4th Month of 300 A.C. King's Landing
King Tommen I Baratheon
The court had gathered to watch the proceedings, Baelish had come alongside his wife and his step son and Tommen could not but wait to throw the man into a black cell or perhaps even to his death. The evidence that uncle Kevan had presented to him and speaking with those working under Baelish was almost conclusive, there would be no hope for Baelish now. He was sealed and trapped, Tommen looked at the man and the woman and child before him and smirked. "Rise Lord and Lady Baelish, and welcome Lord Arryn. It gladdens my heart that you could come today."
"Of course Your Grace, you are anointed and crowned by the High Septon, we have been remiss so far, and we wished to correct that." Baelish replies.
Tommen looks at the man and feels hatred run through him. "What sort of difficulties were you facing my lord?"
The man takes a moment to reply, and when he does, Tommen gets the feeling he is lying with the truth. "Some lords were unhappy with my marriage to my lady wife, and thought it was not true. And so I spent time persuading them that it was. As such that took some time."
The opening that Tommen has been waiting for has come forward much sooner than expected. "Ah, so is that how Lord Nestor Royce was given the Gates of the Moon, and why Lord Yohn Royce was found dead on the way back from the Eyrie?"
There is a large murmuring at this, and the man looks distinctly uncomfortable. "Your Grace? I do not know what you are speaking of."
"Lord Andar if you could come forward please." Tommen says his voice imperious.
The new Lord of Runestone emerges from the crowd, a big and fierce man, he looks at Baelish with murder in his eyes. "Is it true my lord, that you were beset upon by bandits who when questioned later admitted to being under Lord Baelish's employ?"
"Yes Your Grace. Two of them admitted to doing the crime of murdering my father, on his orders. It seemed Lord Baelish wanted my father gone from power." Lord Andar responds.
"And, pray tell me, why was your father opposed to Lord Baelish marrying his current lady wife?" Tommen asks.
Baelish looks angry at this, though he is trying to keep his face calm, the man's wife looks confused, and the boy, well Tommen is half convinced the boy is nearly dead on his feet. Lord Andar takes a moment to speak, but when he does his words are fierce. "Because, we had found evidence that Baelish had had a hand in continuing the chaos of the Mountain Clans, as well as seeing to it that Lord Arryn's father was murdered."
Tommen looks at the man, as the court whispers amongst themselves. "And tell me, what form did this evidence take?"
"It took the shape of written letters that we were given by the maester of the eyrie, Maester Coleman, as well as the account books that were given to us by members of the Eyrie's household staff." the man replies.
Tommen looks at the man, and then looks at Baelish. "How would you respond to these accusations Lord Baelish?"
The man looks deeply angry, though he is fighting hard to prevent it from showing. "I would say that these accusations are baseless, and that Lord Andar clearly bears a grudge."
Tommen looks at the man and then asks. "And why would he feel the need to bear a grudge?"
The man shrugs. "I do not know. The Royces I have found are a stubborn and idiotic lot sometimes."
Tommen pretends to look thoughtful for a moment, and then he says. "Ser Kevan come forth if you please." His great uncle comes forward then, and Tommen asks him. "Ser Kevan, you told me you found evidence implicating Lord Baelish in the murder of Jon Arryn, the attempted murder of Brandon Stark, as well as the pushing of Stark and Lannister into open war. Is that correct?"
His great uncle nods. "It is Your Grace."
"Would you present the evidence before the court Ser Kevan?" Tommen responds.
His uncle nods, and the doors to the throne room open, as servants come in bringing evidence, written and witnessed by members of the Kingsguard, and Tommen's own small council members. All of it is laid at the foot of the throne, and Tommen merely looks at Baelish and asks his uncle. "Tell me Ser Kevan, what does this evidence point toward?"
His uncle takes a moment to respond and then says. "To me it seems that Lord Baelish has borne a very crippling grudge against the Starks for many years. Ever since Lord Brandon Stark was betrothed to Lady Catelyn Tully. It seems that he has wanted to bring about their downfall for some time, and take the woman for himself."
Tommen feels his wife tense beside him, and he takes her hand and squeezes it. "And, do you think his actions as implicated in this testimony are the actions of a man bent of revenge regardless of the danger to the kingdom?"
His great uncle is silent a moment and then he nods. "Yes Your Grace. It seems that there is more and more proof that Lord Baelish is a serious threat to the realm, and that he must be removed."
There is a long moment's silence and then Baelish speaks. "These are all lies Your Grace. Do not believe them, there is more to me than this."
"Do you deny bearing a grudge against the Starks and causing things to occur that led to the war?" Tommen asks ignoring the man's response.
Baelish is silent, and it is his wife who speaks. "So that is why you told me to write to Cat?! You wanted the war, you told me we were doing them a favour. Petyr, why? WHY DID YOU LIE TO ME?!"
Baelish looks at his wife and merely snarls. "You were never the one I wanted. I want Cat, I've always wanted her." He looks at Tommen then and snarls. "And you, you are a greater fool than your brother was. You work like this, and it will get you nowhere. Kill me if you want, the realm is broken."
Tommen laughs then, causing the court to stop its muttering. "Oh you fool, the Starks are our allies, I am Robert Baratheon's son, and you, and you are going to die right now. Ser Illyn bring me his head."
White Knife
Lord Robb Stark
Winter had truly come to the north, the snow was lying thickly on the ground, and it made marching through it difficult. Some two thousand men had met him on the Kingsroad, commanded by Ser Wylis Manderly, they had come from White Harbour and had brought with them, his little brother Rickon that in itself had been an emotional reunion, Rickon just about remembered him, and for Robb, by the gods it was good to be home. Their mother had held Rickon and sobbed, and Robb had felt his heart break a little when his little brother had asked where Bran was. Once they were done with this fighting, they would move onto Winterfell and secure it, once and for all.
"They should, if Umber got the plan right, be coming this way in a moment my lord." Ser Wylis says.
"Good, the Ryswell forces are in place as well?" Robb asks.
"Yes my lord, they are waiting north of here, waiting for the bastard's forces to come." Wylis replies.
Not for the first time, Robb wonders how Stannis could've failed to beat the bastard's forces. "How is it that he failed to beat Snow? He had him pinned down against the river. What foolery convinced him not to go for the kill?"
Dacey speaks then. "It might well have been Arnolf Karstark, the old man might be dead now, but he is cunning and his plans worked well."
Robb sighs. "Karstark, that family has given me far too many headaches to be truly worth the trouble." he takes a breath and then looks at Alysanne Mormont. "You will protect my mother and brother and sister Aly?"
The big she bear bows her head. "With my life my lord. They will not come to harm, I promise you."
A horn sounds just as Robb replies. "Good, let us defeat this fool." He draws his sword, and spurs his horse on, turning round to face his men and women. "The north has bled, for far too long she has bled. Today we change that, today we show these fools, what it means to be a Northman. I know I failed in the past, but I am a Stark, and I am ready to show them the meaning of my words. Are you?!" There is a cheer at this, and Robb roars. "Are you ready to show these curs who is in charge here?" A roar greets him, and Robb yells. "Then let us introduce them to the death they so covet."
He spurs his horse onward, leading the charge, barking commands and calling for his men to follow him, and they do. The White Knife is there in the distance, but Baratheon men are faltering, they are struggling to cross the ice covered river, and Robb makes use of this. He is one of the first to crash into Baratheon men, swinging his sword in a bloody arch, he swings, and removes a man's head, and then removes a man's arm, on they go, swinging his sword and cutting men down to size. He will break this southern fool's army, and tell him what is what. And he will find the red whore and end her as well. He cuts more and more men down, looking for the one person who he can break and send back to King's Landing in a box.
Chaos comes with the winter, and men are finding it hard to tell friend from foe, but the beating of their drums aids them in some way, his sword is singing with the blood being shed, bodies are growing in numbers, and there are more southerners here, and he licks his lips. Fresh pickings for the hunger inside of him. He swings his sword, barking orders, watching as his men fight with the hunger of animals, determination filling every fibre of their being. He approves, there is no point fighting for something unless you intend to do it with full force. He swings his sword, and watches another body fall onto the ice. Soon enough the ice will crack and melt, but not before he has Baratheon before him, not yet, he knows this place, and he knows that the ice will hold for some time.
There are bodies weighing down the ice and Robb can feel the pressure in his bones, and yet he knows that there will be no sinking northmen today. Baratheon men are falling and are falling back. As he notes this, he sees the Baratheon banner flying high, the red stag, and he roars a command and his men come with him. They are galloping toward the man and his guards, when a cold fills them, and then fire, a red whore stands before them, men fall toward her power, and yet Robb continues, he gallops onward and when he comes toward her, he cuts her head off, removing her from the powerful base that is present within the white knife. Baratheon stands there, a look of fear on his face, Robb yells a challenge. "Come and out fight you coward. Your nephew is more a man than you will ever be." There is a surge out of protest and his guards come charging forward. Robb cuts one down, and then another, and then the third he merely pushes away, by the time he comes before Stannis Baratheon, the man has his sword out but nothing to fight with. Robb swings his sword and removes Baratheon's sword in one go alongside his arm. He turns his horse around and then spears Baratheon through the chest, his sword pierces the man's armour, or boiled leather, whatever it is the fool is wearing, and as the man slumps off of his horse, Robb dismounts, moves to his body, and pulls out a short sword, and removes the man's head, holding it up high in the air for all to see.
"Baratheon is dead, bend the knee, or die." he roars. "Bend the knee in the name of King Tommen Baratheon."