Chapter 49: Chapter 49: The New King
(Year 294 AC)
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(General POV)
After having dealt with Robert, Will had caught up with Rhaenys and the others in no time at all. He was glad to note that nothing bad had happened, and that things had actually been quite relaxing for the group, save for Jamie, who had kept looking back every minute.
Now that Will was finally caught up with them, they decided to let the horses rest for a while before they set off again. While they were resting, Will explained how Robert had been killed in the trap with the pigs, which actually shocked everyone, save for Drox.
None of them even dared to believe the King of the Seven Kingdoms could actually have been killed by pigs, which sounded ridiculous. The only reason Drox believed such a thing could happen was because he knew Will was involved, and that animals were more dangerous than people gave them credit for.
'A cornered animal is the most dangerous of all.' Drox thought mentally, remembering something Will had told him once a few years ago. If you were going to kill someone, do it in a way that they couldn't prepare for it, and don't underestimate them, regardless of how weak they seemed.
Robert clearly did not plan anything out when he came after Jamie, and Drox was almost willing to bet that the man hadn't even been riding in proper formation, as if the thought of his group being attacked was an impossibility.
The whole time they were riding through the forest, Drox, Aegon, and Jon had their animals out scouting around them, and they were constantly surveying the surrounding trees, making it so that it would have been quite hard for anyone to sneak up on them.
Of course they had seen some Lannister scouts along the way, but the scouts never tried to make contact with them, and were most likely alerting a larger force of their arrival. At least that's what should happen. Scouts were not meant to engage the enemy or anyone unknown to them, so if they had made contact, Will probably would have called them all morons.
Anyway, after resting up for longer than they needed to, Will and the others set off again, much to Jamie's relief. It was evident the man wanted to be as far from King's Landing as possible, despite already knowing about Robert's death. A large army was gathering to hunt him and his children, and Jamie didn't want to be anywhere near them.
When they stopped for the evening, Will made a camp similar to the one Jamie and the others had stayed in the night before, then set out a number of delicious foods for them to eat. After the meal, Drox was using one of his birds to scout their rear, and what he reported surprised everyone, including Will.
"You're telling me, a host of Lannister soldiers are approaching from the rear?" Will asked for clarification.
"Why would I lie about something like this? They're wearing the Lion of House Lannister, and they're all wearing red cloaks. They were also riding pretty hard before they stopped for the night. They're maybe an hour or two behind us." Drox said, explaining it as best as he could understand it.
"My father. He was in Braavos meeting with the Iron Bank, but he must have returned. I don't know how he escaped King's Landing, but he's the only one from House Lannister who would be riding this way." Jamie stated, though to everyone listening it sounded like he was far too hopeful.
"It could be the Baratheons wearing Lannister armor so they can trap you. I wouldn't put it past them." Aegon chimed in, giving his thoughts on the matter. It wouldn't be a bad idea to lure Jamie to them, regardless of how dishonourable it seemed.
They talked for well over an hour about who it could be, why they would be coming this way, until eventually they just decided to see about it in the morning when the group set out.
Will knew they couldn't make it to Casterly Rock, or even to the Westerlands before the riders caught up with the carriage, so they'd just wait and see who it was before they continued on their way in the morning.
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(Tywin POV)
Just as the sun began to rise over the mountains to light the sky, Tywin and his host of knights were mounting into their saddles before they continued on towards Casterly Rock. They had been riding for almost an hour when one of the scouts returned.
"My Lord! There is a carriage up ahead with 2 tents beside it. I counted 3 extra horses, but I could not tell how many travelers there were. There are 4 men on watch by the fire, and the others are all sleeping." The scout informed him, making Tywin frown in thought.
Whoever it was, certainly was travelling at a bad time. There was no way someone would be travelling to Casterly Rock from the capital, not right now at least. With all of the chaos in the capital, and war right around the corner, there was no way people would be travelling to the Westerlands unless they had some special purpose.
'Like spying.' Tywin thought, not disregarding the idea, but not sure of it either.
There was the chance that the carriage was coming from the Westerlands, at which point it could be one of his own spies, or it could be people fleeing the Westerlands for fear of fighting against all of the other Kingdoms.
'Very possible.' Tywin thought, knowing that was a very real possibility.
Still, based on how it was described as a carriage fit for royalty, Tywin figured it had to be someone of high standing, and he doubted any of the lords from the Westerlands would be fleeing right now.
Not because of their loyalty or oaths, but because he knew that they would most likely get executed for fear of being his spies, and he knew they knew that too. It was just how things worked in the world, and the lords all knew it.
"Did you see any sign of my son?" Tywin asked the scout, who said, "No, My Lord."
From questioning the Baratheon prisoners the day before, Tywin strongly suspected that Jamie wasn't on foot, but he also doubted he would be sticking to the roads as he had hoped.
It would be far too dangerous, and until he was actually in Casterly Rock, he wasn't safe, even from the commoners who walked these roads. Anyone who heard about the bounty on his head would no doubt attack him on sight, and Tywin hoped Jamie was at least smart enough to be wary around anyone travelling along the Gold Road.
"My Lord…" The scout said, pausing until Tywin turned his attention to him, though he sounded a little unsure of himself.
Still, under Tywin's scrutinizing gaze, the man set aside all doubts and spoke, "The carriage had a flaming bird engraved on the side of it."
There was only silence as Tywin's mind went blank for a minute. There was only one House in all of the known world that flew that design for its sigil, and it was arguably the most well known.
Tywin could understand the scouts hesitance of mentioning it, because the number of Lannister soldiers in Westeros that had seen the sigil of William Castian could be counted on 3 hands, though all of them had heard of it, and knew to be wary of it.
With this new information, Tywin changed his course of action, but still continued on towards the carriage nonetheless.
When the carriage came into view, Tywin knew without a doubt that whoever was travelling in the carriage was no commoner, that he could almost guarantee based on it's design and make.
The Carriage was built for royalty, which only made Tywin all the more certain as to who it belonged to. The flaming bird on the side of it only added to his certainty, it being exactly like it had been described to him hundreds of times from his spies.
As soon as the carriage came into view, Tywin ordered Kevan to remain there with their forces while he and 2 of his men rode towards the carriage, wanting to not seem at all like an attacking force. That would not go well, and he did not plan on dying today.
When they were about 50 yards from the carriage, one of the men next to Tywin called out, "Hello in the camp! May we approach?!" Tywin waited until someone by the fire waved them forward, at which point they rode in.
When they got to the carriage, Tywin got a good look at the men sitting by the fire, his eyes almost immediately going to one man in particular, and for a moment he could swear his heart stopped beating.
Though he had never met the man personally, Tywin had been informed by hundreds of people who had met William Castian about his appearance. The dark hair with streaks of white in it was a rare trait with someone so young, one that Tywin was sure only one man had, and combined with the striking red eyes that looked to almost shine, Tywin was sure he knew who this was.
"Lord Castian?" Tywin said in a questioning tone even as he dipped his head in a show of respect.
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(General POV)
Will had been awoken this morning by Jon, who had been on watch. Jon had been watching the approaching force through Asena's eyes, and when they began to move, he thought it prudent to wake him.
By the time Will got out of the carriage, Drox and Aegon were already sitting by the fire, having been awoken by their own beasts, warning them of the approaching threat.
Will had only been sitting by the fire for a little over 10 minutes when Drox said, "Someone is watching us from the trees, just over my shoulder."
None of them actually turned to look where he said, knowing that would giveaway the fact that they knew about the man, but they all managed to glimpse him their own way. Using Magic Sense, Will was able to get a clear view of the man, watching him for a minute before the man retreated back the way he came.
"Just a scout. Just means they'll be coming along shortly." Will said, not surprised in the least.
They waited for a while longer before the rest of the approaching force came into view, all of them watching as the host of riders stopped a short distance away, then watched as 3 riders approached ahead of them.
When they were about 50 yards away from them, one of the approaching riders shouted, "Hello in the camp! May we approach?!"
Hearing the request, Jon looked to Will, who nodded to him before Jon stood up and waved them into camp. The reason Jon did so was because he was technically still on watch, and this was his responsibility. As for deferring to Will, well that was because he was the leader of this little group, and would be the deciding factor for most things.
"Lord Castian?" A tall, slender, broad-shouldered, bald man in his fifties asked questioningly. His arms were thin but muscled. The man's pale green eyes flecked with gold were somewhat similar to Jamie's, and based on his features, Will didn't have to guess too hard as to the man's identity. Plus he looked almost exactly as Jamie had described him, so that helped.
"Lord Tywin. It's good to finally meet you." Will said, nodding his head to the man.
He truly was glad to finally meet the man. Years ago he had basically organized to have the man's spies killed in Dorne, though never had the man actually caused him problems personally. Tywin was also one of the most influential Lords in the known world, so it was nice to make contact.
Before Tywin could say anything to him, Will said, "Someone is eager to see you." Almost immediately after Will spoke, Jamie stepped out of one of the tents before almost sprinting over to them.
"Father!" Jamie practically shouted out in joy. Looking at him, it was almost as if a weight had been lifted from the man's shoulders compared to the man they ate with the night before.
"Jamie! Where are Tommen and Myrcella?!" Tywin asked with wide eyes as he stepped down from his horse.
"They're sleeping in the tent." Jamie answered as he stood in front of his father, who was studying him from head to toe, making sure he was unharmed.
"What happened?" Tywin asked, though it was more of an order.
For the next 20 minutes, Jamie explained everything that happened from when the rumors began, clear up to present time. Needless to say, Tywin was surprised, though mostly because William Castian had helped his son and grandchildren, not to mention the man had inadvertently killed the king with the pig trap.
Given how Jamie and Will left off in Asteria, Tywin couldn't fathom why the man had helped his son, but he wasn't about to question it at the moment. For now, he was just thankful.
"Thankyou for all you've done for my son and grandchildren. House Lannister owes you a debt." Tywin said to Will, who only shrugged his shoulders before saying, "It was a group decision. Anyway, we're going to have some breakfast, then we'll continue on towards Casterly Rock."
Will could have just left Jamie and the two children with Tywin and called the whole journey quits, but he would be lying if he said he wasn't interested in seeing the Rock. Based on the rumors he had heard about it, it was a beautiful city, and he could possibly get a few ideas from it.
For the next hour, Will and his group enjoyed a good breakfast, while Tywin got his group to dismount and have their own meal of dried rations. Tywin of course stayed near Jamie, and even got to meet the ladies that had been sleeping in the carriage.
When he learned their names, needless to say he had been surprised, though not as surprised as Will expected him to be. Will didn't know that Tywin had long suspected his involvement with House Targaryen, though it was a lot more complicated than Tywin had expected.
It didn't make Tywin happy to know he was right, and he suspected there would be a discussion about it in the future. Still, that was for another time. Once they were ready, the group set off towards Casterly Rock, only now they were being escorted by a host of knights, and the Warden of the West.
It took a few days, but eventually they arrived at their destination. It was a good thing Tywin had shown up with them, because with how tense people were, Will doubted they would have been able to just walk into the city, even if they had Jamie with them. Well, maybe that was an exaggeration, but it was still very tense.
Once they got into the city, Drox split off from them to go gather some information and to check out the brothels, while Will and the others went directly for the castle. Aegon and Jon would of course get a chance to see the city later, but for now they thought it best to see how things went with Tywin.
Getting to the castle above the aptly named Rock was a feat in and of itself. The Rock the damned castle rested on was three times higher than the Wall or the Hightower of Oldtown, and seemed to go on for ages.
Will didn't know why they would ever want to build their castle on the top of a fucking mountain that took forever and a day to get to, but whatever. Once they got to the top he somewhat understood. The view was incredible. One could see everything off in the distance, and Will could even swear he could see the Red Keep in King's Landing from where he was standing.
After enjoying the view, Tywin personally showed them all to rooms they could stay in for the night, then he left them to go take care of personal matters.
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(Tywin POV)
Once Castian and his bunch were sorted out, Tywin went to his chambers after instructing a servant to gather the lords for a meeting in 3 hours. In his solar, Tywin was looking over some reports when a knock was heard at his door.
"Enter." He said, looking up only briefly to see that it was Maester Creylen before he went back to reading his reports.
"I'm glad you have returned safely, My Lord. It is a most perilous time for the realm." Maester Creylen said, earning a scoff from Tywin. Before, Tywin would have most certainly agreed, but with Castian here, he doubted they were in any danger whatsoever.
'As long as that monster and his family are here, everything will be fine.' Tywin told himself, knowing if he just kept in Will's good graces, then he didn't have too much to worry about.
The fact that Will killed Robert and protected Jamie, told Tywin that Will at least was on House Lannister's side, and though he didn't understand why, he was all too happy for it.
"What news do you bring?" Tywin asked, knowing the old Maester well enough by now to know that he didn't come here to talk about how disastrous things were.
"My Lord, a few days ago I received a Raven from the capital, only it did not bear the sigil of House Baratheon, but the sigil of House Targaryen." Maester Creylen said, his words drawing Tywin's full attention.
"Which Targaryen?" Tywin asked, then held his hand out for the parchment that he knew Maester Creylen would have brought with him.
"Aegon Targaryen." Maester Creylen answered slowly, sounding as though it frightened him to just say the name. Tywin frowned upon hearing the name, knowing full well that Aegon Targaryen was in a room on the floor below him. Curious, Tywin grabbed the parchment.
{The true king has landed in Westeros, and will claim what is his by right. Already he has conquered Storm's End with his army, and marches towards the capital. Swear fealty, and he will overlook your past transgressions. Stand against him and you will suffer fire and blood. The true king of the Andals and the First men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and protector of the realm, Aegon Targaryen, the 6th of his name. Son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Elia Martell.}
Even after reading the message three times, Tywin still didn't understand. As far as he knew, the very same young man that was written in the letter was in his own castle. Tywin knew the letter came from the capital, and based on the writing, it came from Varys' own hand, which meant that the Spider was up to something.
'I'll need to clarify this with Castian.' Tywin thought, knowing if anyone knew what the hell was going on, it was him.
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(General POV)
That night as everyone sat around a table after finishing their meal, a knock sounded at the door, and a minute later, Tywin entered the room with Jamie in tow, along with a very short man that Will had never met, though this time he knew for certain who it was.
Tyrion had been one of his top 3 favourite characters throughout the entire series, and despite some of the stupid shit the dwarf had done, Will still thought he was awesome.
"Greetings, Lord William. I trust the meal was to your satisfaction?" Tywin said cordially, being as respectful as could be.
"Hello, Lord Tywin. Yes, the meal was excellent. Might I know who you've brought with you?" Will said, treating Tywin with the same respect as he was being shown.
"Of course. This is my youngest son, Tyrion." Tywin introduced his son, though Will could tell he wasn't happy about it.
Despite his obvious disdain for his dwarf son, Tywin clearly wasn't going to hide him behind closed doors and pretend that he didn't exist, which is what most people in Westeros would have done if they hadn't killed the child when he was born. It was a cruel thing to do, but it was just how it worked in the world.
"Hello, Lord Tyrion. It's a pleasure to meet you." Will said kindly as he stood from his chair before walking over and shaking the shorter man's hand.
"It is an honor, Lord William." Tyrion greeted, doing his best not to speak out of line in the presence of his father and arguably the most terrifying existence in the world.
"If it isn't too much trouble, Lord William, I was wondering if you could help me understand something." Tywin said, wanting to pull focus away from Tyrion and onto the topic at hand.
After gesturing for Tywin to continue, Will was handed a piece of paper, the contents of which actually surprised him.
"Where did you get an army? And when did you land in Storm's End?" Will asked, looking pointedly at Aegon, who for the life of him couldn't make sense of the questions.
Everyone at the table looked between Will and Aegon in confusion until Will read the message aloud.
There was a pause of silence before Rhaenys leaned her head back and put a hand over her eyes all dramatically before speaking, "I can't believe my own brother is conquering Westeros, and didn't even think to tell me about it!"
It was clear she was just faking her sadness, but it still made Aegon frown. Before he could say anything in his own defense, Daenerys said, "It sounds like there is someone pretending to be you, or maybe… *GASP!* You're the pretender and have been deceiving us all along!"
Again, it sounded like she was putting on a performance, even going so far as to hug Missandei and look at Aegon with a horrified expression on her face.
"I… I don't understand." Jon chimed in, not understanding the joke and completely ruining it.
"*Sigh!* We really need to work on your sense of humor." Drox said with a heavy sigh, having been enjoying the joke up to that point.
Aegon himself took the time to explain what Will, Rhaenys, and Daenerys had been doing before the joke was ruined, then everyone looked to Will for him to explain what was actually happening.
"I don't know who this guy is that's claiming to be Aegon, but he's not. He's most likely some guy trying to take the throne by claiming to be him." Will told Tywin, who had been watching the whole interaction with a slightly raised brow.
"And what do you intend to do about it?" Tywin asked curiously, wondering if Will was going to end this pretender.
Rather than answering Tywin, Will turned to look at Aegon and the others before saying, "The secrets already out that Aegon Targaryen is claiming the Iron Throne. There's no point in hiding anymore, so what do you think? Want to take the throne?"
Despite the seriousness of the situation, Aegon simply shrugged his shoulders before replying, "May as well. It's not like we have much of a choice right now anyway."
Tywin couldn't believe what he just heard. The people in front of him were talking about taking over the Seven Kingdoms as though it was just another topic at dinner.
"Well, I guess this means we're taking the throne." Will said to Tywin, again sounding as though it was just a regular topic of discussion.
"Who is going to be king?!" Jamie practically shouted, not able to hold himself back from asking what he thought was a serious concern.
"Which of you two wants to be king?" Will again avoided answering a question before turning to Jon and Aegon and asking one of his own.
Holding both his hands up and shaking his head, Jon said, "Not me! I don't want to be king!"
There were many reasons why he couldn't rule the Seven Kingdoms, but the simple truth was because he didn't want to. Plus, Aegon was his older brother, and by law he was set to inherit the throne before him.
He wasn't as smart as Aegon, nor was he good at ordering people around. He didn't know the first thing about ruling, and that honestly scared him. All he really wanted to do was explore a bit and maybe find someone he could be with.
It never really was something he had thought about before, but after being around his family and seeing how Will and Rhaenys were together, Jon realized he wanted that for himself. Not right now, but in a few years. Depending on if he found the right woman of course.
Anyway, with Jon refusing to be king, everyone looked at Aegon, who couldn't help the sigh that escaped his lips.
"I'm never going to get to explore the world." He said dejectedly, almost as though it was a curse for him to take the throne.
"Why not have Lord William become king?" Jamie asked, thinking he was the more obvious choice for the king. He was powerful, had the influence, and knew how to rule. Plus he was somewhat kind, at least to those he considered allies. He was also ruthless to his enemies, which was also a good trait to have in a king.
"Not a chance! Let someone else suffer as king." Will said, rejecting that idea before it could gain merit.
"Why does one of them have to be king? Couldn't you just pick someone else to rule?" Drox asked curiously. The only reason he asked was because he knew how much everyone In the room did not want to be king, and found it weird that they would burden themselves with it.
"No, it wouldn't work. Whoever it is, has to be someone the Seven Kingdoms are going to follow. None of the Lords of Westeros want to bow to the others, but it has to be someone with a strong name. It can't be some commoner, as the Lords would never accept it, and it has to be someone capable of ruling. If we just picked one of the Wardens, it could be seen as favoritism, and they might be biased in their ruling and favor their own house. Just look at what Robert Baratheon did. Almost everyone on his small council came from the Stormlands. How do people from the Stormlands know what is best for the rest of Westeros? The Targaryen's are a strong house, and they aren't from any specific kingdom, so they won't be biased. Plus, Aegon and Jon have literally been to most of the Seven Kingdoms. How many kings can say they have been to all the kingdoms in Westeros and have seen what was going on and what they needed. No, it has to be one of them." Will concluded, leaving the room speechless with his explanation.
"Are you sure you don't want to become king? You'd be good at it." Drox said, earning a middle finger in response.
He knew full well that Will did not want to be king, and the fact that he was even suggesting it seemed to make Will want to smack him in the face.
He probably would do that, but Drox was accustomed to randomly being attacked by Will when he opened his mouth, and was most likely waiting to dodge some thrown projectile. No, Will would wait until he least expected it, then he would hit him.
"If I do take the throne, are you at least going to help me?" Aegon asked hopefully. It would go so much faster with will, and with his help they could really make ruling the kingdoms bearable for the Targaryens.
"How about I give you a dragon, then you become Father-of-Dragons, and… Never mind, that sounds disgusting. Yeah, I'll help." Will said, again shocking the Lannister trio.
Will had meant his suggestion to sound like a male version of what Daenerys had done in the show, but the Father-of-Dragons sounded so wrong, that he had to drop his little tirade before it even began.
"Dear… You weren't going to give him my egg, were you?" Rhaenys asked, sounding more betrayed than angry.
"Of course not! I'd just go find him a different one in Valyria. That one is all yours." Will said quickly, not wanting to get into it right now with his pregnant wife.
"You know, if they sent this message to the Westerlands, they probably sent it to the other Kingdoms as well." Drox chimed in, coming to the rescue with the change in subject.
"I wouldn't put it past Varys. I'm almost certain he orchestrated the recent events in the capital to throw the realm into chaos for this false king." Tywin stated, joining into the conversation.
He then explained how the message was sent by Varys, and how he would know how to set the flames for the inferno that was encompassing the realm.
"What about, Petyr Baelish? What would he gain by supporting this false king?" Drox asked, having remembered how Baelish and Lady Arryn had killed the Hand of the King and made it look as though Cersei had killed him to silence the man.
"Baelish? What does he have to do with this?" Tywin asked, intrigued at the twist in information. Will of course already knew about Petyr Baelish and Lysa, and how they poisoned Jon Arryn to cause Chaos so Baelish could rise through the ranks.
After Drox explained to Tywin about how Baelish and Lysa poisoned Jon Arryn and how they had sent word to Catelyn that the Lannister's had done it, Tywin wanted nothing more at that moment to hunt down the little cunt and gut him like a fish.
They had all discussed the situation for a little over an hour before Tywin and his two sons retired for the night with much to think on.
Will and the others had a bit to discuss, but for now they would let the idea of coming into the light and ruling settle in their minds for the night before they really got into discussion. Besides, it was late, and they were tired.
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(Tywin POV)
In his solar, Tywin was sitting at his desk while Jamie and Tyrion sat in the chairs opposite him.
"Are we going to follow Lord William and his Aegon or this pretender?" Tyrion asked despite already knowing the answer. For how much his father feared William Castian, it was highly unlikely he would ever side against him. Especially not after the man just saved his son and grandchildren.
"There is no side, but with Lord William. The realm is in chaos, and we cannot stand alone against the other six kingdoms." Tywin answered half-heartedly. He wasn't really paying his sons all of his attention, as he was mostly thinking about how things were going to play out in the coming months.
"Are you sure it is wise? Let us not forget House Lannister's role in Robert's Rebellion. Surely they aren't just going to forgive and forget how King Aerys was killed, nor Elia Martell and her children." Tyrion stated, his words drawing Tywin out of his thoughts.
"We were at war and Aerys was no friend of ours. Either he died or we did, there was no middle ground. No doubt Castian knows this. I think he knows far more than he would have anyone think. As for Elia Martell and her children, they never died that day. The fact that people believed them dead all of these years is a testament to Lord William. I don't know how he did it, but he somehow got Ser Greggor and Ser Arstan to believe they were the ones they killed in Maegor's Holdfast. The fact that Jamie is here and we are all alive proves that they don't want us dead. Not yet at least." Tywin explained, giving his opinion on the matter. And really, his was the only one that actually mattered here.
"Besides," Said Tywin as he looked between his sons. "The North, the Reach, and Dorne are all firmly allied with Lord William. There isn't going to be some big war, there is going to be a slaughter." Tywin said, already imagining the fight to come.
Whoever the pretender was, they had no leg to stand on in Westeros. Elia Martell and her real, very much alive children would see to that. In his mind, Tywin was already placing the Westerlands behind Will and Aegon, making it four out of the Seven kingdoms that stood behind him.
Even if no other kingdom stood behind Aegon, he had William Castian at his back, and as far as Tywin was concerned, that was all he needed to take the Iron throne. Having the support of a few of the Seven Kingdoms was just a formality, and the ones not allied to him would bow sooner or later.
The Vale, Stormlands, and the Iron Isle were also pretty easy to figure out, leaving the only variable to be the Riverlands. The Vale would be outraged once they learned the truth of Jon Arryn's death, and once they saw the odds stacked against them, Tywin knew they would bend the knee.
The Stormlands had already been taken by the false king, but the forces in King's Landing would fight for Stannis or Renly until they were crushed. The capital wasn't actually important right now, as they were basically fucked in the long run.
Once the other kingdoms were dealt with, Tywin knew it would be simple to take the capital by simply blocking off trade from the Rose Road. Without the food supplied from the Reach, and with a simple blockade, they would surrender.
Sure Stannis had experience holed up in a city eating dogs and horses as he tried to wait out his enemy, but there would be no one coming to his rescue this time.
Not to mention there were over half a million people inside King's Landing. When they got hungry, they would riot and do the work for them. Maybe they would even deliver the Baratheon's heads on a platter in exchange for some food.
Truly, it was too simple to deal with the capital when they had no one to fall back on. As for the Iron Isle, they already knew what it meant to go against Castian, and Tywin doubted they would ever dare stand against him again.
The Riverlands were somewhat of an issue, simply because of Lysa's part in poisoning Jon Arryn. She was a dead woman no matter how one looked at it. The Vale would not stand for anything less, so that might make Lord Hoster Tully angry, but at least he would still be allowed to breathe.
Tywin knew the pain of losing a daughter, but like Lysa, Cersei had been a complete fool who spread her legs for the wrong man. From what Tywin could tell, both girls were mentally insane, and the world was probably better off without either of them.
Still, despite what he showed on the outside, inside he was saddened by the death of his daughter. Despite the death of his daughter, Tywin knew Lord Hoster wouldn't do anything too drastic, not while he still had a daughter and a son to carry on the family line.
Tywin could relate more to Lord Hoster than he would have liked, them both being in a very similar situation. It was for this reason that Tywin could somewhat guess how Lord Hoster would react, but nothing was certain. Tywin had been wrong before, and he wasn't sure Lord Hoster retained his sanity in his old age. Only time would tell.
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(General POV)
In the early hours of the morning when most people were still sleeping, Will was wide awake in Tywin's solar with only Aegon by his side. Sitting alone in front of them, Tywin Lannister had his full attention on them.
Despite what he told his two sons the night before, Tywin did want some answers to a few things before he decided anything, as that was only right considering how many people relied on him to lead them into a better future.
After getting the formalities out of the way, Tywin asked, "What do you intend to do once you are king?"
It was a simple question, with a myriad of different answers that could be given in response, but despite how young he looked, Aegon was smarter than most, and knew what Tywin really wanted to know.
"Your house has nothing to fear from me or my family unless you stand against us. As far as I'm concerned, there is no animosity between House Targaryen and House Lannister."
It was what Tywin hoped to hear, but it didn't at all answer his question, and Will and Aegon knew it, but at least they got straight to the point of the matter instead of getting here after a long series of answers that could honestly wait until later.
"What of my son, Jamie? What do you intend to do with him?" Tywin asked, large in part due to curiosity, but a small part due to worry.
Jamie had killed King Aerys, and some people would claim that the Targaryen's would seek revenge over it. Tywin still didn't know why Will had spared Jamie in Asteria, nor why he helped him escape from King's Landing, but it wouldn't surprise him to learn that they had helped him this much just so they could turn on him and break his spirit before they killed him.
Tywin would be lying if he said he hadn't done something similar in the past, but it just seemed so out of character from everything he knew about Will that he just had to ask.
"If you're talking about how he killed my grandfather, you don't need to worry. He was a cruel man who basically imprisoned my mother, sister, and I to keep Dorne's allegiance during Robert's Rebellion. I know what he was, and I would sooner commend Jamie for his actions than condemn him. As for what I plan to do with him… nothing. He is your son." Aegon said truthfully.
After everything he had learned about what happened from Will, his mother, and even Doran about that time, Aegon was honestly sickened by his grandfather, and hoped that he would never fall that low.
"What of the Baratheons?" Tywin asked, clearly wanting to know what fate had in store for them. Rather than blurt out an answer, Aegon looked to Will for a moment, making sure the man didn't disagree with anything he had said so far.
Seeing Will give him an approving nod, Aegon continued. "I will give them a chance to bend the knee, and if they do, they will take up their rightful place as Lords of the Stormlands."
Tywin was a little surprised about that as well. Robert had killed Aegon's father, yet Aegon didn't hold Stannis or Renly even the slightest bit accountable for it, which was true, but it showed Tywin that the boy sitting before him was smart, or at the very least, had wise counsel.
"Neither Stannis nor Renly will bend the knee so easily. Both seek power, and would sooner die than give up the throne. You're better off putting both of them to the sword." Tywin said, giving his opinion on the matter.
Part of what he thought was because he was still sour about Cersei being killed, but it was also because he truly believed that both Baratheons would try to cause problems down the road, even if Will did somehow get them to bend the knee.
"When your enemies defy you, you must serve them steel and fire. When they go to their knees, however, you must help them back to their feet. Elsewise, no man will ever bend the knee to you." Aegon said, surprising not only Tywin, but Will as well.
Will knew he had never said anything like that to Aegon, and wondered where he heard it before. Tywin, on the other hand, was more than surprised. He had said those very same words to his brother, Kevan, years ago when a lord had come bowing his head in repentance for speaking against him.
"You are indeed correct. My apologies." Tywin said, admitting that he was overstepping.
For a little over half of an hour, Will and Aegon explained a few of the changes that would come into play once Aegon actually sat on the throne, but at the moment they were just ideas.
Tywin fully supported most of the ideas, but some of them he explained would not be possible, and why they wouldn't. The meeting really gave both Tywin and Aegon a glimpse at one another, and both seemed satisfied with what they had learned.
Will on the other hand got to see how Aegon would handle dealing with a Lord like Tywin, and needless to say, Aegon had performed spectacularly. It was clear Aegon had learned a lot in his time with Doran and Oberyn, not to mention from the lessons with Elia. She had made sure to teach her children more than just how to lead, but how to live life in this world, for which all of them were eternally grateful.
Anyway, after the meeting was over, Will and Aegon went back to their room to get things prepared for breakfast, as it was about time for everyone to be waking up. Sure enough, less than 15 minutes after they were done getting the food laid out on the table, everyone slowly but surely began to file into the room.
All of them were digging into their food when Rhaenys asked, "If that letter was sent to all the Kingdoms, don't you think Dorne got one? If so, wouldn't mother, Uncle Oberyn, and Uncle Doran be concerned?"
Honestly, the thought never really crossed Will's mind, as he did crazy shit like this all the time without telling anyone. However, he wasn't alone this time, but with everyone important to the Martells.
"You know, this whole situation sounds exactly like something I would do, so I better send them a raven and make sure they know it wasn't us, and that we're alright." Will said, not doubting for a second that Elia might think this was all his doing.
"Can we send a Raven to my fath- er… uncle? Lord Stark might be riding south, and because of Lady Arryn's betrayal, I'd rather warn him." Jon said, getting a nod of approval from Will.
"Yeah. I need to send a raven to Highgarden so the Tyrells don't march off to Storm's End. I also need to send one to Asteria as well. It's been awhile since I got any word back about what was happening there." Will agreed, his mind quickly going to his own place of power.
For the last few months while they had been in Dorne, Will had been sending ravens back and forth with Jenkins to keep tabs about what was going on in Asteria, and so far things had remained as calm as could be, with a few minor scuffles here and there, but nothing that Roark couldn't handle.
After the group finished their meals, everyone decided they would go and explore the city of Lannisport for the day to get a proper understanding of what was going on, and come the morning of the following day, they would depart for King's Landing to see if they could figure out the mess that was going on with the realm.
Departing the room, they were greeted by an all too familiar dwarf that seemed far too uncomfortable to be standing before them.
"Greetings, My Lords and Ladies." Tyrion said smoothly, then paused as he shot a questioning glance towards Drox and Missandei. His father hadn't told him anything about these two, and he didn't know if they were nobility, but he wisely decided to just stick on the safe side of things and be respectful all the same.
"I trust you slept well?" Tyrion asked cordially, trying his best not to 'insult them with his presence' as his father had warned him.
He was smart, witty, and had dashing good looks, so he didn't know what his father was talking about. Sure he frequently enjoyed a good drink and the touch of a beautiful woman, but that was a good thing, was it not?
"Indeed, Lord Tyrion. It was most pleasant." Will said, smiling at the small Lord.
"I don't suppose we could trouble you to be our escort for the day? We were hoping to take in the city, and it would be nice to have an experienced guide. Also, we need to send some ravens." Will said quickly, getting a somewhat confused nod from Tyrion.
He had been ordered to come here for this very reason, as it would be unbecoming of Tywin to have someone of a lower station attend to Lord William, but Tyrion had thought that there would be a look of scorn or that Lord William would be insulted at having a 'freak' attend to him.
Tyrion knew his father would have come himself if he had the time, but with the recent events in Westeros, Tywin was preparing for what was to come. Jamie would have been the next best choice, but sadly his father needed him to do something else, leaving Tyrion the only eligible option, which was just sad for Lord Tywin.
Realizing he hadn't answered for a longer moment than was necessary, Tyrion bowed his head before replying, "I would be honored to show you around our fair city. Please, right this way."
After a quick stop at the ravenry where they sent their messages, Will and the others were then escorted to a waiting carriage outside the castle, where after a shorter than expected ride, they arrived in the town square of Lannisport where they all disembarked the carriage.
For a few hours Tyrion led them around the city, and after only a short while, Tyrion found himself rather comfortable with the group. None of them really looked at him like he was any different from them, and given their status, he knew it wasn't because they were scared of his father, which seemed to brighten up his mood.
Will had even told him to just call him 'Will' rather than 'Lord William', which had made Tyrion smile, and have him give Will the same courtesy. Anyway, after hours of sampling the foods, drinks, and seeing the sights, they all departed back to the castle, where they were met with something that Will wasn't really expecting.
They were led into the Great Hall where all the Lords of the Westerlands were waiting for them, with Tywin standing at their center with Jamie and Kevan on either side of him.
"Lord William." Tywin bowed his head to Will.
"Lord Tywin. What's going on?" Will asked, feeling as though this wasn't the run of the mill meeting. Especially after they had just met earlier that morning.
Rather than answer him, Tywin stepped forward, his gaze firmly locked onto Aegon. When he was only about 5 feet away from Aegon, Tywin drew his sword and went down on one knee and bowed his head with his sword held in his grasp with the tip on the ground.
Right at that moment, every Lord in the room, Jamie and Kevan included, all drew their swords and got down on their knee with their heads bowed low. Even Tyrion who was standing beside them fell to his knee, though he didn't have a sword.
"I, Tywin Lannister, Lord of Casterly Rock and Warden of the West, do promise to be faithful to King Aegon Targaryen. I pledge my fealty, and swear to defend him against all enemies in good faith, and without deceit. I swear this by the old gods and the new."
"""BY THE OLD GODS AND NEW!""" Everyone else in the room chorused together, sounding as though they had rehearsed it.
Everyone was still down on one knee, though now they were all looking at Aegon for his response. Luckily for him, this was actually something he had given a bit of thought over, and he had even discussed it with Will the night before after it was decided that he would become king.
Stepping forward so he was standing directly in front of Tywin, Aegon drew his valyrian steel sword, then stabbed it into the ground in front of him with both hands firmly grasping the pommel.
"I, Aegon of House Targaryen, King of the Andals and the first men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and protector of the realm, do hereby accept the oath of Lord Tywin Lannister, Warden of the West and Lord of Casterly Rock and the oaths of the Lords who follow him. I swear to guard the seven kingdoms, and uphold the peace. I swear to cast aside all selfish ambition, and to pledge myself only for the good of the realm. I swear this In the eyes of the old gods and new!"
When Aegon finished his words, everyone in the room rose to their feet, now standing before their king. Both Aegon and Tywin knew that they would have to do this whole thing again when they finally took the capital, but at the moment it was more to prove where the Westerlands stood in the grand scheme of things.
With their oaths, there wasn't a shadow of a doubt about where their allegiances lied, and everyone knew it. Now realizing he would now have to give some commands, Aegon gave his first order as king.
"Lord Tywin. Gather the men of the Westerlands and prepare for war!"
-------
(Doran Martell POV)
It was late into the evening when one of the maesters came into Doran's solar, and without saying anything, he put a sealed message on the desk in front of Doran. Looking at the parchment, Doran saw the phoenix crest that belonged to Will stamped into the wax that sealed the letter closed.
It was a few years ago when Doran had ordered the maesters that if anything was ever delivered to them with the phoenix crest, they were to deliver it to him immediately without opening it. If he found the seal broken, he told them he would cut out their eyes before he fed them to each other. Needless to say, neither of the two maesters who worked in Sunspear wanted to test him to see if he was lying.
'A letter from Will. I wonder if he's already sick of Oberyn.' Doran thought, chuckling to himself as he thought about how Oberyn was probably driving him mad in Storm's End.
When they had received the letter stating that Aegon Targaryen had landed in Storm's End, it had certainly caught them off guard, but it also sounded like something Will would do.
Turn a trip to the capital into a conquest to take over the Seven Kingdoms was fully in line with something the magician would do, and none of them thought it was a lie.
The Martells had certainly been surprised that Aegon had chosen to reveal himself like that, but if Will was there with them, it honestly sounded like something they would do. They had been curious where the army came from, but given Will's history with doing the impossible, no one really questioned it.
Anyway, Elia had driven Doran and Oberyn mad after they got the letter, and neither of them had made it through the night before they told her that they would get her to Storm's End to see her children.
A mother worried about her children, that was true, but after learning her children were fighting a war and taking over the Seven Kingdoms, Elia made even the most doting mother look calm in comparison.
Oberyn had gathered a hundred knights and readied a carriage for Elia before they set off early the following day. That was a few days ago, and Doran was sure they had arrived in Storm's End by now, and he thought all should be well now that they were with Will and the others, but this letter from Will made him pale.
"No!No!No!No!No! NO!!" Doran shouted in anger and worry as he learned that his brother and sister were in enemy territory, and that things were anything but okay at the moment.
From the letter, Doran knew that Will was in Casterly Rock, which was strange to say the least, but Doran didn't bother to question it at the moment.
Quickly grabbing his ink and quill, Doran hastily wrote a letter, then stamped it with his ring. Running faster than he had ever ran before, Doran made it to the ravenry, then found the raven that he was looking for before he tied the letter to its foot, then sent it off.
When the bird was out of sight, Doran fell to his knees and prayed for Will to be able to get there in time.
---------
(A day ago)
(Elia Martell POV)
Things did not sit right with Elia. Now that they were almost to Storm's End and she was closer to her children, Elia couldn't help but think more about the situation.
'Why would they expose themselves now? Did something happen? Were they discovered? What about Jon and Daenerys? What is Will doing?' She thought, not able to understand why they would expose themselves now after all the talk of waiting a few years.
She thought that something troubling might have happened, but the only way for that to happen was if Will had let it, and surely he wouldn't do that without reason. Elia also worried for her other children, as their lack of mention in the letter did little to halt her worries about them.
She was worried about Rhaenys as well, but she knew the world would sooner burn than anything happening to her. Still, she was worried.
When they were a few leagues away from Storm's End, riders came out of the trees, as well as people on foot. All around them, even from the rear they were surrounded by about 300 men. The carriage Elia was in had a window that she could see out of, so she saw the men surround their group.
"Who goes there?!!" Someone shouted from somewhere that Elia couldn't see. Looking carefully at the attackers, Elia noticed something rather important. The men surrounding their group were not bandits, and they weren't knights. No, based on their appearances and formation, she guessed mercenaries.
The fact that there were a few mounted riders carrying spears with golden flags on them only cemented that to her, as she knew that flag belonged to the Golden company, a mercenary group from Essos.
However, it was obvious that it was not just the Golden Company, as there were men who wore very different gear from the Golden company, and their formation was sloppy, or at least it wouldn't do well if they tried to do anything but attack.
Having spent so many years among them, Elia knew they were Free Folk, but she didn't recognize any of the ones present. She thought they might be the North Swords, but they weren't the only mercenary group with Free Folk.
Elia thought there was a third group, but she could very well be wrong about that. It's just, there were 3 men that wore dark plate armor, and they were holding spears with flags on them that bore the sigil of house Targaryen.
As soon as she saw the Targaryen symbol, she momentarily sighed in relief when a thought struck her. 'How did they create flags so quickly?' She thought, knowing that it took time to create banners. Depending on how many banners there were, Will and the others would have to have spent weeks making them, which meant they had planned this for a while.
Before Elia could get too far into her thoughts, Oberyn shouted, "Oberyn Martell, of Dorne! I have come to see my nephew and lend him our support!"
The words seemed to appease a few of the men gathered around, as weapons were quickly lowered and people began to shout and welcome them.
"Who is in the carriage?!" The speaker from before asked with a shout, drawing most of the attention to the carriage.
"The Lady Martell. She wishes to see the king!" Oberyn answered back, to which the man nodded, though he did ride over to the side of the carriage and peer inside for a moment to confirm that he wasn't being lied to.
Oberyn let him approach, but he wasn't taking chances. If the man tried anything, Oberyn could have him dead before he even knew what happened. When the man rode over to the window, Elia waved at him, earning a smile in return before the man turned and rode away.
"Back to the city!" The man ordered, causing the group to get into formation. They would have gone back to their posts in the forest, but they couldn't allow 100 knights to enter the city without being escorted, especially when their loyalty was still in question. Besides, the scouts around the area would inform them long before any force could get close to them.
Less than an hour later they were led into Storm's End. There were thousands upon thousands of mercenaries roaming around the fortress, and everywhere she looked, Elia saw mercenaries.
She also saw a large number of corpses, and many of them weren't men. Knowing wars were brutal, Elia tried not to think about the innocent lives lost, as that could lead her down a dark hole from which she might never emerge. All she could do was hope for the best, and pray that everyone would be alright.
Something that really caught her attention were the massive elephants wandering around with people riding them. She had seen elephants before, but none were ever like these ones. They were bred for war, and they all looked terrifying to the core.
Elia was pulled out of her observations when the carriage came to a stop, making her wonder if her children were outside waiting for her. She waited for Oberyn to come to the door, and when he finally did, Elia stepped outside a little too fast and almost fell, but managed to catch herself on Oberyn.
"I'm sorry about that." She whispered to him, earning a smile from her.
"Those are words you never have to say to me, my beloved sister." Oberyn told her as he took her hand.
"Now, let us go and find your unruly children." He said, making her smile wide at him. Together, the two of them followed along one of their escorts towards the castle.
"Where is the king?" Oberyn asked, being wary of mentioning that Elia was the mother to the king, for it would put even more of a target on her back than he wanted. He could never be too careful when it came to his sister.
"The King is checking over a shipment with the Hand of the King." The escort answered, surprising both Elia and Oberyn.
'Is Will the Hand of the King?' Elia wondered, still not making sense out of this whole situation.
"Who is the Hand of the King?" Oberyn asked curiously. In his head, he was sure it was Will, but his sister's children were anything but predictable. Before the man could answer the question, the door to the Keep opened, and a man came out.
As soon as the man's eyes met Elia's they widened in shock before he shouted, "It's you!"
The man's shout drew a number of people's attention, and before long a small crowd of people had gathered around them. Elia wasn't sure exactly who the man was, but he did seem vaguely familiar.
The fact that he was a member of the Free Folk spoke well of the fact that she might have met him in the North beyond the wall at Hardhome, but she wasn't sure.
"It is her!" Someone else shouted while pointing a finger in her direction, making her more than a little confused.
"Who is she?" A man from the Golden Company asked, looking at her with intrigue.
Rather than answer the man from the Golden Company, the man who had recognized her stepped forward and said, "It's been many years since I saw ya at Hardhome, but I'll never forget you until the day I breathe my last breath. Nor Castian either." The man said with a small chuckle, earning a smile from Elia.
Never in his life would he forget Castian or anyone related to him, and as far as his mother, well, Bael knew this was one person he'd never want to cross in his life.
"So that's where I've seen you. It has been many years. My apologies, but I don't know your name." Elia said sweetly.
"The name's Bael. One of the commanders of the North Swords. We were hired to help take the south for this king." The man now known as Bael said, making Elia nod her head in understanding.
It was more understandable now that Elia knew the Northswords were involved, but she still didn't know how Will got the Golden Company here so fast. That should have taken weeks or months of preparation, and Will and the others hadn't been gone that long.
"When did Will hire the North Swords to come here?" Elia asked curiously, wondering how long they had been planning this without telling her.
At her question, Bael looked more confused than ever before saying, "Castian didn't hire us. It was some wealthy lord across the sea named Illyrio Mopatis. The man in command here is named Jon Connington, and he's Hand of the King. I ain't met the king before, but I heard stories."
Silence overtook the area for a long moment as Elia processed what she had just heard. She knew full well who Jon Connington was, but she believed the man was dead. The fact that he was the Hand of the King for whoever it was, let Elia know that something was very wrong.
Neither Will nor any of her children knew of Jon Connington, and they certainly wouldn't name some stranger as Hand of the King, that just didn't make sense.
Realizing that something was definitely wrong, Elia got Oberyn's attention, then whispered that they needed to get somewhere private. Bael was confused when they stepped aside, but he could see they wanted to discuss something without anyone else hearing, and he wasn't about to try and stop Castian's mother. On the contrary, he made sure no one else went near the two of them.
When they were far enough away from everyone else, Elia said, "I can't be seen by Connington! Something is wrong, and I don't think Will, Aegon, or any of my children are here!"
The distress in her tone made Oberyn get serious as he thought about the situation. Finally after a moment of thought, he said, "I realize that something is wrong as well, but we can't just leave right now before we meet the 'king'. We'll find our quarters, then I'll go meet the 'king'. As long as I meet him, there shouldn't be a problem with you resting from the trip. We might have to stay here for the night to make sure they think we are on their side, but we'll go home soon."
Elia knew they couldn't just leave the second after they got here, as that would be more suspicious than anything, and if Oberyn managed to convince them that he believed whatever lie they were trying to spread by impersonating her son, then they could be off to Dorne soon.
"You're right." Elia said after taking a deep breath to calm herself. They just had to wait this out before they could go home, and hopefully find out where Aegon and the others really were.
After requesting quarters from Bael, the mercenary leader was quick to find them proper accommodations. Elia didn't bother telling Bael about the situation, as she wasn't sure how trustworthy the man was to her, but she at least trusted him enough to help with the little things, and of all the potential enemies in Storm's End, he was the one she kept nearest.
She reasoned that Will's reputation with the Northswords might have the man keep everyone else at bay, at least long enough that she and Oberyn could get back to Dorne.
After being shown to her room, Elia remained there with a few of the knights that had come with them from Dorne guarding the doors just outside. Meanwhile, Oberyn went to go and organize the remaining knights that had come with them, then he would meet this fake king before they planned what to do next.
It was well into the evening before Oberyn returned, and when he did he seemed to collapse into a chair.
"Did you meet him?" Elia asked, curious who this man was claiming to be her son.
"No. But I did meet Lord Connington. He swore to me by the Old Gods and New that he had raised my nephew, and that Varys had hurried the boy away to him before Tywin sacked the city." Oberyn explained, sounding angry and confused.
"I don't think he knows it's not the real Aegon." Oberyn added, giving his thoughts on the matter.
"Then what if we explain the truth to him? Do you think…" Elia trailed off before she could really voice the idea after seeing the look on Oberyn's face.
"I do not know who the pretender is, but Connington firmly believes he is your son, and he cares more for him than even a father would. I don't think he would believe anyone, even Rhaegar himself if he told him that the boy was not the true king." Oberyn explained, making Elia sigh before she took a seat next to her brother.
"We must get home." She whispered to him sadly.
The following day, Oberyn met Lord Connington to hopefully meet the 'king' so he could make some excuse about going back to Dorne to gather soldiers and whatnot, but it seemed the 'king' was a busy man.
It wasn't until the sun was setting that Oberyn was finally able to meet his supposed nephew, and when he did he was quite disappointed. Sure the boy held some resemblance to Rhaegar, but he was no Targaryen, of that Oberyn was sure.
He was tall, strong and handsome, and commanded the respect due of someone of his station, but to Oberyn, it looked as though someone was insulting his own family.
The jawline was wrong, and the eyes did not match either Elia or Rhaegar. Oberyn would have thought it was some random boy that was chosen to be king, but he could also see some Valyrian features, so he guessed the boy was a Blackfire.
Regardless of not having proof, Oberyn did know one thing for certain. This boy was not of his blood, and as far as he was concerned, the boy would get no allegiance from him or Dorne.
When he had met the 'king' Oberyn had made sure to speak a lot about getting back to Dorne to gather their forces, and before he departed the room that night to go back to Elia, he told Lord Connington and the king how he would be departing for Dorne at dawn.
The sun was just beginning to come over the horizon when the Dornish party readied themselves to depart back to Dorne. As soon as all of the soldiers were in formation, Oberyn began to walk Elia to her carriage, but before he reached it, a voice called out behind him.
"Lord Oberyn!" Connington's voice rang over the area, halting Oberyn in his steps.
Turning to face the man, Oberyn smiled widely before saying, "Greetings, Lord Connington. I am honored to have you see me off, but you really need not have troubled yourself."
Looking at the man, Oberyn was a little surprised to see the 'king' standing there next to his Hand, as well as the leaders of the Golden Company and the Northswords. Not all of them, mind you, but enough of the commanders to warrant a surprise.
"Nonsense. You are uncle to the king. It is only right we see you off. Besides…" Lord Connington said with a smile, pausing as he stepped forward to whisper something to him, "This would be a good time to swear fealty to the king. It would inspire those following him to know he already has the allegiance of one of the Seven Kingdoms."
After hearing those words, Oberyn realized why so many powerful figures were present. It was so they could bear witness to him bending the knee on behalf of Dorne. Though he wasn't the eldest son, Oberyn had come here on behalf of Doran and Dorne, so it seemed only fair that he could bend the knee on behalf of them as well. At least that's how Lord Connington saw it.
Doran could bend the knee later once the 'king' sat on the Iron Throne. Oberyn knew any reason he could come up with would be seen as him making excuses, and it would definitely draw suspicion towards himself and Dorne. On the other hand, he would not become an oath breaker, and thus was in a conundrum.
Seeing his hesitance, Lord Connington was confused, as he thought Oberyn would want to further cement the rule of his nephew, but still it would not do well to cause a scene. Thus, as a way to give Oberyn a moment to think on the matter, Lord Connington turned to the woman beside him who had her back to him.
"Pardon, but who might this be?" Lord Connington asked, making Elia tense slightly, though she did her best not to let it show.
Turning to him with her head bowed low, Elia curtsied to the Hand of the King. Then, still in her lower position she said, "My name is Elsa Martell, my Lord."
She did not want to claim to be Elia in front of this man, thus she chose to go with the name that Rhaenys had chosen for her all those years ago when they had left the North.
After a longer time than was acceptable to be in her position, Elia rose to her feet, only to meet the pale blue eyes of Lord Connington, and Elia could see the recognition in them.
"Princess Elia?" He said in a whisper, as though he didn't believe the person standing in front of him was even real.
"I am told I bare her likeness, which is why I was accepted so easily by the Martells." Elia said, hoping to end the matter of Connington recognizing her. Looking at the man, he did not seem convinced given how his eyes narrowed at her.
Elia wasn't sure what Connington would do if he found out she was really Elia Martell, but she really didn't want to find out.
Thankfully though, all of her fears were unnecessary, because right at that moment a fist connected to the side of Lord Connington's head, sending him tumbling across the grounds.
Looking at the one who threw the punch, Elia's breath caught in her throat and relief washed over her when she looked into those mesmerizing red eyes that belonged to her wayward son.
------
(A few hours before in Casterly Rock)
(General POV)
Will had been awake for the better part of an hour as he stretched out his body and did some exercises, while Rhaenys and the others were sleeping. They couldn't keep up with him, so there was really no point in them joining him with his own personal training.
That wasn't to say they never trained together, as Will usually put them through hell, but they just couldn't do what he did.
Anyway, Will was going over his forms when Tywin came sprinting towards him, which was troubling considering Will didn't think there was anything that would really worry Tywin right now.
"Lord William! A raven came for you from Dorne, and I believe it is urgent!" Tywin informed him as he held out a letter.
Worried now, Will grabbed the message, noting right away how the broken seal was that of House Martell. Quickly scanning the contents, Will paled at the thought.
'Fuck!' He cursed inside his head. Looking back to Tywin, Will said, "I'll be back soon, but for now I am trusting you to watch over my family, Lord Tywin. Don't make me regret it!"
If he took offense to the unspoken threat, Tywin didn't show it. On the contrary, he nodded his head in understanding before saying, "You have my word that they will be safe."
That was all Will heard before he lifted off of the ground and shot off in the direction of the Stormlands. He would have liked to tell the others where he was going, but Elia's life was at risk, and her safety was more important. Especially since he thought that he would be back later.
Standing there watching him go, Tywin's only thought was, 'So he can fly…'
Will flew faster through the sky than he had ever flown before, his only thoughts on his mother.
'Not again.' He thought, not wishing to go through the torment of losing another mother. It had broken him the first time, and he knew that if anything happened to Elia, he might truly never be able to be the man he wanted to be. He knew the anger would consume him, and thousands would die, and he would seal off that part of him. There was only so much heartbreak he could take.
He arrived in the Stormlands in record time, and a short while later he found Storm's End. Hovering over the stronghold, Will searched for Elia with Magic Sense. It took a few minutes of going over everyone nearby, but eventually he found the Dornish soldiers lined up in formation. Focusing on that area, Will eventually found Oberyn inside the keep, escorting Elia outside.
"Thank God…" he whispered, a weight being lifted from his shoulders.
Seeing her safe, and how she was about to leave this place, Will waited up in the sky, lest he cause some unneeded commotion. Surveying the area, Will was surprised to see the Northswords gathered around, and after looking over the whole area, he realized every member of the Northswords were in the area, because all of their ships were anchored just off shore.
Will suspected that there were a number of them scouting around the Stormlands, but they weren't much of a concern at the moment.
Focusing back on what was happening down below, Will saw Elia curtsey to some guy that he didn't know, then after a moment she rose to her full height.
Will noticed how the man narrowed his eyes at her and how she took a step away from him, clearly fearing for something.
That was all Will needed to see before he seemed to disappear from his position in the sky and appear next to the man, his fist already in mid-swing before it connected against the man's skull.
Looking at Elia, Will saw her smile at him and she visibly relaxed. Ignoring everyone else around him, Will stepped forward and embraced her.
"I'm so glad you're okay." He told her, his fear leaving him as he held her close.
"We thought you were here." She said into his shoulder, her voice a little shaky at what might have happened. "I'm here now." He said, then pulled her away to look into her eyes.
The moment was ruined when Will finally registered the sound of people shouting around him, and after a quick glance he was able to see what was going on. Already soldiers were swarming into the fortress and there were hundreds of people surrounding their group.
"Who are you?!!" A blonde kid shouted from behind a row of men. Figuring he was the one pretending to be Aegon, Will looked him over. They shared some characteristics, sure, but the pretender looked nothing like Aegon, and Will couldn't help but find the kid lacking when compared to his brother. Then again, he was sort of biased, but that didn't matter.
"Who am I? Listen here you little prick! Don't you know it's rude to ask someone's name without first giving your own!" Will stated to the pretender, causing a bunch of people to be outraged at his words.
Funny enough, it was all people from the Golden Company. Everyone from the North Swords knew exactly who he was, and rather than feel angry on the pretenders behalf, they all seemed to step back out of fear for what would happen to anyone who actually pissed off William Castian.
"You stand before Aegon Targaryen, the sixth of his name! King of the Andals and the First men! Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and protector of the realm! The one true king!" Some guy that Will didn't know shouted at him, looking as though he expected Will to drop to his knees and bow before him. Whatever response the man was expecting, it was not the one he got.
"He's no more a king than the bugs beneath my boot! He shares no blood with the Targaryens, and he is certainly not Aegon Targaryen! Go back to Essos and you can keep pretending to be someone you're not, boy! Stay, and I'll kill you myself!" Will shouted, shocking most people present.
"HE IS THE SON OF RHAEGAR TARGARYEN!" A shout rang out from where the man Will had struck went flying. Looking over, Will saw that same man getting to his feet. Blood coated the side of his head, and Will wondered if the man was suffering from brain damage.
"Oh yeah? Then Who is his mother?" Will asked calmly, his question silencing the area.
The man looked to Elia, then back to Will before shouting, "Princess Elia Martell of Dorne!" There were some shouts of agreement, but Will only shook his head.
"I would think Princess Elia would know her own child." Will said, his words again silencing the area as everyone turned to look at Elia beside him.
"That is not my mother! She died at the sack of King's Landing!" The boy shouted angrily.
"I know she's not your mother, because you are not Aegon Targaryen!" Will shot back, half tempted to kill the little pissant.
"KILL THEM!" The boy ordered, causing a number of arrows to come sailing towards Will and the Dornish men near him.
Before the arrows reached them, a shield of wind whipped the arrows away, and then next second Will was standing next to the boy with his hand holding his head, while the boy's body fell to the ground.
What happened next was complete chaos.
The Northswords began to butcher the Golden Company, while the Golden Company tried to attack Will and the Dornish soldiers.
Oberyn stayed near Elia, but that didn't mean he wasn't fighting. On the contrary, his spear lashed out every second, each strike taking the life of some poor soul. He even managed to Kill Jon Connington, who had tried to get near Elia in some deluded sense of vengeance.
It wouldn't have been possible due to the wind dome that had surrounded her, but some people didn't know just how terrifying Will truly was.
It took only a few minutes for every enemy inside Storm's End to be killed, at which point Will moved onto those outside the keep. Innocent men, women, and children had been slaughtered when they took the city, so Will hadn't really batted an eye as he ripped them all apart.
He had offered their leaders a chance to retreat to Essos, and they had attacked him. The North Swords were not free of blame for the innocents dying, but they had at least chosen to leave when they sided with him. All it took was for the North Swords to find out that he was slaughtering the Golden Company and they began to kill them one and all.
Sure they had taken a contract from Illyrio Mopatis, but the one who they were supposed to seat on the throne was dead, and most importantly, they never once agreed to fight against William Castian. That was a dealbreaker.
In less than an hour the area was bathed in the blood of over 20,000 men, but at least the fighting was now over. Will and Aegon had planned on dealing with the pretender in a different way, but now it no longer mattered. He was dead, and almost everyone who supported his cause was dead.
Will would deal with Varys and Illyrio Mopatis later, but they were the least of his concerns at the moment.
When the fighting was done, Will went back to Elia, finding her exactly where he left her. With everything now sorted and done with, Will took Elia and Oberyn somewhere and explained everything that had happened up to that point, and how the others were now in Casterly Rock preparing to head to the Capital and claim the Iron Throne.
"Of course a trip to the Capital would end up with one of you claiming the throne!" Elia stated, not surprised that her children had in fact set out to claim the throne.
Oberyn had almost died laughing when he heard the story about how Robert was killed by the pig, and was quite thrilled at the idea of getting rid of the Baratheons.
He wasn't too thrilled about helping the Lannisters, but he wouldn't really push too hard for their deaths, after all, Elia was still alive and well. They would never be on friendly terms, but at least he wouldn't seek out their deaths.
Once things were taken care of, Will found the leaders of the North Swords, and offered them a deal. They could have all the gold, armor, ships, and weapons from the Golden Company if they sailed to King's Landing and blocked the way for the royal fleet to retreat. Needless to say, they agreed.
As Will was getting everything organized, a group of Northswords led a man into the camp with weapons trained on him. Looking at him, Will didn't know who he was, but based on how Elia let out a gasp when she saw him, she clearly knew who he was.
"Ser Barristan!" Elia exclaimed when the man was brought in front of Will. "Princess Elia?" He asked with wide-eyed confusion, unsure if he was seeing a ghost.
Needless to say, today was a very confusing day.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
GrimsReaper
GrimsReaper Sorry for the long wait, but hopefully this long chapter makes up for it. It's 3 chapters in one, so I did make up for it. Anyway, I am still fighting a sickness, but I've been improving. I'm hoping to put out another chapter next week, but if I can't, then the next one will be super long. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter.
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