21

Chapter 21 – Battle of Blackwater Bay

The Narrow Sea, Stannis' Fleet…

Ser Davos stood at the helm of the flagship leading the fleet, to say that he was nervous was something of an understatement. He had never really fought in a battle before with the exception of serving at Stannis' side during the Greyjoy Rebellion and that had been nearly ten years ago. Now here he was, more to his surprise than anyone else's, leading a fleet to attack the heart of the Seven Kingdoms and the Westerosi Empire, Kings Landing itself.

His concerns about the amphibious landing were enough of a worry on their own, he knew that the Lannisters would be there behind the city's walls raining down fire on them. Given the location that his king had chosen for the attack, the Mud Gate was the weakest of the city's gates but given it was such an obvious target the Lannisters would no doubt be ready to defend it. They might outnumber the city defenders with their army of forty five thousand men but Davos was beginning to worry if that would be enough.

-x-

Dragonstone, the Narrow Sea…

Melisandre sat in her chair next to the fire in her rooms, she had not felt so cold since she was a child but now there was a deep chill running through her body and no matter how many blankets she wrapped around herself or how much the fire was stoked she could not seem to find any warmth.

Her brief coma and 'encounter' with Hadrian Lannister had unnerved her severely, she had never felt such power before and she shivered in recollection. Her own arrogance had made her think she was his equal and privately in her own mind, his superior.

She had been so…wrong she thought to herself, rubbing her new scars absentmindedly as they ached.

His power was greater than she had ever dreamed, she winced as she remembered the pain he had put her through during their brief link. How easily he had torn through her mind, taking anything he wanted and she had been powerless to resist. He had inflicted the scars on her as punishment for her burning of the whore Bella, she pulled back the blankets covering her right arm enough to see the lightning bolt that had been carved into her skin and ran her left hand along it, nothing that her brothers and sisters in faith or the maester of the castle had done would ease the pain or remove them. Her brothers in faith had even sacrificed another of Robert Baratheon's bastards to remove them but the scars remained and even hurt greater after the sacrifice although it had smoothed out slightly, they had been ready to sacrifice another when Melisandre stopped them. The image of green eyes haunting her, awake or asleep she could see the burning and rage filled eyes of Hadrian Lannister.

She was startled at the sudden opening of the door and shivering pulled her blankets tighter, fearful that the lion might well be here to finish her only for a slight relief to see it was her king's wife, Queen Selyse.

"Will you join us to pray Lady Melisandre? You have not left this room in two days." Selyse asked and Melisandre nearly recoiled from the idea of leaving the safety of this room so she said quickly.

"No, I think I will pray in the privacy of this room, pray that my lord might take my scars and heal my spirit." She assured Selyse who looked upset but nodded and left, closing the door behind her. Melisandre pulled the blankets tighter around herself in search of comfort but found little, in truth she had not found herself able to pray to her lord since awakening. It was like she was behind a pane of glass, or her lord was and she could not reach him or feel his warmth.

Her spirit had been shattered, her fire now a bare ember of what it had once been and it would be a long time before she found it in herself to pray again.

Kings Landing, the Crownlands…

Tyrion Lannister was having similar thoughts as he waited, knowing that tonight the fleet of Stannis Baratheon would arrive at the city. While he had done all he could and had more than a few surprises ready for when Stannis came, he knew that nothing was certain. This might well be the biggest battle of his life…and the last he thought morbidly. He was glad that he had held off bringing Tysha and their children here, he would not want the sellswords of Stannis to get their hands on his beautiful wife and their daughters especially since they had narrowly avoided his father treating her as a whore and having her raped by the entire garrison of Casterly Rock. At least he could draw some comfort from them being safe in Braavos while he braved the dangers here for a boy king that did not in any way deserve his loyalty. He sipped his wine as he waited for Varys to arrive, he had called for the spymaster to get updates on the 'projects' that he had been helping Tyrion with, they were critical to the defence of the city and while Tyrion was not sure of the strange friendship he had established with the eunuch master of whispers it was certainly one of the most useful relationships he had cultivated here in Kings Landing.

The door moments later opened allowing Varys to enter, the bald man bowed slightly to Tyrion and said.

"My lord hand, you sent for me?"

"Yes I did, please join me Lord Varys." Tyrion said pouring himself a fresh goblet of wine but Varys shook his head.

"I apologize my lord but I abstain from such pleasures." Varys said, he did not want to cloud his judgement with alcohol. The life of a spymaster was stressful and dangerous where one wrong move could be the end of you, keeping a clear and cool head was the best way to stay alive.

"Wise I suppose but not much fun." Tyrion said as he slipped his wine and asked the question that he needed answering. "Did the recipients of my messages agree to my terms and my plan?"

"They did my lord." Varys assured him. "Your planning has been meticulous my lord. I have to admit that the Red Priestess and her kind have disturbed me by the presence, the darks arts they wield which you know my lord I have witnessed first-hand." He said and Tyrion nodded, remembering the story of how his manhood had been taken from him that Varys had shared with him. "My birds on Dragonstone have informed me that Stannis Baratheon has started some kind of relationship with the Red Priestess in an effort to create an heir."

That got Tyrion laughing.

"I would not have thought Stannis had it in him, still on to more serious matters." Tyrion said taking a moment to get himself together before continuing. "Have you completed the escape route for the ladies and children of the keep should the walls be breached?" He asked seriously and Varys nodded.

"The passage from Maegor's Hold to the outskirts of the city has been prepared and is ready should it be needed." Varys said with some gratitude, the compassion of Tyrion had demonstrated by making sure that women and children could escape if things changed for the worst made him more confident than ever that Tyrion was more than right for the job of Hand of the King when the time came to replace Joffrey with Jon Targaryen.

"Good." Tyrion said before becoming very serious. "It might be in your best interests to not be here when the battle begins Lord Varys, in case things do not go our way."

Varys smiled, touched by the concern for his wellbeing but he was not going anywhere and told Tyrion so.

"I have no intention of leaving Lord Tyrion unless I absolutely have too but I have prepared for that possible eventuality and perhaps my lord you should consider your own potential escape."

"I have thought about it Lord Varys but since our boy king is probably going to flee at the first sign of trouble, someone must lead our forces." Tyrion said with complete certainty, causing Varys to pause for a moment before making an admission.

"The dark arts have provided Lord Stannis with his armies and paved the path to our door." Varys did not allow his personal feelings to influence his voice however much he hated those who served the 'Red God' although his face did somewhat show his concern of such things. "For a man in service to such powers, to sit on the Iron Throne, I can think of nothing worst. And tonight, I believe you are only man that can stop him."

His admission that he believed that Tyrion could stop Stannis, touched the dwarf's bitter heart more than he could admit and silence passed between them for a moment as they both absorbed what had just been said in all of its enormity.

-x-

Joffrey was now being dressed into his custom made armour, it was certainly an expensive set in red and gold with many images of lions to decorate it and show his Lannister heritage. His freshly forged sword was similarly decorated with golden lions with rubies for eyes and a cross guard on the hilt, Joffrey smiled naming the blade Heart eater. The disturbing smile on his face was unsettling to the servants that had to dress the king but they went about their task silently, hoping not to draw his ire. A pretty young maid named Giada who reminded Joffrey of Sansa Stark with her red hair and blue eyes, however found herself the centre of attention as Joffrey turned to her with a glint in his eye.

"See my new blade, freshly forged, Heart eater I have named it. Kiss it." He commanded and her fear intensified, her eyes darting left and right to the other servants in the room but they ignored her pleading eyes. Joffrey just looked at her expectantly with a sneer on his face and silently praying to any of the gods that might be listening, she leant forward and pressed her lips against the cold steel of the blade.

Seeing the fear in her eyes was enough to give him a small rush and he told her with pride.

"I will kill my treasonous uncle Stannis with this blade." He boasted and drew the blade's edge along her cheek while she shook, leaving a line of blood running down from her cheek to her neck.

-x-

Tyrion likewise was being fitted into his own armour, like Joffrey's it had a red and gold colour scheme and images of lions although was not as expensive as the king's obviously. Podrick Payne, the boy he had arranged to squire with one of the knights in his family's army was helping him into and as the cheery faced boy handed Tyrion a battleaxe, Tyrion turned to the young boy and told him.

"Podrick." He waited for the boy to look him in the eye before telling him. "If the worst happens and we fall today…I want you to run. Save yourself rather than die with us. Is that understood?" He said to the boy that he had shown kindness too when no one else had. The boy's eyes were surprised and the young man said quickly.

"No my lord, I am staying with you." Tyrion went to speak but Podrick did not give him the chance. "No one before you even gave me a chance, my mother abandoned me and I was passed around knights who thought having a squire might improve their image. I will stay at your side my lord, whatever happens."

The boy was so sure in what he was saying that Tyrion was momentarily struck at the strong loyalty he had evoked in the boy and it did warm his bitter heart. The idealism in the boy's eyes was enough to bring a lump to his throat and Tyrion stayed silent for a moment before telling Podrick.

"You should don your own armour, it would not do for one of my future knights to go into battle without his armour."

-x-

The sky darkened as night fell and the enemy drew closer, on the city's walls the defenders readied themselves. Men donned their armour and picked their best weapons while in the harbour, a ship was loaded with thousands of jars of what the knight Bronn called ''pig shit'.

The knight in question was drinking and singing with the rest of the men, enjoying themselves for what could well be the last time. The mood was jolly but at the back of their minds they were all wondering if they had a chance of winning the coming battle.

On Stannis' vessels however there was silence, with the exception of a man occasionally becoming seasick and vomiting into the barrels nearby or over the side of the ship. Thunder rumbled in the night sky, Matthos stood at the side of his father Ser Davos Seaworth and commented as his nerves grew more stretched.

"The tide is against us." His father however was calmer due to his many years at sea.

"Aye, but the wind is with us." Ser Davos crossed his arms behind his back, doing a far better job of controlling his nervousness than his eldest son. "She will blow us straight to the gates." The darkness of the night was making many of the men nervous, a shroud of fog had set in and while it would make it harder for them to be detected some of the sailors thought it was an ill omen.

"You are coming home." Matthos said, remembering that his father had actually been born in Kings Landing in one of the poorest parts of the city as had his mother. His father however thought differently.

"Kings Landing has not been my home for twenty years." He chckled as memories of his misspent youth came back to him. "I spent most of my time dodging the royal fleet and now I am sailing right at them." He remarked how much his life had changed and how far he and his family had come. The slum where he had been born was nothing more than a memory now, the Lannisters had torn it down years ago and while he would never wish anyone had to live in such a place it filled him with melancholy. Matthos however felt the need to reassure his father.

"This is the royal fleet. And you are not a smuggler anymore, you are the high captain." His confidence however was not echoed by his father who remained firmly grounded in reality.

"Oh course there are several royal fleets at the moment."

"Not after tonight." Matthos said, still filled with such youthful confidence that it brought both warmth to his father's slightly jaded heart and exasperation at his near fanatical certainty in their victory. "When the sun rises, Stannis will sit on the Iron Throne and you will be his hand."

"Gods be good." Davos said hoping that they were listening and would not desert them tonight after all he had seen be done in Stannis' name.

"God." Matthos said with the gleam of fanaticism coming into his eyes much to his father's concern. "Father, there is only one and he watches over us all."

"But not over them." Davos asked his son, hoping to shake his belief in the Red God whose cult disturbed Davos more than he could say.

"Over all of us." Matthos told him with complete certainty. "The people of Kings Landing did not chose the false king, Joffrey Baratheon. They will be glad to see his head on a spike."

"Well first we have to put it there." Davos said trying to remind his son that they had not won the battle yet. They might have more men but the outcome was far from certain and the false king's family stood in their way with all their cunning and guile. No doubt there would be a few surprises waiting for them in Kings Landing.

"Our ships outnumber theirs by ten to one and our army by over three to one." Matthos said looking unsettled at the suggestion that they might fail, giving Davos brief hope that he might shake his son's fanaticism and bring him back to reality.

"Those walls have never been breached." Davos reminded his son. "And the men guarding those walls, when they see you, they will not see a liberator they see a stranger coming to set their city on fire." The glimmer of doubt that Davos had been glad to see then died in Matthos' eyes much to his father's disappointment as the fanatic took hold once again.

"I have faith in the Lord of Light, I have faith in our cause." He told his father with complete certainty but then with a quieter voice he added. "And I have faith in my captain."

Despite the rumbling of thunder overhead, Davos could not help himself but hope at that moment that his eldest son might not be lost to the fanatics just yet.

-x-

As the fleet was spotted through the fog, bells rang out across Kings Landing to signify and all the men on both sides prepared for battle. On the ship leading the fleet, Ser Davos and his son heard the bells and Matthos immediately jumped to conclusions.

"They are welcoming the new king." He looked to his father with a smile while Ser Davos gritted his teeth, knowing full well that the opposite was true.

"I have never known bells to mean surrender." He said bitterly, knowing that the fight would soon be upon them. "They want to play music with us, then let's play. Drums." He ordered and his son cried out loudly to the rest of the crew. The drummer began his intimidating tune while other ships followed their lead, rallying their men to the deck and they assembled in the units.

The pounding rhythm continued and Stannis allowed himself a small smile as he saw his army assembling on the decks of his ships. He had never felt so sure that soon the throne would be his and finally he would be able to step out of the shadows of the past.

-x-

Meanwhile Bronn was being given his orders by Tyrion in the Red Keep.

"Remember wait, until." He started saying with emphasis but Bronn with annoyance finished for him.

"Until the ships are in the bay."

"They must be far enough in." Tyrion said trying to convene exactly what he needed Bronn to do, it was critical to his plan. Bronn however knew his part in this well, having been there when his lord was making their preparations.

"I know what 'in' means. Do know how to use that?" Bronn asked, using the axe in the hope that it would distract Tyrion so he would stop bothering him.

"I chopped wood once." Tyrion said as he looked at his weapon, its weight uncomfortable in his hands. "No, I watched my brothers chopping wood." It then struck him how little he had personally prepared for fighting in this battle. Bronn told him.

"You are smarter than any of the pretty boy knights in your brother's army, you will be fine." The two men then shook hands and Bronn said. "Don't get killed."

"Nor you, my friend." Tyrion added realising quietly to himself that he had not realised how much he considered Bronn a friend until this moment. Bronn took it with his usual sarcasm.

"Oh are we friends now?" He asked and Tyrion felt annoyed that he was having to deal with this when very soon they would be fighting for their lives.

"Oh course we are, just because I pay you for your services does not diminish our friendship."

Bronn meanwhile was also wondering when he had come to see the imp he served as a friend too but he would of course never admit it to anyone. He had a reputation to keep.

"Enhances it really." He conceded.

-x-

On the walls the men gathered and prepared to hold them against the assault that was coming, Tyrion with the Summer Sons at his side marched to meet with them while Joffrey accompanied by Ser Osmund Kettleblack, his new sworn shield. The sneer that had been in place only moments before had disappeared as Joffrey realised just what was about to happen, the cries of men as they prepared was unsettling as was the horse without a rider that rushed past.

On the walls Tyrion and Podrick stared out across the bay were the sound of drums could be heard in the distant coming closer and closer. Joffrey, Lord Stafford, Ser Brax, Ser Osmund, Ser Jacelyn and Ser Gwayne joined them and listened intently to the ominous sound that was coming out of the fog. Joffrey demanded when he saw an empty sea before the fog bank.

"Where is my fleet?"

"On the way." Tyrion answered without looking but Joffrey demanded a more detailed answer as his fear grew.

"Why is it not here now, they are coming." Tyrion however did not answer with words but a glare as he turned to face Joffrey, who suddenly lost his voice. Tyrion then resumed looking out into the bay and thought on what he had planned for Stannis Baratheon. The man thought he was sailing here to take a throne and sack a city, when in reality he was sailing into a trap.

-x-

On Davos' ship the experienced sailor was beginning to grow concerned as they had not yet made contact with the enemy.

"Where are their ships?" He asked loud, more to himself but his son still gripped by overconfidence stated grandly.

"It was wise to attack at night, we have taken them by surprise." Davos however knew better and said with complete certainty.

"Lord Varys knows what you had for breakfast three days ago. There are no surprises here." He was growing more and more concerned about whatever was going on, something was not right and the Imp had yet to show any sign of what he intended but Matthos still clung to his belief that everything was going their way.

"If it is true that there is dissention in their ranks, maybe their sailors have mutinied."

"Maybe." Davos said but it was said quietly and with great foreboding. The lights of the city could now be seen through the fog, while on the walls the Lannister soldiers and City Watch could see the ships of their enemy for the first time. The sheer number of them was unsettling, near terrifying and some of the men looked ready to bolt but their more brave comrades held them in place.

Tyrion from his position on the walls called out his order to the men.

"Archers to their marks." The captains then echoed his command.

"Archers to the marks."

The men carrying the bows and crossbows stepped forward, readying their weapons and nocked their arrows. The tension in the air was nearly overwhelming as the waiting continued, they could see the enemy but had yet to engage. Tyrion had never felt such a state in his life but stayed cool while the boy king looked ready to wet himself. Tyrion gave his next command.

"Hold fast." He needed them to hold their fire until the time was right, Joffrey however demanded.

"What are you doing? We need to attack them." Tyrion turned again to face him and confirmed his order calmly and firmly.

"Hold fast."

"Boulders ready." A man yelled out from the catapult positions, the archers with arrows nocked waited, the infantry and limited cavalry they had waited but Tyrion unlike some of the men stayed cool and stuck to the plan. Then a ship left the harbour from their side, the Queen Cersei going out against the enemy just as Tyrion had planned.

"There is only one ship! Where are the others?" Joffrey demanded and the other men looked confused too but Tyrion said knowing what the unmanned ship was dumping into the bay as they spoke.

"One is all that is needed when you consider what is within its cargo hold."

-x-

Meanwhile Ser Davos and Matthos were now able to see the ship that had sallied forth to meet them. Even the die-hard Matthos was confused.

"There is only one ship."

His father looked intently at the enemy ship coming closer to the fleet and the hairs on the back of his neck began standing on end. The sense for danger that had evolved during his years as a smuggler was screaming out now that they were in terrible danger but he could not see why. Still he gave orders.

"Archers, stand to!" He needed to know what was going on but taking care of the enemy ship was more important right now. "Man the below! Nock!" The men followed orders and prepared their weapons to fire but Davos held his fire.

As the Queen Cersei came along side suddenly realised that he could see no-one on deck and his feelings of impending doom grew stronger although he had no idea why. He called out to the men.

"There is no one on board."

One the walls Tyrion was handed a torch by Pyromancer Hallyne who had suddenly appeared looking as giddy as a child with a new toy or a squire with his first proper sword. Tyrion himself now feeling fear as the moment of truth came, threw his torch into the air where Bronn with his flaming arrow could see it from the side of the bay. At that same moment Ser Davos saw the green liquid flowing out of the back of the deserted enemy ship and gave quick orders as he realised the danger they were in.

"Wildfire! Steer Clear! Steer Clear!" His voice was desperate but the men and the ship could not react fast enough to get away from what happened next. Time seemed to slow down as Bronn fired his arrow and it sailed over the heads of the men in Stannis' vanguard. Ser Davos was powerless as it came down and struck the discoloured waters behind the enemy ship but he turned quickly to his son who was now on the rear deck of the ship and cried out.

"Matthos, get down."

Only a split second later, a trail of green fire ignited on the water and followed the unlit wildfire back to the Queen Cersei which then erupted in the most colossal explosion. Ser Davos only caught a glimpse of his son, unknown to him at that moment but it would be the last he would ever have as he was blown forward while Davos was thrown backwards into the sea, something that would save his life.

From his own ship further back, Stannis witnessed the explosion and averted his eyes from the intense light and felt the burning heat on his skin from where he was as the explosion engulfed and destroyed several of the leading ships, killing scores on his men.

On the walls the Lannister forces likewise averted their gaze from the blinding green light of the explosion except for the pyromancer who looked gleeful at the success of his order's chemical thinning out the enemy ranks.

The screams of men belonging to Stannis were filling the air near what remained of his fleet as they caught fire and the green flames began to eat through their clothes and skin, jumping overboard to try and extinguish the flames. Debris from the first ships caught in the explosion, still flaming green fell onto the decks of other ships, setting them and men ablaze.

On the walls Tyrion tried to ignore the screams coming for Stannis' fleet as did many of the other men but all felt the horror as they saw at a distance the pain and suffering that had been unleashed on men just like them. Only the pyromancer and Joffrey were smiling and Tyrion honestly thought for a moment that his sister had birthed a demon in human form.

-x-

On his own flagship, Stannis was looking at the devastation with horror, at least a quarter of his army had be killed in that blast that the Lannisters had unleashed upon them. He mentally cursed the so called Red God for allowing this to happen, his victory that only moments before had seemed so certain now hung in the balance. Seeing the terrified looks of the men around him, his resolve to take the throne took hold and he gave his next order.

"Prepare to land."

"Your grace." One of the men objected in fear of what they had just witnessed, but Stannis remained firm and determined.

"The dwarf has played his little trick."

"The wildfire." Another man said while gulping in fear.

"He can only play it once." Stannis reasoned and with his confidence beginning to return, marched down the deck to the smaller boats.

"We are too far from the gates. The fire, their archers. Hundreds will die." One man said sounding dejected and demoralised causing Stannis to realise that he had to be firm and strong right now or his men would sense any doubt and run.

"Thousands." Stannis corrected knowing that it was going to be a slaughter for both sides now but he still held numerical superiority and if he fled now, he would be never be taken seriously again. It was now or never. He threw the cover off the small boats and turned to face his men who all had terror in their eyes and decided to take matters into his own hands.

"Come with me and take this city."

Leading them himself was risky, but seeing their king and commander charge into the fires ahead of them seemed to revitalise their hopes and the men cheered as Stannis climbed into the small boat followed by his men.

-x-

Tyrion saw the boats coming towards the shore as the fire burned out and felt a lump forming in his throat as thousands of men came closer to him with the intention of putting his head on a spike.

"He is a serious man Stannis Baratheon." Tyrion said and turned to Ser Gwayne who nodded, griped the bundle he was holding. Tyrion shook his head, not yet he thought to himself.

"Ser Osmund, fight in my stead." Joffrey cried out as fear returned to the cowardly boy king after his euphoria of moments ago as his the enemy rallied and returned to try again.

Tyrion told the boy as he fled.

"If you flee our men will lose moral and you will forever be known as the cowardly king. No one will fight for a king that will not fight for himself."

But Joffrey did not listen and fled back to the safety of the Red Keep, Tyrion and the rest of the men watched him run and the looks became dejected as they saw the little shit they were fighting for run-away but Tyrion, rallied what courage he had and gave his next order to the archers.

"Rain fire down on them."

The archers drew back their bows and finally let their arrows fly with fire burning at their tips. Stannis and his men touched ground. Stannis now felt his confidence strengthen as his feet touched the sand of the shore. The flaming arrows all around him struck men and he could hear their cries but pressed on.

Tyrion watched carefully as the sigils of the different houses under Stannis' command came ashore until he saw the ones that he wanted to find at the rear of Stannis' army as they should be. He turned to Ser Gwayne and nodded. The older knight unfurled his bundle, revealing a long metal tube that confused the men around him, even the archers who were doing their best to hold back the Baratheons. He set it up on metal legs and aimed it straight up into the night's sky before striking part of it with flint. A moment later there was a great whooshing noise as a flaming projectile into the night's sky where it then exploded in a red and gold blast that echoed across the area.

The men were definitely confused as to what the rocket was supposed to accomplish, unaware of the trap that was now finally going to be sprung.

-x-

At the rear of Stannis' forces, Lord Rhys Arisye and Lord Caron saw the rocket's explosion and then gave new orders.

"Drop the Flaming Hearty banner and form the shield wall. We are done with these fire loving heretics!" Lord Caron called out, followed by a cheer of their men who promptly dropped the banners of Stannis and held their own houses proudly while forming a shield wall behind the lines of Stannis' army, made up of the men of houses of Ariyse, Velaryon, Caron, Penrose, Connington, Tarth, Estermont, Hasty and Morrigan.

-x-

At the opposing ends of the beach, Hadrian and Ser Raphael saw the red and gold firework Hadrian had given to Tyrion go off in the night's sky as clear as day. Both men would admit to being impressed at what Tyrion had orchestrated, secretly making alliances with houses dissatisfied with Stannis and bringing them to their own side while having Hadrian secretly move forty thousand of his men to the hills to the north and the south of the city while Tyrion himself brought the twenty thousand he already had from the city and completed the envelopment. It was brilliant and had the potential to end Stannis as a threat once and for all.

So with the plan in their minds and their horses and men ready, the two secret Lannister forces charged.

-x-

Stannis was nearly at the walls while this was happening and he was about to try and get ladders or a battering ramp forward to deal with the gate when he heard a cry from Lord Alester Florent.

"Your grace, we are being attacked from the rear!" Stanns stopped, turned and looked around to see his own rear guard attacking the rest of his troops. Fury rose up inside like a raging volcano as he realised he had been betrayed but then he attention was taken from that to the sound of the doors to the city opening and men charged out of them towards him.

However as he reeled from the dilemma he was currently presented with he was horrified to hear battle horns coming from both the north and the south of him. Looking with a mounting sense of dread he was horrified to see thousands of Lannister horses charging up the beach from both directions.

How? He raged to himself! The Lannister army was supposed to be miles away from here! He found himself pinned on four sides with no idea how it had happened or how to escape.

-x-

Joffrey had not even thought to bring a single guard with him as he fled back to the Red Keep, the fear was surging through him as he ran from the battle. He saw peasants fleeing the city through any of the gates they could and did not see the figure that collided with him until he felt a sharp pain in his gut.

The sight of rotting teeth and the stench of foul breath greeted Joffrey as he looked into the hooded man's cloak and grasped at his arms only for the man to whisper into Joffrey's ear before throwing him into the gutter.

"Think on your sins."

The hooded man wasted no time and joined the crowd of people fleeing the city while Joffrey collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut into the dirty gutter, unable to move his body which became covered in black lines as the poison which the blade had been tipped with spread through his veins. It caused his panicked mind to spin as foam spewed from his mouth and blood poured from every orifice. He expired quickly but his last moments were filled with pain, humiliation as he shit his breeches and fear. A final humiliation was brought about after he died when a pack of dogs running through the streets came upon his body. They paused for a moment before they pissed on him before carrying on their way.

-x-

Inside the walls Tyrion took a deep breath and turned to his men who were in awe of the changing circumstances below them and said as loudly and as clearly as he could.

"Men of Kings Landing, Stannis Baratheon came here to steal a throne and unleash the disgusting red whores of R'hllor upon us. His men came to loot and rape your women. Instead they have found us ready for them and all that needs to be done now is to close the trap and end the false king once and for all. Come and fight with me and end this war!" He called out and his men were filled with renewed confidence and cheered as they followed Tyrion with their weapons in hand to the gate, the dwarf with nerves mounting waited for the door to open. He had never fought a battle in his life, always relying on his wits and his cunning to work around conflict rather than having to fight physically. That had always been the responsibility of his brothers.

The sounds of battle were chilling to Tyrion and as the doors parted his fears only grew, seeing the chaos in front of him. But he was no coward Tyrion thought to himself and marched forward with his men behind him and his battle-axe in hand. The rest of the men ran into battle while he took a slower pace, mindful of his limited stature, something that people had joked about since he was a child.

Seeing a sellsword with his back turned Tyrion took aim with his axe and swung, surprising himself with his own strength when he managed to severe the man's leg at the knee, quickly finishing him off by swinging the axe into his face. Tyrion's heart as thundering in his ears as he did it, not quite believing it was real. Tyrion had little time to dwell on his though as another sellsword came at him with a Warhammer that threatened to squash him like a bug, Tyrion dodged it by the narrowest of margins before again swinging his axe but this time into the man's side causing blood to spray out onto Tyrion's face and blinding his temporarily until he pulled his helm off and wiped the blood away from his eyes.

It was at that moment that Ser Osmund Kettleblack turned away from the thick of battle and slashed his sword straight across Tyrion's face. He had no chance to react and felt the steel slicing into the skin of his face. Pain he had not imagined gripped him and blood ran down his face. Falling to the ground as the air was knocked out of him by Ser Osmund's boot he honestly thought that this was going to be his last day as Ser Osmund prepared to finish him off, time seemed to slow and he managed to picture Tysha in his mind, her image giving him comfort in his final moments when suddenly a spear impaled Ser Osmund from the side and as darkest gripped his vision Tyrion turned to see a shocked looking Pod gripping the spear that had saved his life. Ser Osmund too looked surprised as he fell but Pod thinking fast pulled his spear out and grabbed Tyrion, pulling his lord back to the safety of the walls and out of any further danger.

-x-

Stannis looked this way and that and all he could see was his men dying on this god forsaken beach, in an ambush that he had never imagined before going into this battle. No matter which way he looked there was no way out, momentarily gaps might appear only to close moments later. His arrogance he realised too late had been his own undoing and wondered if he had even had a chance, because it seemed that the Lannisters were holding all the cards.

The fierce determination that had burned inside him his entire life however drove him to keep swinging his sword, he would never give up and if he was going to meet his end on this beach then it would be fiercely…he would never go down quietly he thought to himself. Already several wounds had been inflicted on him by Lannister men, the difference was that he was still fighting while they were taking their final rest in the dirt.

He struck down a sellsword that had hoped to claim his head when he felt a sword blade slash across his back and the weight of the cross guard smash into his skull. It sent him to the ground and his head then collided with the helm of a dead soldier and Stannis blacked out.

He was dragged clear of the battle by his squires, to a boat which would take him to the nearest ship and then back to Dragonstone.

-x-

Hadrian with Crimson Night in his hand was enjoying the rush of battle as he swung his sword, cutting down men with ease as he led his men into battle himself. He had not seen Stannis but he kept his eyes open as he pushed forward.

Then something happened, Hadrian was able to see men trying to escape the cauldron of death his brother had created. It was not uncommon to see men panic and try to flee in battle, especially if it was not going their way but it was like any remaining cohesion of Stannis' army had suddenly evaporated and they had descended into a chaotic mess.

It dawned on him that something must have happened to Stannis as even the most disciplined of their enemy faltered, the loss of a commander in battle could be devastating to the men's moral. The shock of the sudden defection of a portion of their army and the ambush had taken a severe toll on the enemy already but with their commander either dead or incapacitated, any organisation they had would start to fall apart quickly. He could only hope that the former had befallen Stannis, it would save him a headache.

Thirty minutes later and it was all over; thousands lay dead, many prisoners had been taken and a cheer rose over the blood soaked beach which in the morning sun would reveal all the fallen of the previous night.

The battle was over…they had won.

-x-

The death of Joffrey however was the thing that brought a smile to Hadrian's face as horrible as that sounded. With Joffrey out of the way it would be far easier to keep the realm at peace till Jon could be crowned but until that time came it was necessary to keep up with appearances so Tommen would be sent for so that he could assume the iron throne. It would be better to put Jon there but he was thousands of miles away so it would be best to put someone that they could control on the throne until the time came.

Hadrian was looking through the lists of men taken prisoner and those that had been killed, causalities had been light on their side due to the trick with wildfire and the successful ambush, although for Stannis the battle had been very costly. Nearly his entire army had been either killed or captured and in fact several of his vassal houses had actually been wiped out in the process, such as House Trant.

Only one notable man had fallen on the Lannister side, his own distant cousin Stafford Lannister, losing his head to a broadsword wielding sellsword. His body would be sent to Tarbeck Hall so his son could lay it to rest but apart from that their losses had been minimal.

Ser Jacelyn Bywater however had been badly injured and it was not known if he would survive at this time, Hadrian had impressed on the maesters that he wanted him on his feet as soon as possible, men of Ser Jacelyn's ability were rare to find and he would be needed to enforce the peace across the city and of course there was Tyrion who was lying in front of Hadrian in his bed, now sporting a wicked looking scar on his face.

Hadrian regarded his youngest brother with concern, he knew that he was not in any danger thanks to the actions of Podrick Payne who Hadrian intended to reward richly for saving his brother but he was still worried for his brother all the same.

As if sensing his brother's concern Tyrion began to slowly stir, his world very blurry at first and it took time before the strange figure condensed enough to be recognisable as his eldest brother who smiled.

"Tyrion, I told you that you were not suited to battlefields. Why would you not listen to me brother?" He mocked gently and walked closer to his bedside. Tyrion tried to sit up but was struck by how weak he felt and had to content himself with saying however foolish it sounded.

"At the time it seemed like the best thing to do. I take it from the fact that my head and yours are not mounted on a spike that we won and already our…beloved nephew is gloating of his exploits and genius in battle." Tyrion said mockingly knowing they both had the same low opinion of Joffrey.

"The only thing Joffrey can boast of is being pissed on by a pack of dogs after getting stabbed and poisoned to death." Hadrian said with annoyance causing Tyrion's eyes to widen at the news that Joffrey was dead. It came as an enormous relief to him that at last the boy that had been ruining any enjoyment in his life since becoming hand of the king was dead and in a way that was sure to be making people laugh from here to Sunspear.

"Still Tommen will be a far better king than his brother, I only hope you will stay to watch over him Tyrion. Stannis escaped and as long as he is alive we will have to remain on our guard. I leave soon to retake Dragonstone with our new allies and if we are lucky I can catch him there." Hadrian said with a smile, knowing it would make things a lot easier for them once Dragonstone was in their hands and they could open trade to the capital again. However Hadrian had something else more important to say to Tyrion and it brought an even brighter smile to his face.

"By the way…Congratulations brother, you should hear them singing outside. The Dwarf who saved a City they are calling you Tyrion." Hadrian told his younger brother with pride, in his previous life as Harry he had always missed having siblings especially after seeing the warm familial relationship the Weasleys had, so when he had become a brother in this world he had seized the opportunity with both hands only for Cersei to snap at him whenever he had made an offer of peace between them as children. His relations with his younger brothers however were more what he had imagined but although he had a good and strong relationship with Jaime, it was Tyrion that Hadrian had established a better bond with.

Having to act as not just brother but; father, mentor and teacher to his youngest brother had meant they spent much time together while Jaime was off with Cersei. Talking and listening to each other for hours at a time about their hopes and dreams had built a bridge between them that neither Tywin nor Cersei had managed to break and Tyrion's actions as Hand of the King made him prouder than words alone could convey but he tried anyway.

"Brother, you have more than proved yourself above and beyond the call of duty these last few months, last night was your crowning glory. Leading the men into battle yourself after our coward of a king fled and building a trap that destroyed Stannis' army almost entirely. Well done." He said earnestly. Tyrion's eyes briefly watered for a moment as he took in his brother's kind words and it filled him with pride.

Hadrian stood there for a moment before going to leave and told him.

"Take a few days to rest, Tommen will not be here for a while yet and I can handle the duties of hand for now. Regain your strength brother, visit your new holdings or write to Tysha and the children perhaps. Soon if you want it, the reins of power will be back in your hands." He told him with a smile before exiting the room so his brother could find some more peace to regain his strength. They were not out of the woods yet, Hadrian thought for a moment before the smile faded from his face, there was still much to do.

-x-

In the throne room Hadrian sat on the Iron Throne as its regent while Tommen was still in the Westerlands. It was an uncomfortable chair he had to admit but the power you felt when sitting upon it was intoxicating. At his side Ser Raphael and the Hound were his guard and they like him were looking at the sellsword before them.

"Ser Gwayne." Hadrian said to the leader of his brother's sellswords who stood at the foot of the throne, looking up at his temporary employer. "Already the pyromancers are making yet more wildfire like it is going to be used every day and while that dangerous fluid may have led to our victory I do not want any more of it in our city. Take your men and slaughter every pyromancer in their guild building and then smash the place to dust. I will not have any more of that vile liquid being made." He commanded, not letting people know he had already acquired and even used the formula himself, it was better out of the hands of those fuck wits in the Alchemist guild at any rate.

"At once my lord." Ser Gwayne said with a slight bow and left the room to rally his men, glad to finally put an end to such things as wildfire. The screams of the men he had heard burn in those green flames were enough to haunt him for a lifetime and he did not want more added. Hadrian glad that was dealt with then turned to the next order of business, their Stormlords and Narrow Sea allies.

At the back of the hall they waited to be called; the Arisyes, the Velaryons, the Penroses, the Morrigans, the Hastys, the Conningtons, the Tarths and the Estermonts. Hadrian bid with his hand for them to approach which they did looking uncomfortable at being the centre of attention as all of the court looked at them with interest, wondering what would come next. When Hadrian smiled it was not a vicious one like Joffrey, but a small guarded one that was unreadable to those who did not know the man well.

"My lords your help was invaluable in repelling the attack of Stannis Baratheon and your offers of help to retake Dragonstone are of course most welcome." Hadrian said imperious while he sat on the throne and sending a chill down many spines before he told them his intentions. "And a Lannister always pays his debts, the families that did not rally to our cause and instead fought for the false king Stannis Baratheon will be punished by lands and titles being stripped from them. They will be placed into your own hands my lords, men who know the meaning of duty and honour. And for you Lord Connington." Hadrian said zeroing on Lord Ronnet Connington, the current lord of Griffin's Roost who looked ready for a disappointment. "Twenty years ago your family was done a great injustice by the Mad King Aerys and despite serving faithfully Robert Baratheon did not reward you as he should have done. So hence forth your lands and titles, stolen from you by Baratheons and Targaryens will be returned. Use them to restore your family's wealth and power so your honour might be a guiding force in the Stormlands again." He told Lord Ronnet, who looked about ready to faint at the miracle that had befallen him, something that made Hadrian chuckle to himself while Raphael and Sandor smirked as the young lord had to be held to stay upright.

Hadrian however was not done yet and he turned to the young squire who was desperately trying not to be noticed. Hadrian however called out for him to join the lords in the centre.

"Squire Podrick Payne, come before us."

The young man looked ready to wet his breeches as he obeyed the order, something that brought a sneer to the face of many however Hadrian felt a smidge of pity for the young man and told him the moment he bowed that this was not a reprimand.

"Podrick Payne, your actions during the Battle of Blackwater Bay were exceptional for one so young, however your greatest accomplishment was the saving of my brother's life from the treachery of Ser Osmund Kettleblack. You slew Ser Osmund at great risk to yourself and then carried my gravely injured brother to safety, acting as his greatest protector until he was safe." Hadrian said exaggerating some of the boy's accomplishments beyond what they might actually were but it led up to the most important point. "Such service cannot go unrewarded, Podrick Payne I bequeath to you the former strong hold of House Kettleblack, the castle Sea Kettle which will now be known as Coin Hold in honour of your house. Its lands shall be yours when you complete your training and come of age. I am sure that Lord Tyrion will be kind enough to watch over those lands for you since they border his own and teach you how to run them once he has recovered."

Podrick was stock still for a moment as his mind took in what was being said before his eyes rolled back and he fainted, causing a laugh to erupt in the room.

Sunspear, Dorne…

Prince Oberyn was waking for his slumber after an exhausting night with Ellaria and a few whores. There had been precious little leads in finding his nephew's killer and so while Trystane was made ready for his future role as the Ruling Prince of Dorne he had taken to his most…pleasurable distraction sex. It gave him some relief but the need for vengeance burned fiercely inside him, just as it had done years ago when he had believed Elia had been brutally slaughtered by the Mountain. He vowed to himself that he would find that slaver scum that had killed his eldest nephew and shove his spear up his arse, taking dark pleasure in the thought of making them suffer.

Getting up from his bed, feeling restless he went to read a letter that had arrived the previous day. He should probably have read it then he smirked but the charms of Ellaria's body had been more alluring. Breaking the plain wax seal he scanned a few lines before his demeanour became deadly serious. It was a request from a smaller house for aid against their enemies, something that was not all together rare in this day and age but the two critical points that made him take notice were one, it came from the Vale and the second that it was signed by Shaena Targaryen.