King's Landing 297 AC.
Oberyn Martell
Following the evidence presented by the prince. During the next two days, Oberyn observed a great mobilization of the capital's forces, which according to Prince Steffon's words, served to capture all of Lord Petyr Baelish's associates. Soldiers from House Arryn, House Baratheon were tasked with quickly arresting all corrupt members of the City Watch.
While the soldiers of House Lannister were tasked with rounding up all of Baelish's known associates in the capital, they were not very subtle. Apparently the Old Lion, ordered to bring them all, by any means necessary.
Apparently the members of the City Guard had already been interrogated by Prince Steffon, so when they were brought before the Whoremonguer King, they all confessed without even trying to defend themselves by denying their guilt or opposing the established sentence.
"The guilt of these men is clear, Your Grace." Lord Stannis Baratheon said with a dry tone to his older brother, looking with disgust at the men in front of him, but especially at the now, former Commander Janos Slynt.
"Alright then." said the Fat King tiredly. "I sentence all of you to the Wall."
"Forgive me father." The young prince with black hair approached, standing in front of his father who was sitting on his throne. "But I think you are being very merciful to these men." The prince looked at the prisoners with disgust on his face, Oberyn smiled.
"What do you mean boy."
"These men didn't just act dirty, accepting bribes or selling promotions." The prince said the latter, looking at Janos Slynt with an expression of disgust. The former Commander of the City Guard had a fat face that was now so red that it made him look like a pig. "But they took it upon themselves to terrorize the city and intimidate anyone who opposed it. And all of this under the orders of that disgusting traitor, whoremonger of Baelish. They were acting under the orders of another person, while they stained the honor and the reputation of our House by making everyone in the city believe that they were acting under your orders." Everyone in the Throne Room remained silent, the prince looked at his father as well as his uncles who were standing on the left side of the Iron Throne. "I say that; you execute them all. And then put their heads on pikes with a sign that says 'Whoremonger's Pigs' for everyone in the city to see, so everyone in King's Landing knows the truth."
Oberyn had to fight the urge to laugh when he saw the Queen's face at those words, she was looking at the Kingslayer, who did not seem to take the hint from his nephew.
"I agree with Prince Steffon, Your Grace." Jon Arryn said with a rather cold tone. "These men must be punished appropriately and death is a just punishment considering the magnitude of their crimes."
Oberyn couldn't help but wonder what the maids of Rosby Manor had told the Hand of the King. When the old Lord of the Vale returned to the Red Keep. Oberyn noticed that he was pale and shocked.
Oberyn asked Steffon about this, but the young prince simply replied: Wait and you'll see. Was all the Prince of Storms said. Although Oberyn already suspected what it might have been, since Jon Arryn had his wife arrested that same day.
I guess the Storm Prince of Storms likes to surprise others. Oberyn thought smiling, remembering his previous interactions with the prince, when he met him in Dorne.
"Very well, then I Robert of House Baratheon, First of my Name, King of the Andals, of the Roynar and First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm, sentence you all to die."
Oberyn noticed how the black-haired, blue-eyed prince had a look of satisfaction on his face, while Lord Stannis simply looked and nodded at his nephew in approval.
The chained men were quickly dragged out of the Throne Room.
"Bring the next prisoner." Lord Stannis ordered the guards who simply nodded.
The doors of the Throne Room opened again so that everyone present could see Lord Petyr Baelish who was chained and being dragged by two guards. Oberyn noticed how Littllefinger's face was bruised and bloody as was his clothes, it even looked like he was missing some fingers.
Lord Tywin must have sent some of his animals to teach him a lesson. Oberyn thought.
"Lord Baelish," the Hand of the King began, Oberyn noted how he pronounced the name with fury and hatred. "You are accused of treason, corruption, conspiracy, murder, theft and embezzlement of crown funds." Lord Arryn finished saying the charges, but the former Master of the Coin did not even flinch, he had a lost look on his face as if he had already accepted his fate. "How do you plead to these charges?"
A mischievous smile appeared on Baelish's face, the smile did not reach his left eye, since his right was swollen and purple. "There's no point in denying it, right?" Baelish began. "My fate was set the moment Lord Tywin's men forcibly removed me from my office. Is it not?"
"You have nothing to say in your defense?" Lord Stannis asked him, looking at him with a hatred similar to that of Lord Baelish.
"In defense of the charges of which I am accused, no." Lord Baelish responded still smiling. "However, there are certain matters on which I would like to confess." Lord Baelish directed his gaze carefully towards the Queen who tried to disguise his nervousness.
"Bring in the other accused." the Prince of Storms ordered, interrupting Lord Baelish.
The doors to the Throne Room opened once again. Oberyn watched as Lysa Arryn was dragged through the Throne Room towards the King and the King's Hand.
The first thing the Tully woman noticed was Littlefinger kneeling and chained.
"¡Petyr!" the Tully woman shouted. "¡¿What have you monsters done to him?!" the red-haired woman screamed again, looking at her husband and the rest of the King's Court.
"Lisa Tully." said the Hand of the King, Oberyn, like the rest of the court, noticed how the old Lord of the Vale referred to the woman by her family name, while he pronounced it with an icy tone that hid her fury. "You are accused of adultery, conspiracy and treason." the woman was trembling as she looked at the man chained next to her. "How do you respond to these charges?"
"LIES, ALL LIES!" The Tully woman screamed so loud that the echo of her voice reverberated in the Throne Room. "They are lies told by him!" she pointed at Steffon. "He hates Petyr; he wants to get rid of him by telling these lies. Petyr told me that he has always hated him."
No one in the court seemed to pay attention to her, she seemed not to realize that the fact that she defended Petyr Baelish so fiercely only made her look guiltier. Steffon just laughed at the woman's words.
The black-haired prince looked at them both. "Bring the witnesses." he said after several moments of observing them. The doors of the Throne Room and a group of five young maids entered, escorted by guards from House Arryn.
"My darlings." the prince began, looking at the five women. "Please tell my father and the rest of the court what you said to me and Lord Arryn." The women seemed to hesitate as they saw the murderous expression on the Tully woman's face. "Don't worry about her, as I promised you are now under my protection now, you will not suffer any harm from her," Steffon pointed to Lysa Tully. "nor from anyone else."
Oberyn watched as Arianne smiled at her betrothed 's words.
The five women began to tell how they had heard both accused of participating in amorous acts, along with conversations between Lysa Arryn and Petyr Baelish, such as: hearing Lysa say that Robin is Petyr's son. Lysa asking Baelish when they would get rid of 'The Bad-Breathed Old Fool' so that the two of them could rule the Vale together with their son, from time to time the Tully woman tried to interrupt shouting that they were all lies, but the guards silenced her. Petyr Baelish remained silent the entire time, as if he didn't even care about all the accusations that were being leveled against him, his malicious smile never leaving his face.
Will he spit out what he knows about the Queen? Oberyn wondered.
Oberyn watched as Jon Arryn grew angrier and angrier as he heard every word. When the Hand of the King asked the women why none of them had come to him with that information, they replied that Lisa Tully had threatened to sell them to one of Littlefinger's brothels if they told anyone anything. Until Prince Steffon came to them asking if they had heard any suspicious conversations between Lady Lysa and Litlefinger, they decided to speak only after he promised to put them under his protection.
For the first time since she was brought to the Throne Room, Lysa Tully seemed lost for words, so Lord Stannis decided to speak.
"I think we've heard enough." said the Lord of Dragonstone. "The guilt of both is more than clear, let's proceed with the sentence." The Fat King was about to speak but was interrupted.
"May I say a few last words before I die, Your Grace?" The King just nodded. "Yes, I am a traitor," he looked at Prince Steffon. "A thief," he looked at Lord Tywin. "And a man terribly in love, who did everything for the woman he loves and our son." He looked at Lysa Tully who had tears of happiness in her eyes at such a confession. Lord Arryn was more furious than ever. Oberyn noticed how he touched the handle of his sword, prepared to draw it at any moment. "But as I mentioned before, there are other matters that they would like to confess before I die." Littlefinger subtly directed his gaze towards the Queen, who apparently noticed him and decided to interrupt him.
"We've heard enough of your lies for today." The Queen roared furiously, anyone would have thought that her fury was due to the crimes committed by Baelish, but Oberyn knew the truth. "We should cut out your tongue to make sure no more lies come out of your mouth."
"Would you like that? Wouldn't you, Your Grace?" Littlefinger responded with an even bigger smile on his face. Oberyn noticed that the Queen began to turn pale. "After all, you..." Lord Petyr Baelish never finished saying whatever he was going to say, because Prince Steffon Baratheon quickly drew his sword, making a slash that split his head in two.
"He can keep his tongue." The prince commented as Baelish's body fell to the ground and blood stained the floor.
Everyone in the Throne Room let out a sound of surprise and shock when they saw what the Prince of Storms had done. The King and his brothers were surprised, although the King also had a look of acceptance on his face, Lord Stannis looked at his nephew and nodded in approval of his actions. The Queen had an expression of relief on her face that she tried to hide. The boy Joffrey had a satisfied smile on his face, while the plump boy Tommen had his eyes covered by his sister Myrcella.
Oberyn looked at the prince with a smile on his face as did his three daughters and her niece, who looked at her betrothed with admiration.
"NOOOOOO!" was the word that came out of the Tully women when they witnessed what the prince had done to Baelish. "Petyr..." the woman knelt before the corpse, sobbing. "No, no, no." She directed her gaze towards the prince. "¡You killed him!" She tried to attack him but the guards stopped her by grabbing her chains. "¡You killed my Petyr! ¡The man I loved! ¡The father of my child! "¡You killed him!" These last words ended up condemning Lysa Tully.
"Take this traitor whore back to the black cells!" Jon Arryn scream, the guards of House Arryn obeyed him and dragged her back, the Tully woman cursed and kicked, but this did nothing to appease Jon Arryn's fury. "Lock up her bastard son in the black cells too, but in a different one from hers, not in the same ones."
Lysa Tully's screams grew louder but no one seemed to care and she was finally dragged out of the Throne Room.
"This matter is concluded." The Fat King said, rising from the Iron Throne, the King looked at Jon Arryn, gave him a comforting pat on the back and then left.
The lord of the Vale remained thoughtful, gave a sigh and looked at Prince Steffon. "Thank you my prince." The prince nodded with a smile. "House Arryn and The Vale is forever in your debt."
"There is nothing to thank, my lord." said the prince smiling. "House Arryn and House Baratheon have always been friends with each other." Everyone in the Throne Room watched the exchange, the Queen had a hard to read look on her face.
And with that said of the Lord of the Valley left the Throne Room.
"Find someone to clean this up." said the prince looking at one of his men. "Stinks." Several laughs were heard, including that of Lord Renly.
"You haven't stopped surprising us since you came back, nephew." said the King's youngest brother, smiling and giving his nephew a pat on his shoulder. "Well done." The prince just smiled at his youngest uncle.
"Well done, son." Lord Stannis said, with a slight smile on his face and a look of pride.
"Thanks uncle." The prince said smiling.
The Throne Room began to clear as the nobles began to leave the room.
"You never cease to amaze me." Oberyn said approaching the young prince with black hair and blue eyes.
"I told you, Prince Oberyn." The prince said smiling. "I would enjoy seeing this spectacle."
Oberyn laughed, and saw the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, approaching her son.
"Well done, my love." The Queen said, giving her son a strong hug, who seemed surprised and uncomfortable by her mother's action. "I'm proud of how you handled the situation." she said, separating herself from her son and then she kissed him on the cheek.
You feel relieved, don't you, Your Grace? Oberyn thought holding back a laugh.
"Thank you mother." The prince said hesitantly and looked suspiciously at his mother, who continued smiling at him.
But before the young prince could say anything else, Arianne grabbed the prince by the neck and pressed her lips to his. The prince quickly recovered from the initial shock and kissed his niece back. Oberyn enjoyed the look of annoyance the Queen had as she witnessed the displays of affection between Arianne and Steffon.
"That was quite a show, lover." Arianne said and the Queen frowned.
"Thanks my love." The prince said, they both looked at each other, smiling at each other.
The Queen was about to speak, but Oberyn decided to do it first.
"Well, this is a very adorable sight." Oberyn said looking at the young couple. "But, I would like to have a word with you."
"As you wish, Prince Oberyn." Steffon responded. "Let's go my love." He took his niece by the hand and they headed to the door of the Throne Room.
"Steffon, I would like to talk to you." said the Queen when she saw them beginning to retreat. "Your grandfather would also like to talk to you."
"Later, mother. I'm busy now." The prince responded with a cold tone.
Oberyn smiled and as they left the Throne Room they could feel the eyes of the Queen and the rest of the Lannister's on them. The three princes headed outside to the walls of the Red Keep.
"How did you know?" Oberyn asked the young prince. "I can understand the charges against Baelish, given everything you told us about him. But given the reaction of the Tully woman, it is incredible that all the charges against her are true. And that you knew about all of them."
"As you already know, Prince Oberyn. I never lie." The prince answered simply, both Oberyn and Arianne remained silent, obviously waiting for him to say more. "The charges against Baellish, I have been investigating for years. My uncle Stannis never trusted him, while my grandfather's suspicions that someone had been stealing money from the crown was enough for me, so I decide to send someone to follow him, before going to Lannisport, to bring you your gift," Oberyn and his niece smiled. "I tasked Varys with gathering as much information as possible about Littlefinger's associates."
"I thought you didn't trust the eunuch?" Oberyn asked raising an eyebrow.
"I don't. But he has some use from time to time." Prince Baratheon smiled at both Martell, to continue with the story. "As for Lisa Tully, she wasn't that difficult, just a blind man wouldn't notice the way she looked at Baelish."
"And yet, no one noticed." Oberyn said, laughing.
"My parents trusted him completely, due to his constant adulation towards them. I already told you that my uncle Renly never takes things seriously and although my uncle Stannis never trusted him, he is not very good at deciphering relationships between… others people."
"Of course not. That's a talent that only you possess." They both laughed, while Arianne looked at them confused.
"Why do I feel like I'm missing something here?" Arianne said raising her eyebrows and crossing her arms.
"All in his time Ari, let the prince finish telling us how he unmasked the Rotten Fish of House Tully."
"So I started spying on them both," Steffon said as if at no point did he stop at the story of him. "I discovered some of the tunnels of the Red Keep, the same ones that the eunuch uses so that his 'little birds' spy on everyone, thanks to that, I managed to reach one of the rooms where they had their meetings." Steffon said the last word with disgust, Oberyn laughed. "The Tully woman is not very discreet when it comes to expressing her feelings or her desires. She basically said Baelish's plans loud enough for me to hear."
"Then the maids?" Arianne asked with confusion. "And Varys, you said that his littlebirds..."
"The maids basically said what I heard. Although it is true that they heard them fuck several times." Steffon responded quickly to get her out of her confusion. "And Varys's littlebirds hear many things, but the eunuch only reveals what he considers appropriate."
Oberyn let out a small laugh as he saw the look of accomplishment on his niece's face.
'She is learning.'
"What was it that Baelish planned to say about your mother, that you executed him?" Arianne asked. "She looked pretty relieved when you cut Baelish head in half."
"That, my dear niece, is something you don't need to know. At least not for now."
"I'm not a naive little girl, uncle." Arianne said annoyed. "I think I have the right to know everything. Or you and my father plan to continue keeping me in the dark."
"Arianne." said the blue-eyed prince, taking his betrothed's hands. "Once we go to Dragonstone I'll tell you everything, I promise." She didn't seem convinced.
"Why? There's no one who can hear us here." she said looking at the empty Keep walls around her.
"Because you'll need time to process everything I'm going to tell you, trust me." said the young prince looking Arianne in the eyes. She looked at her uncle.
"He's right Arianne, I was the entire trip here, processing everything, what he revealed to your father and me." Her niece still didn't seem convinced. "But I promise you it will be worth it."
"Okay, I'll wait until we go to Dragonstone." Arianne said and Prince Baratheon smiled. "But you better make it up to me tonight."
"Of course my love." The prince said and then kissed her. "Now, if your uncle has no more questions, I would like to go train with Ser Barristan."
Oberyn smiled "No, that was all."
And with that said Prince Oberyn watched his niece and Prince Baratheon walk away holding hands.
They really make a beautiful couple. Oberyn thought, smiling, then went to look for his paramour Ellaria.
King's Landing 297 AC.
Tyrion Lannister
The imp of Casterly Rock was walking through the streets of King's Landing, whistling while humorously remembering the circumstances that brought him here.
When his father informed him what Steffon had done, Tyrion almost spit out the wine he was drinking. He, like his father, could not believe the boy's audacity to kidnap two banners of House Lannister and then hand them over to the Dornish. His father had been furious, not only at the act itself, but that it was his own grandson and heir who did such a thing.
Tyrion sometimes got upset remembering how his father, after losing Jaime who had joined the King's Guard, had decided to take Steffon as his ward and heir.
Old Lion quickly made that decision after seeing how quickly the boy was completing his lessons as well as his weapons training and how he gave his own opinion and points of validity to each lesson his grandfather gave him.
Therefore, when his father received the news of what his grandson had done, he was furious, although Tyrion could not help but agree a little with his nephew's reasoning. What better way to win the friendship of the Martell? And bring you back to the Royal Fold, handing over the two murderers of Princess Elia and her children.
Days after the incident his father had sent a raven to King's Landing informing the King what his son had done. At the same time, he had received a crow from Steffon informing him why he had done what he did, which had not served to appease his father at all but in the letter he also informed him that he had information that might interest him and had invited him to Landing. Rey stopped to tell him what this information was.
Tywin Lannister had decided to ride to King's Landing immediately upon receiving the letter, taking Tyrion with him.
Tyrion was once again surprised to see that the boy had managed to discover that Lord Petyr Baelish had been stupid enough to have been stealing gold from the crown and his father. Another surprise that Tyrion received was that his nephew was now engaged to Princess Arianne Martell and was the new Lord of Storm's End and Lord Paramount of the Stormlands.
Tyrion laughed at the irony that his nephew had become a Lord Paramount causing his father to once again lose his desired heir.
Tyrion had an excellent relationship with his beloved nephew Steffon. The boy had a passion for books just like him, his intellect was so amazing that he finished his lessons at the age of ten. He also had a surprising knack for business despite his young age and treated Tyrion with the respect and kindness that his mother and his twin brother Joffrey had never shown him.
Maybe that's why Cersei was so cold towards him. Though Tyrion couldn't help but notice the way Cersei now looked at her black-haired, blue-eyed son. She didn't look at him with the same cold expression, full of resentment, now every time she looked at him there was an expression of love and pride. Tyrion noticed how she ran to hug him and kiss him on the cheek in the Throne Room after killing Baelish, something that according to what Steffon told her while he was a ward at Casterly Rock, she had never done before.
Tyrion doubted that his nephew would so easily forget all the coldness and neglect that his mother showed him throughout his life.
The boy is equal to her and my father in that aspect, never forgetting a slight towards him.
At the request of his father, he was tasked with speaking with Prince Oberyn Martell. His father wanted to find out what game the Dornishmen were playing, since she still found it surprising that Doran Martell had agreed to marry his only daughter and heir to one of the sons of Robert Baratheon and Cersei Lannister.
His only son. Tyrion thought, letting out a laugh.
Tyrion arrived at one of Littlefinger's brothels. Although the Casterly Rock dwarf couldn't help but wonder who the new owner was, now that Baelish and her associates were dead.
He and his two personal guards searched for the Dornish prince, something that was not difficult because as they entered they heard a scream from one of the rooms.
"A sword is of no use in a close-range confrontation." said a voice with a Dornish accent. While a cry of pain was heard in the same room, Tyrion hurried his steps as much as he could. "When I take out my knife, your friend will start bleeding, there are many veins in his wrists. He will live if you seek help immediately."
"Prince Oberyn." Tyrion called, hoping to distract him before he committed a double murder. "We knew he might be in... trouble." Oberyn pulled out the dagger of what appeared to be a Lannister soldier. Both Lannister soldiers left.
"Apologizes my love." said the Dornish prince and then hugged and kissed the exotic woman who was next to him.
"I came to say hello." It was a poor excuse Tyrion knew, but he couldn't tell him the truth.
"My paramour Ellaria Sand." Prince Oberyn said smiling, presenting the exotic woman who held him possessively. "Prince Steffon's imp uncle, Tyrion son of Tywin Lannister." I point it out to him. "And who are you? His hired assassins."
"They, Prince Oberyn, are my personal guards."
"Lannister soldiers, hired assassins, I don't see the difference." said Oberyn, who did nothing to hide his contempt. Although it didn't take him long to smile back. "We'll need some more girls."
"Oh, no, no." Tyrion hastened to say.
"Don't you want to participate?" The Dornish prince asked him confused, 'I would love to.' "From what I heard about you, you are a rather luxurious and alcoholic man."
"Oh really?" Tyrion asked sarcastically. "Who told you that? My sweet nephew perhaps?"
"Your lust and drunkenness are known in Dorne, Lord Tyrion, as are those of the Whore King."
Tyrion let out a small laugh and decided to get to the point. "Prince Oberyn, we may speak in private."
"Why is it that all the uncles of the Prince of Storms want to talk to me now?" the prince said tiredly and then looked at him. "Fine, wait for me here my love, I won't be long."
The Dornish prince walked out of the brothel and Tyrion followed him. As Prince Oberyn left, he began to laugh as if he were remembering a joke.
"What?" Tyrion asked him.
"Nothing, I was just remembering something very interesting they showed me a couple of weeks ago."
"Would you mind sharing?" Tyrion asked curiously.
"No." Oberyn was quick to respond with some hostility.
Tyrion decided to be just as direct. "Why did you come to King's Landing? Prince Oberyn."
"To accompany my niece during her stay before her wedding, of course."
"I thought we were being honest?" Tyrion said, smiling knowingly.
"And I am." Oberyn replied with an ironic laugh. "Or do you think that my brother would let his only daughter and heir come to this city alone. Especially after what happened to my sister."
Tyrion's smile faded. 'This is a dangerous territory.' Tyrion didn't know what to say, so Oberyn began to speak:
"The last time I came to the capital was a years ago, and it was for another wedding. My sister Elia and Rhaegar Targaryen, the last dragon." He said the name of his sister with melancholy, but when he said the name of the dragon prince, Tyrion could detect anger. "My sister loved him." He continued with his story "She gave birth to his children, she rocked them in her cradle, she fed them with her breast. She did not let even the nurses touch them. And the beautiful and noble Rhaegar Targaryen left her for another woman." He looked at him. Tyrion met his eyes and gave a big sigh. "That started a war, and the war ended right here, when your father's army took the city."
Tyrion looked down for a moment, before returning his gaze and answering. "I was not here"
"They murdered those children. My niece and nephew." The Dornish Prince said with silent fury. "They stabbed them and wrapped them in Lannister capes. And my sister... Do you know what they did to her?" Tyrion looked down uncomfortably, but Prince Oberyn lifted his face with his finger. "I asked you a question."
"I've heard rumors." Tyrion said, removing his finger from his chin.
"Me too. The one I've heard the most is that Gregor Clegane, The Mountain, raped her and cut her in half with his sword. While another Lannister soldier dragged my niece from under her bed and stabbed her dozens of times. "
Tyrion was going to speak but Prince Oberyn defeated him.
"Almost fourteen years ago, Jon Arryn went to Dorne to give us the bones of our uncle Lewyn." Oberyn began. "Just like the bodies of my sister and her children. And at the same time to make peace and ensure that Dorne remained faithful to the Iron Throne." Oberyn gave him a wicked smile. "And you can be sure that my brother and I questioned him thoroughly about what really happened to Elia and her children." Tyrion was speechless. "Tell your father I'm here. And tell him that the Lannister aren't the only ones who pay their debts."
And with that said, the Dornish prince returned to the brothel.
Could that have gone better? Tyrion wondered. Probably not.
Tyrion returned to the Red Keep, and went to his father's chambers, there he found his father waiting for him, along with Jaime and Cersei.
"Father," Tyrion bowed his head. "sweet sister." He said sarcastically, looking at her, she just as always gave him a look of hate. "Jamie." Her brother smiled at her.
"What did you find out?" His father asked him with his typical icy tone.
"Well, Prince Oberyn is here, to make sure his niece is safe." His father, as well as his brothers, looked at him. "That's all."
"I sent you to do a simple task and you can't even handle it." His father said angrily.
"I tried to get something else out of him, but then he started talking about his sister and The Rebellion." Tyrion said, raising his eyebrows so they would understand what he meant. "After he finished speaking he returned to the brothel, turning his back to me, I thought it was wise not to follow him."
"And since when are you afraid of entering a brothel?" Her sister asked her in a mocking tone, but both Tyrion and her father ignored her.
"Where is Steffon?" her father asked Cersei.
"I already sent for him father, he should be here any moment."
And just at that moment his favorite nephew entered. He was bare-chested and with a sword in each hand, four armed men entered along with him. "Ah sweet nephew. How nice of you to join us."
"Uncle." Steffon looked at him smiling. "Grandfather." He bowed his head in respect. "Mother." She said in a serious tone, looking at her seriously, her mother was limited to seeing the scars and bruises on her torso and back. "Kingslayer." He said this last with hatred.
Tyrion watched as his father frowned, hearing Steffon call his son golden that way.
"Did you send for me, Grandfather?" the boy said seriously, while Lord Tywin stared at him, obviously trying to intimidate him. "I was training."
It is difficult to intimidate a young man who has two swords in each hand and four armed men protecting him. Tyrion thought holding back a smile.
"Why are those men here?" Lord Tywin asked his grandson.
"To protect me." the young Baratheon answered, looking at Jaime with hatred.
"I thought I told you..."
"I don't care what you told me!" roared the boy. "Not about that. And if you don't tell me why you called me, I'll leave right now."
Tyrion, like his brothers, stood frozen, watching the way Lord Tywin watched his grandson with an inner fury. But the boy did not even flinch and remained firm.
He is more Baratheon than Lannister.
Her father didn't speak, so Steffon started walking towards the door.
"How did you know about Baelish and Lysa Arryn?" Lord Tywin asked his grandson with an angry tone.
"I have my own spies too." the boy answered simply. "And I never trusted Baelish, I just had to watch how the Tully woman looked at him to figure out her adventure. You'd be surprised at how many things that woman lets slip, after a good night of fucking." Tyrion almost laughed, he still couldn't believe the boy's audacity. "And as for the theft of crown funds, I just had to read the financial book. I always suspected that that pig Janos Slynt was on Littlefinger's payroll, but I never knew where he got the funds to pay him and the other members of the City Guard. Until I read the book and the other reports from my spies, after that I just had to put the puzzle together." His father didn't say anything, so his nephew spoke again. "I thought you would be happy grandfather, after all I am sure that between you and Jon Arryn, you will manage to recover all the gold that Baelish stole."
"Do you think that erases what you did with Ser Gregor and Amory Lorch?" Lord Tywin asked him, still furious.
"What I did was hand them over to Dornish justice." He responded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "And at last they got what they deserved. I never understood why you hold an animal like Gregor in such high esteem."
"Ser Gregor had served us well. No other knight in the kingdom inspired such terror in our enemies." replied Lord Tywin, increasingly furious at his grandson's challenge. "And every Lord needs a beast from time to time. I remember teaching you all that."
"And I remember telling you, I disagreed." Steffon replied challenging him. "Allowing a murderer as monstrous as Gregor Clegane to remain unpunished and under the protection of House Lannister only makes us look as vile and treacherous as him."
"Fear is a very useful tool, if people don't fear you, they won't respect you, if they don't respect you they won't follow you." said Lord Tywin determinedly. But Steffon apparently refused to budge.
"That's where you're wrong, Grandfather." Steffon said, approaching his grandfather to look him in the eyes. "True loyalty does not come from fear." Lord Tywin seemed angrier than ever. "You can't buy it, you can't own it and you can't force it. Loyalty, true loyalty only comes from love and the respect of people who believe in you. And if you don't believe me, then look at history, it speaks for itself. The Starks have ruled the North for more than 1,000 years, through their own code of honor, which has earned them the unconditional loyalty of all their vassals." There was a long silence in Tyrion's room and his brothers looked at each other, still not being able to believe that Prince Baratheon spoke to Lord Tywin with such audacity, but apparently Steffon had not finished speaking. "These men," his nephew pointed to the four men armed with crossbows. "They follow me, because I gave them a purpose, I put coins in their pockets, food on their table, and I gave them a roof to sleep on. But not only that, I helped train them, I helped them when they were injured and thanks to that. They "They will die and fight for me, just as I would fight and die for them."
Tyrion looked at the fourth men guarding his nephew and saw how they looked at him with determination and pride. Tyrion then looked at his father whose anger had evaporated from his face.
"You are making many excuses to justify choosing Princess Arianne as your wife." Lord Tywin said almost smiling and mocking, while Cersei grimaced upon hearing Princess Arianne's name.
Steffon started to laugh, apparently refusing to let his grandfather win this argument. "Now I see where my mother got her disdain from hearing the truth, when someone tells it to her face." Lord Tywin looked at him more determined than ever, while Cersei made a face of annoyance upon hearing that. "Let's retell the story again, shall we, grandfather? Aerys's cruelty and the stupidity of his son, Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, caused The Rebellion." Lord Tywin looked at his grandson with reborn anger. "And my father took advantage of Aerys's cruelty and Rhaegar's stupidity to turn half of Westeros against the Targaryens, and it was thanks to that hatred that he spread that the greatest dynasty this part of the world has ever known disappeared. forever." For the first time, Lord Tywin seemed to actually listen to what his grandson was trying to tell him. "Every time you deal with an enemy using cruel and treacherous tactics, you only create two more." Tyrion couldn't help but smile upon hearing this.
"Why Arianne Martell?" His father asked with a serious tone and there was some distrust in him. "Why of all the noble ladies of Westeros did you choose her, precisely her?"
"Mace Tyrell rejected my proposal when I suggested a marriage pact between me and his daughter Margery. So I decided to look for another of the most beautiful women in Westeros. And obviously I couldn't arrive in Dorne empty-handed."
Jaime started to laugh. "And what would your future wife think, if she knew she was your second choice."
Steffon laughed too. "Go ahead and tell her," the black-haired prince challenged. "Although I wouldn't advise you, Kingslayer, for the Martell you are nothing more than the coward who stood with his arms crossed while Princess Elia and her children were massacred."
Jaime tried to advance angrily towards his nephew, Cersei tried to stop him but failed, but the Baratheon soldiers rushed to point their crossbows at him, which made him stop.
"One more step, and you're dead." his nephew said and Tyrion knew he meant it.
"¡Enough!" said his father and Jaime returned to his sister's side. Lord Tywin was always able to make his children obey with a word. Steffon's men however kept their weapons pointed at Jaime and did not lower them until the Prince of Storms ordered them to.
"And what did you tell them about the Sack of King's Landing almost fifteen years ago?" asked Lord Tywin, still annoyed by the previous exchange between his son and his grandson.
"I didn't have to tell them anything, Jon Arryn had gone to Dorne when the Rebellion ended." Steffon began by lowering the swords that he had raised when Jaime tried to attack him. "And I myself spoke about it with Jon Arryn years ago and I assure you, that he told the Martells the truth." Steffon approached his grandfather again to look him in the eyes. "The whole truth. So whatever lie you planned to tell Doran Martell or Oberyn, they would never have believed it, Jon Arryn's word is worth more to them than, the word of a Lannister. Or someone with Lannister blood. When I hand them over to those two chained bastards, just by seeing the faces of all the Martells present, it was obvious that they already knew the truth about what happened. This was the only way to get Dorne back into the Royal Fold."
His father stared at his grandson for a long time, until he finally spoke again. "Even if I accept everything you're telling me, your actions still leave me with a certain problem." Tyrion and his brothers looked at each other in surprise, not being able to believe the words that came out of his father's mouth.
"And what is that problem?" Steffon asked listlessly.
"The lack of an heir."
Tyrion was upset at that, that his father ignored him as a son and heir while he was standing there.
"I have a proposition to make you about that." Steffon said which earned him the stare of everyone present.
"Which is?" Lord Tywin asked.
"I will discuss it with you later, in private. Meet me on the walls outside the Red Keep at the hour of the wolf." And with that said Prince Baratheon left.
"Wow dear sister, you must be very proud of your son." Tyrion said smiling and looking at his sister who ignored him.
"Father I'm sorry, Steffon has always been..."
"Tyrion is right Cersei." said his father, surprising the three of them once again. "You should be proud of your son's intelligence and determination." Cersei smiled she was going to speak, but her father had not finished. "But the fact that you never raised him or paid him any attention doesn't give you that right." Cersei's smile faded. "And I don't know if that's a good or bad thing anymore." Tywin looked at Jaime and Cersei for a long moment and left the room. Leaving the three Lannister brothers to their thoughts.
"Well, I don't know about you, but I could use a drink." Tyrion said, trying to lighten the mood, but his two brothers were still thoughtful. Cersei also left, leaving him and Jaime alone.
Tyrion offered his brother a glass of wine, who accepted it and drank it with concern.
