The Birth of Dragons

Tyrion Lannister

"So Ned Stark has disappeared, gone without a trace. How very inconvenient. You would think the man would willingly give himself up for trial." Tyrion quips nursing a hangover with a glass of wine.

"This is no laughing brother, Stark knows things that he should not, and if his conversation with Robert happened as we fear it did, then we are doomed." Cersei replies waspishly.

Tyrion holds his hands up and says. "Well perhaps then you should have thought about that before you went out and decided to speak to him. That was not a very smart thing to do, now was it, sweet sister?"

His sister scowls at him and responds. "Instead of haranguing me about that, why don't you remind us about what you learned at Winterfell?"

At this, Tyrion grimaces. "I learned that they do not trust us, and that they believe everything we say and do is lined with treasonous and poisonous intent."

"So just as their liege does then." Cersei points out.

"Well that is nothing new, the Starks have always resented us, because we have the sense to use our gifts for our own advancement." Jaime replies.

"I think there is more to it than that brother." Tyrion says haltingly. "When I was there, there was a distinct air of tension about the place and the people. It was almost as if they had a secret about them, and they were worried we would find it."

He sees his brother and sister look at one another strangely, before they turn away from one another. Cersei fakes a bravery; he knows she does not have. "Stark made some accusation or the other about something or the other. Clearly his wife and he are just as mad as his goodsister. They talk things that make little to no sense."

It takes him a good moment to process what his sister has said, and when he does, he grimaces. "He accused you of poisoning Jon Arryn then? I had thought Stark would have more sense."

Jaime snorts. "He is a Stark, by and large they lack sense, unless they are your friend Benjen."

Tyrion nods in agreement, feeling an odd sense of disquiet at the mention of his friend's name. "Stark will rise in rebellion, as will Tully, they are linked together in more than just marriage now. Father will need to move quickly."

"Father is coming to King's Landing as we speak, to be Joff's hand." Cersei responds.

"And what of our allies? Who can we count on other than father, to come to our aid?" Tyrion asks.

"Renly Baratheon has shown himself an unworthy ally, it seems he has decided to leave King's Landing." Jaime says.

"Did you let him go?" Tyrion questions, knowing as he does so that if the answer is positive, they are sunk.

He is relieved therefore, when Cersei shakes her head and speaks. "Of course not. We caught him as he tried to leave, we let Tyrell go though, to take a message to his father."

"And where is Baratheon now?" Tyrion asks cautiously.

"In a guarded room, being reminded as to why betraying his rightful King would not be a good idea." Cersei replies nonachantly.

"I see." Tyrion muses. "And how exactly do you plan on winning the Tyrells to your cause, when you keep Mace Tyrell's favourite son's toy in a room?"

"We gave Tyrell a message about what would happen if they rebelled, and we also told him to tell his father about the fact that Joffrey is now free to wed again, now that the High Septon formally declared his betrothal to the Stark girl null and void." Cersei states triumphantly.

Tyrion nods, he suspects that there will be more wrangling needed to be done before such a thing can become concrete, but it is a start at least, and that is more than they could have said at the beginning of all this. Finding his curiosity peaked, he asks. "And what of father, will he come running as soon as possible? If he is ready to come to King's Landing, will he come with an army? Would that not invite the Riverlords to begin their dance again?"

"The Riverlords will do as they are told." Cersei replies adamantly. "Or they shall suffer our wrath."

Tyrion runs a hand through his hair, his hangover getting worse. "What of Stannis, he holds the fleet does he not?"

"He has ships but not an army to man them. None would rally to his banner if they had the will to do it." Jaime says.

"Joffrey is the rightful King, for all those who are concerned. Stark will never make it back to Winterfell." Cersei points out.

"How?" Tyrion asks.

"Our allies are working as we speak to intercept him and his ship. Littlefinger has been very useful in that regard." Cersei replies, shrugging.

"You can trust Littlefinger now can you?" Tyrion asks surprised. "Last time I had heard, you did not trust him whatsoever."

"Allies change. Littlefinger has proven to be quite useful." Cersei replies.

Tyrion nods, feeling a sense of foreshadowing in the way his sister speaks. "There is something you aren't telling me. What is it?"

At this, he sees Jaime shift uncomfortably, and then reply. "We found one of the people who escaped with Ned Stark's girls. Bring him in." a man appears, and shoves someone else in, a broken down figure, with a black eye, and broken hands.

Tyrion looks at the figure, then it hits him. "Benjen?! How?"

"We found him as he was entering Riverrun, the girls got in, but not him." Jaime replies calmly, though Tyrion can tell there is something about all of this that haunts him. He looks at his friend and prays that in time he will be able to forgive him.

"What are you going to do with him?" he finds himself asking.

"Find out what he knows, and how he knows it. Then we shall use it." Cersei responds firmly.