Yagami Light in Game of Thrones

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***

Lord Tywin's body was displayed in the Great Sept.

The dead man was dressed in purple lacquered armour adorned with golden lions and a sword was placed on his chest. The dead hands held tightly to the hilt. To avoid the foul odour, the Silent Sisters had removed the entrails, replacing them with aromatic salts and herbs. Pycelle, hunched over with red, watery eyes, told Cersei in great detail about the operations performed on the body. The former queen did not hide her irritation. In the ten months that Light hadn't seen her, she'd changed for the worse: she'd grown fat, wrinkled her face, and soured relations with all her relatives.

Jaime defiantly ignored his sister. Keevan was cold to his niece. Cersei hadn't gotten along with Tyrion before, but she resented Light for something: it was probably because he was more successful as a ruler than she was. That was something her pride couldn't bear. The failure with the child only added salt to the wound. After recovering from the miscarriage, Cersei faced the unpleasant prospect of bearing an heir by a legal husband she despised. But Light didn't care about Cersei's problems. She had played her part in his plans, and what would happen to her next - who cared?

Finally, the septon muttering ended. The lion family said goodbye to their former head and stretched for the exit. Next, Lord Tywin's body would be placed in a coffin and taken to Casterly Rock, the Lannister family crypt.

At the exit, Jaime took Light by the elbow.

- A word, cousin.

Light nodded and stepped aside.

- I want to know what happened between you and my sister.

No. You already know I fucked her, it's been a secret for almost a year now. You want to know how I feel about it.

Light lowered his eyes.

- I loved her.

- Did she?

- I don't think so. She said I was a replacement for her.

- Is that why you broke up with her?

No, that's not it. It's just that she was no longer useful.

- It was Lord Tywin's decision. He found her a husband, and he found me a castle and a wife.

Jaime smiled wryly.

- Yes, his father could be persuasive. I mean, he did. I can't get over the fact that he's gone. He seemed so...

- Unbreakable? - That's what Light said.

- Yeah, he was. And now it's up to me to play his part. Jaime Lannister, Lord of Casterly Rock and Guardian of the West.

It made Light laugh. Jaime's twice his age, but he's half as confident. Though, to his cousin's credit, he does a good job of hiding it from outsiders.

- We're both great lords,' Light smiled. Jaime returned the smile.

- Well, cousin, good luck. Take care of Myrcella.

- I will.

***

Lord Tywin's death led to a reshuffle in the Small Council. Kivan became Regent, Mace Tyrell became Hand, and his kinsman Garth the Fat became Master of the Coin. Tyrion, Pycelle, Paxter Redwyn and Mathys Rowan retained their posts. However, the balance of power shifted in favour of the Tyrells. Lord Mace looked extremely pleased, and ordered a wooden throne in the shape of a hand - a similar throne to the Gardener throne that had ruled the Spaceland before the Conquest. As the door closed behind the Tyrells and their vassals, Kiwan asked Lyte and Tyrion to stay. Pycelle, who had not been invited, pretended to be asleep. Kivan glowered at the old trickster, but since he served the Lannisters, his father did not kick him out.

- Tyrion knows the circumstances of my brother's death,' Kivan said, 'and so does Jaime. I've said nothing to Cersei or the Tyrells. But I will tell you, Lancel.

Light didn't even have to feign interest.

- It's official that Tywin fell at the hands of an assassin. Indeed, it's the most likely theory. But here are the details... My brother was found in a bedroom locked from the inside. Tywin was Tommen's regent, but he lived in the Tower of the Hand out of old habit. I had my loyal men knock on the walls, and what did you think? There was an underground passage behind the fireplace. My men found it connected to the passage where you escaped from captivity. But since then, they've put a grate at the river exit. The bars are so far apart that not even a child could get through.

- So Father's death remains a mystery,' Tyrion added.

The passage leading to the Tower of the Hand. Lyght discovered it while 'investigating' Varys's death, but didn't tell anyone - there was no need. The four soldiers who had accompanied him had died on Blackwater, and Light was glad he was the only one left with the secret. But he was no longer the only one.

- And no one saw or heard anything suspicious?

- Not a thing. One of the guards, Lam, said he saw a shadow, but then he said he must have imagined it.

Can a shadow act apart from a person? Most people would say no. They'd be wrong. Asshai sorcerers know how to control shadows, and those shadows can kill.

Marvin the Magician's words echoed in Light's brain as loudly as they had the first time. And then he remembered something else....

- Stannis sent a shadow caster from Asshai,' Light said quietly. - There had been rumours like that just before King Robert died. Then they were forgotten. There were too many other events, and the caster never appeared. But if Stannis did have an Asshai sorcerer, where did he go?

Keevan frowned.

- Lancel, are you serious? You suspect a sorcerer of murder?

- I'm just considering all the possibilities, Father.

- I've been wondering about this shadowcaster,' Tyrion said. - 'Firstly, it's not him, it's her. Melisandre of Asshai, a priestess of Rglor who tried to convert Stannis. When she failed, she left Dragonstone and never appeared in Westeros again.

- And secondly?

- And secondly, after Dragonstone was taken, the officers of the garrison told us that the Red Priestess thought Stannis was the chosen hero. Azor Ahai - I think that's what it sounded like.

Pycelle opened his eyes.

- An ancient prophecy, popular in the East,' the old man grumbled. - It says...

- I know,' Light interrupted. - Archmaester Marvin believes Azor Ahai is Daenerys Targaryen.

Tyrion squinted his eyes.

- 'Daenerys Targaryen has bred three dragons and wants the Iron Throne. She's in Volantis now, persuading the Golden Swords to fight for her. My father's death will do her a lot of good.

- And if this Melisandre has come to the same conclusion as Marvin--

- ...then she and Daenerys may well have conspired.

- Speculation,' Kivan cut him off. - Tywin didn't draw conclusions from fairy tales, and I won't. Give me proof.

- And dragons aren't proof? - Tyrion blurted out. Light, who until recently had been thinking like Kivan, remained silent.

- Suppose dragons do exist. Let's even say Daenerys recruits the Golden Swords and invades Westeros. So what? She wouldn't have the strength to take the throne anyway. No one will back her.

- The Dornish might,' Tyrion argued. - To avenge Elia's children.

- Even with the Dornish, Daenerys would have four times fewer men than the Tyrells and me. Five times as many if you count the Storm Lords and the River Lords.

Tyrion had nothing to object to.

- Whoever was behind my brother's death, Daenerys or anyone else, they miscalculated. The Lannisters are still strong. As long as the Tyrells are with us, no enemy can harm us.

As long as the Tyrells are with us. You have no idea how close you are to the truth, Father.

***

When Margaery Tyrell saw Light, she smiled broadly and kissed him on both cheeks.

- Lord Lancel! You're just in time. My grandmother has been wanting to speak to you. Come quickly!

Olenna Tyrell was waiting for him at her mansion. After Tywin's death, the honourable lady had found the Red Keep too dangerous and moved to a separate house in the city. Two twins guarded the entrance: the old woman called them Right and Left.

- I don't like Red Castle,' she explained. - Too many birds, and the dwarves are no better than the eunuchs. They say Varys was very clever. I wonder who was able to kill him, then? You, Lord Lancel, were a master of the law at the time. You never found the culprits?

- I did not,'' Light confirmed. Lady Olenna glared at him, but Light was not about to give her any clues. Without waiting for him to continue, the old woman changed the subject.

- Margaery spoke very highly of you. My granddaughter's a good girl. She told me about your fire vents and your printed books. I think it's connected. It's easier to shoot people if your officers read books and believe it's a good thing. Speaking of faith. Don't you have a lot of sparrows around here?

- Just enough,' Light answered in her tone. - A sparrow is a small bird, but a large flock can peck even a dragon.

- Oh, so that's it. That's why your sparrows are so critical of the Targaryens. Smart move for a Lannister. Thinking like a king.

- Thank you.

- You're welcome. All I did was tell the truth. The realm would benefit if you were to replace Tommen on the Iron Throne. And we Tyrells could use a strong king. We're not Starks, whose bloodlines go back eight thousand years, or Lannisters, whose power in the West has been unchallenged since Castamere. Our house is only 300 years old. Many of our vassals are more noble than we are, and they never tire of reminding us of it. And we ourselves are well aware of the Dornish and the Ironborn. A weak king or worse, chaos and disintegration would be a disaster for us. I tell you all this, Lord Lancel, to make you realise we are not your enemies. Our goals are the same as yours. All that remains is to agree on a price.

- I think we've already agreed on everything. Margaery will remain queen.

- You think so, but I don't. Suppose Daenerys lands in Westeros tomorrow with dragons and Golden Swords. The Dornish come over to her side. But we Lannisters and Tyrells are much stronger, and we win. And then Tommen meets the doom that Margaery believes all Baratheons are subject to. Except Myrcella. If your sweet little wife is going to be queen well after the Daenerys threat has been eliminated - why would you swap her for Margaery? With a tame church, cannons, and all the gold of Casterly Rock, you won't have any need for the Tyrells.

Light mentally shuddered. The old woman had guessed his plan exactly.

- As they say, the price is red on market day. But if market day is late, the goods will go stale and no one will give a penny for them. Like I said, we're not your enemies. But we don't want to end up as rotten goods either. Do you understand what I'm saying, Lord Lancel?

Indeed I do. If I kill Tommen, the Tyrells can choose between the lion and the dragon. If I refuse, Willas becomes Daenerys' consort. Bazaar day, indeed. The Tyrells intend to sell themselves to the highest bidder, and if Tommen gets in the way of that, so much the worse for Tommen.

- Poor Tommen,' Light sighed.

- 'Poor Margaery. The girl is married with a child. Tommen can't satisfy her as a woman now, and when she's older he'll still be full of energy and will probably start cheating on her. I've lived my life and I know what I'm saying. A wife should not be older than her husband. The husband can be older, within reason, and even better when they're the same age. Like you and Margaery.

Grandmother's concern for her granddaughter's happiness was touching in its own way, but Light was more concerned about something else.

- If Tommen dies, I may be blamed for his death. My gain is obvious.

Unlike yours, Light added mentally. He knew his family wouldn't believe him if he told them the Queen of Spikes' plan. The Tyrells want to kill Tommen and strip Margaery of her crown? Nonsense! Unless, of course, you think Tommen is doomed. Then it's more profitable to kill him now and get a bargaining position than to wait for who knows how long and end up as 'stale goods.'

- Don't worry about that. Margaery will back you up if anything happens. She's the last person anyone would suspect of her husband's death.

Should I trust her or not? If the Tyrells set me up, they can marry Willas to Myrcella after I'm executed. But Margaery has no interest in that option, and since she's always with Tommen, the old woman can hardly do without her help. In any case, it won't be easy to bring me to judgement. Olenna Tyrell must realise that. For the moment, the assumption that she's playing fair with me seems the most likely.

- If it comes to the Great Council.

- The Vale will support you, don't worry. A sensible Lannister who owes you a favour is better than a madman's daughter who owes only her dragons. Under Daenerys, the Dornish will be more naked than usual, and the Golden Swords will want to take back the lands in the Vale from which they were once banished. We don't like that at all. We can only support Daenerys as a last resort.

The last resort is if I let Myrcella live.

- There will be no last resort.

***

After his talk with Lady Olenna, Light decided to stay in the capital. He enjoyed chatting with Tyrion (the dwarf was proud of his achievements as Master of the Whisperers), sharing his thoughts with his father (Ser Kiwan treated him with great respect and was clearly proud of such an heir), and spending time with Margaery. After weighing the pros and cons, Light came to the conclusion that it was not worth fighting the Tyrells' plan. Does it really matter who will be his wife, Margaery or Myrcella? On second thought, Margaery is even better. Myrcella is still an unknown quantity, and Margaery is already showing qualities worthy of a queen. And the Tyrells' support won't be unreasonable. The Great Council, of course, carries a certain risk, but fighting Daenerys and the Tyrells who support her is a far greater risk. Myrcella's only advantage is legitimacy, and that's questionable. Wouldn't it be better to get rid of the problem Cersei created once and for all?

Speaking with his future wife, Light noted her positive aspects. Beautiful, intelligent, restrained. Not a word or a hint Margaery did not give away her plans for Tommen, but Light guessed that the plan to kill the king has been launched and is already being carried out.

While the little king played with the kittens, the queen played kaiwassa with Light. The board and set of pieces had been brought from Storm's Edge. The game resembled chess, but with more intricate rules. Though the game quickly gained popularity among the courtiers, Light could only fight on equal terms with Tyrion and Margaery. His father had no time for games, and Lady Olenna sat in her mansion and avoided society.

A couple of weeks after talking to Lady Olenna, Margaery and Tommen went horseback riding. Light, Tyrion and Kiwan sat in the latter's study discussing the news. The Wildlings, led by the King beyond the Wall, had tried to break through the Wall at Castle Black, but had been repulsed: Robb Stark had come to the Watch's aid in time.

- The Northerners have organised their defences well,' Kivan said. - According to Tyrion, their fleet is almost as strong as ours. But to storm the Cailin Moat by land... My brother had planned to postpone the campaign against the Northmen until spring, but even then, war with the Starks would be a daunting task.

That's about what Light had in mind. A prolonged war with a religiously and culturally alien enemy would strengthen the unity of the kingdom and give reason for the necessary changes. But fate had thrown the Lannisters two other enemies, far more dangerous. The first was the dragons. And the second...

- Father, remember what I told you about the Others? Marvin the Magician thinks the legends about them may be true.

- You pay too much attention to what one man says, Lancel.

- What about what Alliser Thorne said? And the other sentinels? Tyrion was at the Wall, he can tell you more than I can.

- I didn't see much of it,' the dwarf shrugged, 'except that I felt it. But I agree with Lancel: it's better to overestimate the danger than underestimate it. All that's left is to convince your father of that. I've never been able to convince mine.

- Whatever the threat from the north, the Starks will be the first to face it. And if the danger is real, that's a good reason to bend the knee. That way we'll avoid a hard war.

Light mentally agreed with his father. Let the Starks strike first--they'll be more cooperative if they're weakened. But action must still be taken. When he becomes king, he will order obsidian mining on Dragonstone. It didn't look like it would be much longer.

A servant ran into the study.

- My Lords! Hurry to the throne room! The King.

Tyrion looked at Light.

- The King?

- King Tommen, my lords. He... he...

***

Margaery Tyrell did not hide her grief. Her tears glistened like diamonds in the candlelight. What an actor's talent.

- I'm sorry for your loss,' Light said, taking the queen's hand. - How did it happen?

Brown eyes met green ones.

- We were riding,' Margaery's voice was full of sadness. - The horse spun, and Tommen flew out of the saddle at a full gallop. There was a ravine nearby. My husband fell into it and broke his neck.

- Was it the same horse the King used to ride?

- No, a different one. The old horse had been badly shod and became lame. So the stable boy changed it.

- We must find the stable boy. And the blacksmith who shod the King's horse so badly.

- I don't think that's possible,' Margaery said calmly. - If the two men had any malice, they were merely the executors of another's will. If I were the client, I'd get rid of them first.

- You shouldn't say that, my lady. A suspicious man might think you were the client.

- A suspicious man would suspect you first. Tommen's death favours you, but not me.

The glances Tyrion threw in Light's direction confirmed her point.

- I am no longer queen,' Margaery said sadly, 'I have no place in the capital. Neither do my relatives. My father will resign, and Lord Randyll Tarly or Lord Mathis Rowan will take his place. The master of the coin is already gone. All the Tyrells are returning to Highgarden.

- And Loras?

- Loras will accompany us. My brother is still a Kingsguard, so he'll be back later.

He won't, her eyes said. We are not such fools as to leave you a hostage.

- I hope, Lady Margaery, that our next meeting will be under less unfortunate circumstances.

- I hope so too, Lord Lancel.

Margaery Tyrell released her hand and headed for the exit.