Chapter 9

Failure to plan is planning to fail.

I own nothing except my sanity and even that is questionable. Congrats to those who guessed what Nestor did, or more correctly who he paid Bronn to kill. For those who didn't earn a gold dragon Nestor paid Bronn to kill Lysa. I couldn't let the opportunity to bring everyone's favourite Castle hungry Lannister saving sellsword into the story. If I can swing it he will get a castle again. I have had a very productive weekend with nothing else to do so here you go an earlier than promised chapter.

A/N2 Fanfiction offically hates me. nothing but issues today. thanks review for pointing out the double text, fixed now

Ramsay Snow

Since leaving the courtyard in the company of a guard, Ramsay has had little time alone with Myranda. Thankfully they worked out most of their plan before leaving the Neck. However, they didn't plan for one thing. One thing they should have planned for. One thing most assassins plan for. Unfortunately neither are trained assassins.

Everything they planned for did not include one of them being followed by a guard. Ramsay is thankful that it is only one guard. If it had been Ramsay he would have stuck them with at the very least two guards. More if he could get away with it. To Ramsay it seemed that the castellon of the Blood Gate was more lax than the Knight of the Gate. Ramsay could only be thankful that the Blackfish was preoccupied.

Myranda told Ramsay that Domeric likely would recognise her as he loves the hunting hounds and spent much of his visits back to the Dreadfort in them. There was also the fact that Myranda has had many conversations with the heir.

Thankfully this was one of the things that they had talked about in the Dreadfort. Ramsay had made sure that Myranda would never hide things from him back when he was breaking her of any bad habits she picked up before he took her under his control.

Roose, their father, forbade Ramsay from meeting Domeric every time he came back. Even went so far as sending Ramsay to his hunting cabin in the woods. Ramsay didn't fully blame Roose for that. It was smart planning on his father's part. Keep the known killer away from the Heir. That hadn't stopped him from spying on the so-called heir.

The plan they originally wanted to use included sneaking into Domeric's room, and poisoning the water jug. However the weak boy didn't sleep alone, he is housed with the other fosterlings, the Redfort boy and the Royce boy. Was not worth the risk of getting one of the other boys instead of Domeric.

They only made two more plans but with the guard following them about both might not work. One was having Myranda slip a poison into his cup while at a meal, that runs the risk of her being recognised. The other was putting the poison in the food, which also ran the risk of not working if the food went out to the wrong person.

He wanted to be alone with Myranda to try and come up with another plan. They have already been here for two days. The floppy weak fish is too busy drowning himself or crying on the ramparts to be wanting to leave. While this time has given him time to hear the gossip from the servants. The wait also enraged him.

Coming up with a plan to try and get some alone time Ramsay turns to the guard assigned to them.

"Me good man, perchance be there a river or lake nearby, one I can take the missus for a spot of fun?" Ramsay says with fake accent and wagging eyebrows, on que Myranda giggles like a maiden. The guard scratches his head for a moment.

"Aye there is two. But one is in mountain men territory, or the other one is in plain view of the guards atop the gate." Myranda clutches at her breast as if the thought of that offended her. Ramsay admits her acting is perfect as usual. It isn't as if Ramsay hasn't taken Myranda in front of all his bastard boys before.

"How offen do these mountain men come to the river? Are they worse than the wildlins? I have much practice at killen wildlins.'' Which isn't a lie, any hint of them on Karstark land, Ramsay would be after them, wanting to hunt more dangerous foes than his usual.

"To be honest they don't come down this far often only if they want to raid. From the tales I've heard they are on par with wildlings." the guard says while scratching his chin. "I won't be joining you. I have my own orders, and they aren't to protect you while you're trying to get your dick wet."

Myranda gasps at the crude words. Ramsay, unsure if she is acting or not, decides this man will die before they leave the Bloody Gate. Only those that Ramsay allowed could watch. Watch but never join. Not with Myranda. His other playthings are different stories. When they bore him, they got hunted or shared, or both.

"We shall be fine, me good man." Ramsay says with a fake chuckle. "Just give us directions, we will find our way."

The guard gives them the directions while admonishing them to be back before nightfall or be locked out as none of the gates opens after sundown. It didn't take long to leave the Bloody Gate. Sure that no one would follow them as the guard assigned to them stayed behind.

It isnt hard to follow the direction of the stream. Ramsay isn't too sure why the guard had them walk more downstream than necessary to find the clearing. Once they reach the stream they walk back towards the Bloody gate for a bit until they find the natural clearing the guard told them about. Upon entering the clearing Ramsay knows why the guard had them walk the way they did. There is no other way of entering the clearing as it's almost completely surrounded by thickets.

They just sit near to the stream, both contemplating new plans, both discarding plans in their heads. Neither spoke for more than twenty minutes. Both formulating plans then discarding them. Finally Myranda spoke.

"Ramsay, you said this would be easy. This is far from easy." Ramsay got an insane glint in his eyes at her words.

Ramsay reacts as any psychopath does when their temper is raised. Grabbing Myranda by her neck while rolling on top of her. Squeezing until her face goes blue. There is no panic in her eyes, only excitement and a small amount of lust.

"You're boring me, Myranda. You remember the last girl that bored me, don't you. Do you want to join her in that fate?" Ramsay says finally letting go and rolling them over so she's on top.

"No Ramsay, I'm just frustrated that we haven't had the opportunity to kill your brother yet." she says with a sigh as she sits just below his crotch and starts pulling at his pants string. Ramsay grabs hold of her hands, squeezing them tightly, stopping her.

"After we make a plan we can have fun. Also you can't blame a Bolton for being hard to kill. But once he is dead, my father will have no other choice but to write to King Robert and give me the Bolton name." he says, rubbing his hands over her hips before shoving her off. "You're not helping me think."

Myranda lays on the ground used to his treatment of her. In truth it just made her more eager. Never having been afraid of Ramsay, not after working with the vicious hunting dogs the Boltons use. Watching Ramay as he gets up and walks back and forth in front of the stream, Myranda licks her lips.

"What if we split up tomorrow and see who the guard follows?" Myranda asks as she rolls onto her side propping her head on her hand.

"Yes you can go to the kitchen and see if they would want a hand. I know how much more you would rather go to the kennels but I've heard that brat goes there often. No need to risk him seeing you there. I could either go to the training yard or the quartermaster and ask about supplies for the trip back. Maybe both." Ramsay says as he stops pacing.

"But how to kill Domeric after we know who's being followed?" Myranda asks as she flops back onto her back. As Ramsay looks around he suddenly gets a gleam to his eyes that means nothing good for whoever it is aimed at.

"Tell me. What poisons did you bring again? Did you bring any of your needles?" still looking as insane as ever.

"Yes I brought needles, you tear your clothes oft enough I bring them most places with me.'' After a moment of thought Myranda continues. "The strangler, tears of lys, widows blood and sweetsleep. Why?" Myranda says, getting just as insane a look on her face.

"What are their effects?" Ramsay says with a manic look on his face. Ramsay feels like he is getting closer to his goal.

"The strangler is the most painful and the quickest. It's what it sounds like it closes the target's throat in a matter of minutes. In some cases the eyes pop, in others there's painful pus that leaks out the eyes, nose and ears. In some cases its blood and pus. No known cure.

"Widows blood is the next most painful and the longest death it causes the victim's bladder and bowels to shut down. The target will usually bleed out the ass and piss blood until they no longer can relieve themselves. Usually they end up with a burst bladder and or bowel which leads to death. There is a cure but I doubt the maester of the Gate has it. The good masters of Astapor horde it and don't let it leave the city.

"Tears of lys is next, it kills quickly by causing stomach sickness and high fevers. That causes days of delirium but most maester's can cure it if they spot it fast enough and are good at their jobs. Lys sells it along with the poison.

"An assassin's poison, Sweetsleep has a peaceful death. Small doses can ease shaking fits, while a little more will put the victim in a permanent coma. No known cure. Death within a week." A gleeful smile on her face talking about her favourite topic.

"Have you hidden the poisons, in case you get searched or our stuff gets searched?" Ramsays says with an ever increasing madness in his eyes.

"Yes. Do you want me to tell you where?" Myranda asks, puzzled.

"No, just keep them hidden until our plan is ready. Do you know why the crannogmen are so feared?" The matching insane smiles that show on both faces are enough to scare even the mad king.

Bronn

Bronn watched the couple as they left having overheard where the guard sent them, he decided he would go the faster route. The guard must have purposefully given them the longest route so that Bronn could be in place before they got there.

Darrel know's that he isn't the only one tasked to watch over them. Just that he is the visible guard. Having met Bronn at night on the first night that they had been given the task they talked about different ways to accomplish it.

One of the ways covered if they tried to leave the Blood Gate for some so called private time. This was just the thing they have been waiting for. The plan involved Darrel staying behind while giving them a long route to a place that Bronn knows a shorter route.

Even if the route is shorter, Bronn uses every stealth tactic that he knows. Better not to have the suspect that something is off. There is a sort of clearing by this stream that Darrel sent them to. This part of the stream has the best natural camouflage to hide in.

After having hidden in a thicket that is on the edge of the clearing he waits. It doesn't take long for the couple to arrive. At first they do nothing to raise his suspicions but then the woman opens her mouth. As he saw the man grab her throat he was ready to break cover to save her.

That is until he notices the large smile on her face as she stares up at her lover. Insanity. That is the only way that Bronn knows how to explain these two. So he waits. Hearing that they want to kill the man Ramsay's own brother sent chills down his spine.

Worse, the look on both their faces as the woman, Myranda explains the poisons she has. More unsettling is the plan they finally settle on. Deeply disturbed by the northerners. Bronn can only hope that not all northerners are this disturbing.

The only northerner that he has spent any true time with is just a boy. And not a typical boy at that either. What kind of northern boy wants to be a knight? The north doesn't have knights. Knights have to swear by the Seven, and only the Manderly and Whitehills from the north believe in the Seven.

The rest of the northerners believe in their strange gods. Bronn knows that the Old Gods are probably better than the Seven as they dont require you to give up your gold to the faith. The Old Gods just require you to sit and think deep thoughts in front of their white and red trees.

At least that's what Bronn thinks is what is required of that faith. Bronn is not the most faithful of any men. Just paying lip service to any of the septons that try to convert him.

The smiles on both those mad individuals is more than enough to make Bronn want to throw his dirks at both of them. Bronn knows that Nestor doesn't want them to just disappear. Especially not now that Bronn knows at the very least who the man is.

Boltons, a mad bunch, the lot of them. As they start to undress each other Bronn decides to take his leave, knowing what their plan is now, and how to stop them. He needs to report what he learnt to Nestor.

Once the two start going at it loud enough to make a septa run, Bronn makes his exit from the thicket. Still keeping the noise he makes to a minimum he quickly makes it back to the Bloody Gate. Weaving in and out between trees keeping out of sight of both the stream and the road. Finding the guard Darel waiting for him.

"Find anything out?" Darrel asks.

"Yes, talk to Nestor when you are relieved tonight." Darrel nods at Bronn's words as Bronn makes his way into the keep.

Finding Nestor wasn't easy. The man moved about in his duties faster and more often than one of his advancing age should. Every time Bronn made it to where he was meant to be the man has already moved onto his next task.

He was eventually found talking to the Blackfish. The Blackfish was for once in the past few weeks fully sober. They are in the study Nestor uses when he needs to do the Bloody Gates ledgers. Without so much as a by your leave Bronn starts asking a question.

"Does he know what you paid me to do a couple of days ago?" The Blackfish has a stunned look on his face before clarity shines in his eyes. The man nods to Bronn while Nestor answers verbally.

"Yes I have told Brynden of my suspicions." Nestor nods at a chair next to Brynden.

"The man is the Bolton bastard. They plan to kill Domeric. And not in a pleasant way either." Bronn proceeds to tell both men the plans of the sick couple. The Blackfish stands up half way through the explanation and starts pacing back and forth in the study. "I also told Darrel to stop by when he is relieved this evening, he wants to know the plan too."

"I'll tell him. Darrel's a good man. He also likes the lad. Darrel will keep Domeric safe." Nestor says.

"The real question is do we stop them now or do we catch them in the act. If we catch them now they can deny it and we have no proof. With no proof Roose won't believe it. If we wait for them to act we endanger Domeric." Brynden says. The three men go into deep thought.

Melisandre

Keeping Stannis under her control was tiresome. The man's wife by comparasome was much easier. A little bit of fire magic from her lord and Salyse Baratheon was nothing more than her puppet. Even the empty promises were enough to have Salyse on her side.

Stannis on the other hand had a natural immunity. His Targaryen heritage from his grandmother gave him a slight immunity. It took more and more of her power. To the point that she now couldn't be apart from him for more than an hour.

If she left him alone for more than an hour her control over him slipped. Malisadre hasn't slept in close to two weeks now. Ever since they got to the main Targaryen seat the blood of the dragon had been waking in Stannis. Malisadre is close to writing to one of her sisters or brothers to get them to come here just so that she can sleep.

Even when she is with him he sometimes slips her control. Mostly when in the presence of the infuriating Hand. That man has to go. She doesn't care if it's the pyre or the Vale but she needed that man to leave. All the plans of her lord kept being postponed due to that intolerable man. Her lord needs a stronger connection to the magic of Westeros to fight the coming darkness.

The sacrifice of kingsblood to bring about the deaths of the royal family so her Lords chosen would rule was immense. Smuggling the fat dead kings' bastards out of the city in secret was not an easy task. Doing it without the onion Knight knowing about it was even harder. Six dead bastards only for her lord's plans to be put off by an Andal was exasperating. The only one to know of her sacrifice is Salyse.

Flashback.

Dragonstone two days before the fever hit King's Landing.

Bound at the stake, in a circle, in one of the dragon glass caves off one of the deserted beaches on Dragonstone, the six bastards from King Robert all look scared. None can make a sound as each one of them has been gagged.

Malisandre and Salyse look on in anticipation, waiting for the coming night to ask their lord for his blessing. Each stake has a pile of wood under, but each pile is connected. At the right moment both Malisandre and Salyse walk in different directions lighting the connecting portions of the wood.

Malisandre starts chanting in High Valyrian.

"āeksio hen ōños. Rȳbagon issa Elēni. Gūrogon se jiōragon. Se Kivio Dārilaros ao jittan issa naejot guide naejot become dārys emagon Lī isse zȳhon ñuhoso. Gūrogon se jiōragon. Mazverdagon aōha Kivio Dārilaros nykeā dārys"

(Lord of Light. Hear my call. Except the sacrifices. The Prince you sent me to guide to become king has people in his way. Except the sacrifices. Make your prince a king (at least I hope that what it says))

Over and over she chants hoping her god will accept them and make all their hope come to life. Malisandre doesn't stop until all the fires are burnt out. Stannis is due back in four days. He will stop over on Dragonstone, to see his wife and scared daughter.

Flashback ends.

One year that's how long she was going to have to put up with the old hand. Even if he managed to train the smuggler to be a competent hand, Davos Seaworth doesn't have the same ability to break her control as Jon Arryn does.

Malisandre decides that it is time to do what she has been putting off and write to her sister Kinvara.

Sister,

I am in need of your help, my magic is failing.

Too much Valyrian fire magic here.

Maybe bring some of the fiery hand as well.

Malisandre.

Short and to the point Kinvara likes things this way. Both of them trained in the temples in Asshai by the Shadows at the same time, while Malisandre has to use illusion magic to keep her looks, Kinvara just doesn't age, one of the magics the lord of light granted her. The lord of light might keep Malisandre alive, he didn't keep her youth.

This is one of the reasons that Kinvara became the Flame of Truth, while Malisandres title is a mere honorary one, the Red Flame. It caused the two of them to stop talking to each other for many years, until the lord of light brought them back together by sending both visions of each other.

I'm not truly happy with how this ended. I feel the whole flashback was forced. But i needed to show it so there is less confusion about the fact that it wasn't the lord of lights choice that the fever happened. As we know Jon Arryn's plans happened long before the sacrifice happened. Up next is the conclusion of Ramsay's plan. I haven't fully settled on if I'm going to let Domeric die or not, if there's enough request of Domeric to live I will more then likely let him live but he's not a critical part of the planned story. I honestly think I need someone to bounce ideas off.