Chapter 39: Act IV: Chapter 2

Hello everyone,

Follow me on instagram at wtmcdonaldauthor! If you are feeling generous, and wish to donate to my writing career, you can find me at (P) (A) (T) (R) (E) (O) (N) under the same name for early access to chapters of The Ladder, Defiant, and Tsunami of the South!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Robert POV:

"Are we done here?" I asked, as I did every time I was forced to attend one of these bloody meetings. It was a rare occasion that I graced these men with my presence.

Even my damned brother doesn't appreciate me. I thought as I eyed Stannis, my Master of Ships.

"Unfortunately, we have yet to address the reason you were required to attend." Jon Arryn said. He got older by the day, and my heart ached at the thought of him leaving this life. I could even hear the age in his voice. He began to sound more and more like the Grand Maester with his weezing voice, and slow gait.

I waved a hand. Why couldn't they have gotten to this at the beginning of the meeting? I had a whore to attend directly after this. I caught Tywin's eye, and he was doing his best not to allow his annoyance towards me show. But years with the man had forced me to learn when he was angry, and I enjoyed every second of it.

Jon nodded towards Varys. I turned to the Master of Whisperers expectantly. He at least knew when and how to speak to me.

"Pentos has fallen, your grace." Varys revealed.

I frowned. I didn't know much about Pentos, only that it was the closest of the Free Cities to Kings Landing and produced fine whores. Who had it been warring with?

I looked to the corner of the room, where my warhammer had sat since I returned from the Iron Islands. I knew that everytime I didn't attend these meetings, my warhammer did, and it would remind the Small Council who they answered to. It had shown the Iron Islands the error of their ways. My blood began to rush with the memories that surfaced when I laid eyes on my weapon.

"To who?" I asked as I brought the wine cup to my lips.

"Your old friend, Petyr Baelish." Tywin answered with a grin. I frowned, and clenched my jaw, as my anger reared its head. He knew that statement would piss me off, but he didn't care. I should show him why he should.

1 million gold dragons.

The thought of my debt to the man did nothing to placate my anger, but it did stop me from standing and grabbing my warhammer from the corner and bashing his skull in.

"Why wasn't I told they were at war!?" I roared at the incompetant shit stains in front of me. I stood up and slapped a hand on the table beneath me.

"They weren't, your grace." Varys answered with a bowed head.

I clenched my jaw and walked over to my warhammer in the corner. The feel of its ironwood handle brought back memories and calmed some of my rage. I picked it up and pointed it at Varys threateningly.

"Explain. Now." I commanded as I gripped the warhammer as tightly as I could. There was a reason it was made from ironwood, and it did not bend under my strength.

"As we mentioned in previous small council meetings, there has been civil unrest in the city for 7 years now. When Petyr claimed the Flatlands, Pentos responded with a trade war. A trade war that lasts for that long only harms the smallfolk, especially if you lose it." Varys explained calmly. His eyes lingered on my own, and barely flickered to the warhammer in my hands.

Do people forget who I am, so soon?

"This has deeper consequences than just Pentos, however. Braavos has held northern Essos in the palm of its hand for centuries. Pentos had been under its rule in everything but name. In fact, the Sealord makes frequent trips to Pentos and offers his guidance on key issues." Tywin explained that aspect to me, and he still had that shit-eating grin on his face. He didn't respect the warhammer either.

"The newest Sealord was an ambitious one and made many enemies, Petyr Baelish included. He made his disdain for Petyr's growing kingdom known far and wide, along with his intentions of subjugating all of Essos under the banner of Braavos." Tywin ended.

"What does this have to do with Pentos!?" I raged as I brought my other hand to the shaft of my warhammer.

"Because the night before Pentos fell, Petyr and the Sealord, Ferrego Antaryon met in secret, inside Pentos, to settle the issues between their realms. Only one of them survived the encounter." Varys answered. "That same night, Lord Redscale and his dragon toppled the Titan of Braavos, causing it to fall in the natural canal it rests on. They were lucky it did not block the canal entirely. Petyr's delegation claims it was retaliation for the claim made on his life by the former Sealord. He would walk through the streets of Pentos with his legion the next day, and claim it for himself. The people welcomed him with open arms."

I frowned at the story, and my first thought was to deny the events. Even on Dragonback, one could not fly from Tyrosh to Braavos in less than 2 or 3 days. Not to mention the Myrish Legion arriving a day later. It was impossible.

"It is not hard to deduce that this was the execution of a 7 year plan. I have no doubt in my mind that Petyr ambushed the Sealord, and not the other way around. His ships were most likely waiting outside of Pentos for his signal, and Lord Ben Redscale would have been doing the same outside of Braavos." Tywin corrected Varys, explaining what we were all wondering. And he still wore that shit-eating grin on his face.

I clenched my jaw, and my grip was still strong on the hammer in my hands.

"The bastard…" I muttered as I realized my former friend's realm continued to grow. It was now close to the size of Dorne or the Reach. Would he keep expanding? What was next, Volantis?

"...do we have any means of recourse?" I asked.

"No, your grace." Tywin answered. I looked to Jon for him to refute it but he did not. His clenched jaw showed me that it pissed him off as well.

"He did give you the Targaryen boy your grace…" Varys commented, as if that appeased me somehow.

"Yet he kept the girl!" I roared at the bald eunuch. "It was you lot who advised me not to have her killed! I shouldn't have bloody listened!"

"It would have sparked another war. Dorne and the Reach supported the Targaryen's once, and underneath Petyr's tactical genius, along with his dragons… Not even the North would have supported you." Tywin retorted. His grin was gone, and instead replaced with an annoyed look.

I gripped my warhammer with both hands and swung it down next to the old lion. It smashed into the table with a 'thud', splitting it in two. I roared in triumph and then stared at Tywin. I was so close to caving in his head that I pondered on just committing the deed and being done with it.

He kept his calm exterior and only flinched when the warhammer hit the table. He didn't panic like I wanted him to. I wanted to see him squirm. One day, I would make him.

All of the other small council members backed away from the broken table and stood up. Tywin's face darkened, and he eventually did the same. The entire time we were staring each other in the eyes. I would not look away first.

"I had planned on waiting for another moon, but your incompetence has forced my hand. I am calling on the crown to forgive their debt to Casterly Rock." Tywin said as he broke our eye contact and began to walk out. Just before he reached the door, he turned back around.

"As Master of Coin, I know that you cannot pay in gold. Instead, I will take the Iron Islands and be rid of their infestation once and for all." Tywin revealed, as he walked out of the room.

"I'll have your head for this!" I roared as I pointed my warhammer in his direction.

Unseen to them, a man with red eyes stood in the room with a broad smile on his face.

Petyr POV

I entered the room to see my council. Yet this time it was different, because of two faces that hadn't graced my walls in a long time. Lord Davos Seaworth and Lord Ben Redscale. Both of them sat in their same positions at my table. Yet there were more additions to the council than the last time.

Not only had we gained two more positions, but we had to fill the vacancies after the two Lord's left to attend to their cities. Because of this, I had a bigger table commissioned for the room. It was made from weirwood, from a grand tree that had been approved to be taken from the heart of the Forest of Myr, which had been steadily expanding 100 miles North of Myr to almost reach the mountain range that made up the eastern border of my kingdom.

It was a beautiful table, with matching chairs and a grand map of my kingdom that laid on top of it.

The people in the room stood up to greet me, as was customary.

"Welcome home, your grace." The man that said that was closest to me as I entered the room and he bowed his head. He was old, barely retaining the handsome face he was known for in his youth. He came from humble beginnings, as was common in my realm. He had been a farmer as a young man, and then a merchant during his middle age. Once he retired, he had taken up politics while his sons ran the business. As everything in his life, he excelled.

The new Speaker of the House, Horero Aenatis.

"It is good to be back after so long, Horero." I told him as I patted his shoulder and moved past him. I spotted Davos standing stoically to my right, and I brought him into a hug quickly. "It's good to see you again, Lord Davos! We have missed your sarcasm in this room!" I told him, causing the other attendants to chuckle at my joke.

"Funny, your grace. I thought you sent me away because of my sarcasm." He returned with a grumble. I smiled and slapped him on the back before I moved to my oldest companion.

"Ben!" I called out as I also brought him into a hug. He returned it with a smile. "I wish you would have left Anogar's scent at the door, but you always did smell!" I teased as I scrunched up my nose. Once again the room laughed. Ben didn't take it as well as Davos, and immediately lowered his nose to his shirt to see if he really did smell like Anogar. I just shoved him and smiled.

"You may all take your seats!" I called out as I made my way to the head of the table, where my own seat waited for me.

When I finally sat down I took note of everyone. Ben sat to my left. Ashara sat to my right, looking beautiful as ever and glowing from our activities the night before. Arton Foler, my builder and loyal friend sat beside Ben. Lena, whose surname was now Irnys, sat beside Ashara with a hand on her round belly. She had married a man that worked in the bank with her for years, and who now ran the bank after her council duties became too intensive.

Beside Arton, a man of obvious martial talent sat. He wasn't quite 40 yet and still held an inkling of his prime strength. The pommel of his sword peaked over the table on his left side. He didn't wear any armor, as I had tired of hearing him 'clink' and 'clang' every time he moved in the meetings. He held Ben's old position.

Secretary of Defense Draqo Phasselion.

Next to Lena, was the new Speaker of the House Horero Aenatis. After him was the Secretary of Maritime Duties. A man that Davos had personally chosen to replace him. Chass Waters was an ugly man, but a knowledgeable sailor and an invaluable asset. He knew the shipping lanes, who owned them, and how many ships we had there at any time I asked him. That was no small feat, as my fleet had only grown over the past ten years.

Greatest fleet in the world.

Davos sat at the foot of the table, as he always preferred. Between him and Draqo was an older portly gentleman. He was the Dean of the University of Myr, and also the Secretary of Education. It was a fairly new aspect of my realm, but one that I was determined to see brought to all my subjects.

Tychanar Brenaan.

"Now we may begin." I told them with a smile before starting us off. "The elections in Pentos are finished, and a building is being renovated as we speak in the heart of the city. The city guard is being drilled on law and order and the judges have been placed. Before the end of the year, they will be fully functioning members of the Kingdom. We will reevaluate once a month to determine the state of our new city."

I ended it there, and let the information sink in to the council. All of this, we had already planned years in advance. I had already chosen the judges that would be brought to the city. I already knew the man that would whip into shape and command the guard. I already knew who would be killed in their sleep, for the greater good of the city. It was already on autopilot, and I didn't feel bad about returning to Myr within two months.

"Sounds a lot smoother than what Davos and I had to deal with." Ben joked with a grin. He was absolutely correct too. All of those things that I had pre planned out, was something I learned from having to help Ben and Davos through their own cities' issues. The unrest would settle once the people saw their coin purse return to full capacity.

"That is without a doubt." Davos agreed. I could see lines on his face that did not exist before he took up the lordship. Even Ben's handsome face wore a small amount of lines from the decade of his rule.

"It is because of your hardship that it went so smoothly. Your council was invaluable over the past years." Ashara answered exactly what I was thinking. Her voice, so close to my ear, caused a reaction inside of me. Last night was not enough to cool my urges. I was still a young man after all.

"What the Queen says is true. I am nothing without you two." I said, doing my best to flatter the two of them. I was also just in a good mood, and felt jovial.

"I'm glad you said that, Your Grace, because Ben and I do wonder what has warranted our attendance today." Davos asked. He had grown bolder in the recent years. No, he was just more confident in himself.

I wouldn't say it's misplaced, but it is hard to fuck up when I hand out the blueprint so freely.

"The rest of us are also curious, your grace. It is not a normally scheduled meeting." Horero, the Speaker of the House added.

I rolled my eyes. "Fine, we'll get straight to it then." I said as I stood up from my chair. I couldn't help but begin to pace around the room.

"Pentos was a test. But to be completely honest with you all, I knew that it would succeed years ago. Since then, I realized that the same method's we employed in Pentos, can be used in a variety of ways. The spoken word is more powerful than I ever imagined." I began. It was hard for me to approach the conversation. How should I even lay out what I wanted to say?

"Before I go further, know that what I am about to tell you is never to leave these walls." I said, turning my voice deadly serious and directing it to them. "And I mean it literally. This isn't something you write down and study. This isn't something you converse over with your spouse at dinner. The contents of this conversation shall never be leaked, or I will find the source and remove it. Davos and Ben, you two are my oldest friends, but I do not make idle threats, and the importance of this outweighs our relationship."

I paused and made sure that everyone in the room understood the consequences of what I was about to reveal. Davos didn't let anything show on his face, he was stoic as ever. Ben frowned at me as he realized the gravity of the situation. Ashara just winked at me. She was the only one that already knew of these plans, and had helped with them herself.

"Good. If this information is leaked to the wrong people, there would be war on our doorstep immediately, and we would struggle to survive it. This plan must be enacted over years, just as Pentos was." I explained, and once again paused to let the information sink in.

"As most of you have gathered by now, my ambition continues to grow, and with it so will my kingdom. Where do you believe my sights are aimed next?" I asked, open endedly to my council. This information I had kept close to my chest.

"Volantis." Ben answered quickly. It was a very good deduction on his part. Volantis had been attacking our ships if they were caught near the city. They despised the fact that I had united the Three Sister Cities, just as they had so long ago. I expected them to increase their efforts against me now that Pentos was brought under my rule as well.

But he was wrong. "I am glad you said that Ben, because that is what I want people to believe." I told him with a grin. "However I do not believe that pushing east is the best idea."

"Braavos then. I would advise against it, despite our recent actions against them." Davos concluded, and then advised quickly. He was right, Braavos was a mighty foe that could throw money and men at us for years if I gave them the chance.

"Another excellent deduction, and I agree with your advice. No, Braavos is still strong despite the loss of the Sealord. My actions have united the city under a common quest. They will look to conquer Lorath, Norvos, and Qohor. I believe they will succeed with significant bloodshed and without our help." I told them, denying Davos' answer.

Ben sighed heavily, once the answer became obvious. "There is nothing but savagery south. The only direction left is…"

"West." I answered with a smile.

Ashara and I locked eyes as the room fell silent. We both smiled, enjoying the reaction we were getting out of the room. Most of the members had never considered the possibility of taking on Robert and his Kingdoms.

"Before I hear the customary denial of my wishes. I would like to continue uninterrupted for a moment." I said, mainly looking towards Davos. Ben would follow me to the ends of the earth and back, regardless of what he thought about the plan or destination.

They obeyed me and I started again. "A month ago, the Master of Coin Tywin Lannister declared that the 1 million gold dragon debt the crown has accumulated from the Westerlands is to be paid in full. However, Robert could not pay. Tywin Lannister knew this and instead asked for different compensation. Robert, on the advice of his council and much convincing from his lady wife, did not summon an army to stop him and all but gave his seal of approval."

"Yesterday marked Tywin's first naval victory over the Iron Islands. Pyke, the ruling seat of House Greyjoy, has fallen. Balon Greyjoy's head now decorates the walls, along with the remainder of his kin save Euron. It was a brutal battle, carried out by the reformed Golden Company with flawless execution. The Westerlands only fielded 5000 men."

I was fond of my pauses, and I let one cover the room after that explanation. Everyone was reacting in their own way. Lena, Arton, Ben, and Davos had the most visible reactions. They were from Westeros, and knew the importance of what I just told them. I continued before they could express their incredulousness.

"Within the next turn around the sun, the Westerlands will extend into the sea and the Iron Islands will be a name only in history as well as its culture. It will be a genocide forever remembered."

"Do you know what this implies?" I asked, looking at Davos because of the serious nature of his glare.

He didn't answer.

"It's an opportunity." I answered for them.

"You wish to save the Iron Islands, and take them for yourself?" This time it was Draqo that answered. His voice was rough and carried authority.

"No, it is of little strategic importance and is not worth the effort. Tywin is showing the world that Robert Baratheon can be bought. The Targaryens no longer rule with an iron fist. There are no dragons that fly over Westeros. No one is willing to oppose Tywin. He benefited the most from the Targaryen downfall and is capitalizing on his daughter's status as Queen. The Iron Islands is to Tywin Lannister, what Pentos was to me: a test." I answered. It seemed like I would need to lead them to the conclusion of this story.

"Robert Baratheon has already failed that test. If you think that the other lords of the Seven Kingdoms are not already pondering on how best to expand their influence, then you are wrong. The Seven Kingdoms are on the verge of war." I explained.

"I disagree." Ben interrupted confidently. "If anything, it makes them seem more united. The IronBorn have been a thorn in Westeros for too long. Robert will be praised for their eradication, and Tywin will benefit from the taxes and land." He said, throwing his two cents into the ring.

"I would agree with you Ben, if it wasn't for Robert's hatred towards Tywin. If he wasn't married to the man's daughter, they would already be at war in the Riverlands." I retorted just as confidently as my friend.

This was the main reason I invited the two of them. Ben and Davos weren't afraid to speak their mind on matters like the others. They challenged me in ways that others really didn't even try. They saw me as human, where others saw me as something more.

"But he is married to Tywin's daughter. Robert will never move against the old lion." Davos said, raising his hand up slightly and throwing his two cents in.

"I disagree, and that is the point of this meeting. What I am about to reveal, once it becomes public knowledge, will tear Westeros apart." I said, preparing myself to drop an even bigger bomb on my council than Westeros going to war with the Iron Islands.

"Tell me, do any of you know what color hair and eyes Robert's children are…?"

A/N:Boom!

So I'll be honest. I never expected this to be Petyr's next avenue of conquest. Yet it makes perfect sense to me. He was the person that kicked off the war of the Five Kings yea? Why wouldn't this Petyr do the same to Robert? After everything they've put him through? No brainer.

Especially if Petyr thought he could expand his borders even further.

I could have shown a little more pov with Robert and Tywin, but this story is not about them. It's about Petyr and how his actions have changed things.

I think Tywin saw what Petyr was doing, and discovered that it was entirely possible to conquer more lands, especially in the position that Tywin is in. This is the same thing that Braavos is about to do. They are taking inspiration from Petyr, and are going to use his blueprint to conquer. That's an overarching reaction from Petyr's actions that I'm trying to implement.

Now the REAL players are about to change in the landscape of Planetos, and borders will be rewritten!

Let's talk in the reviews!