45 Chapter 44: A royal wedding P1

Daeron had to admit Ser Lyn Corbray remains a capable knight despite the man's less than savoury reputation in certain circles, mostly among the knights and lords of the Vale. But he didn't take Ser Lyn into the Kingsguard for a publicity stunt. So, he cared less about what people thought of the Vale knight so long as the knight's skill with a sword remain sharp. It helps that Ser Lyn also carries the Valyrian steel blade Lady Forlorn which was a huge boon in his eyes. Not that he found the blade as the sole factor in admitting the knight into the Kingsguard. Ser Lyn Corbray was a knight who proved his mettle in Robert's rebellion. The Vale knight first fought for House Grafton as a Targaryen loyalist. After Lord Marq Grafton's defeat, Ser Lyn joined the Arryn forces and fought at the Trident. The knight distinguished himself by slaying Prince Lewin Martell in single combat. There was also the fact that Ser Lyn once again proved his mettle in the storming of the Twins.

That was why Daeron was impressed with the knight's skill at arms after a long bout they have been engaged in since early morning. Dark Sister was now stabbed into the sands of the small beachhead to the south of the Red Keep while he was sitting on the sand trying to catch his breath.

"You did not disappoint Ser Lyn. I'm glad you have kept your skills sharp all these years. I'll be needing that more than ever once we go to the North." Daeron said, wishing that the weather was not so cold.

But winter was upon them and King's Landing was seeing some snow although it was not as bad as in the North or the Riverlands. Most of the time snowfall was confined to night and early morning. The effects however were unmistakable. The temperature was dropping with each passing day and he got the feeling the trend was not going to change anytime soon.

"You'd have easily bested me in no time, your grace. You just need more practice against opponents wielding Valyrian steel. Men with normal steel tend to fight differently." Ser Lyn said tactfully.

Daeron let out a snort of laughter.

"I see no shame in admitting that you're a better swordsman Ser Lyn. Isn't that right, Ser Symond?" Daeron asked, his eyes straying to the Knight of Ninestars.

Ser Symond Templeton was another knight that he was carefully cultivating into the position of Kingsguard. He had not yet breached the topic with the knight as he was still in the process of getting a good read on the man. There was a chance the knight would decline the offer as Ser Symond remains the head of House Templeton. Taking the oaths of a Kingsguard would deprive the knight of his inheritance. Anyway, it was a delicate matter but he certainly hoped the knight agrees. If not, he was still hoping to rope the knight into taking up duty as the master of arms in the Red Keep.

"Ser Lyn has more experience than his grace. It is only natural to see Ser Lyn triumph. But so long as his grace keeps pushing his limits, I gather Ser Lyn will taste defeat sooner or later." Ser Symond slowly said, choosing his words carefully.

'Ever the diplomat.' Daeron mused amusedly. 'Or the knight is too scared to voice his thoughts unfiltered.'

Either way, these two knights were his training companions for the moment.

"How about it, Ser Symond? You up for a bout?" he asked with a raised eyebrow, only to get interrupted by a new arrival.

"Your grace. I beg a moment of your time."

Daeron craned his neck to look at the newcomer who turned out to be the disgraced former maester Qyburn. The former Master of Whispers of Cersei Lannister's regency came to his senses as Daeron had hoped. A few nights in the Black Cells with nothing to do except stare unseeingly into the darkness was all it took to flip the man's attitude. Now, the former maester served him by overseeing the activities of the Alchemist guild and running a budding spy network on the side. Of course, he charged two trusted Northmen to shadow Qyburn for the foreseeable future. He might have found Qyburn useful but he was not an idiot to let the man walk free and do as he pleased. Even now, the two guards were standing behind Qyburn dutifully.

"Qyburn. Is this about the Alchemist guild?" he asked, taking to his feet while dusting off the sand from his clothes.

"I'm afraid not your grace. There is an interesting whisper that has reached my ears that'd be of interest to you, your grace." said Qyburn.

"Oh." was all he said.

Daeron was a little disappointed that the news was not about the Alchemist guild. He had after all spared a considerable sum of gold for the Alchemists to replenish their stocks of Wildfire. The substance may have caused untold destruction in the capital city and taken innumerable lives but he was not going to stop its production on that account. Wildfire could become a very useful weapon against the wights if used properly.

Seeing the way Qyburn was eyeing his two knightly companions he moved out of their earshot before looking expectantly at the former maester.

"Ser Davos has been found in the company of a young blacksmith from the street of steel. I believe the blacksmith is a Baratheon bastard possibly a child of Robert Baratheon." Qyburn reported quietly.

Daeron eyed the man searchingly before mulling over the information he just received. He had all but forgotten about Gendry Waters. It was not as if the bastard son of Robert Baratheon was particularly noteworthy in the grand scheme. The boy never factored into his plans at any point. But to learn that Gendry had survived even Cersei's mad wildfire plot gave him pause.

"This blacksmith. What does he look like?" he asked curiously just to make sure he was not misidentifying Robert's baseborn son.

"The blacksmith is of black hair and blue eyes the same as his royal father. He has a strongly built body and is a skilled smith from the word among his colleagues."

"I see." Daeron murmured, looking thoughtfully at the sea where the tides continued to crash noisily into the beach.

"Shall I send word to quietly remove the blacksmith?" Qyburn offered.

It was tempting, Daeron acknowledged. The thought did cross his mind to have Gendry assassinated. It was not exactly politically savvy to keep the seeds of the previous dynasty alive after a bloody takeover. The Blackfyre rebellions were proof of that costly mistake. On the other hand, he was not exactly keen on sentencing some random blacksmith on the street to the blade of a catspaw. He likes to think that he'd give the courtesy of facing his enemies before eradicating them from the world. If he wanted someone killed, he'd do that himself.

"No. Send for Ser Davos. I think I'd like to have a talk with the Onion knight before meeting this new blacksmith friend of ours." said Daeron.

"As his grace commands." Qyburn bowed low before withdrawing altogether.

"And Qyburn,"

"Your grace?"

"I'd like a detailed report on this blacksmith. I want to know what his fellow smiths, his neighbours and those who hold a grudge against him think of his character."

"As you wish, your grace."

XXXXXXX

Davos didn't know what to expect as he and Gendry were led towards an isolated rocky spot at the mouth of the Blackwater atop horses. Men armed with the finest steel rode alongside them as escorts. They were trotting towards the area outside the walls of the city at a slow pace all thanks to poor Gendry. The boy might have had a royal father but that doesn't mean much when riding a horse. Gendry was a boy who grew up with nothing to his name save for a bastard name and the royal blood of his father. Everything else the boy accomplished was hard-earned. Davos was truly relieved to find the boy he rescued from the Red Woman safe and thriving in the Street of Steel.

He knew Gendry's life after his escape from Dragonstone was not so easy. But the boy surely had made something of himself in the capital right under the Lannisters no less! It was an impressive tale, one he was quite happy about. And that was why he was so worried about what awaited the boy in this meeting with King Daeron. Lord Commander Jon Snow would have welcomed Gendry happily and befriended him. But this was Daeron Targaryen, the future king of Westeros. Ever since the resurrection of the King, there was a marked difference in Jon Snow's behaviour. Before Davos would say that Jon Snow used executions sparingly when it was absolutely necessary like he did with Janos Slynt while elevating Alliser Thorne to First Ranger. If it was Daeron Targaryen in that same position Davos could easily see both men get quietly dealt with without a shred of remorse.

It was this change in behaviour that made him fearful of what was awaiting them at the end of this ride.

Would the King consider Gendry's existence as a threat?

It was possible. A surviving son of a previous monarch even if it was a bastard can become a threat in the future. King Daeron and Queen Daenerys were living proof of that.

The real question however was whether King Daeron feels it was better to kill Gendry and remove the threat altogether rather than risk it. If that was the King's decision then Davos thought it'd be his fault above all else. After all, if he hadn't sought out Gendry in the city the boy could have continued to live an anonymous life of a blacksmith.

"Halt!"

The guards ahead of them shouted and their riding party came to a halt breaking Davos out of his musings. More guards were standing at the base of a large rocky terrain ahead of them. Davos knew the place quite well. He had often seen many sunrises and sunsets atop these rocks. To his surprise, there were even some Unsullied guards in the mix which was a surprise for him. The King had looked upon the Unsullied troops of his aunt with distrust.

"Ser Davos?"

Davos could hear the undertone of fear in Gendry's voice.

"Just keep your head down and speak only when spoken to. Otherwise, keep your mouth shut and let me do all the talking." Davos muttered under his breath as the Unsullied guards began searching them for any weapons.

After a thorough search which was unnecessary as the King's men had already ensured they were not hiding any weapons on their person, they were allowed access to the rocks. The Unsullied guards shadowed them with their black spears and shields walking orderly. Their closed visors kept their faces covered leaving out their cold calculating eyes. Even walking with their armour and weaponry they were as silent as a shadow cat going for a hunt.

After walking a few paces east, they finally found Daeron Targaryen but the rider of Rhaegal was not alone. He was in the company of Daenerys Targaryen and both of them were fishing standing on the slopes of the rocks laughing and smiling like two young couples without a care in the world.

Davos was a little relieved to see that. The two Targaryens seem to be happier in each other's company which increased Gendry's chances of coming out of this meeting with his life intact.

'And my own.' he added mentally.

King Daeron's ruthless reputation was not earned unjustly. The men who had disobeyed the direct orders of the king and had indulged in illicit activities during the storming of King's Landing were publically flogged along with long sentences of solitary confinement as punishments. That was the punishment Daeron had enforced on those who indulged in crimes of rape and wanton murder on the smallfolk. Those who took to thievery and physical assault were sentenced to five years of forced labour. It just happens that the capital city needed some much-needed reconstruction. The fact that all these judgements and trials were conducted in open streets of the capital with hundreds of witnesses among the smallfolk managed to keep a lid on the simmering anger of the common folk.

The King must have also seen the smallfolk were at their extreme ends with a ruined economy and high prices of bread. Because orders were sent just yesterday allowing the smallfolk access to the Kingswood for hunting. The crown had also reached out to the thriving fishing communities of the city and much of the crownlands with some financial aid to support them in these tremulous times in exchange for more fishing expeditions. There was even a proposal for looking into inland fish farming. Men have been dispatched to the four corners of the city to find some of the families that are engaged in that kind of business to expand further by offering tax exemptions and land leases. The last he heard there had been some closed-door talks with the merchant guilds but he was not exactly sure what came of it.

Already, the smallfolk were coming around to the fact that they were to be ruled by the dragons once more. Once the coronation and the marriage happen, he gathered the smallfolk would settle down and the city would regain some of the normalcy it lost thanks to Cersei Lannister's actions.

"Your grace."

He could feel the cold stare of the leader of the Unsullied being trained on him as Daeron and Daenerys switched their attention toward him and Gendry. There was also the foreign woman who served as the handmaiden of the princess of Dragonstone standing close to the captain of the Unsullied.

"Ser Davos." Daeron acknowledged with a nod of his head.

"The famed Onion Knight?" Daenerys asked, raising a delicate eyebrow in question.

"Yes, the very same. And I suppose this is Gendry who now goes by the name of Hammerhands." Daeron said, looking at them both with a guarded look.

"Your grace." Gendry bowed low at waist length just as Davos had told the boy.

Daeron took Daenerys' hand and helped her climb back the rocks leaving their fishing poles down below near the gently moving stream of the Blackwater.

Davos and Gendry moved a few paces back giving some room to the royal couple.

King Daeron was dressed in a fine black doublet as black as night and black trousers. However, the king was barefoot and wet from his waist down. The princess on the other hand was dressed in a long red tunic that went to her knees with black riding trousers. Her silver hair was let down freely pouring down her shoulder dancing in the wind without any braids which was a rare sight in itself.

"I'm a little disappointed Ser Davos. When you found Gendry here in the Street of Steel, I thought you'd find it a piece of worthwhile information to share with your king," said Daeron, his eyes strangely bereft of any real heat. "I suppose it cannot be helped that you thought the best way forward was for Gendry to lead a life of anonymity away from the attention of unscrupulous lords who'd use him for their selfish gain."

"I apologize your grace. I meant no disrespect. I just wanted…"

"…Gendry to have a normal life. While admirable Ser Davos the matter of a former King's progeny surviving in the bowels of King's Landing is an important piece of information." Daeron smoothly cut in making Davos fall into silence keeping his head down.

"Daeron." Daenerys whispered lowly.

Davos could see that the king calm down after taking a deep breath as Daenerys took the king's hand into hers.

"We've heard from reliable sources that you bravely stood up against Lannister men when they tried to suppress a smallfolk uprising with force. Is this true?" Daenerys asked, looking curiously at Gendry.

"Your grace, the city watch was ransacking many of our shops and taverns either for recruits or for anything valuable. I had to defend myself because they were taking away the wares in my shop without paying in dragons."

"Understandable. Word on the street is that you are also a skilled smith. Many of the residents and business owners attest to your skills in the forge." said Daeron.

"I was trained well by my master, your grace." Gendry said humbly.

"Hmm… There'll be those who seek to use your blood ties to Robert Baratheon and I do not like to ignore threats to the stability of the realm."

"Your grace, please. Gendry is…" Davos tried to protest but fell silent at the pointed stare from Daeron.

"But…" Daeron continued after a pause. "But I'm in your debt for standing by my cousin's side as she escaped the Lannisters from the city. I also know that my uncle Ned Stark had tried to arrange for your escape from the city. And you're at no fault of your own for having Robert Baratheon as your father."

"Considering all this, we felt it'll be prudent to extend you a unique offer that'd see you in a position of some repute. Your life of anonymity has shielded you till now but it won't hold strong for all time. If we can find you it'll only be a matter of time before someone else finds you." said Daenerys.

"Therefore, I'll take you as my squire and mould you as a knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Should you prove worthy and embody the qualities of a knight I shall knight you by my own hand. What say you Gendry of Hammerhands?"

XXXXXXXX

"I hope you're right about this nephew. I'm not particularly fond of leaving a chance for that man's progeny to survive." Daenerys muttered, watching the departing duo.

"As I said, he helped Arya during their travel north. If I start killing those who had aided my family, I'll suddenly find myself without any allies. Besides, I got a feeling that Gendry might become very useful in fracturing the Stormlands." Daeron mused aloud.

"Still, why make me pretend to take Gendry's side?" Daenerys asked with a frown.

"Perception matters. I already have a reputation that makes people guarded while approaching me. As king, that sort of reputation is useful from time to time. But if there is no balance to that perception it'll inevitably lead to a festering resentment in allies and enemies alike. It's better for the court and the realm to think you are far more approachable and has better influence on my decision-making."

Daenerys shook her head at her nephew's reasoning. She thought he was making everything far more convoluted when he could simply become merciful and forceful at his leisure. But that was her personal opinion. She had no problem playing the 'good queen' role as her nephew put it to the best of her ability. If that was what Daeron wanted then she was all too happy to comply especially when almost all of her demands were met by her nephew.

The Unsullied that followed her were to be granted permanent citizenship of the Crownlands after Daeron's coronation. She had already seen the justiciars of the Red Keep carefully wording the proclamation to that effect. It was also agreed to let the Unsullied become a new military and policing force that answered directly to the Iron Throne. To that effect, Daeron was in talks with Grey Worm to split the duties of the Unsullied warriors between the City Watch and the Royal Guards. The City Watch needed some new blood, especially after what happened inside the city after the Wildfire incident. Simply reinstating the previous City Watch officers would likely end in disaster because the city folk were not going to have a short memory.

The Royal Guard on the other hand was a new institution entirely dedicated to the protection of the royal family. Her nephew believed that depending on just seven knights no matter their impressive skill with a weapon was not enough. According to Daeron, a group of well-trained guards strategically positioned all around the Red Keep with the sole duty of the security of the castle and the protection of every member of the royal family on the other hand was far more effective than just seven random knights.

The institution of Kingsguard would be used for the purpose implied in the name of the ancient order - to guard the king.

While she was loath to change the precedents set by her ancestors, Daenerys could see the merits of the changes proposed by Daeron. The order of Kingsguard was found by Visenya Targaryen during the Conquest of Dorne. Ever since then, the order had remained unchanged despite the increasing number of Targaryens. It was now time to make some changes as she wanted a sizeable family.

The sound of flapping wings reached her ears making her look to the sky where Drogon was seen circling and steadily gliding downwards. All of them moved back making room for Drogon to land. The wind was so strong when Drogon landed she'd have been blown away from the rock but Daeron was by her side keeping her steady. She smiled to herself as she noticed Daeron was now not so conservative in showing affection towards her.

'There is some improvement but he could do better.' she thought, subtly adjusting herself in his arms so that he ended up holding her by her waist.

Drogon purred like a cat and lowered his head towards her. She chuckled and tapped him playfully on his snout.

"You read my mind Drogon. Your timing is impeccable." she murmured against Drogon's rough scales in High Valyrian while pressing a kiss.

"Well, that's a bit of a surprise. I wonder what made him leave his resting place all of a sudden." Daeron wondered.

She marked it as a success feeling that Daeron had yet to release his hold on her waist. Although, that could be the result of her hand covering his own over her waist.

"Daeron, let's ride together." Daenerys suddenly suggested.

Daeron blinked a few times and looked at her as if she was joking.

"I don't think that's a good idea." Daeron finally said.

"Drogon won't mind. I know him better and he'll allow you to ride him with me. The harness is also large enough for both of us. It'll be quite safe. Trust me." She earnestly said.

"It's just not…"

"Daeron, please. I'd like to do this with you."

Her pleading look which she had practised with Missandei over and over last night must have worked its magic just as her friend predicted. Because Daeron agreed albeit reluctantly. He also spent a near half an hour fussing over the safety of the harness before they were able to take to the sky. Drogon must have realized this was very important for her as her dragon never showed any kind of protest as they both climbed on top.

With a mighty flap of his wings, Drogon was airborne and she was quite happily holding on to the harness enjoying the way Daeron was holding on to her from behind. She let out a whoop of joy as Drogon climbed higher and higher and finally levelled out among the clouds. They were so high in the sky that even the clouds struggled to shield the warmth of the sun from smothering her and Daeron. Her eyes were alight with delight, and she felt like she was about to burst with this indescribable feeling that was brimming within her heart at the moment. At that moment, she felt herself relax against Daeron as a warm fuzzy feeling enveloped her whole. It took her a moment to realize it was the warmth of Daeron's body pressing against her with one of his arms wrapped around her waist.

She was pleasantly surprised when Daeron swept away her hair to a side and pressed a kiss on the side of her neck.

"You are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen." Daeron murmured against her skin making her heart flutter. She didn't want the feeling to ever go away.

XXXXXXX

"What do you two have to say for yourself?" Sansa stared coldly at the couple standing before her in the hall.

Standing before her were the newly sworn lord of Hornwood, Lord Larence Hornwood and Lady Jonelle Cerwin. She should've realized these two would land her in a heap of trouble especially after rumours emerged that jeopardized some of the promises made to Lord Wyman Manderly. It was agreed upon by Daeron and Lord Manderly that upon legitimization of Larence Snow, a Manderly will become Lady Hornwood. It was all but confirmed that Larence Hornwood would take Wynafryd Manderly as his wife. And yet that plan was now like a dead fish in the water.

"My lady we do apologize but I dishonoured Lady Jonelle. I had no other recourse but to marry her to protect her honour and the honour of her house."

"And what of the King's word Lord Hornwood? The king legitimized you and gave you your father's seat on the understanding that you'll take Wynafryd's hand in marriage. With your actions, you have spurned Lord Wyman and placed his grace in a difficult position." said Weirman Manderly.

Sansa eyed the castellan, but the man remained composed giving nothing away. It was one of the things she disliked about Winterfell's castellan. She could not get a good read on the man.

On one hand, she was a little bit satisfied to see that the Manderlys won't be regaining their influence at Hornwood. At the same time, she was displeased that Lord Larence broke off a betrothal brokered by her cousin. She just didn't know which caused more offence. In the end, she just sighed and ordered Lord Hornwood and Lady Jonelle to leave Winterfell. It was not as if she could do particularly anything to break off those two. They were married before the Godswood of Hornwood and she didn't want to try her hand at breaking off a marriage witnessed by the Old Gods.

"Was that wise my lady? Lord Hornwood has broken the word of the King. Surely some punishment has to be met out." Said Lord Royce.

"No. Lady Sansa made the right decision. It's better to wait and let the aggrieved party reach out to Winterfell and hear them out before acting against Lord Hornwood. Perhaps King Daeron's opinion should also be sought seeing as he is also involved. It's better to wait out and take cognizance of the situation." Weirman Manderly suggested, his sharp opal eyes staying on Sansa in a way that made her a little uncomfortable.

Nonetheless, she was relieved the castellan was in agreement with her.

"This is not the time to focus on internal grudges and politics. We have an ancient enemy gathering beyond the Wall. Lord Commander Eddison Tollett informs me that some few ranging parties he had sent reports the wights are gathering in strength near Caster's keep. However, they've been successful in rescuing some of the surviving Free Folk scattered beyond the Wall." said Sansa.

"The Knights of the Vale have begun setting up camps along the Gift my lady. Tis a difficult task to keep the peace with so many wildlings wandering the lands. I'm afraid to say the Northern lords are no help when it comes to keeping the King's peace at the Gift. My son writes they are all the more interested in picking up fights with the wildlings." Lord Royce reported.

No surprises there, Sansa thought rubbing her forehead.

She wished she had more Thenns amongst the Free Folk. It'd have been so easy to deal with them rather than the rabble she and the Northern lords were forced to deal with. At least, she hoped the peace between their peoples would hold especially after the North stood witness to the caged wights the Night's Watch and the Free Folk were transporting south on her cousin's orders. Those blue-eyed monsters displayed at Winterfell before the lords of the Vale and the North had proven her cousin's words to be true. Since then, she had almost nothing to worry about complaints from the Vale lords. But the Northerners still remained stubborn nursing old grudges against the Free Folk.

She'd have a word with her lords for not keeping their men in line. The last thing they wanted was for a fight to break out amongst their ranks at this crucial stage.

"I'm happy to report that we've fully restored the Kingsroad which should help us in the speedy transport of men and materials. Lord Wyman also has informed me that they're nearly done with the renovation of the road connecting White Harbour and the Kingsroad."

Sansa nodded at that piece of good news from Lord Weirman. White Harbour remains the sole port that connects the North to Essos and all the other Seven Kingdoms. Without their aid, all the preparations for the coming calamity would've been going at a snail's pace.

"Has there been any word from the King or your sister?" asked Lord Royce.

"The capital is preparing for Daeron's coronation and his marriage to Daenerys Targaryen."

Her tone alone should've shown what she thought of Daeron's prospective wife and the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. It was not unheard of for a cousin and aunt to marry to unite conflicting claims over a lordship. Even House Stark had done so in the past and the marriage practices of House Targaryen were known to all. They've been practising incest since the time of Old Valyria. Nonetheless, it did not sit well with her to know that Daeron was marrying the daughter of the Mad King. The alternative was a war between the two Targaryens which she was keen to avoid. She just wished Daeron didn't have to marry this Daenerys Targaryen to secure his claim on the throne. She had hoped Alys Karstark or even the willful Wylla Manderly would've been better matched for her cousin.

"As for my sister…" she trailed off as she had to compose herself on that particular topic.

Sansa was ecstatic when Ser Brynden wrote to her claiming that Arya was found alive and well. More than well if she read between the lines of her granduncle. The fact that Arya had chosen to go south instead of returning to Winterfell made her sad. Arya had always preferred the company of their cousin from an early age.

"My sister is accompanying the Free Folk and the brothers of the Night's Watch toward the capital. I suppose she'll get the chance to take part in my cousin's wedding."

That was another complaint she had about Daeron's marriage. She had written to her cousin offering to hold the marriage in Winterfell's Godswood in the customs of their forefathers. Daeron promised a second marriage function to be held in the presence of the Old Gods, but he wanted to keep up appearances in the south. Daeron was to be coronated after the wedding so she found she couldn't argue when the marriage would seal Daeron's legitimacy. There were other reasons as well including the unfinished war in the south. Tommen and Cersei were now prisoners, but the Lannisters had yet to bend their knees. This Blackfyre pretender and his Golden Company she had heard about were also a dangerous foe, especially with Dornish support. She just hoped things were different.

Letting out a sigh she went back to other reports, especially those mounted scorpions Daeron was so interested in lining up at the Gift. She didn't know what Daeron saw in mounting scorpions on top of siege towers, but the Manderlys had delivered the designs from the capital with sealed orders from Daeron. A king's orders were not to be ignored. Besides she had a feeling that her cousin knew more than her when it comes to preparing for a war with the Others.

'Come home soon Daeron, Arya, Bran.'

XXXXXXX

Arya scowled at the prisoner that was being dragged along by the Hound one final time. She just wanted to slit the throat of the Frey bastard but the Brotherhood without banners wouldn't allow her. They wanted the bounty from Daeron for delivering the last surviving grandson of Walder Frey. Amusingly enough the grandson also holds the same name as the late Walder Frey. She supposed that was why the name Black Walder became the name of their captive. There were too many Walder Freys in the nearly extinct House Frey. It must have been confusing as hell.

Black Walder managed to escape the slaughter at the Twins because the man was at Seaguard holding the Mallisters hostage. After Daeron broke the Twins and the Freys were slaughtered, the Mallisters managed to regain control of Seaguard with the help of the Brotherhood. Beric Dondarrion and Thoros of Myr had taken it upon themselves to deliver Black Walder to King's Landing. She also suspected the two had other plans in work with this little adventure.

But that was not important. The real surprise however was the presence of the Hound amongst the Brotherhood. She didn't know how the Hound survived and she was not going to ask, not yet. There were far more important things to worry about than her grudge against the Hound.

Her eyes strayed to the giant cage that was holding the 'special' prisoners. The cage was covered with wooden planks and a black cloth for good measure. But she had seen these 'special' prisoners the wildlings and the brothers of the Night's Watch were escorting to the capital. The castles they had stopped along the way were shown these 'special' prisoners and the Night's Watch used those monsters to attract more recruits for the Wall. That was how their riding party gained such a large following which also slowed them down in their journey.

'At least, I'll be able to attend Daeron's wedding.' Arya thought.

Word had spread about the royal wedding like wildfire. This was the first wedding of two Dragonriders in centuries. The Crownlands seem to be in a festive mood depending on whom you ask. There were some grumblings of discontent against Daeron for his harsh actions across the septs of the Crownlands. But the lords here seem to favour the action. They were complaining nonstop across their journey about the Faith Militant that was making a ruckus and usurping the powers of local lords and knights. Even merchants were singing praises for Daeron for giving no quarter to these fanatics. But there were those who thought Daeron was too harsh on the Faith.

'It seems Daeron is cleaning up the south of these whining liars and cheats.' Arya thought, her eyes finding the top edges of the walls of the city in the distance.

"Finally." Arya muttered, spurring her horse forward to pick up speed. She couldn't wait to see Daeron and the woman she was about to marry.

"Come on girl." She called out looking at her back where Nymeria and her children were trotting along.

She was glad they were behaving well all thanks to Ghost. Her brother's direwolf seems to have a calming effect on the wild nature of Nymeria's pack. So long as they were fed, they didn't act up. Although, how long that would hold in the noisy and smelly city of King's Landing was something to be seen.