Northern Sun | Robb Stark

Chapter 12

They waited in silence.

With each beat of Eidalya's heart, she imagined another step that Stannis and Robb took with their massive army, swarming King's Landing, surrounding it with shields and flags that represented freedom from tyranny. Each step was another man that didn't die, another woman that didn't scream in terror, another child that didn't starve.

How peacefully a war could come to its end when the right choice was made.

They never would've managed this with Joffrey. They'd have had no choice but to fight until the other king was dead. Joffrey would've taken every sneaky measure to make sure it wasn't him.

She imagined that if Oberyn had poisoned him, it was probably one of the most brilliant things ever done. Eliminate the one they couldn't negotiate with and install one that Eidalya had a good rapport with.

She'd once wondered who'd become their negotiator and it turned out to be her.

Cersei, Tywin, and Jaime (upon being located) were taken by guards. Tommen commanded they be confined in their rooms with men outside preventing their escape. The tunnels were being swept to find Ellaria, who would be brought to the throne room unharmed.

He had no intention of hearing his mother and grandfather out. The only one he needed to hear anything from was Eidalya.

They waited the rest of the afternoon, into the evening. Dinner was brought right to the platform of the Iron Throne. The Tyrells stayed out of curiosity, the old Olenna watching them closely and otherwise sitting with a fan beating at her face. Whether she admired Eidalya or hated her was yet to be known.

In the early hours of the morning, when Eidalya and Tommen were fighting sleep, a guard rushed in to tell them that Tywin was dead. Eidalya sat up, believing the poison had run its course.

That wasn't the case. In the middle of all the commotion, while still awaiting his execution, Tyrion had been smuggled out and somehow, he'd made a stop in the Tower of the Hand, shooting his father dead with a crossbow while he used the privy.

Already the guards mentioned how horrible the smell was, how rotted Tywin's body was becoming when other bodies didn't yet smell or look so terrible.

Tommen had sent men out to find his uncle. He didn't think him guilty of killing Joffrey, even though Cersei insisted otherwise. He told Eidalya how he'd been told that Tyrion had shouted in his trial, 'I did not kill Joffrey but I wish that I had.' He'd even claimed he was really on trial for being a dwarf, something that had made his family hate him from the start.

Eidalya didn't believe her uncle would've done that, either.

Still, they had to apprehend him for the murder of his father. He'd likely face another trial for that if he was found, but it was possible that this would be more easily forgivable, given all of Tywin's crimes. Stannis could see it as beneficial.

They decided that in their wait, they might as well discuss something useful. While the Silent Sisters prepared their grandfather's body, Tommen told her that he'd been informed of Tywin sending a letter to Meereen, meant to expose Ser Jorah Mormont's status as a double agent to Daenerys Targaryen. It was likely he had either been executed or banished from her service.

Joffrey had been concerned about the three dragons Daenerys supposedly had. Tommen insisted it was true, that he had been chasing Ser Pounce when he saw a red comet in the sky three years prior, announcing the rebirth of the dragons. Too many people claimed that Daenerys had dragons.

Eidalya couldn't tell him what she thought about Daenerys potentially coming for the throne. The goal was Stannis. They'd deal with Daenerys later.

As she'd told Prince Doran, if Daenerys came before Rickon and Shireen married, they could rescue Shireen before Daenerys launched her attack and make her Lady of Storm's end to give Daenerys the throne. Provided the North could stay independent, they would do well with Daenerys as their queen. She seemed like a woman to be admired.