Chapter 22: Chapter 22 : King’s Landing
Robert Baratheon (POV) :
Jon Arryn was dead, the leech that Pycelle had said a fever took him. I was going to go amd drag Ned back to the capital to clean my shit. Why could things not go right. Soon after my foster father’s death an explosion happens in the middle of the night.
What that was, what it meant and how it had happened was still unknown. Varys had spoken about the red priests. I must say, even without evidence it made most sense. I had used that as an excuse to give the people a common enemy.
The realm was declining, my misrule had made sure of that. I never wanted to be a King anyway. Jon had tried cleaning the messes I kept making. Doing what I want without any reconsiderations.
Perhaps it was my incompetance that killed him, maybe I overworked him to death. Lysa Arryn wanted to run off to the Vale with Jon’s boy. But the docks were blown up there was no ships.
And I was not going to let that vile woman ruin little Robins life. He was nearly 7, a frail and weak boy sure. But he had not needed to be breast fed he was not that weak.
Her obsession with her own son in such a manner was disgusting. But I could not really blame her. The woman had suffered her fair share of pain in life. From seven miscarriages to marriage with an old man.
But the boy was the heir to the east. I would give him to Tywin no....Ned perhaps. That would be right.
I needed him here.
Until then this city only has me, Stannis too was gone but he would be arriving soon. I had commanded Ned and Lord Royce to show up too. I needed proper men in this city to clean it from the filth.
Renly was a failure, too high on smugness to see his own faults. He was a sweet talker that made him think he was worthy. A fool. But he had the Tyrells with him. That would make any fool dangerous.
I had been unaware of the happening of my own kingdom. What a great king I was. That damned blast had woken me up to the truth and I had found myself unable to sleep again.
Everyday went my listening to my sycophantic council yap nonsense. Worst still was Petyr’s drama. The little weasel had cried a little to hard for his broken brothel in the silk of street, loosing all his sharpness for some reason.
I had let the realm go into crippling debt and the fool Petyr had been unable to do anything to stop it. Jon had vouched for this man. I must find a new man. I had summoned Kevan Lannister to court too. Maybe he would be decent, a Lannister sure but he seemed to have a fine head on his shoulders.
The most unexpected suprise was the imp. Proving to be decently compotent. Managing the rebuilding of the docks. He even suggested the idea of a proper drainage system and that he could help.
The wine no longer held its usual fine taste anymore, the whores were becoming unappealing. What’s next the Starrey sept is gonna burn ? HAH! What a fine man I had become.
I could swear I was as large as Mace Tyrell now. But I could feel my youthful vigour returning these past few days. Had to push myself harder.
I had been informed by Varys about Jon’s visits to look for my bastards, he was making sure they were well taken care off. I needed to do my part as a father.
The boy gendry, I had him back but to give him to Renly for squiring. I needed to find Maya a husband too. Cercei was displeased and would have burnt the red keep down if I had bought them here. I knew that. So I sent as many of my Bastards as I could find to decent places.
Cercei was suprisingly tolerating of this, as much kindness as can be expected of her. She had not been the same bitch that she was, only slightly less infuriating than before.
She sat the Council meetings now, she had insisted and well she was not a complete idiot.So I let it pass.
I needed to smooth things with her before letting her know I plan to send Joffrey to Tywin. The little shit needs to be straightened.
I had tried to ignore him and his...nature. But I had to do something before it was too late.
The crown did not have the means to rebuild shit, Baelish had proved remarkably useless when most needed.
I had already stripped Renly of his rank as Master of Laws. I had heard of the gold cloeaks incompotence but I figured too much was not required to deal with common folk. But it was suprise to me when I learned about the corruption in the ranks.
Janos Slynt himself being most guilty, the buters son was appointed by Renly. Was most guilty of terrorising the small folk. I had him sent to the wall alongside hundred other goldcloaks.
"Seven hells! Why does this all happen now" I mutter as the spider enters the door.
"Yo...you..Grace!" That was not a good look on a man, let alone the spider something had happened...Something bad.
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"WHAT THE FUCK! IS THE MEANING OF THIS!" I roar at the Coucil present. The fucking Hightower had been reduced to cinders. How the fuck does this shit keep getting worse.
Most everyone important was present Renly, Loras Tyrell, Cercei, Tyrion, Baelish, Varys, Pycelle, Ser Barristen, the kingslayer. And they all flinched as I landed my fist onto the table shaking it violently.
"SPEAK SPIDER!" I speak, calm was not an emotion affordable right now. The world was changing and we had not understood how or even why.
"You’re grace....By maestars own words and witnesses, two twin flashes of red light had emerged from within the Hightower! Tearing through the sky, turning the nightsky white. And the tower was split in half falling on top of the honeywine! Nobody knows how. There were hundreds in the building. And...The Starrey Sept too suffered immedietly after within mere moments! Noone knows how!!!" Varys’s voice held a panic they never had.
He knew most everything happening in westeros. And he had not a clue how this happened, he could not point blind fingers at anyone. There were no reports of red witches in oldtown. He would have known. And he would have said so
"Do.....Is.....this some jape!" Loras Tyrell spoke, the boy’s face drained of colour as did everyone else’s. This was a story as outlandish as it could get. But it was true.
"The entire Hightower bloodline alonside several important septons and maestars have been erased" Varys spoke again.
Pycelle had looked like he would drop dead from the news. Why would he care? He could not even keep to anyone of his oaths to the Citadel that Lannister bootlicker.
’Tsk, need to somehow get rid of him. The next young girl he touches I would put him in the black cells’ this was actually a perfect oppertunity some would say.
The Citadel had lost all of their important people in one go. Noone to really protest the removal of the hag.
The Septons too would now hold far less power. The symbolic meaning behind the Starrey Sept buring would be a disaster for the faith of the seven.
The High Septon declares war on a foreign religion and a few days later the second most important Sept in the world reduces to cinders.
Recovery was near impossible from the loss. But the High Septon if he was know for his brain could even call a holy crusade over this. But he could not, he was too foolish, too corrupt and far to cowardly.
The faith would decline after this. If the Northeners were the ones to force their beliefs on others like the faith, this would be a golden opportunity.
More power with the King then, whoever did this has ended up uniting the realm for the better or for the worse. Fear creates unity. And now we have a common enemy. But the greater issuses were how it happened. Noone had a clue.
Note: Phew! two more Chapter and the first volume ends :) Bye.
