23

Chapter 23 – Mourning and Vengeance

The Great Sept, Kings Landing…

Hadrian stood alone in the Great Sept of Baelor, no one dared approach him for fear of provoking his wrath, something that was extremely close to the surface at this moment in time.

On the plinth in front of him was his eldest son's body, cold in death and eyes covered with the traditional stones although Leo had never followed the seven. Hadrian was quiet, lost in his own thoughts as he looked down at his son's corpse. His mind divided and tortured by images that haunted him, his arrogance had allowed him to not ensure the guard in the Red Keep was kept as vigilant as it should have been instead of being relaxed after the battle, his overconfidence had meant he had not dealt with Baelish beforehand because he had been out of sight and appeared no threat, forgetting in his arrogance that the man was a snake and he had now felt his bite. However it was not he that had fallen to the poison, his son had paid the price for his hubris.

But aside from his guilt which had been stabbing at his heart there was something else holding sway over his mind…anger, a pure burning hatred for Baelish that had kept him from sleeping for nearly two days. His tiredness only however only made his anger burn hotter as the face of the mockingbird was always there in the back of his mind, standing over the body of his son smirking as if in victory. The image brought a snarl to his mouth, similar to a growl that his lion might make in anger. The said lion sat at his master's side looking concerned for him and butted his head into Hadrian's hand who stroked it absentmindedly while Hedwig sat on his shoulder and butted her head into his in an attempt to comfort him. He stroked her plumage with his other hand but no amount of their soothing would ease the storm that was raging inside him, only one thing would bring him peace.

Petyr Baelish's head on a plate.

The journal of Jon Arryn sat in his pocket, although he could hardly find it in himself to care for the words of the foolish Lord of the Vale that had allowed Robert Baratheon to ride roughshod over him for years and plunge the kingdom deeper and deeper into debt, his last promise to his son had motivated him to at least glance at the words written within its pages. The last few entries had brought a grim smile to his face as it was far more important than he had ever imagined, evidence in Jon Arryn's own hand that could end Baelish's hold over the Vale if it was used right and he had every intention of using it to its fullest potential. But that was something he could not do here, so soon he would leave for home as there were things he had to do before he took his revenge…he might have lost one child but he would not risk a single one of his other children by embarking on some mad quest for revenge without ensuring they were safe and secure first.

He was broken from his thoughts by the sound of footsteps and he turned to see his brother Tyrion walking carefully into the large and cavernous room, right now even the sight of his favourite sibling would not lift his mood in the slightest and in fact angered Hadrian that someone dared intrude at a moment like this, but he held his temper at bay with some difficulty and waited for his brother to speak and tell him why he had dared approach him.

"Brother…Hadrian, I have heard you intend to return home to the Rock later today before marching on the Vale. There are other ways to have your revenge without doing it yourself. We can hire a Faceless man to kill the Mockingbird, hire an army of assassins if needs be. You do not have to go yourself." Tyrion said worried for his brother in a way he had never been before, the man had not slept or eaten in two days and spent most of the time either brooding in his rooms at Lannister House or in the practise yard of the Red Keep, beating the living daylights out of anyone that dared to face him, Bronn had tried his luck against Hadrian and was now laid up in his room with severe bruising and a couple of broken bones. His fury as he gripped a sword had men cowering before they had even stepped into the ring. He had met with no one, whether it was to receive their pathetic offers of condolence or even the people who considered themselves his friends to offer any comfort they could…he refused to see them all. Even Ser Raphael Daniels had not been able to see his oldest friend which made Tyrion worry just how much his brother was suffering from the death of his son, he could only hope that he did not follow the path their father had taken after the death of their mother, Hadrian could be so much better than Tywin Tyrion thought to himself.

Hadrian's gaze however inflamed that worry in Tyrion's mind, his eldest brother's eyes were so cold and sharp that honestly for a moment Tyrion could see their father in those eyes. It chilled him to the bone and it was all he could do to stop himself from shivering but the words Hadrian delivered did not ease his worries either, only making them worse.

"You are my brother Tyrion and as such I allow you more latitude when it comes to how you speak to me than I would for nearly any other person alive with the sole other exception being my own children, but brother do not think that you or indeed anyone else could dissuade me from this path. If you need a reason for why then I would tell you to cast your eyes to the centre of this room and remember what occurred only two days past." Hadrian said with as much icy coolness in his voice as possible, deadly calm without a hint of expression. Inside he might be raging with fury that was nearly enough to level a mountain but he would not allow it to simple burn away anything in its path like an out of control forest fire, no he would focus his rage and turn it into the tool of his revenge.

-x-

The Red Keep, Kings Landing…

Loras meanwhile was watching from a window as his brother rode away with their grandmother to return to Highgarden and lay their father's body to rest. His grandmother had all but demanded he go with them but he would not. While the grief of his father's death was a dead weight inside him, another reason demanded that he go with Lord Hadrian and Prince Oberyn to the Vale, something that surprised him in how strongly he felt about it.

Sansa had been kidnapped.

His betrothed, taken by the Mockingbird that had slithered back into its hole like a snake dragging the young woman Loras was supposed to marry with him. The thought enraged him, made him want to swing his sword right into the smirking face of Petyr Baelish but the strength of that impulse did surprise him somewhat in how powerful it was.

He was unsure when he had come to care for Sansa, perhaps when she had finally told him that she had seen him and Renly together and kept his secret however degrading for her it must have been. He did not love her, not as he had done Renly but he could respect her and he was resolved in his wish to get her away from the disgraced peddler of flesh that had killed his father in an attempt to sow chaos and distrust between the Reach and Dorne. He had sworn a silent oath to himself to accomplish that feat and he would not falter, him nor the six thousand men that his brother Willas had graced him with as the new Lord of the Reach.

He heard Prince Oberyn enter the room and turned to face the man that was known throughout Westeros as the Red Viper. He was not wearing his customary smirk which made him look almost a different man, indeed it was very strange Loras thought without that smirk and Loras wondered why he appeared so serious. Oberyn spoke while he leaned back casually against the wall.

"I have heard that you intend to follow myself and Lord Lannister to the Vale." Oberyn said calmly while watching the expressions on the boy's face. "It is not a tourney that we are marching towards young Tyrell, it is war. For the sake of my friendship with your eldest brother I should make sure that you do not make a mistake that will cost you dearly, so remember it will not be pleasant where we are going and it is not for the faint of heart. So you must think carefully whether that is what you want young knight, it may be more than you can handle." Oberyn said without any sarcasm, talking with a matter of fact tone that irritated Loras no end.

He was about to answer back with some immature comment but he restrained himself and said simply as calm resolve straightened his back.

"I am coming."

Casterly Rock, the Westerlands…

The raven had arrived today baring news of the terrible event that had happened at Kings Landing and its contents had shaken the children of House Lannister to the core.

Their eldest brother was dead and their father was about to declare war on the Vale and lead their armies himself into the heart of battle.

Arthur Vesta was not much help to his other grandchildren as he was so despondent, already he had outlived his daughter and now he had outlived one of his grandchildren as well. Joanna, Sabine and Cassia all watched with worry, their own eyes red with freshly cried tears, they had not seen their grandfather like this in as long as they could remember. He had spent more time with Leo than any of them and had shared a bond that few could really understand, Leo had listened to him when no-one had even achieved his notice and Arthur had listened to his eldest grandson for hours without trying to escape. Joanna felt Clarice getting fussy as she sat next to her, sensing the grief in the air and not liking it at all. She tried to calm her sister but Clarice waddled over to her grandfather before anyone could stop her. Clarice tugged on her grandfather's breeches and his distant and grief-stricken eyes turned towards her. Her older sisters all held their breath, knowing their grandfather would never hurt his youngest grandchild but scared of what might be said in a fit of grief.

Clarice held out her arms to her grandfather and gave him her cutest smile, Arthur was still for a moment before his old eyes twinkled slightly like they used to and he reached down and pulled the small girl into his arms.

"Grandpapa." She said with her growing speech, the sound brought warm smiles to all around as Clarice's sisters felt relief that their sister had managed to cheer up their grandfather who smiled and told the little girl.

"Do you know what your mother used to do when she was your age and wanted to cheer me up?" He asked her and she shook her head, her chin length blonde hair swaying slightly as she moved. Arthur then with his eyes full of fond memories said. "She would come up to me and give me a hug, just like you are doing now. And she would sing for me, would you like to sing little lioness?" Arthur asked and Clarice eagerly nodded before she started singing whatever song would come into her head, enchanting all who heard with her young voice.

-x-

Richard however was quieter in his grief, the third son of House Lannister had all but locked himself in the castle's library and was burying himself in his studies. He liked facts and figures, they had no feeling, no pain and distracted your mind. Leo's death had shocked him…shaken him worse than any other moment of his life so far, who could harm his gentle and artistic brother so callously and walk away so easily? Anger burned inside him and he had dreamt of many different ways he could bring a long and painful end to the man that had murdered his brother but he knew that his father would never allow him the pleasure…father would do it himself.

The knowledge that he was now betrothed himself was the only other distraction from his thoughts of vengeance and made him paused in his studies, betrothed to Shireen Baratheon no less. He had never met the young girl but he had heard that his father had healed her of her Greyscale scars and she now had the features of a Valyrian. He had been intrigued to hear his father's incredible feat and was eager to learn more once they arrived at the Rock.

-x-

Tyler however was having a much harder time dealing with his elder brother's death than his twin, it was now the second time in his life that someone that had actually meant something to him had been taken so abruptly and he was having a hard time dealing with it. He sat in his room and held his own sword, imagining plunging it into Baelish's heart or severing his head from his shoulders as he polished it. Leo had not deserved to die, Tyler thought angrily he had never hurt anyone and devoted himself to making beautiful art that everyone could admire. Tyler like all his family felt the anger burning inside but it was accompanied by something else, fear not for himself but for his father.

He knew that his father loved all his children with all his heart and had made them the centre of his world, putting their needs and what was best for them ahead of any other concerns. He could have arranged for them to have political marriages to better the family regardless of what they wanted like their grandfather Tywin would have done but instead he had looked for matches that suited their temperaments and what they needed personally. He had never wanted to marry a girl more than he wanted to marry Arya and he knew that his sisters were happy with their present matches as was Richard, but now he was worried what the death of one of his children would do their father. What would it drive him to do? How far would he go for his vengeance? It haunted him and made Tyler genuinely worry for his father.

-x-

In her own room not far from the boy she would marry one day Arya was lost in her own thoughts. Leo's death as bad as it sounded did not really affect her, it only really touched her in how it affected her betrothed and the rest of her future in-laws. The real thing that had her so distracted so greatly was the news of her own sister's kidnapping.

Sansa had been kidnapped by Petyr Baelish and been smuggled to the Vale, despite her anger at Sansa which still burned after all the trouble her sister had caused Arya could not help but be scared for her. Who knows what might happen to her there and Arya found her mind full of nightmarish visions of bad things happening to her sister, Arya was surprised to find herself caring so much about what might happen until finally she realised why. The answer was so simple and yet she had not realised it until this moment…

She loved her sister, no matter what had been said between them, whatever had happened between them or anything else besides, she still loved Sansa. It was surprising and yet so obvious that it confused her and she hated to be confused. She went back to polishing Needle and her Lady Talon, hoping to find peace in simple tasks but found she could not and continued to worry.

-x-

Meanwhile in the Lion habitat that was home to all the lions at Casterly Rock; Zeb, the young and smallest male of the pride was staring mournfully in the direction of Kings Landing. He had known the moment his human had died and now the young lion was bereft. The rest of the pride gathered around him in an attempt to give some small measure of comfort, but the young male was despondent, a part of him had gone and would never come back.

Lannister House, Kings Landing…

Hadrian had now finished packing and was ready to return home to gather an army to attack the Vale, Cerenna had assured him that the Tullys would not interfere with his army passing through the Riverlands on their way to the Vale. He would force his way through if he had too but it seems that the new Lord of Riverrun had listened to his wife and had the good sense to not get in his way regardless of whatever blood ties he had with Lysa Arryn. He had never been glad of the fear that came with his name but now he appreciated it for how useful it was. There was only one thing left to do before he rode for Casterly Rock and prepared for the invasion of the Vale, a conversation that he should have had some time ago but he had put off, now he had no choice.

Tyrion appeared at the door on time and walked in to see his brother sitting at the small table with two goblets of wine already filled and immediately knew from his brother's serious expression that something big was about to be said. He took the seat opposite and carefully took hold of the goblet as Hadrian waited for a moment before taking a sip of his own wine and started telling his brother things he should have a long time ago.

"Brother, I hope you have realised that I was grooming you for the position of Hand of the King for some time. Getting you onto the Small Council so you could establish yourself as a player of the game in your own right, giving lands of your own to rule and naming you as regent while I was away fighting the war. And you have excelled in your position and achieved great respect across the empire for your acumen and great use of the power entrusted to you, but I never intended for you to be Hand of the King to Joffrey or Tommen. It is long past time that I tell you what I have been up to in secret all these years." Hadrian said before taking another sip of wine. Tyrion looked at him curiously but let his brother continue.

"As you know I was present at the sacking of this city at the end of Robert's Rebellion, trust me it was an experience I am unlikely to forget but what I kept from father was that I was the first to get into the Red Keep and I managed to reach Elia Martell and her daughter first alongside Ser Raphael Daniels. She was scared but given that she and I were friends she trusted me enough to let me close, so that I and Lord Varys were able to smuggle both her and her daughter out of the city and replace them with doubles."

He then explained all about Aegon being a murmur's farce which brought a raised eyebrow from Tyrion who listened wondering what his brother had to say, that he was a Targaryen loyalist was not so strange that he was surprised. He had long known of the good friendship that his brother and Prince Rhaegar had shared but that his brother had actually saved Elia Martell and her daughter alongside Varys which somehow did not surprise Tyrion either. He had long suspected the man had a hidden agenda although that the Targaryens were involved did surprise him slightly, but as Hadrian mentioned Rhaegar's son by Lyanna Stark, Tyrion could hold his silence no longer.

"You would give up our claim to the throne to put a Northerner on it instead? Have you lost your senses brother?" Tyrion feeling angry that his brother who he had trusted had been doing all of his behind his back and endangered their family by supporting the house that their father had torn down. However he knew he had made an error when he saw the darkening of his brother's eyes.

"Our claim? You mean Cersei and Jaime's bastards who are supposedly the children of a drunken waster of a king that nearly brought this country to its knees?" Hadrian said with derision and Tyrion could not help but grimace as he was reminded just how tenuous their claim really was. "Joffrey brought about his own end with no help from either of us as did Robert. Cersei might have made sure he got drunk but it was his decision to go hunting and drink all the same. And Tommen you might have noticed brother is no king, even with our support the weight of that crown and all the jackals that surround him will tear Tommen apart. Our father might have been good at ignoring such facts to further his own legacy but I brother would rather not end our family on such a risky gamble, you will still have your position as Hand of the King to Jon Targaryen once he arrives, I have made sure of it and with Margaery Tyrell as his queen this realm will be more stable than it has been for decades. The Targaryen have even managed to hatch dragons, I for one would rather not be burned alive by flying beasts of flame by defying them."

The news that the Targaryens once again possessed dragons startled Tyrion more than he was prepared to admit, while he had always been fascinated with the great beasts as a child he knew that such creatures could spell their doom if they were sent against them. He also at least to himself was curious about the young Targaryen king that his brother had chosen to support, much like his father Hadrian had said and he had to admit a politically intelligent queen like Lady Margaery Tyrell and in his own pride he thought as Hand of the King they could accomplished great things and it would certainly be an improvement over having to fight with a psychotic boy king that was planning your own downfall while you were struggling to prevent his Tyrion thought to himself.

"I hope you know what you are doing brother. Playing with fire can burn you." Tyrion said with worry as he conceded to his plan and his brother nodded gratefully.

"So can opposing it." Hadrian said and refilled his brother's goblet as well as his own. They had much to talk about and Hedwig needed to be dispatched with a message to the Vale, specifically Shaena Targaryen to let her know to expect them. Once that was done he had to return to Casterly Rock and get his army provisioned and equipped for the future invasion of the Vale, there were a few other matters that also needed to be attended too before he left and despite the fury that was raging inside him, demanding that he march on the Vale right at this moment he did not act like an angry beast…that was playing into Baelish's hands and he would allow that murdering cunt no advantage over him Hadrian swore to himself.

Highgarden, the Reach…

The procession that carried the body of the late Mace Tyrell was greeted with many throwing flowers despite the coffin already being decorated with golden roses, both real and carved. Lady Olenna dressed in black sat in the back of the wheelhouse until it arrived at the sept where her son would be laid to rest alongside his ancestors. The pomp and ceremony was clipping away at her last nerve as she struggled to keep her feelings in check, none of these people cared even a single jot about her son she thought bitterly. Many of the Reach lords that had come to pay their respects had hated her son bitterly for taking credit for their achievements, she knew that Lord Randyll Tarly was only loyal due to his oath that bound him to his liege lord and she would have to consider eliminating him if he failed to be loyal to Willas however useful Randyll might be…he was too dangerous otherwise. The fact that she was already considering assassinating one of the most powerful Reach Lords and useful assets to House Tyrell struck her with the force of a gale but she paid it no heed, her family needed to be safe especially given Loras the foolish boy had taken a force up to the Vale in an attempt to get the Stark girl back.

'Honestly' Olenna thought to herself, she asked herself angrily why had only two of her grandchildren by Mace inherited even a modicum of intelligence? Willas would be a truly fine Lord of the Reach despite his injured leg and Margaery if the plan with the Targaryens were accomplished would become the next Queen of the Seven Kingdoms and Empress of the Westerosi Empire and her own children would be the next line of royalty but Garlan & Loras were more interested in swinging swords than playing the game although Garlan had improved after he had wed and had children of his own, only time she supposed would reveal if Loras could do the same.

'Still' she thought as she looked over to Willas and his wife Arianne Martell who stood there in black as the new Lord and Lady of the Reach with their children Alester and Elia in their arms, there was always the next generation.

The Fingers, the Vale...

Sansa struggled against her bonds until her wrists were red raw but the ropes that held them would not show any sign of give, nor would the gag that prevented her from speaking. The constant rocking and pitching of the ship that had taken her from Kings Landing made her sick to her stomach but thankfully it had finally stopped as the ship pulled into harbour. Fear was making her body shake as the reality of her situation gripped her, she had been abducted by a man that she could not trust, taken to the Vale which was held firmly in the grip of massive unrest. She did not have opportunity to think deeper on her situation as the door to the cabin where she was being held opened and a group of rough looking men came in and despite her struggles picked her up and carried over their shoulders like she was a sack of potatoes. It was desperately uncomfortable and she felt their hands wander over her body lightly and she could only dread what these men were going to do to her. Nightmarish images of being violated flittered across her mind and it took all of the discipline she had learnt from Lady Olenna over the short time that she had been her mentor for Sansa to stop worrying about what might happen and focus on dealing with her current circumstances.

The men carried her roughly down a gangplank to the quay where a wheelhouse was waiting. When she managed to get a look at the land around her the first word that she would use to describe it was…bleak. For a girl that had grown up in the North that was a strange statement but in the North there was great forests and other vegetation, however cold it was there was life but here it was the only cold winds and bare stone shorelines. The wind was howling around them and she could feel it going up her skirts much to her discomfort and the delight of the men around as her legs were revealed for all to see and the rain was beginning to fall, soaking her skin causing her dress to cling to her still developing body again much to the delight of the men in the harbour.

It was a relief to finally get into the wheelhouse, or rather she was thrown in by the men but at least she was out of the rain and the wind. With some difficulty she managed to get herself to sit upright in one of the seats as the wheelhouse started off and got a look out of the window as the wheelhouse journeyed onwards while she worked on freeing herself from her bonds now with the aid of an armrest that had a sharper edge then normal.

The images that Sansa saw through the windows as she finally managed to free her hands from the ropes were ones that would haunt her dreams for many years to come. She had only heard rumours of the sort of chaos that was gripping the Vale and even then it had not really seemed important given that it was so far away but now she was seeing it up close and it terrified her.

A village that could easily have existed anywhere in Westeros was smoking as homes burned, the fires out of control, screams of men, women and children filled the air as rough thugs slaughtered them mercilessly. Some women were crying out in pain as the men that acted more like animals raped them brazenly in the open air and what worried Sansa all the more was that no one made a single move to stop them. Any villagers that still lived were running for their lives as their kinsfolk were slaughtered and whoever was leading the raiders allowed their men free reign to do as they pleased.

Chaos...Sansa thought to herself in horror, complete and utter chaos.

-x-

Horus was having the time of his life as he and his men finished taking their fill from the village that Sansa Stark had just travelled past. It was perfect, the town's folk so scared that none would dare fight back allowing them to plunder anything they wanted and have their pleasure with whatever women they wished, he had just taken a pair of young sisters and loved every moment of it. He could only wish it was so across the entire Vale but some areas were protected by houses that defied Baelish and that was enough to make Horus laugh. It annoyed the Mockingbird as he was known so much that he was already planning to assassinate all of them soon but for now Horus was content to just have a good time.

-x-

Heart's Home, the Vale…

Harrold Hardyng rode with his men to the ancestral home of House Corbray, his mind was distracted however from the task he had accepted from Lord Royce to gather the support of the Corbrays by the fact that this would hopefully lead to his ascend to Lord of the Vale. He did not feel ready for such a responsibility, there was so much he had yet to do and to be shackled to the Weirwood throne was enough to make him squirm but it was either that or let the madness that the fleshpeddler Baelish had unleashed on the Vale continue. The pirates he had invited here were so brazen that would even attack major castles and destroy entire villages with no care at all, the Mountain Clans had virtual free reign over the entire region with no one safe now from raids and no one except for Lord Royce seemed to be doing anything about it. Well Harrold thought to himself with pride, apart from me.

He entered the castle gates with his men looking around hoping to see Lord Corbray waiting to meet him but was greeted by nothing more than an empty courtyard. The hairs on the back of his neck began to stand on end as his suspicions began to grow but he had no time to react as the first arrow pierced his back. The pain and shock of the sudden impalement caused him to slip from his horse as the rest of his men found themselves being shot full of arrows that seemed to be coming from every direction however they had no chance.

As his men were dying, Harrold bleeding profusely himself looked up from where he was and saw a man that he recognised coming towards him with a sword in hand.

"Ser Lyn Corbray." Harrold managed to say as his blood spilled out onto the courtyard only for Ser Lyn to smile maliciously before he said.

"That's Lord Corbray to you Ser Harrold, by the way Lord Baelish sends his regards." Lyn Corbray said before he plunged his sword into Harrold's head.

Winterfell, the North…

Ned was holding the letter from Loras Tyrell in his hand and was massaging his temple as another headache bloomed after yet another argument with Catelyn which had sent his wife storming out the room. The news of Sansa's kidnapping had shaken him, fear for his eldest daughter and what might happen to her was at the forefront of his mind given how unstable the Vale was at the moment. His good sister and her child seemed incapable of holding order and while he respected his late mentor enough not to curse Jon Arryn's sole living child, Ned was thinking how horrendously bad things must be for there to be civil war in all but name in the Vale. Many would expect him to send a force to the Vale and demand her release or at least send an envoy to negotiate on his behalf. After what Petyr Baelish had done in Kings Landing Ned would not trust the man an inch but too strong an action might be dangerous for his daughter so he was working through his options, the Lannisters he knew were sending a force to the Vale given that Baelish had murdered Lord Hadrian's oldest son Leonard and that the Tyrells were also sending a small army given Sansa's betrothal to Loras Tyrell but if he sent an army as well Sansa's life might be placed in even greater danger. Catelyn however did not even consider this before demanding he raise his banners to go and rescue their daughter.

A knock on the door heralded the arrival of the only person in Winterfell who knew the Vale well enough to advise him on this situation they had found themselves in, Ser Brynden Tully. The Blackfish as he was known entered and looked at Ned curiously.

"You asked to see me Lord Stark?" Ser Brynden asked, his devotion to duty was enough to stop him being overly familiar despite Ned's marriage to Catelyn, his niece. He wondered what had happened that was enough for Lord Stark to pull him from the yard until he was given the letter. Reading the script brought a grimace to his face as he was confronted with the situation in the South, he had heard as much as anyone what was happening in the Vale and had honestly thought of riding to the Eyrie and forcing his other niece Lysa to see sense but he had his duty here, training his great nephew and preparing him as best he could for his future lordship of Moat Cailin.

"If I send a force to the Vale it might endanger Sansa's life but if I do nothing then what could happen to my daughter? You know the Vale and Lysa best Ser Brynden, what is your take on the situation?" Ned asked him and the younger brother of the now deceased Lord Hoster Tully thought for a moment before answering.

"Lysa is incredibly paranoid about threats to her son and her loyal to Baelish is disturbing, jealous of any woman that happens to cross his path regardless of reason." Ser Brynden said as he pondered on the problem of just what to do here, he loved his niece really he did but he was not blind to her faults. "If you did send a force to the Vale she might well retaliate by harming young Sansa, so perhaps it might be best if I were to do something about the situation."

"And what would you do Ser Brynden?" Ned asked wondering what the Blackfish might suggest they do about the current dilemma they were presented with.

"I might send a knight to act as a bodyguard to Lady Sansa unofficially but she would also defend Robert Arryn at least openly, their real purpose would be to ensure Lady Sansa remains unharmed." Ser Brynden suggested, it had its issues he would grant anyone namely that Lysa could easily just have whoever he dared to send killed in a fit of paranoid delusion but it was all he could think of at present.

"You will have your pick of any man in Winterfell Ser Brynden." Ned said, grateful that the man had an idea just what to do about this situation that did not involve starting a war but frowned when Ser Brynden shook his head.

"Sending a northerner would be as good as declaring that you had truly sent them which would only fuel Lysa's paranoid my lord." Ser Brynden said gravely. "If it came from me then it has more of a chance of being accepted so it must be someone from a kingdom that does not directly oppose her husband. Perhaps Lady Brienne of Tarth might be of more use than we had first thought, especially given that as a woman people would not necessarily see her as threatening." He suggested as he pondered over the idea of sending the female stormlander. She had no affiliation with House Lannister, House Stark or House Tyrell and was skilled at arms from what he had seen in the practice yard. Without trying to reach out to someone from his own homeland she might well be the best choice at the moment Brynden thought to himself.

"Lady Brienne is grieving for Renly, surely she would want to return home rather than journey to the Eyrie on our…sorry your behalf." Ned said with sympathy for Brienne, sorrow seemed to hang over the female knight and she had stayed on longer than the one day that was intended but he did not have the heart to ask her to leave. She spent her time either in her room where weeping could sometimes be heard late at night or in the training yard where her surprising skill with a blade had seen the downfall of many men in the castle.

"I think Lady Brienne needs a purpose, something to bring focus to her life rather than returning home to Tarth empty handed. She is known to Sansa already and is a truly formidable fighter in her own right, at this moment I can think of no better candidate." Ser Brynden as he tried to convince Ned of his plan, hoping that he was right and this did not blown up in their faces.

-x-

In the training yard of Winterfell there was a big crowd gathering to watch the spectacle that was unfolding in the battle circle, men around cheering wildly as did some of the less refined ladies present such as Ygritte who was laughing in reckless abandon.

Brienne was standing on one side of the circle in her full armour which provided excellent protection for her body and was moving with the grace a tiger stalking its prey, her sword the last gift given to her by her beloved King Renly Seastar held firmly in her hands.

On the other side was another woman although a few years younger than Brienne but no less a fighter despite the fact that she was not as skilled as the stormlander in sword to sword combat. Yara Greyjoy was her name, the last of her house who had found herself an unwilling guest of House Stark given that the Lannisters would no doubt have her killed the moment she stepped a single foot out of the North. She wore lighter armour that suited her slimmer build which enabled her to move quicker than her opponent but granted less in the way of defence. So wielding her own Valyrian steel sword Red Rain she made the most of her speed as she launched a fresh attack on Brienne.

Red Rain met Seastar as Yara tried with all the skill she could draw on from countless hours of training which had been received from the master at arms in her father's castle to find her way through Brienne's defence to strike a winning blow against her opponent but Brienne's defence remained as solid as the walls of the castle around them as she managed to get Yara into the sort of fight that she knew she could win. Brienne was far stronger physically that Yara and it showed as their blades locked and Brienne carefully leveraged her greater strength and weight against Yara who felt herself struggle to hold off the other woman. Yara tried to escape the blade lock but every time she tried Brienne gained ground on her, the fury of Brienne was now focused solely into the fight giving her energy and focus that she had been lacking in recent days and in the end it was too much for Yara whose knees buckled allowing Brienne to smack her fist into Yara's face and sent her to the ground.

Robb who had been watching the fight with interest signalled that it was an end, Alys at his side was smiling having enjoyed the duel of the two women warriors immensely. Both women had bested most men that were in the yard at this very moment and left many on their backs and not in a way that they would have liked but that had not stopped them betting on the fight and she saw a lot of coin changing hands which brought a smirk as she saw many of the real masochists in the castle had lost their money.

Brienne meanwhile offered her hand to Yara looked like she would reject it in anger but Yara swallowed her pride and accepted Brienne's help getting to her feet as the crowd began to disperse. However Tormund who had watched the fight with interest walked over to the pair with his gaze fixed squarely on Brienne who quickly noticed him.

"Are you taken?" He asked and Brienne who did not fully understand what he was asking and thinking it was another insult, lashed out with a punch knocking Tormund to the ground. Before she had heard of Renly's death she would have handled it far better but with grief still aching inside and her adrenaline high from the fight only moments before she had not been able to help herself.

Tormund however while surprised by the punch did show any sign of anger and in fact looked keenly at her before saying with a slight smile as his lip bled.

"I will take that as a no. I would take you in a heartbeat." He walked off looking smug which left Brienne not only confused but also angry. Yara who had watched the exchange with interest laughed at Brienne's confusion and did not make things any clearer by saying.

"Oh you have pulled there."

"Pulled?" Brienne asked not understanding what the Iron Born woman meant which only made Yara laugh harder and Ygritte standing at the side now joined her, angering Brienne who stood there until Ygritte was able to calm herself down enough to explain.

"Taking a people is how we Free Folk get our wives and husbands if you could call them that. A man who sees a woman he wants will just kidnap her and take her as his own and the same goes for if a woman see's a man she wants." Ygritte told Brienne who was shocked at the practice, smirking at the female knight's stunned face.

Yara had heard this much from the wildling and northern men that came to Winterfell and she had taken into her bed, on the one hand it infuriated her but on the other hand it only meant a woman by the same logic could take a man. Seeing the blush on Brienne's face was nearly enough to start her laughing like a mad woman again but Ser Brynden Tully then entered the yard and walked towards Brienne, amusing Yara enough to make her smirk when the woman stood as stiffly as a post, making her stand taller than the distinguished old knight.

"Lady Brienne, I know you must be thinking of returning to Evenfall Hall but if you would be willing to hear me out, I have a job that requires someone of your considerable skill and courage, my great niece Sansa Stark has been kidnapped." Ser Brynden said gravely, worry etched onto his face but somehow to Yara at least that only made him look more distinguished. She could feel herself becoming intrigued at the old knight wondering if he was as much a prude as his niece who had decided to make Yara's life as dreary as possible, even trying to make her wear a dress at one point. She resolved to get him into bed by the end of this week, smiling to herself at the idea of fucking the Blackfish.

"What is it you need my lord?" Brienne asked worried immediately about the young lady she had met however briefly while in Renly's service. She had been a kind young woman and not judged her for her abnormal height and build as many had before, cruelly whispering and laughing behind her back.

"Lord Stark dare not send an army for fear his daughter will pay for it, I would ask you if you might consider going to the Eyrie where she is being held and acting as her protector until an opportunity to return her to the south becomes apparent. It is not an order and feel free to decline if you do not wish to take the risk but it is a task I cannot entrust to anyone less capable than you Lady Brienne." Brynden said honestly, he could think of few others that might be able or willing to undertake this mission and even less that would be as incorruptible as Brienne, his compliments were gratefully received as Brienne did not miss a beat before responding.

"I will leave for the Vale immediately Ser Brynden, you can rest assured that I will defend Lady Sansa to the best of my ability." Brienne told him and Brynden nodded gratefully before handing her a letter.

"That is to be given to Lady Lysa Arryn, it says you are there at my behest and gives her my best wishes. It should ensure you entrance to the Eyrie. You must be aware though, both the Lannisters and the Tyrells are gathering an army to invade the Vale and the region is particularly unstable at this moment so be on your guard." Brynden warned her as she prepared to gather her meagre belongings and leave as soon as possible.

When she had her horse saddled and left Winterfell after making sure she was provisioned for the journey, she failed to notice a man dressed in animal skins with a wild red beard following her at a short distance behind.

Meereen, Essos…

The plains outside the city were sparsely populated, for that reason Jon and Daenerys could finally do something that they had been dreaming about for a long time…ride their dragons.

Jon stood next to his dragon, Sunfyre who was preening like a dog as Jon gently rubbed her head around the ears. She was a beautiful dragon like her namesake, her green scales glistened like emeralds in the sun and her body was sleek but powerful. Sunfyre would only grow bigger as time went on although she was now big enough to carry him and maybe even a passenger but also she was the fastest of the three.

Daenerys however had the largest and the most powerful. The black scaled dragon which she had named Daeron after some of their more famous ancestors was easily larger than either of his siblings and had breathed fire sooner than any of them. Now he could easily carry his mistress on his back but today was the day that they would finally try it and hopefully fly with their great beasts.

To say they were nervous would be an understatement, no dragon had been flown by any rider especially one of their own house since the Dance of Dragons over a century earlier…they would be the first.

As they climbed onto the backs of their dragons where special saddles had been made for the dragons who shook slightly at the weight of them on their backs but settled eventually so they could make sure they had a firm grasp of their dragons before they spread their leathery wings and with a few powerful flaps took to the air.

The feeling was indescribable as the mighty beasts danced through the air, their natural habitat carrying their humans on their backs who found themselves flush with the exhilaration. In all of their wildest dreams they had never come close to imagining the sensation that came from flying, it was so liberating…already they could see so much more, the deserts, fields and farms that were dotted around the city before they flew around and between the nearby mountains. Everything seemed so small and peaceful up here it was impossible to believe there was so much turmoil below, for a short time at least their problems seemed to be very far away.

Knowing they would soon have to return to Meereen they reluctantly urged their dragons back to the city who like them would rather have kept flying but did as they were bid although as they flew over the plains below they saw an abandoned and ruined farm house below. The lack of roof showed it was uninhabited and with a wicked grin crossing both their faces they urged their dragons to make a steady dive on the ruined farmhouse before saying the fateful word.

"Dracarys!"

The two dragons responded immediately and with a feeling of joy echoing from the bond the two humans shared with their dragons the dragons breathed immense blasts of flame that scorched the house, leaving the building ablaze and the two Targaryens with a thrill running through their bodies.

-x-

After returning to Meereen Jon was still buzzing from his previous experience, he now knew how his ancestors must have felt as they rode their dragons. Dany in fact was still out there, enjoying flying over the land but Jon much to his own annoyance was back in the city while Sunfyre feasted on goats they had purchased to feed the dragons. He had to deal with the business of running a kingdom but he was glad to see his direwolf Ghost come up to him and nuzzle close. He smiled and petted the large white wolf as he looked over the papers that needed his attention.

As he worked he heard a gentle knock on the door and looked up, serious at who wanted to see him now.

"Enter."

The door opened and in walked the latest member of his 'court' if indeed it could be called that…Margaery Tyrell. The beautiful rose from the Reach seemed to glide into the room as she walked up to his desk and asked him.

"Your grace, I was wondering if I might beg some time with you today. There is something that I would like to do and I believe you might enjoy it also." She said carefully presenting her request, she was eager to spend some time with her future husband so she could find out more about him. Was she going to have to manipulate him like she would the psychopath Joffrey or was he going to be too full of himself to listen to her council forcing her to go behind his back like Renly. She hoped it was neither of those and today would prove whether that was a false dream or reality.

"And what exactly is the boon you would ask of me Lady Tyrell? There is much work to be done." He said gesturing to the desk he was sitting at which was covered in paperwork, Margaery felt herself smiling despite him not immediately giving in to her request. Jon unlike Renly and her father took his duties seriously and would handle matter that needed his attention personally, it was a vast improvement over her late husband she acknowledged and made her glad she had not wasted her time by trying to marry Joffrey instead.

"I was hoping to visit the orphans of the city." She told him with a warm smile. "I have brought food from the Reach to ensure that they are fed and back at Highgarden I have always enjoyed reading to them. Their smiles have brightened many days for me when I was feeling melancholy." She told him, that was not a lie or even a half truth. She indeed support orphanages in the Reach and enjoyed reading to the children, that it gave her considerable popularity amongst the common folk did not hurt of course. One of the more pleasant things she could do to increase her influence.

His eyes widened at her admission and request, he had never imagined that the daughter of a highborn lord would spend her time ensuring orphans did not starve. But instantly he felt suspicious, was this some kind of trick to gain his sympathy? He did not know for sure after his talk with Daenerys and wondering if it was a good idea to accept her request but his own concern for the orphans of the city won out and he got up from his desk.

"Oh course Lady Margaery. I will rally my Kingsguard immediately and then we shall go to the orphanage." He said making sure that he had Blackfyre and his best knights with him, just in case someone tried to kill him. He offered her his arm as he went to leave the room and with good grace she took it.

-x-

The largest orphanage in the city was also the only orphanage, the building had once belonged to one of the richest slavers in the city before they had died when Jon took over. As such it was a huge manse with many bedrooms that before Jon had taken the city saw little use. Now they were crammed full of the dirty and forgotten children of the city, Jon's heart went out to them as he saw the filth that nearly encrusted the children and disrepair of the manse which had begun to fall apart. He decided there and then that he would look into putting aside funds to support the orphanage and the children it cared for, the food that Margaery had on the wagons outside would keep them going for some time but it would need to be replenished and the building would need repairs. The children however did not seem to mind their conditions as they rushed up to Margaery and eagerly smiled when the beautiful woman opened her arms to them as they came up to her.

"Hello again sweetlings!" Margaery said brightly as she surprised Jon by allowing the children to hug her, he knew many high born ladies would never have done so for fear of dirtying their expensive dresses and it gave him hope that perhaps her kindness was not an illusion that she used to gain power. The children then noticed him and looked at Jon with curiosity which made Jon feel slightly self-conscious as the sea of eyes turned towards him but he refused to allow himself to show it and instead gave his own smiles as the children looked at him in awe.

"It is the King." The children started whispering amongst themselves and Margaery smiled as she listened to their excited chatter. The food as it was brought in made the children and their limited number of caregivers cheer in joy, however when they sat around the courtyard and listened to Margaery telling them stories, Jon saw how good she was with children. She spoke to them all and listened to their life stories with a warm and friendly smile that seemed to have them all falling over themselves to tell her everything, reassured them that things were going to change and encouraged them to pursue their dreams. When one five year old girl told her that she wanted to be a knight like the men in the stories, Margaery did not laugh but instead smiled and told the girl that should try and enrol in the city watch when she was old enough to learn how to fight and go from there. Jon was surprised at her compassion, so few ladies at least the ones he had met would take the time to speak with the 'common folk' especially orphans and encourage them to dream. He wondered what she would be like as a mother and could well see her with a son or daughter on her lap which made him stop briefly as he considered the mere thought of him having a child of his own.

Jon was so distracted by his thoughts and her interacting with the children that he failed to notice a small boy coming up to him, he first became aware of him when the boy tugged lightly on his sleeve. The Kingsguard looked ready to remove the boy but as Jon turned and saw the boy for the first time he shook his head and the knights reluctantly stood down. Jon looked at the boy he felt immediate pity, the boy wore only rags and had dirt all over him, it angered him that the rich could spent so much on silks that they would wear perhaps only once while even the smallest percent of that would dress this child for years, well into his adulthood. It increased his resolve to support the orphanage and make sure the children were cared for properly but for the moment he contented himself and kneeled before the boy who smiled and Jon took a few gold coins from his pouch and handed them to the boy whose eyes widened in awe.

"Go and buy yourself and your friends some new clothes." Jon told the boy in his still rough Valyrian, the boy nodded so rapidly that his head might well have come loose from his neck and the boy dashed off only to return with something that made Jon stop still.

It was a single object that must have been left behind after the manse had been stripped, a single nondescript harp which had somehow survived the notice of the more curious children. A strange longing that he had not felt since childhood, when a bard had come to Winterfell and played his harp for Lady Catelyn and Sansa, Jon had instantly felt the impulse to learn to play the instrument. He had begged for the opportunity to try his hand at the harp and Maester Luwin had managed to procure one for him and he had practiced in secret for hours and hours until he could play only for his uncle to take it away without explanation. It had really hurt especially as his uncle had not given him any explanation only a brief look of pained worry that Jon could now realise was because his uncle had not wanted any hint of just who Jon's father really was. Years after the event it still stung however much he could now understand why his uncle had denied him one of the few things that had made him happy.

He carefully took the harp from the boy before telling him thank you in rough Valyrian before he carefully started manipulating the strings to produce melodies that he had dreamed of for so long. He was briefly afraid that the skill he had once had might well have rusted away to nothing but it all came back to him as he began to play.

The entire room stopped and listened as he skilfully manipulated the strings of the simple instrument, arousing emotion that was strong enough to bring tears and smiles in equal measure, Ser Barristan in particular was haunted by the memory of Jon's father, Prince Rhaegar Targaryen. Long ago he had ridden at the Silver Prince's side as he played his harp for the poor and homeless of Kings Landing, oh how the small folk had loved him Ser Barristan thought sadly only for him to end at the hands of a drunken lout that he had wasted seventeen years serving. It made him angry but also sad at such wasted talent being lost before its time only to be reborn again, he swore to himself that this time he would not fail…the Silver Prince's son would sit on the Iron throne, he would make sure of it Ser Barristan swore to himself.

Margaery however was feeling tears gathering in the corners of her eyes as she listened to Jon playing the harp and could not help but allow them to roll slowly down her cheeks. She had never thought someone could create such emotion and feeling from a simple harp and song but she could not help but remember her grandmother's tales of Prince Rhaegar at Harrenhall. That he had managed to bring nearly the entire room to tears with his playing of the harp, just like Jon was doing now, she could now see why so many maidens had sought the Silver Prince, his title and position aside. She wondered briefly if Jon was now weaving the spell over her that his father had once done over Elia Martell, Lyanna Stark and even Cersei Lannister, but as she leaned forward as he played she could not help but feel that Jon even if he were not a prince would have had women throwing themselves at him.

Even her.

Eagle's Nest, the Vale…

Shaena Targaryen although to everyone but her Sentinel she used the surname Gabon after her late husband was not looking forward to her meeting with Lord Royce. News of Harrold Hardyng's assassination had just reached them, it made her want to scream in frustration as anger simmered beneath the surface. Harrold however much womanizer that he might have been was the last hope for securing the Vale legally, blood ties to House Arryn could make the Vale rally behind him to end the chaos that was seeping across it. Now they were stuck unless they could get the other houses to rally behind Lord Royce and with Baelish using blackmail, bribes, kidnapping and other underhanded means to bring houses under his banner that was a slim thread on which to hang their hopes.

She received a reprieve from her worried thoughts when an owl appeared at the window, she looked over and saw the snowy white bird that she had never thought that she would ever see again in a million years but at the same time was delighted with anyway.

"Hedwig." She smiled at the incredibly intelligent owl who hooted softly at her. Shaena turned to the table and saw some bacon that had been left over from this morning's meal, so she took the plate and placed in front of the owl who glided over to the table and gratefully helped herself to some bacon. When she was finished Hedwig hopped over and landed in front of Shaena, sticking out her leg so Shaena could take the message.

"Bless you." Shaena said and carefully rubbed the owl's plumage which Hedwig enjoyed immensely as Shaena took the message and read the contents.

To her grace the Princess Shaena Targaryen, Lady of Eagle's Nest…

I realise that you have little reason to trust my words or those of my family considering the brutal and treacherous actions of my late father, Lord Tywin Lannister towards your own father and the other members of your own house but I hope that you might at least consider the information I am about to impart before dismissing it out of hand.

I must reveal to you that for a considerable number of years I have been working with House Martell, members of House Tyrell and the surviving members of House Targaryen living in exile over in Essos with the intention of restoring your family to the Iron Throne but the absence of a male heir has made this a difficult task until the recent discovery of your nephew Jon, the previously unknown son of your brother Prince Rhaegar Targaryen and Lady Lyanna Stark who is at present assembling a force in Essos to retake the Iron Throne. I, Lord Willas Tyrell and Prince Doran Martell all stand ready to support his claim as does his maternal uncle Lord Eddard Stark and anticipate that soon the three headed dragon will rule Westeros once more as soon as Stannis Baratheon has been located and removed as a threat.

I tell you these things not to gain your trust as I feel that you would have good reason to doubt any words that I could commit to parchment and only hope if you will not accept my word, that you may accept the words of Ser Jon Connington and Prince Oberyn Martell who are marching with the army that I intend to bring to the Vale where you can be fully apprised of the situation. As you may be aware, Petyr Baelish recently murdered my eldest son Leonard Lannister and I am riding to the Vale as soon as possible to bring the killer to justice. I bare you no ill will but if you will not work alongside me to accomplish this task and bring order to the Vale once more I must advise you to stay clear of my path. I will not allow any interference in my mission to capture Petyr Baelish. I only hope that our mutual wish for peace in the Vale is sufficient motivation to put aside any animosity you might harbour towards me for the immediate future.

Written with the greatest respect and sincerity,

Lord Hadrian Lannister, Lord of Casterly Rock, Lord Paramount of the Westerlands and Warden of the West.

"Far more eloquent than your previous letters to people Harry." Shaena remarked and wondered if the boy and then the man she had known was capable of writing such a letter. The contents however were a considerable surprise, the murder of Leonard Lannister and the kidnapping of Sansa Stark had already become common knowledge but that Harry as Hadrian had been working for and supporting the surviving members of her family in this world and the fact the other Targaryens still lived filled her with curiosity. What were they like and more to the point, which members of her family still lived? It made her smile eagerly awaiting the arrival of Ser Jon Connington and Prince Oberyn Martell so she could get her answers.

The knocking at the door nearly made her jump she was so engrossed in the letter, recovering quickly she hid the letter in the nearby dresser and called out.

"Enter."

The door opened and Sentinel walked in accompanied by Lord Yohn 'Bronze' Royce, the Lord of Runestone, he was an older man but still lean and fit with grey hair rather than white and was taller than her Sentinel with a voice that was just as big, useful for making himself heard when other lords became too fond of their own voices she thought with a smirk. He was dressed in his unique bronze plated rune covered armour, which she could tell from here was actually more than decoration. The runes did indeed protect him from harm to a certain degree and unlike most armour would not rust as fast, indeed she thought that it had held up very well given that it was supposed to be hundreds of years old.

"Lady Gabon, I hope young Harrold has reported back. There is good news from Gulltown, Lord Grafton has agreed to join us which gives us a considerable number of men and the best port in the Vale." Lord Royce said calling her by her married name, blunt and straight to business with no time given to distractions given the situation. Shaena could respect that but the mention of Harrold Hardyng brought a grimace to her face and she decided to just get the worst of it over with as soon as possible.

"Lord Royce, Harrold Hardyng is dead. Murdered in an ambush at Heart's Home by Lyn Corbray. He has also killed his brother and taken control of their lands pledging them to Petyr Baelish." Shaena said, the eyes of Lord Royce and her Sentinel instantly expanding and she counted down from thirty before Lord Royce finally reacted although it was not as loud as she thought it would have been.

"Damn! Damn! Damn!" Lord Royce cursed but did so under his breath and his lined faced frowned before he started massaging his forehead. They had been so close to getting enough support to remove Baelish as regent but Harrold's death would mean houses would flock back to Baelish in droves. How was he supposed to get rid of the Mockingbird now? He felt the mother of all headaches coming on.

The Sentinel looked to her and Shaena felt his questioning gaze about what she was going to say, something she was not sure about herself. Harrold's death did put them in very precarious situation and it would take all of her and Lord Royce's skill at diplomatic to keep any houses they had gathered thus far on their side. But the news of an army from the south was news that she thought he might find more interesting.

"There is also news from the south, because of Baelish's murder of Leonard Lannister and the kidnapping of Lady Sansa Stark; the Lannisters, the Tyrells and the Martells are gathering an army to march on the Vale with the express purpose of mounting Baelish's head on a spike and possibly through his arse too." Shaena added going to a very disturbing place for a moment which momentarily shocked Lord Royce and her Sentinel although he should have been used to her odd outbursts by now.

Lord Royce was the first to react and his eyes widened in surprise although that was more about the Martells being involved, which made little sense to him. Still it came as a relief that they might have such a powerful force at their backs but he was deeply concerned by the Lannisters and the Tyrells being involved.

"The Lions and Roses are power hungry game players." Lord Royce said obviously concerned but sighed before adding. "But we need their support, I guess we will have to make a deal with them to get rid of Baelish and bring order and security back to the Vale. Gods know that we need help right now." And with that he left the room to get some rest after his long ride, leaving Shaena alone with the Sentinel who had been worryingly quiet during the whole exchange and Shaena looked over to see that while the rest of his body was as still as a statue, his eyes were blazing with rage.

"You swore to me that you would not contact the Lannisters!" He all but hissed at her, his face beginning to contort with rage as he made the assumption that she had contacted the house he hated more than the Baratheons. Shaena however did not rise to his anger but instead stayed calm and raised only a fine eye brow while narrowing her eyes slightly.

"I did not reach out to the Lannisters, I assure you." She said with icy calm. "They are coming because Baelish murdered one of Lord Hadrian's sons. The lions are after revenge but that does not mean they will be our enemies, look at this letter." She told him and quickly walked over the dresser where she retrieved the hidden letter and showed it to him.

Sentinel read the lines with deliberate slowness but his thunderous expression did not change. He handed the letter back before telling her in no uncertain terms.

"It changes nothing, Hadrian Lannister showed his real colours when he abandoned your brother to die at the Trident."

Castamere, the Westerlands…

Unaware of the sheer hatred being directed towards him by the mysterious knight in the Vale and would not have cared even he knew, Hadrian Lannister had stopped at Castamere on the way back to Casterly Rock while his army prepared for the invasion of the Vale. He had thought that as time passed he would become numb to the pain of losing his son, but it had not happened and instead it burned even hotter inside him.

He could almost imagine Baelish's laughing face in front of him, so close he could reach out and snap the Mockingbird's neck only to be reminded that it was only an illusion besides he thought to himself in nearly an enraged frenzy, snapping his neck would be too quick…too merciful no he really wanted Baelish to suffer.

His plans for vengeance were interrupted by the sight of the castle's castellan coming out to meet him, the man was not a Lannister nor was he of any other house in the Westerlands and had not been chosen for his breeding but instead for his skill and imagination in the areas of scientific research and willingness to push the boundaries of what considered acceptable. He was in his early sixties with grey hair and wrinkles in his face, his smile might easily convince some that he was a caring and gentle grandfather rather than a ruthless man willing to cross nearly any boundary for his work. Qyburn was his name and he had once worn the robes of a maester but now he wore a simple white robe which Hadrian noticed as the man bowed slightly was covered in blood stains.

"Lord Lannister, it is good that you have taken the time to visit. We have many new developments that we are keen to show you." Qyburn said with a bow to his patron who nodded stiffly before getting to business.

"I need a consignment of rockets ready by the end of the day, time is short so we must move quickly. Now tell me what you have achieved since my last visit." Hadrian said and walked towards the large underground areas of Castamere, Qyburn followed at his heels and was not perturbed at all by his patron's cold mood.

"Of course my lord, we have recently improved on the mixture of the black powder and increased the explosive yield considerably. You will find these rockets are far more powerful than the previous versions." Qyburn said with a smile knowing his lord would appreciate the work he and the men that lived here had done.

"Good work, I will need a considerable edge where I am going next. Now what of the other projects that you have been working on?" Hadrian asked, pleased at the work that Qyburn had directed and carried out in his absence. The disgraced Maester was only too pleased to tell him as they walked through the various development halls and offices barely drawing any attention as the men focused on their work.

"Yes my lord, I think you will be pleased." Qyburn said before taking a breath as he had a lot to say. "Apart from improvements to the rockets we have been refining the design for the cannons, they will be ready for field testing within a few months. Three out of five models no longer explode when fired and we hope to improve on that soon not to mention the handheld versions we are currently developing. We have also taken the black powder and the clocks you invented my lord and combined the two to make explosive devices that can be set and then left to explode after a set time, we have been calling them bombs." Qyburn said pointing to the bombs and cannons after they passed through the halls were they were being worked on. Hadrian liked the look of the new weapons and the improved rocket launchers, they would be useful in any future campaigns he might choose to mount once they were ready. But it was not just weaponry they were inventing here.

"And our less…destructive projects?" Hadrian questioned, he would rather not be known as the bringer of death exclusively although right now it was certainly his plan to bring a great deal of that to those who supported Baelish. Qyburn nodded and began to explain their recent discoveries.

"Yes my lord, we have made explore the idea you had regarding steam as a method of propulsion and we believe that such a mechanism might be possible, preliminary designs are promising but it will be some time before we have solved the initial problems to construct a prototype. The engineers that work here are also creating new designs for bridges and even tunnels reinforced with metal so they can take increased loads and ideas for digging new canals are coming along nicely." Qyburn said proudly, he was thrilled at the cutting edge work they were carrying out here and it was hopefully only going get better with House Lannister's continued support. He was having the time of his life.

"And on the medical side of things? How does that go?" Hadrian asked knowing full well that it was Qyburn's main area of interest. The man did not disappoint him.

"Thanks to the advancement of the microscope we have made considerable progress in understanding biology my lord. I have now managed to identify the different functions of the bodily organs and how they are interlinked so that the body can continue to function. With these discoveries I have begun to explore new surgical techniques that could well become crucial to saving lives in the future, and the development of new potions and elixirs that can be used to treat disease and ease pain have been proving a promising addition to our portfolio." Qyburn said with pride and Hadrian nodded, knowing the importance of such inventions and discoveries. Too much too fast might overwhelm the people of the empire but if these new medical tools were released at a steady and careful pace it would really take science in this world forward.

It also meant the prosperity of his family for generations to come if successful and he was making sure it was secure before he left for the Vale.

-x-

Once he was finished with his tour he sent ravens to all his vassals and gave his orders, an army of thirty thousand men was to be made ready and assembled at the Golden Tooth before the march to the Vale. Given the troops he had brought to Kings Landing were now going home for a rest period he should be able to get a fresh force from the remaining soldiers left behind but before that he had other things to do.

Exiting the underground chambers he found Ser Raphael Daniels and his own squire young Tyrek Lannister waiting for him just as he had hoped. His next orders he knew would not sit well with either of the men that had been with him throughout the whole war thus far but he needed to be ready for the worst case scenario and have people he could trust at home so he sweetened it with a boon.

"Tyrek, I know that you do not believe in the Seven so I will adjust the words to that effect." Hadrian cutting straight to the point. The boy was wide eyed and Raphael smiled as Hadrian took out his sword and said. "Kneel."

As Tyrek did as he was bid, he could not believe this was happening, he had wanted to be a knight for so long and could not believe that it was finally going to happen. Crimson Night was tapped gently on his armoured shoulder.

"Tyrek Lannister, I charge you to be brave and not run in fear. I charge you to be just and not be cruel. I charge you to protect the innocent and the young so that they may live in safety. I knight you Ser Tyrek Lannister, stand and be recognised."

The now knighted Tyrek got to his feet in a daze, still not fully convinced this was real but Hadrian next order shocked him back to his senses.

"Lady Ermesande Hayford, your betrothed will meet you at Casterly Rock in three days' time for your wedding now that you are both of age. Marry her and claim the lands of Hayford as your own." Hadrian told Tyrek before turning to Raphael who looked at him confused at the decision.

"Ser Raphael, you will ride for Riverspring and remain at your family's seat. I may need you to occasionally travel to Casterly Rock in my absence to advise my son." Hadrian said causing an alarmed Raphael to interrupt whatever he was going to say next.

"My lord, my place is at your side."

"No. Not this time." Hadrian said and his mask started to crack slightly, allowing his younger cousin and best friend to see the turmoil underneath that he was only just able to hide…anger, hate and guilt all churning beneath the surface, focused only by their lord's need for revenge. Hadrian told him with an edge of anger to his voice but it was not directed at Raphael.

"I need you here to support my son. Who else can I trust to ensure none of my vassals try and use my absence to usurp Tyler? You have ridden at my side since we were boys and there is no other person outside of youngest brother that I would entrust my son's wellbeing too." Hadrian said, he was beginning to feel all the emotions inside him bubbling to the surface. He was struggling to maintain his mask, he knew that facing Baelish he would need to keep a cool head but right now all he wanted to do was ride straight for the Eyrie and rip the fucking man apart, a brief snarl breaking out on his face before he managed to rein his anger back in and repair his facade.

"You sound as if you are not planning on coming back." Raphael said now worried more than ever about his oldest and best friend, they had gone through wars and peace together...keeping each other's secrets and having each other's backs. For him to be staying here while his lord rode off to war filled him with great concern for his friend.

"I hope it will not come to that, but given who we are facing I will not take any chances. I underestimated Baelish once and my eldest son paid the price for my arrogance. I will not make that same mistake again." Hadrian said putting a hand on his best friend's shoulder and Raphael with a sense of dread nodded and said.

"As you command my lord."

Hadrian however had another reason for leaving Raphael behind, one that he would never tell anyone. If he was going to win his war against Baelish he would need to do things that his friend would not approve of.

He was going to take apart everything Baelish held dear.

-x-

Waving goodbye to Raphael for what Hadrian hoped would not be too long, Hadrian continued on the way to Casterly Rock at the head of the party while Leo's body rested on a cart behind him. At his side were Ser Davos Seaworth, Shireen Baratheon, Ser Raynald Westerling and the rest of his party that had accompanied him to Kings Landing. Ser Raynald had been very quiet since Leo's death, feeling a complete failure for Leo dying on his watch but the man had sworn to Hadrian that he would never fail in his duty again.

Hadrian believed him.

Shireen Baratheon however was not in the least solemn as the rest of the procession was, the sights of the Westerlands made the girl's eyes widen in wonder as she saw more of the world that she had been denied while being locked up by her mother and father. At her side Ser Davos could not help but smile at her enthusiasm.

As their party rode their horses through the gates of the great castle, Hadrian felt his mouth tighten as he was greeted by the mournful faces of his children, all the girls had tears running down their faces while the boys did their best to put on a brave face but could not fully mask their grief. Their eyes were fixed on both him and the casket that held Leo's body, Arthur's eyes were openly watering at the sight of one of his grandchildren dead before their time. Hadrian himself felt the same, the children buried their parents that was the way it was supposed to be but in this world it seemed only the strong survived. He hated that thought but it was true, his son had been soft and gentle and his kind did not last long in this world.

He was solemn himself as he directed the unloading of Leo's casket and the process of taking down to the family crypt where Hadrian stood as still as a statue while his son was placed in the grave that should not have been his final resting place for decades yet. Turning around he saw his children looking at him with wide eyes, he opened his arms and the five children rushed forward and gripped him in a tight hug. Genna, Davos and Arthur hung back with young Arya and Shireen looking at him and his children in concern.

Holding his children only made the feeling of guilt inside him worse, he had allowed one of his cubs to die because he had not dealt with the threat soon enough. He was not going to let Baelish get away with it but it had still been his arrogance that had led to the situation that had landed a son of his in a coffin before his time. It was time to stop messing around and deal with the threats to his family now but first he had a duty to perform. Breaking the hug from his children however much it pained him Hadrian turned to Tyler and withdrew a sword from it scabbard and presented it to the stunned boy.

"Before I ride on the Vale Tyler it is high time I give you something that by right belongs to you, from this day forward you will wield our ancestral blade…Brightroar." He said handing the Valyrian steel sword over to Tyler who took it in a daze but Hadrian was not done yet. "And it is also time that you assume the responsibilities that I have denied you thus far. In my absence you will rule, Lady Genna and your grandfather will act as your advisors until I return. If you find yourself in need of any other help than feel free to call upon Ser Raphael Daniels at Riverspring."

Tyler did not know what to say, shock had robbed him of his voice. His siblings and the rest of the people in the crypt too were open mouthed at the sudden action.

-x-

At a brothel in Lannisport a messenger found and passed a note to Sandor Clegane, who was enjoying his coin with whores that would overlook his scars for the right price. When he read the message he was annoyed but got his sword and armour ready before he rode out to meet with the army gathering at the Golden Tooth. It seemed his lord had need of his sword again and he knew it was suicide to refuse him.

Hadrian meanwhile had penned a letter to be sent by the fastest means possible to Braavos, something he should have done a long time ago. He also sent a man to fetch carving tools and wood that he would take with him on the campaign, he had an idea of what to do with Baelish when they finally caught up to him and it would be one for the history books that was for sure.

Before leaving the following day he retrieved Lamentation, the ancestral Valyrian steel sword of House Royce knowing it might be useful in the campaign to come but also he took the Cloak of Invisibility and the Resurrection Ring.

The time to seek the Elder Wand had finally come and unleash the full power of magic. Taking his revenge was just the perfect pretext.

-x-

The Golden Tooth had not seen such activity in many years, the thirty thousand men of the Westerlands met and shared camp with the six thousand Reach men and four thousand Dornish that he joined them for this campaign, leaving behind a considerable number of troops to defend their homelands. Hadrian rode at the head of the column as it moved out for its march to the Vale while at his side Ser Loras Tyrell, Prince Oberyn Martell and Ser Jon Connington mounted their own steeds and followed.