29 (27) Bastard Kings Court

In the throne room of the Red Keep the entire Lannister Court had been assembled. Westerland Lords, both those with great holdfasts and those who had lost theirs to the Bloody Wolf. Chief amongst the Lords of the West was Lord Crakehall. He was Tybolt Crakehall, the Son of the Strongboar. The Strongboar had died in the Battle of the Camps outside the walls of Riverrun at the start of the War. Five Mallister knights he felled before falling himself.

When news of his fathers death reached Tybolts ears he was filled with fury. The new Lord of Crakehall rallied all the men he could, green-boys and greybeards, veterans and recruits, mercenaries and hedge knights. Other Lords of the Westerlands pledged their own men-at-arms to Tybolt in hopes of achieving revenge against the Starks for their own losses endured during the War of the Five Kings.

Two hundred heavy cavalry from the West, one hundred Pentoshi free-riders, three hundred heavy infantry that survived the Battle of the Camps and three hundred green boys with nothing but their fathers rusted sword and dreams of glory. Nine hundred they numbered when they set out from Crakehall. They rode hard and struck harder. They nipped at the heels of Robb Stark and his brothers as he campaigned across the Riverlands until the Lord of Crakehall was summoned to his Lord.

Lord Tybolt spent the better part of a year disrupting the Northmen's supply lines and raiding the Riverlands but when news came from Tywin Lannister that he must make haste to Kings-Landing, as Stannis was readying his fleet for a siege, then who was he to refuse the call. It was in Kings-Landing Tybolt remained despite his urging the Old Lion refused to make any moves against the Starks before he was sure they could win. This nurtured a deep resentment in the Strongboars son.

Aside from the Westerland Lords there were also many Lords of the Reach present at court. When the Lords of the Reach arrived at Kings-Landing, after Renly's death at the hand of dark magic, they defeated Stannis at the Mud gate along with the Western Host. The Reach Lords also brought with them the South's great bounty. Grain and crop enough to feed the city ten times over. Mace Tyrell also arrived with sixty thousand Reachmen and a daughter he wanted as a Queen.

There were many Reach Lords assembled but one stood out amongst the rest. Lord Randyll Tarly, Lord of Horn Hill. He had a short white beard and a bald head. He was old yet stronger than a man half his age. His clothes presented the wealth of the Reach and of his Family, deep forrest green surcoat with a striding red hunter embroidered above the heart. Their families great sword hung at his back. The hilt is wrought in the shape of a bow and arrow, with the pommel fashioned as arrow fletching, and the crossguard forming the limbs of the bow. This reflects the sigil of House Tarly, the huntsman. Heartsbane is was called and many a heart it had claimed.

Usually the Lords second born son and heir would be at his side, Dickon Tarly was a strong lad, skilled with a blade but more skilled wiyy the his mind. Like his father he was said to have a back for warfare. However his only chance to prove his skill was during the War in the Kings Wood. It was between these trees and in these battles that Dickon Tarly's youth and inexperience shone. He was soundly defeated by the Blackfish, crippled by Lord Stormcloak and his army routed. Now the Lord of Horn Hill refused to allow his son to be seen at court. Disgraced by his sons failure and that he was now a cripple.

There were also houses from the Crownlands. Most of these Houses abandoned the Iron Throne and the Baratheon-Lannister rule after being subjected to the Mountains terror and instead offered allegiance to the Baratheon Brothers but after both were defeated they resubmitted themselves to the rule of King Joffrey Baratheon the First of his Name.

It was King Joffrey that the Lords stood facing. He sat upon the Iron Throne looking down upon his subjects with distain. His Grandfather Lord Tywin Lannister stood at his side and his mother on his other side. At the base of the steps stood four Knights of the Kings Guard, Ser Loras Tyrell, The White Rose. Ser Meryn Trant and Ser Boros Blount. The largest and most imposing was Ser Sandor Clegane, the Hound. He wore the silver and white scaled armour and the white cloak like the rest but he also had a large steel helm, depicting a snarling hound. Sandor was also the only Kingsguard to use a large greatsword instead of a longsword.

The members of small council also also were assembled at court ready to hear why the king had summoned them, Varys knew however, before even the king had. Lady Margery was present also, with her Mother and Grandmother. Margery held hands with the Lady Sansa Stark. The Queen to be had become friends with the Stark Girl and comforted her when she heard news about her own marriage to the Imp.

The Court was silent when the doors to the throne room opened. A single boy walked in with a large chest clutched in his hands. He stumbled through the halls caked in dirt and blood. His wild brown hair covered his eyes and the majority of his features so no one recognised him until he was nearly at the throne.

"Enough! No further cur!" Lord Tywin called from his place beside the King and Ser Boros Blount drew his sword startling the dirt covered boy causing him to fall.

The chest fell from his hands, if you could call them hands. They were more like bloody stumps and they had partially rotted. His bloody rags failed to hide his malnourished form. A foul odour filled the room and no one could tell if it came from the boy or the chest. He was questioned at by Ser Blount and he looked up at the knight with empty sockets and claw marks on his face. His name was revealed to be Bealor Hightower. Cousin to Margery Tyrell.

"Ser Boros, open the chest!" Joffrey barked in a voice so alike his mothers, and nothing like King Robert.

The White Cloak threw open the chest and out tumbled six heads. All children of Lord Layton Hightower, the man responsible for the death of Lady Asha Stark. Once Asha Greyjoy, Lady of the Iron Islands and Wife of the Bloody Wolf. It was Mace Tyrell that asked his nephew what had happened.

"Uncle, you ordered the Bloody Wolfs death, father tried to kill him," the young boy seemed to shrink in on himself, "The Stark survived, his wife did not, and his vengeance was wrought in blood and fire!!!" The boy finished as he began to shake.

Before anything else could be asked all the windows were thrown open and pouring through them were hundreds and hundreds of ravens. They filled the room and chaos ensued as black feathers surrounded the boy and the heads. They dived between the assembled Lords and Ladies and in the chaos one raven dropped a small letter in the hands of Sansa Stark.

Then the were gone and the boy was dead. Ser Blount inspected the body, there was writing crudely carved into his forehead as was carved into the others. He read it aloud starting with the boy.

"King Robb Stark, The Wolf King"

"King of Winter and the North"

"King of Rivers and the Trident"

"King of Mountains and the Vale"

"King of Iron and the Isles"

"King of Sky and the Stormlands"

"King of Rock and the West"

Whispers broke out in the Court as Ser Blount raised a banner found in the chest. A White Tower, on a green field. The Hightower Banner, but it was bloody and torn, and the red flame at the top of the tower was blue. Anger filled Joffrey at the Stark Kings proclamation. Robb Stark claimed Kingship over six of his Seven Kingdoms. And for that he would lose his head. Joffrey's eyes glanced to Sansa for just a moment and his eyes glinted with malice.

"Your Grace, if this is true then the Reach will be in danger, give me leave and I will bring you the hide of his Direwolf." Lord Tarly proclaimed to the Court as he stepped forward.

"My King, let me go, I have long desired vengeance against the Starks!!!" Tybolt Crakehall called out but was shut down by Tywin.

"No My Lord, we must consolidate our power not run into the Starks trap!" The Old Lion rebuked.

"You!!! Your nothing but an old man!!! An old man who's lost a War to green boys!!!" Tybolt did what no living man has done, he spoke back to the Old Lion of Casterly Rock. Tywins mouth stretched into a grim line as he stared at the raging Lord.

"My father died and you did nothing!!! My home invaded and you did nothing!!! My little brother killed and you refused to let me avenge him!!!" The Lord of Crakehall shook with anger as Tywin gestured to two Red Cloaks.

"Fuck you, COWARD OF CASTERLY ROCK!!!" He raged

The Lannister guards approached but didn't draw their swords as they thought him to be unarmed, a mistake they learned. The lord struck fast, his dirk swerved between the plate armour and both died, the lord of Crakehall drew the longsword from the dead knights sheath as he fell. With a swipe of the sword he rendered a Tarly man in two, his use of silk instead of armour leading to his death.

Now two Kingsguard approached. Tybolt slammed the pommel of his stolen longsword into Loras's wounded shoulder, he had taken an arrow in the Kingswood. Loras Tyrell fell with a cry, Ser Bosos dropped after him from a kick to his chest. Ser Meryn Trant stood In front of his King.

Beside Tyrion, the Master of Coin, there stood two warriors. Shagga of the Mountain Clans raised his two headed axe and grinned a smile filled with bloodlust. Ser Bronn of the Blackwater drew his fancy new sword, the crossguard etched to look like a flaming chain. He also drew his curved dagger from his back but didn't advance without word from Tyrion. Ser Bronn was never the prettiest man in the seven kingdoms but since the Burning on the Redford were he duelled with Jon Stark, or Snow at the time, he had his ear severed by the flaming sword of the Bastard Snow, freezing much of his face leaving him with a striking resemblance to the Hound.

Two red cloaks that had been guarding Lord Kevan Lannister, Master of Ships and Lord of Lannisport. The Lannister men hesitated however. The Lord of Crakehall was a War hero, son of the famous Strongboar and a veteran of the War of the Five Kings. He had personally lead raids against the Northmen and the Rivermen, even sieging Seaguard for a time.

No man of the West wanted to oppose him. The Fist of the West had gained fame, glory and the respect of the Westermen. But Tywin had their fear. All it took to rouse them from inaction was for Ser Fat, Dontos Hollard, the Kings Fool, to begin singing. 'The Rains of Castamere' echoed in the Throne Room and all were reminded who held the power here. The Lannister guards moved, then the died.

"Dog, your dinner is boar tonight!" The King ordered and the mutt followed.

The greatsword was drawn from its sheath in and instant as Loras was dragged away, still clutching his aching shoulder. Ser Boros was stumbling to his feet as the Hound passed him, throwing the Kingsguard back to the floor before approaching Tybolt Crakehall. Faster than any man his size has right to be, he struck. Greatsword clashed against longsword and pain shot up Tybolts arm. Another slash and the longsword clattered to the ground followed by half of the Lords hand.

"Die cunt!" The Hounds deep voice boomed as he raised his sword one last time.

"DOG!!!" The Kings shrill voice stopped the Hound mid-swing. The King rose from the Iron Throne and approached the Lord, now on his knees holding his wounded hand.

"Rise Lord Crakehall." He commanded and the court was confused as he rose before being embraced by the young King.

"You are right, my grandfather is a coward who's lost his home, and six of my kingdoms." The crowd gasped but Joffrey watched relief fill Tybolt's eyes.

"Your Grace I-" a gasp left his lungs as Widows Wail was plunged into his stomach

The knight fell to the floor as Joffrey twirled his Valyrian steel sword lazily. The court was silent as he approached Sansa Stark. She looked away with fear in her eyes but he forced her to look at him with the tip of the blade. She was wearing a dress Tyrion had given to her, it was the Stark colours. Joffrey ripped the dress from her back partially exposing her small cloths and using the torn dress he wiped Widows Wail.

"You we're wearing traitors colours, now it's Lannister Red, as it should be." He snarled with malicious glee before tossing the dress back.

—————————————————————————