Chapter 38
Tyorsh
Jon
Jon moved down the stairs of the manse, going down to the main floor of the lavish dwelling with his ever-trusted white direwolf beside him. Ghost had it seems spent the entire time Jon had spent in his self-imposed exile waiting on the other side of the door, guarding his human companion. The big ball of fur actually jumped on Jon when he opened the doors of his chamber and licked his face senseless, he had barely managed to get the big mutt off him. As he walked through the halls, several servants met him and greeted him politely. He asked one of them where he could find his companions and Ser Arthur and the servant girl replied by saying they were all gathered in the main dining room. Jon thanked the girl and proceeded to find his way there.
Arriving at the dining hall he was met by the sight of his three friends and the legendary knight sitting at the table together. The three younger men were listening to Ser Arthur telling them the story about the melee he had won during the tourney lord Ambrose held in the name of his son nameday. Jon decided to just listen from the entryway until Lady trotted over from somewhere and greeted him happily with her tail wagging. The wolf's behavior attracted attention and he was spotted by Grenn.
"He lives!" the former poacher exclaimed in a jovial tone. The other men turned their heads to look at Jon. Loras was the first to get up from his chair and walk over to Jon,
"Are you alright?" Loras asked, almost hesitantly.
"As well as I can be," Jon told Loras and then looked at the other and have each of them a nod in greeting.
"That good to hear," Loras said putting one hand on Jon's shoulder. "You had me worried. Again. You really need to stop doing that."
"I know and I'm sorry, I know now that I should have taken Ser Arthurs words better and not let them cause me so much strife. I guess that with everything that had happened, it just added to the stress I'm feeling. But I had enough time to think while I was alone, I realized that I can't let every new optical and change hit me like a charging bull, there are too many people counting on me and too much is at stake. My father once said that summer is the time for petty squabbles while winter is the time when we are supposed to stand together..."
"Your father..." Ser Arthur cut Jon off but Jon subsequently cut him off.
"I'm sorry Ser Arthur," Jon said shaking his head. "I know how much you cared for Rhaegar, he might be my sire, that is true but I never knew him, I can not call the man I never knew my father, at least not yet. Eddard Stark was the man I saw as my father, the man who raised me, the man who watched as I used the training blade for the first time, he might not have been the best father, he had made mistakes but he was mine. It takes more than blood to have a family, to have that you need people, actual relations," Jon said looking from Arthur to Loras. "I have little doubt that had Rhaegar and Lyanna lived that they would have loved me and that I would have loved them in return but as it stands that is all I can say. I know that I have the blood of the dragon as much as of the wolf, I can not deny that. I might not be able to meet my parents but I can honor them. I still have family from my sire's side."
"That you do, your grace," Arthur said, Jon didn't fail to pick up on the sadness in the knight's voice even if he tried to hide it beneath stony professionalism. Jon understood that Arthur didn't agree with his point of view, that to Arthur Jon was not Jon but Aemon Targaryen, the son and heir of the silver prince and that by denying calling Rhaegar his father he upset the kingsguard. But there was nothing Jon could do about it, that was how he felt on the matter. "Unfortunately both your aunt and uncle are currently preoccupied."
"How exactly?" Jon asked.
"Princess Daenerys has managed to get herself captured by some slavers in Myr while conducting an unsanctioned mission in an effort to free several slaves while her brother, your uncle Viserys is with the company and Ser Barristan," Arthur said.
"Wait, The Bold is with you?" Loras exclaimed and Arthur nodded. "That explains why he never came to join either Renly or Stannis."
"Aye, after the Usurpers death Ser Barristan decided to come to Essoss looking for the Targaryens, Ser Richard found him first and sent him to lord Connington."
"Wait, I thought Lounmounth despised everyone who had anything to do with the fall of the Targaryens, Barristan Selmy bent the knee to Robert and became the lord commander of his kingsgaurd," Robar said perplexed.
"That is true but Richard like many others always admired Barristan and when he found out about the Bold's intentions he made the decision to allow Barristan a chance to redeem himself. Having him join our cause would be a great boon nonetheless, our feelings on the matter are irrelevant now. Not to mention that the Bold is also a symbol, he is the longest-serving and the most famous member of the kingsguard in recent memory, it could cause many to see whoever he supports as the rightful king. It worked for the Usurper and it will do much better for us."
"So how does Barristan exactly fit into the Daenerys situation?" Jon asked.
"We thought it prudent to test Ser Barristan before offering him a seat at the table, to make sure we can trust me completely. So Richard and Connington gave Barristan the task of rescuing the princess from her captors," Arthur explained.
"And you think one man can rescue a princess from an entire hostile city?" Grenn asked.
"He did rescue a king once from a similar situation, alone without any ones help," Robar said matter of factly to his comrade.
"Indeed he did," Arthur said with a nod. "Although now I wish that he had failed or chose the opposite course of action. Things would have been so much different if Aerys never left Duskandale alive."
"No offense to Ser Barristans skill but Duskandale is no Myr, there are much more guards and a much larger area to cover if he intends to leave the city," Loras said.
"That's why this time he isn't going in there alone. From the report I had received, he will be accompanied by two sellswords who know the city and the prince himself, as much as I disagree with the latter joining on the mission he is adamant about helping rescue his sister. I'm starting to think that I hit him on the head one too many times in the sparring yard and now he was no regard for personal safety."
Jon looked at the worried knight, he understood the man's mindset, he is supposed to be the guardian to Daenerys and Viserys, it was his duty to protect them, not to mention that they were the family of his best friend. He understood him because he swore to protect someone as well.
"Wouldnt you have done the same if your sister ended up captured by someone?" Jon asked the knight. "I know I would and I have no doubt in my mind that the same goes for both Loras and Robar," he said and then looked at Grenn.
"I don't have a sister," Grenn chimed in with a shrug.
Arthur sighed. "You are right, your grace. If anyone took Ash I would take the first horse I can find and ride after them. Although knowing my sister, she wouldn't go down without a fight."
Jon listened to the man's words and picked up something that made him raise an eyebrow. "You speak as if she is…"
"Alive, that's because she is," Arthur said, finishing Jons sentence. This new revelation caused the rest of the young group to have the same reaction as Jon, it seemed that shocks and surprises were never-ending on this trip.
"I thought you said she threw herself off a tower," Grenn said looking at Robar in confusion.
"A ruse pulled by my family. My sister decided to join me on my quest after the loss of her daughter and Eddards betrayal. She didn't want to stay in Westeros and she refused to listen to our brother's commands. Honesty, I'm grateful for all the help she had been, children need a mother and that's precisely what she was to Viserys and Daenerys. Raising them also helped her close the wound that opened with the death of her daughter."
The four young men took in the kingsgaurds words before Loras spoke. "Anyone else that is supposed to be dead but isn't that we should know about, because since we arrived in the city it seems like that half the people who reportedly died in the rebellion are alive."
"No Ser Loras, you already know all about the important ones," Arthur said.
"So, where is lady Ashara if you don't mind me asking?" Jon enquired.
"My sister has gone to recruit a potential ally in Norvos, one that might give us a chance at persuading Dorne to side with his grace. The Martells don't have a kind outlook on Lyanna Stark or the Starks in general, to them she had always been a seductress that stole Rhaegar from Elia, the lies of rape at the hands of the prince never took root in Sunspear and the Martells always suspected the truth of the matter. If we came to them now, even with my help I doubt that we could persuade them to side with us, they would see our attempt to put Aemon on the throne as an insult to Elias and her children's memory. Even with all facts presented to them they would still deny us or at worse be hostile towards us. But with them, me and Ashara we might just succeed in getting Dorne to side with us."
"This person has that much influence over Dorne that they could make them forget the grudge and talk them into siding with us?" Robar asked.
"Not over Dorne, no," Arthur said shaking his head. "But over prince Doran yes, with them at our side we stand a chance at persuading the prince of Dorne and his family. Oberyn might rant and rave but Doran will see reason, he always has. The chance of having revenge at the Lannisters just might keep the Red Vyper in line."
"And when can we expect lady Ashara to arrive with this ally?" Jon asked.
"Any day now, if there haven't been any delays," Arthur answered.
"How many men can Dorne muster?"
"Twenty thousand," Arthur said. "Most of them spear infantry."
"The Dornish spearmen are a formidable opponent in battle, the knights of the Reach can attest to that," Loras said.
"There is a chance that they won't commit fully, the Dornish had suffered many losses during the battle of the Trident, they continued to fight even after prince Lewyn fell, they continued to fight for Elia," Arthur said.
Jon thought about what Arthur had said for a moment. The Martells and the Dornsih won't be his biggest fans, that was obvious but they could still be a valuable ally to have. With the Golden company and Dorne at his side he could muster up to thirty thousand men, them plus Robbs forces might just be enough to match the Lannister Tyrell alliance and bring an end to the war and the Lannister reign over Westeros. The Reach could still muster up to a hundred thousand men but if that force is split into smaller groups it would be much easier to deal with. As he continues to ponder on the possibility of Dornes involvement and the repercussions such an event would have another thought crossed his mind.
"Ser Arthur," Jon said turning his thoughtful gaze to the Sword of the morning. "You mentioned that the fleet is mostly intact. Where are they, hiding such a force for so long could not have been easy."
Arthur crossed his arms, a knowing smile on his lips. "It turned out to be easier than one would expect. Lord Velaryon came up with the idea of disguising the fleet as pirates. A pirate ship would attract much less attention in the Step Stones than one flying a Targaryen banner. Lord Velaryon first issued the order to switch the standards and banners aboard the ships and then proceeded to capture the Step Stones island by island. To the rest of the world, it all seemed like pirates fighting each other over the island bases but in truth, it was the royal fleet taking a place to lay low. The initial attacks caught the pirates by surprise and after about a month of fighting the islands belonged to House Targaryen. Lord Velaryon had to return home so as not to raise any suspicion but his second in command was left to watch over the fleet. They attacked vessels bearing Lannister and Baratheon colors while also capturing slave ships, it needed to look like pirates still really did roam the sea around the islands. The freed slaves were allowed to settle on the Step Stones. The current commander of the fleet is lord Lyceryss bastard son Aurane Waters, a good lad by all accounts, capable seaman as it can be expected from a Velaryon."
"Quite the mummer's farce you had managed to pull Ser Arthur, no one is Westeros even suspected such change," Jon said.
"I can not take the credit, your grace, it was all the doing of Velaryons. They are the ones to be commended."
"Indeed they are," Jon said nodding. "Do you have a plan to go forward Ser Arthur?" Jon said.
"There are plans already in motion but it all hinders on your choices your grace," Arthur said.
"Well then, I think it's best to wait for your sister to arrive with our guest and we will move on from there. I will definitely go to Myr to meet with my family and to speak with the leaders of the Golden company. Once all preparations are in order we will begin our assault on Westeros with or without Dorne, as you said there are other allies out there and I can get my brother Robb to join us. Has there been any word from Ser Richard?"
"No your grace, the last I heard of him he was going after you but my bet is that he will be waiting for us with lord Connington if he has made it across the Narrow sea by now. Richard is of secretive type but he is efficient," Arthur said and Jon nodded. He knew that if he was to lead he needs to take control, to act as a lord should, as a leader. He had run many possibilities in his mind about how the war could go after they join, he considered everything from total victory to defeat, he needed to think like a commander.
"How long would it take the fleet to reach Tyrosh?" Jon asked.
"I'm not a sailor your grace, but if we took in the time necessary for all of them to gather and sail here, I would say five days maybe, the Stepstones are close to the city."
"The Lannisters have the Redwyne fleet on their side and an army large in numbers, hitting Kings Landing directly might not be the wisest option. The better choice would be to separate the forces the lions have at their disposal and deal with them one at a time. Not to mention that the Lannisters still hold my sisters as captives in the Red Keep. If we are to assault the city we would need to rescue them first, I will not let them get in the harm's way because of me."
"A prudent plan and a noble wish your grace but rescuing your cousins will be harder than you think, especially after we start engaging the Lannisters."
"Then we rescue them before the fighting starts," Jon said.
Kings Landing
Tywin
There was only one way to describe the state of the capital right now, a disaster and chaos, much to his irritation. After the guards found Joffrey's dead body and the new queen Margaery screaming her lungs out all hell broke loose. Joffrey's sudden death caused a great ripple effect and it would cause even more issues in days to come. A normal man would be saddened by the death of his grandson, a weak man but Tywin was anything but that not to mention that there wasn't much to love about Joffrey, a rabid dog he was from the first day he ascended the throne and was like that until he died. The only one to truly morn the boy was Cersei.
He had managed to bring order to the Red Keep but it was only superficial. The initial assassination attempt on Joffrey caused a great stir and he was still in the middle of searching for any information on the culprit when a servant came to inform him about the find in the royal bedchamber. Joffrey was dead, poised according to Pycele, although the old maester could not determine the substance that was used while the young queen was in a state of shock. The means of how the poison was administered was a mystery so he had ordered the room thoroughly searched, to find any clues. The only thing that attracted any attention was the pitcher of wine and two cups on the table. According to the now freshly widowed queen, Joffrey had poured them both a glass of wine before they went to bed. When looking at the bed it showed clear signs that the marriage had been consummated, whether Joffrey had been successful in fathering a child on his first and last night of marriage is yet to be seen. The only way Tywin saw that anyone could have poisoned Joffrey was either through food or drink and yet both were checked before the king even got near them. If both Joffrey and Margaery drank from the same tampered pitcher of wine then the result would have been two dead royals and yet the young queen lives. So either the food king had consumed had been poisoned, was poisoned even before the first attempt or the substance was already in the cup somehow. The third option was least likely because either one of the newlyweds could have taken that cup, the first two options being more realistic.
Tywins attention was on the identity of the culprit, the most obvious candidates being the Starks and the Martells, poison is after all a favored weapon of the infamous prince Oberyn, the Red Vyper and the man or his older brother had not shown themselves at the wedding, only a small delegation comprised of lesser families was sent. Tywin was not a fool to believe that the marriage pact Tyrion had made with the Martells would be enough to heal the rift between the two houses, the snakes would jump at the first sure chance they got to harm house Lannister in some way. And Stark, the honorable wolf he may be but the boy had proven that he is willing to use less honorable tactics in war not to mention that Varys and by extension the crown bad been blind to the Young wolf's movements for a while now, maybe the boy had finally realized how truly desperate his situation had become and opted to use different means to win the war, but that still left the question on how he managed to do it. He suspected others like Varys but he had no real proof just thoughts.
His daughter Cersei, who now acted more like a crazed beast than a queen had so far accused everyone from Tyrion and the Tyrells to Sea lord of Bravos, he had ordered her to be kept in her chambers until she composes herself enough. He did briefly entertain the thought of Tyrion being the culprit, it would give him an excuse to rid himself of the dwarf but there was no evidence to support that theory. When concerning the second of his daughter's suspects, the Tyrells, he doubted that they had anything to do with it, only a fool would try to cut off a giving hand. Yes, Joffrey was not perfect but his and Maragerys marriage was the means that the Tyrells would finally get what they desired for so long, royal marriage and a man of Tyrell blood as future king. The Tyrells were scheming and duplicitous but they would not to so foolish to pull back just as they were getting their greatest wish. Now, even if a royal marriage with the Tyrells is rearranged it will take years before it bears any fruit, seeing as Tommen is much younger than Margaery. Then again, Tommen would be much easier to manipulate than Joffrey was. The Tyrells were willing to go behind their back to try and secure Sansa, so maybe suspicion is justified.
Then again Joffrey's death posed an opportunity for Tywin. Tommen might be a meek child but he is young and unlike his brother who was taught by their mother that he can do whatever he pleases, to torment anyone and never suffer the consequences, who was frankly witless and unfit to rule, Tommen can be taught how to be a wise king, one that would not make idiotic mistakes his brother had made. Tywin had full intention of taking Tommen under his wing and getting him far away from his mother. Cersei wanted to rule, she wanted to have what she saw as the ultimate power, and the way she thought she could get it was through her sons, and Cersei ruling the realm is a disaster waiting to happen, the events that had transpired so far were evidence enough.
Tywin knew that he had to find a way to settle the matter, for the time being, he could not let his house look weak. He needed someone to accuse if he accused the Starks of the plot he could paint the Young wolf as a dishonorable coward, a man responsible for poisoning a boy who had barely reached manhood. That would cause his support to waiver, at least slightly. He needed to plan things out, he needed to strengthen their alliance with the Tyrells seeing as lord Tarly and his force were currently in the Riverlands and should soon engage the northerners. A double marriage should take care of that and when he gets Tommen to release Jaime from the kingsguard his own line of succession will be secured. His son will marry a lady from the west and have an heir, while after Robb Stark is dealt with, his nephew Tyrek will rule over Winterfell and with that, the West, the North and the South will be firmly under the Lannister rule. In time he might even push Lysa Arryn into a marriage between her son and a Lannister cousin. House Lannister will have a legacy that will last a thousand years when he is done.
Several days later, when the dust of the events had settled Tywin had called his daughter to his solar. Cersei had regained her composer and now once more acted more like a queen should but she still claimed that the Tyrells killed her precious boy. Tywin didn't know how much to believe that, it was a possibility but it took two whole days to get lady Margaery to calm down from the initial shock of finding a dead body beside her. She remains surrounded by her ladies in waiting at all times. Either the girl's state of shock is genuine or she is an excellent mummer.
As Tywin continued to write a letter the doors of his solar opened and in walked his daughter. Cersei might have the looks of her mother but not her brains. Wedding her off will kill two birds with one stone, he will cement their hold over the Tyrells and have a man of Lannister blood as the future lord of Highgarden and get her out of the capital so she won't cause any more distraction for him. He didn't even acknowledge her as he proceeded to finish the letter.
"You wished to see me," Cersei said as she stood in front of his desk. She tried to act high and mighty but from Tywins perspective she looked more like a child trying to present themselves as an adult. Tywin finished the letter and left the quill to the side.
"I did, I judge you have come to terms with what happened to Joffrey enough to have a civil discussion," Tywin said in a serious tone.
"I did," Cersei said, her voice slightly wavering at the mention of her deceased child.
"Good, because I have an important matter to discuss with you. It concerns the Tyrells."
Cersei's eyes lit up slightly. "Have you found any evidence against them?"
"No," Tywin said in a tone that made it clear to forget the matter of Tyrells being the killers, at least for now. "It concerns the fact that the heir to Highgarden is unwed and so far there haven't been any betrothals between him or any noble lady to my knowledge, something which we can contribute to the fact that he is crippled. A foolish notion, even if he has a bad leg he is still an heir to a second richest house in Westeros, but that fact works in our favor."
Cersei had s thoughtful look on her face for a moment until she realized what Tywin was getting at. "You mean to marry someone to him," Cersei said.
"Good, she isn't a complete idiot," Tywin thought. "Yes, I intend to marry Willas Tyrell to a member of House Lannister."
"Who?" Cersei asked but Tywin did not give an answer he only stared at her until the realization came to her. "No, I'm queen I will not marry some cripple," Cersei protested.
"You will marry Willas Tyrell as soon as Tommen marries Margaery. You are still young and can bear children."
"No, I will not," Cersei said defiantly. "I will not see sold like a broodmare again. I spent almost two decades married to a whoring drunk and now you wish me to marry a deformed cripple, I will rather join the silent sister before I get shipped off to Highgarden."
Tywin stared at his daughter with disapproving eyes. He understood her up to a point, Robert Baratheon was all she said he was and more but she did her duty to her house once and she will have to do it again. From what he had heard, Willas was a polar opposite to Robert, that alone should be enough to placate her worries.
"You have on several occasions made great claims about your commitment to this family's future. Your role in that future is as vital now as it ever was."
"I don't care," Cersei said. "I will stay in Kings Landing, where I belong with my son, the king."
"Tommen will be left in good hands, I will be there to watch over him and teach him how to become a good king."
"IM QUEEN, IM HIS MOTHER," Cersei shouted in anger at her father, Tywin didn't seem to care about her outburst, not showing a hint of emotion on his face.
"Your influence is what caused Joffrey to behave as he did, no one, not even the king has the right to do whatever he pleases without first thinking about the consequences his actions will cause. That is what neither Aerys nor Robert cared to realize. Every man, lord, prince, and the king must first measure the impact his decision will make. My decision to wipe out the Reynes and the Torbecks was measured, I knew that putting them all to the sword will cause fear to settle in the hearts of Westermen, fear of what will happen if they decide to challenge house Lannister. The action was drastic but it was necessary due to the amount of damage my father had done to our name. When I killed Elia Martell and her children I wiped out any direct opposition to Roberts and your future dynasty, yes I made an enemy of Dorne but I secured the rest of Westeros that way. I had thought that fear will keep others in line but it seems I misjudged the stupidity humans are capable of," Tywin said in a calm and cold tone. "You wouldn't be the first person to be dragged into a sept to be married against her will."
"Joffrey is dead," Cersei told her father as she sulked opposite of him. "Myrcella has been sold like livestock and you will ship me off to Highgarden and steal my boy. My last boy!" Tywin looked at his daughter his cold annoyance as she continued to rave on. "Margaery will dig her claws in him, you will dig in your claws and you will fight over him like beats until you have ripped him apart. I WILL RATHER BURN OUR HOUSE TO THE GROUND BEFORE LETTING THAT HAPPEN!"
"And how will you do that?" A small amount of curiosity sparked inside the old lion's mind. Cersei had no real power anymore, he served as Hand and has taken over as regent, so he was interested in what could possibly be her plan to convince him not to send her to Highgarden.
"I will tell everyone the truth," Cersei said calmly, an arrogant look gracing her features.
"What truth?" he demanded the answer.
"You don't know do you?" she said as he continued to look at her with confusion. "You never believed it? How is that possible?" Tywin stared at his daughter, silently demanding to explain herself. "What am I saying, of course, it is possible. How can someone so consumed by the idea of his family have any conception of what his actual family was doing? We were there right in front of you and you didn't see us. One look in the last twenty years and you would have known."
"Known what?" Tywin demanded, her taunting was starting to get on his nerves.
"Everything they say about me and Jaime, everything Stannis had spread, it's all true," Cersei said, a triumphant smile forming on her lips. It took Tywin a moment to realize what she had just said.
"No," he said, refusing to believe it, a feeling of repulsion formed in his mind.
"Your legacy is a lie," she said with the same smile and mocking tone. Tywin turned his gaze away from his daughter.
"I don't believe you," he said, his mind processing what she had said. He turned his eyes back at her only to see that she was now smiling like a madman. This could not be possible, his children might lack his intelligence but they were not complete idiots, they would not be so stupid to jeopardize their own lives and the future of their entire family just so they could act like….Targaryens. That thought brought a firestorm of anger to the old lion, he had made sure that the cursed dragons would be wiped out in Westeros and chased the remnants into obscurity, his house will not share any part of the dragons history apart from being kings. Even if her mad ramblings were true they could never be allowed to be heard by anyone. He was too close to achieving what he had fought for his entire life, no one will jeopardize that, especially his spoiled children. Cersei was about to say something but was stopped when her father took several steps towards her, he looked at her with blazing fury in his green-gold eyes, a look which made her take a step back, her previous smile and bravado gone. "If what you say is true, then pray tell what do you think will happen to you, Jaime and the children if what you claim reaches the ears of the nobility? What do you think those loyal to the crown will do when they find out that the king they have been fighting for is not of Roberts seed but a bastard born of incest. What do you think the Tyrells will do when they find out that they married their prized rose to an incestuous bastard? Myrcella has been sent to the Martells, what do you think they will do to her once they find out she was no real value?"
"They…you will make sure that..."
"Me?" Tywin asked raising an eyebrow. "You think I would simply defend a bastard born from an incestuous affair who has no claim to the throne because he is your son. I'm powerful but even I have limitations, I will not jeopardize the future of my whole house because of a bastard. If what you say is true, then everyone from Dorne to the Wall will be out for our heads, I will not risk the lives of the entire Lannister family on a suicidal cause. The Tyrells will abandon us the moment they hear about Tommens birth, they will go back to Highgarden at best or ally with our current enemies at worse. Without them, we lose most of our army. The Dornish had been waiting for almost twenty years to get their revenge for Elia and her children and Myrcella is in their hands. She will no longer be betrothed to prince Dorans son but used as a hostage, that is unless they don't outright kill her and send her head to Kings Landing. And what about the Crownlands and the Stormlands you may ask, well both of those will immediately turn their banners over to Stannis and beg for his forgiveness. The Vale which has so far stayed neutral will surely side with the Starks, if not by Lysa Arryns order then by the order of other houses, Robert and Eddard had many friends there. And then we would be all alone and cornered up against the wall, with nowhere to run and no one to ask for help. In the end, Tommens head will decorate a pike at the city gates just beside yours and Jaimes. Is that what you want?" Tywin said, finishing his point. His daughter looked at him with wide eyes as the realization settled into her mind. The look of realization turned into horror and tears started to fall down her cheeks. Her knees gave away and she fell to the floor, sobbing and clutching her sides.
"I'm sorry," Cersei said through her tears. "It's all a lie, none of it is true...I just wanted to spite you."
Tywin put his hands behind his back as he glared at the mess that was his daughter, it was truly a pitiful sight. His daughter who was born to be queen, once his pride and joy just like her brother had turned into a spiteful, ill-made, narrow-minded creature too busy caring for her own pride than common sense. No wonder Joffrey turned out the way he did.
"I thought so, your pride might be greater than your reason but not even you would be stupid enough to add more fuel to the lie Stannis had started," Tywin said and stepped closer to his daughter, looking down on her. She lifted her tear-covered face to look at him. "And to make myself clear, this disgusting lie will not leave these chambers, is that understood?"
"Y-Yes," Cersei muttered in a silent tone.
"Good, now get yourself up and go to your chambers. You will stay there until the last thought of that lie leaves your mind and if I hear anything concerning it coming from your mouth there will be consequences to pay," Tywin said in a tone that left no room for argument and Cersei quickly picked herself up and left her fathers solar. After she left Tywin put both hands on his desk and sighed heavily. The gods had once before decided to teach him humility and failed, it seems they have decided to try again. He will not let his house be turned into a group of inbred madmen like the Targaryens. Jaime will soon be let go of his post in the kingsguard and take his rightful place as heir to the Rock instead of that accursed dwarf. A child of Lannister blood will rule over both North and the Reach and his legacy and the legacy of his family will be secure. He had not spent a lifetime building the power and influence of house Lannister from the ground up only to fail now.
Tywin took a moment to compose himself, he had rarely let anyone see his anger and it's going to stay like it. Cersei will be placated for the time being and as soon as she is sent to Highgarden he will send some trusted agents with her to watch over her. But right now he needed to get other things sorted out, the first thing being the reason his two sons had been meeting with Varys, something he should find out soon, he doesn't like when his own family keeps secrets from him.
"Mererid!" Tywin called for his chamberlain who entered the solar a moment later.
Riverlands
Robb
When he set out south, he thought about all things that could happen, fighting the Lannisters, aiding the Riverlords, rescuing his father and sisters from their imprisonment, the thought of his own death crossed his mind more than once. What he never entertained the thought of was that he would be declared king, marrying a southerner let alone a daughter of a house sworn to the Lannisters and definitely not learning that his bastard brother is actually his cousin and that there were people loyal to him trying to put him on the Iron throne. His mother had spent years before and after Jon left to foster south to put her beliefs about bastards into him and his siblings, something he was glad she failed. Robb had stayed in touch with Jon and was happy for every visit Jon would make, however rare those were. He loved hearing Jons's stories about Highgarden and the knights fighting in tourneys, Bran loved them too during Jon's last visit which was about two years ago, maybe a bit more. Robb knew the feeling of suddenly having the burden of kingship being thrown into his lap and he had no doubt that his brother would feel the same if he isn't already. Robb could guess that it would be even harder for Jon as, unlike Robb who was taught to rule his whole life Jon was never taught that, Jon was taught to be a knight, a warrior but Robb believed in his brother, he knew that Jon would make a just and honorable king. The help those loyal to House Targaryen had offered so far had been detrimental in helping him not only stay alive and foil the Frey-Bolton plot to kill him but also deal with any spies the Lannisters had in their midst. With his army secure, Robb started planning his next move all the while waiting for the support lord Darry promised. The returned lord admitted that the loyalists were slightly disorganized at the time the war started but that by now the issue should have been remedied.
As soon as he heard that a combined force of Reachmen and Westermen was heading towards him and his forces he initiated a disorientation campaign, sending a select number of troops to specific locations and ordering them to build bigger camps to make the enemy think that larger amounts of his forces were there or he would send detachments under the command of men who knew these lands better, who knew where they had fewer chances of being detected. It also helped that his uncle Brynden was able to covertly deal with a fair shape of Lannister scouts. The force that was stationed at Stone Hedge under lord Bracken was actually his own force which was supplemented by the hidden groups and a larger detachment made out of Manderys, Umbers, Flints, Tallharts, Mallisters, Blackwoods and Freys near Harroway where a hastily built bridge had been built over the Red Fork. The idea of building a bridge over the river belonged surprisingly to Greatjon. While the commanders were discussing ways to reunite the forces so that the enemy would be caught off guard and not try to beat Robbs forces separately like it would have most likely happened if one half of the force tried to cross at the Ruby Ford, the large Umber lord barked "Why not just build a damn bridge and be done with it!"
The riverlords pointed out that there was no sure place to build a bridge and any bridges that did exist already were either in disrepair or were too small to move large numbers of troops over them. The solution to the issue came in the form of maester Vyman who pinpointed a location of an old crumbled bridge close to Harroway that the old maester guaranteed was the place where a bridge can be built in short order due to the low level of the river there. The job of building the thing was given to the Freys, as untrustworthy as they were the Freys had proved capable of building a bridge large enough for an army to cross it, guess spending long enough living in a bridge and maintaining it paid off.
As his army of some sixteen thousand northerners and riverlanders was camped a day ride from the Ruby ford. He had received word that the Lannister-Tyrell force was on the move and that they were heading towards them. Lord Darry had repeatedly told him that lord Tarly was on their side but that did little to ease the young king's nerves. Half of the opposing army is made out of Lannister men while the rest were Reachmen. Even if lord Tarly was willing to aid Robb that still posed the question of how many of the Raechmen were loyal to Lord Tarly and how many to the Tyrells. The thought of Tarly staying on the side of Tyrells crossed his mind often and considering the recent events Robb wouldn't be surprised. That's why he now stood in his tent overlooking a map of the area he chose as his battlefield, half a day's march from his current position there was an open plain with a steep hill overlooking it. That hill would make a perfect place to fortify and wait for the enemy to throw themselves at him. As he continues to ponder the rest of his plan Smalljon walked into his tent.
"Your grace," the young Umber said loudly and bowed.
"Smalljon," Robb greeted his friend and companion. "What brings you here this late?"
"A messenger had rode into the camp moments ago, the man practically killed his horse to get here. He says he was an urgent message from your mother," Umber said.
"My mother?" Robb asked. He wondered what could have possibly made his mother send a messenger and what could be so important that it could not wait or be sent by a raven. "Alright, bring him in."
Moments later the man in question walked into the king's tent and bowed. "Your grace."
"Rise, good man, now tell me what brings you here," Robb said. The man did as told and have Robb a sealed letter. He opened it and began to read, the first thing he noticed was his mother's handwriting.
Robb
A raven has arrived hours ago, a raven from Winterfell. The message it carried was written by lord Howland Reed.
He and the forces you sent back north combined with the Dustins and Ryswells had managed to push out the Iron Born from our lands with only a few places still under their control. Winterfell has been retaken and according to him, it was the clansman who did it. Our home is safe and being rebuilt but that is not the greatest news I have to share with you.
My little boys, your brother Bran and Rikcon are alive, they weren't killed by Theon. The boys had been rescued by the Reeds and had been safely guarded at Greywater Watch while the lords pushed back the Iron Born. Bran had returned to our home to act as the Stark in Winterfell.
I have received a letter from him as well, he says everything is fine and that with lords Reed's help he should be able to restore order shorty. He says that he will make you proud. I will wait for you to return so you can read the letters for yourself, I can not describe to you how happy and alleviated I am to hear that your brothers are safe and unhurt. I only wish for this war to end so we can go back home, I will pray for your safety and luck.
Your mother,
Lady Catelyn Stark.
Robb merely stared at the letter, rereading the part about his brothers over and over again, they are, Bran and Rickon and alive. He didnt even notice that a large smile had formed on his lips until Smalljon enquired if it was good news.
"Good news Smalljon, these are great news. Lord Glover and lady Mormont had not only managed to push their way past the Moat but with the help of the Reeds, Dustins and Ryswells had all but crushed the Iron Born invasion. But that is not the best part, the best part being that my brothers are alive," Robb said in pure joy. He had thought his little brother dead, after leaving Winterfell it seemed that he had lost all of his family, father, sisters, brothers but now he found out that it was not true, the pack still survives. The Umbers face lit up.
"That is truly great to hear," Smalljon said. "I bet it will raise the men's morale if they hear the news as well."
Robb blinked a few times, grounding himself slightly from his joyful demeanor. "Yes, you are right, men should hear that their homes and families are safe and that the Greyjoy menace has all but been dealt with."
"I will tell the men, I know my father will be elated to hear it," the Umber said and left the tent with the messenger following the young noble moment later after Robb offered the man hospitality and a reward for the information he had brought. Robb could not possibly be happier at the news, things were finally looking up it seems. He thought about what he was going to do once he and his brother reunite after this damned war was over. He will definitely reward lord Reed greatly for all he had done, the Mormonts and Glovers as well. Mother's message said nothing about that turn cloak Theon so he is either on the run or dead, the second option would be preferable but Robb still wanted to cut off Theon's head himself to the betrayal. The thought of returned brothers and a traitorous one brought his mind to the bastard one, well a royal one now. He still needed to see how events concerning Jon and those who supposedly support him turn out. No matter what Jon brings to the table Robb knew he would be of help, he needed allies and if his brother can get the houses loyal to the previous dynasty that held the Iron throne under his banner then beating the Lannisters will not be as monumental of a task as it seems now. One thing is for sure if Jon managed to retake the throne, he will never fight Robb, they might not have seen each other for a while but they are still blood, they are still pack and Robb knew that Jon was of the too honest sort to betray him. One thing is certain, the northerners will sure love to have two kings of Stark blood, one to rule them and one to rule the south. The northerners will find it laughably ironic that the Andals had spent centuries trying to conquer the North only to a man of first men blood to rule them in the end.
Robb had spent the next hour thinking about the great news he had received until lord Darry marched into his tent with a hooded man right behind him.
"Lord Darry," Robb greeted his de facto spymaster.
"Lord Stark, I bring something of interest," Darry said. Robb straightened in his seat as Darry pulled out a letter and gave it to the young noble. The first thing that caught Robb attention was red wax used to seal the letter and then the sigil of a huntsman stamped into it.
AN: Well that was it guys. We got a bit of Tywin getting into action and Robb preparing for the confrontation and getting the news while Jon is taking the initiative. To those that might be a bit confused by the whole Joffrey part, I had changed the ending of the 36th chapter, where now Margaery poisons Joffrey. I really wanted to have a scene like the one when Cersei told the truth to Tywin but instead of staying silent he completely destroys her with logic. We will see more of Tywin in the next chapters and I know I have pretty much sidelined Varys so far with little to no POVs only taking part in others but he will show himself soon enough. Can you guess who the two sellswords are? Also, there is a small Witcher 3 reference in there.
Force smuggler: Arya and Robb will meet soon.
jaimerey7000: I know that. The Dustins will be getting a new sword and the fate of Harlaw will be decided later.
Anarra: Thank you for your support.
SventheDecoy: Glad you liked it. The multiple POVs is just how I decided to write this story. Hey, no character is perfect man, no need to go all I wish they die. It's just a story go easy man. He gave up the winning to help the poor kinda as a knight should. I don't mind the reviews. As I stated in one of the earlier chapters, the Jon plotline takes place before and is connecting to the Kings Landing and Robb plot. Yeah, the travel time is a bit of an issue but I think I did a decent enough job at it, that's kinda the reason for the time divergence between the POVs. Thank you, this year has already started way better than the last and I think it's going to stay that way.
Xan-merrick: Thanks, glad you liked it.
JUANMARTIN202000: I'm happy you liked it. The guy behind the Wolf of Numenor was once my beta but we split due to creative differences. He took the story in the direction he wanted.
Guest: Thank your for your support.