The Battle of the Blackwater had come to an end.
With the dawn of a new day over King's Landing, history turned another page.
The power vacuum left by King Robert Baratheon's death had finally been filled.
Lords and knights from the Stormlands, the Crownlands, the Vale, the North, and even across the Narrow Sea had emerged victorious and now formed the new center of power in Westeros.
The newly elevated nobles stood proudly, fastening their sword belts as they accepted their honors.
Even the common folk were rewarded.
The hunters and guides who had assisted the army in the Kingswood received new clothes and were granted the permanent right to hunt within the royal forest.
Once the rewards had been distributed, the prisoners were brought into the great hall.
The first group consisted of the surviving Volantene nobles, wealthy merchants, slave masters, and commanders captured during the Battle of the Blackwater.
They were followed by the Great Masters of Slaver's Bay.
Among them stood Hizdahr zo Loraq of Meereen and Yakhaz zo Yazzak, the elderly Great Marshal of Yunkai.
Yakhaz was ancient.
Bent with age, toothless, and covered in wrinkles, he had to be supported by two freed slave soldiers.
Unlike the other leaders of Yunkai, he had at least retained his sanity.
Most of the city's commanders had already died.
The female general known as Little Pigeon...
The Yellow Whale...
Lord Ding-Dong's three brothers...
All had fallen in battle.
Astapor had suffered even worse.
Its army had been completely annihilated.
The surviving captains from Qarth and Tolos lowered their heads in silence, looking completely out of place among Westeros' victorious nobility.
Throughout King's Landing, confidence was soaring.
The Storm had defeated every enemy.
---
"We have already paid the price for this war."
The Great Marshal of Yunkai immediately dropped to his knees.
"The gods did not grant us victory."
"Long live House Baratheon!"
"I offer my eunuch singers, my wealth, and all my treasures."
"I beg Your Grace to forgive my crimes."
"I ask the same."
Hizdahr zo Loraq hurriedly knelt beside him.
Soon...
One slave master after another followed, desperately begging for mercy.
Only one Lysene noble remained defiant.
He glared at Gendry with hatred.
"Don't think this is over, little pigeon."
"The Goddess of Love protects Lys."
"You've offended Volantis..."
"Lys..."
"Qarth..."
"And all of Slaver's Bay."
"One day..."
"No army or clever scheme will save you."
Gendry looked at him with mild surprise.
"So..."
"There's still someone unwilling to surrender."
He casually waved a hand.
Lothor Brune stepped forward.
"Your time has come."
Several former Unsullied, now dressed in magnificent cloaks, dragged the screaming Lysene noble away.
Moments later...
His voice disappeared forever.
---
Before silence could settle...
Another prisoner suddenly shouted.
A Volantene noble wearing tiger-skin robes glared furiously at Gendry.
"Blasphemer!"
"You are the descendant of blasphemers!"
"You seek to destroy Volantis!"
"Lys!"
"And Slaver's Bay!"
"The Lord of Light..."
"The Goddess of Love..."
"The Pale Lady..."
"Every god will curse you!"
"The holy fire will cleanse the world!"
"The Red God's whip will punish your sins!"
Gendry calmly interrupted him.
"You've said enough."
"It's time for you to meet Marajo."
Grey Worm stepped forward without hesitation.
His spear pierced straight through the man's chest.
Blood splattered across the floor.
The remaining prisoners trembled in terror.
None dared utter another word.
---
Lord Stannis slowly rose.
"Does anyone else wish to speak?"
"If so..."
"Come forward."
"Confess your crimes."
"And beg for mercy."
Lord Mace Tyrell looked at the eastern prisoners with obvious disgust.
"These slave traders truly stink."
The remaining captives from Slaver's Bay were dragged away.
They would spend the rest of the day imprisoned inside the military camps north of the Blackwater Rush.
---
The next prisoners entered.
Leading them were two Lannisters.
Tyrion.
And Lancel.
Behind them came Grand Maester Pycelle, Bronn, Ser Meryn's surviving companions, and several other former royal officials.
Tyrion's wounds had been bandaged.
A deep scar crossed his face, while an arrow wound remained wrapped around one arm.
Lancel looked far worse.
His injured arm appeared beyond saving.
---
Tyrion looked toward Gendry upon the Iron Throne.
Then toward Stannis, now wearing the Hand of the King's chain.
For a brief moment...
He truly felt that the world had turned upside down.
Before anyone else could speak—
Bronn suddenly rushed forward.
"I confess!"
"I confess everything before Prince Gendry and the assembled lords!"
Everyone stared at him.
Bronn shrugged.
"Tyrion paid me well."
"So I fought for him."
"My crimes are obvious."
"I ask Your Grace for mercy."
"Bronn..."
Tyrion looked at him in disbelief.
Yet...
This betrayal suited the sellsword perfectly.
Bronn scratched his head.
"We lost."
"So I'm changing ships."
"I love gold."
"I love women."
"But I only have one life."
"I'm a sellsword."
"Not a saint."
"I'm not stupid enough to end up like your unfortunate brother."
Tyrion lowered his voice.
"Are you really that afraid of him?"
Bronn glanced toward Gendry.
"The Storm is terrifying."
"Look at him."
"He's unbelievably strong."
"Fast."
"Agile."
"And his reach is ridiculous."
"I've seen men like that before."
"They don't die."
"I'd rather not join the dead."
Gendry smiled faintly.
"You're exactly the sort of scoundrel who follows whichever way the wind blows."
"But..."
"People like you still have their uses."
"Go serve as one of King's Landing's gate commanders."
"Evil men are often useful for controlling other evil men."
Bronn grinned.
"My thanks, Your Grace."
Just like that...
He escaped punishment.
---
Then...
Grand Maester Pycelle slowly stepped forward.
Tears streamed down his face.
"I confess..."
"My cowardice allowed many terrible things to happen."
"I watched bastards defile the Iron Throne."
"I deceived the Mad King into opening the gates for Tywin Lannister."
"I remained silent while innocent children were slaughtered."
"I ignored the truth about the royal bloodline."
"I allowed the Lannisters' incest to continue."
"When Lord Jon Arryn was dying..."
"I drove Maester Colemon away."
"When King Joffrey ordered Lord Eddard's execution..."
"I failed to stop him."
Every word struck the hall like thunder.
Although many people already suspected the truth...
Hearing Pycelle admit everything himself carried entirely different weight.
Even Roose Bolton looked genuinely shocked.
Especially after hearing Eddard Stark's name.
Tyrion closed his eyes.
He should have dealt with this old man long ago.
---
Stannis stepped forward.
"You knew."
"You knew Tywin murdered children."
"You knew about the royal bloodline."
"You knew Jon Arryn had been poisoned."
"You even knew about Lord Eddard."
"And yet..."
"You remained silent."
Pycelle collapsed to his knees.
"...Yes."
"I remained silent."
Tyrion laughed bitterly.
"What a magnificent performance."
"Gendry directs the play."
"Pycelle becomes the greatest actor."
"And all these fools applaud."
Lord Mace frowned.
"Where is the real Lord Eddard?"
"Wasn't he executed?"
Pycelle swallowed nervously.
"He was originally imprisoned in the Black Cells."
"Varys probably knows more."
"But now..."
"Cersei..."
"Lord Eddard..."
"And Varys..."
"Have all disappeared."
"Varys was always impossible to understand."
"Just like Littlefinger."
Gendry silently considered those words.
The hall erupted into loud discussion.
Everyone leaned forward eagerly.
Gendry calmly raised a hand.
"Silence."
The hall immediately quieted.
---
Pycelle continued.
"I should have shown King Robert the genealogy book much earlier."
"The Baratheon bloodline has always possessed black hair and blue eyes."
"Ever since Orys Baratheon married the last Storm Queen..."
"Every descendant has inherited those traits."
"King Robert."
"His brothers."
"And every one of his acknowledged bastards."
"All had black hair."
"And blue eyes."
He looked toward Stannis.
"It was Maester Malleon's Genealogies and Histories of the Great Houses."
Stannis nodded.
"That book."
Pycelle continued.
"It records every known marriage."
"Every child."
"Every bloodline."
"More than ninety years ago..."
"A Lannister married into House Baratheon."
"Their son still had black hair."
"Thirty years earlier..."
"Another union produced children..."
"Every one of them black-haired."
He raised his trembling voice.
"Black always overcomes gold."
The hall exploded.
"The true bloodline!"
"Down with the Lannisters!"
"We want the rightful king!"
"Long live House Baratheon!"
Lord Mace immediately led the cheers.
Knights.
Unsullied.
Nobles.
Squires.
Everyone joined the celebration.
---
But Pycelle wasn't finished.
"King Robert often wondered why Joffrey resembled him so little."
"The truth was obvious."
"Joffrey delighted in cruelty."
"He dissected animals."
"He murdered peasants."
"He tortured anything weaker than himself."
"The gods have now delivered justice."
"Cersei committed adultery."
"Not only with Jaime..."
"But later with Lancel as well."
"If Your Grace wishes to know more..."
"Question the queen's servants."
"They know everything."
"They were once silenced by fear and gold."
"They'll tell the truth now."
Gendry nodded with satisfaction.
The old man certainly knew how to bite his former allies.
Unfortunately...
He had offended too many powerful people.
His fate was already sealed.
Tyene quietly whispered,
"It seems Cersei really prefers Lannisters."
The Red Priestess simply smiled.
---
Gendry looked down at Pycelle.
"You are stripped of the title of Grand Maester."
"You deserve execution."
"But because you've revealed so much truth..."
"I'll allow you to write your testimony first."
"When you're finished..."
"You may choose."
"The Wall."
"Or execution."
He smiled coldly.
"And next time..."
"Stay out of politics."
Stannis pointed toward the exit.
"Take him away."
Pycelle hurried away as fast as his old legs could carry him.
For now...
His life had been spared.
---
Then Stannis turned toward Tyrion.
"You are guilty as well."
Tyrion smiled bitterly.
"Of course I am."
"My greatest crime..."
"Was being born a Lannister."
"And losing this war."
Before anyone else could speak—
A familiar woman stepped forward.
"I testify against Lord Tyrion."
Shae.
She knelt before the throne.
"I was Lord Tyrion's mistress."
"Bronn knows it's true."
Tyrion exploded.
"You little whore!"
"Your clothes!"
"Your house!"
"Your guards!"
"I gave you everything!"
"I should've strangled you with my own hands!"
Stannis ignored Tyrion.
"What do you wish to testify?"
Shae lowered her head.
"Tyrion planned to kill Prince Gendry."
"He prepared wildfire."
"He trained the City Watch."
"He hired mercenaries."
"He gathered wildling scouts."
"He believed he could defeat everyone."
She looked toward Tyrion with genuine fear.
"My lord..."
"I want to live."
Lord Mace laughed loudly.
"So..."
"Even the dwarf's mistress has abandoned him."
Stannis nodded.
"Her testimony is accepted."
"Reward her with gold."
"And then give her a few slaps for her shamelessness."
"After that..."
"Send her away from King's Landing."
Shae was escorted out.
---
Stannis looked toward Tyrion.
"The evidence is overwhelming."
Tyrion simply closed his eyes.
"Do as you wish."
"Let me die like a Lannister."
Gendry shook his head.
"No."
"Your greatest crime wasn't being a Lannister."
"It was your foolishness."
"You loved your family."
"But..."
"Did they ever love you?"
Tyrion's face instantly turned pale.
At that moment...
The feverish Lancel suddenly muttered,
"Cersei..."
"She's an idiot..."
"She sent Joffrey back to the Red Keep..."
"The City Watch mutinied..."
"The people rioted..."
"Joffrey was torn apart..."
Tyrion quietly replied,
"...Yes."
Stannis asked,
"Do you know where Cersei fled?"
"I don't."
"And even if I did..."
"She's still my sister."
"I loved Joffrey too."
Stannis nodded.
"Then your treason is confirmed."
---
Gendry suddenly asked,
"You were once married..."
"Weren't you?"
Tyrion froze.
His face turned white.
The hall fell silent.
No one knew what Gendry was referring to.
"You..."
"How do you know?"
"That was only a game."
His voice trembled.
Gendry looked at him calmly.
"It was never a game."
"Jaime lied to you."
"So did Tywin."
"That girl..."
"Was never a prostitute."
"Before you die..."
"Or before you take the black..."
"I hope you'll finally understand."
"You've lived your entire life believing a lie."
"No..."
Tyrion screamed.
"No!"
"This can't be true!"
Tears streamed uncontrollably down his face.
Years of bitterness...
Hatred...
Loneliness...
Everything shattered at once.
"I hate them..."
"I hate power..."
The memories of his youth returned.
His father's cold eyes.
Jaime's comforting lies.
Tysha's cries.
The soldiers' laughter.
From the very beginning...
He had been nothing more than a lonely, broken man trapped in someone else's cruel game.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)