As the wall slowly faded to dark, the people stood, stretched and decided that they would rest for a while before starting again. They filed out of the chambers one after the other, Robert being the first one and Brynden the last.
Lord Bloodraven though will have no sleep or rest, not when his mind was plagued with his worries about the future, about the decision he'd made many years ago.
All his life he had never been one to second guess himself, to follow the path he chose with the utmost confidence. And here he was now, brought outside his time to watch the future unfold. He was not brought with the rest, the rest who were here to change their future. His purpose here was no less the same, he did not doubt.
Did that mean that his path was the wrong one? That he had made a mistake that needed to be remedied? That still had the chance to be remedied? Only one such choice came to mind…
Bryden opened the doors to his chamber and stiffened.
"I expected to find something like a chamber in the Red Keep" Rhaegar spoke, staring out the window. There was lush greenery outside, beyond the stone walls. "Or perhaps even a chamber from Dragonstone."
"Why are you here?" Lord Bloodraven raised a brow.
"To speak" Rhaegar looked away from the scenery to the one-eyed man. "You've been alive all this time, watching."
"Perhaps" the man shrugged, closing the doors behind him softly.
"Yet you did nothing to stop the events that led to the dethroning of House Targaryen, a house you had sworn to and were born into."
"Illegitimately" Brynden clarified in a clipped tone, "Certain people were fond of reminding me of that."
Rhaegar did not question who these people were. He had an idea.
"People like me, we are merely observers. We do not intervene until the time is right, we only watch and plant our seeds."
"Is that what Bran Stark is? A seed?"
"One of many" the one-eyed man left out the potential 'failure' from his words. He wasn't sure about Bran Stark anymore.
Rhaegar regarded his words with a frown.
"You could have saved our house."
"Certain events should happen as they should. If I was wrong about that, we'd be watching from before the Rebellion" Brynden said coldly. "House Targaryen needed to fall so it may rise once more. You, your father, your brother, all of them were too problematic for the House."
Rhaegar clenched his fist.
"And Robert was better?"
"Far better than either of you three. He would have been one of the best had his sadness and bitterness not taken him entirely. Which I expect to change now."
The two men stared at one another.
"Why Bran Stark?"
"He was born with a strong gift."
"As was Jon."
"Ah, so this is what this visit is about" Brynden sat by the bed and started removing his boot. "You think Jon is your Prince that was Promised."
"No."
Brynden raised his head and raised a brow.
"A dragon must have three heads" Rhaegar said and Brynden rolled his eyes, "and Daenerys has brought that forth, hatching three dragons on her own. I do not doubt that it is her who is the Prince who was Promised."
"Yet you stand here for your son, not your sister."
"My sister has her dragons, but she will need someone capable and honest beside her for when the time is right."
"And you think it is Jon."
"You have seen him, you tell me."
Brynden did not tell him anything.
"I will leave you to think on the matter."
Rhaegar pushed himself away from the windows and walked towards the doors.
"It's Raventree Hall."
Rhaegar stopped mere inches from the door.
"This chamber, it's the one I had at Raventree Hall when I was young."
"A similarity between you and Jon, he prefers his mother's house more than his father's. Not that I have given him much of a reason to favour my house" Rhaegar smiled.
Rhaegar pushed the doors open, before looking back one last time.
"And, he has the blood of the First Men and Old Valyria in him."
The Prince left, leaving a ponderous Bloodraven behind.
-x-
After a long rest period, they all returned, had a healthy meal and took their seats once more. Daenerys chose to sit with the Starks once more, sensing that the tension with the Martells had yet to fade fully.
[A younger CERSEI and her friends MELARA and JEYNE are walking in the woods. JEYNE looks afraid but MELARA looks as confident as CERSEI.]
"Oh we're starting with Cersei's flashback now, are we" Tyrion said dryly. As if the older version of his sister wasn't enough.
Joanna's eyes sparked slightly at the sight of her young daughter. That was no doubt her Cersei, so much like Myrcella yet with none of the girl's innocence.
"You look like Mother" Tommen pointed out with a smile. With his uncle's statement, he was certain who this girl was.
Myrcella only nodded in reply. She did look like her mother.
"We shouldn't be out here alone."
"Why not?"
"If your father hears…"
"He'll never know we've been gone."
"And she gives you grief for being a daredevil" Tyrion nudged her brother.
Jaime rolled his eyes playfully.
"But if he finds out…"
[CERSEI takes JEYNE'S hands.]
"You don't need to be afraid of my father."
"The ignorance of youth? Or just my sister's hardheaded dumbassery?" Tyrion waggled his brows.
"Both, maybe" Jaime shrugged.
[The three walk until they see a hut with smoke coming out of it. JEYNE looks even more uncomfortable.]
"Where is this?" Joanna asked with a frown.
Jaime and Tyrion both shrugged. Neither of them knew.
"We shouldn't go in."
"Of course we should."
"Of course, she'd just walk in without permission" Sansa muttered. That woman thought herself above the law, it made sense she did so from a young age.
[The three enter the hut. A fire is burning and various plants are hanging from the ceiling. They hear a shriek. JEYNE runs out from fright.]
"You should follow your friend and get out.]
"They said that you were terrifying. With cat's teeth and three eyes. You're not terrifying. You're boring."
"I'm not sure Cersei knows the right definition of terrifying" Catelyn muttered. The woman on the wall was squat, and warty, with cursty yellow eyes, no teeth, and pale green jowls. She seemed hunching and her voice was croaking yet exotic sounding. She definitely cut the image of a terrifying witch.
"You don't know what I am."
"I know you're a witch and you can see the future. Tell me mine."
"Cersei believed in these things?" Tyrion raised a brow.
"Never told me anything about this" Jaime frowned. So the secret-keeping started young. And he was foolish enough to think she was just as honest with him as he was with her.
"This is my father's land. My land. Tell me my future or I'll have your two boring eyes gouged out of your head."
"So this is Casterly Rock" Joanna frowned. Only one witch came to mind when she thought about it.
Maggy the Frog…
"Your blood. Give me a taste."
[CERSEI cuts her thumb with the knife MAGGY gives her. Maggy grabs her hand to suck her blood.]
"Gross" Arya made a face.
"Three questions you get. You won't like the answers."
"I've been promised to the prince. When will we marry?"
"Before father refused him then" Rhaegar mused.
"You'll never wed the prince. You'll wed the king."
"One out of three came true" Tyrion hums.
"But I will be queen?"
"Oh yes, you'll be queen. For a time. In comes another. Younger, more beautiful, to cast you down and take all you hold dear."
"Not surprising if you have a son and he takes the throne after his father, his wife would be the new Queen" Jaime pointed out with a frown.
"And she'd be younger no doubt as well" Tyrion added. "Is this witch the reason Cersei hates all the women put forward for Joffrey or Tommen? This 'prophecy'?" the Imp scoffed.
"The first one became true so-"
"So? The second one is common sense! I know I say our sister lacks it, but you can't tell me she's this dumb."
"I can" Lyanna cut in with a snort. "She's that dumb!"
"You're biased!" Tyrion threw back.
"So are you!"
The Imp snorted, sharing a smile with the femme wild wolf.
"Will the king and I have children?"
"No. The king will have 20 children, and you will have 3."
"I don't have that many" Robert grunted.
"You still have too many" Jon Arryn said disapprovingly. He'd kept tabs on the one in King's Landing and the one at the Eyrie who was only shown a glimpse when Sansa went along the lift. It was a surprise Robert hadn't pointed out to her. She was his first and Robert was more than fond of that child.
Robert grunted with an embarrassed blush.
"Gold will be their crowns. Gold their shrouds."
"Naturally. The colours of House Baratheon are black and yellow bordering gold, and House Lannister's is red and gold. Their shrouds would be gold and any crowns they wear would also be gold since they are royalty" Tyrion pointed out with a frown. "Only one of three 'prophecies' was a true one, the other two a reliance on the first. Born from natural common sense more than anything else."
"That's how witches work. They say one thing and relate the rest to it, so if the first becomes true then people think the others would also come true" Varys explained. "That is how the charlatans pull you in."
"So Cersei's based her whole life on these three prophecies" Jaime frowned. That is one explanation for the kind of woman she turned out to be. Unjustified, but an explanation.
[MAGGY starts laughing. CERSEI'S thumb starts dripping blood.]
[KING'S LANDING - MODERN DAY]
[CERSEI gets out of a cart to a funeral procession outside of the Great Sept of Baelor. She walks to the top of the stairs.]
"The funeral" Tyrion noted blankly.
Joanna pursed her lips. She should be mourning, yet she couldn't find it in herself to do it. It was apparent that the man she loved died a long time ago, and this was a stranger to her, a monster.
"Your grace, we are honoured by your presence. The mourners are waiting."
"They will keep waiting. I want a moment alone with him."
"But your grace, many of these lords and ladies have travelled day and night to be here…"
[CERSEI starts walking away.]
"From all seven kingdoms…"
"They will wait."
"Typical" Lyanna muttered. But there was no venom in her words. True she did not like Cersei, but the woman was mourning her father. She deserved some privacy to do it.
[GREAT SEPT OF BAELOR]
[TYWIN'S body rests with hand-painted stones on top of his eyes. JAIME presides over the body. CERSEI walks next to him.]
"He never wanted you to be a King's Guard, but here you are, protecting his dead body."
"No, that was you" Jaime muttered.
Tyrion turned to him and raised a brow.
Jaime shrugged.
"What he built. The towers. He built it for us. He meant it for us. They're going to try to take it away, all of it."
"You look broken up about his death" Tyrion pointed out.
"That version of me doesn't know the things I know. So I can imagine that he is a little more attached to Father than I am."
"Are you saying you are attached to him still?"
"He is still my Father."
"He is mine too."
"Unlike you, brother, he was somewhat decent to me."
"Touche."
"They're waiting a night to make sure he's really dead and as soon as they see the stones on his eyes they'll set to work on tearing us apart."
"They had nothing to do with it. The man who murdered our father, he tore us apart, he's the enemy. I've been telling you for years, you've been defending him for years…"
"Perhaps if you had not alienated him and showed him some kindness, perhaps he would be one of you still" Lyanna muttered. Tyrion was not the worst of the Lannisters, Tywin being the worst and Jaime being the best of them, ironic considering he was the one to push her nephew through a window. Tyrion was in between Jaime and Cersei, oscillating like a pendulum.
"...and now our father is dead. And that little monster is out there somewhere drawing breath. Did you set him free?"
[No response from JAIME.]
"It would have been nice to be put into that plan, I suppose" Jaime muttered.
"I don't think it was a plan to begin with. For one, I stumbled by and lost it seeing Shae" Tyrion shrugged. "Besides, you would have tried to stop me if it were a plan."
It was true, Jaime would have.
"Tyrion may be a monster but at least he killed our father on purpose. You killed him by mistake. With stupidity. You're a man of action, aren't you? When it occurs to you to do something you do it, never mind the consequences."
"Rich coming from her, after the shit show that was post Robert's death and everything Joffrey did once she crowned him" Renly snorted.
"Take a look. Look at the consequences. Here they are. He loved you more than anyone in this world."
"Did he? Or did he see glory in you and was more attentive to you than her?" Robb questioned.
"To her, it was the same thing, more attention meant more love" Jaime shrugged.
[MEEREEN]
[The giant bronze Harpy statue is pulled down from the top of the pyramid.]
"The symbol of slavery, I'm guessing" Jon looked at Varys, who was most familiar with Essos in this hall.
"It came from the Old Empire of Ghis, their symbol. The custom of Slavery comes from them, inherited by the Valyrian Freehold when they defeated the empire. The Harpy since has become a symbol of Slavery, yes. Featured in many of the Slave cities" Varys explained.
Jon nods.
[BROTHEL – MEEREEN]
[An UNSULLIED soldier walks up to a prostitute and hands her a coin. She takes him into her room and starts undressing him.]
"Aren't they eunuchs?" Robb questioned in a whisper.
"Yes," Jon answered. There was not much he could add after that point. Not like he was an expert in the art of pleasure.
[She undresses herself]
"You… you don't have to."
"Habit."
[She puts her clothes back on and lays down next to him in bed, stroking his head and humming.]
"I suppose sex isn't the only thing whores are good for" Robb muttered to himself. Some men could do with the comfort of a woman's touch, especially those who have never received it.
[A knife slits his throat. The UNSULLIED looks up and sees someone wearing a golden harpy mask holding the knife]
"What just happened?" Daenerys demanded to know. That was her soldier that just died.
"I'm guessing you have a resistance in your hands" Brandon the Elder answered. "You are conquering those lands after all, you are bound to meet people who would resist it."
"But I didn't conquer them. Their own people turned on them!"
"If they saw the slaves as people, things would have been a lot simpler."
Daenerys gently slammed her fist on her thigh. If these slavers intend to fight her like this… perhaps murdering them all would do better than giving them a chance.
"Do not think like that" Jon spoke, making Daenerys turn to him.
"You don't know what I'm thinking."
"You're considering not showing lenience and just killing them all."
Daenerys does not reply.
"Do not let the behaviour of other men ruin your goodness. There is always a way out of this problem before it becomes a problem at all."
"Tell me then. How can I save my men from being slaughtered while sowing lenience to the slavers?"
"I don't know yet… but I'm sure we can come up with something the more we watch. Isn't that why we are here, to watch and learn?"
Daenerys looked away. She hoped there was a way, or else it was death to them all.
[GREAT PYRAMID – MEEREEN]
[A Golden Harpy mask rests on the table.]
"Sons of the Harpy?"
"Of course, they'd call themselves that" Varys snorted. The Harpy was their symbol of Slavery, of course, they'd call themselves the Harpy's son.
"Yes, your grace. They left it on the body."
"They've never killed before."
"It was only a matter of time, your grace. Conquerors are always met with resistance."
"I didn't conquer them. Their own people did."
"They do not see us as people, Your Grace."
Daenerys was outraged by the pain in that man's voice, the one who spoke after Ser Barristan. Those slavers were a stain on the world that needed to be dealt with harshly.
"Then they will have to learn to see things differently, Mossador. He did not risk his life fighting for freedom so cowards in masks could take it away. And I did not take up residence in this pyramid so I could watch the city below decline into chaos. What was the name of the man you lost?"
"White Rat, your grace."
"I will never get used to Unsullied names" Tyrion muttered. Grey Worm, White Rqat, what even were these names?
"I want him buried with honour. Publicly. In the Temple of the Graces."
"The Sons of the Harpy will hear that message."
"Make them very angry."
"Angry snakes lash out. Makes chopping off their heads that much easier. Find the men who did this and bring them to me."
"Yes! Make them pay" Brandon the Elder nodded enthusiastically.
"It would cause bloodshed if she antagonizes them" Jon argued. "Finding the base of operations to rout the entire thing is the best course, without any innocents dying in the process."
Brandon rolled his eyes. Jon was correct, it was more efficient, but his Wolf's Blood said otherwise.
[CASTLE BLACK]
[JON SNOW is parrying with OLLY. JON puts his sword to Olly's neck.]
"Get your shield up."
"It's too heavy."
"If it wasn't heavy it wouldn't stop a sword, now get it up."
[JON knocks OLLY into the ground then helps him up.]
"Come. Try it again. Drive at me. Keep your shield up. Or I'll ring your head like a bell."
"You're a good teacher. Harsh but not unkind" Lyanna complimented with a smile.
"I had a good teacher" Jon smiled back.
[SAM and GILLY are watching them parry from afar.]
"Shouldn't you be training, too?"
"Well, I'm hardly a new recruit. How many brothers can say they've killed a white walker and a Thenn? I might be the first in history!"
"A man still needs to keep his skills sharp" Jaime rolled his eyes. He was easily the best in his generation and a few before and after his generation, but he knew if he didn't practice and train he'd lose his touch.
[SER ALLISER walks by.]
"These men need a firm hand. Always have. They're poachers and thieves. Not soldiers."
[He gives SAM and GILLY a look before he walks away.]
"That one hates me."
"That one hates everyone" Lyanna rolled her eyes.
"If Ser Alliser is chosen as the new Lord Commander… he hates the wildlings."
[SAM looks at GILLY'S baby.]
"All the wildlings."
"Don't let them send us away."
"I don't think 'sending away' is what he'd do" Arya muttered angrily. Ser Alliser was not the best man. He would kill Gilly and her baby.
"It's not a sure thing. Ser Denys Mallister has commanded the Shadow Tower for 20 years, and people say he's a good man. He's running against Ser Alliser-"
"He rambles a lot" Olenna clicked her tongue.
"He's nervous, grandmother," Margaery said with a half smile.
[Cut back to JON and OLLY parrying. OLLY is on the offensive. JJON turns and sees MELISANDRE waiting.]
"Oh great she's there" Renly muttered in disgust.
[ELEVATOR - THE WALL]
"You're not cold, my lady?"
"Never. The Lord's fire lives within me, Jon Snow."
[She takes his hand to her face.]
"Feel."
[Jon feels her face.]
"Are you a virgin?"
"Get away from him you whore!" Lyanna screeched, making Jon and Daenerys cringe. The woman apologised to them both but still glared daggers at Melisandre on the Wall.
[THE WALL]
"Your grace. The Bastard of Winterfell."
"I'm very sure that matters very little now" Jon muttered, glaring at Melisandre. He was a brother of the Watch now. That's all that mattered.
[JON bows to STANNIS. STANNIS motions for him to get up.]
"You know who rules at Winterfell now?"
"Roose Bolton."
"The traitor who plunged a dagger into Robb Stark's heart. Don't you want to avenge him?"
"I want a great many things, your grace. But I'm a sworn brother of the Night's Watch now."
"I've been talking to your sworn brothers. Many of them love you."
"That's because he's a likeable guy!" Arya exclaimed.
"Many don't."
Arya said words that made her mother screech at her.
"You were seen taking the body of a wildling girl north of the Wall. Why?"
"It's where she belonged."
"Some of the Night's Watch feel you have too much affection for the wildlings."
"They were born on the wrong side of the wall. That doesn't make them monsters."
"He's impressed you" Robert noted, seeing the glint in his brother's future self's eyes.
"He is like his father… well, his uncle I mean" Stannis muttered in reply.
"No matter. I shall take back the North from the thieves who stole it. Tywin Lannister is dead. He can't protect them now. I shall mount Roose Bolton's head on a spike. But if I'm to take Winterfell I'll need more men."
"The Night's Watch are sworn to play no part in the war of the realm," Rickard said sternly.
"The men of the Night's Watch are sworn to play no part—"
"Good lad" Rickard smirked.
"I'm not talking about the damn Night's Watch. I'm talking about the wildlings."
"Good luck making them follow you" snorted Brandon the Elder.
"Some might" Ned reasoned. "If given the right incentive."
"You must be blind to not have seen what I saw, Ned."
"And you blind not have seen what I'd seen."
The two brothers stared at one another before sighing and looking away.
"If they swear to follow me, I'll pardon them. We'll take Winterfell. Once the North is won, I'll declare them citizens of the realm. I'll give them land to live on."
"Good offer…" Ned said thoughtfully.
"I'll offer them their lives and their freedom if Mance kneels before me and swears his loyalty."
"There's that deal gone" Brandon muttered.
"I don't think that's likely."
"You admire him, don't you?"
"I respect him."
"He likes you. Convince him to bend the knee..."
"Your grace…"
"...or he burns."
"Always with the burning" Renly sighed. "At least now the pyre would heat the men North."
"This is not a joke, Renly," Robert said sternly.
"And everything else is?" Renly raised a brow.
The King snorted and shook his head.
[COUNTRYSIDE – CARRIAGE]
"You told Lord Royce we were going to the Fingers."
"So Robyn is with Yohn now" Jon Arryn whispered. A good man, trusted and harsh. Just what Robyn would need to straighten up.
"But we're heading west. If he wanted to betray us, he already would have."
"Lord Royce may be as honourable as he thinks he is, but he's not alone in that castle. Do you trust all those knights and ladies, stable boys and serving girls?"
"No. Do you trust the carriage driver or the knights escorting us?"
"No. But I pay them well, and they've seen what happens to men who disappoint me."
Catelyn frowned. She did not know how to feel about this. On the one hand, the distrusting nature would come in handy for Sansa down the line. But what would her prolonged exposure to Baelish make her? Another opportunistic backstabber?
"So where are we going? To a land where you trust everyone?"
"To a land so far from here, even Cersei Lannister can't get her hands on you."
"Essos?" Sansa questioned. Maybe she'll run into Arya there. It would be nice…