no copyright intended
sorry for the long delay in writing, but I am now trying to finish all the stories I started years ago. Since I started posting I have had three children and very little time but now with my youngest now attending Nursery in the afternoons I now have some time to myself again so I have commited to trying to finish all the stories I had left unfinished. Thanks
"I have heard that there have been packages delivered to the castle" her father's voice rang out across the great hall causing her to wince a little at the loud noise, her head still ringing from the excess of wine she had been drinking
"Your little birds singing again father?" Cersei sniped, her anger at herself directing itself at her father.
"How could you have been so stupid? Have you learnt nothing since that boy was killed?" her father's voice snapped like a whip cracking as he stood up on the raised level where she was sat on the throne that had once belonged to her husband and then her beloved second son.
"That boy was your king and grandson" she sneered at the tall blonde man who was now stood above her with his expression as stoic as it was when he ordered more paper for his desk, her father's face rarely gave away his emotions.
"That Boy was a petulant child who wouldn't listen to advice and reason, and it appears it was a learnt behaviour, judging by your lack of judgement. I inform you that we have two more sell swords in the capital and during your drunken stupor, yourself pity party you have decided to instead of gathering more information on them just jump right in and make more enemies like you did with the Starks, act first worry about the consequences later, only instead of having the Starks scattered away from here making them easier targets to deal with, our enemies are literally in our walls" Tywin snarled, his anger causing his tall frame to almost vibrate with anger. He didn't understand what he had done wrong in life to be cast with such children, the only one with any brains was the one with a lame body.
"The starks caused the trouble themselves" Cersei started trying to defend herself, trying to get out of the chair however she stumbled a little due to the excess wine in her system still
"Ned stark was a smart, loyal and brave man and he had managed to keep the north under control for years, he was smart enough to know what you were up to, and he knew about your disgusting acts with your brother" Tywin snapped his sharp eyes watching her expression closely
"father" Cersei started again but was cut off once again by a scoff from her father who had turned and walked away from her a little his back now to her to hide the disgust and pain that was slipping on to his face,
"I have heard for years of your affair with your brother, but I always believed it was rumours and you simply stayed close as you had as children, at least that is what I allowed myself to think it wasn't until your first born died, a beautiful dark haired boy just like Robert and then Joffrey was born and you suddenly had a golden haired child that I realised the disgusting truth. I have spent years trying to keep these family secrets buried, to keep you and your brother in a position of power, positions that would also keep your other brother safe from persecution that normally came from someone with his frailties. I had hoped that you would never be stupid enough that these things would become common knowledge but you let yourself get caught by the middle Stark boy and then tried to have him killed with evidence that led back to yourself and yet you expected to be able to keep Ned off the trail of his sons assassin and then you decided to have Robert killed so that he wouldn't find out what you had done and have you all executed for treason, did you really think the man who had been warden of the north for as long as Stark had been was a stupid man? Do you think Robert would have been in power or won his war without Ned stark? Stark was the brains in that army and your petulant child placed his head on a spike and then beat his daughter publicly" Tywin growled low in his throat as he turned to his daughter, she was stood in front of him her chin raised in defiance
"Stark was a northern brute" Cersei snarled back, her brain trying to run through all the information her father had laid at her door, she should have known he would know all the details of everything that happened on the lead up to the war. Tywin Lannister always knew everything that happened in kings landing and beyond even from casterly rock, his spy's everywhere reporting anything they hear back to him.
"Stark was a good man, he had little time for our family but that was due to his belief in your brothers less than honourable reputation. The Starks are loyal, brave and raised in a strict honour code and they had run the north for years keeping the peace and stopping the wildlings from crossing the wall. He was perhaps a little less refined as the pompous knights of the realm we have here such as the Tyrells all frills and no backbone, but he was by no means the ignorant brute you believed him to be. If you had once again gathered information on him, you would know this" Tywin frowned looking down on his proud daughter, he wondered how she felt herself so proud on all she had done when all this needless war could have been avoided and he wouldn't be having to face losing one of his sons either by execution or threw hatred as he knew if he allows it go forward, he had no doubt Jamie would never forgive him if he allows Tyrion to be sentenced with death
"I was trying to protect my children" Cersei whined as she felt the blows of the verbal attacks from her father as though he had struck her physically, he had always had a way of cutting her down without using physical force, her imp of a brother had the same skill and she had hated them both for the way they spoke to her as though she was stupid
"You were protecting yourself; you have always had a selfish streak Cersei and until now it served you well but now you think because you had some power that it would be fine to act on your selfish decisions without thinking of how these acts would affect everyone around you"
Cersei moved towards her father with the hope of arguing her own side of these events however they were interrupted by the knock on the door and the door opening with a guard on the other side looking a little sheepish at having to interrupt the shouting match between the two
"What is it?" Tywin yelled his calm demeanour slipping for a second as the bile of disgusting and angry thoughts and words that had built in him during this argument had to be pulled back as he refused to add more spectacle to their family name then there already was
"Sorry for interrupting Sir but another package has been delivered and there is something at the outer wall that you may wish to see" the guard stammered, he was fighting down the small amount of nausea that was fighting to be released since he found the latest package, all the kings guard had been talking about the assassins that had started targeting them but he had brushed it off at first thinking the new recruit that had told them all last night during their meal had just been a bit to green for an assignment that they had been put on
"Show me" Tywin ordered as he turned to snarl at his daughter quickly as she stood beside him, her face paling a little at the announcement
"You better fix this Cersei, give them the girl back or we won't have any men left by the time that the north decides to make their move" Tywin yelled as he walked out the door following the guards
Out in the courtyard a group of Guards had all gathered trying to keep the public away from the wall, his son among those stood around whatever was gathering attention, he walked through the crowd parting for him as her approached.
"Cersei really has messed this up this time Father" Jamie snarked as he looked at the mutilated body of one of the head of patrols body. Their head was still attached to the body but judging from where the blood was pooling around the not long dead corpse, he was guessing there was a different body part in the box and this one had a head all its own
"We need to have this body moved immediately, have the box placed with him so that he is complete for burial. Send Guards around in groups, check every inch of this castle they are in here and we need to know where. If they cannot be found send a messenger out to where they have been staying and let them know we will release the girl in return for them leaving the city" Tywin ordered his sharp eyes darting around the court yard, he knew they were here, he could feel someone watching him however in this crowd it was hard to see anyone who might stand out and the two sell swords were experts in blending in
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"Now that is interesting" Ashlyn whispered as she looked through the papers on the hand of the king's desk
"It appears my love that there has been plenty of trouble at castle black, some of it including Ned Starks bastard son, you remember Jon" Ashlyn whispered to the silent man who was stood near the door keeping a listen out for approaching steps
"I remember Jon, always found it odd that the honourable Ned Stark had a bastard myself but I guess during war these things happen" Seon smirked a little his heightened hearing listening closely on alert if they needed to leave quickly, they had spent a day or two tormenting the guards with noises and leaving presents for Cersei, however they had also been keeping tabs on all the main players in the castle and Tywin was an interesting man to learn about
"His correspondence is very detailed, and he seems to have news from every corner of the world. This letter talks of a Dothraki queen taking on slavers on the other side of the sea" Ashlyn commented her eyes scanning the letters quickly and gathering any key points that she felt she may need in the future
"There is someone going into the next room, two people if I heard correctly" Seon whispers as they move towards the tapestry in the back of the room and slip out into the old servants' corridors, moving to the next door then quietly slip it open and stay out of sight while they listen in to whomever has gone in to the room.
"That is Brienne of Tarth" Ashlyn whispers under her breath next to Seon as they watch from the darkened corner as Jaime Lannister seems to be tasking Brienne with a mission
"It appears he means to keep his promise to Katlyn, even in death he is sending Brienne to find the stark girls and take them home" Seon whispered back as the two people they had been observing moved from the room.
"For a king slayer he isn't what I assumed he would be, reports of him before had him as a proud and pompous ass, I guess being a prisoner and losing his hand had humbled the young lion somewhat" Ashlyn stepped back in to the darkened corridor and started to move along silently, their aim for the next set of rooms.
"I think this game has gone on long enough. Let's make ourselves known my dear, I have little patience for being in this viper pit any longer" Seon frowned as they neared their destination, their eyes scanning the room as they entered and moved to make themselves comfortable, knowing their host would be back to his room soon
Moments later the main chamber door opens revealing the robed bald man, who glanced up surprised to find he was not alone, a moment's hesitation between him closing the door and then entering the room fully
"Lord Varys we would like to speak with you if you wouldn't mind" Ashlyn smiled brightly as she looked over the unusually flustered man
"Lady Ashlyn, I don't normally allow anyone in this chamber but apparently there is no keeping you two out of anywhere that you possibly shouldn't be, judging by the packages you have been leaving around the castle" Varys commented back as he approached the table that the two had sat down at and moved to sit with them warily
"You may be right but, in this instance, we came here with our own agenda, and it is one that appears to not be getting through to the proper authorities, now I would like Elyria back and I want her back now, and if I find so much as a paper cut on her then I will sweep this castle and murder everyone in here in the most horrible ways that I imagine" Ashlyn smiled sweetly like she had just asked for a glass of wine not casually threatening the lives of hundreds of people
"She is being heavily guarded, but I do know where and I also know that Lord Tywin has ordered her release today" Varys answered his bald head sweating a little with nerves
"We will retrieve her and then leave" Seon spoke softly his low voice almost causing Varys to jump in response
"You both lived in bravos for a while is that correct?" Varys asked his eyes scanning the pair cautiously
"We did yes" Seon answered his own eyes narrowing in on the lord of spies himself
"Well I am sure you are aware of the trail due to take place with Lord Tyrion, the trial will never be fair, Cersei has wanted him dead for years and Jamie doesn't have the pull that his sister and father have and Tywin is only interested in keeping his family in power he will do whatever he has to, to keep the people happy even if that means killing his own son" Varys explained to the two sell swords
"I don't see what any of this has to do with us" Ashlyn answered her curiosity suddenly peaked by where this conversation appeared to be heading
"Tyrion is the smartest man I have ever met, his father is the second, but Lord Tywin underestimates his son, Tyrion knows the trial will not be fair, so he is looking for someone to fight for him in a trial by combat. He asked his brother, but Jaimes hand limits his abilities especially as Cersei will nominate the mountain, however there in another in the capital who hates the mountain and will likely aim to take him on that is Prince Oberyn"
"Again, what does all this have to do with us?" Seon enquired, his patience starting to grow thin
"Should things go badly, and Prince Oberyn fails, I am hoping to get myself and Tyrion out of kings landing for good. I have started to make an enemy of Cersei and people who do that never live long, Tyrion doesn't deserve to die for the sins of others. I suspect who killed Joffrey and it wasn't his long-suffering uncle or Poor Sansa stark" Varys explained, his stories in full flow making him feel a little more comfortable with the two people sitting with him
"and you wish for help to leave the capital" Seon asked as his eyes darted to his lover when her breath hitched in anger at the mention of Sansa Stark, they had heard from the maids stories and gossip all that had befell the young girl, it seems none of the staff in the castle had believed she was the daughter of a traitor and they also had never believed she deserved the treatment she was given and the definitely did not believe that she had poisoned Joffrey.
"What happened to Sansa Stark was a shameful act of power in the hands of a disgusting child" Ashlyn snarled her eyes flaming with anger
"I agree, Tyrion and I tried our best to help her when we could, but it wasn't always so easy to do, the poor scared girl put her trust in the wrong people a few times" Varys explained sadly, he knew what it was to suffer torment at the hands of someone cruel and he wouldn't have wished on the sweet girl
"Say we agree to your term what do we get in return?" Seon asked as he tried to steer the conversation back to try and keep his lovers temper in control, she had become more vicious than normal with the loss of her adopted sister, and he needed her to keep control for a while longer
"What is it that you would like?" Varys asked, he could offer them money, but he had learned a long time ago that in these negotiations it was easier to simply ask the price instead of guessing
"You make sure that we get Elyria back and unharmed, I would also like a list of all the men who took her, I would also like a list of all the men who harmed any of the Starks while they were here, they are my bannermen and I respected Ned Stark, he was my father's friend and to hear how they have been treated, well let's say there will be less Guards in the capital by the time I am through" Seon spoke softly his anger only apparent by the flashing in his brilliant blue eyes
"Anything else?" Varys asked his nerves at compiling such lists and having them discovered made his anxious
"I think that will be sufficient, however I think we would benefit from being in contact with the lord of spy's. I think it is fair to say we will be in touch in the future" Ashlyn smiled as she stood from her chair suddenly and moved towards the back corner of the room again, Seon following behind her quietly
"I thought they had all been blocked off" Varys asked as he watched a small whole in wall open and then two slips inside quietly
"You would be surprised where we have gotten with these long-forgotten passages" Ashlyn smiled again as she let the door shut behind her and they moved towards the end of the small hallway and headed out on to the courtyard, not bothering to hide this time the pair approached a young Guard and grabbed a hold of him quickly before he could raise an alarm
"These guards are poorly trained; anyone could just walk up to them and gut them before any of them even blink" Ashlyn giggled manically as she watched the fear and worry appear in the young man's eyes as Seon held a blade to his neck
"Are you on patrol or stationed here?" Seon asked his eyes scanning the courtyard around them while waited for an answer
"Stationed here sir" The young man stammered, his neck stinging where he could feel the tip of the blade slicing into his throat
"I wonder what's the best way to get attention from these lions?" Ashlyn asked as she looked around for something she could use, spotting some barrels over to the side of the yard she headed over and was happy to find that they were barrels of oil
"Oh, Seon shall we make a little noise to get their attention?" Ashlyn asked as she began to roll the barrels in to the middle of the yard and grabbed her flint rocks out of her small pouch attached to her hip on her armour
"Always so dramatic" Seon smiled at her indulgently as he watched her line up a small roll of oil-soaked string along the floor before bending and lighting the end, her eyes blazing happily as she watched the barrels start to explode with loud bangs, large flames and plenty of smoke to draw attention
Suddenly the whole courtyard was filled with guards and maids, servants and other lords and ladies who had been attendance that day, suddenly the large crowd parted, and two large knights walked through the middle of them followed by the three golden haired beauties that Ashlyn and Seon had wanted to attract
"Finally come out of hiding" Cersei sneered, although her eyes showed some fear while looking at the pair in front of them
"We just came for Elyria and as promised we will leave in peace if we have her" Seon spoke out loudly raising his voice on this rare occasion
"What makes you think we won't just kill you where you stand" Cersei laughed her body swaying a little with her already consumed wine for the day
"Oh yes I recall you have a habit of killing those from the north with little to no charges or proof" Ashlyn snarled at the other woman, her lips curling into a menacing smile as she spotted the panic flash in the golden haired womans eyes
"There are many charges that could be laid at your door Lady Ashlyn" Tywin grinned watching the pair stand before the whole king's guard and still believe that they would win, and he had no doubt that at least half of his guards would be dead before they perished themselves
"That might be so, but you forget I have been in your castle for days and I know many more charges that would ruin your family and many of your loyal followers for generations to come. we however are not interested in your petty wars or your grudges or anything else we simply came to do the job we were hired to do, and we would have continued to do so if you had not felt the need to renege on the deal that was struck between us and your son and then when you came to see ourselves I thought I made it clear that no one was to touch Elyria" Ashlyn snapped back at the older man
"Sir Trent, bring the girl" Tywin snapped his voice rising above the crowd who had started to murmur with brunette assassins last words
Ashlyn watched carefully as the dark-haired man dragged her friend through the crowd and dropped her unceremoniously at the feet of Tywin Lannister
"Are you ok Elyria?" Ashlyn asked as her eyes continued to scan the crowd around them for signs that the guards may launch an attack
"Yes mistress" the small voice came from the young girl who looked around terrified at the crowd around her and tall men who surrounded her
"Let the girl come to us now and we will leave now" Seon spoke as he released the man, he had held the whole time they had been talking
"Go on now girl" Tywin spoke to the small child in front of him, her dark eyes darted to him for a second before she jumped to her feet and ran quickly at her mistress, who caught her in her arms and started to pull her towards the gates
"do you really think you can just leave" Cersei snarled again her eyes catching the soldiers she had left on the walls aiming arrows at the pair
"Cersei don't" Jaime's voice carried around the courtyard as an arrow fired at the back of the two women, however it was stopped as a knife flew and pinned it to the wall
"I see stabbing people in the back in a family trait" Seon growled as he reached for another knife,
"There is a saying where we are from, the north remembers, House Lannister you have made to many mistakes to recover from in this war, but you can add to your long list the betrayal of this day" Ashlyn snapped as she reached in to her small shoulder bag, pulling out a small vial that she had been saving for just such an occasion like this
Catching Seon's eye, Ashlyn moved quickly and shoved Elyria towards her partner who moved swiftly and picked up the smaller girl and pulled her over his shoulder and started to run. Ashlyn stopping a second to throw the vial she had in hand at the small fire that was still burning, the powder was a concoction that they found on their travels and caused the fire to explode with the aggressiveness of wildfire, but the courtyard filled with thick black smoke covering their retreat from the castle