The wolf and the rose

by Luka99jt

Jon is fostered by the Tyrells in Highgarden, while there he and Loras become best friends, and Jon and Margaery fall in love. Lady Olenna wants for her granddaughter to become queen but a certain bastard is in the way. Once the events of the Game of thrones start slowly things start to change.

39. Chapter 39

Chapter 39

Myr

The Bold

Fate was a strange thing, some people would claim that a man's fate is determined in advance by the gods, people like septons and priests of various religions, while others would claim that a man's fate is his own, that he is the maker of his own destiny, not anyone else. Barristans fate in life if he had to guess would be a bit of both. He was born an heir to a noble house, not too powerful or important but not weak either. Most men would be delighted to be a lord of a noble house, most would covet the power, the lands, wealth, and prestige that comes with the title but not him. Barristan never really wanted to be a lord, he was taught to rule by his father but those lessons did little to keep his interest. What really interested him were the tales of knights like Aemon the Dragonknight, Duncan the Tall and Ser Ulrick Dayne, the Sword of the Morning that preceded his fellow kingsgaurd knight Ser Arthur Dayne. Those stories were the reason he entered his first tourney at the age of ten, everyone thought him foolish back then, well all but one man, the man who dubbed him the Bold in the first place, Prince Duncan Targaryen. That same prince was the only one who gave him a chance, Barristan did end up hitting the ground face-first for it and losing the joust to the prince but six years later it was him who defeated the prince and the lord commander of the kingsguard Ser Duncan the Tall. One of the proudest moments of his life was when king Aegon the Unlikely knighted him on the day of his victory and from that day fate seemed to smile at him.

Barristan joined the royal army that was formed to fight off the Fifth Blackfyre rebellion and was in command of the men from Harvest Hall. During that war he got his first real taste of what conflict was really like. Battle after battle he fought, men kept dying in front of his eyes, the battlefields covered with the roting bodies of the dead, dying, injured, blood, mud, and shit, it was nothing like it was depicted in the songs. It was in that war that he truly earned his fame when during the last great battle of the war, when the battle seemed lost, he charged at the enemy lines alone on his horse, fought his way through line after line of Golden Company sellswords until he reached their leader and the pretender to the Iron Throne Maelys Blackfyre, also known as the Monstrous. The title described him perfectly, a giant of a man, easily as tall and strong as the late King Robert in his prime, but unlike the late king, the pretender was a grotesque sight to behold. Maelys had a grotesquely huge torso and arms. He had a second head sprouting from his neck, no bigger than a child's fist. It was said that the child's face was what was left of his twin who he had devoured while still in his mother's womb. His skull was malformed and his head large. With all of those traits combined he looked like some twisted version of what a Targaryen should look like, the only real similarity between the pretender and the royal family was their silver hair and purple eyes. On that day, the day he thought would be his last he challenged the monster to single combat and after a lengthy dual in which he almost truly did meet the Stranger he won the fight when Maelys made a mistake and overextended the swing of his mace, Barristans sword finding itself longed right into the monsters neck, right where the second face was. With the sword still longed into its neck, the false king fell to the bloodied and muddy ground, and after seeing their leader die the Golden Company broke and fled the field. It was on that day, on that field of battle that he truly earned the epithet of the Bold.

When some years later Gerold Hightower offered him the spot on the kingsguard he took it. Yes he was the heir, yes he had a duty to his family and more but he never really wanted to be a lord, only a knight, and that is why he threw away everything he could have had and took the white cloak. He knew that his choice was not purely honorable, it was selfish on his part to leave everything and everyone behind but it was the decision he believed was right for himself. He served proudly for a time among king Aerys's kingsguard, the young king showed promise at the begging but over time grew bored with ruling and left everything to his council and as time went on the madness slowly crept its way into the king's mind. It was after Duskendale when the madness truly manifested fully, and when Barristan saw what the king he had served so long had become he honestly wished that he had not saved the man's life. His regret only grew with each new victim Aerys burned for his own pleasure and every time he had to stand in front of queen Rhaellas's bed-chamber when Aerys decided to pay her a visit. The poor woman's screams for aid are still fresh in the old knight's mind. But in all of that madness, there was still hope, hope in the shape of the crown prince Rheagar.

The prince was everything his father was not and showed the makings of a great king. Barristan didn't know what made the prince run away with the Stark girl, he knew the boy his entire life, he had thought Rhaegar to ride and gave him sword lessons, and Barristan knew that the son was not like his father. But that one act was the straw that broke the camel's back and caused the deaths of Lord Stark and his heir which sparked the Rebellion. He watched as Lord Richard burned alive in his armor while the heir Brandon strangled himself in an attempt to reach a sword so he could help his father. It was wrong, he knew it but his vows prohibited him from doing anything, so he like the rest of his sworn brothers retreated into himself. Even as the war raged on he still believed that there was hope, that all will end well, unfortunately, that hope died with Rhaegar at the Trident and when given the choice again he did the selfish thing and chose to side with the victor, becoming the lord commander of Robert Baratheons kingsgaurd.

Barristan served Robert loyally for almost two decades, it was an improvement from Aerys he could not deny that but he still never felt a hint of pride while serving the Baratheon king and the less said about his brothers in the kingsguard the better. He served a madman and a drunk for once in his life he wished to serve with pride and when that boy Joffrey and his mother dismissed him, he knew what he needed to do, something which he should have done years ago. What followed were a group of events that ranged from strange to unbelievable and soon he ended up in the den of his former enemies, the camp of the Golden company outside the walls of Myr. It was there where to his shock he was reunited with the former hand of the king Jon Connington and the man he wished to serve Viserys Targaryen. Barristan immediately bent the knee in front of the prince and asked for his forgiveness and to serve his house once more. Both men looked at Barristan with suspicion but after the man who accompanied Barristan from Kings Landing gave a note to lord Connington who proceeded to inform the Bold of the situation they found themselves in concerning princess Daenerys and if he is to prove his loyalty he would need to rescue her from Myrs dungeons. Barristan accepted the task immediately, eager to atone for his past mistakes. And so here he was now, crawling through the sewers of Myr in an attempt to reach a back entrance into the dungeons with a ragtag group of warriors by his side.

"If anyone ever fucking told me that one day I would be crawling knee dip in shit with Barristan the Bold and a Targaryen prince at my side while trying to rescue a princess, I would call that man a lair or mad and probably had him thrown out of Ironrath while laughing," Asher Forrester, the exiled son of Lord Gregor Forrester of Ironrath said while holding a torch in one hand and gripping his nose with the other, a look of disgust plastered on his face.

"Come now little brother, it ain't that bad, the sewers of Meereen are at least ten times worse than this." the sellsword Beskha said. The female sellsword was tall, muscular, had cooper skin, long brown hair and a face that would be called pretty if not for the scars she sported. She carried two swords on her back and a torch in one hand.

"I don't even want to know how you know that," Asher said, his face turning a shade of green.

"Me neither," prince Viserys said from behind the column. The prince much to lord Connington's and Barristans ire was insistent on aiding the rescue of his sister and after a lengthy argument with the former hand, it was agreed that the prince will follow Barristan only if more people joined to make sure that the prince and princess come back alive and that is how the two sellswords ended up with Barristan. The former hand said that they could be trusted. The old knight was not too keen on having a prince to watch out for while attempting a rescue and having more people around could both aid and hinder their attempt.

"Keep quiet and stay focused," Barristan ordered sharply, too much was at stake and they didnt need anyone hearing them approach considering if the information Barristan was given, the entrance Lysono Maar the Golden companies spymaster spoke about should be near. The Bold did not know how to feel about working with those who were once his enemies. Connington is a member of the company but he is a Targaryen loyalist through and through while men like Maar are sellswords, loyal only to coin. The Lyseny man reminded Barristan of Rhaegar and Aerys but unlike the two royals this man's features could easily be mistaken for that of a woman. He only hoped that this mission to rescue the princess goes without a hitch and that he does not fail. They made their way through several more corridors of shit and filth until they reached their destination, an iron grid on the ceiling which was used to empty the waste directly into the sewers.

"Give me a boost," Beshka said and Asher helped his partner in reaching the grid and pushing it upwards. She tossed it to the side and it made a loud crashing noise. Barristan could not help but glare at the sellsword. "Sorry," she whispered.

"Let's just hope no one heard that," Barristan said. Beshka climbed up and then helped Viserys and Barristan climb up as well before finally pulling Asher up.

"Where exactly did you say our brave princess is being kept?" Asher asked.

"We are on the bottom most floor of the prison, so that means we need to go three floors up," Barristan said.

"Let's go then," Viserys said and took point heading up the stairs. Barristan took him by the arm after a few paces. The prince looked at the kingsgaurd with annoyance.

"Your Grace, I would advise caution, we need to move carefully to avoid detection. I know you fear for your sister's life but we won't be able to help her if we get caught and thrown into a cell like her," Barristan said and for a moment Viserys continued to glare at him until his gaze softened.

"You are right Ser Barristan, I'm sorry. Why don't you take the lead," Viserys said and Barristan accepted the apology with a nod. Viserys was different from his brother, he was more impulsive, less refined in some areas but had the same kind heart. Barristan led the group to the next floor, encountering no resistance thus far only dark and wet halls, with few torches speared around. They carefully moved through the corridors to the next set of stairs. Suddenly he heard a voice coming from in front of them and he urged the group to head back. They hide behind the corner, backs tightly against the wall as they waited for the patrol to pass them, luckily the guards failed to notice them. With the guards gone, they continued on their way, finding themselves going up the next stairway. They were almost caught when the door they opened revealed a guard standing there but thanks to Barristans quick reflexes the guard soon found his throat cut only for another guard that was some five meters away to see Barristan but he quickly found a Forester ax being thrown at him and being lodged into his skull.

"Only a Forester would leave everything behind and take his ax with him," Beshka said with mirth.

"Comes in handy," Asher said as he pulled the ax out of the man's head and wiped the blood off on the dead man's tunic.

"Come on, the next floor is where the princess is being held," Barristan said and quickly yet carefully moved to the next set of stairs. As they exited the stairway loud shouting was heard echoing through the halls. Barristan didn't know what was being said but he knew it was spoken in valyrian and whoever it was they were not happy.

"Dany," Viserys said with exhilaration. "That's her."

Beshka smirked. "That's some pretty colorful language coming from the princess,"

Tyrosh

Jon

The layer of dust in the manses courtyard lifted as Grenn was knocked to the ground by Ser Arthur for the fifth time that morning while the rest of the group circled around him. Jon was in front of Arthur, Robar to his left and Loras to his right, each carefully watching the famed knight for any sight of movement, each having a tourney sword in hand while Arthur was wielding two blades, one in each hand. This practice session had begun when Arthur wished to see what they were capable of. The four young men knew that they were far from ser Arthurs level but they believed themselves above average. They thought he would take them on one by one but instead, he insisted that they fight him together, what followed was the fastest and the worse trashing the four men got in their lives, Ser Arthur not holding anything back as he proceeded to dismantle them completely and thrown them into the dirt one by one. Jon, Loras, Robar and Grenn, tried to fight him individually, in pairs, and together with the result always being the same. This was the fifth round so far and Jon's entire body ached, his entire upper body was covered in bruises and he was pretty sure that his bruises had bruises but he ignored the discomfort and pushed on. He looked at Robar and Loras, giving each man a nod, the three of them attacked at once. Arthur quickly deflected a strike coming from Loras and used his two blades to block Jons and Robar's blades. The sound of metal hitting metal echoed throughout the yard as both Robar and Jon put the last of their strength in an attempt to push Arthur back, a commendable effort but useless in the end. Arthur simply pushed the blades back and proceeded to quickly disarm the knight of the Vale and kick him to the ground. Loras tried to attack while Arthur was distracted but the Sword of the Morning noticed this and blocked the strike by put one blade behind his back while the other was pointed at Robar.

"I yield," Robar said and Arthur nodded. The Dornishman then lowered himself and swept Loras's legs from under him making the Knight of the flowers join Robar on the ground, a sword pressed to his throat. There was a look of annoyance and defiance in Loras's eyes for a moment before they softened.

"I yield," Loras said and Arthur nodded.

"It is one on one again," Jon said as he cautiously eyed the older knight. Arthur did not say anything, he only removed his blade from Loras's throat and moved to attack Jon. Jon was met by a flurry of blows coming from both sides and he did his best to block, parry, or avoid them but all of that effort was taking its toll and he was getting exhausted. He attempted one last-ditch effort to if not beat Arthur then at least not go down as easily as his comrades did. Jon returned the favor with his own set of fast and strong blows all of which Arthur blocked or avoided until one was parried and soon Jon found himself staring at the edge of a blade positioned directly in front of his face. At that moment he knew that the fight was done. "I yield."

Arthur lowered his blades and looked at each one of his opponents. "The skills with the blade you possess are commendable for ones of your age but that does not mean there aren't any faults. Loras you are too sure of yourself and too often your strikes become flamboyant and showy leaving you exposed. Robar your strikes are well-timed but you wait a little too much to see what your opponent will do first, there were several times where you could have pushed the offensive but instead you retreated. Your grace, your throw yourself into the thick of it too often, you need to be more calculative and patient like Robar. And Grenn, your mistakes are more numerous but you are decent enough with the sword considering how long you've been actually wielding it. Your teamwork is commendable although it could use some toning."

The four of them limped towards each other, every part of their bodies aching. They looked at each other before Jon spoke. "Thank you Ser Arthur, we will try to improve."

"Drink some water and have a bit of rest, we will continue this later," Arthur said as he deposited the practice blades on the rack and went inside the manse. As soon as he left Grenn let out a sigh.

"Thank the seven it's over, I'm done being used as a punching bag, no matter who the guy doing the punching maybe," Grenn said.

"What are the rest of us supposed to say," Loras said with a hint of annoyance. "You yielded first almost every time. The rest of us got an even greater beating than you."

"Greater beating than me? I am bigger and stronger than you, the man did not pull his strikes with me as he did with you flower," Grenn bit back while glaring at Loras. Better break this up before they start a fight again.

"All right you two, that's enough. We all had our asses handed to us by Ser Arthur and I think this lesson was worth it. It's not every day that you get to spare and be tutored by the Sword of the morning," Jon said.

"Jons right, the bruises will heal, the knowledge given by Ser Arthur might save our lives in the future," Robar said and paused for a moment before looking at Grenn. "But Loras does a have a point, you yield first almost every time. I thought you are too stupid to yield," Robar said with a joking smirk.

"I'm not too stupid too..." Grenn shouted, spit flying out of his mouth but then stopped himself before he could finish the sentence. "I'm not falling for that again."

"He is learning," Loras said and clapped sarcastically. "It took him long enough."

"Alright, I said that's enough, lets's get some water and rest," Jon said.

"I could use a bath," Loras said.

"I need to eat something," Grenn said.

The four went over to where a pitcher of water and some cups were found and each took a large swing of water, the cold liquid quenching their thirst. Jon looked to the side of the yard where a large oak tree was and the two direwolves hiding in its shade. Both Ghost and Lady were laying on the grass beneath the tree trying to keep themselves as cold as possible. The wolves were not used to the great heat found in the free city and their long fur only made it harder for them to bare it. Jon felt sorry for them and knew that the calmer climate of Westeros would fit the wolves much better. He was eager to leave for Westeros but knew he had to be patient and if Arthur was right, then the person who could influence Dorne to join his side was supposed to arrive today. With a bit of luck, he would be able to persuade them to help, and then they would be able to travel to Myr, where they would meet up with the Golden company and his new family. That was the fact he was still trying to grasp completely, that he had an aunt and uncle that were old enough to be his siblings. From the way Arthur had described Daenerys to him, he had little doubt that she and Arya would get along splendidly. Daenerys was supposed to be both a perfect image of a royal princess like her mother was and a warrior like their ancestor Vysenia was. Arthur had trained both Viserys and Daenerys how to defend themselves from a young age, his uncle taking to the sword while his aunt took a liking to daggers and the bow. She is reportedly able to hit the center of a target from hundred paces away. Both of them grew up on Arthur's stories about their homeland and how different it is from the free cities. Over the years Daenerys grew to hate the practice of slavery, believing that any person should have the right to be free. Arthur described her as polite, smart, caring, was head strong in her beliefs something which in the latest case got her captured and thrown into prison by Myrs slavers. Arthur described Viserys as valiant, honorable, and noble although he is hot temped at times, the older Targaryen sibling is also dedicated to honoring the memory of his dead brother, Jons sire Rhaegar, by trying to be like him. He was also heavily protective of Daenerys. Jon was broken from his thought when Ghost walked over to him and licked his hand.

"What is it, boy?" Jon asked and the wolf only put his hand under the man's hand, petting his own head. Jon smiled at the wolf's antics.

"So, who do you think this mysterious person lady Ashara is bringing with her is?" Robar asked Jon, his tone low and serious.

"I don't know, I was never well versed in Dornish politics and houses and Loras outright refused to even look at the Martell banner in maester Lomys's books after what prince Oberyn did to Willas when the two faced off against each other in the joust years ago. I guess we will just have to wait and see."

A servant arrived and quickly got their attention. "My lords, Ser Arthur asks of you to make yourselves presentable, we will be having guests within an hour."

"It seems that were are not going to need to wait long for the answer then," Robar said and Jon nodded. The four men had one last drink of water before following the servant into the manse to get ready for the guests.

An hour later the four friends gathered in the dining hall of the manse, they all had bathed and put on fresh clothes, they were meeting possibly an important ally so looking and smelling like unwashed pigs would leave a poor first impression, especially about Jon seeing as this was all about him. They waited in the hall and Jon could see that both Grenn and Loras were getting impatient, Jon was about to say something to ease them when Ser Arthur entered the hall and got their attention.

"Your grace, sers, may I introduce my sister lady Ashara Dayne," Arthur said and gestured towards the door where as every man in the room could agree even Loras stood the most beautiful woman any of them had ever seen. Lady Ashara was a truly breathtaking sight to behold, a tall woman with tanned skin, a womanly figure most would be envious about, her long raven black hair tumbled around her shoulders but what truly caught Jon's attention were her eyes, they were a shade of purple like Arthurs but unlike his, hers were hauntingly violet, almost unnatural. The lady wore a dark purple sleeveless dress that hugged her body tightly. This was the woman he had thought to be his mother, the woman Eddard Stark loved. For a moment all four of them stared at her before Jon regained his composure and bowed.

"Lady Ashara, it's an honor to meet you," Jon said and his companions followed after him, voicing their greetings.

"The honor is all mine, your grace," the woman said as she took several steps towards them and courtesied. "I do hope my brother had been a good host, he knows to get a bit rowdy at times," she continued with her lips curving slightly. Arthur's only response to his sister's teasing was a raised eyebrow.

"No my lady, Ser Arthur has been a most gracious host to us, he has even given us some lessons in swordplay."

Lady Ashara looked at her brother. "It wouldn't be good for a kingsguard to injure his king before he even manages to get him crowned."

"It was only a light sparing session, nothing more," Arthur said.

"Brother, your definition of a light sparring session is having whoever has the misfortune of being your opponent not being able to walk properly for the next two days. I had to bandage one too many wounds on Viserys and Daenerys after you were done with them for the day. But I digress, we are not here to talk about Arthurs training regiments but for something more important."

"Indeed," Arthur said with a nod.

"We were told that you were bringing a potential ally that could help us persuade Dorne to side with us in our fight against the Lannsiters," Jon said.

"That is true your grace, that would..."Lady Ashara started but was cut off by a voice coming from behind her.

"I believe that would be me," a feminine voice was heard and everyone's attention instantly went towards its source. There few steps behind lady Ashara was a slender woman dressed in a rich vibrant red and yellow dress, her skin was smooth and olive in color, her hair was dark brown styled in a way Jon had never seen before. She wore jewels on her forehead and a golden neckless, earrings visibly pierced in the top of the ears and she had spots under the brown eyes.

"I'm sorry my lady but Ser Arthur has been secretive about who exactly lady Ashara would be bringing along," Jon said.

"That is alright, proper introductions are in order after all," the woman said as she walked over to stand next to Ashara. "I'm lady Mellario of Norvos, princess consort of Dorne," she said and curtsied. The woman's identity came as a bit of a shock to Jon, he knew that whoever was the spouse of the ruler of Dorne would get the little of prince or princess consort but he did not expect to find that person here in the free cities and not in Dorne with the royal family. Jon went to introduce himself but realized that he needs to start doing things smarter not harder and so he remembered what he had been told, the name given to him by the woman who birthed him, his mother and that he would need to act more kingly if he wished to aid his kin in having justice against the Lannister's.

"It is an honor to meet you my lady, I'm Aemon Targaryen but friends do call me Jon, My companions are Ser Loras Tyrell, Ser Robar Royce and Grenn, he is not a knight yet. I hope the journey from Norvos was not too hard on you," Jon said, remembering his courtesies.

"It was a bit longer than I expected but Ashara knows how to make the journey interesting," lady Mellario said with a polite smile.

"I'm glad to hear that my lady," Jon said.

"With introductions and courtesies out of the way, I suggest we sit down and have some refreshments, we just arrived from a long journey after all," Ashara said and Jon nodded.

"Of course, forgive me, my lady. Ser Arthur," Jon said and the kingsgaurd guided them all to the dining table where the servants were told to bring some tea, cakes and an assortment of cheeses. Arthur sat at the head of the table, at first the knight offered Jon the seat but he politely refused as this was technically Arthur's home and his table that they were sitting at. Jon and his company sat to the right, Robar sitting first, then Grenn and finally Loras. Opposite Jon on Arthur's left sat lady Mellario and lady Ashara.

"You would have to excuse my rudeness my lady, but I have to ask what is the princess consort of Dorne doing in Essoss and not in, well Dorne?" Jon asked, for all talk about his Targaryen heritage, Jon still favored the Stark side heavily, including their tendency to get straight to the point.

Lady Mellario locked eyes with Jon, he saw what he thought was sadness in her brown orbs. The woman did not seem to hold any ill will towards Jon for asking. "The reason I'm here and not in Dorne with my husband and children is a complicated one, the best way to describe it would be a mixture of love for my family and hate for your Westerossi politics." The woman's answer certainly intrigued the young man, by the looks on their faces, Arthur and Ashara knew the story well.

"If it isn't too much to ask, I would like to know the current relationship between you and the rest of Dorne's fulling family. Lady Ashara must have told you something about the reason for your journey here."

"Ashara was kind enough to explain some things along the way including the fact you are Rhaegars but not Elias son," Mellario said and her features hardened slightly. "Elia was still young when Doran and I married, him being quite a few years older than his siblings. She had always been a kind and gentle person, clever and sweet witted but for all of that she was frail, her health being extremely delicate. Doran loved her and was protective of her as a child. She grew up to become a beauty, a gracious woman any man would be lucky to call a wife and that man had turned out to be prince Rhaegar. Something which was celebrated at first but proved to be the poor girl's doom in the end. I loved Elia like a sister, so tell me why should I help the son of a man who abandoned her? And before you say it, Ashara had already informed me about the circumstances of your birth, even still what Rhaegar and Lyanna did was stupid and costed many people their lives."

Jon had a feeling something like this would come up, he was certain that it will come up again in the future, after all, a secret heir to the throne being alive is a convenient story not to mention all the wounded parties that suffered during the rebellion would like some kind of an explanation and reason to fight for him, even with honor and loyalty taken into account.

"As you may have heard my lady, there is a war being waged in Westeros, one between the Starks and Tullys on the side and Lannisters and Tyrells on the other. Joffrey Baratheon had executed the man I called father and is holding my sisters captive. The Lannisters have raised the Riverlands to the ground and I have little doubt that Tywin Lannister is planning to do the same thing to the Starks and Tullies that he did to the Raynes, the Torbescks and Targaryens. My brother Robb is leading the northerners against the lions but he is outnumbered, the Lannisters have a firm hold over the south, and with Stannis defeated there is no one to challenge them over its dominion. The reason you were brought here is to aid us in the fight against the Lannisters by helping us get Dorne on our side. I was told that Dorne can muster an army of twenty thousand strong, those numbers would go a long way in fighting the lions."

Mellario eyed Jon closely for a moment as if she was analyzing him. "And what about your claim for the Iron Throne, the one that belonged to my nephew and niece, will you ask Dorne to help you win that as well? I had spent years living in Dorne and had learned that they don't look kindly to those who slight them, and no offense but you are a walking slight against Dorne."

"A little hypocritical thing to say considering how the Dornish usually act," Loras said and this got him a glance from both Arthur and Ashara.

"Taking a paramour and having a child with them is fine but breaking a marriage even if it was mutual and then marrying another woman and having a child with her is pushing it even by Dornish standards," Mellario answered before either Arthur or Ashara could. "That's the reason I'm still technically married to prince Doran."

"Eddard Stark always said that I was his blood, I might not have known them but I have come to accept that Aegon and Rhaenys are my blood as much as Arya and Sansa are. Elia and her children were innocent and did not deserve to die the way they did, only so Tywin Lannister could secure his hold over the new dynasty. They deserve justice and the Lannisters deserve punishment for all of their crimes. Alone none of us stand a chance of achieving that but together we will finally be able to beat the lion and bring peace to Westeros. I know that the chances of the Dornish agreeing to follow me, to fight beside me are small but I have to try. I swore too many oaths to back down now my lady."

The room was filled with silence as the servants brought the required refreshments. The princess consort of Dorne took a small piece of cheese and put it inside her mouth, after chewing on it for a moment she swallowed and looked at Jon again. "Westerosi and your honor, both men and women are obsessed with it. Norvosi and Westerossi cultures are completely different from each other," Mellario said and lifted her hands towards her head, she pushed slightly up and her hair came off, showing a clean shaved head. The surprise on the young knight's faces was hard to hide as the lady placed the wig on the table. "For example, Norvosi women shave all hair from their bodies while in Westeros such a thing would be scandalous. You Wesetrossi send your children away to be raised and looked after by people who aren't family, sons, and daughters get torn away from their mothers at an age of seven or eight. Young girls barely flowered would marry old men that are old enough to be their grandfathers. All of that because of Westerossi politics," Mellario said, her tone was measured but it was obvious to Jon that she harbored some resentment towards not just Dorne but Westeros in general.

"You don't seem to like Westerossi customs and culture," Jon said.

"No I don't, and the game as you call it. You Westerossi like to pretend that your power struggles and petty squabbles are a game. Yes, let's treat murder, corruption and deceit as delightful amusement, two houses don't like each other, call the banners and start a war. Politics does exist in Norvos but it has never gotten to a point which you Westerossi consider normal."

"I know what you mean, I don't like I either, many had forgotten the true meaning of honor and had become driven by ambition to the point that they would do anything to achieve their goals. To you it must seem that I'm no different, a man that wishes to be king but up until some time ago I did even know of my royal blood, I was just another bastard, a lucky bastard whose father if anyone asked was Eddard Stark. Yes, I want to join this war but to end it, I don't truly covet the throne, I was never raised to be a lord, let alone a king but too many lives are at stake, if people like the Lannisters stay in power even more will die, more will end up like Elia, Aegon and Rhaenys. I can't tell you with certainty what will happen after the Lannisters are defeated but I can tell you this, justice will be served, on my honor, I swear it."

"Bold words young man, but others have said the same in the past, what makes you different?"

"Lady Mellario, I don't see how this..." Arthur started but was cut off by the princess consort.

"I might be estranged with my family but that does not mean I don't care for them, some of them at least. If I'm to join you on this endeavor I wish to know what your intentions are, I have no wish to involve my family in something which will only cause them more pain and misery."

Jon looked at the woman, she had a questing gaze in her eyes. He understood her doubt, she might be far away from the ones she calls family but she still cares for them, she is a mother and cares for her children. He had no intention of breaking his word or causing any more harm to the Martells and the Dornish, the old gods and the new know that they suffered enough as it is.

"My lady, if anyone can vouch for me it is my friends here," Jon pointed to his companions. "And if that isn't enough you can ask Ser Arthur, I think you would be more inclined to trust him. You have my word as both Targaryen and Stark that I will not ask anything of your family that might bring dishonor to them or put them in direct danger. They will be safe at Sunspear while the war rages and until it ends. When it does, I intend to honor the terms house Martell asks for their support, one that I know upfront being the heads of Tywin Lannister, Gregor Cleagne and Amory Lorch. They will be given to house Martell when all is over."

Jon finished his sentence hoping that it would be enough, he was not a politician but was doing his best in the current situation. Mellario eyed him closely, her gaze never once leaving the man that would be king, then a small sigh escaped her lips.

"I detect no lie from you young man, I guess it true what they say about Starks being unable to tell a falsehood. If I'm to aid you in persuading Dorne to fight for you I wish something in return."

"And that would be?" Jon asked intrigued.

"I wish to reunite with my children, gods know that what love Doran and I had for each other has long since passed, but I still wish to see them. I left because I could not stomach my husband's machinations concerning the fates of my children any longer. I wanted to take them with me by I was not allowed. I wish that by royal decree I be given the final say in matters concerning my children, I know how it must sound but I have no intention of being like Doran, he would most likely sell them to whoever gave him the best deal and I want them to have a choice over their own lives like their father and I had. This is the only way I can think of that I can outmaneuver my husband."

"That might be too much to ask from prince Doran," Ashara said.

"I accept your terms, my lady, I will make sure that your wish is granted," Jon said and Ashara gave him an uncertain look.

"In that case, you have earned my support your grace, although there is something you must know first."

"And what is that?"

"As you know my relationship with my family is difficult due to the disagreements my husband and I had concerning our children. I as a mother wanted them close to me, so I could watch them, see their smiles, hug them when they are afraid, sing them to sleep but Doran had other ideas," a melancholic look appeared on the lady's face. "When Doran and I wed we were so filled with love for each other, he would have climbed the Titan of Bravos if I asked but over the years the ruling over Dorne had started to take its toul and he grew colder. When Elia was killed he blamed himself for sending her there, to that nest of evil, he was never as emotional as his siblings but after that, he became even less so, the Doran I knew was replaced by the Prince of Dorne. When that moronic, uncontrollable fool Oberyn killed lord Yronwood over a paramour it was my son who had to pay the price, or to be more accurate he was the price..." Mellario was about to continue the story when she was cut off by Loras.

"Wait, you mean Quentyn?" the Knight of the flowers asked.

"Yes, you know of by sons fostering with the Yronwoods?" the lady asked and the four men looked at each other.

"Actually we met him on our way here," Robar said and the woman's interest increased tenfold evident by the expression on her face.

"We met him while we were traveling through the mountains. We were caught in an ambush by some highwaymen but Quentyn and a group of riders saved us, he then offered to escort us to Yronwood. A good man, if a bit too serious at times," Loras said.

"He gets that from his father," Mellario said, a sad smile adorning her lips. "I'm glad to hear my boy is alright. I wish for nothing else than to see him again, he was seven when Doran sent him away to pay for Oberyns mistakes," she said, voice heavy with venom as she mentioned the younger prince of Dorne.

"You don't seem to like your godbrother," Robar said.

Mellario frowned. "That's an understatement. Oberyn is a wild, lustful, selfish man who acts before he thinks and never considers what consequences his actions might bring. He might love his family but what he truly cares about is himself, if it was up to him he would just spend the rest of his time in fighting pits somewhere or in whore houses, fortunately for everyone Doran keeps him on a short leash. He cost me my son and I will never forgive him."

"So the Red Vypers reputation is well earner," Loras said. "he crippled my brother Willas, so there is at least another person here who is not a fan of the Vyper."

Mellario nodded to that and continued. "What you must know is that my relationship might not be the best with house Martell and that even with my help you might not succeed in getting their support. Doran is a logical and patient man so there is a chance that he will listen and might even join you but he will ask for a price, if not immediately then he will collect on the debt later. Oberyn is where things get tricky, as much as I hate him, he is popular among the Dornish people and I have little doubt that he would be against supporting the son of a woman who he calls the Northern whore. I'm sorry for the insult your grace."

"I don't hold any ill will towards you my lady," Jon said waving her words off.

"Kinda ironic that he calls someone a whore considering the company he keeps and is even known as the Manwhore of Dorne," Loras said with a smirk.

"I guess that we will just have to pray that the gods would be kind then, my lady. I have faith that you will do your utmost to persuade prince Doran to aid us in your struggle against the Lannisters. I think that this is a perfect opportunity for the Martells to collect the debt house Lannisters owes them and that prince Doran will be a fool to pass it."

"Doran is anything but a fool, your grace and the memory of Dorne is long and the rebellion is still fresh in the memories of many. I will do my utmost as you say but the question is if it will be enough."

"Then I will go with you," Ashara said and all eyes turned to the dornish beauty.

"Ash?" Arthur said, eyeing his sister with concern.

"Oberyn and I have known each other since we were children. I know how his mind works almost as well as his brother. Mellario will deal with Doran and I will take care of Oberyn, he always listened to me when we were young, let's hope that he still does."

Riverlands

Arya

It was a dark and cloudy night, the joined Lannister and Tyrell army marched their way across the planes and hills of her mother's ancestral home for days until they stopped near the Ruby ford and made camp. Arya had not been designated to stay behind like she was at Harrenhall but lord Tarly took her with him. She had an odd feeling about the lord but could never get a clean read of him, his features always being the same, as carved from stone, permanently locked in a serious expression. She thought that she would have to leave the band of sellswords who she kinda grew fond of but lord Tarly had ordered them to join the host. She had spent the days on the march close to lord Tarly, he seemed to never let her out of his sight.

That night after another lengthy meeting of the commanders she had stayed to clean up after them while lord Tarly stayed alone looking at the map. A particular thing she noticed was that he was simulating a battle, moving pieces around the map but not only the Reach one but also the Stark ones and he was removing a lot of Lannister ones. It took her a while to clean everything and when done instead of letting her go lord Tarly ordered her to stay and eat, and she complied. As she ate she carefully looked at him as he eyed the map with scrutiny as if it was guilty of something. Then flaps of the large command tent opened and inside walked a knight in Tarly colors, Arya had seen him interacting with lord Tarly several times and found out that the man was the captain of lord Tarly's household guard.

"My lord," the man said with a bow.

"Reginald, what is it?" Tarly said, his voice gravely.

"A rider had just arrived, he was carrying this," the knight said and gave his lord a small scroll. Rendyl tool it and unwrapped it, reading its contents before tossing it into a brazier.

"What news my lord?" the knight asked the Tarly looked at him.

"Ser Alyn has done as ordered as reached Hornhill, he is following my instructions. Ser Hyle was also sent word, he and his companion have moved in the opposite direction, they ceased their hunt and have returned north," Tarly said. Arya was out of the loop about what exactly the lord was talking about, he had never mentioned anything about any Alyn and Hyle while she was in his presence. They could be household knights, part of the guards left at Hornhill to guard it, and the Tarly family but what is this about a hunt.

"What are your orders, my lord?"

"I want horses ready within an hour, gather my personal guard and Ser Bulwer, then meet me at the edge of the camp."

"Understood my lord," The knight said, bowed, and left the tent. Arya could not help but look at the lord with questioning eyes but then quickly returned her gaze to her meal.

"You girl," the lord said and her gaze lifted to look at him. "You will come with us."

"Me?" Arya asked surprised. "Why me?"

"Because I said so, now no more unimportant questions. Help me put on my armor," Arya only stared at the lord with uncertainty and a dose of fear. What could be the reason for him wanting her to go with them? Could it be that he had figured her out? That she is not a simple girl he chose as a cupbearer but Arya Stark. She did not move for a moment until her thoughts were broken by the harsh voice of the lord. "Girl!"

Arya snapped out of it and went towards him, as she passed the table she caught the sight of a knife at the edge. She must have stared at it a moment too long because of what lord Tarly said next.

"It would be stupid of your to try something like that. You could never pull it off and even if you did, there is an entire army you would have to get through to escape with your life," The Lord said and Arya attention returned to him. There was fear in her dark gray eyes, she did not want to become a prisoner. "Don't worry girl, I have no intention of harming you. I knew who you are from the start so I could have done it the moment you were brought to Maidenpool."

"Y-You knew?" she asked stunned. No one had recognized her so far, apart from the Hound.

"Did you forget that I was there for the Hands tourney, I saw you interacting with Jon Snow and his friends, my son included."

"W-why then? You fight for the Lannisters," she said warily.

"All will be revealed later girl. Now help me with my armor or I will have to wake my squire from bed. You know how to put a man's armor, don't you?"

"I do," Arya said. She had helped the Hound to put his armor on several times and had seen her Jorry put it on for the tourney. Arya helped the lord put on his armor, when it was done lord Rendyll wore mail and boiled leather with a breastplate of grey steel, gauntlets and heavy steel boots. After being done they waited until lord Tarly judged that it was the right time. He moved towards the back of the tent where resting on a table was a large sword, it was a greatsword, not as large as Ice of her family but close. The lord put the greatsword on his back and motioned her to follow. They made their way through alleys of tents, most of the army was asleep but for a few sentries and none dared question why their commander was walking through the camp armed and armored with his cupbearer next to him. As they walked they came upon the part of the camp she knew that Edd and the rest of his company were and that is where Arya spotted them, well Wenda and Edd to be exact, standing in front of a tent. Both noticed her marching along with the Richer lord and looked at her with questing eyes. Wendas hand moved towards her knife but Arya shook her head, showing them that all is right. The sellsword moved her hand back and watched as her student walked passed her.

At the edge of the camp, they were met by a group of riders and the massive form of Ser Bulwer.

"Everyone is ready, my lord," the Umber wannabe said.

"Good," Tarly said as he took the reins from a soldier and mounted his horse. "You will ride with me girl," knowing that there was no arguing with lord Rendyll she allowed the soldier to pick her up and place her at the front of the saddle. Then lord Tarly gave one last look towards his retainers before kicking his horse into motion. They rode in quiet until they reached a patch of dense trees near the Trident river. "Here," was all Tarly said as he rode into the treeline. It was a dark night and the trees obscured the little moonlight there was, causing the forest to be even darker. She didn't know why anyone had not lightened a torch. As they continued to ride she started to make out the sounds of neighing horses coming from in front of them and soon she could make out silhouettes of people. There were at least a dozen of them, all on horseback. A shape to the leading rider's right caught her attention, it was not a horse but it was almost as big and a lot hairier, it looked like…

"Lord Stark," the gruff voice of lord Tarly has heard. Finally, someone lit up a torch, and the light it produced allowed Arya to see better. There, sitting on a warhorse next to Graywind was her brother Robb and to his left was Greatjon Umber. Her eyes went wide at the sight of Robb. "I think I have something which belongs to you."

"Finally," she thought. "I'm finally going to go home."

"Lord Tarly," Robb said with a respectful nod. "What is..." he started but was cut off when Arya shouted.

"Robb!" everyone's eyes turned to the small girl riding with the lord of Hornhill. Her brother stared dumbly at her for a moment before his eyes became wide as hers when he saw her.

"Arya!" Robb shouted and leaped from his horse, Arya doing the same. The two siblings ran towards each other before embracing, neither wanting to let go. After everything she had been through, after everything she had seen and suffered she was finally with a member of her family. After so long she finally felt relieved, she felt happy, she felt safe, and then sadness came. As the two siblings continued to hug each other, Arya started to sob.

"R-Robb… I….I was there...I saw father…." she said as she cried her brother shushing her and petting her lightly on the head.

"Everything is going to fine Arya, everything is going to be fine," Robb said in a gentle tone. "Mother is at Riverrun, Bran and Rickon and beck North. You are safe now. Once we get Sansa we will all return back to Winterfell, to home."

"I'm sorry to interrupt this reunion lord Stark but time is of the essence. If I'm gone too long the Lannister men might start to suspect something," the hard voice of lord Tarly was heard. Robb kissed her on the head and looked at the lord. Before he could speak, lord Umber beat him to it.

"Its King, he is not a lord, you southern flower," the Umber said. Lord Tarly's eyes only passed the large lord for a moment before returning to Robb.

"He is not my king, although he does share blood with yours. I serve the one true king of the seven kingdoms, that of house Targaryen," Arya looked confused as she listened to the lord's words, she was still emotional but was well enough to follow lord Tarly's words.

"You have my gratitude, my lord, for bringing my sister back to me. I know of whom you speak of, lord Darry had been kind enough to reveal the truth to me."

A man rode towards them, he was clad in armor and wore a sigil of a black plowman of a field of brown.

"That I did my lord. The Stark and Tully forces are willing to fight alongside the loyalist forces as long as the Lannisters are defeated and taken off the Iron Throne. Although they are still refusing to be ruled over by a king from the south, northerners more than the riverlanders."

"You do realize that you are technically in rebellion against your own kin by declaring yourself king, lord Stark," lord Tarly said, the man hard eyes boring into Robb.

"My bannermen declared me their king and I do my best to lead them. I can not fail them or lose their trust now," Robb said.

Lord Tarly nodded. "Wise words but this situation will have to be resolved after the war ends, there can not be two kings and I trust that a son of Ned Stark would never lower himself to become kinslayer."

Robb looked angry at that. "I would never harm any of my kin, let alone my brother."

"Brother?" Arya asked and Robb looked down at her. He sighed heavily.

"Yes, the man these lords call king is our brother," Arya stared dumbly at Robb, trying to understand what he had just said. How could these men follow their brother when they were not Targaryens. Robb saw her confusion and decided to alleviate it. "It's Jon."

"Jon? But why Jon?" Arya asked.

"Because he is not the son of your father but the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark," lord Darry said. This revelation only served to confuse the little girl more. She was told that the dragon prince had kidnapped her aunt Lyanna, an event that cause the deaths of her grandfather and uncle and served as a spark that lit the fires of Robert's rebellion. She looked at Robb for an explanation.

"It's a long story Arya and I will tell you later I promise. But the important thing is that these men serve Jon and are no enemies of ours."

"That is true," lord Tarly said. "Among the host I command there are ten thousand Lannister bannermen. I have another fourteen thousand Reach men but not all of them share the same loyalties as I and Ser Bulwer do. When the battle commences in two days, the Lannister men will make the center with those who are loyal to House Tyrell being positioned on the right flank. The left flank will be commanded by Ser Humphrey Hightower, he will keep his forces back as long as possible. When the center and the right are fully engaged then my men will attack from behind and Ser Humphrey will strike with his cavalry from the left. The enemy forces will be fully incarcerated."

"And my forces are supposed to act as a wall and keep them occupied until you deem the time right," Robb deduced.

"Indeed," lord Tarly said.

Robb locked eyes with lord Tarly, both men holding a hard gaze. "Lord Darry has not failed me so far and he says you can be trusted. For the sake of not only me and mine but also others who fight for my cause I hope that is true."

"I swear upon my honor and that of my house, the only ones who will feel the sharp edge of Reacher blades are those who fight for houses Tyrell and Lannister," Tarly said.

"My lords, when news of the battle spreads all hell will break loose in the Reach, a civil war will start between those loyal to House Tyrell and Targaryen," lord Darry said. Arya looked at her brother who looked thoughtful for a moment until the voice of lord Rendyll caught their attention.

"I'm aware of that and that's why I sent one of my most trusted men to Hornhill to prepare my remaining bannermen and castle for war. Other lords who follow me have done the same. Many thought that this war will never find its way into the Reach but it was just a matter of time. Those who follow the Tyrells will either surrender or be wiped out. House Tarly had been loyal servants to house Targaryen for three centuries, some in the Reach might have forgotten their oaths of honor but house Tarly has not. By the Warrior, I swear to you that we shall not falter, " Tarly said, his voice determent. He was putting his own home at risk due to honor and loyalty, in that moment he reminded Arya of her father.

Kings Landing

Tyrion

The last couple of days had been interesting for Tyrion, they might not be the best in the grand scheme of things for his house but they were not dol by far. The wedding celebration that was supposed to secure the alliance between Houses Lannister and Tyrell was brought to an abrupt end when someone tried to poison Joffrey. The attempt was unexpected but truthfully someone wanting to poison Joffrey was not that shocking. The boy was lucky that the fat idiot Blunt drank the wine first and got himself killed but it seems whoever tried to off Joffrey the first time wasn't disscuridge by that failure and gave it another try or had the backup plan ready in advance because the next morning his sister's favorite psychopathic child was found dead in his bed next to a traumatized Margaery Tyrell. Cersei had become little more than a rabid animal when she heard the news and between the crying and sobbing and demanding that the one responsible for her child's death be brought in, she started accusing everyone she could think off but most prevalently the poor old him. Cersei kept screaming how he always hated Joffrey and wished him dead, she was right on both accounts but Tyrion was many things and yet he would never bring himself to kill the little shit personally, he was not stupid enough to try. Some asslicking courtiers tried to feed his sisters mad theory but the combination of having an alibi in the form of Jaime and his father's actions to get to the bottom of the matter stopped him from being thrown under the carriage. That still did not stop his sister from accusing him of the crime whenever she encountered him.

The great lord Tywin Lannister had been preoccupied since the murder by trying to keep things together, Jaime had spent his time interviewing the staff of the Red Keep and Tyrion had been trying to figure out what exactly is happening and who is behind it on his own. He had several theories about the events of the day of the murder and who could be behind it. The most obvious suspect would be Robb Stark due to them being in a middle of a war with him but poisoning does not seem like something Stark would do. The boy might be a military genius but using assassins and poisons does not match what Tyrion knew of him. That does not mean that Joffrey's death does not benefit the Young wolf in some way. Then there were the Martells, they hated the Lannisters and poison if well known to be the favorite weapon of Prince Oberyn Martell. Tyrion had hoped that by bethrong Myrcella to Tristane Martell that some animosity between the houses could be remedied but knowing the reputation of the Red viper Tyrion would put it past the man to kill the key to Lannister's dominance over the seven kingdoms as a form of revenge. Stannis was also an option, seeing as had already used an assassin to kill his own brother then why not use the means again to kill his main rival for the throne. There was also another possibility that he had thought of, as unlikely it is, the game was being played and frankly, it would not be the first time allies stabbed each other in the back somehow. The Tyrells could have killed Joffrey in an attempt to get the more easily controllable Tommen to replace his deranged brother, but trying twice in one day was bold and Olenna Tyrell was a patient and cautious woman, she would not risk the possibility of anyone finding out and causing the fate of her house to be brought into question. Some many questions and yet so few answers.

Those were Tyrion's thoughts as he climbed the many steps of the tower of the hand with his brother Jaime, the climb being much easier for him than Tyrion due to Tyrion's short legs.

"I wonder why the Targaryens didn't think of putting an elevator in the Hands tower when they built the Red Keep, Casterly Rock has it and even the Nights Watch castles on the Wall have them, why not the royal residence then?" Tyrion asked, trying to mask his fatigue with curious humor. Jaime glanced at him, his brother's expression was not his usually cocky smirk, not since their beloved sister went half-mad with grief. He loved Jaime, he will always love him but for the Seven sake, he could not understand what Jaime saw in Cersei, what made Jaime love her so much. Tyrion gave out a small sigh. "I guess this climb is necessary if we are to discover what exactly our father wishes of us."

"What do you think he needs both of us for?" Jaime asked.

"I don't know, I could give it a few guesses but knowing our father it would be best not to guess and just let him inform us."

The two brothers made their way up the tower's lengthy stairs until they reached the floor where the hand had his chambers and solar. The guards on duty greeted them both and let them inside lord Tywins solar. There, sitting at his table with a paper in hand was their father, his eyes going over the contents of the letter. They both greeted him but he did not even lift his head from the paper to acknowledge them. They walked over to his desk and sat at the two chairs in front of it. Then after putting the letter down he finally turned his cold gold-green eyes towards them.

"I summoned you here because I'm interested in knowing why exactly you two had been meeting so frequently with Varys?" Tywin Lannister asked in his usual commanding tone.

"It is not uncommon for people to have friends and spend time with those friends, father," Tyrion said. This only got him a glance from Tywin but Tyrion could see hints of annoyance in his eyes.

"I did not call you here for your petty jokes. I called you here because I want answers, what are you two keeping from me," Tywins hard eyes locked on Tyrion.

Tyrion stared at his father for a moment, he expected that this would be the response to his jap but it was too good of an opportunity to pass. Tyrion liked displeasing his father due to all the torment and ridicule the old lion put him through. He had honestly considered stopping when Tywin appointed him as hand of the king but after throwing him into a dark secluded room in the far end of the Red Keep and denying him the rights to the Rock after everything he had done for the old bastard and their house Tyrion decided to continue with his old ways even after being appointed as master of coin. Tyrion glanced at Jaime, both brothers knowing that their little private investigation was over and that they now had to inform their father about it.

"I think I will explain seeing as I'm the one who brought Jaime and Varys into this," Tyrion said and started to explain everything from the beginning. He told his father about how he saw Sansa helping a drunk Tyrek into their chambers, of the loud noise and the strange guard who followed the two before entering the chambers and leaving moments later, trying to go unnoticed. He told of how with the help of Jaimes and Varys he found out the identity of the Lannister guard and how since then they have been monitoring him but with little results.

"And why haven't you brought him in and interrogated him instead of wasting time?" Tywin asked.

"I thought he could be either one of yours or Cersei's spies, I didn't want to get involved in something which might earn me even more ire from your or my dear sister," Tyrion said.

"And what about you?" Tywin asked Jaime. "What is your excuse? You are supposed to be lord commander of the kingsgaurd, things like this are yours to deal with."

Jaime shrugged. "The same as Tyrion, I thought he could be one of yours. The lad is from Lannisterport and has served dutifully since he came here, for all I knew It could have been you who sent him to keep an eye on Tyrek."

Tywin eyed both of his sons, eyes glazed with annoyance. "It wasn't me and it wasn't your sister."

"Then who?" Jaime asked. "Varys confessed that he wasn't one of his birds."

"I have full intention of finding out," Tywin said. "Guards!"

Not a second after their father called for them, four guards entered the solar. "Yes my lord?"

"Find the one called Tom Hill and throw him into the cells, I want him interrogated about the night of Tyreks wedding and how he got into the redcloaks. I want every secret he has out of him by the end of the day," Tywin ordered.

The guards bowed. "Understood my lord." The four marched out of the solar leaving the three Lannisters alone once more.

"That could be.." Tyrion started but Tywin did not let him finish.

"I don't care if he is one of ours or not, I will get us the answers you should have gotten when you first grew suspicious," Tywin glared at his two sons, slightly more at Tyrion than Jaime. "Incompetent."

At that moment Tyrion felt like glaring back at his father but chose the wiser path and he also felt pity for the lad that was soon to be the newest occupant of the black cells.

AN: And there it is, after two months I finally had the time to write again. I hope you liked it, I sure liked writing it, especially the Barristan part, the Bold and my two favorite sellswords. Viserys is different here due to being raised by Arthur and Ashara, he is not mad but is hot temped but he knows to control himself most of the time. We will see more of Ashara and Jon interacting, and more of Mellario. She hates Oberyn for being the reason she had to give up her son, and they will interact in the future. Arya gets to be back with her family and Tarly is setting his plans into motion, Alyn and Hyle will be featured again in the coming chapters, along with Richard. As always I hope you enjoyed the read and cao.

Response:

Force smuggler: Tywin will fight for it and I have an interesting moment for him and Jon planned. Robb and Jon will meet later as two kings, that's going to be interesting to write. I know I brought quite a few supposedly dead people back but I thought it would suit the story well.

ClassicXD: I'm glad you like it.

nerdwarf: I'm glad you like it, that's what I thought his interaction with Cersei should have been. Tywin is too smart and cold-hearted to let something like his daughter ruin his reputation and legacy, even if it did kinda happen I still think this is how he would have reacted, with cold logic.

FlyMoose: I'm glad to hear it and thanks man.

Guest: I'm glad you like it.

Sozins flame: Thanks for the support.

doRodrigo: Thanks mate, the update might not have been soon but it is here.

Colo Kid: Yeah Tywin using logic is what I think should have happened. If Cersei told the truth everyone in Westeros would have been out for their heads, it is stupid to even threaten Tywin with that. Robb is a good strategist, moving troops and masking his troop movements would have caused a lot of issues for the Lannisters combined with getting rid of all the spies in Riverrun that work for Varys.