Hi.
Chapter 1: A Cat of a Different Cloak
The Royal Fleet docked at Dragonstone, and Queen Rhaella of the House Targaryen could feel a chill as she and her son walked along the path with Ser Willem Darry.
She had given thought to her husband and the city, and poor Elia and her grandchildren, she shed a tear thinking of little Rhaenys, how scared she was, and the tears that fell when news of the Trident reached the Keep.
Her son, her baby was dead, sunken in the river trident from his own cousin's war hammer, returning soldiers who witnessed it had said the rubies on Rhaegar's breastplate flew into the river, the impact of the hammer crushing her son's chest was horrifying to imagine.
She both hated and pitied Robert, they were kin, and yet he would claim a throne that wasn't his, and all for a woman who didn't love him. Rhaegar told me, he said they fell in love at Harrenhal... Poor Elia. She closed her eyes, trying to focus on something else and regretted it.
It was sad seeing Lord Rickard Stark burn, and she cried seeing Brandon Stark choke himself to death trying to free his father... And that night, her brother was more brutish than he ever was.
"We should be safe for a time, my Queen, Perhaps we send ravens to Driftmark and Massey's Hook… "
"Yes, we should do that but first, we settle in, and then get to preparing." King's Landing has only the few thousand that returned with the defeated army of her son, and the two-thousand Goldcloaks defending it.
Suffice it to say, she holds no hope for the King, who cowers himself with his Pyromancers and poor Jaime, The boy had only been a knight and Kingsguard for a few months and had seen, much like her, that the honor being in the Red Keep isn't as grand nor as romanticized like the stories say.
So many terrible memories, the fading of her father and mother, the children that lived or never were born and died all the same.
Willem nodded, "Of course, my Queen, right this way." He gestured kindly as they continued.
Dragonstone, the seat of the Prince or Princess of House Targaryen, the place that would serve as their haven should the worst case come to pass, she hoped that her husband fends off the wolves or better yet, do so and perish with his wildfire he loves so much.
As they got to the inner yard, something felt off about it all, she noticed no servants or even the guard were on watch.
Could they have fled? She dreaded to think that, "Come, Viserys." She held on to her last son tightly, her other free hand on her pregnant stomach.
Entering the hall, she could hear a tune being played in the throne room, "And so he spoke, and so he spoke the Lord of Castamere… " Her breath hitched in fear as she turned a corner, and entered the throne room.
There was a man sitting on the throne, a lute in his hands. "And not a soul to hear… " The final cord of that wretched song was sung.
"Who are you?" She covered Viserys mouth before he said anything else.
The stranger's eyes landed on her and her son, a wicked smile forming on his lips as he stood from the seat and stepped into the light as a flash of lightning lit up the room.
The man was young, a little past twenty, with dark blond hair and cool, almost cold grey eyes that shone like steel.
On his person was a sword, a dirk, and worn leather over a set of chainmail, but what came as a shock to her was the sigil on his cloak, worn on his right arm, it was a red lion, rampant regardant with a forked tail, armed and langued gold, on silver.
It was the banner of House Reyne, an extinct House or so the story told when House Tarbeck and Reyne rebelled against Tywin Lannister.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, my Queen, I must admit... I have looked upon the silver hair and eyes of a Valyrian, but very few looked like what my mother spoke of House Targaryen." The Reyne pretender descended and approached them, Ser Willem and her other guards unsheathed their steel as to halt his approach.
A cry echoed from the entrance of the room, Enemy soldiers hidden from sight attacked and killed her protectors and Rhaella suddenly felt like her ancestor, Rhaenyra, when she had fled the capital.
"Guard the Queen and her son!" Willem cried, and the remaining guards who followed her scrambled to her, their back to hers and Viserys.
She could hear more fighting throughout the castle, and she regretted coming to Dragonstone.
"Why are you doing this? What do you want?" She demanded to know, and the young man pulled back his hair and sighed deeply.
He cricled them, like some of his men and kept his eyes on her, "No one had ever asked what I wanted, I must say... I am appreciative of your demand." Was he serious? She thought the man was clearly mad, "I... My desires are probably aligned with yours."
Willem inquired for her, "How so?"
The man scoffed, "I want justice. I want vengeance... I want fire and blood."
Rhaella felt constrained, helpless even. "How would killing me and my son get you that, it wasn't my family who eradicated yours."
"You are right, your Grace but getting what I want involves making deals, and currying favor with a new King." The man stopped and gestured for his men to stand down, "I was asked to make it seem as if I killed you and your spawn, the deaths tonight will ensure I get back home."
"Who are you?" She asked, he smiled kindly then.
"My name is Lucien Reyne, son the Red Lion, Roger Reyne."
Lucien bid them to follow, and as they were surrounded ten to one, she reluctantly obeyed and walked with Lord Reyne back to the path, and what she saw was horrifying.
The royal fleet was being sunk at anchor, near a hundred ships with the Reyne lion on their sails were the cause of the mayhem and death.
"Must they all die? These were loyal men, they would have surrendered... "
"Your deaths need to be seen as real, and I insist on being thorough." She didn't understand till it was too late.
Crossbowmen from atop the wall shot Willem and all of her protectors, killing some instantly and others with a knife after the sudden act of violence. "You are a monster!" She had known Willem for fifteen good years, and seeing him lying dead on the floor was enraging.
And Viserys, he held tightly to her skirts, crying tears and sending a hateful glare at Lucien.
"I am what Tywin made me, he killed my brothers, sisters, cousins, and aunt Ellyn and uncle Reynard when they pled for mercy... And he killed them." Lucien reached a hand and touched her cheek, "The Spider really thought it all out when he sent his friend to my home in Tyrosh."
"Varys?" The boy her husband named as the Master of Whispers? He orchestrated this? "You won't get away with this, My husband has loyal men who can defend the city, and when he does- "
"Your husband will be dead, it was Varys plan when he contacted me." He turned, and she looked, seeing a single ship coming to anchor, "This ship will take you and your son to Tyrosh, hair dye is on board, so apply it."
"And what of my good daughter, or her children?" He didn't look her in the eye, She felt dread, and she began to cry, "Please have mercy on them, if not, then please... Make their deaths painless." She knew she had no choice, all she could do was make sure she lived and her son as well.
Aerys had named Viserys his heir upon hearing of Rhaegar, it was an insult and punishment because Aerys believed the Dornish army betrayed her son.
It was false of course, she was sure Lewyn Martell served her son honorably, and so had the many other Dornishmen who marched alongside Reachmen and Crownlander. She had begged a number of times to send Elia and her children as well, Aerys laughed and struck her for her insolence.
She did find it inspiring, seeing her son in his armor, the proud three-headed dragon banner flying as he left the Red Keep with promises of things changing once he had returned.
She wished it were true, that things could be changed.
Lucien made no further conversation, a man had come, and she and Viserys followed her to the ship, sailing from Dragonstone and away from the Seven Kingdoms for Essos and whatever laid in wait for her and her House.
Back on Dragonstone, heading for his flagship, "The Revenger" was Lucien Reyne.
"We set sail for King's Landing, now?" His second in command asked him, and a smirk formed on the banished lord's face.
His second was a little older than himself by three years, he had similar shade of hair and cool blue eyes like that of a dark lake. He was tall and robust, whereas Lucien was lean and tall.
"Yes, and then the games begin, Cousin," Lucien told his kin, Duncan Tarbeck, who was, like him, taken away before the fall of their homes years ago.
He remembered his mother finding him with a group of guards and a pair of servants, together they made whatever they could working as muscle or servants for magister while remaining discreet that they all changed their names a number of times, all to hide who they were but when he was six and ten, he grew tired of that and struck out on his own.
It was a lot of hard work, getting to where he is, commanding the men he does, and having the ships he's collected.
Almost twenty-two years, they have been away from Westeros, growing up in squalor and having to really scrape and crawl for all they had, but now with the deal made with Varys eight months ago, they are home.
Lucien's mother had told him of his father, how brave and proud he was for standing against Tywin Lannister, it made his hatred of House Lannister greater as the man tore him from ever knowing his father.
Getting aboard, he called for his men to stand at attention, and Lucien contemplated the time when he was just a leader of a band of sellswords running protection for merchant ships.
"Full sails, take us to glory!" He shouted and the crew got to work, determination in their eyes.
The fleet of the Red Lion set sail by dawn, heading West to King's Landing, and from there, the journey to getting their justice begins.
AN: Our Claws are still Sharp is a revenge story, Lucien Reyne and Duncan Tarbeck will be the MCs of this tale, well, Lucien is, but Duncan will be a secondary MC. A few events in the story will be au, some for better and others for worse.
So the stage we are at the moment is Rhaella and Vis are just getting to Dragonstone, and a couple of weeks before was the Battle of the Trident, and Tywin has yet to reach KL with his forces, so it is a race to see which lion gets the meat.
Pairings are, possibly, going to be Oc as most eligible (canon) maidens are tied to their husbands or will be. Suggestions are welcome.
I hope you all have enjoyed the new stuff I have put out with Hour of the Wolf having finished up.