[KING'S LANDING, CERSEI'S CHAMBERS, NIGHT]
[TYRION enters and CERSEI angrily and tearfully stalks over to him.]
"You monster. Myrcella is my only daughter. Do you really think I'll let you sell her like a common whore?"
"Myrcella's a princess. Some would say she was born for this."
Myrcella choked up hearing her mother's words, her bottom lip wobbling.
Tyrion had noticed this and gently patted her on the head.
"Your mother is many things, dear niece, but she is above else a mother. And she loves her children dearly. Yes, she tends to overlove Joffey because he is the firstborn, but never doubt her love for you. Or you" Tyrion said the last part to Tommen, who was looking at his uncle with a small pout.
Myrcella nodded, the princess not sure what to say. Instead, she ducked her head.
"I will not let you ship her off to Dorne as I was shipped off to Robert Baratheon."
"Dorne is the safest place for her."
"Are you mad? The Martells loathe us."
"I do question your thought process brother. How is Dorne safe for Myrcella?" Jaime questioned.
"The Martells are not as ruthless to children as they are to you and I. They won't do what was done to their sister's children."
"You're quite right, Lord Tyrion," said Doran Martell, a small smile on his face. "But it isn't only House Martell who sits and waits for vengeance. Elia was beloved by most of Dorne. Many would want to avenge her death. I suggest you look elsewhere if you wish to keep her the safest."
Myrcella's head snapped up and she looked at her uncle, who looked a little caught off guard. He had to have thought about that when he sent her to Dorne. Her uncle Tyrion was clever and smart, he wouldn't do something stupid without thinking about it first.
"Myrcella would probably have a Kingsguard accompanying her" Tyrion said finally, much to Myrcella's relief. The events hadn't come forward yet, but her uncle was thinking of her well-being. That gladdened her.
"I would still suggest what I suggested" Doran replied amicably.
"That's why we need to seduce them. We will need their support in the war your son started."
It's always Joffrey, Myrcella thought angrily. Her brother always started something and she and Tommen had to suffer for it too! She still remembered the pregnant cat Joffrey had gutted. It was her cat! And after that, her mother forbade her to keep cats, in case they bothered Joffrey again. It's always Joffrey that's the problem.
I can't wait to be rid of him…
"She'll be a hostage."
"A guest."
"So naïve" Oberyn clicke dhis tongue, much to Tyrion's ire.
"You won't get away with this. You think the piece of paper Father gave you keeps you safe. Ned Stark had a piece of paper, too."
"Unlike Ned Stark, the father will turn her life around if she displeases him" Jaime mused loud enough for his brother and mother to hear.
Tyrion was still irritated by Oberyn's comment, while Joanna's frown only deepened.
[CERSEI sweeps glassware from the table in frustration. It hits the floor and shatters.]
"She's behaving like a child," Joanna said aghast. Was this the girl she'd left behind all those years ago? What has Tywin been doing that she turned out this spoilt?
"She's always been like this, especially after your death" Jaime stated softly.
"And you father—"
"Didn't have much time to deal with her" Jaime shrugged. "He'd always been on my neck about my education. The Septa tended to Cersei, and one threat cowed the Septa easily. She always got what she desired in that manner."
Joanna was outright furious now and disappointed in her husband.
"Just how safe do you think Myrcella is if this city falls? Do you want to see her raped, butchered like the Targaryen children? Make no mistake. They'll mount her pretty little head on a spike right beside yours."
Jaime winced.
"Brother…"
"I know" Tyrion sighed. He'd gone too far there.
"Get out! Get out!"
[She pushes TYRION, who falls back onto the small set of stairs behind him. CERSEI looks at him with disgust. She turns, sits, and begins to weep. TYRION climbs the stairs and exits.]
"At least you found your mole" Varys smiled. Tyrion did not return it.
[KING'S LANDING, TYRION'S CHAMBERS, NIGHT]
[TYRION sits and ponders. LITTLE FINGER enters, enraged.]
"I don't appreciate being made a fool of, dwarf. If Myrcella marries the Martell boy, she can't very well marry Robin Arryn, can she?"
"I'm afraid you've made an enemy out of his, Lord Tyrion."
"And what if I have?" Tyrion challenged the Spider. "Not much he can do to the acting Hand of the King."
"No. But you won't be acting as one for long. And Littlefinger… he loathes being made a fool."
Tyrion inhales deeply.
"I will be fine" he mutters after.
"No, afraid not. Sorry about that."
"And Harrenhal, I suppose that's off the table as well."
"Yes, I fear so. Sorry about that, too."
"Leave me out of your next deception."
"Oh, that's a shame. You were to be the centrepiece of my next deception. My brother Jaime rots in a Northern stockade. I would see him released. That's where you come in."
"Sending the man who had a hand in orchestrating my husband's death is singularly the worst idea you can come up with, Lord Tyrion" Catelyn stated calmly, though the look in her eyes was anything but calm.
Tyrion wisely said nothing. He would not come out unscathed if he were to reply to that.
"Robb Stark will never release the Kingslayer."
"No, he won't. But his mother might. How would you like to see your beloved Cat again?"
Catelyn glares, but Tyrion does not meet her gaze. He doesn't even look at her.
[BRONN enters.]
"Find him?"
"Oh, aye. And he has company. Filthy old stoat. Almost hate to interrupt."
"No, you don't."
"No, I don't."
[BRONN leaves. TYRION sets down the book he was holding and gives LITTLEFINGER a wry smile.]
[KING'S LANDING, BROTHEL]
[PYCELLE and a prostitute lie on a bed. She is naked, while he is fully clothed.]
"I was under the impression that a Maester lets go of any such inhibitions" Lyanna muttered, a little slack-jawed at what she was seeing.
"They do" Catelyn answered, covering Bran's eyes. "Robb! Arya!"
Robb reached over Jon and clasped his hands over Arya's eyes, much to the girl's displeasure.
"So the Grandmaester is biased towards a noble House and plays with prostitutes… Why is he still in the position?" Rhaegar questioned. The man had always had a dislike for the Grandmaester.
"Because we were unaware of this" Jon Arryn explained, a pointed stare pinned at the Spider.
"The Grandmaester's personal business was not… for the lack of a better way to put it… a threat to the Kingdom" Varys explained, though even did not seem satisfied with his answer.
Jon Arryn wasn't either.
"I would like to be told of the things that are not threats as well, Lord Varys."
"As you wish, my Lord."
[The door bursts open and the couple jumps as BRONN and TIMETT walk in. The woman flees the bed and PYCELLE sits up in indignation.]
"What is the meaning of this?"
[TYRION stops and stands in the doorway. BRONN walks over and pulls PYCELLE out of the bed. PYCELLE stumbles forward and stands hunched over.]
"No, please, please."
"You disappoint me, Grand Maester."
"I am your loyal servant."
Tyrion snorted.
"So loyal that you told the Queen about my plans to send Myrcella to Dorne."
[TYRION walks over to the desk and pulls out the chair. It scrapes against the floor. TYRION sits.]
"No! Never! It's a falsehood. I swear it. It wasn't me. Ah, Varys. It was Varys the Spider."
"Always me" Varys sighs.
[TYRION picks something made of gold up off the desk and plays with it while he talks.]
"See, I told Varys that I was giving the Princess to the Greyjoys. I told Littlefinger that I planned to wed her to Robin Arryn. I told no one that I was offering her to the Dornish. No one but you."
"The eunuch has spies everywhere."
"Cut off his manhood and feed it to the goats."
[PYCELLE recoils from TIMETT, landing on the bed. BRONN smiles.]
"How long have you been spying for my sister?"
"All I did, I did for House Lannister. Always. Your lord father, ask him. I've always been his servant since the days of the Mad King."
"Something I've told my father many times. You'd think a paranoid man like him would heed my words" Rhaegar muttered to his wife.
"Your father did not trust you, so it's not inconceivable" Elia patted him on the arm.
[TYRION ponders for a moment, bouncing his fingers on the armrests of the chair. He shakes his head.]
"I don't like his beard."
[BRONN grabs PYCELLE by the beard, then chops it off with a large knife. PYCELLE cries out as he feels what remains of his beard.]
"How many Hands have you betrayed, Pycelle? Eddard Stark? Jon Arryn?"
"Oh, Lord Arryn, h-he knew. He, he knew the t-truth about, about, about the Queen. An-And he planned to act, to t-tell King Robert."
"So you poisoned him?"
"No. Never."
"He looked quite offended, didn't he" Jon whispered to Robb, who nodded.
"But you let him die, made sure he succumbed."
"I see" Robert mused. "We need a new Grandmaester as well it seems."
"I will add it to the list," Renly said with a small smile. Good riddance.
"Lannister, I always served Lannister."
"Get him out of my sight. Throw him in one of the black cells."
[BRONN and TIMETT wrestle Pycelle out of the room. TYRION leaves a coin on the chair for the prostitute, who is cowering in the corner and appears to be in shock.]
"For your trouble."
"You're such a good patron for the whores" Jaime chuckled.
"Someone has to care" Tyrion smirked.
[RIVERLANDS]
[The Night's Watch recruits sleep. LADY ARYA STARK sharpens Needle. YOREN enters.]
"How do you sleep?"
"Same as most men, I think."
"But you've seen things, horrible things."
Ned and Catelyn both felt their shoulders drop at the question. No parent wanted their daughter to be exposed to such things. They had failed to do that duty.
"Aye. I've seen some pretty things, too, but not nearly so many."
"How do you sleep when you... when you have those things in your head?"
[YOREN raises his head and looks at her.]
"You didn't see that. I made damn sure."
"I close my eyes and I see them up there. All of them standing there. Joffrey, the Queen and... and my sister."
"Arya…"
"I know it's not her fault" Arya muttered.
[ARYA is close to tears. YOREN thinks for a bit before responding.]
"You know, we've got something in common, me and you. You know that? I must have been a couple of years older than you. I saw my brother stabbed through the heart right on our doorstep. He weren't much of a villain which skewered him. Willem, the lad's name was. He ran off before anyone could spit. And I just stood there, watching my brother die. Here's the funny part. I can't picture my brother's face anymore. But Willem, oh, he was a nice-looking boy. He had good white teeth, blue eyes, and one of those dimpled chins all the girls liked. I would think about him when I was working when I was drinking, when I was having a shit. It got to the point where I would say his name every night before I went to bed. Willem. Willem. Willem. A prayer almost. Well, one day, Willem came riding back into town. I buried an axe so deep into Willem's skull, they had to bury him with it. Willem's horse got me to the Wall and I've been wearing black ever since. Well... That'll help you sleep, eh?"
"Vengeance" Brandon the Elder leaned back, "it's both satisfying and hollow."
"How is it hollow?" Robb asked his uncle.
"You never get back the person you avenged. And that feeling of never seeing or hearing them… that's hollow."
Robb nodded somberly.
[YOREN gives a little laugh as he takes a drink from his wineskin. Horn blasts ring out from outside. YOREN rises quickly in response and starts rousing the sleeping recruits.]
"Those bastards are back" Gendry muttered.
"I believe so" Varys mused.
"Ho! Get up, you lazy sons of whores! Arm yourselves."
[YOREN comes back across the room to address ARYA and GENDRY.]
"Keep out of sight, both of you."
"No, I'm not afraid."
"I can fight."
"Keep out of sight. If things go wrong, you run. Do you hear me? You run along north and don't look back."
[YOREN quickly retreats from ARYA and GENDRY, heading to the door to usher out the recruits. ARYA and GENDRY look at each other and then begin to move.]
"Hey, there's men out there who want to fuck your corpses. Outside, now!"
"Come on, move, move!"
[LOMMY is about to stand when he sees GENDRY's golden bull helmet. He picks it up.]
"He's going to be mistaken for me, isn't he" Gendry muttered.
"Likely so. The men at arms are not well known for their brains" Varys sighed.
[Gold Cloaks ride up to challenge the Night's Watch recruits. The recruits run out wildly, some with weapons and some without. One runs into a tall torch stuck in the ground and knocks it over, setting the grass on fire near the cage where the Night's Watch prisoners are being kept. The recruit scrambles away from the fire and runs off.]
"Gold Cloaks!"
"Everyone out!"
"Aren't the Gold Cloaks supposed to protect the city and only the city?" Shireen questioned.
"They are. But it would seem Joffrey had other plans for them" Stannis explained.
"His days are numbered" Robert grunted.
"Hey, you! Open the damn cage!"
[LOMMY picks up a piece of wood to use as a weapon and runs off. YOREN and a few other members of the Night's Watch approach the mounted Gold Cloaks, led by SER AMORY LORCH.]
Elia's eyes widened before she snarled. The memory of that man came to her in an instant, pinning Rhaenys down and…
Rhaegar grabbed her hand and she squeezed it hard.
"Where's the bastard, crow?"
"Got more than a few bastards here. Who's asking?"
"Ser Amory Lorch, sworn bannerman to Lord Tywin Lannister. These men from the capital requested our assistance. Drop your weapons in the name of the King."
"Just drop it" Catelyn muttered with worry. They were here for Gendry, not Arya. They wouldn't even know Arya if they caught sight of her. Just let them take the bastard and be done with it…
[ARYA and GENDRY watch from behind a bush.]
"Now, which king would that be?"
"This is your last chance. In the name of King Joffrey, drop your weapons."
[YOREN looks around at the Gold Cloaks and spits.]
"I don't think I will."
Catelyn held back a frustrated scream. All he had to do was hand over the bastard!
[A Gold Cloak shoots YOREN in the shoulder with a crossbow. He falls but then rises in anger. ARYA tries to go to him but GENDRY holds her back.]
"I always hated crossbows. Take too long to load."
[YOREN swings his sword and slashes the throat of a nearby Gold Cloak. He battles and takes down a few more of them before being subdued. ARYA gasps as she watches with GENDRY behind the bush. The Gold Cloaks hold YOREN up between their spears. AMORY LORCH rides over and pierces YOREN through the top of his head with his sword, killing him.]
"Even now he needs to be fed his kills" Jaime spat. He remembered Amory Lorch well, a stain in the name of Knighthood.
[The recruits rush out from behind the bushes, led by GENDRY. HOT PIE, however, stays behind.]
"Boy, come here. Boy! Sweet boy, help us."
[ARYA pauses, unsure of what to do. The Gold Cloaks set upon the recruits in battle.]
"Come back here! Help us, boy! A man can fight! Free us!"
[ARYA spies an axe and runs to retrieve it. She comes over to the cage.] ARYA hands JAQEN the axe, then runs back towards the fighting. BITER and RORGE yank the axe away from JAQEN and begin trying to free themselves. JAQEN watches ARYA run back to the battle. The fighting continues. HOT PIE watches from the bushes as GENDRY, who had been successfully fighting several Gold Cloaks, is overpowered and knocked out. The other recruits are similarly outmatched.]
"The boy fights well… for someone who has never fought in his life" Stannis complimented. A rare thing for those who knew the man.
Robert looked over at his bastard son thoughtfully.
[ARYA tries to run from the encampment. POLLIVER, seeing her running up on the path, steps out of the darkness and hits her with the butt of his sword. ARYA falls to the ground.]
"That bastard" Robb swore, eyes ignited in anger.
[He takes ARYA's sword as she lies gasping on the ground. HOT PIE is pushed forward by soldiers, encountering ARYA, who is still on the ground.]
"I yield! I yield!"
"So much for him being in fights" Tyrion snorted to himself.
"Round up any survivors. We'll take them back to Harrenhal."
"You heard him. You're coming with us."
[POLLIVER yanks ARYA up from the ground by her shoulder and pushes her forward. He pushes HOT PIE as well. The Gold Cloaks corral the remaining recruits and begin to march them back through the camp. They come across a wounded LOMMY with a crossbow bolt in his leg. The group stops walking and POLLIVER crosses over to LOMMY.]
"Something wrong with your leg, boy?"
"Look at it."
"Can you walk?"
"No. You got to carry me."
"All right."
[POLLIVER extends his hand as if to help pull LOMMY up, but stabs the boy through the throat with Needle instead. LOMMY spits up blood and dies.]
"Carry him, he says."
[The Gold Cloaks laugh. ARYA is in shock at the murder of her friend. AMORY uses his sword to knock over the kneeling corpse of YOREN.]
"We're looking for a bastard named Gendry. Give him up or I'll start taking eyeballs."
[No one says anything. Several recruits look down and subtly towards GENDRY, who looks at AMORY out of the corner of his eye and begins breathing heavily. ARYA looks around quickly and gets an idea.]
"You want Gendry?"
[GENDRY subtly turns his head to stare at ARYA, nervous about her next move.]
"You already got him."
[ARYA turns away from GENDRY to look over at LOMMY.]
"He loved that helmet."
[The scene shifts over LOMMY to show GENDRY's golden bull helmet lying on the ground above the boy's head.]
He hadn't realized it until then, but Robert released the breath he'd been holding. Trust Ned to get his ass out of danger in some way or the other, be it his son and Ned's daughter.