Chapter 43

The days after the tourney in Kings Landing was chaotic. Many began to question the High Septon, in the weeks leading up to the tourney the Septon's all preached about the evil of magic and of the Starks. They had riled up quite a few people to start trouble and most of them were dead now, but their loved ones who were still alive publicly condoned the Septon's actions.

Nobody would dream of speaking ill of the Starks now, especially after many witnessed and felt the holy aura and wings Cyrus had. There was no doubt in the populace's minds that the Starks were good holy people. Catelyn and Justicar Julia Celeste had healed all who were injured and they all saw them both leave together. So many believed Julia to already be under the Stark banner considering her and Cyrus' similar abilities and aura. Which they wouldn't be that far from the truth, in terms of rank or power she would be under him but not as a Stark but as a Paladin of the Order of the Silver Hand. Arthas was Uther's apprentice so he would be considered Vice Commander while Julia was just a general.

Julia did plan on staying with Cyrus, not just to aid in the fight against the Burning Legion, but to also keep a close watch on Cyrus. It wasn't that she didn't trust him, he was working alongside Alexstrasza and she wouldn't ally herself with someone evil like the Lich King. It would go against everything she represented.

What she was keeping an eye on him for was to make sure he didn't put the [Helm of Destruction] on again.

Also Westeros was more what she was used to, Essos was a little different. Not that she didn't enjoy her time there, but slavery was widespread there and Knights of the Silver Hand didn't approve of slavery. It went against their code, so being in a land that outlawed slavery was more comfortable. Julia had followed Catelyn back along with the Yellow Emperor who was still hiding who he was to Winterfell. Upon entering the keep and seeing the Hall of Champions, the Yellow Emperor could no longer contain himself and requested to speak to the Lord of Winterfell. But since Ned was still in Kings Landing handling the aftermath of the battle and of the truth about the Queen and her children, he met with Robb and Catelyn instead.

After he was told the conditions the Yellow Emperor quickly agreed. The Starks didn't require anyone to bend the knee to gain a class, only that they will fight the enemy with their new strength. Yellow Emperor saw it as a win-win and even if he wasn't required to bend the knee and submit to them it didn't mean he couldn't ally with House Stark as equals. He fully did so after he awakened his Warlock class, although it wasn't a huge change in his abilities power wise it was significant. He now had his own much larger mana pool and it was much more focused than before. He immediately took out an alliance contract he had previously prepared before arriving in Winterfell and signed a full alliance deal including trade, military and magic. After finding out the port locations for the north he used his magic to communicate to his traders to add the northern ports to their routes and to give them priority over the Citadel. He didn't like those Maesters, he knew they only hated magic because they couldn't use it.

Thus started a very long and profitable trade route from Yi Ti to the north.

In Kings Landing Ned was enjoying the show, Cersei, Jaime and Joffrey were in chains while Tywin was mortified. He seemed like he had aged ten years after hearing what his twin son and daughter had done together. Not once but three times, Tywin had always been pleased that his Lannister's were now a Royal family. Had she at least produced one true-born heir for the King things may have been salvaged. His disgust for Cersei only increased when unlike her brother, she felt no shame in what she had done. Joffrey was in complete denial, refusing to believe he wasn't a prince. He knew without the title of prince he could never get his hands on Sansa and Arya, that was how twisted he was. He wasn't thinking of his own possible death, but on how he wouldn't be able to continue hurting others and the two he had been craving to torment and hurt would be forever taken from him.

Ned wanted to lop the boys head off from all the yelling he was doing at his real parents, blaming them for not letting him get his hands on his daughters and openly saying what he was wanting to do to them. His madness was evident for all to see but his mother. She was only saddened that her son now hated her. King Robert hearing the boy spout rubbish about his brother's daughters, unlike Ned he wasn't able to hold it in and caved the boy's head in with his hammer.

Brain matter splat all over Cersei who herself became hysteric after seeing her son die yelling about how proud she was for banging her brother and even began listing all the other Lannister's within the Red Keep that she had been having regular sexual relationships with naming some of her uncles and cousins. Tywin and Jaime both grew paler as she shouted names. Neither of them realized just how messed up she was, none of the names were branch members of their family they were direct family members. Jaime had always thought she loved him, he wasn't even with it in the very beginning but she had convinced him it was fine since they truly loved one another. Tywin while he himself married his cousin, but the extent his daughter went was beyond his imagination.

Again Robert swung his hammer on her screeching head as she kept naming names and what activities she did with them, upon her death Jaime just looked down. He was done, he hated his father the same as his sister did. He hated him for all the things he forced him to do against his will. Like when he forced him to make his youngest brother Tyrion watch as Tywin then his men raped Tyrion's first love and wife in front of him telling him she was but a whore. That event broke Jaime, unlike his sister and father he truly did care for Tyrion. He never blamed him for his mother's death, after that event Jaime was always nicer to Tyrion and it was the reason he joined the Kingsguard to spit on his fathers legacy. To deny him the heir he wanted, he wanted to force him to make Tyrion the heir to House Lannister.

Seeing King Robert move in front of him, Jaime looked at his father and said, "I want you to know this was your doing, everything we did we did in spite of you. We wanted to crush your dream for our house. Tyrion deserves to be heir, he would do what you couldn't. Make our house stronger. But like everything good in life, you have a way of destroying it. I'm glad my mother didn't live to see what you became." Jaime spit at his father, then looked up at King Robert with a determined face. "Swing hard and true my Lord, I only ask you not harm Myrcella and Tommen when you find them. You can disown them and renounce them as royalty, but don't hurt them. Joffrey deserved what he got, they don't." Jaime then closed his eyes and smiled. "Mother, see you soon."

The hammer came down with a sickening crunch, Tywin looked nothing as he did when he first arrived. He just stared at the three bodies, his memories of his wife and children flashed in his thoughts. His sons last words echoed within his mind. He knew he changed after Joanna died, she was his everything. Even though they were first cousins she was the only person he loved unconditionally. Now there was one son left but he didn't know if he was dead or alive, Tywin knew perfectly well why Tyrion hadn't sent any word back. He finally came to terms with everything, he knew what needed to be done. Having his men bring out the corpses of his family he buried their bodies with his wife where they belonged, he then proceeded to name Tyrion as heir to Casterly Rock and gave his brother Kevan Lannister custodial right to rule until such day Tyrion returns if he ever does. Tywin didn't think Tyrion died, he just figured the boy probably suffered too much to ever want to return. It was why he went on such a journey to look for a new life, Tywin truly hoped his son found his place in this world. A place he could call home. He then took a bottle from his desk left a note and walked down into the crypts, he approached his wife's statue that served as her headstone. Taking in her image, allowing it to bring fond memories of her to the surface, he began to look back at everything. It then brought all his mistakes to mind as well, he spoke to her and this children opening up and deeply apologized to them for his mistakes. Once he felt he had nothing left to say, he drank the Essence of Nightshade and sat under her statue to await the poison to kick in. "I've missed you my Joanna, I can't wait to see you and hope you can forgive a foolish old man." He slowly faded away, as his consciousness faded his last thoughts were on Tyrion. He hoped he would come back at least once, that was his only regret was not being able to tell him he was sorry and that he did love him. He had left a letter for him in hopes it may at least ease his sons hate for his own family.

It wasn't long after Tywin passed that his brother Kevan had found his note and him. Tywin was then buried in the place Tywin had prepared next to Joanna.

Word of Tywins demise had spread, once it reached Oberyn's ears he was upset he wasn't able to kill the man himself. However he liked to look at the brighter side, now that Tywin was dead there was no more protection for Gregor Clegane or Amory Lorch. So Oberyn and Ellaria made the trip to search for Gregor to get his revenge. It didn't take long for him to find where the Mountain was along with Amory Lorch, one was a giant of a man while the other a really ugly overweight knight. Both had a proclivity to violence, upon finding out Tywin was dead the two began to rape and murder their way north. Even though they didn't like Tywin personally he did give them plenty of jobs where they got paid to do what they loved, killing and raping. They both blamed the Starks for their loss of income and pleasure, so they planned to sneak into Winterfell and get their pleasure from killing and torturing the boys and taking their time with the mother and daughters. But by them not being sneaky and taking advantage of no leash and attacking many settlements they were easily tracked by two separate parties. Oberyn and his paramour were coming from the north and Sandor Clegane was tracking his brother from Kings Landing's direction. After Joffrey was stripped of their royal titles publicly along with his sister and brother, Sandor took this chance to finally kill his brother. He couldn't before due to him being backed by Tywin Lannister, he has wanted to kill his older brother since he killed their little sister in cold blood. He didn't care that he also killed their father, but his little sister didn't deserve what Gregor did to her. She was a kind loving girl who was inquisitive and smart. She loved following Sandor everywhere.

Something inside of Sandor had broken that day when he buried his sister, he wasn't as bad as his brother but he became a cold hard individual. Not only did Gregor sexually abuse and violently beat her to death he left her bruised and broken body out like garbage, didn't even care to bury her or hide her from animals. As he dug the grave the only thing on his mind was revenge. Now that there was no protector, Sandor would have that revenge. Three like minded individuals stalked closer to their prey, quickly catching up due to the two making sure to get as much pleasure to warm up for their real dessert, the Starks.