert Barantheon, Cersei Lannister, Lancel Lannister, Joffery Hill (gagged because he wouldn't stop insisting he was the rightful king) and Petyr Baelish were all dragged into the courtroom. Had Roose Bolton not been shredded by Visenya, he would have been here as well given the Red Dinner. And his psychopathic bastard son had been killed as well.
"Tywin, Usurper...so glad you and your ilk could join us." Aegon said coldly.
Robert said nothing. He was looking at Lyanna, who was tersely ignoring him. His mind went back to a conversation that had occurred hardly an hour ago as the trial was being prepared.
**~Flashback~**
"Lyanna! Lyanna! You have to break free from them!"
Lyanna stopped walking, her eyes narrowing. Seeing the anger in her husband's eyes, she placed a hand on his shoulder and whispered, "I'll handle this, Rhaegar. I'll catch up with you."
Rhaegar paused and then smiled tenderly at her. "Very well, my love." He gave her a kiss and walked ahead into the throne room.
"Lyanna, I know you must be under a spell, but I can still save you!" Robert insisted, ignoring the violent guards holding his arms back. "I failed you before, but I can still rescue-"
"Rescue me?" Lyanna snapped sharply, turning on her heel. She walked forward several steps and stopped, glaring down at her former fiance, arms crossed across her chest. "Do I look like a prisoner to you, Robert? Are my hands marked from chains?"
Her eyes narrowed. "But you won't listen to anything I say, would you? You'll keep telling yourself that it is magic, that I've somehow been coerced because you can't accept the truth – that I am Rhaegar's queen because I love and I chose him."
"You think I was kidnapped by him still? I ran away with him. I love him because he sees me for who I am. He sees me as a warrior, not as a pretty curtain to be hung on a wall and forgotten about. He didn't proclaim to love me while spilling seed into any pretty girl who happened to catch his eye. The septons preach about faithfulness to your spouse, but I was expected to smile and marry you when you bedded anything on two legs."
"You do not love me, not truly. Not in the ways that matter, or that a woman deserves. And I could never come to love such a selfish cad."
"I do not love you. I am not kidnapped, I am not under a spell because of my friend Ginny. This is who I truly am. The She Wolf of the North. The wolf at the dragon's side. This is the person you chose to never see."
"You were a terrible and a selfish king. I will not save you."
With that, Lyanna turned and walked away.
**~Flashback~**
"So you have us," Tywin ground out. "What do you plan to do? Slay us all out of a misguided sense of revenge?"
"Revenge? I call it justice." Jon countered. "Your crimes are many, Lannister. For your bastard grandson, the crimes are the murder of a butcher's boy, and the attempted murder of the late Lord Eddard Stark. For your whore of a daughter, the charges are incest, adultery, and conspiracy to place a false king on the throne. For the Usurper, Robert Barantheon, the crimes are the attempted murder of my father, King Rhaegar Targaryen, the attempted murder of myself, my brothers, my sisters, my aunt and my uncle, the attempted kidnapping of my mother Queen Mother Lyanna Stark Targaryen, and by proxy, the murder of Elia Martell Targaryen. For Lancel Lannister, the charges are adultery, incest, the attempted murder of Bran Stark and Princess Lillian Targaryen, and conspiracy. For Petyr Baelish, fraud, stealing from the crown, and conspiracy. And finally, for you, Tywin, the charges are the sacking of King's Landing, the murder of Elia Martell, the attempted murder of my family, and regicide against Queen Rhaella Targaryen, and finally, conspiring with Roose Bolton to slaughter the House of Stark. This resulted in the death of my uncle, Lord Eddard Stark."
"Be careful how you speak of my family, false king." Tywin spat. Aegon nodded at Sandor, who struck the man across his face. Cersei cried out in alarm.
"It is you who should be cautious of what you say, Lord Tywin." Aegon warned. "You forget who sits on the thrones and who is in irons before me. I might have Ser Clegane remove your tongue."
Jon Connington brought Gendry Waters and a prostitute with a baby in her arms into the throne room. A simmer of murmurs echoed through the lords.
"Now, do you recognize either this young man or this baby, Usurper?" Jon didn't wait for Robert to answer. "You're rather famous for fucking any girl who happened to cross your path. Now, it is known that the Barantheon's traits of black hair and blue eyes take dominance in your children. However, your only 'legitimate' children have blonde hair. Would you like to know why? It's because, unsurprisingly, Cersei Lannister eventually decided to have affairs of her own. More specifically, with her cousin, Lancel."
Tywin was about to deny it when he noticed that neither Cersei nor Lancel were denying it. Joffery made furious squawking noises muffled by his gag. Robert just looked furious.
"Is this true?!" Tywin thundered.
Cersei flinched. She knew that pleading guilty was the best way to protect her children. She would not allow Maggy the Frog's prophecy to come true, sending Tommen and Mycella to their graves before her. "I do not deny it," She confessed, giving Robert a hateful look while she was at it.
Lancel was bruised and bloody from being dragged around various camps during the short civil war, leaving him whimpering. "Y-Yes. It's all true. I attempted to push Brandon Stark f-from the tower because he saw us together...the Targaryen girl caught him, and I tried to run them down."
Tywin's expression twisted into rage beyond belief as his legacy collapsed before his very eyes. Had he not been chained down, he would have strangled Cersei with his own hands.
"Do you deny the charges brought against you?" Jon asked calmly.
"I do not." Cersei said.
"I do not." Lancel agreed miserably.
"And you, Baelish? Do you deny your role in attempting to send our country into civil war?" Jon turned his eyes on the man. Lyanna's hand tightened on her sword.
"I do not." Petyr said. Catelyn was miles away. He had gambled and lost everything. "I have stolen gold from the crown on multiple occasions. I framed Tyrion Lannister for the attempted murder of Brandon Stark. I attempted to set up Eddard Stark's death when assisting Lannister put Joffery Hill on the throne."
Coldly, Aegon turned his eyes on Robert. "And you, Usurper? It is over. Try to spare whatever dignity you have left. Everyone knows the truth."
"I tried to kill Rhaegar that night on the Trident." Robert spat. "If it wasn't for that filthy witch, I could have done it!"
Ginny was unmoved by the insult – she had heard worse. Sandor struck the man with the hilt of his sword and forced a gag into his mouth. Rhaegar's eyes narrowed, and Lyanna pressed her hand into his.
"And finally...you, Tywin." Jon focused on him. The old man glared hatefully back at him. "Do you deny giving the order to sack King's Landing? Of giving the order to murder Elia Martell, my brother Aegon and my sister Rhaenys?"
"I do not."
"Do you deny giving the order to kill Rhaella Targaryen?"
"I do not."
"Why?" Aegon asked, eyes narrowed. He wanted to make it absolutely clear what sort of a man Tywin Lannister was.
Tywin swivelled his glare to Rhaegar Targaryen. "Cersei should have been your wife." He spat. "I had done enough for Aerys by that point. Had that come to pass, we would have been closer to the throne. But you picked that Dornish whore instead. And when she finally reached the end of her sickly life, you chose the wolf girl."
"That's why you had King's Landing sacked? Purely so you could make way for a Lannister dynasty?" Rhaegar asked contemptuously.
"I knew that, if Robert won, I could easily arrange an 'accident' for the wolf girl." Lyanna hissed a curse at the man. "And he would have married Cersei to secure our alliance. In order for the throne to be secure, your family had to die."
"And the Red Dinner?" Robb's fists clenched. Rhaenys put a hand on his shoulder, equally furious herself.
"The Young Wolf proved to be a dangerous opponent. And with the Targaryens returning with dragons, I would need hostages in order to level the playing field."
"Very well then." Rheagar paused. "My lords and ladies of the court, what are your thoughts on the sentence for these men?"
Screams of "Guilty!" erupted all across the room. The smallfolk, once again, were the loudest. The hatred they felt towards this man was palpable.
Aegon and Jon gestured for silence. Together, they spoke, "This council and our justice have found you guilty. For Cersei Lannister, you are sentenced to banishment from King's Landing and house arrest in the remains of Casterly Rock for the rest of your life. For Lancel Lannister, the sentence is death by beheading. For Petyr Baelish, the sentence is death by beheading. For Joffery Hill...you shall take the Black, and join the Night's Watch."
Joffery shrieked indigently again, causing Lillian Targaryen to smirk.
"For Robert Barantheon, the sentence is death by beheading. For Tywin Lannister...the sentence is death by dragonfire, like your accomplice Bolton."
**~At the Docks~**
"I hoped I'd catch you."
Jamie turned around and looked at Ginny, who had apparated behind him. "Ginny." He said, shifting his travel pack. "I'm glad to see you. I don't have much time."
"I'm heading home for a short while – I've been away for too long." Ginny regarded him for a moment before saying, "Perhaps it would be wise to not return alone."
"Is that an offer?" Jamie asked, heart jumping slightly.
Ginny smiled. "Is that how you see it? You have a long way to walk."
Jamie stared at her for a long moment before smiling as well. "I would like that."
End Chapter
Drawing closer to the end here! I'm so happy with this story, and I hope you guys enjoyed it too!
Read and Review please!