Chapter 47: Storm

Robb made sure to ride over Meryn Trant's body. Perhaps it was petty, but after what the man had done to Sansa, he felt it was only right. That he heard his horse shit on the man made it even better. He had never doubted that Ser Jaime would be able to defeat the man, but he was relieved, nonetheless.

He also doubted that it was Joffrey who had sent Meryn Trant with those terms. No doubt the Queen Mother was responsible. Regardless, things were moving, and the time had come to get going. He pulled up short of the gate that would lead them to King's Landing proper.

The gate was opening, slowly, and Robb wanted to make sure that whoever was on the other side saw him. He wore a coronet atop his auburn curls. He wore a dark blue cloak atop his armour, and he had made sure his armour shone in the sunlight. Perhaps he was becoming more Lannister than Stark, but he knew these things mattered.

As the gate opened completely, he found himself looking at a body of ten men. At their head was a man dressed head to toe in gold, but with a scarred nose and a protruding lip. This was Ser Janos Slynt. Jaime had told him about the man. He was a craven and Robb intended to have him killed once things were settled.

"Your Grace, welcome to King's Landing." Ser Janos said. "Please, do come in."

Robb nodded to his Kingsguard who rode in ahead of him, Jon and Ser Jaime moved to block Slynt-should he try anything-whilst Ser Barristan rode at his side. The moment his horse set foot in the capital, Robb exhaled. Months of planning had finally paid off. He was within the capital, the place that would be his and Myrcella's new home.

He looked around. There were people gathered near them, they were staring at him with wide eyes. He turned to Olyvar Frey, his squire and said. "Olyvar, go and tell Ser Edmure that I want him and his contingent to secure the dock." He knew some might try and escape. The young man voiced his recognition of the order and moved off.

"Lord Tywin," Robb said to the man who was his Hand and closest advisor. "Secure the Great Sept and have the High Septon ready for a discussion once the Red Keep is secure."

"At once, Your Grace." Lord Tywin replied before moving off.

"The rest of you, follow me." Robb commanded. He looked at Slynt then and said. "Lead the way."

Slynt tried to make conversation, but Robb merely grunted, he did that enough times to convince the other man to remain silent. Robb spent his time assessing his surroundings. The people looked famished, they were staring at him and the men with vacant eyes. Some of them bore the marks of violent beatings. He glanced at Slynt and saw that the man had seen what he had. The man turned away quickly. Robb made a note of that.

As they made their way deeper into the city, into what he assumed were the noble quarters. He found people waiting for him. Robb called a halt to the march.

"Your Grace." The leader of the group said, he was old, and looked as if he were going to totter over. "I am Lord Gyles Rosby, I have come on behalf of the Lords of the Crownlands to offer our fealty to Your Grace."

Robb nodded. "We can do the formal swearing of allegiance later. But for now I recognise your oaths and welcome you into the fold." He took a moment to breathe in the air-it smelt strange- "Now ride with me." He commanded, he urged his horse forward and Rosby fell in line with him.

As they rode onward, Robb asked the man. "What can you tell me about what has been happening at court?"

"Nothing good, Your Grace." Rosby answered. "The usurper has been beating people, particularly his brother, Prince Tommen. He also had Grand Maester Pycelle badly beaten. To the point where the man is barely alive."

Robb grunted. So, the rumours were true. "Is that why you decided to change sides?" He asked.

Rosby exhaled. "I have seen many Kings, Your Grace. I was born during the reign of King Aegon the Fortunate. I know what a good King looks like, and I believe you are it. Joffrey is not."

Robb was about to ask more when Ser Janos Slynt spoke up. "Your Grace, if I may, we are entering the north side of the Red Keep, I will present my keys to the guards and make it easier for us to get through."

Robb waved at the man bidding him to do just that. Slynt rode forward, and pulled out a small golden key, words were exchanged and then the gates were moved, and Slynt rode back nodding to signal all was well. Robb urged his horse on and entered.

The first thing he noticed about this part of the Red Keep was that it was breaking down. Not physically but appearance wise. It didn't seem like the Keep of a Conqueror. Robb wasn't really sure how to explain it to himself, he just knew he'd need to change elements of it. They rode down a straight corridor, through open doors, down another corridor and then they came to what he'd been told was the throne room.

The men on guard opened the doors, and the moment they did, they were greeted by a scream that sent Robb's blood to curdling.

The moment he heard that scream, Jaime knew something bad was about to happen. He didn't wait for the King to give him permission, he pushed into the room and what he saw horrified him.

A knight of the Kingsguard-Joffrey's Kingsguard-was stabbing Cersei again and again. There was so much blood that the entire place was slick and wet. Jaime stared at the scene in horror. Nothing could have prepared him for this. Not hearing Aerys rape Rhaella, not hearing Robert grunt as he fucked Cersei. This was a monstrosity.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" He bellowed.

The knight stopped stabbing Cersei long enough to look at him in shock. Jaime growled. Ser Preston Greenfield. A man Jaime had vouched for when Robert had looked for a Kingsguard knight all those years ago.

"You dare attack and kill an innocent woman?" He snarled, striding into the room and toward Preston, as he did so, he drew his sword.

"She was a traitor." The man replied, sounding terrified.

"She was your Queen!" Jaime yelled, his sword out and moving toward Preston in one smooth movement.

Preston didn't have time to raise his sword in defence, Jaime took off his hand in one go, he then turned his attention on the man's exposed face. He swung his sword and buried the sword in the man's eye. Preston screamed and staggered, before he fell, Jaime pulled the sword out and was covered in a spurt of blood.

Jaime stepped back as the man fell to the ground screaming. He dropped his sword and moved to Cersei.

Somehow, miraculously, she was still alive. Just.

He knelt next to her and cradled her head in his hands. "Cersei, Cersei, I'm here!"

Cersei looked at him with unfocused eyes. "Jaime? I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I tried, I'm sorry."

"It's fine, Cersei, whatever it is, it's fine!" Jaime said, feeling tears form on his face.

"I'm sorry. I never could give you what you wanted." Cersei mumbled, her words becoming slurred. "Myrcella, tell her I love her and I'm sorry."

"I will." Jaime said, his vision blurred.

"I love you." Cersei murmured.

She went limp then. Jaime screamed into the air, he felt his heart break, that's when there was a laugh.

Jaime looked up and saw Joffrey, the seed he had never claimed, the seed he would never claim. Joffrey was laughing holding a sword.

Jaime got up, wiped his tears away and moved toward the bastard.

Robb looked between Ser Jaime and the throne and he knew then what he had to do.

"Ser Jaime." He barked out in as authoritative a voice as he could. The man stopped and looked at him. "Cease." He ordered. The man looked conflicted, but he eventually stepped back and moved to stand next to Robb.

That prompted the boy on the throne, Joffrey, to laugh even more. Joffrey looked different. He had long blonde hair, and the beginnings of fuzz on his lip. His eyes looked everywhere but at Robb.

"Kinslayer." Robb said.

Joffrey stopped laughing and glowered. "She betrayed me."

"So, you decided to kill her?" Robb asked.

"Yes. I had no further use for her." Joffrey replied. "She decided to go above me and have the gates opened. She decided to send Ser Meryn to his death."

Robb said nothing, merely waited for Joffrey to continue. The boy obliged.

"Everyone betrayed me. My own family betrayed me. My own fucking mother betrayed me. But you know who didn't betray me? Ser Meryn." Joffrey smiled then. "Even if he didn't feel comfortable with what I asked him to do, he did it." The smile grew wider. "And that included beating your sister. If I'd asked him to, he'd have fucked her as well."

Robb ignored the jibe and instead asked. "Did you ever think to ask why everyone turned on you?"

"Because they are all traitors who can't be counted on." The boy used his sword to point at his mother's body. "Especially my own mother."

Robb sighed; this was pointless. "Where did you get that sword?" He asked instead.

Joffrey laughed and held it up in the light. "It was made from Ice. Your traitor of a father's sword. I melted that down and got two swords made from it."

Something clicked in him then. Before he knew what he was doing, Robb had walked up the steps of the throne, towered over Joffrey and punched him so hard the boy had been knocked out. He grabbed the sword from the boy's slumped form and raised it up to look at it. "A good sword." With his free hand, he picked up Joffrey by the scruff of the neck and threw him down the throne. The boy hit his head but otherwise didn't stir beyond groaning. "Someone take him down to the black cells." As two men hurried to obey, he took out his sword and handed it to Jon, sheathed the sword he'd taken from Joffrey-it managed to fit just about-and then looked at the throne. A moment passed and then another, and then he sat down.

"Long Live The King!"