-Chapter 172-

-Chapter 172-

-POV Sandor Clegane-

"So who are you betting on?" I asked, looking at the Kingslayer.

He shrugged and then said, "Whoever it is, it won't change anything."

"Yes, maybe not for me, but for you..." I said.

"Cersei will never be named Empress; her past is too tainted for that," said the Kingslayer.

"Hmm, I agree with you. So who do you think our dear Emperor will name as the new Empress?" I asked once again.

Jaime Lannister said nothing for a while, but seeing that I was going to continue talking, he said:

"I think our next Empress will be Queen Bellegere."

"No, he doesn't love her and has no children with her; he won't name her Empress," I said confidently, starting to understand and figure out this Emperor we served.

"He didn't love Arianne," retorted the blond.

"If he wanted to make Bellegere Empress, he would have done it already," I said after a few seconds of confusion, because that blonde piece of shit was actually right.

"So who do you think he will name, O Great Sage of the Seven Kingdoms?" said Jaime Lannister.

"The Seven Kingdoms no longer exist; be careful, you could lose your tongue for that," I said, looking around to see if anyone had heard us.

Since Aegon had imprisoned his wife, I was tense. I was a little afraid that the Emperor had killed the man in him with whom we used to joke from time to time, and if that was the case, some jokes I usually made and some tasks I performed nonchalantly could lead me to my grave.

'And that's out of the question,' I thought.

"Don't worry, no one will hear us, and the Emperor isn't such a petty person."

"Do what you want, but don't drag me with you, is that clear?" I said to my "brother."

"Very well," he said, resuming his guard without another word.

After a few moments, I finally said, "I heard the Starks are coming. I bet we could have a Stark Empress."

"That's bullshit, he'll never marry Catelyn Tully's daughter," said Jaime Lannister, as if it was the most absurd thing he had ever heard, emphasizing the now extinct name of the House that ruled the Riverlands for centuries.

"Want to bet?" I said, confident of my victory.

"How much?" asked the blond.

"5,000 gold dragons," I said, which represented half of my total wealth.

"Very well," said the Kingslayer, surprised by the amount but nonchalant, as it was nothing to him.

'Fucking Lannister'

"Bet on what?" said Lord Commander Selmy, arriving behind me.

"Nothing at all, Lord Commander," we said in unison.

'Fucking rules, our damned Emperor has trained me well. I now honor the crest of my damn House.'

Ser Barristan inspected us both for two seconds before resuming his patrol, and as he was about to turn to take the right corridor, he stopped and said:

"I bet on Daenerys Targaryen. She sent a message asking for peace."

'Damn, it's true that he was also obsessed with her, but there is still hope for me to be right. Our Emperor is a great sovereign, perhaps one of the greatest Westeros has had in hundreds of years, but he is so petty. As long as he doesn't forgive the last attack and clings to his resentment, he won't crown her as his Empress.'

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-POV MC-

'They've brought out the big guns to convince me to stop the war,' I thought, seeing not only my adoptive father/uncle but also my great-great-uncle Aemon.

I smiled and then entered the great hall of Dragonstone. Everyone present was now kneeling before the Dragonstone throne.

I quickly advanced before my great-great-uncle and said:

"You don't have to kneel before me, my uncle."

"You are the Emperor."

"It doesn't change anything," I said before turning to one of the dragon guards and saying, "Go fetch a comfortable chair for my great-great-uncle."

A few seconds later, the guard arrived running with a comfortable seat.

"Thank you, you are a good boy," said my great-great-uncle after thanking the guard.

I smiled at his address, then continued to advance and finally sat on the Dragonstone throne, the ancestral throne of House Targaryen since they fled the Doom of Valyria.

Looking at the people in this hall, I was surprised to see many who had no business here. All the high nobility had gathered, to the point that even old and discreet Houses that usually just observed were gathered here: Tarly, Hightower, Lefford, Buckler, and even House Florent.

'They smell blood and want to feast on Arianne's carcass. This will be quite amusing,' I thought with a slight smile.

I had two thrones added at the base of mine: one for Cersei, who was holding Maegor in her arms, surely to ensure she had a legitimate reason in everyone's eyes to sit in that position due to her status as a mistress and not a wife, and one for Bellegere.

"Bring in the prisoners," I said simply to begin once my seven royal guards positioned themselves between the crowd of lords and the three thrones.

'Why do I still call it the Kingsguard when I am Emperor? I need to find a way to repurpose this order without destroying it and its traditions,' I thought, slightly amused.

I watched Arianne being dragged before the entire high nobility, chained, accompanied by her five cousins, then I said:

"Here are the five bastard daughters of Oberyn Martell. Prince Doran Martell has agreed to deliver four of them as a sign of his unwavering loyalty to the Iron Throne while I already had the fifth in hand."

'That fool didn't think I knew she was working for Marwyn, so she didn't even try to flee.'

'Unfortunately for her, I knew exactly where and who she was from the start.'

'Alleras... how did so many people not understand who she was all this time? Just change the last letter of her name to the front, and it spells Sarella.'

'Then again, I can't boast because I already knew, I didn't figure it out by sheer deduction.'

"You surely recognize the sixth woman who is... well, who was my wife Arianne Martell, the daughter of Prince Doran Martell, who unlike her father, showed disloyalty to her Emperor. She abused her power and has been stripped of all her titles, lands, and possessions. She will end her days in the order of the Silent Sisters," I said, ensuring to keep a detached tone and show no expression on my face.

'No anger, no sadness, and no hatred, just indifference. Everyone must see that I am unassailable, unattackable, and that these things have no impact on my mind and decision-making.'

"Before my guards take the traitresses back to their cells, I would like to ask a question to the Regent of Casterly Rock?"

Cersei, surprised, turned to me and nodded. I then asked:

"If an occasion arose where someone offered you the chance to betray me, would you do it?"

Cersei immediately shook her head, panicked, then I turned to Bellegere and said:

"And you, my dear?"

"Never," said Bellegere unequivocally, serene and dignified.

'A true queen,' I thought for a moment.

I nodded, relieved, then said, "Bring in the next traitors."

As guards dragged Arianne and her cousins out, others entered with two chained prisoners who, unlike the Dornish women, had clearly been subjected to many tortures.

Chained, my Grand Maester Marwyn, the Royal Architect Soranos Farinelli, and my queen's lady-in-waiting, Rose.

"You have all confessed under torture to having knowingly or unknowingly participated in my assassination. Rose, you admitted to transporting the plans of the catacombs as well as the number of guards to the five Faceless Men who tried to kill me and my descendants. Do you have anything to say in your defense?"

"No, I am at fault, and I betrayed my queen for a coin. I deserve my punishment."

"Very well, you will be burned by..."

"By Syrax," said Bellegere, gritting her teeth.

I said nothing, then moved on to the second traitor: "Soranos, we have worked together for several years. Why betray me?"

He said nothing, and then I smiled and said, "So be it, it won't change anything anyway. You betrayed me, so you will die. Be grateful that I am sparing your family."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," he said, eyes lowered to the ground.

Looking at Marwyn, who stared at me with eyes full of resentment, I smiled and then said:

"You have only yourself to blame. I warned you not to test my limits, not to overstep your bounds. You are a genius, and on top of that, a passionate genius, but you crossed a line by creating that poison. It made me vulnerable, and your damn apprentice used it against me by giving it to her sister. It's your responsibility."

He looked at me for a long time before sighing and resigning himself to his fate.

"The crimes of these three people are unforgivable. They did not all intend to kill me, but they participated, and the punishment for treason is death. Tonight, I will incinerate them myself... at least, that's what I would have said if my loyal right hand Bryan hadn't returned to shed light on a darker plot targeting the imperial crown," I said as everyone who thought the judgment ceremony was over started to pay attention again.

Bryan, who had been waiting for his moment, stepped forward from the ranks of the nobles and said in a strong and solemn tone:

"Tyene Sand acted against the crown because she wanted to avenge her father. Her motivations are clear. She received help from a man we have identified as the dark arm of Illyrio Mopatis, a certain Ydriss. Their motivations are also clear since the former Prince of Pentos was suspected of being the father of Aegon Blackfyre, born from a female line of the now-extinct House Blackfyre."

"But among the assassins, we found several methods and unique poisons from different assassin organizations. We couldn't identify them all, but what we know for sure is that the Faceless Men participated, as did the Mourners of Qarth, the Flaming Sword of Volantis, and the Harpy's Claws of New Ghis."

"Are we sure about this?" asked Benjen Stark, skeptical.

"Yes, we are sure and certain. They sent their best men, and hundreds of Dragon Guards, who I remind you are the elite of the empire, died," said Bryan in an undeniable tone.

"That would mean all the involved parties found some common ground and are trying to make sure you and your aunt fight to the death. Only dragons can kill other dragons," said my uncle.

'That's not the only reason, but yes, it's a good way to get rid of her. I would probably have done the same.'

"I personally think we are becoming too dangerous, both economically and militarily, and they fear an invasion, so they strike first," said Bryan.

I nodded and then said, "You're right, but I think it's also my fault. Given my prohibition against harming Daenerys, they feel threatened and believe I will abandon them to ally with her and finally put an end to slavery."

"Which is completely false; you have no interest in Essos," said Viserys.

"You know that, but they don't. They think with fear as their only counselor."

"A very bad counselor," said my adoptive father.

I nodded while looking at him, then Bryan said:

"But that's not all I found. Digging deeper, I discovered that the ties between the Faceless Men and the Iron Bank of Braavos are very deep, and those linking the Iron Bank to the slavers are even stronger, despite its history and apparent disgust for this way of life."

"So if I were to destroy slavery, I would severely impact the coffers of the key holders," I said for everyone to understand.

"Exactly. Of course, I didn't stop there. Unlike you, Your Majesty, I didn't immediately understand why the Iron Bank was so troubled, so in my quest for connections between the Iron Bank and all those related to the assassins and the masterminds, I found some extremely disturbing elements."

He paused for a moment to formulate his words, then said:

"Before joining Daenerys Targaryen's camp, Illyrio Mopatis stopped in Braavos for a few weeks and almost exclusively spoke with a certain Tormo Fregar."

"Who is this man?" asked Uncle Ned.

"Now it gets interesting, Your Excellency, because this man is currently no one," said Bryan.

"No one?!" said my uncle, confused.

"He is no one for now, but he has managed to connect with the right people, form proper alliances with the heirs of the key holders, and has rendered services to many people. He is expected to succeed the current Sealord of Braavos, Ferrego Antaryon."

"But beyond that, he is also an acquaintance of our queen. Perhaps that is why she betrayed her husband and her emperor and ordered his assassination. Isn't that right, Queen Bellegere?" said Bryan to my wife, who looked shocked at my right hand.