15

King's Landing, with Tyrion Lannister…

"-and make sure all the gates are guarded thoroughly at all times. No one comes in or out without our permission." Tyrion finished telling the commander of the City Watch, Jacelyn Bywater, who nodded briskly at the order before setting off.

Just as the commander departed, the captain of Tyrion's personal guard arrived.

"Ser Bronn, I thought I asked you to bring my nephew back with you?" Tyrion questioned the tall man who had despite all intents and purposes become his first genuine friend.

"About that." Ser Bronn rested his hands on his sword belt and replied frankly, "The king is currently busy making some very important changes to his meal menu."

…

Tyrion stood in stunned silence at the sheer amount of stupidity the child of his sister possessed.

It had been weeks since the news of the Tyrell and Targaryen alliance became known to most of Westeros, including the Crowlands.

And needless to say, King's Landing was in a state of panic.

No matter how much the current regime projected safety and stability, the common folk knew that the Lannisters were in shambles as well.

His father, Lord Tywin, was effectively trapped fighting the North in the west, the Vale remained silent, Dorne recently subjugated the Iron Islands though still not showing clearly which side they supported and both Stannis and the Targaryens were set to encroach on the capital at any moment.

And since the current king was an inept fool of a boy, Tyrion, as Hand of the King, was now stuck with the task of calming the fleeing populace while preparing the city for an attack it had no hope of repelling.

"Do you really think doing all of this will matter? They outnumber us a hundred times over. We'd be lucky to even hold them off for a day." Ser Bronn voiced the dark truth.

Tyrion came to rest along the northwest city walls, sighing tiredly. "What other choice do we have? We either surrender and die or fight back and die. Even if we kill just one of their soldier's, I'd at least get some satisfaction in death." He said cynically.

"There is no satisfaction in dying. You'll either shit your trousers or piss your eyes out." Ser Bronn said dryly, gaining a snort from the imp.

"So which path will you take, Ser Bronn?" Tyrion asked curiously.

"Neither. I'll only stay until they breach the gates. I see no honor in dying for this shitbag of a city." Ser Bronn's blunt honesty never ceased to amaze him.

"Unfortunately I do not have such an option." Tyrion says.

Ser Bronn looked at the imp for a moment, all semblance of joking momentarily disappearing from his face. "You could escape with me and the other eight hundred men we've recruited. We could go to Essos and start a sellsword company." He offered.

Tyrion briefly pondered that potential future before shaking his head. "I'm not exactly sellsword material, Ser Bronn. And what's the point? I'd always have to live with my head down. I may despise my house, but I do believe in a lion's pride." He affirmed.

His friend looked at him for another moment before shrugging. "Alright then, we'll see that 'lion's pride' of yours when the Targaryens start roasting you alive like a stuffed pig." He says, back to old self.

Deciding to change the subject to more important matters, Tyrion asked. "Did you burn the waterfronts?" Receiving a nod in return.

"Good. We'll only have one chance to beat Stannis before he reaches the shores. I'll be counting on you." Tyrion says.

"I get the whole 'trap the enemy and then blow them up' plan. But even if we do by some miracle manage to beat Stannis's army, what about the Targaryens? They'll just attack next." Ser Bronn pointed out.

"We can only hope that my father returns in time. At least he sent the Mountain and his men to help." Tyrion added.

"Yeah, the Mountain is one big, scary fucker." Ser Beonn admitted, which was surprising since the knight was never impressed by anyone.

"Indeed. Hopefully he'll be enough to hold off the Targaryens until reinforcements arrive." Tyrion then noticed his sister who was furiously making her way over to him, flanked by two kingsguard.

The Lannister outcast sighed deeply. "Great, now to have my daily dose of ear lashing." Ser Bronn barely managed to hide his amusement behind a slight smirk.

His sister as of late had been getting increasingly frustrated. If he didn't know any better then he would've assumed that she was just being her normal self but he could tell that the upcoming fight was making her nervous.

After all, not one but three contenders for the throne currently wanted her eldest son's head on a spike.

"How dare you try to summon your king!" Cersei came to an angry stop in front of him.

Already drowning out his sister's newest spiel, Tyrion began to seriously contemplate taking up Bronn on his earlier offer.

oOo

Some distance away from Dragonstone, with Stannis…

All preparations were complete.

Soon, Stannis's army would be upon the capital and he would take his god-given throne by force.

"My liege, the priestess has departed!" A sailor reported to him.

There was no surprise on Stannis's face at the news. He had known that the priestess was going to leave him before they set sail. She had told him the night before after all.

While he initially was against the woman's absence from his side, Melisandre had told him of the great vision she had received from R'hllor. And though she kept most of the details hidden, the vision given to her was one that saw her going to the mainland first in order to acquire the boon that her god promised would be of great help to him, the champion.

Stannis was not a greatly religious person but he would be a fool to ignore the advice of the witch who had done so much for his cause.

So he reluctantly bid the red priestess farewell, but not before indulging in the softness of her flesh once more. If anything about the priestess was divine, it was her sinful body.

Dismissing the messenger, Stannis turned to the one man he trusted more than his own family. "Ser Davos, if we set sail, how long before we reach the capital?"

"Shouldn't take more than half a day, your grace." The old onion knight was quick to reply.

"Then we set sail as soon as possible. Keep readying the ships and men." Stannis ordered before looking out toward the roiling sea.

Victory was so close that Stannis could practically taste it. He'd take his rightful spot as king soon as he was always destined to do.

oOo

Meanwhile at Riverrun, with Viserys…

Viserys always wondered how House Tully had come to be considered one of the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms.

But now he understood why.

While the ancestral seat of the Tully's was by far the least imposing castle he had seen thus far, its natural defense of being built between two converging rivers, and the fact that a very deep man-made moat covered all sides of the base, would make any general coming to besiege the castle scratch their head.

"How unfortunate we are to not have to capture this place. Wouldn't that have been so much fun, nephew?" Viserys said sarcastically to the family member who rode beside him.

Perseus also seemed to be keenly observing the castle's defenses. And while he too looked just as impressed as him, Viserys could already see the wheels turning in his head.

Even as a small boy, his nephew had always been obsessed with tackling seemingly impossible tasks.

It served as a testament to his lineage. Many spoke of the Conqueror having a similar mindset.

Viserys and Perseus reigned in their horses before signaling for the small army of men behind them to do the same as they neared the front of the castle.

They made sure to stay out of range of the archer's atop the castle walls who already had their arrows notched and ready to fly.

The castle bridge had long since been drawn up and the moat was already quickly being filled with river water.

Even though they only brought their cavalry with them, it was obvious the Tully's thought that they were going to attack.

Perseus looked at the siege ready castle for a moment before turning to a rider behind him.

"Go, tell the Tully's that I wish to speak with them." Perseus ordered the soldier who dutifully rode off toward the castle.

Seeing that it was evidently a messenger, the archers didn't fire at the lone rider as he neared.

Since they were too far away, the conversation between the messenger and the men atop the wall didn't reach their ears until the soldier came back.

"They said that they don't wish to speak, your grace." The soldier reported, making Viserys click his tongue in annoyance.

He was already doing his nephew a favor by going along with his crazy plan. These Tully's were already making him regret his decision.

"Go tell them that Lady Catelyn is in our possession." Perseus simply told the soldier who once again rode off to relay his message.

This time, the men on the walls didn't angrily gesture for the rider to fuck off. A long moment instead passed as the men obviously talked among themselves.

After a while, the rider came back and delivered better news. "They've agreed to meet with you, your grace." Viserys chuckled at the Tully's response to the news of their members capture and a moment later the redwood gates of Riverrun opened.

A group of three men rode out, one bearing a white flag, another who looked to be a knight and lastly a man that led the small group.

Viserys and Perseus began riding out to meet them, followed only by Jon.

Since it was obvious neither party was willing to go too close to the opposition's forces, they met each other halfway and came to a stop.

Viserys dismounted his horse, alongside Perseus and Jon, and walked forward to meet the tall, stocky man who looked quite similar to Lady Catelyn.

"You must be Lady Catelyn's brother, Edmure Tully." Perseus spoke first to the man who nodded in affirmation.

"And you are the Targaryens." Edmure said simply.

It had never been too hard to notice their family. The silver hair and purple eyes were usually a dead giveaway.

"My name is Perseus." His nephew introduced himself before gesturing to him, "This is my uncle, Viserys. And my sworn knight, Ser Jon Connington."

Edmure nodded at each of them, though he still retained a look of caution. "Why did you go out of your way to come all the way to the Riverlands? Do you think you can take our home as easily as you did with the Baratheon's?"

"My intention was never to attack the Riverlands or House Tully. I'm sure you've already received the reports from your vassals, but we didn't pillage a single town on our way here." Perseus tells the Tully heir.

"I know. That's the reason I even decided to have a talk with you." Edmure said before adding stonily, "Though it wasn't the only reason. Your messenger said that you have captured my sister. Is that correct?"

"Captured? My men rescued Lady Stark from the clutches of Renly's rogue knight. Who knows what would have happened to her had they not scoured the Stormlands to find her." Perseus says.

Edmure pondered his words for a moment before asking. "So, where's my sister? I find it hard to believe that you would travel here without her if you truly rescued her in good faith." He pointed out.

"We had to ride nonstop in order to get here so Lady Stark was not able to come with us. But she's expressed her support for my war efforts, so I wanted to bring the letter she wrote for you." The knight behind Edmure quickly put his hand on his sword hilt when Perseus reached behind him.

Slowly, his nephew brought out the letter Lady Stark had written. "No need to be so defensive, gentlemen. It would be foolish for us to attack such esteemed swordsmen with only one of our knights." Perseus's words caused Viserys great amusement.

It's not like the two knight's behind Lord Edmure were even remotely threatening to Perseus. If his nephew really wanted to he could kill both of them before a single arrow could whizz in their direction.

After being passed the letter, Edmure keenly studied the seal before opening the letter to begin silently reading.

A few moments later, the Tully man finished the letter with a deep frown on his face.

"What does the letter say, milord?" The knight who accompanied Edmure asks.

"My sister wants to exchange prisoners with the Targaryens. Ser Jaime Lannister for one of them." Edmure says, looking back at them.

"But why?" The knight's confused question went unanswered.

"Will you follow the agreement, Edmure Tully? Your sister seemed very adamant that you would." Perseus says.

Edmure frowned in thought for a while before he looked at Viserys. "And you're fine with this? You won't be treated as a guest but a prisoner." He told him.

"It won't be for long." Viserys simply grinned.

Before they even stepped foot in the Riverlands, Perseus had already told him about his plan to rob the Tully's of their highest profile prisoner without actually giving anything in return.

Plus, his nephew was confident in his ability to take him back from the fish heads. That alone was enough for Viserys to play along.

Though he still looked suspicious, Edmure looked at his knight. "Go get the prisoner." He ordered.

The knight looked shocked at the order but he nonetheless began mounting his horse

As the knight quickly rode back to the castle, they spoke some more.

"My sister mentioned in her letter that she was being kept at Storm's End." Edmure commented with an angry scowl.

"She'll soon be released and escorted back to her son." Perseus promised lightly.

"How do I know that you will keep true to your word?" Edmure pressed.

"You'll have my uncle in your possession, Lord Edmure. Why would I go back on my word?" Perseus says, unflinching.

Edmure chose not to comment, but Viserys could tell that the man's suspicions had been begrudgingly satisfied.

After a long wait, the knight finally came back, followed by two soldiers who trailed him on horseback.

Viserys immediately noticed the poorly dressed man with a bag on his head who was fastened to the back of the knight's horse.

As the men reached them and began dismounting, the two soldiers quickly began bringing the prisoner down from the horse.

"You've seen Ser Jaime before, uncle?" Perseus asked him.

Giving a firm nod, Viserys walked forward as the bagged prisoner was brought to his knees in front of them.

With one swift motion, the prince removed the bag from the prisoner's head, revealing roughly shaved blonde hair, as well as cat-green eyes that shined with confidence despite the pitiful state the man was in.

Viserys immediately felt rage boiling from within him.

Even though he had only been a small boy at the time, Viserys would never forget the face of the knight who went back on his oath and killed his father.

Or worse, the once young man who used to read knightley stories to him when none of his family had the time to do so.

The Lannister's betrayal had hit Viserys harder than anyone could have ever known.

Ser Jaime stared up at him with an odd expression of shock and shame. "Viserys?" He breathed.

Meanwhile, Viserys hadn't noticed that his hand was drifting toward his sword hilt until Perseus's hand suddenly gripped his wrist.

"Not yet, uncle. Their time will come." After hearing his nephew's words, Viserys managed to calm himself down a bit.

Ser Jaime keenly glanced between the two of them before looking at Edmure. "Tully's working with Targaryens. Are you so desperate to win this war that you would ally with the very people who started all this mess?" His voice filled with a natural ooze of confidence.

"Hold your tongue, Kingslayer! You're lucky that we need you alive. I'd have taken your head by now if we didn't." Viserys warned the man who stared at him before looking at Perseus with a strange expression.

"…you must be Elia's boy. Do you think your mother would be proud to see her only son waging a fruitless war?" Ser Jaime remarked.

Not a moment after, Ser Jaime was forced to hold his tongue when Perseus's hand suddenly clamped tight around his throat.

With a look of barely restrained fury, Perseus looked down at the disgraced knight who was already turning purple as he struggled to breath.

"You have no right to speak about my mother after what you put her through, Lannister." Perseus growled menacingly.

He choked the man for a little while longer before finally letting him go just when it looked like the knight was about to pass out.

Ser Jaime gasped for air as he fell on the ground. "Don't worry, I won't kill you yet. That would be too easy of an end for you, Kingslayer. Jon, take him back to the army. Make sure he's under watch at all times." Perseus told Jon who after bagging the infamous knight's head, began dragging him back to his horse.

As Ser Jaime was being taken away with barely any regard for his comfort, Edmure who had watched the previous interaction with great interest spoke. "I take it that you'll be keeping your word?" He said, expectantly.

"Of course. A deal is a deal after all. You gave me your highest valued prisoner, so I'll give you one to replace him." Perseus smiled in an easygoing manner before looking at Viserys, "Uncle, if you wouldn't mind going with Lord Tully."

Rolling his eyes, Viserys handed over his weapons to his nephew before holding out his wrists to one of the guards who had been escorting Ser Jaime.

The guard stared at him, obviously dumbfounded.

"Well, get on with it. I don't have all night!" He snapped at the shocked soldier who quickly began binding the prince's hands together.

"Try not to hurt the Lannister too much without me, nephew." He said to Perseus before the Rivermen began escorting him toward the castle.

Viserys didn't care to remember any of the details about the castle's interior as he was promptly taken down to the dungeons.

And it was only once Viserys was securely locked inside of a damp, iron cell did Edmure Tully finally speak.

"What are you two planning? Why did your nephew just let us take you away like that?" Edmure blitzed him with questions, obviously confused at the lack of resistance on their part.

Viserys lazily stalked around his musty cell with a wrinkled nose. "We may not be the most righteous house, but we do keep our word." He said simply.

"I hope you know that I don't plan on releasing you even after my sister is out of your nephew's hands." Edmure told him.

"That's fine. I never planned to stay here for that long anyway." Viserys shrugged uncaringly.

Edmure barked out a laugh. "Are you expecting your nephew to use his army and save you? I must say, you two did not fully think this through. You may be allied with the Tyrell's but Riverrun has never been taken without the help of dragons. And you don't have any dragons. Enjoy your stay, Prince." He said smugly before he began leaving.

As the Tully casually left, bringing the light of his torch with him, the windowless dungeons gradually became so dark that all that was left was shadows.

Even though he knew that he was only going to be imprisoned for a short while, Viserys chose to sit on the cold floor of his cell. He closed his eyes and waited patiently.

"These dungeons are even worse than the ones at Storm's End. At least ours has light and doesn't smell like a swamp." A familiar voice woke Viserys up, prompting him to groggily open his eyes.

He wasn't surprised or scared to see a dark figure standing above him inside of his cell since he already knew who it was.

"Your timing is terrible, nephew. I was enjoying a rather nice dream." He yawned, making Perseus chuckled in response.

"So how exactly are you going to get me out of here?" Viserys questioned as he was helped to his feet.

He had heard the plan before but he was still a bit dubious. After all, it wasn't a normal occurrence for a person to travel using shadows.

"Just trust me. I know what I'm doing." Perseus said before turning around and bracing himself expectantly.

Viserys glared at his back for a moment before he eventually climbed on. "Not a word about this to anyone." He grumbled as he wrapped his limbs securely around his nephew who simply chuckled.

Perseus handled the added weight without much difficulty and backed them up against the farthest side of the cell before saying. "No matter what you hear or see. Don't let go." He warned seriously.

With that, Perseus slightly leaned forward before suddenly sprinting toward the opposite wall.

Though he wouldn't have been the one to have taken the most damage from a possible collision, the near inhuman burst of speed at which his uncle took off toward the wall made Viserys instinctively close his eyes to brace himself for impact.

But instead of being met with an immovable object, Viserys felt like he had been transported into a cold and very dark hallway.

Even when he opened his eyes to try and see around him it didn't make a difference. There was nothing but pitch blackness.

The only thing that notified Viserys that he hadn't accidentally fallen into oblivion was the fact that he was still holding onto his nephew as he sped through the darkness with purpose.

Choosing to simply close his eyes, Viserys waited with baited breath until he suddenly felt warmth on his skin.

"You can open your eyes now, uncle." He heard Perseus say.

Viserys opened his eyes and was surprised to see that they were now standing on a small hill that was positioned between Riverrun and their temporary camp.

The sun had begun to fall under the horizon which signaled to him that a short bit of time had passed since he had been put in the Tully's dungeons.

"That was…interesting." Viserys for once was too stunned to joke around.

He had seen his nephew use his powers before but this was the first time that he witnessed how it felt.

"If you can do this, why can't you just kill the usurper's in their sleep?" Viserys questioned as he got off his nephew's back.

"It doesn't work like that. I can only travel to places I've been to. I had to sneak into the castle in order to get to you. Which wasn't easy by the way." His nephew told him.

"That's a shame. We could've ended this war in a single night." Viserys says before adding, "It wouldn't have been nearly as fun though."

Perseus simply chuckled. "Let's go. Hopefully it'll take them until morning to realize that you're gone." He began walking over to two horses that stood to the side waiting for them.

Viserys took a moment to look back at the castle that was now a good distance away.

His nephew had just rescued him from the middle of one of the most well protected castles in the world without so much as raising a single alarm.

Just the implications from his ability to do such a thing would make any noble in the entire Seven Kingdoms, possibly the world, fearful of making Perseus their enemy.

And if he put himself in their shoes, he couldn't exactly blame them. If Viserys knew that someone had the power to kill him whenever he slept, he would fear them as well.

Viserys let out a tired sigh. "Brother, your son is going to cause more trouble than you ever did." He murmured in amusement before finally following after his nephew.

The entire realm would be flipped on its head once Perseus became king.

oOo

Elsewhere in the Riverlands, with Melisandre…

It was time for Melisandre to do her part in the fated ascension of the future hegemony.

She left Dragonstone and the pretender the day they were set to sail for King's Landing.

Her given excuse was that she was going to gather allies that were contracted to serve R'hllor's chosen.

And while that was true, the red priestess didn't tell the pretended that those allies wouldn't be helping him in the slightest.

At least she gave Stannis some last acts of motivation before she left. He'd definitely need them if he wanted to live past the week.

Putting the meaningless thoughts of the pretender out of her mind, Melisandre continued to march through the Kingswood.

The reason for her being in one of the continent's largest forests was because looking for a band of sworn brother's that held no allegiance to any lord or house.

While they numbered up to a few hundred, it was mostly the leader of the group and a few other select individuals that truly drew Melisandre's attention.

By the time she neared her targets, the sun had long since set. But while most would've trembled under the ominous sanctity of the night, the shadows willfully helped guide her to her destination.

Eventually, the shadows parted and gave way to the light of a campsite just ahead of her.

But before she could take a single step forward, a small voice suddenly spoke. "Don't move!" Slowly, Melisandre turned to the owner of the voice which was a small boy, probably no older than ten name days.

The child had blonde hair and dark blue eyes that almost seemed purple in the moonlight. He currently held a bow that was aimed directly at her.

Uncaring of her current predicament, Melisandre stepped forward but was stopped by the boy's words. "Step any closer and I swear I'll shoot." The boy's voice trembled as he held the bow in a shaky grip.

Melisandre wasn't afraid of an arrow potentially killing her, if it was her time to die then so be it, but she was wary of the boy accidentally taking her for an enemy.

After all, she could instantly feel that this boy was one of the chosen that R'hllor wanted her to find.

"What is your name child?" Melisandre asked gently.

Still trembling, the boy answered. "E-Edric, Edric Dayne." He managed to stammer.

A disarming smile came onto her lips. "Have you ever killed anyone before, Edric?" She asks.

"N-no." Edric murmured, obviously embarrassed.

"Then what makes you think you can kill me?" Melisandre says, amusement now seeping into her voice.

But while the question was aimed at the blonde boy, the answer came from behind her. "Because I'll kill you if he can't." Another small voice spoke from behind her and Melisandre felt the point of something sharp being slightly prodded into her back.

Melisandre turned to look over her shoulder at a little girl with brown hair, cut short, and fierce grey eyes.

The red priestess wasn't as surprised that she had been snuck up on as she was surprised that the girl was yet another chosen.

Unlike before, she didn't have to ask the girl for her name. "Arya, you were supposed to be patrolling the east side of the camp!" Edric says, no longer finding it necessary to hold up his bow.

"I was, but I had a feeling that you'd get into trouble without me watching you." Arya says, her eyes still trained on Melisandre.

"I'm older than you, you know!"

"Only by a year! And that still doesn't stop you from wetting your bed!"

"At least Lord Belric doesn't make me take a bath by myself!"

"That's because I'm a girl, idiot!"

As the two children bantered back and forth, Melisandre couldn't help but pray for the child of her patron god, he would be the one to nurture them after all.

By the time Melisandre ended her prayer, the two children had completely forgotten about her and were now focused solely on insulting each other.

Thankfully, their bickering was heard by a few of the camp's occupants who came to see what was happening.

"Great, those two are back at it again." One man grunted as a group of poorly armored soldiers walked up to them.

It didn't take long for the group to notice Melisandre's presence. A few men put their hands on their sword belts cautiously as they approached.

"Who are you?" A rough looking man asked her.

The two children, who finally stopped bickering, turned to her in curiosity. They had been so distracted arguing with one another that they hadn't even asked for her name.

"My name is Melisandre. I'm a priestess and follower of R'hllor." At her introduction, Melisandre pulled down the hood of her red cloak, revealing her face.

As expected, many men were instantly enamored. Even the shy and innocent Edric blushed at her beauty.

The only one who wasn't smitten was the young girl, Arya, who rolled her eyes at her friend's reaction. "What's a red priestess doing all the way in Westeros? You do know most people here believe in the Seven, right?" She says.

Melisandre smiled serenely at the girl's abrasive attitude. "I know you Westerners tend to believe in false gods. I was led to these lands by R'hllor to show the people of the west that there is only one true god." She told her.

"I'm not so sure that's your only objective, priestess." A newcomer suddenly arrived, flanked by two soldiers.

It was a slight man with red-hood hair and despite the scar that traveled diagonally across the man's face he was still quite handsome.

The man donned dull, black armor that displayed a lightning symbol, a long sword was strapped to his belt and he carried a black shield also slashed by lightning.

"Lord Beric!" All around, men bowed or acknowledged their leader as he walked past them.

The lord's eyes lingered on Edric and Arya for a moment before he returned his attention to Melisandre. "Why are you here, priestess?" He asked sternly.

"I'm here for you, Lightning Lord. Many have heard of your death, but only a few know of your resurrection." Her words made the man tense.

"How do you know about that?" One of the men who arrived with Beric asks.

Choosing to ignore the man's question, Melisandre spoke. "Just like you, I was chosen by R'hllor, Lord Beric. R'hllor only gave you life back for one purpose. But I'm sure you already know what purpose that is." She added knowingly.

"…this conversation will be had in private. Follow me." Not waiting for her response, Beric began walking back toward the camp, eventually followed by his men.

Melisandre felt a small tug on her cloak and she looked to see Edric smiling up at her. "You don't have to be nervous. Lord Beric is an honorable man." He promised.

"There's no such thing as a man with honor." Arya joined Melisandre's other side and glared at her friend.

"There's plenty of honorable men!" Edric replied back with the same heat of an angry kitten.

"Name one, other than your precious Lord Beric." Arya told the boy.

"W-well there's my uncle, Ser Arthur Dayne." Edric says somewhat confidently.

"He's dead. That doesn't count." Arya huffed.

An exasperated look formed on Melisandre's face as the two once again began bickering with each other as they began traveling into the camp.

The future monarch would definitely have his work cut out for him dealing with these two.

oOo

Sometime later at Bitterbridge, with Daenerys…

As Daenerys strode through the camp, she took in the frenzy that was currently ensuing.

According to reports, an army of reportedly thirty-thousand Dornish had arrived at the castle where the Reach's army was gathered.

After avoiding large groups of marching soldiers and frantically running squires who set about doing their given tasks, Daenerys finally reached the command tent.

Once the soldier's guarding the entrance of the tent parted and allowed her to enter, as well as Missandei, the first thing Daenerys noticed was that compared to the bustling of activities outside, the tent was practically silent.

Those that she knew in attendance were Willas, Margaery, Ser Garlan and the esteemed general, Randyll Tarly.

The other five occupants were people she did not know. But based on their appearance, Daenerys assumed the group to be the representatives of the Dornish army that had arrived.

"Ah, Princess! We were waiting for you to arrive. Please, have a seat." Willas noticed her first and motioned for her to join the large round table that mostly everyone was sitting at.

After taking a seat next to Margaery, who gave her warm smile, Willas spoke. "I'm sorry if I disturbed you, Princess. But unfortunately, since neither the King nor Prince are currently here, you'll have to act as the representative of the Crown." The Heir of Higharden says apologetically.

"I only ask for your help in explaining the current situation." Hiding her nervousness at the task ahead, Daenerys straightened up and crossed her hands over her lap in a regal posture that she admittedly practiced in the mirror before for an occasion such as this.

Generally, she didn't hold any real decision making power in her family like Perseus or Viserys did. So it had always been an exhilarating hope for her to one day be able to make decisions.

Nodding, Willas was quick to give her an explanation. "I'm sure you are aware of the Dornish forces that have descended on our camp?" She nodded, prompting him to continue.

"The people you see in front of you are from House Martell and have come as representatives of Dorne. Allow me to introduce you to Oberyn Martell, the second Prince of Dorne." The only Dornish man present gave her a formal nod.

Though he was seated, Daenerys could tell that the man introduced was tall with a slender build. He had long black hair and glistening black snake-like eyes.

The man's name however was what truly caught her attention.

"Oberyn Martell. You're Perseus's uncle?" Daenerys asked as she looked curiously at him.

"I am. And you must be my nephew's aunt. I suppose that makes us siblings in a sense." Oberyn replied in a warm manner.

Willas continued. "The women behind him are his daughters. They are famously known as the Sand Snakes." Two of the three introduced daughters looked like a typical Dornish woman, but the last one had fair skin, blonde hair and blue eyes.

The most interesting thing about the three was the fact that they, although they currently had no weapons in hand, were all seemingly warriors based on their attire which consisted of light armor.

These women served as proof that Daenerys too could one day earn the respect of a warrior.

"And this is Arianne Martell, Princess and heiress of Dorne." Willas motioned to the only woman who sat beside Oberyn.

Like the other women she looked to be in her early twenties but the most prominent thing Daenerys noticed about her fellow princess was the fact that she was extremely beautiful.

With enchanting dark eyes, long ringlets of lustrous dark hair and full red lips, the Dornish princess easily matched Margaery in looks alone, and that wasn't even the end of it.

Not only were her features a sight to behold, but even though she was currently seated, Daenerys could tell that the smooth, olive skinned woman had a very buxom and curvaceous body that further amplified her beauty.

Needless to say, Arianne Martell was the type of woman that any man would kill for.

Daenerys was glad her brother was currently occupied elsewhere, he without a doubt wouldn't have been able to stay silent about the Dornish princess's looks.

Although, she wondered how Perseus would react to the woman. Her nephew was far less of a degenerate than her brother but he was still a man who evidently had needs.

The thought of the princess in front of her potentially being the one to meet Perseus's manly needs made Daenerys slightly frown, something the Dornish heiress noticed based on how her brow rose a bit.

"It's nice to meet you, Princess Arianne." Daenerys with as much cordiality as she could muster.

"It's nice to meet you too, Princess Daenerys." Arianne responded before slightly leaning forward, "But uncle, you never told me my cousin's aunt was this beautiful."

Arianne purred as her gaze roamed over Daenerys with a sinful gaze, her voice had a natural huskiness.

Oberyn hummed at his niece's words. "Well, I hadn't seen her since she was a babe. But I agree with my niece, you've grown quite beautiful, Princess." He smirked at her.

Daenerys felt a blush creep onto her face. She had forgotten that the Dornish were a very…sexually oriented people.

To save herself further embarrassment Daenerys swiftly decided to turn the conversation back on track.

"I don't mean to sound rude, but why has Dorne only decided to join the war now? We've been in Westeros for almost a year now." Daenerys says, portraying a serious look.

Her words made Prince Oberyn heave a regretful sigh. "If it were my decision, I would've joined Perseus the moment he stepped foot in the Seven Kingdoms. But my brother, the ruling prince of Dorne, is a lot more cautious than I. He's the type of man that wants to see all possible outcomes before making a move." He says truthfully.

While she could perhaps understand why the first prince would exercise caution, it didn't excuse the fact that the man practically left his own nephew to fend for himself against massive opposition.

And it seemed that the second prince of Sunspear knew this. "My brother deeply regrets his indecision. So no matter what punishment you decide to give us after the war, Dorne will give its full support to the rightful king, Perseus Targaryen." Oberyn said with sincerity.

All eyes were now on Daenerys as everyone quietly waited for her decision.

The fact that the Martell's had not immediately responded to Perseus's request for aid was a problem that couldn't go without acknowledging.

But on the other hand, the Dornish's support would greatly benefit cementing Perseus's legitimacy to the throne.

So with that, Daenerys spoke. "I cannot truly speak for my nephew, because although you have a duty to your people I know that Perseus isn't someone who takes betrayal lightly. But I also know that he believes that some people deserve a second chance. So until he speaks further on the matter, I'll give you a second chance to prove yourself to us by accepting Dorne's full support." She announced.

Oberyn immediately smiled in gratitude. "Thank you, Princess. Dorne will show its support for you as best as we can." He vowed.

Willas chimed in. "I'm sure the king would agree with your judgment, Princess. Though we do not need Dorne's help. Support from another great house at a time such as this will surely be of great help for us." He says.

"Is that how you say that you missed me, old friend?" Oberyn smiled teasingly at the Reach heir who looked like he barely refrained from rolling his eyes, though his eyes twinkled with humor.

"Now, onto more pressing matters. Lord Tarly, can you please explain the current situation with the upcoming siege?" Willas asked the old general who nodded before going to retrieve something.

"Before his majesty departed, we went over the various strategies to besiege King's Landing and decided to take the option with the highest amount of success which was to completely isolate the capital before launching our attack." As Randyll Tarly spoke he spread a large detailed map of the Seven Kingdoms on the table.

"Our forces being here at Bitterbridge have allowed us complete control over the Rose Road. But there are two other main roads that lead in and out of the capital: the Gold Road and the River Road. In order to completely cut off any potential support from neighboring regions, we'll have to take control of these other roads."

Oberyn leaned forward and peered down at the map, all semblance of joking disappeared from his face. He was now a seasoned war veteran. "I'm guessing my nephew went to secure these other two roads?" He asks the general who nodded.

"But there's a problem, since support is more likely to come from the Gold Road, Prince Viserys had to take the Golden Company and a majority of the Unsullied in order to make sure the Lannister's don't receive help from the west. So his majesty currently only has a small contingent of men that will have to block access from the River Road. " Lord Tarly explained.

"Though it would've been a logistical nightmare, we were originally planning on splitting our forces here and sending half of them to reinforce his grace but..." The general trailed off.

As quick as his title implied him to be, Oberyn swiftly caught on. "But now that we're here, you no longer need to do that. Well, I'll happily lead Dorne's army to secure the River Road with his majesty. I'd like to see my nephew as soon as possible anyway." He smiles.

Lord Tarly was a very stern 'do or don't' type of man, so there was no gratitude shown on his face as he simply nodded before adjusting the pieces on the map.

"I heard that you have quite the formidable fleet now, Oberyn." Willas says.

"They may not be manned by veteran sailors, but our ships are just as good as anyone else's." Oberyn smirked proudly.

"Then how would you feel about assisting the Redwyne Fleet in forming a blockade so that the Lannister's can't escape by sea?" Willas asks, before they delved into a deeper conversation.

The meeting continued on for a while longer but there were rarely any times where Daenerys's input (or input from any of the women present) was needed. After all, she knew nothing about war and the logistics behind it.

But she didn't mind. Rather, she absorbed as much information as she could from the meeting so that hopefully in the future she could be of more help to their cause.

oOo

Later, At Harrenhal, with Percy…

Percy let out an icy breath. From a relatively short distance and under the cover of night, he observed the ruined castle of Harrenhal.

After they had planned to cut off King's Landing from any potential support, it had been up to him to take control of the River Road.

At first, Percy thought that he'd have his work cut out for him seeing as how he only had around two thousand of his men, the rest being used by his uncle to secure the Gold Road.

But after having a few scouts observe the ruined base he became aware that there weren't as many defenders left at the castle as he had initially thought.

Apparently Tywin Lannister thought it better to relocate the majority of the troops he had placed at Harrenhal which should've numbered in the thousands.

A costly decision, but one that Percy knew was only made due to desperation. After all, ever since the so-called King of the North began pillaging the Westerlands the Lannister army was stretched thin in order to protect both the Crownlands and the Westerlands.

"We believe that there are around two hundred men based here, my liege." Beside him, Grey Worm spoke to him.

In that report lay a problem, because while Percy certainly held superiority in regards to manpower, he wasn't overly optimistic that he would be able to successfully siege the castle without losing a good chunk of his men.

Because while the castle wasn't anywhere near its prime due to the fiery destruction his ancestor, Aegon, had bestowed upon it, it was still in relatively good shape which would allow the small forces within to give any sized army a good fight before succumbing to a siege.

He knew that he wouldn't be able to save every single one of his soldiers but that didn't mean he couldn't at least try to adjust his plans so that the possibility of such a miracle happening would become more likely.

"Who's commanding the enemy forces?" Percy asked.

After a brief moment of silence, Grey Worm spoke again. "A knight by the name of Amory Lorch is in charge of the Lannister forces stationed here." He informed him.

That particular name made all of Percy's thoughts pause. "Did you just say…Amory Lorch? The left hand man of Tywin Lannister is here!?" He turned to look at the Unsullied commander, a slight gleam entering his eyes.

He knew very well all of the names of the lords and men who had wronged his house in the past. And near the top of his long list of revenge was none other than Amory Lorch, the man that was more like a beast who had gained mass infamy from committing a terrible crime against his late mother and sister.

"The reports from the spymaster were very thoroughly documented, your grace." Grey Worm said, head fast.

That confirmation was all Percy needed to hear at that moment. One of the men who had terribly wronged his family was only just a few yards away from him. There was no time to waste in his mind.

"Begin the siege immediately. You'll be leading the men until I come back, Grey Worm." Percy tells him.

Grey Work blinked in confusion. "Forgive me for questioning you, but where will you go, your grace?" He asked curiously.

Percy turned back to look at the daunting castle that for some reason now looked even more haunted under the pale moonlight.

"Nothing much. I'll just be making sure we have a pig to roast later." Percy uttered darkly, his lilac eyes glistening like dull embers.

oOo

A short while later…

Percy hid in the shadow of a stone pillar as a group of Lannister men hurriedly ran through the halls of the biggest tower in Harrenal.

Immediately after Grey Worm commenced the siege, he easily snuck into the castle amidst the ensuing chaos using a combination of hard-learned stealth and his shadow ability.

To their credit, the Lannister men were quite quick to respond to the attack and most of not all had quickened to man positions on the walls of the castle.

Unfortunately for them, that meant that the inner portions of the castle were generally left unmanned.

After letting the frantic group of soldiers run past him, Percy once again steadfastly stalked forward going deeper into the main tower.

The torches pathed along the stone walls flickered out behind him allowing only darkness to follow his soundless steps as he strode through the halls.

If any were to see him he would probably look like he was the god of death himself. They however wouldn't know that Thanatos usually tended to discard such theatrics whenever he went to collect a soul.

Though it wasn't as if Percy was doing this on purpose. His powers were simply starting to become harder for him to control as his emotions fluctuated at the thought of the upcoming retribution.

Turning another corner, Percy hid inside of another shadow when he became aware of two soldiers that stood guard just ahead of him.

Just as he was about to make the move forward, shrill shrieks suddenly came from behind the wood-reinforced door that was being guarded.

Percy's keen ears then picked up on the chatter the two guards were making. "I can't believe Ser Amory is indulging in flesh when there's an army just outside the walls." One of the guards says.

"Ser Amory said that he was making a sacrifice to the gods in order to gain favor in the upcoming siege." The other soldier commented, causing his partner to snort.

"Sacrifice my arse. He just wants to spend his last few moments doing what he loves." The first guard stated.

"Well who cares we're all going to die tonight anyway. Hell, maybe he'll let us have a go at the body before it gets too cold." The two guards chortled wickedly at the poorly made joke.

Having heard enough, Percy willed the rest of the wall-torches ahead to sputter out, sinking the corridor in absolute darkness before quickly darting forward, his sword held tightly in his grip.

The two soldiers barely had time to splutter out in surprise before his Valyrian steel blade slit through both of their throats like a knife through butter.

Swiftly snatching the key from the belt of one of the guards as he fell to the ground dead, Percy quietly worked to open the door.

With a slight push, the door slowly opened to reveal the inside of a large, well-lit chamber that was evidently once occupied by the maker of the castle.

But instead of paying note to the obscene gesture of wealth and grandeur the master-room portrayed, Percy's eyes were set upon the act that was occurring directly in front of him.

Due to the sheer amount of detail the guards had given of the ongoings of their commander before their demise, Percy had suspected that a woman was most likely being raped by the infamous Lannister knight.

But apparently his fears had only been half correct, because just a few away upon a large, red and gold gilded bed was a balding, oily pig of a man who grunted and heaved as he thrusted harshly into the much smaller form of a dark haired youth who looked to just have barely reached the age of boyhood.

"Yes, oh yes!"

Percy realized in aghast that the shill shrieks he had heard earlier was the fat knight's oily voice as he worked up a sweat keeping himself sheathed as deep as he could behind the young boy.

The man's pleasure was seemingly so intense that he hadn't even noticed the door to the chambers being opened and a man entering.

But unlike the rowdy knight, the gaze of the young boy who was silently undergoing probably his greatest tribulation slowly flickered to look at Percy.

As dark eyes looked at him with a hopeless and dead look, a vision suddenly overcame the soon-to-be king.

oOo

Percy blinked as he appeared in the smoky visage of a chamber.

Around him were luxuries and furniture afforded to only the richest and oldest of houses, but all of that became null once he realized that just ahead of him was a tall, slender woman clothed in an elegant and richly made dress.

An odd tingle filled Percy's gut as he began stalking toward the woman who silently stood over her balcony.

The feeling only grew once he stood at the side of the woman which allowed to make out her features which were undoubtedly Dornish.

Her dark hair fell down the sides of her fully matured face in luscious ringlets. Smooth, olive tanned skin shimmered in the moonlight as her black eyes gazed serenely below her.

She was absolutely beautiful.

"Princess Elia, they've breached the gates. The Lannister's have betrayed us!" Percy's gaze was broken from the woman's face at the appearance of a servant girl.

"I know, Allyria. It was destined to be this way." Elia remarked softly before making her way inside of the chamber.

"What of my children?" Elia asked the servant woman named Allyria.

"His majesty the king had his son Rhaegar's only heir sent to Dragonstone along with the Queen and Prince Viserys. Though I know not what he did with Princess Rhaenys." Allyria tells her.

At the servant's words, Elia's frown gradually eased off of her face. "I can only hope they are both safe. Rhaegar said that they'll both be needed in the future." She smiled sadly.

"But I don't understand, my lady. Why didn't we also-." The woman's words were suddenly cut short and her expression suddenly morphed into terror as she stared ahead at something.

Following her gaze, Percy immediately understood why the woman had suddenly gained such a terrified expression.

A group of lightly armored men wearing the Lannister colors of red and gold had somehow managed to scale themselves up the tower and onto the balcony of the royal chambers that lay atop it.

In the lead of the group was probably the largest person Percy had ever seen barring the monsters or size-altering deities he had met in his first life.

The hulking man in front of Percy was even larger than his old half-brother, Tyson, who was a half-born cyclops and two meters tall.

His arms and legs which were as thick as tree trunks perfectly portrayed the unnatural strength the man no doubt had.

But the most monstrous thing about the man was not his Herculean physique, but the crooked smile that spread and wicked gleam that showed in his beady eyes at the sight of the princess before him.

(OST)

"Leave me, Allyria. My fate was sealed a long time ago." Even in the face of sure death, Elia spoke with an eerie calmness.

Before the servant woman could respond however, an arrow suddenly found itself lodged into her skull through one of her eye sockets.

The woman named Allyria was dead before she hit the ground.

Panic and fear enveloped Percy as the group of men ascended on the woman he knew to be his birth mother.

But there was nothing he could do no matter how loud he shouted at her to run away or how many times he ran in front of the group in an effort to block them, he was but a smoky observer in the world of the past.

Percy had heard of the story of his mother's demise plenty of times. He knew that she hadn't met a peaceful end. But it was one thing to hear of the untimely demise of one's mother, it was another to see it with one's own eyes.

Even discarding the other men of the group, Princess Elia was absolutely powerless in the face of the giant in front of her.

The Mountain didn't need the help of his men to pin down the much smaller Elia. He hadn't needed any help to unceremoniously tear apart her royally made gown until she was bare for all to see.

Time seemed to painfully slow down for Percy as he watched the titan of a man violently force himself into his birth mother who only gritted her teeth in anguish and pain as tears silently ran down her face.

To make matters worse, apparently the Mountain hadn't been the only one to have his way with his mother.

After the man had finished relieving himself, he allowed his men to take turns on her, one by one.

After what seemed to be an eternity of horror for Percy, Amory Lorch finally became the last man to finish spilling himself into Princess Elia who at this point looked so broken and soiled that she was barely a ghost of her former self.

If Percy could've closed his eyes during the ordeal he would've, but he was unable to look away.

His eyes were locked in the solemn gaze of his birth mother.

It was almost as if she could see him standing there.

And what happened next made him further believe that she could in fact see him.

"My boy…my beautiful baby boy. I love you so much. There is no amount of humiliation and pain that I wouldn't undergo for you." Elia's words were softer than the softest whisper but even over the victorious roars of the men they reached his ears nonetheless.

Unshed tears shimmered in Percy's eyes as he looked down at his mother in shock. "M-mom?" His voice was low and shaky.

As if she could hear his words, Elia smiled sadly and managed to whisper one more thing before she abruptly met her brutal demise via the large armored boot of the Mountain that smashed her head into bloody paste.

Avenge me.

oOo

Back to reality…

Words couldn't describe what Perseus was feeling at that exact moment.

The vision granted to him left him in a very conflicted state.

Something inside of him was cracking open.

It wasn't as if he was only just starting to become aware of all of the whirling emotions that laid within him.

It's just that instead of suppressing them as he usually did before, Perseus couldn't find it in himself to do so this time.

He felt grief. It made the air thick with heat.

He felt anguish. It made the space around him roil and flare.

But above all else, he felt rage. That which made his eyes slowly alight with flame.

He wanted to personally administer punishment on all those who had wronged his family. On all the people who had a hand in the downfall of his house such as the fat, pig-faced knight before him.

So, Perseus finally let go of all restraint.

He wholeheartedly gave in to his inner demons.

And down rained fire and blood.