Jon Arryn watched in amazement as Robert, usually disinterested in council meetings, actively engaged, displaying a level of participation he had never seen before. It was just the third day in his married life and he was already sitting on the small council. Perhaps the marriage might have given him something to consider. A nice decision in his opinion.
Ser Barristan, too, observed Robert's uncharacteristic involvement in the council, sharing Jon Arryn's surprise and contemplation. Having served for nearly a year, Ser Barristan reflected on the unprecedented sight of the king showing such keen interest in council affairs, a departure from Robert's usual indifference. His interest reminded him of a young Aerys. The Mad King had the same level of enthusiasm in his early years.
"Jon, what's the matter with Dorne?" Robert asked abruptly during the council meeting, his attention now focused on a specific region.
"The main houses of Dorne didn't show up for the wedding. Neither did they send gifts to me?" Robert questioned with a frown, expressing his discontent during the council meeting.
Severus' mind was now mixed with Robert's. The former knew all too well the art of subtlety and courteousness. The latter might be all in brawny department. But the former was all brains here. A combination which was deadly for anyone against him. That too without taking the magic into count. There was no way these assholes could trick him. He had to make an empire here. An empire which he was going to rule with his might and wits.
"They are still salty, Your Grace," Jon replied with a frown. "The whole fiasco with Elia Martell didn't help the matters," he added, shedding light on the lingering tensions with Dorne.
"Can't blame them. They have lost a sister too," Robert replied, acknowledging the shared pain. His past self's own action didn't help either.
Jon and everyone were surprised to see Robert acknowledging Elia's death as a sorrowful affair. None were stranger to his hate of anything Targaryen. However, it was the first time that they were hearing him talk sincerely good about someone related to them.
Robert's eyes roamed over the council. The faces there seemed stoic as his gaze wandered over them, leaving an air of contemplation in the room. None wanted to seem weak infront of the new King.
In the council room today, many Lords were present as guests for his wedding, offering Robert the perfect opportunity for what he had planned. This was just gold. He had the perfect people present today.
"How many seats are left in the Small Council, Jon?" Robert asked. The old man, a surrogate father to him. He was the only one keeping things together amid the present circumstances. His past self didn't like to indulge in this things. It also gave certain people too leeway with things.
Jon was confused. He didn't know why Robert wanted the information, but he replied obediently, providing the details about the available seats in the Small Council.
"We need a Master of Ships, Master of Laws. The Master of Coin, Lord Beesbury is getting old. He asks for a replacement though."
Robert's eyes went over to the assembled Lords. They had perked up after hearing about the available posts in the Small Council, sensing potential opportunities for advancement. He couldn't blame them. A healthy ambition was always good.
"Lord Redwyne!" He called out to the middle-aged Lord among the Reach's group, directing his attention to a specific individual in the assembly. The middle-aged man instantly hurried towards the front end of the crowd, responding promptly to Robert's summons.
"You are now the Master of Ships. Get ready to haul your ass here and bring some Arbor Gold with you too along the way. I want you present as soon with your matters," Robert declared, assigning Lord Redwyne the role and issuing clear instructions.
"Your Grace!" Jon tried to protest but was stopped by a single glare from Robert. Never had he seen such control and power in Robert's eyes before. The glare held enough power to terrify the wits of even a grown man. Jon felt small under in his eyes. A feat which was so alien to him.
"Lord Manderly!" Robert called next, his gaze going over to the portly Lord from the North, signaling the next appointment in the unfolding changes to the Small Council.
The man's astonishment was a sight to see. Never had Robert witnessed so many facial changes in a person within seconds, observing Lord Manderly's swift emotional shifts. Lord Manderly slowly made his way towards the front, his house sigil, a merman holding a trident, perfectly glinting in the light, showcasing the emblem of House Manderly.
"You have one month. Carry your fat ass to Council by next month. You are going to be the new Master of Coin," Robert declared, appointing Lord Manderly to the significant role with his characteristic directness. The man was going to be a good addition.
Jon nodded. He knew he couldn't stop Robert in front of these Lords now. It would look bad for him and Robert both.
"Lord Tywin. Can you please come forward," Robert urged. He couldn't be too rude to this man. He was his father-in-law, and moreover, he was the man controlling gold mines. There was diplomacy required at the moment.
The bald man stepped forward from his chair and walked to the front of the court. He was confused by the recent actions of the new King. He had always pinned him as some brute oaf. But Robert Baratheon dwas King, and he held power over him, prompting a reevaluation of his perceptions. He couldn't act like the master here. Not without repercussions.
"Your Grace." Tywin said with a curt bow. He didn't understand why he was called. But he wasn't going to panic. Those days were gone long by now.
"The realm needs peace at the moment. Jon had gone to Dorne to solve everything diplomatically. However, the situation's not going to be resolved easily. I want you to have the heads of Amory Lorch and Gregor Clegane and serve them to Dorne as a sign of peace," Robert commanded, outlining a grim but strategic approach to resolving tensions with Dorne.
'That was a strategic move,' Tywin thought. He had to appreciate it. However, doing so would make him seem weak, something which he wasn't going to accept. Tywin would accept many things. But him being weak was something which he wasn't going to agree with.
Before Tywin could respond, Robert immediately called out, "Jaime Lannister. Come to the front," redirecting the attention to another member of House Lannister.
The Kingsguard immediately followed the order. He walked from besides Ser Barristan and walked to the front besides Tywin. Whatever Tywin was about to reply couldn't escape his mouth when he heard Jaime's name, emphasizing the authority and influence Jaime held within the moment.
"your grace." Jaime bowed respectfully. His blonde hair shined and his handsome face looked expectantly at Robert for any order.
"Your case is a curious one, young lion. I have half my mind to kill you at your stupidity. However, my other half wants to reward you," Robert said, looking at Jaime, revealing the conflicting sentiments he harbored toward the Kingslayer.
"My Lords and Ladies. I want you to listen a specific tale. A tale which I learned recently," Robert said as he got up from the Iron Throne, capturing the attention of the assembled nobility.
"The last year had been one of chaos. I killed Rhaegar and shattered the Targaryen forces. However, the duel cost me some injuries too. I couldn't immediately move towards King's Landing. I hope you all recall that," Robert recounted, revisiting a crucial moment in recent history.
There were various ayes throughout the room. Many Lords remembered that. However, they didn't know where the king was going by this. He was creating a sense of anticipation and curiosity among the assembled nobility there.
"King's Landing had been sacked by the Lannister forces. However, a particular incident happened. An incident which was hidden carefully till now." Robert proclaimed as his eyes went to Jaime.
Jaime didn't know where the King was going with this. He didn't know what he wanted to say with those words.
"The Mad King wasn't called so without any reason. Even in his last moments, he was a twisted man—a man lost in his own delusions, a man insane." Robert continued with a serious look on his face.
"Aerys had been preparing a wildfire plot for a while prior to the Battle of the Trident. Three pyromancers—Rossart, Garigus, and Belis—came and went day and night at the Red Keep, and Aerys's Hand of the King, Lord Qarlton Chelsted, eventually became suspicious. When he discovered Aerys's wildfire plot, Qarlton attempted to convince Aerys otherwise, by reasoning, jesting, threatening, and begging the king. Nothing could convince Aerys, however, so Chelsted resigned his office. For that, Aerys had Chelsted dipped in wildfire and burned alive. After the Trident, Aerys named Rossart as his new Hand. I know many of you will recall the burning of Chelsted," Robert said with a serious tone, unveiling a dark chapter from the past.
There were some ayes from the Crownsland Lords. They had been witness to that. Even Ser Barristan had witnessed it before he marched to Trident.
"Jaime Lannister! Tell all of the people here. Tell them! Tell them, what happened in the last moments of Kings Landing. How and why did you killed Aerys and Rossart? And don't dare to lie. I will kill you otherwise." Robert order. He finished his order with a serious warning looking at the young Lannister.
Jaime's voice cut through the tension-laden air of the hall, each word a carefully measured revelation. His eyes, pools of turmoil, flickered across the faces of the assembled nobility, as if searching for understanding.
"Aerys planned to burn King's Landing with wildfire. He wanted to turn this city into ashes."
Jaime's words carried the heavy burden of a secret long kept, now laid bare before them. The weight of the revelation hung in the air, palpable and stifling.
"And I, I was there to witness it," Jaime continued, his admission echoing through the hall. The silence that followed was thick with the gravity of the confession, as if the very walls of the Red Keep held their breath.
"His madness had no bounds. I stood torn between the oaths I swore—to protect the innocent and to guard my king," Jaime confessed, his voice a solemn admission of the internal struggle that had defined him. The flickering torchlight cast shadows on his face, accentuating the lines etched by the choices he had made.
"In the end, I chose to save the people. I couldn't stand half a million people's deaths on my conscience. I prioritised them over my oaths as A Kingsguard. I prioritised my oath as a knight then." he continued, his gaze unwavering, meeting the eyes of those who listened. The room hung in suspended animation, caught in the current of Jaime's revelation.
"I killed Aerys to prevent the wildfire from consuming us all. It was a choice made in the chaos of war, and I stand by it," Jaime's voice, though firm, carried the weight of a man who had grappled with his conscience. "I am Kingslayer, not a king, but a man who made a choice when it mattered most," he concluded, the echoes of his truth reverberating through the hall, leaving an indelible mark on the history of the realm.
The tension in the hall was palpable, a heavy shroud that hung over every Lord present. Each face bore the marks of surprise and disbelief at the revelation Jaime Lannister had laid bare. The notion of the Mad King's descent into such depths of madness seemed almost unfathomable, and the collective gasp that swept through the assembly echoed the shared astonishment. The room, once echoing with the weight of appointments, now resonated with the stark reality of the past.
"You did a great service for the realm. However, you proved to be the ultimate fool at the end," Robert remarked, a mix of acknowledgment and reproach in his tone.
Jaime's teary eyes met the stern ones of Robert. In that moment, he suddenly say the same disappointment which he usually saw in his father's eyes.
"You keeping it a secret could have resulted in a greater disaster. Wildfire grows more potent with time. What were you even thinking by keeping it a secret? You wanted your new King and your own sister to be sitting above ticking caches of wildfire which grow potent over time," Robert questioned, expressing both gratitude for Jaime's actions and frustration at the potential dangers of the hidden truth.
Tywin nodded too. He had the same thought. His son was a hero in his eyes. However he was also stupid at the same time. A combination which he never grew from since childhood.
Jaime struggled to reply. He had never thought about it clearly. The murmurs increased in the room. Everyone was afraid that they were standing on a disaster waiting to happen, the weight of uncertainty settling over the assembly. They started to panic hearing it now.
"Worry not, my Lords and Ladies. As we are speaking, my brother Stannis is carefully collecting the caches of Wildfire from every corner of the city with the Baratheon and Arryn soldiers," Robert reassured, injecting a note of confidence into the apprehensive atmosphere.
Robert had went on and given them locations of Wilfire. He had even charmed those caches so that they didn't explode till he removed the charm. A safety precaution. He didn't want these lackwits to blow the whole city due to them being careless and amateur.
"What we must make our minds on is the punishment we must give Jaime Lannister," Robert asked everyone, shifting the focus to the consequential decision that lay ahead.
Tywin tensed. He didn't know what Robert was playing at. However he seemed to have a plan. He was guiding these people like a ruler. A ruler likes of never seen before by Tywin.
"You killed your previous king as a Kingsguard. Despite it being for honorable reasons, the point still stands. You also endangered me and the entire city you protected with your foolishness," Robert asserted, addressing the gravity of Jaime's actions and the potential consequences that stemmed from them.
"Jaime Lannister. You are hereby stripped of your white cloak and your position as a Kingsguard. You will no longer serve me. Also, you will receive five whips from Ser Barristan before you depart to Lannisport. The venue and timing will be decided by your father. This is the reward and punishment for you," Robert proclaimed loudly, his voice booming over the entire hall, delivering the consequential decree for Jaime's actions.
"Your Grace, the Kingsguard is for life," Ser Barristan interjected, a stalwart defender of tradition, signaling his objection to Robert's decision to strip Jaime of his lifelong commitment.
Tywin's face soured. He was finally going to have his desired Heir. However that foolish and honourable Ser Barristan had to interfere at the last moment.
"The Kingsguard is to protect the King, Ser Barristan. It is the King's decision ultimately. The Mad King included Jaime Lannister because he envied his father. It's unjust and was a mockery of the position of Kingsguard. Moreover, he had proved himself to be foolish despite his actions. His silence was going to harm him, me and half a million people. The Kingsguard is better without him," Robert proclaimed, justifying his decision and asserting the authority of the crown in shaping the composition of the Kingsguard.
Tywin placed a firm hand on Jaime's shoulder. He had felt Jaime trying to protest him being addressed as a fool. However Tywin knew the game here. Jaime would foil the plans. He was already indebted to Robert due to Jaime's release now.
Ser Barristan nodded, acknowledging the decision, and Robert continued, "Jaime Lannister will no longer be a Kingsguard, and Tywin Lannister will hand over Amory Lorch and Gregor Clegane to Dorne alive!" finalizing the consequences for Jaime and outlining the diplomatic actions to address the tensions with Dorne.
His eyes roamed over the Lords, observing the impressed face of the bald eunuch. Robert decided to break the next egg on them. This day was going to be in their minds for ever now.
"Varys, where are the Targaryen kids?" Robert asked, fixing his gaze on the eunuch, steering the conversation toward the whereabouts of the remaining Targaryen heirs.
Varys was stunned by the sudden change in the topic. Simpering in his silky voice, he answered, "Their residence is not known, Your Grace." It was a lie though. Varys knew that they were in Bravos. However he didn't trust Robert to reveal it. He didn't know that his secrets weren't as secret like he thought.
"Spread the word throughout Essos. The children of Aerys are to be welcomed back into Westeros. The little girl called Daenerys would become the next queen after marrying my Heir. As for Viserys Targaryen, he will be declared Lord of a region in Westeros. Ser Willem Darry would recieve the White Cloak and all the other loyalists would be pardoned. I want to unite our bloodlines back together. My Heirs shouldn't have Blackfyres of their own. Enough blood had been spilled already. The realm needs peace now," Robert declared to the stunned faces there.