Chapter 6: Ascendancy

Tyrion

"They have my son," Tywin Lannister said.

"They do, my lord." The messenger's voice was dulled by exhaustion. On the breast of his torn surcoat, the brindled boar of Crakehall was half obscured by dried blood.

One of your sons, Tyrion thought. He took a sip of wine and said not a word, thinking of Jaime. When he lifted his arm, pain shot through his elbow, reminding him of his own brief taste of battle. He loved his brother, but he would not have wanted to be with him in the Whispering Wood for all the gold in Casterly Rock.

His lord father's assembled captains and bannermen had fallen very quiet as the courier told his tale. The only sound was the crackle and hiss of the log burning in the hearth at the end of the long, drafty common room.

After the hardships of the long relentless drive south, the prospect of even a single night in an inn cheered Tyrion mightily... though he rather wished it had not been this inn again, with all its memories. His father had set a gruelling pace, and it had taken its toll. Men wounded in battle kept up as best they could or were abandoned to fend for themselves. Every morning they left a few more by the roadside, men who went to sleep never to wake. Every afternoon a few more collapsed along the way. And every evening a few more deserted, stealing off into the dusk. Tyrion had been half-tempted to go with them.

He had been upstairs enjoying the comfort of a featherbed and the warmth of Shae's body beside him, when his squire had woken him to say that a rider had arrived with dire news of Riverrun. So it had been all for nothing. The rush south, the endless forced marches, the bodies left beside the road... all for naught. Robb Stark had reached Riverrun days and days ago.

"How could this happen?" Ser Harys Swyft moaned. "How? Even after Whispering Wood, you had Riverrun ringed in iron, surrounded by a great host... what madness made Ser Jamie decide to split his men into three separate camps? Surely he knows how vulnerable that would leave them?"

Better than you, you chinless craven, Tyrion thought. Jaime might have lost Riverrun, but it angered him to hear his brother slandered by the likes of Swyft, a shameless lickspittle whose greatest accomplishment was marrying his equally chinless daughter to Ser Kevan, and thereby attaching himself to the Lannisters.

"I would have done the same," his uncle responded, a good deal more calmly than Tyrion might have. "You have never seen Riverrun Ser Harys, or you would know that Jamie had little choice in the matter. The castle is situated at the end of the point of land where the Tumblestone flows into the Red Fork of the Trident. The rivers form two sides of a triangle, and when dangers threatens, the Tully's open their sluice gates upstream to create a wide moat on the third side, turning Riverrun into an island. The walls sheer from the water, and from their towers the defenders have a commanding view of the opposite shores for many leagues around. To cut off all the approaches, a besieger must needs place one camp north of the Tumblestone, one south of the Red Fork, and a third between the rivers, west of the moat. There is no other way, none."

"Ser Kevan speaks truly my lords," the courier said. "We'd built palisades of sharpened stakes around the camps, yet it was not enough, not with no warning and the rivers cutting us off from each other. They came down on the north camp first. No one was expecting an attack. Marq Piper had been raiding our supply trains, but he had no more than fifty men. Ser Jaime had gone out to deal with them the night before...well, with what we thought was them. We were told the Stark host was east of the Green Fork marching south..."

"And your outriders?" Ser Gregor Clegane's face might have been hewn from rock. The fire in the hearth gave a somber orange cast to his skin and put deep shadows in the hollows of his eyes. "They saw nothing? They gave you no warning?"

The bloodstained messenger shook his head. "Our outriders had been vanishing. Marq Piper's work we thought. The ones who did come back had seen nothing."

"A man, who sees nothing, has no use for his eyes." The mountain declared. "Cut them out and give them to your next outrider. Tell him you hope that four eyes might see better than two... and if not, the man after him will have six."

Lord Tywin Lannister turned his face to study Ser Gregor. Tyrion saw a glimmer of gold as the light shone off his father's pupils, but he could not have said whether the look one of approval or disgust. Lord Tywin was oft quiet in council, preferring to listen before he spoke, a habit Tyrion himself tried to emulate. Yet this silence was uncharacteristic even for him and his wine was untouched.

"You said they came at night," Ser Kevan prompted.

The man gave a weary nod. "The Blackfish led the van, cutting down our sentries and clearing away the palisades for the main assault. By the time our men knew what was happening; riders were pouring over the ditch banks and galloping through the camp with swords and torches in hand. I was sleeping in the west camp between the rivers. When we heard the fighting and saw the tents being fired, Lord Brax led us to the rafts and we tried to pole across, but the current pushed us downstream and the Tullys started flinging rocks at us with the catapults on their walls. I saw one raft smashed to kindling and three others overturned, men swept into the river and drowned... and those who did make it across found the Starks waiting for them on the riverbanks."

Ser Flement Brax wore a silver and purple tabard and the look of a man who cannot comprehend what he has just heard. "My lord father-"

"Sorry my lord," the messenger said. "Lord Brax was clad in plate and mail when his raft overturned. He was very gallant."

The messenger then went onto describe how the crossing between the rivers was overrun as well by Starks and how Lord Umber fired the siege towers and Robb Stark led the butchery of Lannister soldiers. Tyrion could feel his heart beginning to sink as the messenger continued to speak, not only had the remenants of Jaime's host been defeated they had been massacred. He dreaded to think how many men had survived.

Lord Lefford was the brave man who asked that question " How many men managed to escape the butchery?"

The messenger swallowed nervously before saying "2000 spearmen and as many bowmen survived my lords and were led back to the Golden Tooth by Ser Forley Prester."

This was met by silence then a sudden out pouring of men shouting one thing or another, many including Ser Harys Swyft and Lord Lefford demanded that they sue for peace with the Stark boy to leave them free to fight Lord Stannis.

Tyrion snorted "Peace?" He took his cup, swirled his wine around and then threw the cup to the floor watching as it shattered on the ground. "There's your peace, Ser Harys. My sweet nephew broke it for good and all when he decided to ornament the Red Keep with Lord Eddard's head. You'll have an easier time drinking wine from that cup than you will convincing Robb Stark to make peace now. He's winning or hadn't you noticed?"

"Two battles do not make a war," Ser Addam insisted. "We are far from lost. I should welcome the chance to try my own steel against this Stark boy."

"Perhaps they would consent to a truce and allow us to trade our prisoners for theirs."

"Unless they trade three for one, we still come out light on those scales," Tyrion said acidly. "And what are we to offer for my brother? Lord Eddard's rotting head?"

"I had heard that Queen Cersei has the Hand's daughters," Lefford said hopefully: "If we give the lad back his sisters back..."

Ser Addam snorted disdainfully "He would have to be an utter ass to trade Jaime Lannister's life for two girls."

"Then we must ransom Ser Jaime, whatever it costs," Lord Lefford said.

Tyrion rolled his eyes. "If the Starks feel the need for gold, they can melt down Jaime's armour."

"If we ask for a truce, they will think us weak," Ser Addam argued."We should march on them at once."

"Surely our friends at court could be prevailed upon to join us with fresh troops," said Ser Harys. "And someone might return to Casterly Rock to raise a new host."

Lord Tywin rose to his feet. "They have my son," he said once more, in a voice that cut through the babble like a sword through suet. "Leave me all of you."

Ever the soul of obedience, Tyrion rose to depart with the rest, but his father gave him a look. "Not you Tyrion. Remain. And you as well, Kevan. The rest of you out."

Tyrion sat himself down and waited for his father to speak, when his father did speak the words that came out of Lord Tywin's mouth sounded oddly like agreement "You have it right about Stark. Alive we might have used Lord Eddard to forge a peace with Winterfell and Riverrun, a peace that would have given us the time we need to deal with Robert's brothers."

Tyrion found himself wanting to know something he had long suspected "Why did Joff have Lord Eddard executed father?"

And in a rare moment where Tywin Lannister's face seemed almost what was the word? Soft he said "Because Lord Eddard denounced Joffrey and said he was not the true king. He also said that Lord Stannis and Renly were not the true heirs to the throne. No he said that his bastard Jon Snow was the rightful King to the throne, as he is the last remaining child of Rhaegar Targaryen through his marriage with Lyanna Stark."

The expression on Tywin Lannister's face was grim as he spoke and all Tyrion could do was stare at his father, Ser Kevan too was gobsmacked and it was he who spoke first "Surely that cannot be Tywin, there was only Aerys children after the sack left. Lady Lyanna died, how is this possible?"

Lord Tywin looked at Tyrion then, and suddenly Tyrion knew how "Because uncle, Rhaegar Targaryen ran away with Lyanna Stark a year after the Toruney of Harrenhal, he was gone for a whole eight months before he returned for the Trident. Enough time to conceive a child with Lady Lyanna. Lord Eddard fought three of the finest knights of the Kingsguard when he went to get his sister from Dorne, including the Lord Commander. Now why else would the three knights of the Kingsguard, who are sworn to protect the king above all else, remain in Dorne after the sack if they were only there to protect Lyanna Stark, why would they not be in Dragonstone with Viserys? Because that child that was Rhaegar's and Lyanna's was a boy and was the heir to the throne, they died protecting their king."

Lord Tywin nodded and said "This is why we must deal with the Starks first before they have the opportunity to crown Jon Targaryen, and we lose the chance to ally with other houses. Our position is worse than Lords Lefford and Swyft know though. There is one more king in the land, Renly Baratheon has wed Margaery Tyrell and has been crowned King in Highgarden, he has the strength of the Reach and the Stormlands behind him now."

Lord Tywin looked at Ser Kevan as he spoke next "Kevan unleash Ser Gregor have him burn the Riverlands. I want to draw Robb Stark out into the open again, and this time we shall be waiting for him. We shall make for Harrenhal, write to Stafford and tell him to bring a host up the Golden Tooth; we shall surround Robb Stark and end him."

Ser Kevan nodded and said "It shall be done."

He then turned to Tyrion and said "You shall not be marching to Harrenhal with us, you shall be going to King's Landing."

Now Tyrion was deeply surprised "Whatever for?"

Lord Tywin merely looked at him before saying "To rule, until the war in the Riverlands is over and I can return to the capital. You shall serve as Hand in my name. Reign Joffrey in and bring stability to his rule and if any of these councillors are playing us false on his small council you know what to do."

Tyrion sighed "Spikes. Heads. Walls."

"Now be gone, and do not take that whore of yours to the capital."

Sansa

If she had thought that King's Landing was a cage before, since her father's execution it had neigh on become a prison. Everywhere she went she was followed either by a knight of the Kingsguard or by a red cloak, the Lannister guards. She hated it, she hated the city, she hated the Red Keep, she hated Cersei and most of all she hated Joffrey.

Looking back now she could not understand how she had thought herself in love with him, how she had thought him good and kind and better than Jon. Joffrey was not good nor was he kind, he was cruel and evil and she hoped he would die, she prayed for his death frequently. She still remembered when he had taken her out onto the walls of the Red Keep to where her father's head had been put, and showed her, her father's rotting head.

"You see what happens to traitors? Once this war is done, I'll have you brother and your cousin's heads on this wall, and I'll make you come out here and kiss them." Joffrey had said, a mad gleam in his eyes.

Sansa had been terrified looking at the already rotting head of her father, and was now petrified that what Joffrey had said would come true.

Joffrey had quickly gotten bored of standing in front of the heads and had walked back inside, but not before saying "It is to be my nameday soon. What shall you be getting me my lady?" This was what confused Sansa, how Joffrey could be horrible the one minute and so charming the next, she did not understand how or why he was like that, and she found she detested him all the more for it.

He was nothing like Jon, her Jon who if what father had said was true was the true King of Westeros. The thought alone made her feel giddy, her Jon was a king as well as a true knight oh she couldn't wait to see him again, and this time she would tell him that she felt that she loved him with all her heart, she desperately wanted to see Jon again and her siblings and mother.

Sansa's thoughts were interrupted when she heard a knock on her door, calling for whoever it was to come in she found herself looking at the bulky figure of Ser Meryn Trant. She instantly felt the panic and horror that came with seeing a knight of the Kingsguard now, for it could only mean one thing, Joffrey wished to see her.

"The king wishes to see you in the throne room my lady." Ser Meryn said.

"But, but why? I haven't done anything wrong. Please don't make me go, please I promise I won't do anything bad, please don't make me go." Sansa pleaded hating that her voice was beginning to break.

Ser Meryn merely looked at her before saying "I am afraid I cannot do that my lady. The king has asked for your presence in the throne room, and so you can either come of you own free will or I shall have to take you there myself."

Sansa knew that Ser Meryn would not hesitate to drag her down to the throne room; he had done so before when Joffrey had wanted her to see her father's head. Sighing she said "I will come Ser Meryn. Lead the way."

As she followed Ser Meryn out of her room and toward the throne room she couldn't help the feeling of dread that began to pool in the bottom of her stomach, what could Joffrey want from her? Why would he wish to speak with her in the throne room?

It turned out that Joffrey was holding court in the throne room when she arrived, listening to the people both lords and small folk bring their woes and questions to him, he had a completely bored look on his face and more often than not ordered a very harsh order concerning the relevant case that he heard, something that Sansa knew instinctively that neither Robb nor Jon would do, they would actually pay attention to what was being said.

Much to her horror, the only time Joffrey really seemed to pay attention was when there was some dispute that was brought before him. Then he would get the same mad gleam in his eyes that he had had when he had showed her, her father's head and he would more often than not order the two people involved in the dispute whipped, flayed or have them fight to the death. It scared Sansa just how cruel Joffrey could truly be, and it made her question why she had ever truly thought she loved him, he was nothing like Jon at all, where Joffrey was all fake smiles and cruelty, Jon though he smiled rarely when he did smile, Sansa remembered that it lit up his whole face and made him seem like a prince- king really she supposed- and he was king and honourable, just the sort of man father wanted for her.

Sansa found out why Joffrey had summoned her to the throne room, soon after the last of the appeals had been heard. He called her forward and said "Do you know why I summoned you hear Sansa?"

"No your grace?" Sansa said fear beginning to creep up in her.

"Your traitor of a brother and cousin fought against my uncle's army at Riverrun a few days hence. My uncle lost the battle and was captured, my mother says that your traitor of a brother only won through deceit and trickery, she says that northmen have no honour nor are they real men who fight properly, she says that they are savages. And do you know what we do with savages my lady?"

Sansa shook her head, no she did not know what he did with savages.

Joffrey had a mad sound in his voice when he said "We beat them. Ser Meryn."

And before she knew it, Sansa was being knocked to the ground having just been punched in the stomach by Ser Meryn Trant of the Kingsguard.

Sansa lay on the ground winded, but she heard Joffrey none the less "I do not think she is any less savage Ser Meryn pick her up and do it again."

Sansa felt herself being lifted up into a standing position once more, only to feel Ser Meryn gloved fist hit her stomach again and again until blood began to come out of her mouth.

She was relieved when Joffrey called for it to stop. "Dog give her your cloak to tidy herself up, we are having guests tonight and I do not wish for my lady to look like the savage she is."

Varys

The cells where the dragon skulls were kept deep beneath the Red Keep was a good a place as any to have secret conversations that you did not wish for others to hear, the Spider had found over the years. And now the place seemed even more fitting to hold this particular conversation, considering the dragons were coming back to life both figuratively and physically.

Varys had not truly believed that Eddard Stark would have confessed his greatest secret before the whole of King's Landing, he had thought the man would have said the words that Cersei Lannister had put in his mouth, and he would have been executed by Joffrey anyway. But he had confessed his greatest secret and now the whole of King's Landing knew the truth about Jon Snow's parentage, the King Joffrey was becoming more and more paranoid by the day, and was doing things that even his mother was unable to stop him from doing, such as beating the Lady Sansa. Varys knew that Jon Targaryen knew the truth of his parentage now, his spies within the Stark- Tully camp had reported as much. All they needed now was for the two Baratheon brothers to put aside their quarrel and the Lannisters would be finished.

"You think too much, my friend." Varys turned to look at the darkened figure of Illyrio Mopatis and laughed.

"Ah but it is us deep thinkers who always come out on top old friend. All of our planning is coming to fruition."

"That is so, but how do we know that our King will truly end up on the winning side. I have heard disturbing rumours old friend. It is said that your Lord Stannis has a red priestess with him on Dragonstone. You know she believes him to be the chosen one come again; she will not let her chosen king kneel, not without a fight. How are we to defend our king from her should she choose to send her creations after him?"

Varys sighed and said "Stannis Baratheon is a man wed to his honour and duty. Once he receives word of Eddard Stark's death and his last confession he will try and bend the knee to our king, if the red woman tells him to fight then we shall kill her and then kill him. Renly will be a more complicated matter. He has the Tyrells with him and they are not so loyal as they once were, they want their daughter to be queen and for a grandson to be king. They will not achieve that with our king, for he loves the Lady Sansa. They may join with the Lannisters should Renly die."

Varys heard Illyrio breathe deeply as they walked past the huge skull of Balerion the Black Dread. "And where is our white knight my friend?"

Varys replied "I have sent Ser Barristan to Riverrun along with Arya Stark as a sign of good faith for our king. He was there in the grounds when Eddard Stark made his confession, he knows his duty, he already regrets serving King Robert, and shall feel honour bound to serve the rightful king."

Illyrio laughed then "You always did know how to read people well my old spider. But pray tell would it not have been better to send old Ser Barristan to Danaerys, to make her cause seem more honourable?"

Varys replied "No, Danaerys is a lost cause; you told me she was lost with her Khal somewhere in the Red Waste she shall not be marching to Westeros anytime soon. No even with her two dragons she shall not be here soon. We need to act fast and quickly, tell me my friend how is our black dragon doing?"

Illyrio chuckled "That depends which black dragon you speak of? The boy or the egg?"

"Both."

"The boy is dying of a fever on the Shy Maid, Jon Connington is beside himself. The fool still thinks of him as Rhaegar Targaryen's son. Septa Lemore however, knows the truth and wrote me before I came asking to see her beloved Brandon's nephew. The egg is of course with Ser Barristan and shall be ready to hatch once our king touches it; I was assured by my friends on Dragonstone."

"Very well then," Varys said. "Until we meet again."

And with that the Spider and the cheesemonger went their separate ways for the time being to plot anew.

Catelyn

News of Ned's death had reached them that morning in Riverrun, and it had hit the Lords and her boys hard. Catelyn herself felt numb, numb to the pain, numb to the grief, numb to the condolences being given to her by her son's bannermen and her father's. All she could think of was how she would never see Ned again, how she would never feel his arms on her chest, or see his smiles that made her feel like she was the Queen of the world, her children would never get to see their father again.

She had had to put aside her grief though when she had gone to look for Robb and Jon after hearing the news. Jon had still been in shock from learning the truth of his parentage, and Catelyn could tell just by looking at him sat on the base of a tree in the Godswood staring blankly into space whilst Robb hacked and slashed his sword to pieces that the news of the death of the only man he had seen as his father had deeply affected him. It had deeply affected all of them.

Robb had stopped his furious attack on the tree when he heard her step on a twig, and had turned to her with red eyes, still crying he had dropped his sword and rushed into her outstretched arms and had muffled oaths of killing all the Lannisters in existence into her shoulder. At that moment Robb was not the fifteen year old man who was leading a host to war, nor was he the fifteen year old Lord of Winterfell, in that moment he was her boy, who had lost his father and was scared and was grieving all at once.

She had told him in the only way she knew how through her grief and pain that they had to get the girls back, then they would kill the Lannisters every single last one of them. Jon had remained quiet throughout, and Catelyn feared that he would never speak again, when they had called a council meeting in the great hall of Riverrun, Robb had told her that Jon was not even speaking to him or Theon or Torrhen Karstark, he was remaining deathly silent. He had maintained his silence throughout the whole of the council meeting which had been called to discuss their next move.

Many of the lords were all for keeping the fighting going, not wanting to let the Lannisters get off easy after killing their liege lord. Catelyn's attempts to bring the Lords to sue for peace had been shot down, Robb had drawn his sword and said that was the only peace he had for the Lannisters, Catelyn knew she had lost them when Lord Blackwood proposed that why should they bend the knee to the king who had burned their homes and killed their people and Lord Bracken had agreed.

Throughout this the discussion often altered back between whom they should declare for Stannis or Renly. Robb had argued against declaring for Renly saying "Lord Renly is Robert's younger brother, that does not make him king for Bran cannot inherit Winterfell before me can he and so Renly cannot become king before Stannis."

Marq Piper had argued fiercely for declaring for Renly stating that with Highgarden and the Stormlords behind him he was a force to be reckoned with and that if they were to declare for him Dorne would not be far behind nor would the Vale, the Lannisters would be outmatched and what did Stannis Baratheon bring to the table. When he put it like that Catelyn could see the sense in declaring for Renly though she knew Lysa would never call her banners, especially not if the Lannisters saw fit to send Petyr to her.

Throughout all of these discussion Jon remained quiet and Catelyn wondered what he was thinking for she knew that he had the only rightful claim to the throne out of all the contenders, but he seemed to content to be quiet, even Ghost who was sat at his feet gave no indication as to what Jon's feeling were, though Greywind's moving around the hall showed Robb's frustration.

Eventually Catelyn could tell Robb had had enough as he raised his voice and spoke in what she had come to associate as his Lord's voice said "My Lords, it is all well and good speaking about which Baratheon brother to declare for. But it would be all for naught as they do not have the true claim to the Iron Throne."

Careful Robb, tread carefully here. Catelyn thought as she saw Jon look up for the first time in the council session.

"If not them then who my lord?" Catelyn heard Ser Stevron ask.

"Why the last surviving son of the dynasty that created the Iron Throne and united the Seven Kingdoms of course. The last son of Rhaegar Targaryen." Robb said

"But all the dragons are dead my lord!" Catelyn heard Lord Umber protest.

Robb however, had a wry grin on his face when he replied "No my lord, no they are not. For one of them sits before now," Catelyn watched transfixed as her son got down on one knee before Jon, drawing his sword and laying at Jon's feet, she heard him say "I am you brother now and always."

To which Jon replied "Now and always."

Robb smiled up through his hair at Jon and said "Then I Robb Stark, Lord Of Winterfell do hereby pledge my sword and my fealty to you Jon Targaryen rightful King of the Seven Kingdoms, from this day to my last. I swear it by ice, I swear it by fire, I swear it by the Old Gods and the New."

Catelyn watched as Theon Greyjoy followed Robb and got down on bended knee and said " I Theon Greyjoy, heir to the Iron Islands, hereby pledge my sword and my fealty to you Jon Targaryen rightful King of the Seven Kingdoms, from this day to my last. I swear it by salt, I swear it by sea. I swear it by the Drowned God, the Old Gods and the New."

Catelyn continued to watch as more and more of Robb's and her father's bannermen got down on bended knee and pledged their swords and their fealty to Jon, recognising him as their rightful king, and rightful king of Westeros.

She watched and heard as the Greatjon bellowed at the top of his lungs "Long Live The Dragons! Long Live the King!"

She heard as all the other lords in the room including her son and her brother shouted "Long Live the King, Long Live King Jon!"

Next to her Ghost and Greywind began to howl and she could have sworn she heard the roaring of dragons from ages past. The Dragons were back.