Chapter 25: This Is My Hell

Varys

King's Landing was alight with activity. The gold cloaks were preparing the city for another possible siege, and more than likely the storming of the city, except this time the army storming the city would more than likely win. For the Lannisters had no army except the gold cloaks and the citizens of King's Landing to defend themselves, though of course Cersei Lannister and King Joffrey had not yet been made aware of what had happened on the Trident. For Lord Tyrion had not yet seen fit to tell them, though he had of course summoned Varys the very instant he had been given the letter by his squire. Oh yes Varys remembered Lord Tyrion's expression well, it was one of fear and almost resigned doom.

Varys pattered into Lord Tyrion's chambers, to find Shae tidying the room. Varys nodded his head in greeting and got a wan smile in return. He knew of course that Shae had become more than Lord Lannister's whore, she had become his lady love, a tragic love story if ever Varys had been witness to one. He turned to face Lord Tyrion who was sat on a hard wooden chair fiddling with a piece of paper. "You called and I have come. To what did you wish to speak to me of, Lord Tyrion?" Varys asked genuinely curious.

Tyrion stopped fiddling with the piece of paper set it down on the table and then let out an audible sigh. "News has come from the Trident, news about the battle."

Varys leaned forward interested now, his little birds had not reported to him about any news. "Oh? And what does this news say? Is it good or bad?"

Tyrion picked up the paper and fiddled with it again then said "That depends."

Varys feigned a look of puzzlement. "Depends My Lord? On what?"

Tyrion looked at him then, and his mismatched eyes seemed to be weighing Varys up, Varys kept his face blank. "It depends Lord Varys, on where your allegiances lie."

Varys feigned an insulted look and said "My Lord, I feel gravely insulted. My allegiance has always been and always will be to the Iron Throne and to the King."

Tyrion sighed once more and said, "Yes that's just what I thought you would say. Very well then I suppose there is no point in delaying it. Here read this." Tyrion handed him the piece of paper that he had been fiddling with when Varys had entered the room.

Varys read the letter once, then twice just to make sure he had not misread it. He had to fight very hard to keep a smile from breaking out onto his face. After sixteen years, all his hard work had finally paid off. Inside he was jumping for joy, but externally he kept his face blank and expressionless and said. "This is indeed grievous news my lord. Do their graces know about this letter?"

Lord Tyrion snorted and said. "No, not yet. I am not such a fool as to believe that telling them the contents of this letter now, whilst the city still has its defences scattered is such a good idea. No I called you to bargain with you."

Now this was something Varys had to admit, he hadn't seen coming. The surprise in his voice was genuine when he asked. "Bargain with me? My Lord why on earth would you wish to bargain with me?"

Lord Tyrion turned his mismatched eyes onto Varys and gave him a piercing look, then sighed once more. "I know that when my father was hammering on the gates of King's Landing, before the sack, you were the one who advised King Aerys not to open the gates to him. And I know that Pycelle was the one who told Aerys to open the gates, and I know what that led to."

Varys remained silent, waiting for Lord Tyrion to get to the point of the matter. "I know that you and Prince Oberyn have been meeting quite frequently since he came to the city. I also know that Prince Oberyn and the Dornish have been hungering for vengeance and revenge against my father and my family since Princess Elia and her children's bodies were presented to Robert as he sat the Iron Throne after the Sack."

Varys continued to remain silent, though he could guess where Lord Tyrion was heading with this. Sure enough Lord Tyrion did eventually say what Varys had expected him to say. "I know King Jon and his men, will be riding hard, flying hard even to the city. I know that Cersei will want to defend the city, if it comes to battle; we will lose, and will be slaughtered. I want to be spared. I have my uses and I quite fancy living."

Lord Varys remained silent for a minute more before saying, "I shall see what I can do." He then left the room and made his way back to his chambers to begin preparing for King Jon's entrance to the city.

That had been two days ago, since then Lord Tyrion had begun preparing the defence of the city. He had begun putting more and more patrols on the city walls, had increased the number of gold cloaks in the city all of this had been done without alerting Cersei or Joffrey to what was happening. Varys had helped in that, diverting the Queen Regent and King's attention to other matters such as the Vale, or the marriage between Joffrey and Margaery that was no longer on the cards.

Varys heard a knock on his door, and shuffled to open it, and found him looking at Podrick Payne, Lord Tyrion's squire. Payne merely said, "It is time, my lord." Varys nodded and then followed Podrick out of his room and walked on slippered feet to the small council chamber, he knew what this meeting would be about. And sure enough when he entered the chamber, he found Lord Tyrion, Grand Maester Pycelle, Queen Cersei, Aurane Waters and King Joffrey already seated. Varys bowed before the king and queen regent and then took his seat.

Varys heard Lord Tyrion take a deep breath and then begin to speak. "I have called this meeting of the small council to tell you some urgent news that has just reached me."

Varys heard Cersei snort, and King Joffrey sigh with boredom. Tyrion ploughed on. "I received a raven from the Trident, this morning bearing news of how the battle there went."

That had its intended effect, Cersei, Pycelle, Waters and Joffrey all leaned forward eager to hear more. Tyrion stayed silent for a long moment until Cersei eventually snapped. "Well imp, what news have you received then?"

Varys saw Tyrion take a deep swig of his wine, swallow and then begin to speak. "The letter is write in the hand of Ser Garlan Tyrell. He writes that the combined royalist army met the rebel army of Jon Targaryen in the field at the Trident. The host commanded by his father broke Lord Yronwood and the Dornish host on the right, killing Lord Yronwood. He also writes that Lord Royce was about to break our left when he was attacked at the rear, by Valemen."

"His own men betrayed him?" Joffrey asked incredulous.

Tyrion shook his head. "No these were new Valemen led by Ser Lyn Corbray, under the instruction of Lord Baelish. Once he was attacked from the rear, Lord Royce lost the battle against the left. Allowing Ser Kevan to resume a fierce attack. Lord Royce's host was broken by the attack on both sides. Lord Royce died as did his son Albar."

Varys could feel the excitement beginning to build up in the room, he saw Cersei's chest rising and falling could hear Pycelle's breathing becoming faster, saw a mad glint of victory in Joffrey's eyes. They all thought that they had won this war; they did not even think to question that it was Ser Garlan and not Lord Tywin himself who had written this news down. Oh disappointed they would be when Tyrion continued.

Varys heard Joffrey ask, "And what of the centre, what happened there did we crush them there as well?"

Varys had to hide his smile behind his hand, the boy was a fool.

Lord Tyrion took another deep drink of his wine and then continued and said. "Ser Gregor led the vanguard, and went up against the rebels vanguard commanded by Lord Stark. Lord Stark was grievously wounded during the fighting, and many of his men were killed." Tyrion paused and Varys could see the joy beginning to build up around the room, they thought they had won. Lord Tyrion continued. "Though he was injured very grievously, Lord Stark managed to kill the Mountain, and our vanguard was broken and beaten." Varys felt the temperature in the room drop several notches as Lord Tyrion spoke of the mountain's death, but he could not wait to see what the reaction when Lord Tyrion told them the rest of the news.

Pycelle spoke then. "So, the boy killed the mountain and impressive feat but still he was surrounded and the false king what did he do?"

Varys saw Lord Tyrion turn his mismatched eyes onto Pycelle, and heard the cold in his voice as he spoke. "He unleashed his dragons."

Silence greeted this pronouncement, only to be broken by Cersei. "What do you mean?"

Tyrion sighed once more and Varys heard the fear begin to creep into his voice when he said the next few words. "I mean dearest sister that Jon Targaryen and his aunt Danaerys, rode their dragons into battle when it seemed that they would lose. They rode their dragons – all three- into battle and burnt our men, killing thousands of them. Including Lord Mace, our uncle Ser Kevan and our lord father Lord Tywin."

Complete silence greeted this pronouncement. Varys had to keep his hand at his mouth to prevent a titter from escaping it. Then Joffrey spoke, and his voice was laced with fear. "You lie, uncle. You Lie!"

Varys saw Tyrion turn his mismatched eyes onto the boy, and heard him say in a tone of ice. "I do not lie, Your Grace. Ser Garlan wrote the words, and the letter bears the signature of King Jon, and his men. Here look at it if you do not believe me." Varys saw Tyrion throw the letter across the table to where King Joffrey and his mother picked it up and began to read it. Once they had finished, Cersei put the letter on the table and had a look of absolute terror on her face. King Joffrey looked ready to bolt.

Cersei eventually spoke. "What do you plan to do about this Imp?"

Tyrion feigned a look of surprise. "Me? But sweet sister surely it should be his grace, mine own nephew who leads the planning of the defence of the city."

Joffrey was about to reply, when Cersei snapped back. "Our Lord Father named you hand whilst he was away fighting. And now he is dead. What do you plan to do?"

Varys heard Tyrion sigh and then heard him speak in a resigned tone. "I will have to increase the number of gold cloaks, and the number of patrols and sentinels on the walls of the city will have to increase. No one can leave or enter the city now. We shall have to be on high alert. His grace, yourself and Tommem will have extra protection as much of it as possible. It does not help that our Lord Father took Ser Balon and Ser Meryn with him when he left. With Ser Loras dead and Ser Arys in Dorne with Myrcella, we only have Ser Boros and Ser Osmund left in the city."

Varys could tell that what Tyrion said had not pleased Cersei nor Joffrey. Cersei had a mad glint in her eyes when she said. "That is all you plan to do brother? I am sorry but I do not think that, is enough."

Tyrion sighed in irritation and asked. "Then what do you suggest, sweet sister?"

Varys could not believe the next few words that came out of Cersei's mouth. "There is still wildfire buried around the city from the Battle of Blackwater and from the days of Mad King Aerys. We use that to keep the Targaryen boy and his men out of the city."

Varys could tell the other members of the small council were shocked by what Cersei had said. Lord Tyrion sounded deeply disturbed when he spoke next. "You must be joking! Use wildfire, the most unpredictable substance known to man, to defend a city from dragons? Are you quite sure you are not mad Cersei?"

"Well it will keep the Targaryen boy from using his dragons. We have no other options left brother; this city cannot fall into the hands of the rebels. It cannot."

That was when King Joffrey spoke, and he had a mad glint in his eyes, that reminded Varys eerily of Aerys during the rebellion. "Mother is right. The rebels want my city, my crown? I say let them come. We shall burn them. Burn them all."

Jon

He could still hear the screaming of the men below him as they burnt to death. Every time he closed his eyes he saw the charred remains of what had been the battlefield, the remains of what had once been soldiers, men and boys, husbands, fathers, sons, brothers. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the man who had been so badly burnt by the dragonfire, the man had lost his arms, and his legs were nothing more than charred black things, and yet he was still alive, screaming in pain, writhing trying to get out of his armour, which had become a black crust around him, encasing him in and suffocating him. Jon had ended the man's suffering with one quick slit of his throat, Blackfyre for the first time in the battle getting a taste of blood. Jon was haunted by the sight of death and destruction that the dragons- that he- had caused. It mattered not that they had won, that the dragons had needed to be used otherwise they would have been smashed by the left, right, and reserve of the royalist army. It didn't matter, because all Jon could hear, see or think of when he was awake or asleep was the dying men and the charred ruins that had been left behind, once the fire had been extinguished.

The men did not seem to be too affected by what many had begun calling the second Field of Fire, in fact they seemed more relieved than anything that the dragons had been put to use, for it had saved many of their lives, Jon admitted that. It also seemed to have made the men become even more subservient to him and to Danaerys. They seemed more willing to listen to whatever he had to say, and whilst he found the change rather discomfiting, Danaerys seemed to be taking it all in her stride. Lapping up the attention and the praise and acting as if this was all natural, like she had been born into it. Jon supposed she had, after all she was more Targaryen then he was- than he could ever hope to be- she had been born on Dragonstone during the fiercest storm to ever grip Westeros in the dying days of Robert's Rebellion. Looking at her now, as she walked amongst the men and talked to them and shared jokes, bread and mead with them, Ser Jorah her constant shadow, Jon could understand why many had followed from the Red Waste, she had a sort of charisma about her, that drew you to her. But Jon could not forget that as peaceful and serene she seemed now, when she had been atop her dragon and controlling her second dragon, she had looked half crazed, her violet eyes seemingly glowing with battle lust, or some sort of lust as the flames from their dragons had burnt their enemies to ash.

Looking at Danaerys now, Jon wanted nothing more than to give her the Throne and let her deal with the stresses of running Westeros, and yet he could not do that. She had been set on burning all of the royalist men, and had even gone so far in her battle lust to suggest burning some of their own men as punishment for fleeing from the battle. It had taken all of Jon's powers of persuasion to convince her against doing that, they needed their men, they could not afford to do anything that could sway them, and besides he could not truly blame the men who had fled the battle nor those who had fought for the enemy, they were only doing what they thought was right. When the battle was over and the remenants of the royalist army had surrendered, Jon and Danaerys had landed and then proceeded to argue over what needed to be done with those who had surrendered. Danaerys still riding high from her battle lust, wanted to have their prisoners burnt, by dragonfire, Melisandre even agreed with her as did Ser Jorah, and they all argued that it would make them seem stronger and not willing to accept traitors. Jon and his men had argued stringently against doing such a thing. He was not Aerys Targaryen to burn those men who had fought honourably and valiantly for a cause, he would not do that nor would he allow it to be suggested ever again. After Danaerys had agreed, rather reluctantly to that, they had then brought forward the prisoners to decide what needed to be done with them. Ser Garlan Tyrell had been the first prisoner to be brought forward. Jon had questioned him thoroughly asking him various questions and then when he was satisfied that Ser Garlan had answered all the questions posed to him truthfully, Jon had thought for a long time over what was to be done with him. Ser Garlan was a fierce fighter and had fought valiantly during the battle, and was also married, his wife pregnant with their first child, Jon was still haunted by what he had seen on the battlefield and as a result had decided to pardon Ser Garlan, but had decided to strip Brightwater Keep from his possession. The next prisoner of note had been, Denys Redwyne, the boy's uncle, father and cousins had been killed during the battle and as such along with his cousin Desmera he was the heir to the Arbor. Jon decided that the boy would be held a hostage to the Iron Throne, once King's Landing fell, his fate to be decided at a later date. House Rowan had lost all of their male heirs during the battle, Lord Rowan himself having died during the battle of the Blue Fork. All that was left of the house were daughters, their fate Jon decided would be to marry men who had been loyal to him and had served him ably. The Lannister forces had been destroyed during the battle, so there were no prisoners from their side.

Of course not all had gone completely peachy for Jon and his men either, they had suffered heavy losses on the right, Lord Yronwood and most of his men had been killed by the Tyrells and their men. The Valemen had been decimated by an attack from the rear and the front, attacked by their fellow Valemen led by Lyn Corbray and Lannister men led by Ser Kevan. Losses had been numerous, and none of the Valemen led by Lyn Corbray had really survived long enough for Jon to question them about what Lord Baelish wanted with Sansa, much to his frustration. Robb had been badly injured fighting the mountain and as such was in no fit state to march with the men to King's Landing, which was why Jon had reluctantly agreed to lead the remenants of his host to King's Landing to take the city. He had really only wanted to fly to the Vale to get his wife back, he had wanted Robb or perhaps Danaerys to lead the march on King's Landing but had been quickly squashed down and told that as King he had to lead the march on King's Landing if he wanted the small folk to rally to his cause. So reluctantly he had agreed, he only prayed that he would not be too late to safe Sansa from whatever it was Lord Baelish had taken her for.

Edmure

His body was still sore from the numerous wounds that he had picked up during the Battle of Rushing Falls. He was slowly recovering though, enough so that Maester Vyman had agreed to allow him out for a few walks during the day. He was relieved, he had been getting so frustratingly bored staying in bed all the time. He wanted to go out and do things, but of course he could not walk for too long or his whole body would begin to ache. Thankfully though he had been able to walk into the courtyard when his wife had arrived from the Twins a month ago. She was heavy with child when she entered but, she still looked as beautiful as she had on the day she had wed. Edmure had written to Lord Walder and asked that his wife come down from the Twins, he thought it safe enough for her to come down, Lord Rowan and his men had been defeated, Lord Tywin had retreated back to Sow's Horn. There was no immediate danger to her safety that he could foretell, and besides the army was about to head on out again to deal with Lord Lannister and the Tyrells once and for all, and Edmure knew that he would become bored and frustrated if he did not have anything to do to take his mind off the fact that he would not be able to go out there and fight alongside them. For as much as he loved Cat, and her little girl and boy, he knew that he needed to get to know his wife a little bit better if they were to lead the Riverlands through the winter and help them recover from the war that had ravaged their lands, and their people.

Furthermore, the riverlords had all either been killed or injured during the battle of Rushing Falls, their men either killed or taken prisoner, so they would not be playing a part in the battle with the Lannisters. As such though when his wife had come to Riverrun, Edmure thought that he had made the right decision, though she had been shy at first, she had eventually opened up to him and showed that she was bright and funny, something that he did find quite surprising for one of Walder Frey's daughters. Of course, he supposed it helped that she was pregnant with his child, as that gave them something to talk about when other topics became to wearisome. She had given birth to a baby girl, whom they had named Minisa after Edmure's mother a week ago, and that had only served to bring them closer. Edmure was in awe of his daughter, she was just the smallest bundle of joy he had ever seen, and every little thing she did, made him smile with pride. He swore to himself and to his wife that their daughter would never, ever know the hardships that had plagued her parents, and she would never be sold off like cattle to the highest bidder, no she would always know that she was loved and valued.

Then the raven had come from the Trident. Detailing King Jon's victory and the complete annihilation of the Lannister- Tyrell forces, Edmure had decided then when he had received the raven to tell the Kingslayer. First of all though he had told his wife, Cat and her children, and the people of Riverrun. There had been many days of celebration as their victory and the taking of King's Landing seemed imminent. After that Edmure had finally managed to pull himself away from the festivities to go and speak to the Kingslayer.

As he stood in front of the Kingslayer's cell, he waited for the man to wake up and look at him. Edmure found it to be a rather funny twist of fate, the mighty Jamie Lannister now missing one hand and looking like a tramp, was being held prisoner in Riverrun's dungeons for the second time during this war, except this time there was no chance that the man would escape, with no one there to try and free him.

As the Kingslayer opened his eyes and looked up at him, Edmure had to repress the urge to throttle the man who had been the cause of so much damage to his home and to his family.

"Ah if it isn't Lord Tully, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company my lord?" the Kingslayer asked.

Edmure merely smiled and said "I've come to let you know that you won't be going anywhere for a long time Kingslayer. Your father is dead, your uncle is dead, your sister has thoroughly alienated any potential allies she may have had in the south, and your bastard son's reign as king is drawing closer to an end. The Lannister- Tyrell army was completely decimated at the Trident by King Jon and his dragons."

Edmure was happy to note that for once it seemed the Kingslayer had nothing witty to say as a retort to what he had just said and in fact appeared to be rather speechless. Edmure gloated now and said "What has a cat, or should I say trout got your tongue. No Kingslayer you won't be going anywhere anytime soon, and there's no more wild dogs to raid my lands or destroy my people's homes, you are a dead man walking Kingslayer. So you see despite your father doing everything he could to destroy the Riverlands, he failed, you failed. House Lannister is doomed Kingslayer and all because you couldn't keep your cock away from your sister's cunt." And with that Edmure spat at the Kingslayer and walked away from his cell and back into the main part of the castle.

Littlefinger

His plans had failed, at least in the sense that his ploy to have Lyn Corbray lead the rest of the Vale's forces and fight for the Lannisters at the Trident had not gone as he had planned. True enough, Corbray and his men had broken Jon Targaryen's left flank, with aid from Kevan Lannister, and that had severly dented the boy's numbers. Lord Yronwood and his men had been destroyed by the Tyrells, and Robb Stark had been injured fighting the Mountain, it seemed like the Targaryen boy would finally be beaten, and then he had unleashed his blasted dragons. His sources amongst the boy's army, reported that the boy and his aunt had taken flight on their dragons, with one of the three remaining riderless, and had proceeded to burn their way through the Lannister-Tyrell host, killing thousands of men and winning the battle for the Targaryens.

His sources also reported that the Targaryen boy had argued with his aunt once the battle had finished over what to do with the prisoners they had taken. It seemed Danaerys Targaryen was made of sterner stuff than her nephew. Though that did not surprise him, for the boy had been raised by Eddard Stark, and though Eddard Stark may have been a capable warrior he was also an honourable man, and honourable men did not kill prisoners for no rhyme and reason. That had been Stark's downfall, and Littlefinger was determined that it was also be the Targaryen boy's downfall as well. All he needed to do was to ensure that any potential discord that was there between aunt and nephew, continued to grow, until neither could stand the sight of the other, then he would play his guards.

Danaerys Targaryen was still new to Westeros and how its politics worked. Littlefinger knew that he could win her allegiance if he were to deal with her nephew and to pave the way for her to take sole control of the Iron Throne. He knew that he could whisper things into her ear that she would listen to, because from what his sources said the girl was still relatively naive, and was already beginning to show signs of her family's traditional quirks. She was, his sources said naturally suspicious of the men her nephew fought alongside, considering them traitors and oath breakers. He knew that if there was enough discord sown between nephew and aunt he could play on her naturally suspicious nature and wreak havoc, wreak chaos.

And what would he want in return? Why the only thing that should have been his from the very beginning. Cat and Sansa. He already had Sansa here in the Vale, his little lie when the Dornishmen had come that her husband had died, had sent her into a panic, a mournful sorrow, that he was slowly prying her out of. He was determined to play the hero to her, keep her safe from those who would do her harm- including her family- and then when the moment was right use her to claim Winterfell, and then marry her to Harry the heir and claim the Vale, for he was determined to make sure that his wife and her son did not live long past this year. Then once Robb Stark and Rickon Stark and Jon Targaryen had been properly dealt with, he would write to Cat and tell her he had rescued her daughter from the Lannisters, and then he would play on her gratefulness and marry Catelyn.

Only one thing had thrown a slight spanner in his plans. After the Dornishmen had been led away, Sansa had given birth... to twins, a boy and a girl. The girl was no problem, she could be easily sold off to a family looking to court favour with the Lord Protector of the Vale, the boy though, if it became common knowledge that Sansa had had Jon Targaryen's son then the man's allies would continue to fight to put the boy on the throne, and then Danaerys would not get the throne and his plans would not work. No the boy had to die, and die he would. That was why he was standing in front of the babe's cradle with a pillow in hand waiting for his breathing to slow and for the right moment. It was all for Cat.