Riverrun, the Riverlands...280AC...
"HOW DID THEY TAKE HER AND GET AWAY WITHOUT YOU NOTICING YOU FUCKING IDIOTS!?" Hoster Tully yelled at guards who were trembling and ashamed as their liege lord's daughter had been taken from right under their noses and was now in Kings Landing as a hostage. It had been a week and they had no idea just how it had happened! Lysa had just disappeared from her room and then reappeared in Kings Landing as a hostage of the Mad King! He didn't understand just how they had gotten her out of the castle and to Kings Landing so quickly! Her Tully Medallion had been sent as proof that she was genuinely his prisoner with a lock of her hair.
He had been about to try and get onboard with Prince Haeron in the hopes that he would be able to leverage his position to gain some favour and boon from him, perhaps even tying Edmure to Princess Shaena which would even potentially bring them a dragon. Hoster could scarcely imagine the influence that would gain him but now he did not dare even raise a word against Aerys let alone a sword without risking his little Lysa, the mere thought of her being hurt or worse...it was just more than he could bare.
"My lord, your brother is here." A steward said calmly, the sound of his younger brother arriving brought a sense of relief. He had always been the more decisive one and the one that could fight which at any other time Hoster was always jealous of such traits but at this moment they were what he desperately needed.
Brynden entered, wearing his dark scaled armour and the trout of House Tully on his chest. This was what had given him the title 'The Black Fish' but he was unlike his brother tall and strong, his expression frowned with worry which was strangely reassuring as it meant Brynden was as concerned as he was.
"Brother." Hoster said with worry as the other men hurried away to be free of their lord's wrath and as well so he could speak to his brother in privacy. "What are we to do?"
"Either we try and rescue Lysa or comply with the Mad King's whims. There are no other options." Brynden said with his own mind trying to conjure a plan to enter the city and retake Lysa from the Mad King's clutches but no-one could enter the city at the moment due to the sorcerer that the Mad King had joined forces with. The magic was evil he thought with all of the stories that had been coming out of the city about sacrifices with the hearts cut from the chests of men and women alike sending a shiver down his spine.
So for the moment they could do nothing unless some way was found to enter the city and rescue Lysa. A slight shuffling of feet alerted them to someone being at the doorway, turning they saw Catelyn standing there. Although in their minds she was still a child she was a woman flowered now.
"Is Lysa coming home?" Catelyn asked, sounding younger than her fourteen years when she spoke and the men both tried to smile for her and Brynden, desperately hoping to ease her fears told her.
"We are working towards that sweetling but for now we all have to be patient." Brynden said with a forced smile. Catelyn did not look convinced but she trusted her loving uncle and was sure he would bring her younger sister home.
The Eyrie, the Vale...
Jon Arryn was in a dark mood as he sat in his solar, staring out across the mountains outside of his window.
His heir, his beloved nephew Elbert Arryn had been kidnapped and taken to Kings Landing, he was now being held as a hostage.
Jon was furious as how could he dare try to remove the Targaryens now? He could not risk the future of his house he fumed and more than that even if he was ready to risk it he had learned a number of other people from noble houses had been taken in the same way by the terrible warlock, including Lysa Tully.
That made any attempt to move an army from either the North or the Vale by land next to impossible, the Tullys would interfere and block all passage for their men. He could try by sea but that was impossible to do on a large scale without enough ships.
In short he was now completely powerless until he could find some way to get Elbert out of Kings Landing and to safety not to mention Lysa Tully. Jon thought coldly as if he got her out of Kings Landing and held her himself then he could potentially force Hoster to comply with his demands.
Turning a problem into a useful asset.
Jon was however not sure just how to get them out of Kings Landing, the magic that vile monster was using was too strong for anyone to enter or leave without them allowing it. He had no idea just how to get passed it. Tunnels? He thought but shook his head as that was far too time consuming to use and more than that it would be extremely hard to get the tunnel to connect to somewhere they could get up from assuming they weren't discovered.
He had all of his sources looking for any potential weakness but so far nothing had emerged that would be helpful, it was frustrating as he at last had a rallying call he could use to tear down House Targaryen but he was being held back by not only fear for his own blood but a force that did not belong in an ordered world like the one that he wanted to create.
He just continued looking and hoping for something that could create an opportunity.
The Red Keep, Kings Landing...
The Cells that held the hostages were not the dreaded Black Cells but a series of secure tower cells where they would be closely watched by the Bloodmen or at least those among them that could be trusted to not either kill or rape the prisoners.
"Please!" Lysa cried out in fear and pain as Cersei stood over her, smirking as she yanked on her hair. Cersei enjoyed that, the sound of her misery and pain and decided to make her continue by pressing her down to the ground with her foot. Keeping her beneath her foot with the dirt where she belonged, Cersei felt the thrill running through her and licked her lips as if to savour the sensation. However she was eager to try and experience this with the other prisoners so after making sure to step down on Lysa as she walked out, enjoying the cry of pain that came from her as she did so she walked out and left her in her cell.
Ser Elbert Arryn was stoic, she thought as she walked in making sure she adjusted her dress to make her teats more prominent to taunt him and even exposed her legs so he could make him see what he could never have, the most beautiful person in all of the world Cersei thought with her ego inflated to a manic degree. But despite her sensuality Elbert barely looked her way and she, annoyed by this sneered at him ruining the seductive look she was trying to accomplish.
"Well Ser Arryn, nothing to say? Or are you struck with awe?" She said with suggestive eyes but he just shook his head and turned away, not dignifying her with a response.
The silence angered Cersei more than if he had responded and she turned and flounced out of the room, telling the guards in a fury.
"Do not feed him! No food!" She told the Bloodmen who sneered at the uptight knight, thinking they would taunt him with food themselves while he starved. The maids who had overheard despite their fear would try and sneak him some food when they could, it might be enough to keep him alive. The other prisoners cries were horrible as Cersei enjoyed hearing them suffer, making her feel like god.
- x -
Meanwhile in the Warlock's set of rooms, The Warlock himself was busy tending to his new creation. He stared proudly at it as it slumbered, a long serpentine body with scales that were pitted and warped like burned and marked stone. There was a greenish light that emerged from the gaps in its scales but also a some slight vapours of green gas that emerged from it.
That was fascinating he thought with curiosity, the gas wasn't normal smoke. It was odourless and tasteless but in his experiments he had not really identified what it was yet. It seemed harmless enough in small doses but in large doses he could only guess and decided when it was larger he would gather enough for a proper experiment. But that would not take long he thought with amusement as his creation was growing faster than he had expected, only a week and it was twenty feet long he though with amazement.
It was already able to breathe fire, a powerful green flame that burned as hot as wildfire. Just as he had intended, dragons were powerful but what he had created was stronger than any single dragon and at present...only one was a real threat to him he thought with a scowl, he would make sure it and its rider were destroyed soon enough.
The Warlock hissed at the strange creature, it turned its long narrow head to look at him. Its narrow slitted eyes were like those of a snake but it was completely lacking in any feeling, no emotion of any kind and its only awareness being his own will.
Excellent he thought as this was exactly what he had intended when he began this experiment, to have a weapon that was unparalleled in its power and yet was completely under his control. Ser Redding was watching from the side in horror at the evil creation and unable to take it any more he rushed forward with his sword and tried to stab the horrible creature in the head but the Warlock reacted and struck him down with a blast of green light but with one last act of determination, Ser Redding angled his sword and it glanced against the eye of the creature that he had been trying to kill. Blood as thick and black as tar splattered on the floor and the creature howled in pain, the Warlock snarled with fury at his own failure and the knight for daring to try and kill his perfect creation.
Ser Redding however could never have known that with his last act of bravery...he would at last have made an impactful and honourable decision, one that would have dire outcomes that the Warlock would never have foreseen. As he worked to try and fix the damage the idiotic fool had caused the Warlock completely forgot about his body, he didn't even know his name only that he had been in the Kingsguard and forgetting him just as fast.
Casterly Rock, The Westerlands...
Haeron, Harmony and Evelyn all smiled as they stood in Casterly Rock, they were here to attend the wedding of Jaime and Alicys, despite their young age it had been agreed between their fathers to allow them to wed early. For Alicys's father it was a chance to tie his daughter down so she would not go on any more 'adventures' that would likely get her killed while also enabling him to gain what he saw as a strong ally in Westeros but they all knew he was delusional he if thought Tywin would do anything without it being to his own benefit they all thought quietly to themselves but now that the links to the east had been opened Lannisport stood become a much more powerful and important port in the ship routes across the Sunset Sea.
Still their thoughts turned dark as they thought on the abductions that had happened around Westeros. House Tully and House Arryn being the two Great Houses affected although a number of smaller ones like House Swann and House Mallister had likewise been targeted to cause trouble given their strong positions no doubt.
"Have we secured all of our own allies holdings?" Haeron asked, his worry that further abductions would happen if they didn't and they both frowned before saying.
"I put up wards that will prevent both Portkeys and Apparation but the fact he was capable of them at all is enough of a worry especially to places that he could never have been too." Harmony said with a slight sense of fear at the power and skill of whoever this Warlock was. He was trained in the same magic as they were but he was unlike anyone that they had seen before. The techniques he had were incredibly advanced and yet they were rooted in the dark arts...it was gruesome the stories that they had learned from their people inside Kings Landing and extremely unsettling.
That was why despite their travels they always kept their boys with them and had reinforced or established magical defences around their existing allies. Given time this warlock would probably find a way around them but until they could pin him down then there was nothing else they could do.
The abductions had caused a panic among their allies and it had taken a lot of reassurance to keep them from breaking away and running back to the Mad King...it was horrible to think that even your own homes were not safe and your loved ones in danger so they knew they had to deal with him soon.
The news of the statues had reached them and the hearts inside which made all of them feel extremely sick, it was disgusting even after all of they had seen but at least they now knew how he was keeping the wards up and more importantly...how they could be destroyed.
The heart as always was the key and Harmony had buried herself in plenty of texts in their private collection to find a substance that could destroy the hearts and pry open the compartments that they were held in before finally discovering the answer.
Iron, normal iron.
Flashback...
"Why Iron?" Haeron had asked Harmony who shrugged before telling him what she had learned.
"Iron is toxic to highly magical creatures, it messes with their bodies and ruins the heart. Magical ritual things like this are the same. The good thing is there will be some in the city already and it is something that the people there can do themselves." Harmony told them hoping she was right.
Flashback ends...
So with their only hope in that they had sent word to their people in the city and hope they could find enough brave enough people to try.
For now however, they had a more pleasant duty...to attend Jaime and Alicys' wedding they thought and kept smiles on their faces. It might seem rushed given their current age but spies in the capital had told them that Aerys was going to name Jaime to the Kingsguard and that would prevent him from marrying, they suspected Cersei was doing it to try and gain some control over Jaime again but they were unable to take the risk so they were rushing the wedding now.
Tygett was was solemnly standing to the side, he was completely indifferent even at his own nephew's wedding. The hatred he had for his older brother was deep and stretched even to his own nephews and nieces...it was harsh they all thought to themselves but living in the shadow of someone like Tywin would be an extremely hard burden to bare they supposed.
"How does Kevan do it?" Evelyn asked with confusion as he just seemed to accept always being in Tywin's shadow and his lackey effectively. She had never really been in someone else's shadow really, even during the Triwizard Tournament she had never really felt overshadowed but he had spent his entire life in Tywin's orbit and never having a chance to shine on his own.
"Some people follow rather than lead, Kevan I suppose is a follower." Harmony said with a sad shrug, wondering if he would be able to cope with the pressure of Tywin's burden given the chance.
"He might surprise you, given the chance." Haeron said with a small smile, he was personally thinking that Kevan was smart enough to know that Tywin was better at ruling than him but that didn't mean he was incapable himself.
"Either way, things will be different for Jaime and Alicys now." Harmony said with a smile as she wondered just how both of them were taking this, not well she guessed with amusement.
- x -
Jaime was standing at the altar of the Sept, his nerves shredded to pieces as he waited for possibly the most important moment of his life. Addam Marbrand and Tyrion stood at his side while the rest of his family stood as witnesses. Tywin did not look happy at Tyrion being up there but when he had confronted Jaime about it he had received an incredible surprise.
"Tyrion will be standing with me and that is the end of it." Jaime said with a stern and hard voice that Tywin had honestly never heard before from his own son. It had come as a shock when it had but at the same time he was able to smile quietly about that. Jaime was finally standing up for himself and choosing what he wanted, as a father he was proud of that and at his side Maylee held his hand with a gently smile of her own. Their new son was too small yet to attend the wedding but it was still the most joyous he had been in a long time. All of the Lannisters were there from his own children and their spouses and children if they had them to their cousins like Stafford who was visibly grumbling as he had been hoping that Jaime would never marry to hopefully take the Rock for himself one day. Tywin would need to keep an eye on his ambition he thought with a brief cold moment.
Jaime meanwhile was getting worse the longer the wait lasted, he turned to the others including Septon Jonos who was going to officiate thankfully. He gave the boy an encouraging smile as did Tyrion and Addam which he badly needed.
Alicys then finally entered the room with the fanfare, dressed in her white silk dress on the arm of Haeron who was standing in for the father of the bride, seeing Jaime's face was priceless. Harmony, Evelyn and Maylee had spent a long time helping her with her decoration and getting ready so her face and dress were perfect with her dark brown hair in an elegant twist that was held in place by many pins.
On Haeron's arm Alicys was terrified, the fact was the moment this ceremony was over her life would change forever. She would be tied to a man and one day rule over this land, her children would likely be born here and then inherit that responsibility. Living in a land that she hardly knew scared her deeply but she refused to let it show on her face, fixing a smile there instead but the moment she saw Jaime, her smile became real as her doubt disappeared.
She loved him and he loved her, that was a fact they both knew. They did not have anyone else that they wanted to spend the rest of their life with more, the love that they had for each other was true and fierce, they would support each other in everything they did forever.
It was that simple, Alicys thought with a smile as she came to stand in front of Jaime who was now smiling himself as he looked into her eyes. He had once dreamt that Cersei would be his bride but now he knew that had been a fantasy born of manipulation and lies, it disgusted him to call her his sister now especially with all of the things that she had done in Kings Landing.
But Alicys...he thought with awe and complete devotion, banishing his previous thoughts, she was honest and loving. Sharp and strong but warm and soft underneath, a girl that had won over his family and would he knew be the only one that he wanted to stand next too and wake up with for the rest of his life.
As the two shared their vows Genna Lannister smiled as she watched with her own family, the only time before that she had seen a man give that kind of love and devotion to someone on their wedding day was Tywin. Jaime loved Alicys as much as Tywin had loved Joanna, the boy would never love someone quite like this Genna thought with sigh, so glad her nephew had found love that went well with marriage.
She just wished she had been so lucky as she looked in disgust at her pathetic weakling husband Ser Emmon Frey who was openly leering at Prince Haeron's wives Harmony and Evelyn. She elbowed him hard in the side to make him stop and with a single harsh glare she stopped him saying anything to ruin the day.
They watched as Jaime and Alicys recited their vows and Jaime put the Lannister cloak on Alicys, kissing her gently to complete the ceremony as their witnesses all clapped, some more joyfully than the dutiful applause given by others but from Haeron and his own wives it was genuine, Jaime and Alicys deserved their happiness and from Tywin it was relief that not only was his heir now safe from being named to the Kingsguard but that the legacy of his family would continue.
Storm's End, The Stormlands...
Casterly Rock was not the only castle in Westeros hosting an important event that day, something great was happening at Storm's End as well.
The cries of Lady Cassana echoed throughout the castle as she was in labour with her fourth child, Lord Steffon was pacing around his solar in his anxiety as his wife struggled to bring their next child into the world.
The number of guards around the castle was now double what it had been half a year ago, after all of the abductions he thought with fear at his wife or his sons being taken. He had written to Lord Arryn who had assured him that his own castle was doing the same thing to keep Robert safe but still that chill ran through him.
Then Maester Cressan came in, looking tired but joyful. Steffon looked at him with an expectant and worried look on his face, before the Maester said to ease his fears.
"Lady Cassana has birthed a strong little girl my lord." Cressan told him with a smile. Steffon's world stopped as he heard those words, a daughter he thought with stunned amazement. He and his wife had always wanted a girl, after three boys it would be a blessing they hoped. Robert, Stannis and Renly were a handful in their own different ways to manage so they hoped that maybe that they might have an easier time with this one.
He rushed out of the room past Cressan and to their chambers where he found Cassana, sweat covered but holding the little girl in her arms. He looked at them with complete adoration and came over to them, looking at the little girl who had an amazing pair of blue eyes just like him and his boys with a tuft of dark hair on her head.
She was easily the most amazing thing that he had ever seen in that moment, he sat down next to her and looked at their little girl while his wife tired but proud asked him.
"She's perfect isn't she?" Cassana asked with teary eyes and Steffon could only nod before telling her.
"So are you." Steffon said which made her punch him in the arm but it was only half hearted as he held her and their daughter.
"What should we call her?" Cassana asked, wondering just what name would suit this beautiful little girl. Steffon thought for a moment before deciding on a name.
"Jocelyn." He said calling her after one of the great beauties his house had produced, Cassana thought for a moment before nodding in agreement.
"Perfect name." She said calmly before they stared at the little girl in joy that she was at last here. Stannis and Renly both came in later and looked at the little girl, Stannis was his usual serious self as he looked at his little sister while Renly pouted in confusion, not sure what to make of it while Stannis told them.
"I will be her protector." Stannis said with complete seriousness and that made them both sigh with exasperation and joy at the same time. While they were annoyed at his complete inability to relax and be happy for even one moment they were also touched at his promise even if they would never hold him to it.
"We will see to that. Now go to bed both of you, it is very late." Cassana told them sternly as it was now the late morning hours, the boys were both ushered to bed while she and her babe got some much needed rest while Steffon for his own state of mind sat over and watched them to make sure nothing happened to them.
The Red Keep, Kings Landing...A Couple of Days Later...
The High Septon was a fat man who ate very well and enjoyed his pleasures, that was part of the reason he was so easily bought by those that could add to his coffers.
But right now he was actually being compelled by his own subjects to speak with the king about all the sacrifices that had been happening. He had been able at first to ignore them and just carry on with his own quiet life but now even the most non-religious of people were coming to his door and begging for him to speak to the King to stop this madness before it got any worse, even offering him money to do it! The coin was welcome but the sheer number of people begging for his intervention just could not be ignored any longer.
So he had come to the Red Keep to speak to his majesty, he was extremely nervous as he walked into the Throne Room as the horrible things that had been happening ran through his mind but he did his best to be strong.
Seeing the King sitting on the gruesome Iron Throne with his whore on his lap and the Warlock standing at King's right side, the High Septon was scowling a little while the accursed user of magic was standing there rather than in the deepest pits of the Seven Hells where he belonged.
"What do you want?!" Cersei demanded with disgust at the overweight septon in his ridiculous Crystal Crown, her own fury at Jaime's wedding was making her fume with anger and the sight of this pompous bastard just made her even more angry.
"I am here to speak to his majesty, not you girl." The High Septon said with a dismissive tone which only made his situation worse as he had no idea just how deep her influence on him went.
"What are you doing here?" Aerys said with a disinterested voice as he did not care for the stupid arsehole.
"Your grace, I cannot ignore this sinful and destructive behaviour, you are cursing yourself in the eyes of the Seven who are One with these...disgusting sacrifices." The High Septon told him with revulsion before adding as he turned to look at the Warlock. "This Warlock should be ended before he damns more of the souls in this city with his accursed practices."
The Warlock was incensed at the audacity of this pathetic man but then he said something that guaranteed his death.
"Also this whore should be banished to the Silent Sisters if there is to be any redemption of her soul."
The silence in the room was broken only by the gasps of shock that someone would be so stupid to say that and the High Septon must be very sure of his divine right to even think of it.
But Cersei who was now red in the face with rage screamed out to the Bloodmen who now had their mark tattooed to their faces rather than merely painted on.
"SEIZE HIM! CUT HIS HEART OUT!" She screamed at the Bloodmen who did not even hesitate to obey her command. The High Septon who was accompanied by several lower septons and septas cried out in shock as he was roughly seized while his people were pushed back. He was dragged to the centre of the room where Cersei got up from the King's lap and pulled the crystal crown off his head and before the High Septon's eyes threw it so hard into the floor that it shattered into pieces!
Then the Bloodmen forced him to the floor and one of them brandished a knife while he gasped in terror but there was no time for him to even beg for his life! The Bloodmen with casual ruthlessness and lack of any care tore wildly into his chest and praised his body open while he was still alive. He screamed in pain as his heart was pulled from his chest right in front of the court.
The ladies in the room screamed in horror while the men stood still in either shock or disbelief that it could actually be happening right in front of them. The Knights of the Kingsguard were in total shock as they had never even imagined that the High Septon himself would be a victim of this madness.
But the Septons and Septas that fled the castle as fast as their legs would carry them were not going to let this go unpunished, it was time they thought to rally those that carried the Seven in their hearts to end this madness.
Forest, Riverlands...
Lyanna was standing in a forest clearing with a smile on her face as she stood with her beloved Rhaegar and a septon. He and her had been writing to each other ever since they had first met and honestly she thought with her heart fluttering she had never met someone as charming and beautiful as him.
He was certainly a far better man than Robert Baratheon she thought with relief that she would never have to marry that disgust bastard now. She only wished that she could have someone from her family here now with her but Rhaegar had reminded her that her family would stop them from marrying and force her to marry Robert instead and he was so smart that she agreed, intending to write to her family after it was done and they were safe.
"Father, Smith, Warrior, Mother, Maiden, Crone, Stranger. I am hers and she is mine." Rhaegar and Lyanna said together as they tied their wrists together, both smiling as they wed before the Septon. "From this day until the end of my days." Rhaegar then gently kissed her gently to complete the ceremony.
Ser Arthur stood nearby as a witness and frowned as he disliked the enormous slight this was to Elia who he was well acquainted with due to his sister's close relationship with her. But how Rhaegar had managed to convince Aerys to let him wed a second time he did not understand but was amazed at Rhaegar's cunning.
Both he and Lyanna had no idea of just what Rhaegar was really doing, that the supposed permission from Aerys was nothing more than a lie and fake he had created himself while Lyanna herself was unaware that he personally felt nothing for her, she was merely a means to an end...he needed a son and a daughter which Elia could not provide him so he needed his 'Ice' to do so.
He just needed to make sure that she gave him those children, nothing else mattered he thought as he led her into the tent that he had prepared for them. It would be better to start now he thought to himself calmly with a disturbing lack of emotion, he had already acquired the use of a building in Dorne to house them until they had made sure she was pregnant and his father was overthrown which he was sure was coming soon.
He consummated the marriage with clinical precision, making sure to put his seed inside her, she slept on the cart later that night which he and Arthur rode south towards the Tower of Joy. Unknown to them however a knight passing on the road by chance saw Lyanna in the back of the cart sleeping and from his point of view it looked like her hands were bound.
The sight of Prince Rhaegar and Ser Arthur Dayne discouraged him from daring to try and confront them or rescue the maiden himself but he had been at the Tourney of Harrenhal and had seen the lady before, specifically seeing Rhaegar name her the Queen of Love and Beauty. So he rode to the nearest castle as fast as he could and sent a letter to Winterfell to inform them that the Lady Lyanna Stark had been 'abducted' by Prince Rhaegar and was in a cart heading down the King's Road.
The Red Keep, Kings Landing...A Week Later...
"RHAEGAR! RETURN MY SISTER NOW!" Brandon Stark bellowed as came to the gates of the castle, he had been allowed into the city but this had not even registered with him as strange and he should have been even more worried when the gates opened for him but he and his companions ran inside anyway to confront Rhaegar who they were sure was here.
The Bloodmen were waiting for them the moment they barged into the throne room, even as they grabbed Brandon and his companions the Stark heir did not stop making demands.
"RHAEGAR! WHERE IS LYANNA?! BRING HER BACK NOW! STOP HIDING YOU COWARD!" Brandon yelled loudly as he was dragged off to the Black Cells with his companions.
"Send a letter to Winterfell and tell Lord Stark to appear in Kings Landing immediately to answer for his son's conduct." Aerys said with a surprising calm but that was due to a sadistic idea that he had due to something that he had seen in a book on different methods of execution and he was eager to try it out when Lord Rickard arrived.
- x -
Winterfell, the North...The Next Day...
Lord Rickard Stark held the message about Brandon's plight and honestly wanted to yell in anger at the situation, he had not even known that Lyanna had been taken at first. She was supposed to be visiting the Mormonts he thought with dread but now she was in the hands of the Targaryens and worse rather than tell him Brandon after seeing the message first and had rushed off in a blind fury and gotten himself captured.
He was called to Kings Landing to answer for Brandon's 'crimes' and a deep icy sense of fear ran through him, not for himself but for his family at what they were now facing...the madness of Aerys. He considered reaching out to Prince Haeron but the Prince was unlikely to be able to do anything at the moment so he would need to go now if there was any chance of saving Brandon and Lyanna.
"Father you can't go!" Benjen said with a distressed voice, terrified at the idea of his father going down there. "We should call the banners." He urged but Rickard told him sternly.
"That takes too long in the North. By the time we have an army big enough to speak of it would be too late now to mention we would need to fight our way through the Riverlands. Hoster would never allow us to pass through peacefully." Rickard said with gritted teeth as he knew the man would not risk his youngest daughter's life.
"I have to go, you must be the Stark in Winterfell in my absence. It will be up to you and Ned if I do not return." Rickard said without wasting another word and walked out of the room leaving his terrified and distraught younger son behind. A spy working for Prince Haeron however who was working as a groomer in the stables learned of Rickard's intentions and sent a message to the prince immediately in the hopes that he might be able to help.
The Great Sept, Kings Landing...
Varys had been desperately waiting for an answer to his message, that hopefully something could be found to destroy the magic statues and bring down the barrier that prevented outsiders from entering the city without permission. It had been all that he could think about and thankfully today, something had come back.
According to the sources that the Prince and the Maesters had managed to access the hearts inside the of the statues were the key, that if they were destroyed then the barrier would fall. Iron was the key he learned with some disbelief as apparently the metal had some qualities that interfered with magic. It would not only destroy the heart but also help force open the compartment on the statues that held the hearts.
It was he felt a leap of faith but what was anything else you did he thought with worried anxiety, they had no other options and now with Brandon Stark's extremely foolish and reckless actions the whole of Westeros was on the edge of chaos...civil war he thought with a grim finality.
Unless...he thought they could get Prince Haeron and his allies into the city now.
But he did not have the people he needed inside the city already to accomplish this feat on his own, nor did the Prince if he was right about the man's numbers. So he would go to perhaps the only group in the city that realistically could.
A group of Septons were gathered in the Great Sept of Baelor sitting around a table and speaking in hushed voices while they discussed their plans, Varys entered quietly and in the robes of a septon he told them as he put on the act of a Septon.
"Brothers, a message from Prince Haeron Targaryen has arrived." Varys said doing his best to act as one since he was fairly certain they would not trust him unless he was one of them. He held the message in his hand. "He has learned there is a way to bring down the demonic barriers that hold us all within the city and prevent any one from entering."
"He has...how?" One of the more desperate one asked urgently and Varys told them calmly.
"Apparently the Maesters who have experience in the accursed subject of sorcery have learned that the metal Iron is strong against it. It can break the statues open and destroy the hearts inside. We need only find some iron sharp enough to pry open the statues and impale the heart. The barrier will come down and outsiders can enter, I have a man who can send ravens waiting to inform the Prince to gather his forces and end this madness." Varys told them with a growing sense of urgency as he was fully aware that they needed to act quickly. It would not take very long if Rickard Stark came down from Winterfell, maybe a week or more if he rode fast enough or took a ship.
If he and his son died, Varys thought with grim finality a civil war would start, the realm was on the edge and it needed to be pulled back and right now only one man could really do that. The question was if Prince Haeron could rally his forces in time? Varys asked himself making sure to already inform him of this by raven.
The Septons immediately seized on something that would allow them to act and end the Warlock and his ways for good. They immediately sent some of their people out to find any iron daggers or other weapons they could use while seeking to gather all of the people they could to fight their way to the statues.
Varys smiled in satisfaction, the way would hopefully soon be open and a confrontation was due between father and son he thought wondering just how it had all come to this but he understood Aerys was a monster and it was always going to end in violence. So he just had to try and make sure it did not end in war.
Manse, Oldtown, The Reach...The Next Day...
Haeron was reading through some financial documents regarding their Merchant Guild and their account at the Iron Bank, the coin was amassing nicely and they were trading far and wide. Harmony and Evelyn were playing with the boys who clapped in happiness as their mothers used toys to entertain them. Haeron smiled warmly as he looked at his sons, their childish joy something that warmed his jaded heart and made him more determined to end any threat to them, especially the one from Aerys.
The thought of him even being anywhere near them made Haeron almost shiver, it was the thing that he was the most afraid of and he would do anything to prevent that revolting man from being anywhere near his family.
A steward came in with a message and he took it without expecting much but as he opened it and read the contents his eyes widened in shock and then a cold hard feeling stabbed inside him.
Varys informed him that Lyanna Stark had been apparently abducted by Rhaegar and that Brandon Stark like an idiot had charged in a fury into the Red Keep and been captured and then to finish things off Rickard Stark was riding towards certain death in Kings Landing! Not to mention the warlock had created some kind of abomination that vaguely resembled a dragon!
The only good thing was that the message about iron had been received and apparently the people were so desperate that they were going to do it. That meant the barrier would be coming down and soon but given what they were faced with that was small comfort even if it gave the narrowest of opportunities to stop the civil war was about to break out in the Starks died.
"Girls. We need an army at Kings Landing and soon." Haeron said with sudden urgency, they looked up in surprise as he handed them the letter and they both read it for themselves and the implications hit them as hard as they had him.
"This creature. What is it?" Evelyn asked not sure what to make of it from Varys' description but Haeron did not care as he went to get get ready to ride as fast as possible.
"Who knows but it has to be stopped before it gets any bigger." Haeron said not sure of just how to kill it but according to Varys Ser Redding had blinded it in one eye at the cost of his life. The death of the old knight was a blow that hurt more than he had thought it would but in the end Ser Redding had done what was right even though it killed him rather than what was easy and he could respect that.
"Are we sure that we can trust Varys?" Harmony said with a look of doubt as the spy master was a notorious mystery, even with all of their contacts his past was still hard to piece together.
"No we can't be sure but he is helping us spread the word to bring that barrier down and more to the point if he is telling the truth we cannot ignore it. This could tear Westeros apart." Haeron said with a worried look as he was not sure how long they could put it back together again if they ever did.
"Even if the barrier comes down we can't raise an army large enough to taken down all of the Bloodmen and the Gold Cloaks. Not in the time." Harmony pointed out with worry.
Haeron stopped and frowned, knowing it was the truth. They had expected a lot more time before having to raise an army and that would be a large one but now that would count against them. It would take too long to raise an army and get them to Kings Landing, certainly not fast enough to get there in time to stop what was about to happen. But he would need men to fight with him to have a chance of dealing with Aerys and his thugs Haeron thought with a frown before Evelyn had an idea.
"Knights." She said with a sudden bright look in her eyes. Both Haeron and Harmony looked at her with a frown. "They are faster than infantry, they might rally and if you appeal to the Seven and to their sense of honour and duty you might just get enough."
That...might just work Haeron thought with a frown, Hedge Knights, Landed Knights and others who were trained to fight and would with horses be fast enough to get there in time but he thought it also had some big risks. These were not men they could be sure of in either loyalty or skill or their ability to work together and then there was his general dislike for knights, he did not have the best opinion of them at the best of times and it was a really bad time. But it was the only way they might be able to do it he thought with reluctance.
"With Kara, it might work." Harmony said with a considering look if an uneasy one. "If we can raise a proper army while you attack with Kara and what men we can raise straight away."
Haeron nodded, not sure just how to feel about this but it was finally the time to face Aerys and end his madness, he thought drawing on his resolve and holding them both in his arms before he went to start his journey to Kings Landing. He saw Kara waiting for him, having felt the urgency and was ready to fly. He patted his dragon on the snout before they took to the skies with a growing sense of anxiety as despite having wanted this opportunity for so long now that it was finally here the weight of it seemed even more great than before.
Meanwhile the call went out by raven, riders and every other way to spread it as far as fast as it could, calling on all 'true knights' to join Haeron in ending the madness of Aerys and the corruption of the Bloodmen once and for all. That any man they held true to the oath they swore when they were knighted to come to Kings Landing and join with Haeron as soon as they could.
- x -
A flock of ravens flew out of the Citadel and then men carried the story themselves, the call went out to every corner of Westeros that it could in the time they had. Men stopping in taverns and inns to tell people while maesters told their lords and others that they could.
Many were too afraid to move against the King but some began to assemble, in the Stormlands, the Crownlands, the Narrow Sea, in the Westerlands, the Reach and the Riverlands men with what they had set out to answer...the call to end the madness and cruelty of Aerys the Mad King striking a cord with many especially those that had lost people to his actions.
Men who served the Faith, men who were eager to prove themselves, those who wanted stability back into the realm and those that were just angry at the Mad King began to join the cause. Rushing to the city to come together.
The Red Keep, Kings Landing...
The Black Cells were horrible Brandon Stark thought with a haunting dread, he had nothing but time to think about his actions and how foolish he had been. Why had he not just waited he thought to himself, he might have doomed his entire family with his actions and the lack of female company was started to grate on him too. The lack of light was despite his efforts also starting to get to him, making him think what it must be like to be blind as the lack of eyesight made every sound and smell seem so much stronger and unnerving.
In truth, he didn't know how much longer he could stand this.
The door to the cell opened and allowed some light into the room which hurt his eyes and when he could see it was a relief briefly before he saw just what or rather who was standing there.
The whore Cersei Lannister, he thought with disgust. She might look beautiful but that didn't do a thing for him, probably because she was exactly a whore and nothing more. She traded her body for political favour and slept with that disgusting creature, who knows what you might catch sleeping with her Brandon thought with disgust.
She was even trying to taunt him with her body he noticed absently, wearing a dress with a skirt that showed her legs and a bodice so low if she did so much as lean forward even the smallest motion it would cause her teats to spill out. Red of course he noticed but who cares he thought and she sneered at him.
"Want a fuck? One last screw Brandon, this is as close as you will ever get. You'll be dead as soon as your barbarian father gets here." She told him with a superior voice like he was dirt beneath her slipper. Brandon did not even bother looking up at her as he was not afraid of death and all that bothered him was that his father might die and if there was anything that he could do to prevent that he would. Her words never even bothered him as he just said.
"I don't use whores, that's all you are...a whore." Brandon said with a dismissive voice.
That had an impact he noticed with some amusement and satisfaction, the words that came out of her mouth next were not even really words, just her feelings of anger and rage given voice before she left the cell and slammed the door shut, leaving him in darkness again.
While it was not a change he welcomed the small victory meant a lot given his situation and he wondered if maybe something might happen to help him.
A Week Later...
Rickard Stark entered the city, unsure if he would ever leave it or his son he thought with fear but not for himself. If he could save Brandon and Lyanna and Ned and Benjen then he was prepared to die if he had too he thought solemnly.
He went to the Red Keep, feeling very much like he was heading towards his execution.
- x -
But as Lord Rickard was riding through the gates a mob was being assembled by the Septons and Septas, they marched towards the Snake Statues, passing through the Street of Steel and picking up anything iron that they could find.
Ser Lewyn Martell was among them, he was scowling at the idea of allowing this horror to continue and had armed himself with an iron spear as they surrounded the first statue. The Bloodmen guarding it raised their swords and charged but despite getting one or maybe two of them, the Bloodmen were surrounded and grabbed by the mob as they descended on them, beaten by those that had lost friends or family to them who would not stop until they died with sickening crunches.
Ser Lewyn, feeling more uneasy than he ever had before rushed forward and jabbed his spear into the compartment that they had all been told held the heart although the thought of it still sickened him and it opened easily. The heart inside almost seemed to be beating when it was finally exposed to him and in a fit of disgust he stabbed into it with his iron spear.
The heart seemed to let out a squealing sound as it seized and shrivelled to ash before his eyes, he stared in disbelief but the strangest thing was yet to come, as they looked up a shimmering barrier appeared above them, like a dome covering the whole city but it was appearing and disappearing at random.
Ser Lewyn had never expected to have any real adventure or strange experiences when he joined the Kingsguard but this...this was something special he thought with amazement.
- x -