A/N: This…is a heavy chapter, even though it's the last chapter of the Great Council Arc - after this, it's all war! I'm warning you now. Lots of action and violence and all of those Game of Thrones things. Just be prepared, and I hope you enjoy my, uh, unique…spin on things.
ROBB VIII
The negotiations had been going so well, at least in regards to the North's fate. The peace talks had solidified a grand alliance that would avenge his father and seat a king upon the Iron Throne, at least, to prepare for the Long Night. He had found a way to resolve the issue of his Kingship, without angering his bannerman, and he was to become a father.
Even the opposition was to be planned. The shadow assassin, if it were summoned according to his and Margaery's knowledge, would most likely target himself or Aegon, which is why he had Ice in his hand and positioned himself close enough to Aegon to interrupt any assassinations. Stannis had a small to middling army at best - a perfect solution should Stannis refuse to take his offer and blatantly attack him. Foreknowledge was supposed to grant him some form of victory
But, of course, the Seven Kingdoms would attempt to ruin his life yet again, he thought, amidst the overwhelming panic of the shadow assassin appearing in front of Margaery. Margaery turned around to face the assassin face-to-face, a look of surprise on her face, as she turned very slowly, and the Stannis-assassin looked pleased as the blade it was holding moved in slow motion. The world slowed.
His life with his love flashed before his eyes. All of the moments - the good ones, the bad ones, all of them, even back to the letters he had so carefully and painstakingly wrote to her. He faintly felt his body running towards her, sword in hand, but he felt as though he were moving in molasses as he watched the blade approach his wife with horror before his eyes. He was too slow, too weak, too far away from his wife.
A hiss rent through the air as the blade struck its foe, and Margaery screamed in pain as she clutched her side, holding a hand to the wound as she quickly scrambled away from her assassin. She had known the assassin was targeting her, and had managed to rapidly turn her body so she had not been injured fatally, but rather, severely.
At the same moment, Aegon's iron sword went through shadow-Stannis's head, and the mists dissolved as the blade passed through the shadow and the thrust landed onto thin air. The shadow looked to its most recent attacker, now within striking distance, and the shadow began his stabbing thrust at Aegon VI…
…but Robb was ready now, having finally closed the gap, and with a primal shout, thrust Ice into the shadow's misty body. Something like black ink poured from the shadow assassin as it gave an unearthly screech, and cracks formed around the wound with light before the shadows broke and disappeared.
"MARGAERY! AR—-"
"I'm alright!" Margaery yelled, from somewhere nearby. "He only hit my side!"
"We'll clean the wound, and—-" Robb began, but Aegon's shout interrupted him.
"Two more incoming!" the other King yelled as he pointed to the two spots of shadow coalescing above them.
Robb cursed, and held his sword in front of his wife, knowing that he was the only thing between the three of them and death.
The shadows coalesced into a smaller form, into two boys black-of-hair and blue-of-eye, with a resemblance to Stannis. They looked awkward, gangly - they were clearly younger than Robb but not much younger, and for some reason, seemed more solid than Stannis - as if more had been poured into them. Yet, his observations didn't matter, not when they were about to be skewered by those shadows.
One of the boys thrust his shadowy dagger at Robb, but Robb dodged the thrust and decapitated the shadowy head and watch it roll down the ground before the same black ink exploded from the shadow's neck, and a blinding light spilled from the head of the shadow, but the other shadow was approaching Aegon, too far away for him to make it in time, so he did the only thing he could think of.
"Catch!" Robb yelled, as he threw Ice towards the young king. The sword spun in the air as it flew towards Aegon, and the other boy-king turned around, expertly catching the greatsword in his other hand. With two swords in his hand, and a shout, the boy king thrust his sword and pierced the area where the shadow's eyelids were supposed to be, splattering his face with the black ink. Another blinding light filled the roam as the nightmarish sound of what seemed to be a child's dying scream was heard, and after what seemed to be an eternity, the shadow broke into pieces, and the ink-like substance evaporated into thin air.
"Is—is it over?" Aegon asked faintly, and the spell broke.
Robb glanced back at Margaery, who smiled wanly at him as she nudged him.
"Binding cloth, my love," she said, holding out her arm. "I am injured, but nothing vital has been hit—
He tied the binding cloth as efficiently as he could around her side, putting the cloth over her stained dress as best as he could given the circumstances. As he made one final loop, sound burst into the tent.
"Your Grace!"
Aegon's guards rushed into the room in a panic, flanked by Jon Connington with a longsword and Oberyn Martell holding a very sharp spear..
"Your Grace, what—" Jon Connington began, but his face slackened in shock as he saw his king holding House Stark's ancestral Valyrian sword.
"Get a maester!" Aegon commanded. "The Queen of the North is hurt—"
"But nephew, how—" Prince Oberyn interrupted, before Aegon shooed his retinue of knights away to fetch the Maester, leaving only the Prince of Dorne and the Young Dragon's Hand in the room to speak.
"Stannis," Robb's voice croaked, as he held his wife in his arms. "He sent shadow assassins. One for my wife, and two for King Aegon and I."
"He nearly killed us," his wife murmured, almost to herself, even though everyone in the room caught it. "Three instead of one. But how?"
"It doesn't matter," Aegon answered fiercely. "He dared betray guest rights and attempted to slaughter us as we were peacefully negotiating our way to a more united crown, one that he was invited to, no less."
"What do you intend to do, Your Grace?" Jon Connington asked.
"Stannis Baratheon has proven that he believes he is above the laws of gods and men in one fell swoop," King Aegon declared to the room, every inch a king. "His attempt to do so ends here.
Aegon held an arm out to Robb, who was kneeling on the ground and tending to his wife.
"Will you stand with me, King Robb, last King of Winter, and Warden of the North, to defend the land against such treachery?"
He means for us to stand as equals, Robb realized. He saw the shock on King Aegon's foremost advisors' faces, the respect and honesty in the other King's eyes, and his wife's impish smirk as they exchanged a look.
So, Robb stood up and nodded, clasping his co-king, and good brother-to-be with his free hand in a firm handshake.
"Yes, Your Grace, the North and Riverlands stand by you," King Robb answered.
"Then, goodbrother, we shall begin."
About half of King Stannis's army and the Stormlander contingent were naught to be found, as the morning arrived, and the votes of the Great Council of 299 AC were tallied and the majority was officially declared for King Aegon VI of House Targaryen. Many prominent Stormlords, such as Lords Tarth, Selmy, and Connington, stood by Renly Baratheon, but other Stormlords, such as Lords Caron and Estermont were joined by a few Reach Lords, such as the Lords Florent and Varner, and other minor lords of the Crownlands unhappy with the conclusion of the Great Council.
These armies attempted to mobilize themselves on the other end of the river Mander to prepare for the onslaught, setting traps to confuse the unwary and placing themselves in the most strategic position possible. Stannis Baratheon's army was not going down without a fight, evidently, and perhaps, to a smaller army, they would pose a serious threat, and would be able to stall for time, long enough that a drawn out battle where they could bleed the opposing army would be viable.
Unfortunately, however, the difference in strengths of both Robb and Aegon's combined armies with Stannis's paltry army, however, was too strong, and Stannis did not have any special advantages that would grant him relief from the oncoming rush of the Targaryen King's army, nor the time to truly prepare the battlefield to his liking.
Robb deferred command to his good-brother to be, wishing to see his prowess, and Robb was not disappointed. Perhaps Stannis may have hoped that honor would stay their hands until a declaration was made for an attack, but the two kings were too wary of ambush to trust that and decided to launch an attack that very same evening.
The "battle", if it could even be called that, was a mercilessly short affair, as King Aegon VI expertly avoided the barely-constructed traps set by the opposing army, and dazzled the battlefield with a stunning flank that had Robb and Aegon approach the unprepared central tent with minimal losses.
Once they entered the tent, they found an unprepared king, flanked by his unfortunate Hand and the Red Priestess. Two bodies, recently cold, were found in the tent - two bastards of King Robert who were unfortunately used as fuel for Melisandre's magic. As a single tent, surrounded by the opposing army, with Aegon's sword in his face and Shireen Baratheon as a hostage, Stannis was forced to surrender.
It was agreed that the Red Priestess, Melisandre, would face summary execution because of her manipulation of shadow-binding magics that had begun this war to begin with, and that Lord Seaworth would merely be captured, and to either swear to the new King or be executed, but differences were to be had in Stannis Baratheon's judgment.
"He deserves death for what he has done to us!" Aegon argued heatedly. "He attempted to murder your lady wife under guest right, no less - how can you think any differently?"
"I want to kill him," Robb admitted quietly. "But if we kill him, this may destabilize the Stormlands further. Furthermore, we are short on good commanders within the Night's Watch to become First Ranger, and lead the Watch against the Others. Say what you will about Lord Stannis, but his battle prowess cannot be denied." Especially with Jon's fate changed, he added, though he dared not speak that aloud.
"Lord Stannis," Robb addressed, "Would you be willing to be sent to the Night's Watch, in lieu of execution?"
"...it does not matter," Stannis replied bitterly. "I have lost. So long as my daughter has a right to her ancestral homeland, and she is kept safe, I will consent to any judgment given,"
Robb and Aegon traded a look.
If you want a united Realm, if you want to avoid the Great Other winning, you must see the truth in this, Robb implored with his eyes. Think about the Realm!
But King Aegon must have seen something in Robb's expression, because he sighed and nodded anyway.
"Stannis Baratheon, in the name of King Aegon Targaryen, Sixth of His Name, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, Protector of the Realm, you are hereby sentenced to serve within the Night's Watch for the duration of your lifetime." Aegon announced. "Your wife will be sent to the Silent Sisters to atone for her crime of burning a sept with the lady Melisandre, and your children will renounce any claims to the Iron Throne, and their descendants will never be allowed to rebel again."
"But I am a merciful king," Aegon spoke. "And I understand the position your young daughter, Shireen, is in. Rather than sending her to the Silent Sisters, or other such punishments, she will become Lady of Storm's End, and be betrothed to the newly-legitimized Edric Baratheon, formerly Storm. They will rule Storm's End together, and unite their claims, and until Edric is of age, their regent will be Renly Baratheon."
Stannis took a deep breath before he sighed and nodded.
"Lord Targaryen, Lord Stark, I wish you luck in the wars to come."
Thus, the brief skirmish was over, and Robb could turn his eyes to the real threat: Tywin Lannister. The Great Council had ended, and all that was left was to officially crown King Aegon VI and mobilize their armies.
That, and the rest Robb would sorely need were the only thoughts on Robb's mind until he entered his tent, where Margaery, Jon, and Sansa waited together. A strange occurrence, Robb thought, but perhaps they needed comfort in the battle - that was, until Robb saw the letter they held up for Robb to read. Their grim eyes pierced him, and upon closer inspection, Robb noticed that their eyes were red-rimmed, as if they had been crying recently. He hesitantly opened the letter.
A heartbreaking cry filled the tent, followed by a gasping sob, and then sound filled it no more.
MARGAERY XV
"Margaery, it's almost time for the Feast!" Garlan's cheerful reminder filled the room as he popped in.
"Thank you, brother dear," I replied gratefully, still in my nightwear. "I ought to wake up Robb and have him prepare for the feast, then."
"We can't have a king missing a feast, little Queen," Garlan teased, over my indignant reply of "I'm not little, damn it!".
He paused,
"How is your husband doing, though?" Garlan asked somberly. "I don't envy him, losing both parents in quick succession, amidst handling a war."
"He's—" I started, before I paused. How could I tell Garlan that Robb now woke up with nightmares, dreaming of the Red Wedding, of his Father's execution, and of the deaths of him and myself every night? How could I communicate the near desperate fear Robb awoke with, as he grasped blindly for me, just to ensure I was still alive and there? Lady Catelyn's death could not have happened at a worse time, even if she had not intended it to be that way, and all of the Stark children were thoroughly traumatized by it.
Finally, I settled on something a little lighter.
"He's…doing his best, Gar." I said wearily. "The deaths have been hard on everyone." Which was true - Jon and Aegon were with Sansa when Robb and I were not there, and all of us tried to stick together as we negotiated the rest of the peace deal as a pack. I couldn't imagine how Arya was feeling though, after watching her mother die in front of her, and I shuddered at the thought.
"Is there anything I could do to help?" my brother asked gently, delicately. Like I was the fragile flower everyone had to worry about, instead of Robb, or Sansa, or Jon, or, or…
It didn't matter.
"Thank you Gar, but no," I replied, pasting a smile on my face. "Just hug our lady mother and tell her that you love her when you next see her."
"Only if you promise to do the same," Garlan replied as he embraced me, and gave a jaunty wave before taking off.
Alright, onward to the hard part.
"Robb!" I said, shaking him to wake him up. "Robb?"
"...no." Robb's response muffled itself as he dragged the blanket further up.
"Robb!" I admonished. "The ceremony happens in an hour! You need to get ready!"
"...lemmesleep", he grumbled. "..don't care—"
I grabbed the blanket and pulled it off him.
"My love, you need to get up," I said gently, as if I didn't just drag his entire blanket off of him. "We have a feast to attend."
"Do I have to?" Robb asked plaintively, and I sighed.
"I wish we didn't have to, but we must, if we are to avenge your father and save your brother," I reminded him.
Some fire returned to Robb's eyes.
"So long as you're there by me," Robb acquiesced, and I nodded, understanding that I was taking on most of the conversation for today.
And so, Robb and I called the servants to gather our most formal outfits for today.
It was strange to still dress as though I was a Queen, even after the negotiation that would put dragon riders to the Throne. Perhaps it had been foolish naivety that had made me think there was a way to please the Northmen and to abdicate at the same time. Perhaps it was also foolishness to not think of the incredible gift my new responsibility gave me in saving the Realm. Either way, it was still strange.
Eventually, however, Robb and I dressed in our nicest clothes, and began our walk to the main hall. Robb wore an outfit that was mostly black but with gray trimmings that made him look like a harsh Winter King, even without a weapon by his side, and my outfit, a shimmery gray-and-black dress that signified my status in mourning as well as my crown, showcased the beautiful Winter Queen the Northmen and Riverlords expected to see.
As we walked, we caught snatches of conversation from the Northmen and Riverlords in our contingent, between complaints about abdicating the throne:
"-cannot believe the King and Queen in the North abdicated to some inbred Targaryen."
"He's our King now - we cannot be speaking this way! Besides, King Robb is still a King and Queen Margaery is still a Queen until they die, so not much changes, if what I've heard is correct.
"
Or discussion about King Aegon's marriage matches, at least based on the rumors:
"-heard King Aegon is to capture Myrcella Waters and marry her, so to unite their claims–"
"Idiot! If he wanted to do that he would do that with Shireen Baratheon!"
"Not after the Battle of Bitterbridge - if you could call it that, anyways. Stannis Baratheon's forces lost too quickly for that to be viable."
"If the rumors are correct he's to marry a Stark and Tully Queen. Princess Sansa is by far the best candidate, and you lot are ridiculous for even thinking otherwise."
Or even discussion about the taxes in their region:
"-the North's supposed to become Dorne, for all intents and purposes, which is a great deal. Lord Tully has also raved about the reduced tariffs for the Riverlands, and Lord Blackwood has had nothing but good things to say about King Aegon's treatment of the Riverlords."
"Still, the Young Wolf could have done more. Married to Tyrell's only daughter, with the strongest army in all of the Seven Kingdoms, and a military genius - why didn't he just take the Iron Throne himself and give the North, Riverlands, and Reach the most favorable tax deals."
On, and on, and on. Robb's mood lightened a bit, hearing all the debate, but knowing of his state, I made sure to whisper jokes under my breath to make Robb laugh, and kiss him on the cheek every once in awhile as we walked. Screw decorum, if my husband is sad, I'll do something about it, damn it!
Finally, we entered the hall, and sat at the front of the delegations in the Great Hall where the Lords and Ladies usually sat. A feast had been immaculately prepared, featuring all of the bounties of the Reach, with Arbor Red to flow for days. Robb sat to my right, next to Aegon, who had the highest seat in the room. Next to Aegon, however, was Aemon Sand, also known as Jon Stark, a fact that nobody in the room missed. The doors closed, as the last group of lords and ladies entered the room, and the announcements began.
"My lords and ladies," Aegon spoke, and the room quieted down to a hush. "We are gathered here today, at the conclusion of the Great Council. Though I have won the majority of the votes, I understand that I have not yet been officially crowned, nor has certain succession disputes been resolved."
The grip Robb had on my hand suddenly tightened, and his face whitened as he clearly had a burst of anxiety of speaking so soon after his mother's death.
"Do you want me to speak?" I whispered gently in Robb's ear, as Aegon's speech flowed over us.
"I–I have to do this," Robb responded shakily. "But I—"
Seeing my normally calm and confident husband so shaky, I gave him a reassuring look.
"I will speak, my love." I responded quietly. "The lords will understand."
"But what if–" Robb whispered fiercely, before I cut him off with a look.
"Thank you," he whispered.
I tuned back into the speech, aware that it would, very quickly, become my turn to speak.
"-that, the matter of succession in the Stormlands have been solved. I will reiterate, however, that succession in all other regions will stay the same, save for the Westerlands, which will be decided after we smash Tywin Lannister's forces.."
Cheers filled the room as he finished his statement.
"But now, I will turn to the King and Queen in the North, to explain the treaty that will unite both claimants!"
That was my cue, I suppose. And so, I stood up, to loud cheers from half the delegations, and exchanged looks between the other half.
"My lords and ladies of the North and Riverlands!" I began, "I understand that this may not have been what you originally wanted. The Kingdoms of the North and Riverlands feature many proud people, and wish to avoid the abuses of the Iron Throne that have led to the death of my goodfather and capture of my goodbrother, a generation after the capture and death of Rickard and Brandon Stark!"
"But," I continued, "We have come up with an agreement that satisfies all parties! The North and Riverland's will shall be represented in the days to come!"
I spoke more flowery words, about the strength of the two realms, of the necessity of killing the Lannisters, made callbacks to the Reach, etc etc etc. Eventually, however, I needed to get to the important bits, for it was time to actually explain the treaty.
"The first part of the treaty is simple!" I shouted. "To ensure that the will of the North is never forgotten again, the North shall become a principality, like that of Dorne. My child with King Robb shall become a Prince of Winter, and from now until time immemorial, the ruler of the North shall be either a Prince or Princess of Winter!"
Cheers erupted within the Northmen's contingent, and I smiled before continuing.
"Next, the Riverlands will receive, as they have, Lord Paramount status, and changes in taxes to make the Riverlands more profitable!" Some noise was heard but I raised my hand to shush them.
"However," I started, smiling brightly, "The gold mines of House Lannisters are…particularly vulnerable, as well as their land. When we win the war, that land will need stable rulers, and lands and gold might be reapportioned—"
And with that, the cheers erupted from the Riverlords, and the Reach, knowing that they were in the deal as well.
"Most importantly, however…" I said, finishing my explanation. "King Aegon has agreed to betroth himself to Princess Sansa of House Stark!"
Raucous cheers filled the contingent, as they realized that they had somehow managed an even better deal than what was under Robb and I, with good trade deals and a marriage with the Iron Throne. That Robb and I were King and Queen? That was icing on the cake.
"And," Aegon interrupted, "in the case of succession issues, Aemon Sand, formerly known as Jon Stark, shall be legitimized as Aemon Targaryen, and will rule in the event of my death, only if I have not borne a child of my blood with the lady Sansa Stark"
And Jo— Aemon flushed as all of the attention was directed at him, even if he seemed underwhelmed. After achieving his dream of becoming a Stark, evidently, becoming a Targaryen, no less, the second-in-line for the Iron Throne, was still not comparable.
"Thus, this Great Council is concluded!" Aegon announced, to thunderous applause, "I will delay being crowned by the High Septon under the Seven-Who-Are-One until my wedding to Princess Sansa, but for now, my Lords and Ladies, we celebrate, before we are to set out to war yet again,"
And so, the four of us moved to the feasting table for all of the prominent lords and ladies. I made sure to hug my mother as I passed by her, but eventually, I sat next to my grandmother. Robb sat to my right, followed by Sansa, Aegon, and Jon-Aemon (seriously, it was really hard to reconcile that difference).
"Good work with the treaty, little Queen", my grandmother said to me as I sat next to her. "One more round of feasting and fighting, and the next celebration we will have shall be in King's Landing."
"Thank you, grandmother." I replied graciously. "Truly, it was tedious work, but your suggestions to Robb helped us in the end."
"He told you, then?" Olenna questioned sardonically. "Good. Kings are nothing without their Queens to advise."
"I'll make sure to remember that," I noted.
"And now, let the feast begin with music!" A herald announced, as trumpets boomed and a light song was played by the band.
"Who hired the band?" I asked, engaging my grandmother in conversation.
"From what my spies tell me, House Peake volunteered this particular band, some guards, and most of the cupbearers and tasters for the feast. They also brought a sizeable amount of Arbor Red."
"The House constantly in decline and in disrepair? They've become strangely active as of late, not?"
"Yes. Most likely because the Peakes in the Golden Company directly threaten their claim—"
"-And they're so far back that it's difficult to reconcile the family bonds, which means they're essentially strangers, then. Not only that, the Peakes's reputation has been so far diminished by their actions in the Blackfyre Rebellions that their reputation is little better than that of the Freys. What has Lord Peake gotten his son to do?"
"Lord Peake's son volunteered to be the cupbearer for the lord's table, and it was a harmless enough honor, considering that he had been a squire before all this madness had started, so I agreed to it. Foolish thing, that, but I suppose even the sheep make do."
"-And his wife?"
"She's unhappy with the war, but that is to be expected, my dear, she's a Lannister."
"I'm surprised she's not declared for Tywin Lannister, with all the grudges the Peakes are holding against everyone - Tyrells, Baratheons, and Targaryens alike."
Grandmother lightly smacked me in the arm.
"Don't be a fool. My girl, the Peakes are surrounded. Even if they declared for the Lannisters they would be beaten in a moon by either the Dornish or their rival houses."
"I thought I wasn't a fool?"
"Don't get smart with me, little Queen, I am entrusting you with my spy network and training you while you await the end of the war in pregnancy. Between Left and Right's guidance and my connections, it will not take long."
Surprise filled my features. "Truly, grandmother?"
She gave me an incredulous stare in response..
"Who else would I give it to? Willas's loyalty lies with Dorne, Garlan and Talla are fools, Loras has never been a schemer, and the less that is said about your aunt Mina's children, the better. You have always been the best candidate for such a position."
I nodded, and hugged my grandmother.
"I promise you, I won't let you down."
"See that you don't."
The Queen of Thorns returned to her food, as a course of Arbor Reds were given to everyone, except for myself. Some partook heartily, and at the High Lords Table, my mother, aunt Janna, and aunt Mina were taking hearty swigs. Others, like Robb, Sansa, and Jon, didn't bother, preferring to converse with one another, or, in Robb and Sansa's case, picking at their food.
Weirdly enough, though, instead of the water I requested, grape juice laid in my cup. I shrugged, and reached out to drink it, but a minor wave of nausea filled me at the smell and I returned it to the table.
"And now!" Lord Peake announced heartily. "A song to showcase House Peake's special thanks to the King on the Iron Throne!"
Suddenly, the drums and the trumpet notes played, and the high notes played were familiar.
Too familiar.
"And who, are you, the proud lord said…" my mind finished filling in the gaps, and my brain connected the dots.
Band, House Peake. Lady - a Lannister. Son - squire, cupbearer. All testers and wine by House Peake. They couldn't Red Wedding us, but the wine…
"STOP DRINKING THE WINE NOW!" I screamed in terror. "IT'S A POISON!"
"She's had a little too much—" The cupbearer said nervously, standing next to me, but I was too late. Even as wine glasses clattered to the floor, people had already drunk from them, and people started collapsing.
My aunt Janna and uncle Jon, both heavy drinkers that loved Arbor Red, foamed at the mouth as they collapsed on the table, with blue faces, struggling to breathe. My aunt Mina, shaking and beginning to foam as the poison took its effect.
Looking across the hall, I saw the same thing - a decent number of the lords had begun to collapse, blue in the face, most likely dead or seriously injured. Evidently they had poisoned the whole stock.
Sansa looked as if she was about to scream, but she looked at Aegon and her face hardened as she grabbed what I knew to be daggers in her sleeve.
But worst of all…
"MOTHER!" I screamed hysterically as she, too, collapsed, dead on the table, because of the poison.
Unwin Peake, son of Lord Titus Peake and Lady Victoria Lannister, had a dagger unsheathed, and a rictus of anger filled his expression as he stabbed directly at me.
I screamed, holding my belly instinctively as I attempted to duck, but I was too slow, as the dagger sped towards me. Robb panicked and began to interpose himself, hoping at least that the price of his life would save mine—
–until the Queen of Thorns, with strength I didn't even think she could possess, jumped into the blade and tightly gripped it, rendering his blade useless, even as it claimed the price of her life.
"GRANDMAMA!" I cried. I had thought that with the Twins, that they weren't— but I couldn't– I wasn't—
But there was no time to think. The "band" wasn't idle, as they had somehow snuck in weapons inside the drums, aiming straight at the high table with crossbows and swords.
"We'll take care of them!" Jon shouted fiercely, with sword in hand as he and Aegon prepared to vault for the band. "Robb, take one of Sansa's daggers and defend your wife and sister!"
Arrows flew across the room as they aimed to take out either of the kings or lords, but Robb deflected one aimed directly at me, and Jon and Aegon skilfully dodged the rest. Loras and Garlan weren't idle either - Garlan was protecting Talla and Father the same way Robb had done with me, and Loras aimed straight for the cupbearer with murder on his mind.
I was panicking. I had been stupid enough to leave my daggers in the room, so I was defenseless, and worst of all, a liability. Robb seemed to have the same thoughts on his face, as he held a dagger far too small for him.
Sansa turned around, to see a man in a brown cloak…
"ASSASSIN!" she screamed, and Robb turned around to fluidly sink the dagger into the attacker's neck, skewering it entirely.
Jon and Aegon cut an identical image despite the differences in hair color and eyes as they quickly and efficiently took down any of the sword fighters. An arrow whizzed towards them, an unavoidable hit towards Jon, and he absorbed the arrow in his bicep before stabbing his attacker.
The Peake guards were at war, but Garlan showcased his skill of fighting three on one as he skewered one in the eye, dodged two blows to land a crippling strike with his armor-encased foot onto another knight's kneecaps, and actively clashed swords with the third. The Tarly men, Dornish, everyone - had finally rallied, and the force was quickly subdued.
One final enemy was left - Unwin Peake himself, who had fled towards the door, with Loras in hot pursuit.
Unfortunately for him, he stumbled over a corpse, blue in the face, and that was when Loras got him.
"LANNISTER SCUM!" His roar reverberated through the hall as he grabbed Peake and choked him. His hold was firm and bruising, and the lords watched, either impassively or in terror as the life faded from Peake's eyes.
Once Peake stopped breathing, Loras's armor encased punch splattered guts all over the floor, and his primal howl of anguish, betrayal, and victory filled the room, the same as all of us were feeling.
Ending A/N: Welcome to the true Game of Thrones. Anyone Can Die is in full effect now. Wish our characters good luck - they'll need it.