The Lannisters were relaxed now. Stannis' forces were repelled, they'd managed to keep their hold on the capital and throne, and they had powerful allies on their side.
The very same reasons made Stannis want to pull out whatever hair he had remaining. He never liked Mace Tyrell, and always found him to be a man with little loyalty to anyone who didn't have an angle in his favour, regardless of whether that was the right thing or not. If not for his men, he would have taken King's Landing. He would have been crowned King.
Stannis looked back to stare at the two Tyrells in the Hall. Neither stared back at him.
[KING'S LANDING]
[LORD TYRION LANNISTER wakes to echos of the sounds of battle. GRAND MAESTER PYCELLE's face comes into focus. TYRION's head is crudely bandaged, with only one eye revealed. He is disoriented.]
"Oh I survived again" Tyrion said, half in relief and half in a joking manner.
"You're like a roach, brother. Hard to kill" Jaime teased.
Tyrion rolled his eyes.
"Would you like something for the pain?"
"What happened?"
"The murderer and traitor Stannis Baratheon suffered a stunning defeat at the hands of your father."
Stannis grits his teeth. Lickspittle.
"Where am I?"
"These are your new chambers. A little cramped, perhaps, but you don't need much room, do you? You are no longer the Hand of the King."
"He loves that little fact" Jaime cackled.
"I'll shave his beard off" Tyrion grunted in displeasure.
[PYCELLE turns and begins to leave. A thought occurs to him. He takes out a coin and flicks it to TYRION.]
"Oh, For your trouble."
Jaime burst out laughing, as did a few more people who appreciated the tit-for-tat moment.
Tyrion was not one of these few men and women.
[THRONE ROOM]
[A white horse expels manure at the doorway leading to the throne room.]
Rhaegar looked livid at the insult. None of them respected the castle nor the throne that his family built, the legacy, the history and the meaning behind it all. All they see is a room and a throne! These people don't know what being a King means, what all of that means since none of their families were born into a long line of kings! Reason to relent on them but Rhaegar would not take that reason.
[LORD TYWIN LANNISTER rides the horse in, through the gathered crowd.]
"Why is he riding in on a horse?" Gendry asked.
Varys shrugged.
[From his throne, KING JOFFREY BARATHEON addresses the room.]
"I, Joffrey of the House Baratheon, first of my name, the rightful King of the Andals and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm do hereby proclaim my grandfather, Tywin Lannister, the saviour of the city and the Hand of the King."
"Saved the realm while you hid like a simpering babe" Robb muttered.
"Coward" Arya muttered.
[Bowing, a page presents a pillow to JOFFREY, who places the Hand's brooch up to TYWIN. TYWIN bows. He turns his mount and exits.]
[LORD PETYR "LITTLEFINGER" BAELISH steps forward and kneels before JOFFREY.]
Catelyn's form tensed and her eyes narrowed at the man on the wall. No doubt the bastard would reward him now. She wished he'd just drop dead right then and there for all he did to her family.
"For your good service and ingenuity in uniting the Houses of Lannister and Tyrell, I declare that you shall be granted the castle of Harrenhal with all its attendant lands and incomes to be held by your sons and grandsons from this day until the end of time."
Many people gawked at that, some even spitting out their invisible drinks. Harrenhal was a large castle, larger than even the Red Keep itself. Its dominion was also the largest in the Riverlands, even more so than that of the Tullys! For such a rat of a man to get that… Nobody liked that.
"You honour me beyond words, Your Grace. I shall have to acquire some sons and grandsons.|
Catelyn spat.
[SER LORAS TYRELL steps forward from the crowd and kneels.]
"Your house has come to our aid. The whole realm is in your debt, none more so than I. If your family would ask anything of me, ask it, and it shall be yours."
"Your Grace, my sister Margaery, her husband was taken from us before... She remains innocent. I would ask you to find it in your heart to do us the great honour of joining our houses."
"Joffrey is still betrothed to Sansa" Myrcella pointed out
"No doubt your mother and Grandfather will find a way to have it undone" Jon Arryn said with a frown. "Knowing Tywin Lannister that would be the route he takes to make his family even stronger."
Joanna said nothing because she agreed with the man's assessment.
"Is this what you want, Lady Margaery?"
"With all my heart, Your Grace. I have come to love you from afar. Tales of your courage and wisdom have never been far from my ears. And those tales have taken root deep inside of me."
Sansa turned and Margaery shrugged.
"False pleasantries, Lady Sansa" Margaery smiled. "A false compliment here and there would get you to many places."
Sansa turned ack still frowning. She looked at her mother and saw the discomfort in her eyes.
Was Margaery right then? Of course, she was! The proof was right before her. The world was cruel, and she needed to adapt to survive…
"I, too, have heard tales of your beauty and grace, but the tales do not do you justice, my lady. It would be an honour to return your love, but I am promised to another. A king must keep his word."
"As if he's kept any till now" Tyrion snorted disdainfully.
"Your Grace, in the judgment of your Small Council, it would be neither proper nor wise for you to wed the daughter of a man beheaded for treason, a girl whose brother is in open rebellion against the throne as we speak. For the good of the realm, your councillors beg you to set Sansa Stark aside."
"Ah, so she planned these little theatrics" Jaime hummed. Cerse was always one for the dramatics, no matter how big or small the matter may be.
"I would like to heed your wishes and the wishes of my people, but I took a holy vow."
A few more snorted, one of them being Myrcella. Holy and Joffrey were not fit to be in the same sentence let alone to describe Joffrey.
"Your Grace, the gods do indeed hold betrothal solemn, but your father, blessed be his memory, made this pact before the Starks revealed their falseness. I have consulted with the High Septon and he assures me that their crimes against the realm free you from any promise you have made to them in the sight of the gods."
"So they paid the High Septon to make them agree to this demand" Oberyn mused. He knew just how corrupt anyone in connection to the Lannisters was, no matter who they were or what position they held.
[QUEEN CERSEI LANNISTER looks across to LADY SANSA STARK. CERSEI is pleased and SANSA is quite worried.]
"The gods are good. I am free to heed my heart. Ser Loras, I will gladly wed your sweet sister. You will be my queen and I will love you from this day until my last day."
"Gods be good someone skip to something interesting!" Robert roared his frustration. He had enough of these sweet simpering and ass slicking!
[WESTERLANDS SHORE]
[LADY BRIENNE OF TARTH pulls the boat up to the shore. SER JAIME LANNISTER waits, his hands chained. BRIENNE pushes him forward. He walks and she follows. They encounter three hanged women in the trees.]
Robb was stunned to see the sights, especially the words written there.
"They lay with lions. Tavern girls, I'd say. Probably served my father's soldiers. Maybe one of them gave up a kiss and a feel. That's how they earned this. The glorious work of the Northern freedom fighters."
"He's lying" Robb turned to his father, almost begging him to agree with him.
But Ned only stared with sadness.
"Some men's blood runs too hot. They see enemies in everyone their enemies walk by. And most do worse than they did here."
Robb sun into his seat in disbelief.
"You're not at fault here" Jon whispered to his brother… No, his cousin. Robb was his cousin.
"These were my men. My men, my responsibility" Robb muttered.
"You can't control them all" Jon insisted. "Otherwise Father would be alive still."
That sobered Robb up, but only just.
"I don't serve the Starks. I serve Lady Catelyn."
"Tell yourself that tonight when they swing in your dreams."
[BRIENNE pushes him roughly below the bodies, finally pinning him against a tree, and tying him fast against it.]
"What are you doing?"
"Burying them."
"They don't have the time for that" Brandon the Elder grunted.
"So what? They should leave those women hanging?!" Robb exploded.
Brandon the Elder stared him in the eyes.
"If you are being chased you keep running until you lose your chasers. They are already dead, no use getting yourself killed trying to do good for them. There is a time and place for everything."
Robb scowled, teeth grinding. But Jon pulled him back down and glared at him to stay put.
"We shouldn't stay here. We should get back on the river."
"I think these women would understand if I don't care what you think."
"Idiot girl" Olenna muttered.
[Some men approach. JAIME, nervously, gestures to BRIENNE.]
"Untie me. Now!"
[Three men approach, in leather armour and bearing swords.]
"What's your business here?"
"Traveling a prisoner."
[The three men laugh hysterically]
"You're a woman. A woman!"
"Yeah that's going to come up a lot" Tyrion muttered.
"If you've quite finished up-"
[The men laugh even harder.]
"All right, we'll be going."
[She turns to take care of JAIME.]
"Whoa. Whoa! Who do you fight for?"
"The Starks."
"And now either these men would take the prisoner back to Robb or they'll kill the woman and free the man depending on who they fight for" Oberyn mused. "Want to wager?"
"Not the time" Elia sighed.
"What did he do?"
"Apparently eating is now a crime. Who knew?"
"No, stealing is a crime."
"But it's not a crime to starve. That's justice for you."
"Where are you taking him?"
"To Riverrun."
"Why Riverrun?"
[BRIENNE works to unbind JAIME from the tree.]
"Steal from the Tullys, it's their dungeons you rot in."
"Why not kill him?"
"For stealing a pig?"
"I don't give the orders. He must be important to someone."
"Sending him with you? How important could he be?"
[BRIENNE does not answer.]
"She needs to keep her head down and move on now" Olenna muttered.
"She should" Margaery agreed, before smiling at her grandmother. "Are you beginning to care about her well-being?"
"I'm tired of seeing in competence" Olenna drawled.
"All right, have it your way, my lady."
"Do I know you?"
"Have you been to Ashemark?"
"No."
"Then you don't know me."
"Do you ever go to the river market at Salt Rock?"
"You just asked about Ashemark. Why is he asked about that?" Tommen asked.
"He's probing to see if I'm telling the truth" Jamie answered.
"Is it near Ashemark?"
"No."
"I've never been there."
[BRIENNE frees him from the tree, and she and JAIME start to walk away.]
"What do you think of these beauties?"
"I hope you gave them quick deaths."
"Two of them we did, yeah."
"The girls all look disgusted."
"Wait. I do know you. That's Jaime Lannister."
"Well there's no escaping them now" Tyrion hummed. "Why did she not hide you better? Dirty your hair with mud more?"
"I don't know" Jaime shrugged.
"I wish someone had told me. I wouldn't have had to steal that pig."
"If this is the Kingslayer, I think I'd know about it."
"How do you know what the Kingslayer looks like?"
"I was at Whispering Wood. I saw him. They dragged him out of the woods and threw him down before the king."
"Just your luck" Tyrion clicked his tongue.
"He's not the Kingslayer. Sorry to disappoint you. If he was, I'd only be travelling his head."
[Again, they try to move along.]
"I have a question for you both. And I want you to answer it at the same time. I count to three, you both answer. What's his name? One. Two. Three."
[BRIENNE pushes JAIME aside, draws her sword, and sets on the men, viciously. JAIME is surprised at her prowess in battle. She bests them all and turns to MAN, who lies on the forest floor. She drops her long sword and draws her short sword.]
"You're impressed" Tyrion noted, "you're not usually impressed."
"You don't see women fighting every day, let alone that well" Jaime shrugged.
"Two quick deaths."
[She stabs the MEN in the gut, painfully. She plunges deeper, and the MAN dies. She withdraws her sword and steps away.]
"Those were Stark men."
"I don't serve the Starks. I serve Lady Catelyn."
"But she is a Stark" Tommen frowned.
"She's sworn to Lady Catelyn only, not the Starks. That is what she means" Tyrion explained.
"I told you I'd take you to King's Landing, and that's what I'm going to do. Stay."
[BRIENNE turns and chops the rope that holds the three women's corpses with a large grunt. JAIME winces as the bodies thud to the ground.]
[RIVERLANDS AT NIGHT.]
[KING ROBB STARK sits in his tent. LADY CATELYN STARK sits as well.]
"Walder Frey is a dangerous man to cross."
"I know that."
"And you mean to do it anyway?"
"I love her."
"Ned!"
The Lord of Winterfell snapped his head up to find his brother standing.
"A word. Only you" Brandon grunted before walking away.
Ned followed him in silence with a frown.
Brandon was pacing the chambers that he called his own. It brought back memories for Ned that he'd pushed back for so many years. His brother's chambers, the familiarity and comfort of it. It was odd, but it was there.
"What happened to you?" Brandon asked.
"What do you mean?" Ned asked in return.
"You had the most of the North in your blood amongst all of us siblings, even with our wolf blood. Ather may not have seen it, but I did and I would always commend you for it. So what happened? How did you change so much that you let so much go?"
Ned narrowed his eyes at his brother.
Brandon took a deep breath.
"You who follow the Old Gods to an almost priestly degree allowed a Sept to be built in the heart of the Old Gods' domain. Something our ancestors have fought against the Andals for. You allow your wife to do as she pleases without any consequences. Would father have allowed mother this much freedom? Would Jon Arryn? And now your son is treating vows he made as if they are nothing! A Stark of Winterfell who treats his vows like that is not fit to be a Stark of Winterfell! How did you let so much crumble?!"
"You want to know what happened? Ned snarled, surprising Brandon in the process. "You! All of this happened because of you!"
Brandon looked at him incredulously.
"Me?!"
"Yes! If only you hadn't gotten yourself killed!"
"They had our sister!"
"And you thought it wise to ride up to challenge a madman?!"
Ned and Brandon glared at one another.
"You went and got yourself killed. It caused Father's death. It caused a fucking war and I was stuck cleaning up after all of you!" Ned boomed. "Do you think I wanted to be Lord of Winterfell? Do you think I wanted to marry Catelyn Tully? I did what I had to do because of the fucking war! I had to build a Sept to make her happy because I brought Jon home and claimed him my bastard!"
"Catelyn Stark's personal feelings should have never messed with your judgement!" Brandon snapped. "She was a bargaining chip her father threw at you so he could wash his hands off his daughter. And I can see why. Impulsive, shortsighted and politically challenged! Her father saw all the flaws in her, in her sister, and pawned them both off the first chance he got! And now she's spread all of that to your children!"
"She is trying her best!" Ned snapped. "She's trying her best with everything crumbling around her!"
"And why do you think it all crumbled in the first place?" Brandon hissed. "If she had listened to you and gone back home without abducting a Warden's son, that too of Tywin Fucking Lannister, none of this would have happened!"
Ned fisted his hands.
"And you know why she did what she did? Because you give her too much freedom! You don't hold her accountable for anything. You build Septs for her, ignore her favouritism of the children that look like Tullys, and her attitude towards Jon! She knows you won't tell her off or punish her for whatever she does. She kidnapped Tyrion because she knew as her husband you'd shoulder her mistake and as Hand of The King Tywin Lannister would do nothing against it. Seven Hells she released a fucking Prisoner of War because she worried her daughters might get killed! What would freeing the only bargaining chip you had against your enemies do for your daughters?! If anything it would kill them faster! We lost Winterfell Ned. No Stark in history has lost Winterfell! Her sense of entitlement and shortsightedness is the reason House Stark stands on the brink of extinction!"
Brandon stormed towards Ned and the man was ready to fight. But Brandon walked past him to the door.
"I pray you learn something from seeing this and bring your wife under control. I pray she actually learns something and thinks before doing anything from now on!"
Brandon slammed the door behind him, leaving Ned to stew in his anger alone.