Chapter 54

- The Red Keep -

Aegon sat on the Iron Throne, his mask in place while his future wife and Queen of the Seven Kingdoms was sitting right beside him. Her hand on his to show support for the man she would marry. The mask she realized did more then just intimidate people. It also shielded others from his face when it was filled with so many emotions. So no one could see him angry, sad, or other emotions that would give away his intentions. This was a mask he wore to let others know it would be strictly business here with little to no room for pleasantries. The throne room itself was closed off at the request of his Hand in order to handle this with some measure of discretion. Though the Small Council was present for this and it was clear his Hand was filled with mixed emotions.

Not surprising given the two guilty parties to the act of future treason was his wife and the other was his assigned hostage, who he treated like a ward.

"Do you deny the charges against you?" asked Aegon with his tone being deadly serious during this entire matter.

"No your Grace," said Catelyn in defeat.

"I have nothing to say to you except the Iron Born will come back stronger then ever!" stated Theon who was now standing with just a mere brown sack around his waist to cover his shame.

"No they won't. My Aunt is going to finish what she started. The Iron Born will not rise from this. Never again. The Seven Kingdoms is tired of them and what they do. The only reason the Iron Born were not wiped out long ago was due to the morals of others who did not want innocent lives to pay along side the guilty. But the Iron Born as a whole are guilty and as such all of them must be made accountable for their actions," said Aegon with Theon looking at him now in horror.

"You wouldn't. No. You wouldn't dare!" protested Theon and was held tightly by the two Unsullied on either side of him.

"Oh, but I do dare young Greyjoy. This is not just your punishment for your actions, but the punishment for all the Iron Born still alive, who wish to keep following such barbaric ways. Your people want others to pay the Iron Price when it comes to pillaging, raping, and plundering. As far as I am concerned, they owe the Seven Kingdoms a debt and the price of paying that debt is high. It is time they paid that debt. It is time they all paid the Dragon's Price. A price that will be paid fully in fire and blood!" replied Aegon with Theon shaking his head and tears falling down his face.

Everyone knew Aegon always backed up his words with deeds. He only told them first so people could understand the gravity of what was going to happen. To imagine the horror or joy of his actions, depending on what they were, and what he planned to do.

This one naturally being one of horror.

"You're Grace, perhaps not all of the Iron Born have to die. Surely some can be spared to start over fresh. To restore House Greyjoy through honorable means if given the chance," said Ned with Aegon glancing over at him.

"It was that very same morality that allowed the Iron Born to continue rising again to full strength each time Lord Hand. Do you know what they did each time they returned from the brink of annihilation? They raped, pillaged, and plundered. Without a care. Without any form of mercy on their part. And all the while, laughing with joy as they did it. You yourself fought in the Greyjoy Rebellion and they didn't care about honor. They did not care about the Seven Kingdoms or the lives ruined by their hands. They didn't care about the homes they burned. The women they raped and enslaved as their Salt Wives. Of the men they killed or even violated depending on their preferences. Mercy to the Iron Born is not an opportunity at redemption for them Uncle. It is a means to come back and take another chance at hurting the people now under my rule and my protection. To allow the Iron Born to continue this way is to validate their means of living and very existence in terms of taking what they want when doing things the Iron Born way," countered Aegon with his mind already made up.

"He is right Lord Stark. The history of the Seven Kingdoms is filled with moments where the Iron Born rise again when the Crown has shown them even an instant of mercy. I told Robert he should just remove them in their entirety, but wouldn't hear of it. Something about giving him a chance to fight again if they ever tried to rebel a second time under his rule. With the Iron Born fully removed, trade with Essos, Braavos, and ports throughout Westeros itself would thrive," added Stannis since he knew through his trusted former smuggler Ser Davos how some Iron Born who escaped the end of the rebellion had left to do what they did in the open sea and caused problems for honest sea traders.

"The time of the Iron Born rising again and being reavers is over. If any do survive this next attack, they can either choose to change their ways one final time or they can be put to the sword. Either they change for the better or they die as fools. As for you Theon Greyjoy, you will be kept in the Black Cells and await for word of your House being reduced to a smoldering pile of ash!" said Aegon with his tone being final on the matter.

"Yes your Grace," said Ned while seeing his nephew's decision would not be changed.

"Now that being decided, we now come to the issue of Lady Stark here," said Aegon while his gaze behind his mask focused on the woman in front of him.

"Your Grace, I...," said Ned, but a raised hand silenced him.

"I know what you wish to say Uncle. You wish for me to show mercy to your wife. One last final act of mercy. Out of respect for you being her husband. And on some level, I understand. But in the end, such acts of treason cannot be ignored. What she planned to do with House Bolton and House Frey would have cost me family, friends, loved ones, and those vital to the safety and security of the Seven Kingdoms," said Aegon with Ned sighing and nodding since such treason went beyond forgiveness.

"There is also the issue of showing Lady Stark mercy would make the King look weak in the eyes of the people. They believe his Grace is a honorable and just King. If he ignored this situation because she is your wife, the people would think differently. They would think him weak or incompetent. Justice cannot be ignored or denied regardless if the one committing the crime is related to you," said Stannis with Aegon nodding to the man since he knew this was one of those times when harsh decisions needed to be made that close to one's own family.

"Which is why I have a punishment befitting her," replied Aegon while seeing the Tully woman looking increasingly nervous.

"And what is the King's decision?" asked Tyrion curiously.

"Since Catelyn Tully Stark dislikes all things related to bastards, she will be placed in an area surrounded by them. She shall be sent to Dorne and be put to work as a servant of one of the Houses most filled with them. Prince Oberyn, you will coordinate this with your brother. She will do nothing considered dishonorable to her person of course, but the House she serves must have a significant number of them. If one cannot be found, she can work in one of their orphanages where all the children located there are bastards. In addition, I hereby forbid Catelyn Tully Stark from seeing any of her five children again. Ever!" replied Aegon with Catelyn now looking truly horrified.

"Your Grace, please don't do this. Don't deny me the right to see my children. Please!" begged Catelyn while staring up at the King.

"You once told me that I was and always will be, a bastard. That I will never rise above my station. I will never have what your son will have in life. How I will always be lower then the dirt you, Catelyn Tully Stark, walk on. You made my life miserable and more so when my Uncle was away on business or during the Greyjoy Rebellion. Swearing all of the servants to silence while you ran the castle and making it clear to me that anything I would tell my Uncle about such treatment, would be seen as a lie. You devoted so much love to your children. Love I never had. Love I always wanted. As I grew up, I hoped to one day earn that what love was from you. To show you I was worthy of it. Do you know what I learned since those days in regards to you Lady Stark?" said Aegon before slowly rising from the Iron Throne and walking toward the steps, but stopped at the edge.

"Your Grace, please don't...I...I...," said Catelyn while on her knees.

"It wasn't me who was unworthy of being loved. It was YOU! Not me. YOU! You are not worthy of being a Lady of a prominent House. You are not worthy of being a Mother to any of your children. And above all else, you are not worthy of being loved by anyone in the entirety of the Seven Kingdoms. You were trying to see my time as King end just as it started, knowing the truth about my heritage, knowing I was never a bastard of Ned Stark to begin with, and all the while hating me afterwards. And for what? Just for delivering long overdue justice against those who wronged my House! It is only because you are my Uncle's wife that I spare you the sword to the neck!" stated Aegon with his fury over this woman slowly rising and it could be felt by everyone in the room.

Tyrion flinched slightly since those were words his Father would say to him, if given a chance with a few altered words. Though he felt the King's words would have made just about anything the late Tywin Lannister say fall short by comparison. Tyrion was quite fortunate that the King only held grudges against those who hurt him. Not the entire an group or House as a whole.

Prince Oberyn had a small moment of sympathy for the Tully woman since the idea of never seeing his many children would be devastating to him. Not that he blamed the King for making such a decision since the Tully woman had no reason to hate Aegon despite what had happened to her House. The King had been wronged for years. His very House had been wronged by others. And now this woman near undid everything the King was trying to do now that he sat on the Iron Throne. Still, the words the King spoke were so venomous, one would think they could be used as a poison, and used on one of Prince's blades.

Stannis held back his flinch despite the image of never seeing his daughter again and being relocated elsewhere while dreading what would become of his precious child. It was one of the reasons the decision to bend the knee and pledge fealty to the dragon once more had been the smart move. Ser Davos had said as much. Robert had been drunk on rage, bloodlust, and whispers of promised power once being King with Lyanna Stark by his side. Stannis held no such ambitions, tempting as they were when the Red Priestess had arrived in Dragonstone, and the letter from Ned Stark initially told him the truth of Cersei's children not being Robert's. No. Tempting as the trappings of power were, he knew it was foolish to challenge the might of a young and truly powerful dragon.

Stannis also knew that Robert was only able to best Rheagar at the Trident because his war hammer was successful when hitting its mark at the exactly the right time. Stannis believed if that one attack had missed, it would be Rheagar sitting on the Iron Throne for the last twenty years. Not Robert.

Ned grimaced knowing his children would be upset with their cousin on this, though the crime in which their Mother committed had been warranted such an act. Daenerys and Margery were silent on the issue with one knowing this was something that could not be ignored and the other knowing this was a personal family affair she had no real say in.

The only one truly expressive here was Lord Tyrell, who looked uncomfortable when the King made his decree, given his son's own actions had been very close to Catelyn Tully Stark own, and the punishment delivered was quite harsh in his mind. The Lord of the Reach knew he had no more political room to maneuver with the dragon and trusted his Mother to bring Loras back fully into the fold of things. Renly has been a fool to push his claim despite the possibility his House could have used him to get their daughter on the Iron Throne. Had Aegon not come along when he did, perhaps Mace and his Mother would have considered it. Yes, the rules did say Stannis was next after Robert since the latter had no official heirs. But no one truly followed the rules or honored them these days.

Or at least, they didn't prior to the current King sitting on the Iron Throne.

Varys had a brief look of sympathy for the woman. If only in regards to her children, who he knew would not like this decision, even if it was justified. The Spider considered this act by the King to be merciful since Aegon could have easily called for the woman's head right here on the spot. Of course, the King was not his Grandfather (thank all the Gods), and had a good head on his shoulders.

"Lord Stark, I am going to allow your wife to spend the next few days here within King's Landing to be spent in your custody since I am sure you will wish to spend it with her," said Aegon with Ned nodding since he would have to spend those days with her knowing it would be a long time, if any, that he would see Catelyn again.

"I will arrange for Lady Stark's ship to Dorne your Grace. And send a letter to my brother to further along the arrangements," said Prince Oberyn with Aegon nodding.

"Proceed Prince Oberyn. I will leave the arrangements for her travel to you and to inform your brother of these events," said Aegon while sitting back on the Iron Throne.

"There is also the issue of my Tommen and Myrcella. They have been guests here, but I am unsure of their place in the world," said Tyrion while visiting the two every so often and assuring them nothing cruel would happen to either one of his kin.

"What do you propose Tyrion?" asked Aegon curiously.

"It is no secret that Myrcella herself is going to become a beautiful woman, not unlike her Mother. Without the cruel tendencies hidden behind it of course. I also know that young Tristan Martell, Prince Doran's son, is a young boy himself, and will one day rule over Dorne. Since the issue with House Lannister and House Martell born from past issues has been resolved, I would like to consider an arranged marriage between the two," replied Tyrion with Aegon looking at Oberyn, who was considering it.

"I would have to ask my brother about it considering the delicate situation of the young girl's parentage, but I doubt he will truly mind," said Prince Oberyn with Aegon nodding.

"Good. And unlike previous arranged marriages done in the past where neither side truly knows the other, I want Myrcella to know her future betrothed. And, in the event they do not like each other in such a fashion fit for a future marriage, the betrothal can end with both sides parting on good terms," said Aegon with Tyrion and Prince Oberyn nodding.

"And Tommen?" asked Tyrion with Aegon thinking it over.

"A Maester. Once this issue I have with them has been cleared, we can easily arrange for the boy to go to the Citadel to be trained under one," said Aegon with Tyrion liking that since the boy had a good head on his shoulder for learning.

"Tommen will be thrilled by the news your Grace," said Tyrion while smiling since his nephew was an innocent boy who loved cats and other innocent things.