130 Return to Kings Landing

It felt strange being back here again.

Tyrion had thought that after fleeing Kings Landing he would never return. Not with the memories this place held, very few being fond. Even as he looked around, entering into the throne room, nothing struck him as pleasant.

Every inch of the room, grandiose and spectacular in design filled him with disgust. Nothing more so than the barbarous and wicked chair that stood as the spectacle of the room. A mass of warped and twisted metal, the Iron Throne.

It was the object of everyone's attention as they entered inside. Daenerys herself walked across the room, her footsteps echoing in the empty hall as she made her way towards the vacant throne.

Behind him, Tyrion could hear the whispers of those accompanying them, a mixture of Valyrian and Westerosi languages that expressed the same level of awe. He found it difficult to understand what was so spectacular and amazing about the Iron Throne. It was a seat belonging to drunken mad fools, hardly the seat belonging to a commoner let alone a King.

"It's magnificent," Daenerys murmured, looking upon the Iron Throne with reverence. This was the symbol of the power and influence of her house, the result of their conquest and centuries of rule.

But it was not hers.

It was Robb Stark's.

The thought was sobering, Daenerys pausing as she reached out to touch the sides of the throne. She hadn't even realised that she had come up all the stairs to now stand before it. But once again, the thought came to her, this was not hers.

Robb Stark had fought this war for four years, battling against all foes who stood in his way and emerged victorious. He had earned the loyalty, respect, admiration and fear of all that served him. Only those that remained standing against him were prideful fools too blind to see the folly of their current actions.

Daenerys however had seen reason, thanks to the aid of others in her court, one man especially. "Tyrion." She called, turning around to look upon those in the hall. Not everyone belonged to her supporters, there were some lords who had been too injured to march North with Robb, including some of the Vale lords, Yohn Royce amongst them.

Each of them watched her actions, carefully studying to see what she would do now that she was here. They wanted her to take the Iron Throne, not out of loyalty to her, but out of greed. No doubt, the moment she did, they would spin the tale to suit their own means.

She had been blind to such ploys in the past, but no longer.

It would take time, that much she knew.

However, Daenerys was determined to win, to survive and to do that, she needed to understand how this game was played. Luckily for her, she had one of the smartest men in Westeros on her side.

"Come with me."

-X- Line Break -X-

It was not the King's chambers that they entered, but instead the chambers belonging to the Queen. Since the fall of the Targaryen Kings, the chambers belonging to members of the King's harem had been abandoned. They were still kept clean and tidy, often being used for important noblemen to use upon entering Kings Landing on business. But the history behind these rooms, the significance remained, especially this one.

"Have you found any proof that Aegon is the son of Elia Martell or a Blackfyre?" She asked, taking a seat at the table on the balcony, looking out over the city. It was bustling with life, the army camped outside and some entering the city, the brothels no doubt been busy today and the foreseeable future.

Tyrion shook his head. "I have found nothing that proves what he is saying." He admitted. "But finding proof that he is who he says he is, should not be our priority. Instead, our efforts should be on helping the Dornish with whatever they might need. Robb did a good job in bringing up Lys, the Martells will be wary and cautious in what they believe. No doubt they will try and find proof that he is Aegon, but we could instead guide them towards finding evidence that points them in the opposite direction."

"So, let the Dornish disprove Aegon's words while we focus on other matters?" Daenerys questioned, Tyrion nodding his head.

"It will work much better for us in the long run. No doubt the Tyrells will be expecting us to focus our efforts upon the Dornish, if we keep our distance, it will make them hesitate and question our actions." He explained simply.

Daenerys wasn't entirely convinced. "They still fought in favour of Aegon though, despite Robb raising questions of the legitimacy of his claims. Surely that shows where they stand, does it not?"

"It would, yes," Tyrion replied. "But Oberyn is an emotional man, one who commits to something fully until he sees it through to the end. Even if he did have doubts, they would be overshadowed and clouded by other emotions. He believed in Aegon's words, Robb may have rattled him slightly, but it was not enough. But, Doran Martell is different and he is the one in command of Dorne, not Oberyn."

"If he chooses to support me, all of Dorne will."

"Yes." Daenerys hummed in thought, leaning back into her chair, it was warm down here, much nicer and more familiar to her than the cold, wet weather further north. "I have also received confirmation from a few lords of the Stormlands that are in support of you, as well as the remainder of the Crownlands. Your supporters are growing in number and will continue to rise when the supply of food and riches grows."

A thought then came to her at the mention of wealth. "Do we know why Illyrio chose to support Aegon?"

That made Tyrion pause. "I'm afraid that is something I am not certain of myself." He admitted. "It is safe to guess that the Sellswords and the Golden Company that my father hired were actually paid for by him. It was no doubt the plan of Aegon to provide Sellswords and the Golden Company to my father and have him and Robb kill each other in the Battle of the Bloody Antlers. Then with a standing army of his own, conquer the rest of Westeros."

But that plan had failed despite its simplistic genius.

Tyrion had always wondered why Sellswords and the Golden Company especially had agreed to fight for his father despite the lack of money he had. It was clear now that none had been working for his father, but for Aegon all along.

"Find out the reason behind it, if he was tricked like Dorne and the Golden Company, then we can gain not only one of them but all three," Daenerys ordered.

"I understand having Dorne and Illyrio on your side, but you must surely understand that the Golden Company will never support you." Tyrion pointed out. "They were formed by the Blackfyre's to fight against you and that is an oath they have no doubt carried on to believe in since their founding. The chances of them choosing to support you are slim."

"I'm not talking about supporting me," Daenerys replied. "I want to offer them to Robb. He always admired their disciple and skill. If I can offer him the Golden Company, surely he will favour me."

Tyrion smiled, bowing low. "I shall see what I can do, my Queen."