[KING STANNIS BARATHEON's fleet sails through the night. SER DAVOS SEAWORTH walks the deck and looks out the stern at the rest of the ships. The view cuts to STANNIS looking ahead before cutting to show soldiers sitting below, tired and waiting. One vomits from seasickness.]
"That's a wonderful sign for things to come" Stannis muttered with a scrunched face. Then again, it may as well be the soldier's first time on a ship. That did little to inspire faith in him.
[DAVOS and his son, MATTHOS SEAWORTH, are above deck.]
"That's it. The tide's against us."
"Aye, but we have the wind. She'll blow us straight to the gates."
"You're coming home."
"Ser Davos is from Kings Landing?" Shireen asked her father, who nodded in reply. She hadn't known that.
"King's Landing hasn't been home for twenty years. I spent most of my life dodging the royal fleet. And now I'm sailing right at them."
"This is the royal fleet. And you're not a smuggler anymore, you're the high captain."
"Of course, there are several royal fleets at the moment."
"Not after tonight. When the sun rises, Stannis will sit on the Iron Throne and you will be his Hand."
"Your best man's son shows more faith in you than he does" Renly taunted.
"And good of him for that. Never take anything for granted until the matter is in your hands" Stannis muttered.
Renly looked away with a scowl. Sometimes it was easy to rile his brother up. Other times it was like this, lectures and lessons.
"The people of King's Landing did not choose the false king, Joffrey Baratheon. They will be glad to see his head on a spike."
"Well, first, we have to put it there."
"Our ships outnumber theirs ten-to-one."
"Our army outnumbers theirs five-to-one. Those walls have never been breached, and the men guarding the walls, when they see you, they don't see a liberator, they see a stranger come to set their city on fire."
"I have faith in the Lord of Light. I have faith in our cause. And I have faith in my captain."
"Makes me almost wish he comes out of this in one piece" Tyrion muttered. Such a boy with such high spirits would be welcomed in droll times. But he doubted he'd be seeing that boy again on here.
[KINGS LANDING, TYRION'S CHAMBERS]
[VARYS stands by the window while PODRICK PAYNE helps to dress TYRION in his armour.]
"I've always hated the bells. They ring for horror. A dead king, a city under siege."
"A wedding."
"Exactly."
Tyrion and Jaime both snorts.
"Podrick, is that it?"
"Is that it? Nice touch. As if you don't know the name of every boy in town."
"I'm not entirely sure what you're suggesting."
"I'm entirely sure you're entirely sure what I'm suggesting."
"Do you trust him?"
"Oddly enough, I do."
"Good."
[VARYS unfolds a map before them.]
"The map you asked for."
[TYRION steps down to study the map. PODRICK continues to dress him.]
"There must be twenty miles of tunnels beneath the city."
"Closer to fifty. The Targaryens built this city to withstand a siege and to provide escape if necessary."
"Maegor the Cruel was quite the paranoid man. He had the Red Keep and its secret passages built before killing all of the workers that built it so they can't spill its secrets" Varys informed the rest.
"You know about them" Tommen pointed out.
"I do" Varys agreed.
"And now so do we. Then they can't be secrets anymore, right?"
"I suppose not, my boy" Varys smiled.
"I'm not escaping. Strange as it sounds, I'm the captain of the ship, and if the ship goes down, I go with her."
"Brave words brother, never thought I'd be hearing them from your mouth" Jaime spoke.
"Me neither" Tyrion grunted his agreement. He was going out to fight for fucks sake! He wasn't a fighter!
"That is good to hear. Though I'm sure many captains say the same while their ship is afloat. You look well suited for battle, my lord."
Tyrion snorted.
"I believe the armour does suit you, my Lord" Varys smiled.
"Credit to the armourer then" Tyrion muttered.
"My little birds tell me that Stannis Baratheon has taken up with a red priestess from Asshai."
"What of it?"
"You don't believe in the old powers, my lord?"
"I do now" Tyrion muttered. Hard not to with everything going on right now.
"Blood spells, curses, shape-shifting. What do you think?"
"I think you believe in what you see and in what those you trust have seen. You probably don't entirely trust me."
"Mmm, don't take it personally. I don't entirely trust myself."
"And yet I have seen things and heard things, things you have not, things I wish I had not. I don't believe I've ever told you how I was cut."
"No, I don't believe you have."
"You have now" Tyrion stated.
"That I have" Varys nodded, his usual smile dampened.
"The dark arts have provided Lord Stannis with his armies and paved his path to our door. For a man in service to such powers to sit on the Iron Throne, I can think of nothing worse. And tonight, I believe you are the only man who can stop him."
Stannis shifted uncomfortably. The Spider's words were not wrong. What had the witch's words done to him, how had she bent him? Was he even fit to rule anymore?
[THE BARATHEON FLEET]
"They're welcoming the new king."
"I've never known bells to mean surrender. They want to play music with us? Let's play. Drums."
[Soldiers start to play the drums. The soldiers spring to action, readying for battle. STANNIS watches, resolute.]
[KING'S LANDING]
"I saw you kill a man with a shield. You'll be unstoppable with an axe."
[They clasp hands.]
"Don't get killed."
"Nor you, my friend."
"Oh, are we friends now?"
"I am just as surprised as Bronn" Jaime smiled, reaching out to ruffle his brother's hair, only to be slapped away by the imp.
Joanna smiled at her sons. It would not be easy to make friends with Tyrion's… condition. It was warming to see that the boy was not alone nor would he be.
"Of course we are. Just because I pay you for your services doesn't diminish our friendship."
"Enhances it, really."
"Oh! 'Enhances.' Fancy word for a sellsword."
"Been spending time with fancy folks."
[BRONN exits. LADY SANSA STARK and SHAE enter.]
"Lady Sansa and Sheila."
"Laying it thick there" Jaime commented.
"Shae."
"Shae, yes. Surely my sister has asked you to join the other highborn ladies in Maegor's holdfast."
"She has, my lord, but King Joffrey sent for me to see him off."
"Of course, he has, that twat" Robb spat. With the knowledge that Rickon and Bran were still alive, Robb felt a little lighter. All the Starks did.
[KING JOFFREY BARATHEON and THE HOUND enter.]
"Always been a great romantic, my nephew."
"Sansa, come here."
"I will pray for your safe return, my lord."
"Will you?"
"Just as I pray for the king's."
"You should speak like this more" Arya muttered to her sister, "not all the sweet and silly talk."
Sansa only smiled in reply.
[PODRICK and TYRION exit]
"Your king rides forth to battle. You should see him off with a kiss."
[He draws his sword and presents it.]
"My new blade. Hearteater, I've named it. Kiss it."
"Hearteater" Olenna snorted.
"He could do a lot worse" Margaery spoke.
"He could" Olenna agreed.
[SANSA leans down and kisses the blade.]
"You'll kiss it again when I return and taste my uncle's blood."
"Will you slay him yourself?"
"If Stannis is fool enough to come near me."
Stannis' jaw set stubbornly.
Renly meanwhile snorted.
"So you'll be outside the gates fighting in the vanguard?"
"A king doesn't discuss battle plans with stupid girls."
"I'm sorry, Your Grace. You're right, I'm stupid. Of course, you'll be in the vanguard. They say my brother Robb always goes where the fighting is thickest. And he is only a pretender."
"You've become quite adept at speaking with false courtesy" Margaery commented, smiling at Sansa. "You should learn it quicker. It will save you plenty of trouble."
"Do you use it often?" Sansa asked.
Margaery tactfully avoided her grandmother's gaze.
[MAEGOR'S HOLDFAST]
[SANSA walks over to CERSEI.]
"I was wondering where our little dove had flown. You look pale, child. Is your red flower still blooming?|
"Yes."
"Fitting, isn't it? The men will bleed out there and you will bleed in here. Pour Lady Sansa some wine."
[A servant pours the wine. CERSEI hands it to SANSA.]
"I'm not thirsty, Your Grace."
"So? I didn't offer you water."
"Perhaps… she's beginning to see a bit of herself in Sansa" Jamie whispered to his brother. "Think about it, both Cersei and Sansa had certain dreams and expectations that were shattered by the King they would marry. Cersei is probably training Sansa to learn to live with it."
"Interesting point of view, brother" Tyrion mused. "A shame she doesn't have a brother to comfort her."
Tyrion snickered at Jaime's dirty look.
"What's he doing here?"
"Ser llyn? He's here to defend us. When the axes smash down those doors, you may be glad to have him."
"But we have guards to defend us."
"Guards we have paid. Should the city fall, they'll be the first ones out of the doors."
"She isn't wrong" Ned said, loathe as he might agree with that woman. "Times like these you can only trust people who have specifically sworn to you, not anyone who you pay."
Sansa, as well as Arya and Bran nod.
[A door opens and a gold cloak walks in. He bows to CERSEI.]
"The lads caught a groom and two maids trying to sneak away with a stolen horse and some gold cups."
"Have Ser llyn see to them. Put their heads on spikes outside the stables as a warning."
[He bows and moves to ILYN PAYNE, they exit the chamber.]
"The only way to keep the small folk loyal is to make certain they fear you more than they do the enemy. Remember that if you ever hope to become a queen."
"You said he was here to protect us."
"He is. Traitors are a danger to us all. More wine."
Sansa swallowed. If Cersei had been wrong, her parents would have told her that by now. As they had not… it could only mean one thing…
Sansa swallowed thickly again.
[THE WALL OUTSIDE THE HARBOR]
[TYRION, JOFFREY, THE HOUND, and LANCEL look out across the foggy sea.]
"Archers to their marks."
[The archers set their bows.]
"Archers! Nock your arrows!"
"Nock arrows!"
"Hold fast."
"You look like you belong" Jaime whispered.
Tyrion said nothing.
"What are you doing? We need to attack them."
"Hold fast."
"Boulders ready!"
[There is but one ship sailing out of the harbour.]
Stannis frowned. Just one ship? What were they planning?
[THE BARATHEON FLEET]
[MATTHOS and DAVOS watch the lone ship approaching.]
"There's only one ship."
"Archers, stand to! Man the below! Nock."
[The soldiers get set.]
"Draw! Hold."
[They watch the ship sail by. It is unmanned.]
"There's no one on board."
Stannis' eyes widen a fraction as a piece of information from before clicks in place.
"They're luring us in to kill us all with one move" the Lord of Dragonstone ground out.
Renly looked at his brother confused, while Robert seemed to have clicked as well.
[HARBOR WALL]
"More rocks coming up!"
[HAYLLNE climbs the stairs. TYRION looks back at him. HAYLLNE lights a torch and hands it to TYRION.]
[THE BARATHEON FLEET]
[As the empty ship sails past, DAVOS sees that it is spewing green liquid into the sea behind it]
"Wildfire. Steer clear! Steer clear!"
The rest of the watchers inhale sharply, now aware of what the plan was.
[HARBOR WALL]
[TYRION throws the torch over the side of the wall. BRONN gets the signal, lights his arrow ablaze and launches it high into the sky.]
[THE BARATHEON FLEET]
[The flaming arrow soars over DAVOS's boat and hits the wildfire in the water, which erupts in green flame. The flames crawl towards the ghost ship. A huge explosion. The ghost ship explodes ferociously, overwhelming MATTHOS and many other soldiers. STANNIS recoils from the blast]
Shireen inhales sharply, clinging to her father's hand.
Stannis's jaw set stubbornly, a hand on Shireen's. Was this his end? Was he going to die here? Would be a fitting death, killed by the element his witch's dark god was master of.
[THE BARATHEON FLEET]
[The explosion engulfs the fleet. Meet scream in agony, devoured in green flame, some jumping overboard. The immensity of the explosion is stunning. Chaos ensues on board as the ships collapse.]
[HARBOR WALL]
[TYRION, PODRICK, THE HOUND, and JOFFREY watch. HAYLLNE smiles. TYRION is horrified.]
Tyrion in the hall had a similar expression. He could hear them like he was there, hear the screams of the men and feel the heat on his face. It was war, and death was something unavoidable here. Yet… had he gone too far?
[THE BARATHEON FLEET]
[STANNIS's ship is unharmed. He gets to his feet and surveys the massive destruction. Men scream and masts collapse.]
Shireen heaves a sigh of relief but still refuses to let go of her father.
Stannis on the other hand had no relaxed. He had miraculously survived…
"Prepare to land. The dwarf has played his little trick."
"The wildfire."
"He can only play it once."
"We're too far from the gates. The fire, their archers- Hundreds will die."
"Thousands."
[STANNIS descends from the upper deck and addresses his troops.]
"Come with me and take this city!"
[The men yell in agreement.]
Renly watched stoically. Not only had his brother survived, but he also inspired men to follow him into sure death with a single command.
Renly had never managed to do so. The men that followed him followed for some gain sure enough, but these men were ready to lay their lives for Stannis. Why? Why was the unlikeable Stannis met with such loyalty?
Renly did not understand it one bit.