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Chapter 6 Tournament of the Hand

I do not own Harry Potter or Game of Thrones

First of all thank you to everyone for their continued support, it has been incredible the response this story has gotten and I am really glad so many people are so supportive. I will endeavour to work my hardest to write the best story I can.

Some people have been asking about Hadrian's future wife. So I will confirm again he is going to get married again. But it will be a while before it happens I'm afraid to say and come after he suffers a very personal loss.

Some of those who reviewed the last chapter asked questions which I will try to answer as best I can at the end of this chapter. Thank you to everyone who reviewed.

Warning – Bad Language and Gore

Chapter 6 – Tournament of the Hand

Horse hooves pounded into the ground as a party of men in flying the flag of House Tully rode into King's Landing. At the head of the formation was Lord Edmure Tully, the only son and heir of Lord Hoster Tully, the lord paramount of the Riverlands. He rode his horse on as they passed through one of the city gates and into the capital. He took no time to admire the city before arriving at the Red Keep where his brother in law Ned was waiting for him.

"Edmure." Ned said happy to see someone he could trust after being in this snake pit for weeks. Edmure meanwhile noticed the considerable shadows under Ned's eyes and was worried for his brother in law's health and how much strain was being placed on him by his new position.

"Ned." Edmure said as he swiftly dismounted from his horse and took off his gloves. "Have they arrived yet?"

"Not yet." Ned told him as the two men walked into the Red Keep. "I take you heard."

"Heard? Ned the entire kingdom is talking about it." Edmure said referring to the recent invasion of the Stepstones by three of the great houses. "Some of the rumours flying around are getting out of hand. I need facts to calm down my own lords. How come the King was not leading the invasion?" Edmure asked Ned, knowing Robert Baratheon would never have missed a chance to fight.

"He did not know about it. Nobody did. How they managed to keep it so quiet till after the fact is beyond me. We did not even know those houses were talking to each other." Ned said surprising Edmure even more. Ned himself was astonished by the massive but swift invasion that seemed to have been planned out to the last detail and faultlessly executed. To have achieved something like that without attracting the attention of anyone before the event was an amazing feat in itself.

The two men soon reached the Tower of the Hand where Edmure was met with an enthusiastic welcome by at least one of Ned's children.

"Uncle Edmure!" Arya cried out happy to see her mother's brother. She ran over and he gave her a one armed hug.

"Hello there my dear niece." Edmure said with a warm smile, remembering how much this girl's rebellious nature drove his sister to near madness from not only Catelyn's letters but on rare occasions he had actually visited Winterfell. He saw his other niece Sansa give him a swift nod while her face remained impassive. She did not even say a word of greeting or familial affection to him before walking off into the Red Keep bringing a frown to his face and Ned's too.

Ned was growing increasingly worried about how little time Sansa seemed to be spending with her own family these days, preferring to spend nearly all her waking moments with Prince Joffrey or with the Queen much to his own discomfort. It had gotten even worse since her lunch with Lord Tywin Lannister although the fact Tywin had invited his daughters to lunch without consulting him first had angered Ned he was not so ignorant to make a fuss about it. What had been said he did not know but he knew that Tywin was going to meet him later so he intended get some answers.

Later that day the Sovereign made its way into the harbour at King's Landing. From the deck of the ship Hadrian with young Bran at his side looked out at city and felt a sense of pride not just in his own work but in the work of those who he employed. The city was thriving and the people smiling and at the same time his own House gained considerable power and influence in King's Landing. Bran looked on in amazement at the sheer scale of the city before him. As the ship docked he and the rest of his party disembarked and found themselves met by Grand Maester Pycelle.

"Greetings my lord and welcome to King's Landing. It is good to have you in the city again." Pycelle said trying to cosy up to Hadrian while Bran who had been warned about the man looked up at him wearily.

"Grand Maester. I take it we are to proceed to the Red Keep and the throne room?" Hadrian asked wanting to be as far away from the old creep as he could but knew he would be expected to be courteous in respect of the older man's position. Pycelle nodded and while he climbed into a palanquin, Willas reluctantly got into a palanquin too as he could not ride a horse due to his bad leg without a special saddle or help to get on it. The rest of the men and young Bran who had arrived on the ship got on horses that had been readied for them while the ship's crew loaded chests filled with gifts for the king onto a waiting wagon. The only women to have arrived on the ship now disembarked. They were Ellaria Sand and the daughter of Lord Stafford Lannister, Cerenna Lannister who both climbed into palanquins like Pycelle and Willas. Hadrian knew the men's eyes were on Cerenna the moment she stepped off of the ship. At sixteen Cerenna was already a great beauty, with the famous blonde hair of the Lannisters flowing down her back like golden silk and her red dress hugging her slender but perfectly shaped body and her enchanting green eyes seemingly hypnotising the men around her. He had brought her to the capital because he knew that Lord Edmure Tully was going to be in the city, to discuss using his lands and its rivers to transport northern and riverland goods with Hadrian's longships which were already heading North with new building supplies, workers and equipment to begin the reconstruction of Moat Cailin.

And Hadrian wanted to introduce them.

The ride to the Red Keep was short with the population of the city flocking out to see them, eager to see the 'conquering heroes'. Hadrian had no doubt that word of the recent conquest of the Stepstones was already the talk of the proverbial watercooler and they would want to find out more. High born and peasants alike.

Arriving at the castle gates Hadrian's relaxed expression disappeared as he saw his lord father Tywin waiting to greet him. He swung off his horse and walked over with a very nervous looking Bran at his heels.

"Father." He said meeting Tywin's gaze evenly and keeping his face a mask of indifference just like the man in front of him. Although they corresponded by raven this was the first time they had seen each other in over a year. Tywin however seemed in no mood to welcome his son and heir warmly and said with indifference.

"Hadrian. The king is expecting you and your…party." Tywin said looking at the mixed group of people that had accompanied his son. The ever loyal Ser Raphael Daniels was of course present standing as the sword at his son's side as Tywin had hoped he would. He also recognised Randyll Lannister a bastard son of Stafford Lannister, Ser Tybolt Crakehall, Ser Lymond Vikary and Ser Melwyn Sarsfield from Westerlands families while the rest must had come from the Reach and Dorne. He had been infuriated when he had learnt that his son had mobilised the Lannister army and used it without his consent but he had been angered even more when Hadrian had not secured the Stepstones for the Lannisters alone and instead had allied himself with Willas Tyrell and more worryingly Oberyn Martell. How he had achieved that with the animosity between their families Tywin did not know even though he was ever so slightly proud at his son for managing to achieve such a feat.

One thing however disturbed Tywin. The fact that none of the lords present even Kevan his ever loyal brother had bothered to inform him of the invasion before it had taken place. He knew that he had left Hadrian running the Westerlands as of course was his birth right and he had done a superb job, surpassing any expectations Tywin might have had. But that his oldest son could strike the banners without even one person writing to him to check it was authorised worried him more than he was comfortable with.

Bran looked at the father and son with a frown having never thought that two men could be family and yet be so cold with each other coming from such a loving family it was so alien to the young Stark. He also was very intimidated at the intensity of Tywin Lannister's gaze but like Hadrian had told him, he kept his gaze level and his back straight. Tywin gave the boy only a passing glance before turning to walk onwards to the throne room followed by Hadrian and his party.

Tywin intended to have a talk with his son later but for now they walked into the Red Keep on their way to the throne room where his grace was waiting. A veritable phalanx of servants began following the party carrying the heavy chests from the wagon. As they walked Hadrian leant slightly so he could say to his squire.

"Now I want you to observe the court carefully Bran and think hard on what you see." The boy nodded slowly not sure what he was supposed to be looking for but was eager to the throne room regardless. He knew that the dragon skulls were long gone but the room was supposed to be impressive all the same.

It did not take long before they arrived in the throne room where the entire court had gathered hoping to enjoy the sight of the rich and famous Lord Hadrian Lannister being brought down a peg by the king. Petyr Baelish was looking almost giddy at his enemy's downfall while Ned Stark looked concerned but was happy to see his son who smiled at his father. Cersei looked on in concern too but largely at whether her brother's disgrace might reflect badly on her and if she might use it as an excuse to have her younger children brought home.

Hadrian however was confident as were the men and women that stood beside him, Willas and Oberyn joined him as they approached the throne and bowed in respect although Oberyn was smirking at Robert in bemusement and Willas using a walking stick due to his bad leg only bowed slightly. Hadrian then spoke.

"Your grace, I can report a complete and total success in your plan to invade the Stepstones." Hadrian told the king who already looked like he was slightly drunk and it was only midday. His statement shocked the court and the king looked at him in surprise.

"My plan?" Robert said in surprise with his words slightly slurred.

"Of course your grace. You called on myself, Lord Willas Tyrell and Prince Oberyn to rid you of the pirate and slaver menace that has been harassing your coast for some time. We led the attack at your bidding and carried out the restructuring of the Stepstones into a province of Westeros as you dictated. The Seven Kingdoms have now become the Eight Kingdoms. You sire are now the first king to expand the realm's territory since the conquest. And now for your graces the spoils of victory." Hadrian said proudly and then gestured to the chests being carried in by the wheezing servants and Raphael who had been making sure none of the servants had made off with any of them opened the largest. Inside were gold and jewels taken from the Stepstones and other valuable trinkets as prizes to be given to Robert who along with most of the court's eyes widened at the impressive collection of treasure. "And a formality." Hadrian said standing aside so Arthur could kneel at the foot of the throne and make his vow.

"I Lord Arthur Torres; of House Martell, ruler of Bloodstone and Lord Paramount of the Stepstones hereby do swear myself and my house's fealty to his Royal Highness Robert of House Baratheon. First of his name, king of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the First men. Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and protector of the realm." The other new Stepstone lords then came forward and make their own vows to Robert who accepted them almost in a daze before Hadrian then gave him a personal gift that should ensure the king's favour.

"Your grace one last thing, I have a personal gift that I wished to present to you in person." Hadrian said and gestured to a servant to bring a smaller box that was kept apart from the chests of treasure that had been previously given to the king and with great care the servant handed Hadrian the smaller box and at the foot of the Iron Throne Hadrian kneeled as he presented the box to Robert, feeling slightly annoyed at the pomp and ceremony he and his fellows were having to go through but it had to be done he thought resigned.

Robert took the box and opened it and was shocked to see what was inside. Cersei who was the only other person in a positon to see gasped in surprise. With great care Robert lifted the object out of the box so the whole of the court could see it who also gasped.

It was a crown but unlike the current gold one on Robert's head it was made of a much rarer metal, Valyrian steel just like the crown of Aegon the Conqueror. It like the current crown on Robert's head had interlocking antlers all around it but they connected to a circlet that was decorated with detailed and elaborate swirling patterns around rubies, diamonds, emeralds and sapphires. It was a steely silver but Robert despite being slightly drunk quickly took the gold crown off of his head and slipped the new one on. His smile was so big that it was running the risk of splitting his face open and he asked eagerly.

"Where did you get so much Valyrian steel?"

"We had to find a few smaller objects to melt down to find the necessary steel your grace I will admit. Including a dragon bone hilt dagger I believe." He said adding the last part as a shot against Baelish who despite schooling his features to show only mild interest on inside he was seething with rage. That dagger had been his only for him to lose it during a fire at one of his brothels here in King's Landing which he knew had been started on Hadrian's orders. Of course Baelish knew better than to mention it seeing how happy the King was with the gift.

"Then the upcoming tournament shall be a double celebration of the great victory at the Stepstones and the appointment of Ned Stark as my hand." Robert announced joyfully no doubt in his own mind that things were going to continue to get better now that he had appointed Ned as his hand. He turned back to Hadrian who was standing before the king and asked him. "I feel I must ask you my friend if there is a boon I grant you for all you have done?"

"Perhaps sire there is." Hadrian said with a smirk hoping this might happen and he made his request, carefully framing it so it would seem like something that would only benefit Robert should he grant it. "I could be so bold your grace, I would ask that Lord Petyr Baelish be…relieved of his duties as Master of Coin. His own mismanagement of your grace's treasury has left the crown with considerable debts so I suggest that a more…capable man is appointed to that most prestigious position. Perhaps my brother Tyrion? His mind is one of the sharpest in the world." He suggested shocking the entire hall into silence and Baelish looked positively ill at the thought. The Lannisters in the room were shocked especially Tywin and Tyrion who had only just gotten back from the Wall, traveling by ship instead of land and was looking at his eldest brother as if to question his sanity.

"So be it." Robert declared with relief having wanted to be free of the toad for some time now and then he had an idea that might spice up the coming tournament. "But only if you and Prince Oberyn compete in the tournament." He said, delivering his terms which meant it was Hadrian and Oberyn's turns to be surprised although the two quickly rallied and Oberyn said with a mocking drawl.

"It would be our honour…your grace."

No-one noticed Petyr Baelish slip out of the hall. Bran looked over to Hadrian in amazement who just smiled at his young pupil.

The Mockingbird as he was known had swiftly retreated to his main brothel where he sat at his desk wondering what on earth he was going to do now. He had slept with Lysa Arryn for years to get that position as distasteful as he found it. The only way he had found to make the experience bearable was to pretend the half mad woman was her sister, his beloved Catelyn. Now thanks to Hadrian Bloody Lannister all that work was rendered useless.

The man had been a thorn in his side for years, all over Westeros his influence had compromised several of his plans and businesses. Right here in King's Landing for example he was no longer able to get young children or other taboo merchandise for his brothels clients which brought in the most money. Ser Jacelyn Bywater would have killed him on the spot if he had been discovered selling such things. All his attempts to bribe the man into looking the other way like he had done with Janos Slynt had failed given the man's unshakable devotion to his duty and to honour as laughable as Baelish found it but the veteran of the Greyjoy Rebellion also knew how to protect himself and had avoided all attempts to assassinate him.

While Hadrian Lannister's work had helped in one way with the redevelopment of King's Landing as it had brought many workers into the city who frequented his brothels and after the many traders and merchants that came to the city, he had lost a lot of money too as Hadrian had taken over several of the bigger and more expensive brothels that he did not own on the new Street of Silk and expanded them into new, more modern buildings to increase the clientele they attracted. Especially clients he had previously attracted to his own establishments.

He had also put into place new building safety guidelines that had to be met and standards that brothel operators had to follow including; no one younger than sixteen was to be employed, moon tea as well as food and decent lodgings had to be provided as well as regular health checks to ensure the containment of possible disease. This had driven several of his own brothels out of business or he had to modernise them out of his own pocket.

And now Hadrian had cost him his position on the Small Council where he could slowly drain money off of the treasury and reduce the tax he should have been paying to increase his profit margin. Not to mention the loss of the influence that came with the position. Already he could see the smug looks that would be sent his way by Pycelle, Renly and Varys. Still he thought to reassure himself, all was not lost. Without all the time he spent on Small Council business he would be able to devote his full energies on expanding his business again and working his way towards regency of the Vale by marrying Lysa until Robert Arryn was of age. And maybe try and engineer things so he could reacquire his old position. So he took out a quill and started to plan and one of the first things he was planning.

The death of Hadrian Lannister.

Later that night in the dining hall of the Lannister House as it was known, Tywin had gathered his trueborn children to share a rare meal together. It was a notable event in itself, the five Lannisters had not shared the same dinner table in nearly twelve years. The atmosphere at the table was tense as they all sat in their appointed places with Tywin occupying the seat at the head of the table.

"So brother why is it we only heard about such an important event in its aftermath?" Tyrion asked, wondering how his brother intended to assuage their father's anger at not being informed. He was still in slight shock over his new position and unsure of how he was going to manage the enormous debt that the kingdom had amassed.

"Yes please regale us with your tale." Tywin said himself wanting his son to explain his actions. Jaime and Cersei also looked at their elder brother expectantly so he took a sip of his wine and started speaking.

"Well father." Hadrian said. "You are fully aware of all the pirate activity that afflicted the lower western and southern coasts of Westeros in the last year or so. With Stannis Baratheon's refusal to deal with it I decided to take matters into my own hands. But given the pirates had a base the Stepstones from which to harass our shipping and even stage raids on ports along the coast, the only way to deal with it was to invade the Stepstones. There I discovered a problem, despite having the second largest army in all of the realm I still did not have enough men to successfully invade the Stepstones many islands at the same time to make sure the pirates could not properly rally against us. So I turned to the only other houses who were suffering as badly if not worse than we were, the Tyrells and the Martells. It took a prolonged bout of argument and several concessions to get them to agree to work with us but once I got them on our side the plan could go ahead." He stopped to cut up his steak and Cersei asked him looking annoyed.

"What kind of concessions?"

"Why do you think Arthur Martell and Desmera Redwyne got to be the first of the new ruling house there?" He told her putting on a face of annoyance as he carefully told his story, carefully editing the parts he did not want them to know. "And that we only got to claim four of the islands there and marry Myrielle, Cerenna's sister to Hobber Redwyne to get some claim on a fifth. However there were a few boons to the holdings we did claim." He added knowing the next part would make up for the failed chance to create a new great house and dominance of a new kingdom in his father's mind.

"What boons?" Cersei said angrily. "The Martells and the Redwynes get to rule a whole new Kingdom while we and our banner men get five small islands and one of them only by marriage to a slobbering idiot!" She raged at her older brother with reference to Hobber, who despite his nickname which some actual idiot had come up with was a clever young knight and a talented sailor. Myrielle could do far worse for a husband in Hadrian's opinion.

"Perhaps dear sister we could let our brother explain before tearing into him?" Jaime said trying to placate his twin who looked ready to continue her tirade, allowing Hadrian a brief opportunity to explain.

"Lake Side, Ninepenny Hall, Daemon's Keep and Small Tyrosh are some of the most important holdings in the island chain." He said referring to the holdings they had claimed before going into more detail. "Lake Side has one of the most perfect natural anchorages in the world and along with Daemon's Keep is one of the largest islands, Bloodstone aside. Small Tyrosh and Ninepenny Hall are strategically located to control the flow of most trade between the islands but also more importantly, when I sent spies in to survey the islands in preparation for the invasion the men made a very important discovery. Lake Side and Small Tyrosh have on their islands untapped metals reserves, some precious and there were rare gem deposits too. The same was discovered near Grey Gallows which is why I married Myrielle to Hobber Redwyne when I realised he was going to get that castle/island although I made sure to keep those discoveries to myself when each castle or hall was given out. It's a good thing the pirates never bothered to properly survey the islands."

That brought a satisfied smirk to Tywin's face. He now felt better about his son's decision although still angry he had made it without informing him first. Cersei looked surprised at her brother's cunning, she had long believed he was too honourable to be that underhanded in dealing with others while Jaime and Tyrion meanwhile smiled.

"Good then you made the right decision, but in future any use of our army is to be cleared with me first." Tywin said sternly and Hadrian nodded knowing that he could get away with such a thing once but not twice. "And what of Tyrosh, Myr and Lys? They have all long claimed the Stepstones as their own, fighting amongst themselves over the islands. I cannot imagine that they will idly sit by and allow us to take them."

"Of course, already my spies in those cities have reported to me that they are outraged. But while they all want the islands they are only a real threat if they band together and given the long running animosity between them that is as likely as Robert suddenly becoming a great king overnight. And believe me father I have already made plans for eliminating them as a threat without the need for the Tyrells or the Martells." Hadrian answered casually and Tywin said interested.

"I expect to hear some of those plans later tonight. But first why have Baelish removed as Master of Coin? His mismanagement of the budget has been a boon to us."

"In the short term perhaps but what of when Joffrey inherits the throne? Then we will have a mountainous debt to clear. The Iron Bank is not forgiving to those who owe money and as long as they have some hold over us the Tyrells, Trade Cartels and the Faith will be able to make demands that we might have to honour. For example having the Faith Militant revived which would be a terrible outcome given how much trouble they can cause. Now Robert is coming to the end it makes sense to see a better man on the Small Council who can clear those other debts before the king dies and stabilise our hold over the throne." Hadrian explained and everyone nodded understanding some of what he was saying but then Cersei asked while sending a venomous glance at Tyrion.

"Then why have this little troll on the small council? Our lord father would be a far better choice." Her eyes were like green beams of hatred focusing their gaze on Tyrion who ignored it from years of practice.

"Well my baby sister." Hadrian said adding the baby part just to irritate her. "It would be an excellent opportunity for our younger brother to bolster his own reputation. There is nothing like taking on a seemingly impossible task to develop your own legend. And as to why I did not ask for our father to have that role…the reason is simple." He said leaving it to her to figure it out although both Tywin and Tyrion already had. Jaime was slower getting there but Cersei just demanded not bothering to think.

"And that is?" She said her eyes glaring now focused on her older brother. Tywin looked at her in dismay that she had yet to figure it out and at Jaime for the same reason. Tyrion for the sake Jaime decided to enlighten the twins.

"It would be an insult to a man of our father's standing and experience to be named merely Master of Coin. There is only one position that would be suitable for our lord father on the small council…being Hand of the King and as long as Robert is alive there is no chance of that." Tyrion said feeling somewhat pleased his brother had done this for him but on the other hand he was feeling extremely annoyed at Hadrian putting him in this position with no warning, just a letter saying get back to the capital as soon as you can. Still he thought to himself with pride as they tucked in to their dinner with more easier conversation flowing between them, if he could deal with the debt the crown had amassed then it would be something he could hold over his father and sister for years to come.

While the Lannisters dined on the other side of the world, in the city of Braavos in a room with no windows but thick stone walls and a reinforced metal door constructed for one purpose, three dragon eggs were being carefully placed in the centre of the room by Daenerys while Rhaenys held a small red crystal with so much care that you might think it was liable to shatter at the slightest moment. Jon looked at the crystal and then her before she explained.

"When we acquired the eggs Lord Hadrian gave us this crystal. It's supposed to be a magical relic of Old Valyria and inside is a fire so hot it could turn flesh and bone to ash. According to every account we have discovered you need an intensely hot fire to hatch a dragon so he gave it to us so if we needed to we could hatch the eggs." She said and Daenerys stepped back from the eggs and out of the room taking a firm hold on the metal door and asked Jon.

"Could you help me? When Rhaenys throws the crystal we have to get this door closed immediately or the fire will spread and probably burn down the whole house and possibly a good portion of the city." Jon nodded nervously and stood next to his aunt ready to force the door shut at a moment's notice. Rhaenys looked over and they nodded all three of them very nervous. And almost as if in slow motion, Jon and Daenerys saw Rhaenys throw the crystal and as it sailed past them they forced the door shut hoping they were fast enough. They were thankfully and slammed the door shut before pulling the handle to secure it while the crystal flew through the air before impacting on the wall opposite the door. For a fraction of a second the shards separated like those of any other crystal when broken but then the air between them ignited as the fire was released. It was so bright that it would have blinded anyone who had seen it as orange flames erupted in the enclosed space. On the outside the three young people watched as the door glowed slightly given the temperature inside and they were worried that it might not hold. But after a moment it stopped and with thick gloves passed to him by Daenerys Jon unlocked the door and pulled it open.

The walls of the room were now black and slightly warped by the intense heat and even the metal was still too hot to touch with bare skin. But they were not concerned with that as their gaze was draw immediately to three small creatures on the ground that were emitting weak little moans at them. They were smaller that the three would have expected and all different colours. One was a silvery colour while another was bright green, the third however was covered in black scales. Daenerys was the first to move forward and reached for the black dragon that cooed when she picked it up. Rhaenys however chose the silver coloured dragon while Jon picked up the green dragon which cooed in his arms.

Oberyn Martell liked three things most in life; fighting, having sex and travelling which gave ample opportunities to find the first two. So as he pounded into a male whore while his paramour Ellaria Sand was enjoying the sixty nine position with a female whore he could not help but feel better about his current situation. He had increased the lands of his house and his nephews and niece were far better off for it. He had engaged in a simulating fight with pirates and was set to compete in the coming tournament. And more importantly he had put in place an important piece of the long term plan to return the rightful rulers of Westeros, the Targaryens to the throne. Finally his sister and her daughter would be able to return to the land of their birth without fear and Robert Baratheon's legacy would be nothing more than a bad memory.

He was just finishing when a bookish weasel of a man slipped into the room, it was the man that had been so humiliated yesterday at court, Petyr Baelish the owner of this establishment. While Ellaria slid her dress back on and Oberyn slid on his own robe Baelish came up to make enquiries on their experience here.

"Prince Oberyn. I trust everything was to your satisfaction?" Baelish asked his most high profile client. Oberyn did not like the man on instinct, something about him just made his skin crawl. He eyed Ellaria like a collector would a rare artwork he was planning to purchase, no doubt given his profession calculating how much she would be worth as a whore. He had seen him eye every woman and even young girls he had seen with those eyes and it disturbed him.

"Acceptable but I have had far better." Oberyn told him, those few months in the Summer Isles were still amongst his most favourite experiences and that tour of Lys and Myr. Oberyn saw a tick near the man's eyes but otherwise no indication he had taken the slight personally. Baelish then said casually.

"They say it is always good to lay with a woman before a tournament to bring good fortune. And given the opportunity it presents for you, good fortune would be most welcome I'm sure." Oberyn did not like where this was going as he had an idea what man was implying.

"Opportunity to what? Show off how good I am with a horse and spear. Ellaria knows how good I am with my spear." He said with a smirk at his longest serving paramour who gave him a saucy grin back.

"I was thinking more along the lines of opportunities that you must have waited many years for my prince." Baelish implied hoping to stoke up the man's hatred enough for him to take care of the thorn in his side for him. "After all you must remember the occasion that brought you to this city last?" He said and was not surprised when Oberyn's hand wrapped around his throat while the prince of Dorne glared at him. Ellaria looked on at Baelish with disgust and her lover hissed at the man.

"You dare mention her!" Oberyn said looking enraged although it was only for show. He knew he was supposed to be enraged for the death of his sister despite knowing she was alive and safe in Braavos so he played the part of the enraged brother. Baelish despite being choked kept smiling that annoying grin and said simply.

"I'm not the one who killed her…or her children."

Oberyn tightened his grip for a moment before letting the man go and turning to the fuming Ellaria and said.

"My love…I think we will try the Jade Spring. I have heard their whores are far more skilled and beautiful. This place leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth." Oberyn said and took his paramour in his arms and they walked out. Baelish smiled after them, feeling he had gotten his point across and planted the idea in Oberyn's head.

But he thought to himself after returning to his office, you could never be too careful. So he made some additional plans just in case.

In the North meanwhile Robb was feeling the strain of running a kingdom as large and harsh as the North. He now knew what had made his father start to go grey before his time if this was what he had contended with for years. He sat in his temporary office looking through the mounting pile of papers and frowned as he read the letter than had just arrived from Bear Island.

Maege Mormont was interested in building a closer relationship between their two houses despite already being one of the most trusted houses that the Starks had under their wing. She wanted to marry her daughter Lyanna to his younger brother Bran. He could not deny it would be a good match for Bran, he had heard of the strong and capable young lady from House Mormont. And as the reports on the reconstruction of Moat Cailin with its twenty towers and wall that was nearly as high as those of Winterfell had started pouring in, Robb realised Bran might be in a position to gain one of the biggest and most important strongholds in the North with a strong wife at his side so the betrothal was a good choice in his book although he would have to write to his father for permission.

He might have asked his mother for advice but she had not been in the best of moods lately. She was feeling like a mother bird whose chicks had now flown. Only he and his youngest brother Rickon remained at Winterfell. Bran was being fostered at Casterly Rock and Sansa & Arya were in the south with their father. Hearing the news that Arya had been betrothed to Tyler Lannister had sent his mother into such a rage that Robb had nearly gotten Maester Luwin to sedate her and she had been ready to ride south to give her husband an earful only for Robb to stop her with a desperate plea to respect his father's judgement. It had assuaged her anger somewhat but Robb felt that it was only a temporary measure.

In morning the colosseum which was usually deserted at this time of day there was a growing sense of anticipation. The servants worked hard to make the area ready for the big event. It would go on for several days with the various rounds and celebratory feasts so there was much to be done. The royal box was already decorated with the banners of the king and barrels of wine readily available. As the crowds moved in, filling the stadium almost too full capacity the knights themselves with their squires prepared for the opening ceremony in the rooms below in the bowls of the colosseum. Bran who had spent a far more pleasant evening with his father and sisters and his uncle Edmure was polishing Hadrian's black armour while Hadrian carefully cleaned and prepared his sword. There was a knock on the door of their room and Ned Stark came in.

"Father." Bran said cheerfully and Ned smiled at his son before turning to Hadrian who said in respect.

"Lord Stark I' am glad you came. Have you thought anymore on my request?" Hadrian asked Ned while Bran looked confused between them.

"I have. Are you sure it is a good idea?"

"Absolutely Bran has been missing Winterfell greatly and I think having his direwolf with him might ease the situation." Bran looked overjoyed at having Summer with him in the south and Ned nodded seeing the joy in his son's eyes.

"I will have the wolf sent to Casterly Rock immediately. Good luck in the tournament Lord Lannister." Ned said giving his son a hug before he left.

"Thank you." Bran said to Hadrian after his father had left.

"Having such a loyal creature as a direwolf with you is always a good thing but also you will have to learn how to magically bond with Summer. Just keep up those meditation exercises I set you. Learning how to feel magic is the first step in learning how to channel it. Use a weirwood if you are having difficulty. Ambient magic they emit is always helpful to beginners. That's why I had one planted at Casterly Rock." Hadrian advised his young protégé.

In the large and elaborate box reserved for royalty and other high born guests; the Starks and Lannisters sat around Robert who was already well into his wine. Seeing him like this so early in the day brought a frown to all of their faces. Ned sat down with his two daughters and his son who eagerly looked down at the arena waiting for the event to start. Robert sat on his throne with the queen looking at him with open disgust on her face and Joffrey at her side with Sandor Clegane keeping a close watch as usual. Ser Barristan Selmy was at the King's side, his face impassive. Ser Raphael Daniels stood guard over Lord Tywin having decided not to complete.

Ned saw Baelish sitting at the other end of the box with Tyrion Lannister and Renly while Ellaria Sand sat with Ned's daughters. Arya was laughing at something the older woman had told her while Sansa looked shocked and Ned became worried the Dornish woman was trying to corrupt his daughters. Another possible source for concern was the fact that Cerenna Lannister was talking with Edmure Tully sitting so close she was virtually on the man's knee. However as if to make him more on edge than he already was Tywin Lannister himself came and sat next to him.

"Lord Stark." Tywin said politely given the man's position as Hand of the King, one that he quietly coveted and was hoping to reclaim once Joffrey was on the throne. Ned nodded in return and said as his son looked on at the old lord with awe.

"Lord Lannister. Two of your sons are competing in this tournament I believe?" Ned asked largely to try and start a conversation so it did not become too awkward. Thankfully it was the right question to ask.

"Indeed. My eldest son Hadrian is competing in the melee while Jaime is competing in the joust. They decided to do it that way so they would not end up facing each other." He told the Northern lord proudly. He was proud of his two oldest son's for their individual accomplishments although he had never told them that. Jaime had become one of the youngest members of the King's Guard in the history of the organisation and was recognised the entire kingdom over as being near unparalleled as a knight while Hadrian had expanded Lannister influence even further than he could have dreamed and secured the future of their family for the next few generations. Even Cersei had managed to tie his bloodline to the throne.

Tywin then decided to pay the Northern lord a compliment as soon they would be related by marriage.

"Congratulations are in order. I was most impressed when I met your daughter the other day. She will make a fine wife for my grandson." He said and Ned looked at him in surprise although he hoped to get some information about what he had wanted to accomplish with that meeting.

"Thank you my lord, I am glad that Sansa was up to your expectations." Only for the patriarch of the Lannister family to tell him in no uncertain terms.

"Oh not your older girl, your younger daughter Arya. That girl has a smart head on her shoulders and a fierce attitude that I can respect. If she learns to channel all that energy of hers then she could truly become something great. With all due respect your older daughter is unsuitable as a queen. She is too ignorant of how court politics actually work, too trusting and does not understand the importance of family. Although I may seem distant and uncaring to my children…I do love them and my grandchildren. When I'm dead they will be all that is left of me." Tywin said and Ned could only nod. Although they saw the concept somewhat differently the importance of family was something that both men could agree on.

Bran who had listen to the exchange with interest was happy to hear a rare compliment paid to Arya who often found herself on the receiving end of other people's scorn although less pleased to hear the slight against his oldest sister, but he thought maybe given how full of herself she had gotten with all the praise heaped on her by their mother, the septa and more recently the queen she could use something like this to bring her down to earth.

Unknown to them Sansa, Jeyne Poole and Arya had heard every word and Sansa was near tears at the slights against her while Jeyne tried to comfort her, not understanding what she had done wrong. Arya however was stunned to hear the Lannister lord thought of her so highly.

They were prevented from saying anything further by the tournament starting. On their great stallions the knights rode out on parade. There was a great procession of flags that showed the vast number of houses that had knights competing in this tournament. Quickly getting over Tywin's mean words in the excitement of seeing her first tournament, Sansa and the other two young girls quickly were in awe of the splendour of it all with all. The knights in their shining armour sat upon their great steeds and it became a game between her, Jeyne and Arya to recognise all the flags although the girls found themselves confused by flags they had never seen before so Ellaria decided to help them.

"That is House Tyrell's chosen knight, Ser Loras Tyrell the Knight of Flowers." Ellaria pointed out to the girls as the brown haired knight in his shining silver armour. "Like a strutting peacock that one. That Lord Bronze Yohn Royce and his sons Andar and Robar." She said indicating the trio of knights from the Vale. The she pointed out to her younger audience six of the knights from the King's Guard that were competing including Jaime Lannister who even more full of himself than Loras Tyrell. She continued to point out the other riders including large number from House Frey.

However Ellaria then saw her Oberyn riding out onto and she smiled as he rode his powerful black stallion flying the flag of House Martell but tonight she would be the one riding him she thought with pleasure.

Following not far behind was Hadrian in his magnificent black and red armour, decorated with lion shaped pauldrons and a flowing red cape. His lion helmet was open and he could see his family from his position in the arena pit, he wondered why on earth Robert had asked for him to compete. He had not taken part in any tournaments in years. There was only reason in his own mind for Robert ordering for him to compete…he had probably hoped to see him end up facing his younger brother Jaime and one of them humiliating the other. Well he thought angrily if that was what Robert was hoping for then he was going to be sorely disappointed.

Normally the first series of jousts would go first but for some reason the event organiser had decided to do the melee first. So Hadrian once he had returned his borrowed horse to the stable removed his cape and checked his armour once more before heading out into the arena where the other thirty nine competitors were waiting. He saw several knights he recognised including Thoros of Myr who was the favourite to win if the betting pools were to be believed. Given the man's long history of winning such events he could hardly deny that the man would be a challenge but nevertheless Hadrian remained confident. He saw Oberyn smirking in the centre of the arena while a casual glance around him revealed many knights from all over the country and some from aboard.

But from the moment he stepped into the arena he knew something was wrong as nearly all of the knights eyes looked at him and at Oberyn too who also behind his smirk was feeling suspicious. Hadrian was glad to feel the weight of Crimson Night in his right hand and his lion shield in his left not mention his armour around him.

The knights in the pit waited, Robert looked down and said annoyed.

"Well get this thing started before I piss myself."

However Hadrian and Oberyn had no time to feel disgust towards Robert as they were both set upon by the other thirty eight knights! They swarmed in groups of three or four slashing at them both with their swords or spears. The two men had to move with near blinding speed to block and deflect their attacks which they both realised with alarm were intent on killing rather than merely wounding them. Oberyn was able to fluidly avoid and evade their attacks which was a blessing because he was not wearing any protective armour given his combat style was dependant entirely on freedom of movement and speed. He jabbed at the men catching them with his trained eye at the joints of their armour with his spear taking down men by attacking the neck or the shoulders with his spearhead. Hadrian may have been slower because of his armour but he had a shield to help him, blocking punishing blows with his shield before slashing out when possible to with his sword cutting through the weaker areas and striking men down.

The two men fought their way forward to the centre of the ring and found themselves back to back surrounded by thirty of their competitors. Eight lay dead or wounded already by their hands but the remaining thirty looked ready to continue the attack. The confused crowd kept cheering not sure of what was going on. While in the royal box Baelish with a delighted grin leaned in to the worried looking Tyrion while Renly lounged back in amusement at the unexpected twist while secretly glad Loras was not doing the melee this time.

"One thousand gold dragons says your brother falls here." Tyrion looked back at Petyr Baelish and found himself deeply loathing the man, sure in some way he must be responsible for this and said with cool confidence that was not nearly as stable as he would have liked.

"You are on."

Meanwhile Ellaria said to her young companions.

"This is not right." She looked scared for her lover who now stood surrounded by men looking to kill him with only a Lannister at his back quite literally. Meanwhile both Tywin and Ned were on their feet and turned to face Robert who looked nearly giddy at the event in front of them.

"Rob end this now." Ned said knowing those men in the arena were trying to kill Hadrian and Oberyn and Tywin fumed and was ready to cut the king down right now and get Joffrey even if he had to put a sword to the prince's neck to end this and Raphael ready to do the same, but Robert just ignored them and the knights in the ring ignored all of Ned's calls to stop the event. While Cersei looked on impassively at her side Joffrey was near mad with glee hoping for a truly bloody spectacle and hopefully see his uncle killed. Jaime was ready to rush out to help his brother but found himself blocked from interfering by the gates around the arena being locked shut which despite his furious attempts would not budge.

"I know we normally hate each other." Hadrian said keeping his eyes on the knights that surrounded them to Oberyn mindful of the ears that were all around them. "But perhaps until these thugs have been dealt with could there be a temporary alliance between us?" He queried and Oberyn who was not nearly as confident about their chances as he would like to be said back over his shoulder.

"Agreed. Now let's kill these pricks." The men then tensed as they prepared to go down fighting.

What happened next would go down in history as one of the bloodiest melee events in history and be later called an apocalypse of violence.

Oberyn moved first lashing out with a wipe sweep of his spear forcing the knights to move back to avoid the attack only for one of them to have his exposed throat cut open with blood spewing out of his near severed throat like a fountain. Oberyn however did not waste time given how many men surrounded him. He immediately jabbed his spear into the unprotected leg of a Frey knight before pulling it out and striking another through the open visor of his helmet. The man did not even have time to cry out as the spear point passed through the skull and straight into the brain before Oberyn moved on to another knight.

Hadrian meanwhile was moving faster than a man in armour should be able to but as he slashed off the arm of one knight who immediately started screaming as Hadrian blocked another knight's sword before cutting off his head and moved on to the next. He then cut his way through four knights of houses he did not bother to identify before finding himself face to face with Thoros of Myr.

His armour was large to protect his considerable bulk with red robes underneath to show his allegiance to the Red God R'hllor although the man did more drinking than praying. He brought his flaming sword and Hadrian feeling the magic in the attacking blade blocked it with Crimson Night, hoping the Valyrian steel would take the blow given the spells that had been weaved into its own metal. The flames however much to Thoros' surprise petered out on contact with the Valyrian blade. However it did not stop him as they battered away with their swords. However Hadrian broke the brief two way duel by giving Thoros a powerful shove with his shield and then thrust his sword forward straight through the chainmail that protected the Red Priest's chest. Thoros was still for a moment before he started gasping for breath and blood started coming out of his mouth before Hadrian pulled his sword out and then kept on hacking and slashing his enemies to bits.

After taking off the arm and leg of another knight Hadrian stopped and looked around when he could not see any more in his immediate line of sight, Oberyn did too and what greeted the pair was a scene that made the more weaker stomachs in the audience including Sansa and Jeyne Poole sick and in the case of Jeyne actually faint. The arena floor was a scene of utter carnage with blood turning the yellow sand into a disturbing shade of crimson. Hacked off limbs littered the entire arena with some knights still moaning in pain and calling out for help that would not be enough to save them. Entrails and organs from ruptured chests like intestines lying around everywhere.

The only two men still standing were Hadrian and Oberyn and both of them were covered by the blood of the men they had just killed. They stared at each other for a moment as their ears were able to hear their own hearts beating fiercely at the hard fight they had just gone through. Their breathing was quick and sweat covered their brows. With their adrenalin so high they almost attacked each other but then as they started to come down from the high of the fight, better sense prevailed and walking over to meet again in the centre Hadrian extended his hand to Oberyn who stood there for a moment before grasping it in a firm handshake and the audience cheered enthralled even if the more sensitive were disgusted at the slaughter they had just seen.

Feeling sick at the brutality that these people apparently found so entertaining, Hadrian and Oberyn walked out of the arena in disgust without a backwards glance. In the royal box Tywin and most of the people there breathed a sigh of relief. Renly and Robert looked somewhat disappointed that the two survivors had not fought each other as well. Tyrion with a relieved yet triumph expression on his face turned to Baelish who looked angry and said.

"I'll take my thousand gold dragons now." He said holding out his hand causing the Mockingbird to grimace at the sum he would now have to shell out.

As the gate opened to let the two men leave the arena they were immediately met by Jaime Lannister and Ellaria Sand whose long legs had allowed her in record time to run down to meet them. Ellaria threw herself into Oberyn's arms and kissed him fiercely so glad that he was unharmed. Jaime put a hand on his brother's shoulder and asked him.

"Are you alright? What the hell just happened in there?" Hadrian with his heart still going at a mile a minute told his brother with a sigh.

"Well brother if I had to guess…someone wants me and Prince Oberyn dead."

That night in a private room of New Garden, the Tyrell manor in King's Landing built to the same standards as the nearby Lannister House except with larger gardens and green and yellow stain glass in its windows, Hadrian sat enjoying good dinner with; Tyrion, Oberyn, Ellaria, Willas Tyrell and Varys. Raga sat in the corner next to the roaring fire chewing on a pile of meat that had been prepared for him. Given the events of today everyone felt tired and was glad of the quiet evening hoping to get a good night's rest and everything would return to normal the following day.

"Well that was the day from hell." Hadrian said as he broke the silence around the table and Oberyn hummed in agreement.

"I cannot wait to return Dorne and be with my daughters. Not mention I want our latest little one to be born in Sunspear." He said pulling Ellaria close who leant into his arms.

"Another one! Just how big are you planning to make the Sand Snakes?" Willas remarked in astonishment dining without his wife as Arianne was in Highgarden already with her cousin Tyene as a companion and secret bodyguard. "You already have eight daughters Oberyn…this could make nine! Have you never heard of moon tea Ellaria?"

Ellaria however smirked and said.

"Moon tea makes me ill. I love feeling my love's children growing inside me. Just as those two whores from Lys are enjoying back in Sunspear are doing right now."

"Oberyn one of these days Doran is going to have your castrated." Hadrian remarked wearily. He knew bastards were better treated in Dorne than the rest of Westeros but even then legendarily patient Prince Doran must have started getting frustrated with having to deal with all of his brother's bastards by now. All the man chuckled while Ellaria put on an annoyed face but did not comment back. Then the Master of Whispers spoke up.

"I would have thought you would be more concerned about the attempt on your and Prince Oberyn's lives today my lord?" Varys said tucking into his salad with quiet relish given how delicious he found it. He had been very worried when he had seen the events of earlier today and his little birds had been working hard all afternoon to discover what had driven so many knights to do something so reckless in front of the king. If Hadrian and Oberyn had been killed then Tywin Lannister and Doran Martell would have hunted the men responsible to the ends of the earth. However when he had discovered the details he had not been surprised at the culprit behind the attack.

"I suspected there would be an attack against me yes." Hadrian said casually as he cut up his steak. "Although I did not expect it to be right in the middle of the tournament or that Oberyn would be targeted as well. Sorry Oberyn, you could have been killed because of my mess." He said to the Dornish prince with genuine regret. He had not intended to put Oberyn's life in danger with this game of shadows he was playing with Baelish. The Dornish prince however laughed and said.

"My friend I would not have missed it for the world. Seeing that worm get knocked down a peg was enough on its own." Hadrian nodded with a slight smile although Tyrion was surprised to hear Oberyn call Hadrian 'my friend'. Given the man's near legendary hatred of the Lannisters it was astonishing that it was said with what appeared to be full honesty rather than in jest. Tyrion had a new respect for his brother's diplomatic talents if he had achieved something like that.

"Still you could have both been killed! I would dearly like to see the culprit choking on the worst poison I can find." Ellaria said fiercely, she had nearly had a heart attack watching that bloody spectacle this morning.

"Well given that he lost a thousand gold dragons betting against you brother, I would guess that is at least a good start." Tyrion said the proverbial weight of the gold dragons he had won made the dwarf smile.

"I did not expect Baelish to act so openly against you my lord." Varys said with concern. "I guess that your robbing him of his treasured small council position must have hurt him deeper than we had thought. Still the air in the council chamber will be slightly more pleasant from now on." He concluded with a smile glad to see the schemer brought down a peg. "My little birds say he used his whores to communicate with the other knights you and Prince Oberyn fought in the tournament and placed a considerable bounty of fifty thousand gold dragons on your heads."

"My…my. He was eager wasn't he?" Oberyn said to Hadrian as he felt Ellaria's foot under the table rub itself against his leg making his smile wider. "He even came to me in the brothel after a session with his rather disappointing whores and encouraged me to seize the opportunity to right past wrongs. I guess he must have hoped that I would kill you and then the other knights would have killed me to cover his tracks but they attacked us both too early."

"And start a war between the Lannisters and the Martells no doubt." Willas said finishing the chain of thought. The rest of the dinner guests all stayed quiet at that thought. None of them wanted a war, the loss of resources and more importantly lives was too wasteful and should be avoided if there is any other option. Sometimes unfortunately it was the only option, none of them in that room were naïve enough to think otherwise. After all if the Starks and Baratheons had not gone to war against the Targaryens they would have been wiped out due to the Mad King's paranoia.

In the Red Keep at that same moment, Tywin was searching for his daughter and his second son. He would have waited until morning but he had received a message concerning his children and implied they two shared intimate 'nocturnal activates'. He had heard such things before and dismissed them but this letter had threatened to mention such things to the king which would have been a disaster for their house and his legacy. Despite the goodwill his eldest son had created with his actions in recent days the king still hated their house intently and would not care if the accusations were true or not. The accusation and a show trial would have been more than enough to condemn all of his family until they had all been executed. He had to confront his twins with this news and discover the source to deal with it quickly. His fury over these lies made him appear twice as intimidating as he usually did and if any servants had encountered him they would have stayed well clear but given it was the middle of the night there were few about.

He knew the Red Keep like the back of his hand from all the years he had spent here and soon arrived at his son's rooms. He slowed down when he heard the moans of a woman in the midst of sex and he frowned, thinking that his youngest son's dirty habits must be rubbing off on Jaime if he was consorting with whores. Deciding not to bother knocking he intended to simply get the whore to go home and get down to business, Tywin stormed into the room and was frozen with complete shock at what he saw. There on the bed in front of him were his twin children screwing each other like rampant animals. Jaime was being ridden by Cersei as naked as the day they were brought into this world. An event that had filled him with joy at the time. Now all he felt was shock as the rumours of his twins' incest were proven horrifically true.

It did not take him long to get over his shock however, nor did it take the twins long to realise they had an audience. The sight of their father made the twins go white with fear and they quickly scrambled off the bed and pulled their robes on but it was too late and Tywin just stood there as they quickly put on their nightclothes. The shame and disappointment in Tywin's eyes was enough to make Jaime nearly sink to the ground and curl into the foetal position while Cersei was filled with near terror at what might happen now their father knew the truth. She went to speak but Tywin just marched out of the room in the same direction that he had come. Cersei with her thin robe wrapped haphazardly around her naked body gave chase, careful not to shout in case she roused the castle.

Tywin was going straight back to Lannister House where he intended to get Hadrian, Tyler's betrothed Arya Stark and the rest of his people who actually mattered and get them out of King's Landing and back to the Rock where if the sordid affair was discovered his son could isolate himself and the rest of their family in event of the worst happening. Even if the secret was blown then the family would survive this and he in the meanwhile would try and separate the incestuous twins and kill anyone who might have known about this disgusting affair. He heard the soft footfalls of his daughter as she ran after him and he was determined to ignore her and would have continued to do so until she grabbed his shoulder and pulled him to a hard stop.

"Father please just listen! I can explain!" Cersei said begging. Tywin keeping his voice low so no-one but he and she would hear said back.

"There are not enough words in all the languages of the world to describe how I am feeling towards you and Jaime right now Cersei." He said hissing her name at her like it was the vilest insult in the world. "You and he will never see each other again. Robert would dismiss Jaime from the Kingsguard without a second thought and I intend to send him to the Wall were at least he will be of some use at long last! Joffrey will not be infected by anymore of your filth either! I will send him to be fostered with the Cleganes. There at least his vilest tendencies might be beaten out of him. Nor will you ever see Tommen and Myrcella again. I do not need them being poisoned by your presence!"

Cersei was feeling the utmost horror at what her father was saying. He was going to take all the things that meant most to her in the whole world away! Jaime to the Wall where he would die in the cold all alone! She would never see her youngest children ever again. And her beloved golden son Joffrey would be put under the brutal guardianship of Ser Gregor Clegane who would torment her boy into an early grave. She could not let that happen she thought to herself desperately. As her father turned away to carry out his terrible threats she found herself hating him more than anything else in the entire world. She did not even remember picking up the small marble pot that was on display nor did she remember slamming the heavy object down on her father's head.

Tywin fell to the ground with a great gash in his skull where the pot had struck and before he had hit the ground he stopped breathing. Cersei was still as she looked down in complete shock over what she had just done. Her father was lying dead at her feet, his proud blood pouring out of the open wound on his head onto the stone floor. The pot in her hands was surprisingly intact after its impact against Tywin's skull although it was now red with blood. As the full realisation of her situation sunk in she started to panic.

"Oh gods!" She said in a horrified breath. She had just murdered Tywin Lannister, her own house would be baying for her blood when they found out about this! If they found out. She corrected thinking very quickly as to how she might get out of this mess. No-one had yet seen her so she fled the scene quickly with the pot still in hand and hurried down corridors that were thankfully empty. She knew that if she placed the pot in someone's room where it was sure to be found then suspicion would be cast onto that person rather than her. As tempting as it was she knew that her older brother and youngest brother were impossible to frame given that her spies had told her they were at this very moment having dinner with the Martells, Tyrells and that dickless bastard Varys. They would have too strong an alibi so she thought quickly about who she might be able to stick this one on. She dodged behind a drape as she heard someone coming this way, terrified that she was about to be discovered with the murder weapon still in her hand. She held her breath so sure she was about to be caught only for the footsteps to change direction and head away down another passage.

She breathed a sigh of relief before carefully peering around the edge of her cover and looking out to see that the coast was clear. She crept out and made her way to the nearest set of chambers which belonged to Ser Boros Blount. One of the Kingsguard he was one of the weakest members and her brother thought of him with nothing but distain. She had counted him as loyal to her but needs must she thought to herself. He would be with the whores at this time of night who could either be silenced or bought when he was brought to trial. So she snuck into his deserted rooms and hid the bloody pot in his linen closet where the maid would find it in the morning. With that done she quickly rushed out of the room and back to her own chambers were she could dispose of her bloodied gown in the fire and clean any other trace of the crime off of her.