Chapter 36

AN: Hey lads, sorry for the long wait again but here it is the next chapter. Thank you all for your patience, I been really busy as of late so I had no real time to work on this. The updates should become more frequent in July. I have also started revisiting the old chapters and fixing the mistakes (god were my spelling mistakes awful) I made and adding a few things here and there, nothing major so far due to only finishing the first three chapters but I do intend on focusing a bit more on Olenna because I realize that I should have written her better and Renly, maybe making him more manipulative. Perhaps adding a few things for Margaery. I will keep you posted about that. So read and enjoy and as always leave your opinion.

Tyrosh

Jon

He sat in the garden for hours still contemplating everything he had learned. Some people would think it simple, you learn that you are the heir to a throne and then you decided to take it but that is far from the truth. Jon went from asking himself why did his parents do it as they did, why did lord Stark lie to him so much to how would it have looked like if Rheagar and Lyanna had lived. He would have been a prince from birth, not treated as a bastard, he would have been raised in the capital with his mother and father beside him. He would have also had two siblings in the form of Rhaenys and Aegon. He always wondered how would it be to have an older sibling, Robb is the same age as Jon so he doesn't count and us much as he liked Willas and Garlan they were more friends than brothers to him. He would have known his mother, been raised by her and knew mother's love but that was not his fate.

Night fell when he finally decided to enter the manse and retire to a room that a servant guided him to. He went past Grenn but Jon barely said a word to his friend. The room he was given was quite decent with a large bed, a writing table, several chairs, a large chest and a Myrinis rug covering most of the floor. He slowly took of his armor and tossed it to the floor, after he was done he simply lied on the bed and starred at the ceiling of the room. "What am I to do now?" he asked himself in a melancholic tone.

Jon knew that Arthur had not told him everything, only the things he needed to know as a start so he would need to find out the rest. There will be no more secrets and lies concerning him. And what is he to do with the knowledge given to him? By what he said so far Arthur wants Jon to fight for the throne, to become king like his ancestors but Jon wasn't sure of that. What kind of a king would he be, he was never really taught how to rule a castle or lands let alone an entire kingdom. He is a good fighter and maybe he could become a decent commander given time and experience but a king is something he very doubted he could be. Not to mention the fact that he would need to first take the bloody thing from the Lannisters and Tyrells. Fighting and killing Lannisters is something he would gladly do without a second thought but the Tyrells were still a touchy subject. His foster family did betray him but he had no wish to kill them. There was also the question of who would follow him into war?

Robb was the heir and he was thought how to lead, the men of the North gladly followed him in an effort to save Eddard Stark and they put enough faith in him to name him their king. Robb has fought and won battles, all Jon has on his resume is victories in tourneys, not much when compared to Robb. Joffrey might sit on the throne but everyone knows that Tywin is the real ruler and the man has fought and won many battles. The Old Lion might have lost the initial confrontations but he now has a fresh army and fewer enemies to worry about, he will not make the same mistakes twice.

To fight Tywin he would need an army, the Northmen and the Riverlords could become allies with Robbs help and it is obvious Ser Arthur isn't alone but unless he has the Vale as his ally then there is little they can do about the Lannisters holding power.

There is also the problem of the Lannisters holding Sansa and Arya hostage so attacking the capital would mark the death of them and as long as the Lannisters have them they can not even get close to the shit-stained city. The only way to attack the city and not endanger Sansa and Arya would be to get them out of there first. To do that he would need to sneak into the city and then into the Red Keep which is one of the most heavily defended places in the seven kingdoms.

Robb might side with him but Jon doubted that his br-cousin would give up his crown or that his bannermen would accept it at all. The North was independent for the first time in three hundred years and the Northmen will not give up their independents so easily. There is also the fact that even if they side with him most of the men under Robbs command have been fighting since the beginning of the war while the Tyrell army has only marched from one place to another and they now fight for the Lannisters. Fighting a well-supplied and rested enemy will not be easy.

Jon also wondered what else was Arthur not telling him, he did believe that the kingsguard knight will tell him everything eventually but he still could not help but wonder. And also where are the other loyalists, if Arthur is here shouldn't there be more of them.

Maybe he could get Arthurs help and beat the Lannisters and hand over the crown to Robb, he would make a better king anyway, he was born as an heir. Looking at it Jon was still technically the second son of a prince, a spare.

All he ever wanted was to be acknowledged as a Stark, as a legitimate son of Lord Eddard Stark, to be looked on as an equal, never had he ever dared to dream that he was the heir to the iron throne. Something he still thought was conjured by his mind. After everything that had happened that day, exhaustion finally started taking over Jons mind, his eyes slowly shutting themselves while he tried to keep himself awake but to no avail, laying in a comfy bed after who knows how long sleeping at the side of a road and in a cabin of a ship did not help the matter. Soon he finally let the exhaustion take him and fell asleep.

Arthur

Arthur sat at the table breaking his fast eating some chicken meat, bread and some cheese, a humble meal altogether, a kind he was used to as he was never a man who liked lavish meals like some lords, much of the food being wasted later anyway. He was woken with first light as he normally did, immediately wanting to go check on the king but chose otherwise, deciding to give the young man some space while he grasped everything he had learned. A small part of Arthur was still bothered that the king had isolated himself to his room and so far had not come out in two days, an action which reminded Arthur too much of Rhaegar. The silver prince had the tendency to do the same thing quite often. The sound of footsteps caught his attention and made him look up from his meal. Ser Robar and Loras approached the table and sat down.

"Still inside the room?" Robar asked in a concerned tone.

Arthur nodded. "Yes, he has not left during the night or this morning."

Robar shook his head. "I don't blame him, everything you told us is a lot to take in for us, I can only imagine how it is for him."

"Aye, you could have done it a bit easier you know," Loras said with a frown on his face.

"I did it as best as I could, I told him what he needed to know so he would know the truth."

"Sometimes the truth is harder than a lie Ser Arthur. Jon has spent his whole life thinking his father is one of the most honorable men alive, Jon spent his life trying to emulate that. Now he is told that his real father is a Targaryen prince," Robar said, a deep frown appearing on Arthur's face at the mention of Eddard Stark. He didn't blame the Northmen for rebelling, they just wanted justice for their lord and were following the orders of a new liege, he could even forgive Eddard for what happened during the war seeing that it wasn't truly his fault but he could not forgive what the man did at the tower. Arthur watched as his two sworn brother, a man that was a mentor and a man who was his friend die in front of him all because Eddard refused to listen. People always said that Eddard was the more subtle of the Stark brothers, quiet are reserved but the man Arthur and the kingsguard had met was the complete opposite. The Eddard he met was angry, brash and hot-blooded, if he hadn't met the Starks at the tourney at Harrenhal he would have thought he was facing Eddard's older brother Brandon. Arthurs stopped his reminiscing and turned his thoughts back to the conversation he was having with the two young knights.

"Rhaegar was a good man, he would have man a great king," Arthur said, his frown turning into a sad expression "had he lived."

"I do not deny that Ser Arthur, you knew the prince better than anyone but you have to look at this from Jons perspective."

"Aemons," Arthur corrected sternly.

"Jon," Loras said in the same tone as Arthur.

"That is up to him to decide, to us he is Jon, to you he is Aemon. We have known him as Jon since we met him and before we even met you, a man can not simply give up a name he was called his entire life even for a name his parents wanted him to have. He will choose which one it is when he deems it right," Robar calmly said. Arthur gad to give it to the Royce lad he was smart and talented with words, he almost sounded like a maester.

"He is a true born son of a royal dynasty that has ruled the seven kingdoms for three centuries. It is his right to rule as was his father's."

"And the Starks ruled the North for millennia and still do. I mean no offense to you Ser Arthur, my family and countrymen fought on the same side as you during the war but when comparing the two houses the Starks have a better track record," Loras said, his tone having a small edge to it. Arthur did not understand why the Tyrell was defending the Starks so much.

"I do not deny that Aerys had done terrible things over the years and I can say that houses Stark and Baratheon rebelling was justified up to a point, one being caught in the path of the king's madness and the other much the same while being completely innocent of any crime. But there is more to it than just a man seeking justice for his family and his foster brother supporting him."

The two young knights were intrigued by Arthurs words but Arthur decided it was not yet the time to tell the full story, when the king decides then he will tell them everything. Arthur thought that it was best to change the subject for now.

"Tell me how often does this happen?" Arthur asked.

"What do you mean?" Loras asked.

"I mean him isolating himself, avoiding people, just staying in one room and brooding, being melancholic," Arthur elaborated.

The two men looked at each other before Loras sighed. "It happens from time to time. When we were younger it would happen sometimes when we would argue or someone in the castle treated him really badly but over time it became better, almost non-existent until recently. It started with the beginning of the war and got worse from there."

"And how long does it take him to get back to normal?"

"It all depends, it's usually me who helps him out of it, sometimes with more help from people like Robar and Grenn and before it was my brother and sister," Loras said, a hint of sadness in his voice, Arthur guessed it was due to the mention of his family.

"I know how it is," Arthur said, a sad smile appearing on his lips. "Rheagar was the same, maybe even more melancholic and it was usually me who brought him out of it. We would laugh later and things would return to normal."

"So what are your plans if I may be so bold to ask Ser?" Loras asked.

"For now we wait for the king to come back to himself and then we proceeded from there. We haven't been sitting idly by all these years. Although I would prefer if Aemon came to terms with his true origin faster but knowing his father, it's best not to rush things too much."

"That's all fine ser Arthur but I meant your plan for if Jon decides to fight for the throne, what will happen to the houses that are fighting now?" Loras said, a hint of concern in his voice. Arthur thought about it for a moment, he had sent messengers as soon as the king arrived at the manse, Ashara is already on her way with a special guest who might help them greatly, Connington should arrive with the Golden Company at Myr any day now and Barristan, the man Arthur saw as a turn cloak but still capable man is proving his loyalty and worth is the same city doing something he has quite the experience with, rescuing a royal. Arthur still cursed the girl's stupidity, after everything he and Darry taught her she still found a way to get into trouble, but he could not hold having a good heart against her. If anyone has the tendency of doing the things most consider impossible it's Barristan, Arthur just hoped the Bolds skills have not rusted with age. If he fails then Jon Connington will gave to organize something even riskier which will involve the company, at least up to a point. If the company was fully under their sway that would not be such an issue but there are still those who would not follow Jon not while Strickland is in charge.

"Those plans are the king to hear and decide on first but due to the amount of trust Aemons puts in you I will tell you this much. The houses that are currently fighting amongst each other will either side with us and bend the knee or be utterly defeated. One thing is certain house Lannister will not rule the realm when this is all over."

"Jons brother has declared himself king, I doubt that the men fighting for him will look kindly to him bending the knee after all they sacrificed."

"Aemons cousin," Arthur said a bit harshly. "There can only be one king in the seven kingdoms. Robb Stark's war against the Lannister is admirable, the young lad has won many victories against much more experienced opponents and is trying to avenge his father's death as it is a duty of a son but as I said before he will have to bend the knee."

"And what about the houses fighting for the Lannisters?" Loras asked.

"If they surrender they will be judged accordingly. Those like houses Clegane and Lorch will be stripped of their titles and lands for the crimes of their members and we will see about the rest."

"For your sake, I hope your plans come to fruition but from where I stand everything depends on what choice Jon will make concerning the matter. Even if he chooses to go after the throne he will not fight against his own kin, that is not who he is," Loras said.

Arthur knew Tyrell was right on both counts, everything truly rests on what the king's choice will be and that he is as honorable as men claim Ned Stark was, so he will never fight against his own blood, not even if forced. The Sword of the morning could not help but admire Aemons loyalty to those he deems as family, something Arthur hoped would not be used against them later down the line.

Kings Landing

Margaery

The day had finally come, the day that was supposed to be the happiest day in her life but she could not help but feel it was the opposite. Her dress was beautiful white in color with motives of flowers going around it with some golden and green threads at the sides and edges. Her maids were doing the finishing touches on her hair, an elaborate braid with red and gold strings interwoven into it. Her cousins were there as well, all saying she looked beautiful, an image of a perfect queen, she felt anything but that.

Since her arrival to this city her strives to charm and control Joffrey had some success, he was fond of her now and liked to spend time with her, he complimented her often and even asked for advice on occasion or two but due to what Sansa had told her, how he acted similarly when she was his betrothed, Margaery could not help but doubt how successful she truly was. She managed to find out about how in private or with some of his Lannister family the king kept ranting and raving about Starks and Stannis. Honestly, she had no love for Stannis, from what Renly had told her the middle Baratheon brother was dour and uncompromising, and after hearing rumors that it was Stannis who sent an assassin to kill his own brother, Margaery wished that the Lannister had managed to kill him during the battle of the Blackwater. She never fooled herself into believing she had any feelings for Renly, those belonged to Jon, but Renly was Loras's true love and she thought with time Renly and she might have become great friends. She felt bad for her brother and once more started to wonder where exactly has fate taken him, is he still somewhere in the Stormlands hiding with Jon, or has he left Westeros altogether looking to leave his old life and the family that betrayed him behind.

Today, at noon, in the sept she will finally marry a king and become queen, just like her parents, grandmother and brothers always said she will, once she would have been delighted at that, being queen was what every girl and woman in the seven kingdoms dream off but to her, it felt like an empty victory. How many people had died to get her this crown, how many have suffered for it, she even lost two people she loved the most.

A small sigh escaped her lips. No, she could not give in to despair right now, she had come too far for that to happen now. Her crown might be earned on a river of blood and hurt but she will make sure that is not how people will see it, she will do everything she can to help them, help the realm, he like the good queen Alysanne, she owes the ones she cares about that much at least.

"Done," the maid happily said and that broke Margaery out of her thoughts. "You are the very definition of beauty, milady," She looked herself in the looking glass, true to the maid's word Margaery looked beautiful, regal even. Her cousins continued to wash her with compliments but she tuned them out. She got up from her chair and proceeded to walk towards the door. Margaery put on a smile as a servant opened the door for the soon-to-be queen. At the doors stood Ser Arys Oakheart, she was pleased that a Reachman was the assigned gourd to her today, out of all of the kingsguard he is without a question the most decent one there. The knight escorted her and her retinue to the courtyard when they were met by more guards and her family.

Her father and mother both had happy and proud looks on their faces, the same ones they had when she married the first time, Garlan remained stoic but he tried to look pleased and her grandmother, she too had a pleased smile on her face. It pained her to see people missing but again she would not want them here in this place.

"You look gorgeous my dear, a true queen," her mother said.

"Thank you mother," Margaery politely said, smiling.

"This is truly a great day for the realm, a unification of three great houses," her father said.

Margaery was about to reply when her grandmother stepped in. "Now remember dear, you are a queen, you need to look and act the part but you already know that better than anyone," Olenna leaned in slightly and whispered silently. "Be careful what you drink during the celebration."

Margaery looked at her grandmother in confusion for a moment before nodding. Was her grandmother telling her not to get drunk, no it's not that, Olenna knows her granddaughter would never do that. She looked at the old woman, something was going on, Margaery could decern that much but she was concerned about what exactly that is.

Moments later they were assured into their carriages and under an escort of a hundred reacher knights, they made their way to the great sept. As the carriage moved she looked out of the windows to see cheering crowds of smallfolk everywhere. She tuned them out after a while, her mind focusing on the near future. His is the hand she was dealt with, she made a choice and now she has to make the most of it. She is to be the new queen, Cersei would be put aside as she would be the queen mother and with enough persuasion and luck, she might rail the lion in. A small part of her mind kept telling her that trying to take control over Joffrey was a futile effort, that he is too stubborn and unpredictable but another part kept saying that she has to try.

Before she knew it the carriage pulled to a stop and she looked through the window to see that they had arrived at the sept. A knight opened the door of her carriage and she stepped out, looking at the great sept she could not help but think how magnificent it looks but at the same time an uneasy feeling was forming in her gut. Her father guided her along with the steps up to the large entrance of the sept, their entourage right behind them.

The ceremony was similar to the one Sansa had, the sept was full of people, mostly nobles, the septon and the soon to be groom waited at the alter but the major difference was that instead of Tywin Lannister like Sansa was, she was being escorted by her father. Her family stood in the front row beside the Lannisters which included the queen, ser Jaime, lord Tyrion, Lord Tywin, ser Tyrek and Sansa. Her father led her to the altar and handed her down to the king and just like Sansa did with Tyrek, Margaery said the same words the Stark girl said to her husband. Joffrey placed a chequered Lannister Baratheon cloak over her shoulders while the septon lead the ceremony. With his final words, the holy man pronounced them husband and wife, the crown of nobles cheered and called them king and queen all the while Margaery just smiled a fake smile.

When the ceremony in the sept was over they all moved back to the Red Keep where a great feast was held in the honor of the new royal couple. The great feast was held in the throne room with seventy-seven dished planned. There were many entertainers from bards and fools to sword swallowers and pyromancers. She talked with various nobles who congratulated her and the king, from lord Tywin to the reach lords and crownlands. Joffrey was by her side during the whole thing, she did her best to smile at her, to talk to him like a loving wife would. The Lannister sat to the king's right with his mother right next to him while the Tyrells sat to Margaery's left, her father being the nearest to her. Sansa and Tyrek sat down right next to Tyrion, the poor girl was trying her best to look normal but Margaery could see the sorrow coming from her. During the feast, the king started to drink more and more until the effects were starting to show. Joffrey started to try and provoke his uncle Tyrion even getting some dwarfs to act as Robb Stark and Joffrey's two Baratheon uncles. This failed however and just made the king angry which resulted in him spilling wine on the poor imps head.

"This is the true face of my now-husband," Margaery thought. The further altercation between the king and his uncle was stopped when a large wedding cake was brought. Joffrey left his goblet on the table and walked over to Margaery. The two watched Ser Ilyn cut the cake and released the doves. Everyone applauds at the sight. A servant quickly came and cut a piece of the pie for the king and her. Taking the offered plate the king took a bight from the piece and was reaching for his now filled goblet. Just as Joffrey was about to take it into his hand Ser Boros spoke.

"Your Grace, I should try the wine first to ensure your safety," the knight said. Joffrey looked at the man with irritation. Ser Boros was assigned as the king's personal taster for the feast but he had done his job only at the beginning of the feast and has since then stood silently behind the main table.

"Fine, be quick about it," Joffrey said. The knight took several sips from the cup, after nothing happening he started handing it back to the king. Just as Joffrey was about to grab the cup Ser Boros started coughing violently. His face changed color as he desperately choked, looking around for help. Sers Meryn and one of the Kattleblack brothers came to aid him but it was no late, after few desperate agonizing seconds the fat knight died. Margaery could just look on in shock at what just transpired, Joffrey having a similar look on his face. The deadly silence was broken by ser Meryn.

"He is dead," the king's guard said looking at the king and new queen.

"Somebody tried to kill the king," a voice came from the crowd. Joffrey's shocked expression was quickly replaced with a furious one.

"FIND WHO DID THIS! SOMEBODY JUST TRIED TO KILL THEIR KING!" Joffrey shouted, looking around in anger for anyone who seemed suspicious. Lannister guards swarmed the hall, the kingsguard coming nearer the king to defend him against any further threats. Then the voice of Tywin Lannister was heard.

"Ensure the safety of the king and queen, escort them to their chambers, this celebration is over," the Old Lion said coldly and then moved on to give orders to his guards. The royal guard complied and started moving them out of the hall and to Maegors holdfast. As they moved through the red halls of the keep Margaery was processing what just happened, someone just tried to kill the king during his wedding. She thought of the possible suspects until she remembered what her grandmother said and a realization hit her, it was Olenna. Her grandmother just tried to assassinate a king in the middle of a large celebration but why?

The Tyrells were getting everything they ever wanted, a tie to the ruling family with her as queen and her children as the future rulers of the realm. She could not think of an actual benefit until a thought came to her. Her grandmother did care for her and she did not want her granddaughter to marry someone as unpredictable and unstable as Joffrey. With Joffrey's death, Tommen would have been the next to rule and he is not only younger and easier to manipulate but he is also the opposite of Joffrey. As tempting as that option was to Margaery the plan had failed with the timely intervention of Ser Boros. Olenna probably thought that since the fat knight had not done anything since the beginning of the feast that he will continue to do so and she took the opportunity only for the Lannister lackey to chose that moment to do his job. Shity luck if there ever was. But a question still remained, how did she do it?

They came to the doors of the royal apartments and Ser Arys opened them letting her and Joffrey some inside. Not a moment later did the king start to rant and rave again.

"I WILL HAVE ALL OF THEIR HEADS, WHOEVER THEY ARE. STARKS, MY UNCLE, WHOEVER!" Joffrey continued to rant for several for minutes before Margaery finally had enough.

"You grace everything is going to be fine," Margaery tried to compose him. "Lord Tywin has everything under control and my father is helping him, I have no doubt that the assassin will be caught soon enough," Margaery hoped otherwise because if this was tracked back to Olenna, the Tyrells was going to be in big trouble.

"Fine? Someone just tried to poison me, "Joffrey said angrily.

"But they failed," Margaery said in a soothing voice. "You are alive and well and we are all grateful for that. The gods are watching over you, they do not want you harmed on your wedding day."

Joffrey looked at her with those mad fury-filled eyes and she felt a shiver run down her spine but then his gaze softened slightly. "I bet this was Robb Starks doing, he somehow managed to get an assassin in the Red Keep. I would have to have a talk with Varys later, it's his job to make sure things like that don't happen. Once I find the culprit I will send their head to Riverrun."

"Your Grace, I do not believe Robb Stark is capable of doing such a thing," Margaery said trying to ease her husband and take the heat of the Starks. Joffrey looked at her with a scrutinizing gaze. "Robb Stark is known for his skill at war and honor much like his father but he is not a kind of a man that would send an assassin, Stannis on the other hand does not shy away from such tactics," Margaery added. Joffrey looked as if he was contemplating her words her he gave a response.

"You might be right my lady, Stannis does surround himself with witches and smugglers so an assassin using poison would not be out of his range, especially after I have beaten him during his failed attempt to take my city," Joffrey said with what passed as a thoughtful look for him.

"My husband, you should ease your mind, the culprit will be found and dealt with, my father and family will make sure of that," Margaery said in a soothing tone and watched as Joffrey's gaze softened more.

"I'm sorry for my tone my wife, it's just that this is not the first attempt on my life and I just want to be free of my enemies who are constantly trying to kill me for their own gain. This was supposed to be our day, a great day for all of the realm but those evil mongrels will not rest until they gave what is rightfully mine. I wish this war would end."

"Maybe it can end sooner, Stannis might be able to send an assassin but he was little to no army, attacking and taking Dragonstone should not be a problem. Robb Stark might be able to win a battle but he knows he can't win a prolonged war, especially once winter comes. The fastest way I see that we can resolve the situation on the Riverlands is to offer them terms of surrender, their homes are under attack and I believe that most lords of the North would rather go back to defend them than stay here in the south to wage a war that is pointless."

"The only terms I will give them is death," Joffrey said sternly. "They rebelled against their king there will be no other terms."

Margaery held back the look of disappointment, she had hoped the wedding would put Joffrey in a good mood but the assassination attempt and his general thoughts about the Starks did the opposite. She spent the next several hours playing the dutiful wife, soothing his worries and even Cersei's when she came to check upon Joffrey. Both her family and the Lannisters visited them, lord Tywin had said that the one responsible was yet to be found and her father offered added protection to the royal apartments to ensure the safety of the royal couple. It was also lord Tywin who reminded them that even if the feast was brought to a halt that they still had the duty of a husband and wife. Margaery knew what that meant, it was the moment she feared but had a good explanation for her not being a maid, Willas loves horses after all and somebody has to test them.

Later that evening after they had their meal which was thoroughly checked for poison and made under the watchful eyes of Ser Jaime, Joffrey and she went to their new bed-chamber. She knew what was going to happen and just thinking about it made her gag with repulsion. Her grandmother's plan had failed but Margaery had long learned one always had to have a backup plan. She moved to the small table in the back of the room which made a bottle of arbor gold sitting on it and several cups. She carefully made sure that Joffrey was not looking towards her as she filled the two cups with wine and then opened the small ring she wore on her right hands middle finger, the gemstone was fake and was actually a storage compartment for the substance she poured into Joffrey's wine. She took the two cups and walked over to the would-be king.

"I believe that a toast is in order, your grace. To our prosperous marriage," Margaery said, a sweet and innocent smile graced her lips. Joffrey looked at the offered cup with suspicion for a moment and Margaery thought that her plan will fail spectacularly as did Olennas but was relieved when Joffrey smiled and took the cup.

"Indeed, to our prosperous marriage," Joffrey said raising his cup slightly, looking Margaery dead in the eyes and emptying the contents of the cup in one swing while Margaery sipped hers slowly. When she was done with her wine she tried to stall as much as she could until it became obvious that Joffrey was becoming agitated.

"Forgive me, your grace but I would be lying if I said that I wasn't feeling nervous," she said, her tone sweet and innocent.

"T-That's u-understandable," Joffrey said stuttering slightly, he was also starting to sway from side to side, the poison had started working. "But we n-need to, it's expected from us."

"I understand," she said and took him by the arm leading him to the large bed. Joffrey swayed more and he shook his head to try to alleviate the dizziness. "Are you alright your grace?"

"I'm fine, maybe I should have not drunk that wine so quickly," Joffrey said as she placed him on the bed.

"No one will judge you for being a little drank on your wedding day," Margaery said with a small laugh.

"Y-Yes, no one will judge their ki...ng," he said, swayed from side to side some more, and then fell on the bed. Margaery looked at the laying form of Joffrey, he was not dead yet but soon he will be and with that thought came the realization that she would be directly responsible for murder, even if it was a monster like Joffrey, its still murder. She shook her head, she had no intention of letting someone who took joy in the suffering of others touch her body, the only person who ever touched her in that way was Jon. With that thought out of her mind, she quickly made preparations to set the scene. The next morning a contingent of red cloaks and kingsguard rushed into the royal couple's apartment after a blood-chilling scream was heard, what they found were the young queen scared out of her mind and King Joffrey's dead naked body.

Winterfell

Howland

The lord of Greywater Watch marched his host of around five hundred men towards Winterfell in hopes of securing the capital of the kingdom while the other lords all lead their hosts towards their assigned objectives, the Dustins and Ryswells will secure the coast while Glover retakes his home of Deepwood Motte. The northern army had already retaken Torrhens Square from the Iron Born and had left the youngest Dustin in charge of it with enough men to garrison it. Retaking the seat of house Tahhheart was not easy but in the end, numbers prevailed and lord Denys Dustin personally cut the head of Iron Born leader Dagmer Cleftjaw during the assault on the main gates, what few raiders were left were all thrown into the cells. With their rear secured the host split up and moved further north.

Securing Winterfell was of paramount importance, not only was it the capital of the entire kingdom and the most strategically valuable castle around it was also the symbol of the North and House Stark. Winterfell had not been taken by invaders in millennia and it had to be retaken and garrisoned. Howland took this duty upon himself due to his loyalty to House Stark and Ned but also because he made a promise to the two Stark boys that he will see them returned to their home.

As Howland and his host rode on top of a hill from which they could see Winterfell and Wintertown in the distance. He looked at the grey walled structure in front of him and spotted to his surprise banners, Stark banners on the walls and towers. From what he was told the castle was burned completely but there on the walls hung fresh unburned banners, maybe the damage is not as bad as he was told. As they marched forward suddenly they all stopped when a sound of a horn came from Winterfell.

"Milord, I thought you said the castle was abandoned," a soldier next to him said.

"It was supposed to be," Howland replied.

"Could it be the squids?" another soldier asked.

"That does not sound like an Iron Born horn," the first soldier said. "It kinda sounds like one of ours."

Howland thought about it for a moment, no news about any host had come to him and it could not be any of the people that left Torrhens square, if they even tried they would arrive after him. Then he finally gave an order to continue the march. As they approached could see that some repairs have been underway to the castle and he could see soldiers manning the walls. When they got al the edge of Wintertown he noticed what was left of settlements inhabitance moved about, doing their own repairs to their homes and shops.

"This does not look like an Iron Bron occupation," a soldier said.

"Indeed," Howland said as he rode forward, the eyes of the smallfolk on him and his host. When they were around the middle of the town a group of around a dozen burly men clad in leathers and furs were seen coming from Winterfell's gates. "Certainly not Iron Born."

"Mountain clansmen," the soldier said surprised, a feeling Howland shared. He did not expect to see them here, he knew that Robb Stark had not waited for the clans to gather and just marched without them but he did not expect for them to be guarding Winterfell. The lord looked at the approaching men and recognized the sigil they sported, it belonged to the Liddles. Once the two groups met Howland spoke first.

"The Liddle," Howland said respectfully and nodded.

"The Reed," the burly men said just like Howland.

"We did not expect to see you here, my lord. We came here to guard and repair Winterfell but it seems you have beaten us to it," Howland said.

"Aye, the young Stark did not wait for us and left but the clans stayed gathered at the Wulls lands waiting for the call. The news of the Iron Born came first, we intended on assisting the Starks in repelling them but as we marched we received news about Winterfell from House Forrester. The young lord there sent riders to ask for aid in defending the lands from attacks and if possible to retake the Motte. I was sent by Big Bucket Wull to protect Winterfell while the rest of the clans went towards the west coast."

"How many do you have with you?" Howland asked.

"Seven hundred men, all ready and eager for a fight. After we arrived I ordered for the men to start repairs on the castle, if we are to keep it from the squids we need it to be in somewhat decent shape."

"An excellent course of action." Howland was very pleased that the clans took the initiative, with seven hundred here that would leave around two thousand to aid in retaking the coast and with his own hoast that would leave Winterfell being guarded by twelve hundred men. The situation was not as dire as he had thought, a good thing the Forrester lad sent word, Gregor is going to be proud of his son.

"We have finished with the great hall and the barracks and are currently putting up a roof over the stables and the main keep. Your men can join us in the barracks lord Reed," Howland nodded at that, the clansmen sure did not waste their time.

As Howland's host began to follow the Liddles into the ancient castle. Howland moved his horse forward next to Torren Liddle. Once in the keep, men dispersed some going to the barracks while others went to aid in repairs. Howland followed Torren into the newly rebuilt great hall, there were still clear signs of a fire like the char on the wall but the clansmen have clearly done their job, there were tables and benches even. He looked up towards the roof, he was hoping that the job wasn't done hastily because if when the snows start falling again the roof will have to hold that weight and if the roof was not constructed right all that snow will make the ceiling collapse and fall on whoever was inside the hall at the time. Liddle must have guessed what he was thinking because he reassured Howland that they were careful and thorough when they were building the roof, that they did not have the intention of being blamed for anyone getting hurt let alone the Starks.

"Have there been any further attacks or news about the Iron Born since you arrived here?"

Liddle shook his head. "No, the damned squids have not ventured this far inland since we came. But we did learn some concerning news from the people who witnessed the battle."

Howland raised an intrigued brow. "What concerning news?"

"According to the smallfolk, it was not the Greyjoys who killed the people and burned Winterfell, it was a host of Boltons led by a young man calling himself Ramsey."

This was concerning news indeed, if the Boltons had betrayed the Starks. Then again he had heard about this Ramsey, Roose's bastard son whose rumored habits and appetites were borderline psychotic. The young man acted more like a mad rabid dog than a human being.

"Have there been any news about the Boltons?"

"Only that they went back to the Dreadfort and have so far stayed there. I thought about sending word to Big Bucket but he already has his hands full, he does not need to worry about it for now. I did intend on sending word to lord Manderly and Karstark, their lands border the Boltons and together they would be able to take the Dreadfort."

Howland thought about the options on the table, they could do what Liddle said but that would mean throwing soldiers that they might need in pushing back the Iron Born back. In the end, he chose to compensate.

"I want scouts to ride east and watch the Bolton lands with first light. I also want word sent to the king, he needs to know what has happened here so far," Torren Liddle did to protest, he just nodded.

AN: Response to the reviews:

jaimerey7000: Arya won't escape, Varys won't be joining Jon and even if he did Arthur or Joo Con would immediately go for his head. A company will join the fight on Jons side.

Force Smuggler: Glad you like it.

BioHazard82: Thanks for the reviews as always.

xand007: Don't worry mate I don't intend on abandoning this story, I'm determent to finishing it. Glad you liked it, thank you for the review.

David: I'm glad you liked it, thanks.

Hewhohasreturned: Yeah it's been that long, kinda hard to believe personally. Thank mate.

ClassicXD: Thank you for the review.

shinigami00000: I know it's not perfect, I'm working on fixing it. When I started writing this story I had no experience writing a long story, so you can say that I played it safe at the begging plus I needed some character out of the way and things like Renlys death were convenient. I'm all for constructive criticism but there is no need for insults mate.