nothing here~

CHAPTER 16- Battle for Kings Landing

ARYS OAKHEART POV

Join the Kingsguard, they said.

You'll be set for life, they said.

You'll bring great honour and prestige to your house, they said.

How come no one told him that his choices of royals to serve would be a drunk whoremonger, a snooty cold bitch and an entitled brat.

That a good part of his duty would consist of standing outside a door and looking pretty in his shining white armour.

Or that he'll have to lead a goddamned army to defend the city against a Fleet of Ironborns, with no help in sight.

Where were Ser Barristan Selmy, Ser Jaime Lannister, or any of the other veteran Kingsguard when you needed them?

How come he, who is the youngest Kingsguard in the order, has to lead an army in the defence of the city.

Well… that statement wasn't entirely true as Lord Jon Arryn was the one who was actually in charge of the army. And Ser Boros Blount and Meryn Trent were somewhere in the battlefield as well.

But the two of them were as useless as a nipple on a breastplate. The only reason they were even in the once-holy order of Kingsguard was due to their loyalty to the Queen.

And as for Lord Jon Arryn… he was leading from the back, meaning that it fell to him to actually fight the incoming Ironborns. And… why the hell wasn't he sending more reinforcements.

"Hold the line! Don't give them an inch!" He shouted as he threw more and more men to their deaths at the wall against the Ironborns.

It was of no use. The Ironborns had already scaled the walls and started a bloody melee against the defender levies.

The Ironborns were battle hardened veterans who were used to making corpses out of men while the defenders consisted of corrupt gold cloaks, boys so green that they pissed grass, and sell swords whose loyalty was as ironclad as the shifting winds.

They were losing the walls. And the Ironborns were already battering at the Mud Gate. It was only a matter of time that they either took over the walls completely, or broke through the gates.

Lord Arryn's boom chain had done much to cull the numbers of these Ironborns, but even a blind man could see that it alone would not be enough.

He had done his best to command the men against these Ironborns and had led the men himself on occasion to beat back the enemies from taking over crucial parts of the wall. But he was running out of men and stamina.

Seeing that the Ironborns were about to take over the stairs at the walls, he led half a dozen Crownlander Knights with him and charged into the melee.

He might not be the best Knight in the Kingsguard. For that honour went to Ser Barristan and Ser Jaime. And he might not be good enough to go into the annals of history as a renowned

Kingsguard. But, he was a Kingsguard who got his position though his skills and not through other unsavoury methods.

He might not be the best in his order, but he was still far better than an average knight. Or an average Ironborn, in this case.

And he proved that by carving a line through the Ironborn that he faced. Killing anyone that got within his range. And pushing them back from the walls singlehandedly.

…okay, his fight against the Ironborn was nowhere as pretty and heroic as he was depicting it to be. And he was hardly fighting on his own.

The fight was a bitter struggle. He lost even more of his capable men to the meat grinder and almost lost his own life on a few occasions.

But eventually, he was able to push back the Ironborns far enough that the Wall wasn't in an immediate danger of falling.

Then he looking at how few levies had come to fill the gap and realised that despite his efforts, the Wall won't stand for long.

No men. No reinforcement in sight. No end to these Ironborn… It was only a matter of time before they lost what little advantage they have and the gate falls to the Ironborn.

Judging by the low morale among the troops and the shifty eyes of the sell swords, that'll happen sooner rather than later.

And when that happens… they'll have to cede the city to these Ironborn scum, allowing them to pillage, and rape their way across the city, and retreat back to the Red Keep in order to protect the Royal Family.

A royal family that he didn't particularly liked, or was all that proud to serve.

That's when he heard the warhorn which denoted the arrival or reinforcements.

A tired smile found its way across his face as he looked back to see which reinforcements Lord Arryn was sending now.

…there was none.

"Ser Arys, there!" One of the knights shouted and pointed into the distant blue Horizon where a Fleet of ship was now becoming visible.

"The Royal Fleet, it's finally here!" He shouted in excitement and his men cheered, though that cheer was rather short lived as they got a better look at the ships sailing their way.

It was… a motley group made up of mercantile vessels.

Most of them were merchant cogs, used for ferrying goods from one shore to the next. Completely unsuited for a Sea Battle. The others were an odd assortment of merchant carracks, and galleons. Useful for long distance trading. But not so useful in a battle.

He could also see a few War Galleys here and there in that Fleet. But they were few in numbers.

It was not an inspiring sight.

And if not for the Baratheon Stag in the mast of the war galley at the forefront, he would wonder if this fleet was here to help them or aid these Ironborns.

But Lord Stannis Baratheon was leading the Royal Fleet. And this was definitely not the Royal. Fleet. So who in the seven hells was the leader of this motley crew.

The answer came to him in the form of an Ironborn axe trying to take his head off.

He paddled back immediately to save his skin and parried the backswing of the Ironborn before skewering his neck with a repost taught to him by Ser Barristan Selmy.

It took him a moment to realise that the Ironborn had seen the reinforcements as well and were now fighting with renewed fervour so that they can take the city as quickly as possible.

After all, while the Fleet coming in to help them might not look very impressive, it was more than large enough to carry 5,000 - 10,000 men in it. And if those men landed on the shores, then the Ironborn will trapped between the new army and the wall.

A prospect that they clearly didn't like. Judging by how hard they were now fighting to take over the wall.

"Men! Gather around! Don't let these Ironborn scum take the walls." He shouted at the top of his lungs, even if his throat felt as dry as the desert of Dorne. "We just need to hold them back for long enough, and we'll win."

Admittedly, he wasn't confident about winning against the Ironborn even with the added reinforcements, but his men didn't need to know that.

A bitter struggle ensued at the wall. And despite all the men he was losing, for a moment, it almost seemed as if they'll be able to hold on for long enough.

And that's when he heard it.

BOOM! CRACK!

BOOM! CRACK!!

BOOM! SMASH!!!

His eyes flew over to the Mud Gate, or what remained of it after the Ironborn had snapped half of it with their Battering Ram.

The Ironborn had been battering away at the Mud Gate since the start of this battle. But he still hadn't thought that the gate would fall so quickly. But apparently the city's gate was even weaker than the city's defenders.

The Ironborn spilled into the city through the gap. The defenders managing to put up a weak defence against the incoming tide before they were run through.

A cheer went through the Ironborn at the Walls and he saw what little morale had remained in his men drop to zero in an instant. "Retreat!" He shouted, "Retreat back to the Red Keep!"

Some of his men listened and followed him back, a few others who didn't hear him tried to put up a futile defence and died for it, and the remaining ones fled into the city, either to escape from the Ironborn, go back to their families, or join the Ironborn in raping and pillaging the city.

He gave one last look to the Reinforcement Fleet that was still some distance away and let out a tired sigh before he fought a retreating battle to the streets, where he found yet another surprise.

Lord Arryn had clogged the streets with all assortment of objects in order to slow down the Ironborns.

A messenger came with new orders for him, Ser Boros Blount and Ser Meryn Trent. The order being to do everything in their power to slow down the Ironborn

So that's what they did.

The battlefield changed. A siege turned into numerous skirmishes. They blocked the Ironborn at every street and alleyway. Ambushing them where they could. And blocking them where they couldn't.

He even saw Lord Arryn himself leading the cavalry charge on more than one occasion. It was almost impressive, considering how old the man was.

But in the end, it was not enough.

The Ironborn continued to push them back one street at a time until they ran out of options and had no choice but to retreat into the safety of the Red Keep.

Hopefully, they'll be able to hold the walls of this castle longer than they did the city walls.

It was then, as he was drinking from wineskin brought to him by a servant, that he saw and heard the giant green explosion in the Blackwater Bay.

It was as if the entire sky had turned green for a moment. And the sound was almost deafening.

He heard a cheer go through the men atop the walls and quickly climbed up the stairs to see what had happened.

He found his answer almost immediately.

For in the Blackwater Bay, over half of the Ironborn Fleet was burning into a green crescendo. The remaining Ironborn ships abandoning the battle and fleeing into the open sea.

And his men cheered once again as the motley Fleet then moved toward the shores of Kings Landing. Unopposed.

'There is a chance, yet.' He thought as hope bloomed in his chest once again. 'We can win this. If the gods are good then we can win

this.'

"Men! Protect the Gates at all cost. Hold the Walls. And I swear that we'll emerge victorious at the end of the day!" He shouted, his men cheering along with him as some of the morale was restored.

He heard similar cheers across the wall and in the courtyard and realised that Lord Arryn as well as the other veteran knights and commanders were doing their best to increase the morale of their men.

For while there was hope for victory now, this battle was far from over. And they would need all the morale they could get in the upcoming siege.

And true to his thoughts, more and more Ironborn continued to gather at the foot of the Red Keep. Until at last, they had gathered in enough numbers and put the Red Keep under siege.

The Ironborn didn't have their Battering Ram this time, thankfully. But they did brought their ladders with them.

The Red Cloaks, who were the personal guards of the Lannisters, showed their valour this time around and threw back any Ironborn that dared climb the castle walls.

During this time, he noticed that the city had already started to burn as the Ironborn took what they wanted, raped who they can and put the rest to the torch.

His fists clenched in anger as he imagined the innocent small folk of the city being slaughtered by these monsters.

But the pillaging served as a saving grace for them.

For because of that, the Ironbons were now spread across the city, instead of coming at the Red Keep as a single unifying force.

The Ironborns are known for raiding and pillaging small and defenceless settlements. But that just might become their doom in this instance.

Then the battle came to an abrupt pause once again as a bright light emerged from the shores of Blackwater Bay.

It was as if a shooting star had fallen down in the area where the reinforcement Fleet started landing their men.

He was confused about the source of the light. For it was not green in colour and thus, could not be Wildfire.

But what other substance would burn so brightly.

He supposed that he'll find the answer if he survived this battle. For now, the fighting started back once again as men focused on the enemies in front of them rather than the enemies/allies in the distance.

The battle this time, was in their favour. For the walls of the Red Keep were tall and sturdy. And the gates were strong.

Lord Arryn rotated the men at the walls. Allowing some of them to rest and recover while the others fought at the wall.

Despite his injuries, he was sent to the wall a second time after getting some rest, and this time, he saw the reinforcement army finally spill into the city. Slaughtering any Ironborn they dared stand on their way.

'That was… quick.' He thought and wondered if the Ironborn were so busy pillaging the city that they didn't even bother putting up a defence against the enemies at their back.

Regardless of what Ironborn did or didn't, the reinforcements were finally here, and he could see the looks of realisation in the faces of the Ironborn as they understood just how well and truly fucked they were.

The men beside him cheered and fought with greater fervour while the Ironrborn fought with greater and greater desperation.

Not to take the castle. But to escape from army that was going to fuck them from their unguarded back.

In the slight gaps in the frantic battle when he was able to divert his attention away from the enemy, he was able to see a white light leading the reinforcement army.

He had no idea what that bright light was. For even a hundred torches put together would not burn as brightly as it did on its own. But he was glad for its existence. Because wherever that bright light went, the Ironborn resistance melted away like snow in summer.

'We can win this. And end the Greyjoy rebellion once and for all. We're going to win this.' He thought with great excitement.

And that's when everything went to shit.

He heard a great battle cry from behind him and turned in time to see a great deluge of Ironborn emerge from within the Red Keep.

Within the Red Keep…

What the actual fuck?

"Maegor's tits!" He heard someone curse beside him and thought the same as the Ironborn ran through the unprepared and resting men like a knife through butter.

The Ironborn charge only slowed down when it came face to face with Lord Arryn and his personal guards. But even then, they were losing. And if Lord Arryn died… then this army will collapse.

Then that he heard a great laugh come from within the Ironborn ranks and took a closer to see that it was a man with an eyepatch in Black Armour with the sigil of the Kraken carved into it. Slaughtering his way through the Arryn men.

That… that was Euron Greyjoy himself. In the middle of the Red Keep.

"Shit, fuck. Men, with me! With me!" He shouted and took what few men that he could spare from the walls to stop the Ironborn threat from within. Or hold it for long enough for their reinforcements to come and relieve them.

His men charged at the Ironborn and the once pristine courtyard of the Red Keep turned red in the chaotic bitter struggle.

It was a melee completely unlike anything he'd ever seen before. The battle had delved into utter chaos. Not a hint of a battle line or strategy in sight. Just a bitter fight for survival.

Despite that, he took what little men he could with him and fought his way past enemies and allies until he finally reached Lord Arryn.

Just in time to save him from getting his head sliced off by an Ironborn blade.

He barely managed to deflect the blow from Euron Greyjoy and the reaver turned to focus all his attention on him instead of Lord Arryn.

The sole eye of Euron Greyjoy stared into his soul, as if he was a particularly interesting insect that needed to be dissected and studied.

The stare unnerved him more than he'll ever care to admit. But he muttered a prayer to the Warrior to lend him strength and held his ground against the enemy warrior.

The thought that he could kill his opponent and hopefully put an end to this battle didn't even cross his mind.

For right now, the only thing he craved was to survive until the end of this battle. Unlikely as that seemed.

Maybe if he was at his best then he could have beaten Euron Greyjoy. But as things stood, he was extremely tired from the long series of battles he'd fought and could barely hold his sword properly without his arms shaking from the effort.

"Your gods will not save you today." Euron Greyjoy whispered upon hearing his muttered prayer, his lips curving up in a cruel grin.

Then Euron Greyjoy was upon him. And either he was more injured and tired than he realised. Or Euron Greyjoy was Ser Arthur Dayne come again.

The man fought with a savagery that he'd never witnessed before. And it was all he could do to keep his life against the onslaught.

It was all for naught.

Euron disarmed him within a dozen moves. And kicked him down to the ground before putting his boot over his chest to keep him from getting up.

'A knight of Kingsguard. Dealt with as quickly as a common soldier.' He thought with a bitter chuckle as he laid spread eagled on the ground and stared at the wide blue sky up above him.

The blue sky was the most beautiful sight he'd ever seen. The clouds floating by in a calm and serene manner unlike the chaotic slaughter taking place down here.

It was also probably the last thing he'll ever see as Euron raised his sword to put an end to him once and for all.

'I should've stayed at home instead of chasing honour and glory like a stubborn fool.' He thought morosely as he closed his eyes and accepted his fate. 'Mother, father, brother. I'm sorry for dying so soon.'

He waited for the sudden pain to come.

And then waited, and waited.

But the pain didn't come and he opened his eyes to see that

Euron Greyjoy was still standing on top of him.

Except, instead of looking at him, Euron was now staring at the gates of the Red Keep with utmost focus.

And then he saw that the Ironborn who came with Euron Greyjoy had already reached the main gate of the Red Keep and were now in the process of opening it.

'So we lost in the end huh.' He thought as the gates were finally opened.

But instead of an army of Ironborn spilling into the Red Keep as he'd expected. What came instead was a bright light that blinded the entire courtyard and put a halt to the chaotic battle as everyone squinted and turned to look at just what had entered the castle courtyard.

Then the light dimmed and he saw that the Ironborn near the gates were already dead.

More accurately, they were laying on the ground into pieces.

A shiver went down his spine at the sight before he got a proper look at the light and realised with great surprise, that it was a man holding a shining sword.

No, not a man. A boy. A boy who couldn't have been older than three and ten years old.

A boy who immediately charged into the Ironborn ranks. And slaughtered them with such ease that it made him wonder if the warrior himself had descended from the heavens to help them.

Then he realised just what he was thinking and everything became clear to him.

Of course it was the warrior. Or his champion. For who else could slaughter men with such ease. And that glowing sword of his was no doubt a creation of the Smith. Granted to him so that he could protect and innocents against the vile and the wicked.

And what people were more vile in the entirety Westeros than the

Ironborn. And what act could be more wicked than trying to kill the Royal Family and plunge the realm into chaos.

A distant part of him noticed the reinforcement army spilling through the Gate and putting an end to more and more Ironborn as the defenders finally got the upper hand in the melee.

So engrossed was he in witnessing the slaughter brought forth by the Warrior's champion that he completely missed it when Euron removed his boot from atop his chest and got ready to face the boy slaughtering his men.

As if noticing Euron's gaze, the boy paused and turned to face Crow's Eye.

The glow of the Sword allowed him to get a better look at the boy's face and his eyes almost bugged out of its sockets as he realised that the boy almost looked like a younger version of King Robert Baratheon.

Oh there were subtle differences here and there but there was no doubt about the fact that this boy was a Baratheon. Or one of them at least.

'Renly Baratheon?' He wondered. He'd heard that the youngest brother of the King looked a great deal like him. But from what he knew, Renly Baratheon was supposed to be an adult.

So who was this boy?

Any further thoughts were put to the back of his mind as the boy finally charged at Euron Greyjoy.

Euron, for his part, ran forward to meet the charge with one of his own.

They swung and their swords passed by each other in a flash before they came to a stop.

Every single man in the Red Keep held their breath as a second passed. Then two.

And then Euron Greyjoy's upper body slid to the side cleanlyand fell on the ground, armour and all. His lower half following a moment

later.

Stunned silence followed the death of the Greyjoy commander.

Then as if they men finally registered what has just happened, the Ironborn threw down their weapons, while everyone else let out a cacophony of cheers, loud enough that that the cheers could probably be heard from the other side of Kings Landing.

He dropped his head back to the ground as a smile formed on his face as well.

For after an incredibly tough and gruelling fight, they'd finally won the battle. And with it, the Greyjoy Rebellion.

All thanks to a boy whose name he still didn't know.  

CHAPTER 17- The Queen

CERSEI LANNISTER POV

"In the name of the warrior I charge you to be brave. In the name of the Father I charge you to be Just. In the name of the-"

She watched with mild incredulity as Lord Arryn said the vows and knighted the 9 year old boy.

Of course, the boy didn't look anything like an 9 year old. Her cousin Lancel was 13 years old and he didn't look half as impressive as Stephen Baratheon.

There was also the fact that he led the reinforcement army which led to the defeat of the Ironborn. Something which no ordinary boy could've done.

Not to mention all those rumours about the boy having wielded a shining sword that he used to cut through the Ironborn like a scythe through wheat.

There were already a thousand rumours about the boy. Some more believable than the others.

Some men said that the boy was blessed by the Warrior. Others claimed that he was some Ancient Hero come again to save the world from a disaster.

She would have dismissed all these talks as small folk superstition if not for the fact that every single on of her men who were there during the battle sang the same song.

Of a young boy with a sword that shone as bright as the sun, leading an army to destroy the Ironborn.

It was almost like a fairy tale. Which was what made it so hard to believe in the first place.

There were also talks about his duel with Euron Greyjoy, which wasn't much of a duel if the first hand accounts were anything to go by. A duel that lasted for a brief moment, and the result of which led to the mass surrender of the remaining Ironborn.

How the Euron Greyjoy and his Ironborn managed to get inside the Red Keep in the first place was still a mystery. She would've interrogated Varys on it but the Spider had conveniently gone missing since the battle.

That was 3 days ago. 3 days since the Battle of Kings Landing. And everyone has been working frantically since then to restore the city.

Before anything else, they had to find a place to keep the thousands of Ironborn prisoners. Then they had to gather the corpses of allies and enemies so that they won't cause a disease to spread throughout the city.

Most of the corpses were burned together while the corpses of high borns were dealt with by the Silent Sisters, their bones being sent back to their families as was right and proper.

Almost all the Ironborn who hid in the city after the battle have been captured and executed. More than a few who escaped the city and ran off into the wild once they realised that the battle was lost, were run down by riders sent after them by Lord Arryn.

Aside from that, many of the houses and other buildings had been destroyed or burned by the Ironborn. Temporary shelters needed to be built for the displaced small folk. And the road blocks created by Lord Arryn also needed to be cleared off.

Suffice to say that the last 3 days had been hectic for everyone in the city. A curfew had been enacted into the city, preventing any small folk from coming out of their homes while the army dealt with the aftermath of the battle.

Of course, most of the work was done by Lord Arryn as well as

Stephen Baratheon and his levies who went down to the streets to help as soon as the battle ended. Some of her spies reported that Stephen himself went to the medical tents to bandage and help the injured levies.

She situation was so bad that even she had to come out of the safety of the Maegor's Holdfast in order to help.

She, of course, would never allow herself to do such manual tasks as they were beneath her. And had contended herself with ordering around the Red Keep servants and the Red Cloaks to clean the Red Keep. And to find the hidden passageway that the Ironborn no doubt used to sneak into the castle.

She could not allow something like that to happen ever again.

So far, they have found 2 separate passageways underneath the castle that led to the city. She had already ordered her servants to close those tunnels. And had promise 100 gold dragons to anyone who found more of these tunnels. So far, none had come to claim the gold and she was finally able to relax.

After 3 days of hard work, the situation has calmed down and life in the Red Keep was returning back to normal.

Kings Landing would still take many moons if not years to recover from the damages sustained in this battle.

The Mud Gate would need to be repaired. The sunken ships on the Bay would need to be removed. Houses and buildings who need to be rebuilt. And the Gold Cloaks would needed to be restored from the ground up due to just how many men them died in the siege.

But all that could come later.

For now, they needed to do something more important.

The give honour and just rewards to the people who fought to protect the city.

The Sellswords were either paid in gold or lands.

The small folk levies who distinguished themselves received

Knighthood and were given lands or were adopted as part of a

Household by the various Crownlander lords.

The Knights and Lords who had already sworn to serve the crown would need to be rewarded in a more discreet manner. Either through favours, trade deals, lands, gold, marriage offers, or in some other manner of their choosing.

In the end though, they needed to reward the commander of the army who came to them in their hour of need, and saved them from certain death, as loath as she was to admit it.

A 9 year old boy.

Once again, she shook her head at the thought. Wondering since when did the world stopped making sense.

Boys with glowing swords. It seemed so impossible to believe.

What next? Mermaids from West, Dragons from the East and Grumpkins from the North?

"Prince Stephen Baratheon." Lord Arryn spoke after the boy finished his knighting ceremony, the old lord's voice loud enough to silence the entire hall. "Despite your young age, you have shown excellent judgement in gathering your army as well as great bravery and valour when you used that army to defeat the Ironborn in the Battle of Kings Landing."

"You came to us in our time of dire need. Without your timely intervention, it is likely that the Red Keep would have fallen into the hands of the Ironborn barbarians."

Shocked exclamation rang out through the great hall as the lords and ladies who had been absent during the battle realised just how close the battle had been. And the fact that Lord Arryn was admitting this in front of all these people despite how bad it'll look for him, since he was the commander who was charged with defending Kings Landing.

"Your actions, during and after the battle have shown you to be a bo- a young man of sound judgement." Lord Arryn said. "Because of that and your act of saving Kings Landing, his grace, King Robert Baratheon, has allowed me to grant you a boon. Ask whatever it is that you desire. And if it is a reasonable request and within his Grace's ability to grant you, then it is yours."

Silence filled the hall as people realised that magnitude of what Robert Baratheon has just given the boy.

A boon from the King himself. That was no small matter.

For someone of Stephen's standing, he could basically ask for the hand of the King's daughter… her daughter, and he'll be granted the betrothal without much fuss.

The problem with that was that the boy would then become even more eligible for the Iron Throne. And for someone who was already as well renowned as the boy was becoming… that could pose a danger to her son.

Or, the boy could ask for Storms End, which should've been his by all rights. And if the King decided to grant that request, then he'll gain a large power base held at the neck of Kings Landing.

With how good of a commander he'd already shown himself to be. And an army of tens of thousands under his command, he'll once again pose great danger to her son's eventual rule.

She side glanced at Joffrey who was looking at the proceedings with slight annoyance. Not understanding the importance of what was happening and annoyed at having to stand in one place for so long.

She sighed fondly at her son before she went back to studying the boy once again. A boy who was about the same age as her son, yet so different.

No, as grateful as she was to the boy for saving the lives of her and her children, she couldn't let him become too influential and powerful. A King doesn't remain in his throne for long if he has vassals who're more powerful than him. She'll eventually have to find a way to decrease his power base.

For now though, she'll stand on the side and observe.

"Before I ask for the boon, I have a request to make Lord Arryn." Stephen spoke up, his voice loud and clear to everyone present in the great hall.

She could see how a boy with such a voice was able to command an army of thousands despite his age. Each word that came out of him seemed to be filled with a commanding aura. 'Willing' the lesser men around him to follow his command.

'Almost like my father.' She realised with mild trepidation.

Lord Arryn for his part merely raised his eyebrow at the boy's words. "Go ahead then. Tell me of this request of yours."

"I would like to request a reward for my men who fought in the Battle of Kings Landing with me."

The whispers rose once again at Stephen's audacious request.

Not because the request was out of the blue. But because the men who fought in that battle had already been rewarded. To ask Lord Arryn to reward them once again made the boy seem greedy and grasping. Damaging the good reputation that he'd built so far.

True to her thoughts, Lord Arryn frowned at that request. "Your men have already been rewarded for the battle Ser Stephen." "They have, Lord Arryn. And I'm grateful for how generous you've been with them. But right I'm not talking about the men who distinguished themselves and gained Knighthood after the battle. I am talking about the men who gave their lives fighting the Ironborns."

"You want me to reward the men who died?" Lord Arryn asked, incredulous. And she found herself feeling the same.

Levies in general were never rewarded during or after the battle. It was their obligation to fight for their lords and die for them if need be.

If they survived the war and managed to get some loot from the enemy, then good for them. If they managed to distinguish themselves, then they might even get rewarded for their contribution. But if they died, then they were left behind to be forgotten. And that would be it.

"Forgive me my lord. For my words were not clear. I do not want you to reward the men who died in the battle. But compensate the families of the dead who now have to live without a father, a brother, a husband, or a son." Stephen said and she almost rolled her eyes at his ploy to appear sympathetic in front of the court.

Well played boy. Well played.

"These men came to answer my call when I summoned them.

Followed me loyally into battle. And died fighting to protect the King's peace. Many of them were the sole breadwinners of their family. And with their deaths, their families would face great trouble in the times ahead." Stephen said. "Thus I humbly request a compensation of 10 gold dragons for the family of the deceased and a compensation of 4 gold dragons for any man who suffered a crippling injury during the battle."

Lord Arryn rubbed his chin and thought for a while before he spoke. "And how many men in your army died or got crippled during the battle?"

Stephen reached inside his pocket and took out a few parchment from within.

"Here is a list of the names of all the men who died in the battle. And all the ones who were crippled. 1,386 men died. While 603 suffered crippling injuries. The compensation thus comes to a total of 16,272 gold dragons."

"That is not a small amount of gold you're asking from the crown." Lord Arryn said.

"I know my lord. And if it is too much of a burden for the crown then I'll pay my men from my own coffers."

Silence fell into the crowd and her eyes narrowed at the boy's disrespectful words. Did the boy really think that the crown would not be able to pay off such a paltry sum?

'The boy is a fool.' She thought silently. A brave fool. But a fool regardless. Though annoyingly, she could also see how the sheep of Kings Landing would find him charming.

The boy almost reminded her of her brother. And while she loved Jaime with all her heart. But also she wasn't blind to his many shortcomings.

Lord Arryn was silent for a moment as he stared at the boy in silence. Seconds passed, and the great hall grew tense before the old man finally nodded. "Your request is granted."

"Thank you my lord." Stephen said with a light bow of his head as the men who'd fought in the battle with him started cheering, the sheep following behind them in cheering for the boy.

She held herself back from rolling her eyes again.

The boy was good at manipulating the crowd to think the best of him. She understood now, why so many men (some of which were her own) thought of highly of him.

It was annoying but just another one of those things that she'll have to deal with in order to decrease his influence in the court once he runs back to that barren island of his.

A few false rumours should be as good a start as any. As well as a few songs about the bravery of her son Joffrey during the Battle of Kings Ladning. About how he stood at the walls with bravery and led his men to fight and defeat the Ironborn.

Sure, Joffrey didn't fight in the battle and wasn't even anywhere near it. But the Small Folk didn't know that. And the sheep will believe the words of whoever bleats the loudest.

Maybe a few donations to the Sept of Baelor to spread some good words in the city about their Good Prince Joffrey?

After all, courtesy was the armour of a lady. Rumours, their weapon. It would be remiss of her if she didn't use her weapon to its best capability.

Plans started forming in her mind as the cheers in the great hall finally died down.

"You still haven't answered my former question." Lord Jon Arryn said. "What is the boon that you want?"

The boy looked thoughtful for a moment before he shrugged. "I don't have anything in mind right now. May I save it for later?"

Jon Arryn nodded.

"Very well. Now onto the next topic…"

She watched as the boy understood his silent dismissal and went back to stand among his men. Many of whom were giving him almost fanatic looks.

Hmm… maybe she should invite the boy for dinner. And get a good measure of him before he runs back to his barren island.

It was good to have a proper measure of your enemy. And while the boy was not an enemy at the moment. He could easily become one in the future. She needed to know all she could about him.

Maybe send a few of her handmaids to seduce his men and gain more information on the boy?

For now though, she turned and whispered in the ears of one of her servants to invite the boy to a private dinner.

—————

"Your grace." Stephen Baratheon said with a curt nod, almost reminding her of his father Stannis in that instance.

Stannis never bowed to her either. The most he could bring himself to do was give her a curt nod of acknowledgement. Otherwise, he made it a point to ignore her.

But while she notice some similarities between the two of them. Like how Stephen didn't spare a second glance to the nice deep view of her cleavage that she'd presented to him in a deliberate effort to lower his guard. There were also many discrepancies between the father and son.

Where Stannis was ugly, Stephen was more handsome than even Jaime at been at his age. Almost looking as good as Prince Rhaegar despite difference in hair colour and general complexion.

Where Stannis was a hard man, Stephen almost seemed soft in comparison. Not weak by any means but compassionate.

Not to mention that unlike Stannis, whose default facial expression was a light scowl, at least when he had to talk with her. Stephen had a soft smile on his face and look almost at ease in her presence.

She wondered how much of it was real and how much of it was a facade.

Considering that the boy was only 9 years old, he shouldn't be capable of maintaining a facade.

But a boy that young also had no business leading an army into battle, so she made it a point to not underestimate his abilities.

"Nephew." She said with a purr as she leaned on the table, giving him a better look at her cleavage. Even flashing a nipple or two in an effort to disorientate him. "There is no need for such formalities. I'm your aunt after all. We should be more… close with each other. Please sit. It is so nice to finally meet more of my family. I asked Stannis to bring you to court so that you can meet your cousin, Crown Prince Joffrey but your father has always been a stubborn man and rejected all my requests."

Her word dripped with honey and seduction as she gestured for him to take a seat by her side. But she noticed with mild annoyance he didn't seem to be even the least bit distracted by her seduction attempt.

She had even worn a rather revealing dress for this night. Not knowing what to expect from him. But she didn't expect such a casual disregard of her beauty.

If she was a lesser woman then she would've started to question her beauty. But as things stood, she wondered if it was because Stephen was still only a boy and his balls hadn't dropped yet.

But she was sure that even boys, that were as young as him, would give up all they had to get a single look at her naked body.

So why…

Was the boy like his uncle Renly, who was rumoured to be a sword swallower? If he was then she could definitely have to spread that rumour in an attempt to discredit him.

Hmm… maybe it was time that she sent a few of her spies into Dragonstone. To learn more about him and his home.

"Aunt Cersei." The boy said with an innocent, gullible smile as he moved forward and took her hand before laying a kiss on her knuckles.

She felt a shiver of pleasure go down her spine as his lips met her knuckles. A slight heat pooling into her loins at his touch. And a blush creeping onto her face as she gazed upon his handsome face.

He really was far too good looking for his own good.

She shuddered inwardly as she wondered if she actually felt something for this boy, for her body to have such a reaction to a simple touch from him.

No. That couldn't be possible. It was probably because Jaime had been gone for moons by now and she hadn't had a good fuck.

She was pent was. That was all there was to it. Though she wondered…

She shook her head and tried to focus on the boy who gave a cheerful smile as he sat beside her. Close. Too close.

She ignored the way her heart was beating a bit faster at this point and wrapped her arm over his shoulder. Making sure to rub her soft breasts against his body as she looked into his eyes and leaned into him.

"So, tell me about yourself Stephen." She asked softly as she put her other hand on his thigh. "You're my dear nephew. But I know so little about you."

"What do you want to know about me aunty?"

She rubbed her hand over his thigh and gave him a kind smile.

"Oh, I want to know all about you. What are your favourite ways to pass time? What books do you like to read? What games you like to play?" Then she leaned into him, getting her cleavage close to his face and whispered suggestively. "If there is any girl you like in Dragonstone. Feel free to tell me everything. It'll be our little secret."

Stephen smiled at her question and she felt the heat growing in her core.

"My favourite ways to pass time… That would be sword practice or Horse Riding."

She almost rolled her eyes at that. The boy did remind her too much of a young Jaime. The only thing he liked as a boy was his sword, his horse, or spending with her. Or inside her in a few cases…

She rubbed her thighs as her quim grew slick with wetness at the thought of all the fun times they'd had in Casterly Rock. Back when things were simple.

"Is that so." She asked with a smile before she leaned in even closer, as if sharing a secret. "Don't tell anyone, but as a young girl, I also wanted to learn how to wield a sword and ride horses. There were times when I disguised myself as Jaime into order to get into the sparring yard. Me and him looked so similar back then that no one could tell the difference."

Stephen grinned at that and she grinned back in return before she paused.

Why had she shared all that with him? And why was she getting so hot.

She looked at the wine pitcher that she'd been drinking from and wondered if someone had mixed something in it.

Unlikely. But then why was she feeling so strange?

Any further thoughts were dismissed from her mind as Stephen rubbed his shoulder against her breast and she held back a throaty moan from escaping her lips at the deluge of sensation that spread through her nipple to the rest of her body. The sensation ending in her core as she leaked a slight bit of fluid from her pussy.

She sighed, her breath coming out hot as she licked her lips in confusion.

'Did I just cum right now?' She wondered before she looked at Stephen who didn't seem aware of just what he'd done right now.

"That sounds amazing. Do you truly know how to wield a sword?"

Stephen asked with boyish excitement and she chuckled.

"Of course not." She said "My father learned of it before long and I was banned from going back to the Training Yard ever again." She let out a sigh at that memory before she forced her attention back into the present. And to the reason why she asked Stephen to come here in the first place. "But enough about me. Tell me about yourself. What else do you like to do in Dragonstone?"

"Hmm… I also like to delve deep in the dark and unused section of the castle." Stephen said as he moved excitedly in his seat, unconsciously rubbing his shoulder against her breast once again and sending great shudders of pleasure down her body. "As a young boy I wanted to find any secret treasures left behind by the Targaryens. Or even a simple dragon egg that they'd forgotten about or lost."

"Oh… is that so?" She asked, slightly out of breath as she licked her dry lips. She drank some wine from a goblet to quench her dry throat and clear her mind before she asked. "And did you manage to find anything of value?"

"No." Stephen said, looking disappointed. "But what about you.

I've heard that there are thousands upon thousands of tunnels inside Casterly Rock. Have you ever explored any of them?"

"Of course." She said proudly. "Let me tell you about that time when-"

They continued to talk late into the night. Both of them sharing stories with each other about inane things.

And despite herself, she could almost admit that she enjoyed the time she spent with her nephew.

The only problem was how horny she felt during the entire conversation. The feeling of lust that she felt at the beginning continued to grow throughout their conversation until she finally couldn't take it anymore and asked something that she realised she might regret in the future but was in no condition to care for at the moment.

"So. You do not have any girl friends of your age back in Dragonstone?" She asked as she leaned into Stephen, enjoying how his arm was wrapped around her waist.

"No aunty." Stephen said, his voice coming out a bit slurred from all the wine she'd forced onto him.

"Then have you ever played the kissing game?" She asked with a slight giggle.

"The kissing game?" Stephen asked, looking confused.

"Yes. It requires one to kiss one of their friend. Usually a girl friend. I used to play it with my girl friends all the time in Casterly Rock. I wanted to be good at it so that I'll not be found lacking when I eventually married Prince Rhaegar. Of course, then he got married to that Dornish slut. And then…" She paused as she realised that she trailed off from the topic and giggled. "Of course. What I wanted to ask was. Do you want to play the kissing game?"

"With you?"

"Of course silly. Who else?"

"But, you're the Queen." Stephen said, looking hesitant as he slowly came out of his drunken haze.

No, that won't do at all.

She poured another glass of wine and forced it down his throat, a silent giggle bursting out of her at the act. "Not today. Today, we're just nephew and aunt. And we can do whatever we want."

Stephen still looked a bit hesitant but the wine she'd forced down must have bolstered his courage because he gave a nod after some thought. "If that's you want aunt Cersei."

"It is." She said before she leaned down and kissed his lips.

His lips were the soft unlike that of Robert and Jaime. They were exactly how she thought Prince Rhaegar's lips would feel like.

He tasted of the Arbor Gold they'd been drinking until now. And as he kissed her back, she distantly realised that he must have been lying because he was the best kisser she'd ever had the pleasure of kissing.

But she was far too drunk to care at this point.

Before she even realised it, she was on his lap. His hardened cock pressing against her pussy through their clothes, giving her minor orgasms with the slightest of movements as they kissed passionately.

They separated when she ran out of breath. And as she felt his hard cock press against pussy, a thought entered her mind.

'If he was old enough to get hard. Then he should be old enough to fuck.'

A distant part of her rebelled at the thought of fucking someone else other than her Jaime. But she was too horny and drunk to care about that at the moment.

Besides, she was sure that Jaime will understand.

It was his fault she was in this situation after all. If he didn't want her fucking another man then he shouldn't have left her alone like this in the first place. It was all his fault in the end.

Her head was filled with a blurry haze as she got up from over his lap and gave him a mischievous smile. "Let's go to the bed. There's other things that aunty must teach you."

Stephen let her pull him along but as soon as they reached the bed, he pulled back.

She stared at him in confusion but he glanced at the door and asked. "What about the guards?"

"I gave them prior orders to leave after you came." She said with a proud smirk. "We're all alone here. So don't worry. No one will know." Stephen still looked skeptical but nodded. "If you say so."

Then before she could say or do anything, he picked her up in his strong arms and threw her over her soft and silky bed.

She giggled at that and then giggled some more as Stephen climbed the bed and hovered over her body.

"What? Are you going to do naughty things to your aunt?" She asked as she pushed her dress to the side and revealed one of her breasts to him.

Something dark settled into his eyes before he said something that she didn't catch.

Then for a moment, she felt as if the world had gone silent. As if the background noise faded away into nothing.

But before she could contemplate on what just happened,

Stephen lowered his head and gently took her nipple into his lips.

She let out a throaty moan. Uncaring if anyone heard her in the entire castle.

Let them hear! If Robert, that fat drunk bastard could fuck anyone he wants then she should be allowed to do the same.

She was Lannister damn it! Hear me roar!

She moaned even louder, her moan turning into a pleasured scream as Stephen grabbed her other nipple with his fingers and gave

it a twist.

She shuddered as she went through yet another orgasm before she glared at Stephen. "How are you so… so… so good at this? Even Jaime is not as good as you."

Stephen frowned at her words for some reason before he shrugged. "Because I'm me."

Then she could ask any further question, he lowered his trousers and she came face to face with a cock that was larger than any she'd ever seen.

Her mind stopped working for a moment at the sight of a cock that should belong to someone the size of the Mountain.

By the time she realised what was happening, Stephen was sitting over her breasts. His cock lined over her face and covering her entire vision while his large, hairless balls rested over her lips.

Her tongue darted forward to get a taste of his balls and then moaned at the sweet and chocolaty taste on his balls.

A moment later, she opened her mouth and took one of his balls into her mouth. Both of them moaned in pleasure. Her at getting to taste something so exotic. And him at getting his balls licked and sucked by her.

She slathered Stephen's ball with her spit and tried to get as much of that sweet chocolaty taste as she could. Then she let go of his ball and repeated the same process with the other one. And then rinse and repeat until Stephen sudden got up from over her.

She groaned petulantly at the lack of such a tasty drink.

"Wha… Why did-" Her words were cut off abruptly as Stephen pulled her to the edge of the bed until her head was dangling off from the side.

"Heh!" She giggled at the sight of everything looking upside down. But then her vision was covered by Stephen as he walked in front of her. His hardened cock coming to slap her cheeks before it came to rest over her lips.

"It's sho big." She slurred, knowing well enough that she would gag if she took a cock as large as that into her throat. "I-I can't."

Stephen looked at her with a smile before he said. "Don't worry about it."

Her lips parted to say something but she was unable to get even a single word out as Stephen took that chance to move forward until his cock was within her mouth.

Her tongue pressed against his cock. And upon finding that it tasted just as good as his balls, she started to suck it as well.

Stephen didn't seemed to care about her at this point though as he titled her head so that her throat would line up with her mouth before he pushed forward.

She felt him slid deeper and deeper within her mouth until his entire cock rested within her throat. His large balls coming to rest over her face as he groaned in pleasure.

"Shit! You're really good at this."

She smiled at the compliment. As much as she could smile with a thick and meaty rod resting within her throat.

She had a feeling in the back of her mind that she should be uncomfortable with a cock as large as that within her throat. That she should be gagging right now. But she felt really good so she ignored that feeling and focused her best on sucking that dick.

Then Stephen took hold of her throat and pulled back until his thick rod was out of her throat and he gave her the chance to take a deep breath before he pushed in.

She lost count of how long they continued like that. Only that he got faster and faster, his thrusts getting harder and deeper within her throat.

Her mind grew hazy from the lack of breath and she lightly punched at his thighs in order to get him to back off so that she could breathe but he continued to fuck her throat until finally, he let out a triumphant shout and buried his cock deep inside her throat.

She felt his dick twitch within her mouth and throat as his balls churned and released a large deluge of seed within her stomach.

And as much as she wanted to know what his seed would taste

like, the lack of breath finally got to her and she felt her vision go dark as she slipped into unconsciousness.

—————

AN: Cersei thinks about all the fame Stephen is getting and starts to see him as a threat for Joffrey.

She calls him for dinner in order to get to know more about him.

And tries to seduce him so that he'll let his guard down.

Stephen says "UNO Reverse Card Bitch", uses his Shaper power

to seduce her and take her for the ride of her life.  

CHAPTER 18- Plans for the future

ROBERT BARATHEON POV

A wench in his lap. A cup of wine in his hand. His trusty

Warhammer to his side. And being surrounded by his men in the Great Hall of Seagard as they cheered and celebrated yet another victory against the Ironborn.

What more could a man need.

"Your grace, should I pour you some more wine?" A man asked from beside him and just like that, some of his good cheer was ruined.

"No." He replied, a bit harshly as he stared at the weak chinned face of Ser Jared Frey.

Now that all the danger has passed, Lord Walder Frey has finally decided to move out from his seat and grace them with his presence.

And with Walder Frey and his army, had come Ser Jared Frey, whose great grandmother had been a Mallister by name.

The man wanted to rule Seagard since the main line of the Mallister family unfortunately ended trying to protect the Riverlands from the Ironborn scum.

Like hell he'll give this fine castle to some cowardly Frey fuck. He would destroy its castle and turn its hall to dust before he would ever give it to a Frey.

He sipped from his cup and cupped the bosom of the wench sitting on his fine lap. His mood lifting a bit as he groped her breast and she massaged his cock in turn.

But by the gods did the girl have some fine tits in her. And a pretty Northern face as well. Not as pretty as Lyanna though. No one would ever be as pretty as Lyanna in his eyes.

He closed his eyes and envisioned smashing Rhaegar's chest in with his Warhammer at the Ruby Ford. His lips lighting up in a vicious smile as he imagined killing that bastard once again.

Then he heard hurried footsteps coming toward him and saw a young squire rushing up to the Dias with a parchment in his hand.

"Your grace. More news from Saltpen." The squire said and he gestured for the boy to continue.

"Ser Barristan has recovered from his wounds and would survive."

The boy announced and the halls erupted into cheers.

He smiled as well. He did not like Ser Barristan as much as the others did. What with the man having been a Dragon supporter during his Rebellion, but he did held great respect for him.

"What else?" He asked.

The boy looked at the parchment once again and read its content before replying.

"The Ironborn routed by Ser Barristan and his army were ambushed and slaughtered by Lord Yohn Royce near Maidenpool. Maron Greyjoy was with them and has been captured."

Another series of cheers erupted from the men in the hall as they started chanting Yohn Royce's name.

And for a good reason as well.

The combined forces of all their armies have been destroying the

Ironborn one after another in the past few moons.

It has been a vicious game of cat and mouse, with the Ironborn barely escaping with their lives in most of the assaults.

But eventually, their overwhelming numbers prevailed, and

Ironborn were whittled down to only a few Longships.

Seeing that all was about to be lost, Rodrik Greyjoy gathered the last of the Ironborn with him and decided to attack and breach the barricade set near Saltpen with all his might. A barricade that was commanded by Ser Barristan and his army.

Ser Barristan thankfully learned about the imminent Ironborn attack from Maidenpool who saw the Ironborn sailing through the River and was well prepared when the Ironborn finally launched their attack.

The battle started at early dawn and last for two hours before Ser Barristan managed to slay Rodrik Greyjoy, suffering some wounds in the process.

The death of their commander was enough to break the morale of the Ironborn and they retreated back up the river with Maron Greyjoy as their new commander.

And now with the news that Maron Greyjoy and his party were ambushed and dealt with, the Riverlands were finally rid of the last of them.

"That's good new aye." He said with a smile as he raised his wine cup and shouted. "Bring in more wine! And let us celebrate the death of the last Ironborn who dared to land on our shores!"

The men cheered and he sat back down on his chair, the wench coming back to sit on his lap once again.

He watched the rowdy men drink more wine and celebrate the death of the last of the Greyjoys who thought that it was a good idea to attack the mainland.

Now, all they needed to do was bring the Royal Fleet to this side of the Sea, sail to Iron Islands, and deal with the fucking Ironborn once and for all.

He turned to his side to where Hoster Tully was sitting with a stoic gaze on his face and a thoughtful look in his eyes. The man no doubt thinking about all the damage that Riverlands had suffered so far in this war. And how to go about undoing all that damage. Or not undoing it, in case of his rivals.

"Hoster!" He shouted and the old bastard turned to give him a questioning stare. "When will the Royal Fleet reach Seagard." "The Royal Fleet is currently dealing with the last of the Ironborn who escaped the Battle of Kings Landing your grace." Hoster replied. "Lord Stannis has taken control of the Gullet, ensuring that none of those ships will escape the Bay and has been capturing all those ships and adding them to the Royal Fleet one by one. His last report stated that he has captured almost all of the escaped warships so it shouldn't be long now."

"Finally some good news from my dour brother." He thought out loud as he drank some more wine.

He won't lie about the fact that he was immensely disappointed by Stannis' performance in this war.

The man was late to the Battle of the Arbor, and allowed the

Redwyne Fleet to be destroyed. Then he was late to the Battle of Kings Landing, where his own family would've certainly died if they had not managed to attained a slim victory from the jaws of defeat.

Admittedly, the credit for that victory went to Stannis' son. If that were not the case, then he would have definitely punished Stannis for his obvious failures in this war.

The thoughts of the Battle of Kings Landing, brought him back to the rumours he'd heard about Stannis' son.

When he first got the news from Jon about the boy leading an army to save Kings Landing, he had been proud. Proud that there was another Baratheon in their family who was as good at war as he had been in his youth.

But then, as time passed, more and more news started to trickle out from Kings Landing. And the more that he learned about the battle, the more outlandish it seemed.

A few letters exchanged with Jon had cleared some of the confusion. Though the resulting picture still seemed unbelievable to him.

Using Wildfire to destroy the Ironborn Fleet? Using a glowing sword to cut through hundreds of Ironborn? Defeating Euron Greyjoy in a single duel?

He wondered if the burden of ruling had become too much for his foster father, and if old Jon was finally going senile in his old age.

No matter, once he has dealt with these fucking Ironborn, he'll go back to Kings Landing and get to the bottom of all of this himself.

"Your Grace." He heard a familiar voice to turned to see the plump face of Lancel Fucking Lannister. His squire. A weak boy who'll no doubt grow up to be a weak man.

He frowned at the boy. "What is it boy? Spill it out!"

The boy quaked in his boots at earning his displeasure but gathered his courage and handed him a letter.

"Do I look like I'm in the mood to read a letter." He asked as he as sloshed his cup, spilling some of the wine on the wench sitting on is lap. "Read it! And tell me what is it about."

Lancel nodded and started reading the letter. His mood getting worse and worse the more the boy read.

The gist of the letter was that Stephen Baratheon managed to get the Valyrian Steel sword Nightfall during the Battle of Kings Landing.

The boy changed its hilt and pommel, and then changed its name to Stag Song before taking the blade for himself.

Seeing as he was the Head of House Baratheon, Lord Tywin Lannister asked if he would be willing to sell the Valyrian Sword to him. Or barring that, he'll take the Valyrian sword and give it his own son Joffrey.

He scoffed at the letter.

Even if he could take the Valyrian sword from Stephen, which he can't, he won't do it.

He was usually not interested in politics. But even he knew that taking such a valuable sword from the boy who won it in a battle (a battle which ended up saving the lives of his own children), would end up marking him as a Tyrannical ruler.

And that's if the boy would even deign to give the sword to him and not rebel right then there.

He knew that if he had won such a blade in his youth, and the mad king asked him to give up that blade, then he would've rebelled right then and there.

So no, he won't be breaking apart his family just so he could give such a valuable treasure to Tywin fucking Lannister.

"Send a letter to Casterly Rock, and tell you lord Lannister, that he won't be getting the sword." He told the quivering boy before he dismissed him, getting some much needed peace at last as buried his face in the large bosom of the wench.

A wench on his lap, a cup of wine in his hand, his trusted

Warhammer by his side, and surrounded by his men.

Truly, what else could a man need?

—————

STEPHEN BARATHEON POV

"I swear on me life milord. I'll not fail you." The man said as he bowed to him again and again.

"That's your grace to you, peasant. Not milord." One of his guards said and he held the urge to sigh.

"It's alright." He told the man who looked terrified that he'd disrespected the 'Saviour of Kings Landing'. "No harm, no foul. Do your best to run this shipyard and produce new ships for me in time. That's all I ask of you."

The man nodded frantically as he got up from his chair and left the building that was in between the two shipyards he'd just bought.

The two shipyards belonged to a man by the name of Jeremy Stone. A man who came to the city in his youth with nothing but his clothes in his back.

The man was a true story of rags to riches. As despite his poverty, he eventually found great success in the city, and managed to purchase various successful businesses, marry the daughter of a rich merchant and father many children.

Unfortunately, the man and his family ended up dying to the Ironborn during the Battle of Kings Landing. And his distant relatives, who inherited these two shipyards neither had the capability nor the interest in running them.

So he bought it from them at a cheap price. Just as he'd done with many other damaged or destroyed properties and businesses throughout Kings Landing.

By this point, he was the owner of 4 inns, 9 taverns, 2 brothels (discreet purchase), 1 gambling den, 4 shipyards, 13 warehouses, 1 mansion, 2 tannery, 3 bakeries, and a dozen other miscellaneous businesses and properties.

These two shipyards were his most expensive purchase up till this point. Being sold for a total of 1,230 gold dragons.

The price might seem a bit high. But during peace time, these same shipyards would've been sold for 6000-7000 gold dragons. As they were high quality shipyards being capable of producing a ship every month.

Of course, he'll have to pay some more gold in order to repair the damaged parts of the shipyards, and hire competent and reliable men to run it. But once all that has been done, he'll have a pretty profitable business in his hand. One that'll create new trade ships for him every month once it's up and running.

Admittedly, the hardest part of his plan to 'Purchase and own valuable Properties' in Kings Landing had been hiring decent, competent, and loyal people to run those properties.

His new skill 'Delegation Lvl 31' has been of immense help in their endeavour as it gave him a higher chance of finding and selecting competent and reliable people.

That, along with Observe skill, allowed him to make sure that he only hired the best people for the task. Even if those best people came from a low background and didn't look like much at the start.

"We're done for the day. Let's ride back to the Red Keep." He told his men as he covered his face with a hood so that their group won't be flocked by the masses on their way back to the castle.

One of the negative things that came with his great victory in the Battle of Kings Landing was that he became immensely famous. Not only in the eyes of the men he'd fought with but also in the eyes of the small folk of the city whose lives he'd saved with his action.

So whenever he went out to the city, his group was flocked by

Small Folk who wanted him to 'bless' them.

He had heard some of the rumours that were going around in the city about him. About how he was blessed by the Gods. But it still came as a great surprise to him when he was surrounded by the people for the first time.

He had thought that his group was about to be lynched until a thin wisp of a woman brought her newborn babe to him, asking for his blessings for her child.

As weirded out as he was by the entire scenario, he acted with calm and used his Shaper power to heal the baby as he 'blessed' her.

It was a spur of the moment thing. Done because he didn't want the babe to die of some stupid disease in the future. But that single act set a tone of his future 'blessings'.

Following the woman was a young couple who asked for his blessing for their new marriage.

So put his hand on top of their heads, used his Shaper power to heal any disease in their body, and muttered a silent prayer to the gods, to give some authenticity for his 'blessing'.

This opened a flood gate as more and more people came to him to be blessed and he lost 3 whole hours before they were able to make their way out of the mob and continue with their business.

The problem came later that evening, when one of the barber announced that his young daughter, who had been sick before that day, had been miraculously healed after he 'blessed' her.

The barber's words were recounted by numerous other people who claimed to have felt far better after they were 'blessed' by him than they'd felt in years.

Words spread like fire, and soon, everyone in Kings landing knew that his 'blessings' healed people of any disease or infection.

So now, whenever he goes out to Kings Landing, he has to do so discreetly, lest he be surrounded by a mob once again.

Not that he was entirely safe in the Red Keep, as servants, guards, knights and even some of the lords came to him, asking for his blessings. But at least they were polite about it and didn't mob him like the people in the city.

Melisandre had somehow learned about this (probably from her frighteningly accurate visions) and had sent a discreet letter to him, telling him to capitalise on this opportunity and hold a session in the Great Sept of Baelor where he'll 'bless' the believers of the Faith.

He had been extremely leery of this advice as he didn't want to become a religious figure to these people. But he also knew that this situation could be turned to an advantage and had followed her guidelines on how such things were done.

It had taken some time and effort to bribe the High Septon through intermediaries, but eventually he was able to hold his first 'blessing' session in the Sept of Baelor after one of the morning prayers.

Thousands of people came to him. Thousands were blessed. And thousands left with a story about painful joints that no longer hurt, scars that healed on their own, disease that no longer bothered them, etc, etc.

That had been three weeks ago. And after that, he held two more 'blessing' sessions at the end of each week.

Due to that, he was now seen as a… well, he wasn't entirely sure what exactly he was seen as. Just that he had become an extremely respectable figure in the eyes of the small folk of Kings Landing.

Respectable to the point that people were willing to kill anyone who so much as spoke a bad word about him.

Something that Cersei's servants found out first hand when they tried to spread false rumours about him.

They passed by a tavern on their way to the Red Keep and he heard the soft lyrics of a new song named 'Blessed Victory' being sung by the people inside.

It was one of the 4 new songs that emerged after the Battle of Kings Landing. Songs that became famous mainly because they were about him, his valour, his glory and his great victory against the wicked Ironborn.

The other 3 songs were named 'Sword of the Dawn', 'Sea of Fire', and 'Warrior's Hammer'.

He had liked those songs at first. But then, everyone around started singing them day and night and he got tired of them real quick.

At this point, he just hoped that these songs won't follow him back to Dragonstone.

Though he knew that there was slim chance of that happening. Not when all his knights and guards knew those songs by heart.

As they reached closer to the Red Keep, his thoughts went back to Cersei once again.

It has been a moon since that encounter. And the woman has been ignoring him ever since then.

Oh, she has done her best to damage his reputation through backhanded means. And he himself had seen to the death of one of her singers who tried to create a song that'll damage his reputation.

But despite the cold war going on in between them, she had made little to no indication on the surface that there was anything wrong between them. Only doing her best to avoid meeting him. And glaring just a bit when their eyes met from the distance before she turned and left.

He knew that he'll have to deal with her eventually, maybe give her a disease that'll leave her bedridden and too weak to plot against him. But for now, he was too busy dealing with other things to focus on her.

They eventually reached the gates of the Red Keep. And as they entered the castles, knights and guards gave deep bows to him. Greeting him with a 'Your grace'.

It was strange to be called 'your grace' when people has been calling him 'my lord' for his entire life.

It was as if saving the city suddenly made them remember that he was a member of the Baratheon house as well, 4th in the line of the throne, and a prince in his own right.

Until now, only the main branch of House Baratheon were called

'your grace', with his own father and uncle Renly only be called Lord Stannis or Lord Renly. But now things have changed.

As he rode through the courtyard, he took a good look around the place. All the blood stains that covered this place had already been cleaned up and now the place looked as pristine as new. As if a battle never happened here in the first place.

The lowered number of knights and Red Cloaks guarding the walls spoke otherwise. But he knew that newer knights and Red Cloaks will soon take the place of the deceased ones. And the city will continue to function as it always has.

"Your grace. Should I take your horses?" The stableboy asked as they came to a stop near the stables and he nodded.

"Of course Byran. And here…" He said as he threw a Copper Star at the boy. "Buy a new dress for Betheny. Or maybe buy some flowers and take her out the city. Trust me, she'll appreciate it."

The boy blushed at the advice but nodded. "I will, your grace.

Thank you, your grace."

He nodded with a smile as he dismissed most of his guards and walked back to his room in the Meagor's Holdfast.

Despite their ongoing rivalry, Cersei hadn't tried any direct method of killing him. And he didn't have any other enemy in the Red Keep who would go after his life.

The only one who could've been his enemy, was Varys. Mostly because of Varys' intense hatred for anything magical or related to magic.

And with all the miracles he was performing around the city, he knew that Varys would go after him, or his interests sooner or later.

It was for that reason that he had dealt with the spy master as soon as he could after the Battle of Kings Landing.

Yes, he had forever altered the future by killing such an important figure. But the future was already fucked beyond saving if this Greyjoy Rebellion was any indication to go by.

Plus, even if the future wasn't changed, he still wouldn't allow Varys to live. There was a difference between 'Keeping your enemies' close and 'Keeping a knife to your throat' after all.

One of the things that he had been incredibly busy with in the past month aside from acquiring new businesses and properties in the city, was salvaging Varys' spy network.

It was a vast and complicated web of spies and informants. And even now, a month after Varys' death, he was still unearthing new informants every single day.

Not to mention that he was still looking for a capable man/woman to manage and run this spy network on his behalf.

For now, the spy network was being managed by a Brothel manager under his employ by the name of Lynalle of Lys. She had some experience in managing a spy network back in Lys and was pretty decent at doing her job.

Problem was, he didn't want someone who was merely 'decent' at handling a spy network.

Information was one of the most valuable tool in this day and age. So he wanted someone who was actually good at it. No, not just good either, but the best.

Someone who can go toe to toe against people like Varys and Littlefinger and all the other major players in Westeros and come out on top.

For now, he was still searching for a man or woman like that. And he had no doubt that it'll take him months, if not years of searching until he found someone as capable as that. But once he did, it'll all be worth it.

Most importantly though. The largest change brought on by Varys' death was that there would be no one to protect the Targaryens in Essos.

In both the book and the show, Varys often claimed that he had manoeuvred the Targaryens around Essos, making sure that they were one step ahead of the assassins sent by Robert Baratheon.

He wasn't sure how much truth there was to that claim. But if Varys had indeed done such a thing then Daenerys might be in danger right now.

For that reason, he had already sent a letter to Mel, asking her to contact her allies in Essos, and have them protect the Targaryen siblings.

Because if Daenerys died, then a lot of his plans would go down the drain.

Oh, he had other plans that'll allow him to get the 5 points he needed to buy 'Exit Stage Left' so that he'll not be stranded in this world for the rest of his immortal life (thanks to Shaper).

One of those plans being finding a way to unlock the Warging powers of one or both of the Stark girls, making them a tier 4 character, and then seducing them into loving him.

If that failed, then he still had more backup plans in his pocket. But they would require more time and effort from him. So the survival of Daenerys was indeed important for him.

He greeted and briefly talked with all the servants and guards on the way to his room, before he finally arrived to his room and fell back on his bed, utterly drained from yet another day of mentally taxing work.

He closed his eyes and started making plans for the future.

Plans to deal with Baelish. Either exposing him to the world as a fraud and extracting all the gold from him before executing him. Or killing silently by him giving him a sexual disease or something along those lines.

Plans to deal with Lysa Arryn. Messing with her brain until she became insane, or outright seducing her by entering her bedchamber each night and fucking her brains out until she became utterly dependent on him. Maybe healing her womb and giving her a child that'll eventually rule the Vale?

Plans to deal with Joffrey. Giving him a terminal disease that'll slowly see him waste away over the course of a few years until he died on his bed. A plan he had already put into action.

Plans for his trading empire. About buying the captured Ironborn ships from his father. Buying more raw stuff from the local lords and selling it in Essos, buying the finished product back and then selling back in Westeros. Buying Iron from the eventually bankrupt Iron Islands. Buying the brothels once Baelish his eventually dealt with.

Plans with using the boon that Robert had given him. He still wasn't sure just what exactly he was going to do with that boon. He was leaning toward assassinating Renly and then asking for Stroms End. But that would look too suspicious so he shelved that idea for

later.

Plans for- *Knock Knock*

He opened his eyes and looked at the door. He let out a sigh and got up from his bed. Making sure that he looked presentable before he said "Come in."

The door opened and one of his men peeked his head inside his room. "Your grace. The Royal Fleet has been sighted in the horizon. I thought that you should know."

He nodded. "Thanks Jerrard. Tell Ser Brus Buckler to gather men and prepare a welcoming party. And order to servants to prepare for a small feast. I will go and welcome my father to Kings Landing myself."

The guard nodded before he closed the door and left.

He went to his balcony and looked into the horizon where a fleet was indeed visible in the distant horizon.

If his father was here, then it meant that he had already dealt with the rest of the Ironborn stragglers. Capturing their ships in the process. Ships that'll be useful for his trading empire.

It was one of the reasons why he wanted to meet his father before anyone else. So that he could get those ships before anyone else could even think to ask for them.

Now the main question was, should he join his father in the Royal

Fleet and go to the Iron Islands and see this war to its conclusion.

Or should he go back to Dragonstone and focus on creating his trade empire and uplifting the island.

Decision, decisions.  

CHAPTER 19- Late night talk

STEPHEN BARATHEON POV

He stared at the Island that was his home and smiled as his ship sailed closer and closer to it.

A part of him still wondered if he did the right thing by not going with his father to the see the war to its natural conclusion.

What if something happened to his father while he was out there on the campaign. Sure, nothing happened to Stannis in the canon, but this world no longer followed the canon timeline.

This prolonged Greyjoy Rebellion had taught him that if nothing else.

A simple cut on the arm could turn into an infection. A simple cold could get worse and lead to pneumonia. Or a simple fall down the stairs could break his neck.

Humans… were fragile. Especially in a day and age where the concept of medicine was all but alien to the people of this world. Sure the maesters had some herbal remedies to deal with the most basic health problems. But anything more advance, and you can only pray to the gods and hope for the best.

But in the end, he had made his decision.

He had stood on the docks of Kings Landing and had watched as the Royal Fleet sailed away into the distance.

His father will survive. He just had to believe in that. The slightly stronger body and an extremely robust immune system that he'd given to his father as a parting gift should be enough.

"Your grace. The boats have been lowered." Ser Lucerys Velarion, one of his newer knights said to him.

Lucerys was really not much of a knight. He was decent with a sword, barely passable as a horse rider and atrocious with a lance. One top of that, he seemed to hate conflict and tried to remain as far away from it as possible.

But despite all his adequacies as a knight, the young man was one of the most intelligent man he'd met in this world. Observe skill told him that the young man had an Intelligence of 17, which was quite a bit higher than a regular person. And Delegate skill pinged his mind time and time again to hire this talent.

In the end, a few books, the promise of showing him the new agricultural methods in Dragonstone, a few intellectual conversations, and treating the young man with genuine respect and kindness was all it had taken to pull Lucerys to his side.

For despite how much he wanted to uplift Dragonstone, he knew that he was just a single person. He cannot do everything on his own. And he'll eventually leave this world. Not anytime soon, but eventually. Who'll continue his uplift projects then?

The answer was easy enough. He'll have to build a group of intellectuals like the Maesters who'll willing to experiment and create new things instead of just hoarding the knowledge to themselves.

He'll also have to create a place where these individuals will be able to learn anything and everything they want. So a large public library.

And a place where they'll be willing to share their knowledge with young boys and girls so that these kids could eventually continue in their place when they're too old to do so. So a school or a university.

Lucerys would learn under him and serve as his first scientist. He'll have to find a few other and put them in a group. But if does his task well enough, then the group will work on its own, find new talents, and grow on its own without his direct input.

He nodded to Lucerys as he climbed down the rope ladder and landed on the boat.

A minute later, they were rowing to the shores.

There, a group of people were already waiting for his arrival.

He jumped on the soft sandy beach and walked forward, a huge grin on his face as he moved toward his beloved family.

"My son." His mom said, giving him a watery smile. "Welcome back hom- eep!"

He pulled her into a hug and spun her around twice before he gently let her down to the ground.

Some of the servants and guards chuckled in amusement. His mom for her part looked both embarrassed and bit amused by his action and shook her head in silent exasperation as she pulled away from his hug so that she could get a better look at him.

She stared deeply into her eyes, her smile turning sad at whatever she found there as she cupped his chin and offered him a sad smile. "You've grown my son. Grown so much."

"I had to." He said and her lips pursed before she sighed.

"I suppose you did." She said before she pulled him to a hug once again.

She let go of him and he turned to the maid who was holding onto Shireen.

Shireen looked at him with a bright smile, her baby blue eyes wide open in excitement as he gently took her from her nanny and spun her around in a similar manner to his mom.

The little girl shrieked in excitement and a huge smile came onto his face as he pulled her closer to him and tickled her until she was a giggling mess.

Her joyous laughter was a balm to his soul. And he felt as if a huge burden had lifted from his shoulder when he held her. As if everything he'd done, all the Ironborns he'd killed, all the atrocities he'd committed, were worth it.

He didn't realise just how much he needed to hear her laugh until he did.

Shaper activated automatically and scanned her body, finding nothing negative with her health.

He kissed her forehead before he gave her back to her nanny, giving a gentle smile and a nod to the woman before he moved on to the next person in line.

"Mel." He said with a slight smile and the woman merely raised an eyebrow.

"What, no hugs for me?" She asked, almost teasingly and he pulled her in a hug as well. Though one that would be appropriate for this occasion and not the one he truly wanted to give her.

He had missed her during his time in Kings Landing. He had missed her far more than he ever thought he would.

Melisandre had been a constant shadow for his ever since she was Stamped. A silent supporter that had been there for all his major decision. A wise advisor who gave good and honest council. A dear friend who didn't shy away from chastising him if he did something wrong, or rolling her eyes at him whenever he did something foolish.

He missed her laugh. He missed her hugs. He missed it when she would sit beside him after a tiring day and pull him into a gentle hug, pressing his face into her bosom and letting him just relax beside the hearth.

And now that he had grown his body until it had reached puberty… he missed her in a more literal sense.

He wanted to hold her in his arm. Taste her soft red lips. Press her close to him and smell her fragrance. He wanted to bury his face in between her naked breasts. Trail kisses down her exposed back. And pull her naked form under him as he showed her the best night of her

entire life.

He couldn't do any of that right now though so after a short and proper hug, he stepped away and gave her a smile that'll hopefully convey all his feelings to her.

The longing smile she sent his way told him that he wasn't the only one who missed her, and that felt good to know.

After that, he cordially greeted the rest of the people who had joined the welcoming party, even though most of them were guards and servants who had come to meet their own family members.

He gave condolence to the ones who'd lost their family in the war. And reminded himself to see that they get all of the 10 gold dragons that he'd extorted from Jon Arryn on that day in the Great Hall.

Once all the meet and greet was done, and his men had mingled along with their families as well, a squire brought him a horse to ride upon and they started riding back to Dragonstone.

On the way back, he got a glimpse of the Port town and saw that it had become fairly active once again.

There were not as many people in the town as there were before the war but now the the Greyjoys had been dealt with, trade should start flowing once again.

The same could not be said for the spice farms. The spices he'd grown had died out without the proper care needed for them. Weeds had grown in the fertile soil, the rough water canals he'd created were filled with waste and water overflowing to the side. He could even see a few places where animals had broken through the wooden fence and trampled the farm.

More work will have to be done to make those farms useful once again. Some of them even needing to be build from the ground up.

It was a waste of money, time and resources. But that's what happens when you take all the people working in a fields and send them to war.

The good news was that Mel had managed to sell a good portion of his 'hand-made' goods to the Essossi merchants through her intermediaries in the Red Temples. And despite all the taxes and tributes they'd have to give up, they'd still earned tens of thousands of gold coins in the end.

At that point, his mother interrupted the conversation between Me and him and asked him what hand-made goods they were talking about. He deflected her question and they decided to shelve any further talk about the business for later when they were alone and had more privacy.

They eventually reached Dragonstone castle where a large feast was held for him as well as all the men who'd returned victorious from the Battle of Kings Landing.

His mother barred him from drinking more than a single cup of wine. Not that he truly minded as he never became addicted to any of the beverages due to having utmost control over his own dopamine reward circuit.

A dozen spread of dishes, a few songs, a few dances, an hour or two of merriment, and then he was finally able to step away from the festivities and retire to his room.

The secret entrance to his room opened as soon as he'd sat down on his work table and Melisandre entered the room in all her red glory.

He waited as she walked over to his side and sat on a chair before pulling him into a side hug.

He sighed in contentment at being in her arms and finally being able to relax.

They remained like that for a long moment, simply enjoying each other's presence before he pushed away from her and looked deeply into her eyes.

He wanted to kiss her right then and there… but they had more important things to discuss before that.

"Tell me everything that happened while I was gone." He told her, so she did.

"You sent back most of the levies a few days after the battle ended, so the work in the spice fields have already begun." She told him. "It'll take a moon or two more to undo the damage that has happened to those fields, but by the end, the farms should be as good as new."

He nodded and gestured for her to continue.

She brought out a spreadsheet and put it in front of him, showing their current finances. Where the money came from, where it went. How much they had in their treasury. How much more they'll make in the future. And how much of it will be needed for their future projects. It was all that he needed to know and more.

'Things really are easy, when you can leave all your finances in the hand of a trusted partner who you know will look after your interests.' He thought.

"The thousands of men and women you've recruited and brought back with you from Kings Landing should also help increase the spice production. Though creating housing and providing a with a stable of supply of food and water for all of them is going to be a logistical nightmare." Melisandre said before she looked at him curiously. "I also saw about 20 more ships in your fleet. They looked… distinctly Ironborn in origin."

"Not all of them are Ironborn ships." He told her as he leaned back on his chair. "Some of them were pirate and sell sail ships that those men took from merchants and traders. After they've been repaired, they should serve as decent trading vessels."

"And we have the sailors to men those ships?" Melisandre asked, already knowing the answer.

"Hell no." He said with a chuckle. "We're already stretch thin as it is due the 7 new ships we gained during the first battle. I do not have the sailors required to men these newly acquired ships. That's why I've already made deals with House Velaryon, House Celtigar, a few trustworthy merchants in Kings Landing and a few other minor lords in Crownlands."

"I assume we'll be renting out those ships to these people?" Mel asked and he nodded.

"We will. For 30-50 gold dragons a year depending on the size and volume of the ships. And on the condition that they'll save 1/5th of the space in those trading vessels to transports goods created in Dragonstone."

"Sounds like a good deal." Mel said, looking almost surprised.

He scoffed. "My Deal making skills have improved massively since when I first started my spice selling business."

And it was the truth. Over the last year, his Negotiation. Haggling, Deplomacy, Trading, Evaluation, and other such merchant related skills have levelled up at a steady pace until he'd got to the point where he could now negotiate with a fairly competent merchant and get the better end of that deal.

It had felt a bit scummy on his part to use those skills on his own father so that he could get those 20 ships for such a cheap price that those ships might as well be free. But he had done it, and now he had yet another source of steady income to his name.

"Not all those ships are trading vessels though." Mel pointed out. "Some of them are longships and war galleys used by the Ironborn during the war. Those ships don't make for effective trading vessels. But since you brought those ships here as well, I assume that you have an idea about what you want to do what them?"

"You would be correct in that assumption." He said with a smile. "I plan to use those ships for fishing."

Mel frowned at his words. "Fishing? My lord, we already have an armada of boats and fishermen in Dragonstone."

"We do. But those boats do not go far into the deep sea. And for a good reason as the chances of those boats capsizing increases the further you go in those deep waters. That's exactly what these ships will be used for."

"Going far into the sea for fishing…" Mel frowned at his words. "Like the whalers of Ibben?"

"Nothing that adventurous. But yes. There are many exotic fish and other sea species that can only be found in the deep waters. Once those fishes have been caught, we'll sell them to Dragonstone,

Driftmark, Duskendale, Kings Landing and any other ports in the

Crowlands to make a hefty profit. And yes, I've already talked with Lord Jon Arryn about creating a Fishing Fleet and out hashed the details about the tax and tariff. So it shouldn't be a problem."

Mel smiled at his words and gently ruffled his hair. "Look at you. Making all these deals without even needing my personal support. I'm so proud of you."

His cheeks tinged red at her words before he coughed into his hands and continued. "Not all the ships will be used for that express purpose though. I've bought two of the older ships for a different task."

"Oh? And what new business plan do you have in that devious mind of yours?" Mel said, looking curious.

"It is not a business plan. Not truly." He said "Those ships will be used to collect shit from Kings Landing and then bring it to

Dragonstone where that shit will he put inside compost pits. And once that shit has been turned to fertiliser, we'll use them on the spice farms."

Mel nodded at his words. "Seems like a good decision. We do have a great deal of fertile soil in Dragonmont but if we continue using that soil year after year, then it'll eventually run out. Having a different source of fertiliser seems like a wise decision."

He raised an eyebrow at his words. "You don't seem surprised by that." He then chuckled. "Oh, you should've seen the look on Jon Arryn's face when I first told him that I wanted to collect shit from Kings Landing. He didn't believe that I was being serious until I explained the entire compost method to him. Even then, it seemed like he was expecting me to pull a fast one on him. It was pretty hilarious."

Mel shrugged at his words. "Using human shit as fertiliser is something that is already done in Volantis. They have this entire group of slaves in the city whose sole job is to gather animal dung of human shit and then take it outside the city where it'll be turned into fertiliser. Those slaves are seen as the lowest of the low and are not given much respect even from the other slaves, but their job is a vital one to the city. Last I heard, Tyrosh and Lys has both adopted this practice as well. And I expect Braavos to do the same soon enough."

He nodded at her words. He hadn't known that people in this world already knew about composting. But he should've guessed that just because Westerosi people don't know how to do something doesn't mean that the rest of the world won't know either.

"There is another important thing you need to know about." He said and Mel raise a delicate eyebrow in question.

"I killed Varys." He said and Mel blinked for a moment before she nodded.

"I know. I saw it in the fire. How you trailed him back a tunnel and

stabbed him on the back before hiding his body inside your Inventory." Mel said and it was his turn to blink in surprise. "Your visions are becoming more and more accurate. Can you control what they show you?"

Mel nodded. "I have a lot more control over them than I had before. But still not as much as I want to have. I only get visions of important events. So when I 'asked' the fire to show visions of you, it showed me the scenes of you fighting the battle, you killing Varys… or you drugging and then deep-throating the Queen."

He winced at that.

Drugging the queen and then fucking her throat until she lost consciousness wasn't his proudest moment.

But Cersei was never going to be his friend or ally. So he wasn't about to started treating her like one.

Still… he wasn't proud of going as far with her as he did. Not that he truly regretted it. But he knew that he could've handled it better.

"Are you angry?" He asked Mel curiously. He wanted to know if Waifu Catalog capture method truly stopped the waifus from being jealous of their men taking other women as his own.

True to his thoughts, Mel merely looked confused at his words. "Why would I be angry my lord? You are a virile young man with needs. It's true that I would've preferred to be your first instead of the queen. But I've always known that you'll have other women than me in your life. So the vision didn't came as much of a surprise to me."

"Is that so." He said as he took her hand and pulled her to his lap, using his Shaper power to learn that she was already a bit wet down there. Probably from remembering that particular 'vision'. "You must be glad to learn that I didn't give my first time to the queen."

"You didn't?"

"No. She fell unconscious when I came inside her throat." He said as he wrapped one arm around her waist and used the other trailed his fingers up and down her thigh, making her body temperature rise as her breath started becoming heavy. "No. I want her to look me in the eye when I take her for the first time."

"Cuckolding the King while he's away at war. Well, aren't an ambitious one."

"The King is a serial cheater. And Jaime had already turned him into a cuckold. So there's nothing I'm doing to him that hasn't already been done to him or that he doesn't deserve." He said and then chuckled. "Maybe I'll give him the black haired, blue eyed son he has always wanted."

"Maybe you should." Mel said before she trailed her finger under his doublet and started massing his chest. "Or maybe you should focus on me instead."

His cock hardened as she started to sensually rub her body against his own, her large breast pressing against his arm while her soft ass gyrated against his leg. He licked his dry lips and smiled.

"Maybe I should."